Well it sounds like you have a worthy "opponent."
Everyone is worthy in my eyes but they are not my opponent. They are just people I like talking to, some more than others.
Some Hindus are very universal minded. They see religions as more of a buffet than separate meals. So when they see a new religion they assume they can just take a bite, so to speak.
Baha'is are also universal minded but that does not mean all religions can fit together.
As Jesus said, you cannot put old wine in new wine sacs because they will burst.
I largely sympathize with universalism, only because that's the sect I grew up in.
So you are not in it now?
Empathy is a good trait. But like all things, it should be a balance.
That's true... I have to stop feeling sorry for these tenants who don't pay the rent.
I'm the same. I tend to pal around with atheists far more than my Hindu cohorts. Question everything, that's my motto. Suffering has a tendency to shape us, perhaps more than we would like to admit.
I also question everything so just because I settled upon a religion does not mean there is not a lot to learn. Life is a constant journey.
Yes, suffering shapes us, the question is what shape we become, a good shape or a bad shape.
Mate you're talking to a Western born Hindu. I have all sorts of sloppy even insulting labels thrown at me all the time. It's honestly not worth the trouble to be bothered by it. Causes too much anger and detrimentally affects one's mental wellbeing.
So you get guff from Christians too? That's too bad. I hardly ever mention that I am a Baha'i in "real life", only on forums, so I do not get much guff.
The older Hindus (at least the ones I know) have this sort of aloof nature when it comes to their beliefs. They simply don't care what other people think or say to them. They just do what makes them happy.
I like that approach. I try to apply it in my day to day life.
That is a good approach because it does not matter what people think as long as you are living according to your own values and treating other people respectfully.
I think you're putting up a wall. You say it's ludicrous to expect forensic evidence for an ethereal being (God.) And I personally agree with you. But if one is coming from the position of an atheist, that is the evidence that will often satisfy the criteria they're using. It does not matter what we personally think. That's what's being asked. And though I doubt a God would care, it's not that unreasonable to ask a deity for forensic evidence of it's existence in exchange for belief. It just happens to be a strictly human one.
They can ask but they won't get any so that is why I say what I do, I don't want them to get their hopes up.
Creation, as you call it, is simply proof that life exists. Anything else is our own supposition. I know that seems like I'm bashing theism, but I'm not. I'm just saying, for theists, there's a lot of interpretation going on. I tend to run in a lot of pretentious artsy/philosophical circles, so I like that about theism. I'm just saying, at the end of the day, when everything is said and done, it really does come down to a personal faith, rather than hard scientific evidence. I don't think that's an unfair statement.
I agree, and i do not think creation is evidence of God either.
All religious faith is a personal faith, rather than hard scientific evidence.
Oh, buddy. Devil's advocate. It's easy to disprove Jesus. Just point to David Copperfield and ask if you really think he can actually fly. Parlor tricks, easy to pass off as miracles to people of the era. Either you were a messenger of God or burned at the stake for witchcraft. Water to wine, slight of hand.
Resurrection, hearsay by the devastated grieving. Making the blind see and the invalid walk, crowd plants in on the scheme. I'm not suggesting that you should not view Jesus as a messenger of God. We have always incorporated Lord Jesus into our religious rituals. In fact, most of my family are Christian here. (Albeit very liberal.) Most of my family in the UK are Catholic. Rest are of course Hindu of some flavour. I'm just saying, don't be too cocky. One person's miracle is another's scam.
I never implied I believe everything attributed to Jesus in the NT, but I do believe He was a Messenger of God, and an important one at that.
I don't think that's fair. Some people just have different ways of thinking. Some favour philosophy, others hard logic and math. If we are created, then that's the way God wants it, I guess.
I don't think it is a matter of fairness or what we want, just a matter of bring realistic. Religion is not science or vice versa. They can be in harmony but they have a different scope and they serve different purposes.
I'll agree that science can sometimes be a bit "cold." It's literally just hard data, really. But it's reasonable for a human, who has used science to teach them about literally the world around them, to ask a God for some scientific evidence of its existence. Because that's how they think.
They can ask God for anything they want but that does not mean they are going to get it. God is not a short order cook.
You assume that religions stand the test of time due to an influence by God. Perhaps you're right. But I contend that religion endures because humans are very tenacious creatures who will protect their belief in sacredness to the bitter end..
You raise a very good point I had not thought of. I think the reason these older religions have withstood the test of time is because of humans being unwilling to give them up, not because of God. I think God wants us all to move along the road. Don't get me going or you will get the full treatment.
