Hi @Windwalker
Windwalker said : "But I would not go so far as to as to call atheism itself as a religion. It simply doesn't qualify. It has no central authority, no core teachings or philosophies, no common practices and rituals, and so forth. It's those things that define a religion."...
REGARDING THE DEFINITION OF AN ATHIEST
ChristineM said : "It's more a case of i have no valid evidence that there is a god, do you want to prove that wrong?"
CLEAR replied : A) The strict Atheist has a belief that no God exists.
The strict Agnostic does not know if a God exists or not and...
1) Regarding strict athiesm
ChristineM said : "It's more a case of i have no valid evidence that there is a god, do you want to prove that wrong?"
Hi @ChristineM
You are confusing definitions.
Your confusion undermines your examples.
A) Regarding the definition of...
@KenS said : "Could I also say that atheism does believe in a type of salvation. That humanity, in and of itself with its capability, can fix the ills of humanity to be "saved" of its problems."
Hi KenS,
While I certainly agree that some athiests might believe this, other athiests might...
“Clear said : I think @KenS point that the things we believe in and place our faith in and objects and principles to which one renders obeisance constitutes a system of belief is a profound point.
Those who leave a belief system where they place their faith and hopes in secularism and athiesm...
I think @KenS point that the things we believe in and place our faith in and objects and principles to which one renders obeisance constitutes a system of belief is a profound point.
Those who leave a belief system where they place their faith and hopes in secularism and athiesm for a belief...
POST TWO OF TWO
4) THE JUSTIFICATION OF AND THE MISGUIDANCE CREATED BY OVERGENERALIZATION
“ Out of love for those poor kids, I will not remain silent about it.” - Idea (post #112)
“Out of love” for poor kids?
While you may justify overgeneralizing "out of love" for one group of kids, your...
Post one of Two
1) OVERGENERALIZATION OF ANGER AND OVER BROAD LABELING OF "EVIL" DOES HARM
Clear said : “… nonspecific and incorrect moral generalizations and condemnation of a group of people that are actually good is another way to victimize and harm good people that you lump into your...
Hi @idea
It may be that a minority of bad reviews will have an effect greater than the majority of good reviews.
But nonspecific and incorrect moral generalizations and condemnation of what is actually good is another way to victimize and harm good people that you lump into your claim.
For...
@metis said : "As we've seen in history, each denomination ultimately decides which books to canonize, and in Judaism historically this was also a rather contentious issue."
I think this is correct. In addition, each individual determines which books they read and find inspiration from...
@Seeker of White Light said : "Stop trying to put thoughts in my head about LDS."
I think Seeker is proposing an important principle regarding any religion.
If we want to know about Jesus, we cannot get a balanced view if we asked Judas or another disgruntled source about Jesus and who he...
I have to agree that it is silly to think that one can "dismantle" any religion that the best scholars and educated individuals have sought to disprove for hundreds of years and have been unable to prove. It is like the athiest who claims that they can dismantle christianity, or the christian...
Hi @Sand Dancer
Like you, I am drawn to any religion or people who are family oriented and moral. I don't care what religion a good person attends, I like principles that are moral and kind and good.
I also was impressed by restorational movement and restorational theology (i.e. the movement...
Hi @Notthedarkweb
I cannot tell if you are referring specifically to the destruction of cities or something else (sacrifice?, etc). Can you give me a specific example of what you are referring to and the problem you feel it poses?
thanks so much
Clear
Hi @Madmogwai
While the question itself creates (or reveals) a paradoxical paradigm, I think the problem consists in the way individuals often define "omnipotence" as it applies to God.
Sometimes there is an insistence that "omnipotence" means that God can do absolutely anything, even the...
Hi @YoursTrue
I also agree with the specific Jehovahs Witness concept that the spirit is not the same as a soul.
The ancient Judeo-Christianity and it's belief that a spirit exists inside the body were the two parts that make up a living soul attest to this distinction as well.
The main...
@paarsurrey said : "Does this soul/spirit/ruʹach die with the physical death of an individual, and or is this spirit seen by the family friends living who have not yet died, please? Right?" (post #47)
Hi Paarsurrey
The semantics may be getting in the way here.
1) The "body", the "spirit" and...
Hi @Terrywoodenpic
Terrywoodpic said : "I hardly think it is necessary to go all out on the JW front.
Most people would accept that their interpretation of the scriptures is very much their own."
My original point was simply that the ancient Judeo-Christianity that believed that an intelligent...
POST THREE OF THREE
In another version of this story from the Apocryphon of Ezekial, the same story is told thusly.
“What then does the just judge do? Realizing in what manner both had been joined, he places the lame man on the blind man and examines both under the lash. And they are unable...
POST TWO OF THREE
In explaining the relationship of this life to the pre-mortal realm of spirits, the messiah explained
“After we went forth from our home, and came down to this world, and came into being in the world in bodies, we were hated and persecuted, not only by those who are...