Fear of God?

[Blackheart]

i'm suggesting that this way of living ascribes to your ideals.
you would rather be told what to do then to figure it out for yourself by the way you say you have accepted this tyrannical deity.

Not at all. But you have to accept when something is bigger than you. We are all surrounded by entities that dictate our lives wether its spiiritual or simply everyday life such as paying dreaded taxes etc. This doesnt mean that you want to be controlled.

 

[waitasec]

Not at all. But you have to accept when something is bigger than you. We are all surrounded by entities that dictate our lives wether its spiiritual or simply everyday life such as paying dreaded taxes etc. This doesnt mean that you want to be controlled.

well that's why we live in a democracy...an ideology that goes against what the bible teaches.

i have choices, which is not being subjected to dictatorship


as far as taxes are concerned, it is a necessity. without those dreaded taxes, we wouldn't be able to function as a democracy.

 

[Penumbra]

Finally someone gets it lol. I dont know why everyone is so shocked though.

The shocking aspect is that someone believes that god not only has a very human personality, but the personality of a petty, jealous, violent, and ridiculous human. It's a description of god that is basically an obnoxious 8-year-old with omnipotent power.

Why would I move to North Korea? Are you suggesting that I designed God to be the way I described him? I hope not as that is exactly what Im arguing against.

You think someone else has told me these things? Well your right if your referring to the authors of the bible. Read it and you will see that God does what he decides is necessary even if it means that someone will not like it. Where does your image of God come from? How did you ever think that God was fluffy and only did things that we like (assuming thats what you think)?

Then perhaps you shouldn't allow ancient and barbaric humans tell you what god is. Their god is a reflection of their culture.

 

[waitasec]

Where does your image of God come from? How did you ever think that God was fluffy and only did things that we like (assuming thats what you think)?

i don't have an image of god. it's impossible to quantify especially from a people who believed in superstition because of lack of scientific knowledge.

i never thought god was fluffy. especially the god of the bible.
i think the god of the bible is contradictory.
you're saying the boss does what he does and we are to accept that. you don't see how this ideology is consistent with a celestial dictatorship that is so powerful it can even penetrate your inner thoughts?

and why would such an all powerful deity even care about my lack of faith in it? why does my lack of faith have anything to do with his existence?
i'll tell you why, it's because i will not be subjected to this form of celestial dictatorship used as a tool to be controlled by any political system.

the christian celestial dictatorship adopted the standard of the roman empires political system.
notice how the pope and the vatican operate. this dictatorship controls the masses for better or for worse...
and most are willing to bow to this because it saves them the trouble of figuring it out for themselves.

 

[Looncall]

Lol. I just accept the natural order.

No, No. You have just been conned by power-maddened clerics. How can this scam not be stunningly obvious to you?

 

[strikeviperMKII]

it's the end of life as we know it.
and to assume one knows the unknowable is pure speculation. period.

When you come from death into life, it is no longer speculation.

a book full of contradictions isn't going to explain the unexplainable.
the want for life to continue is an enticing idea. a form of comfort that death is just a transformation of energy. sure, i get that. it might be true.

You are entirely grounded in the physical. The physical is meaningless.

however it's this notion that i have to meet a certain condition that goes against my integrity, reasoning and my logic in order for me to
fit in a class system when i die is absolutely ludicrous, no offense.

To live, you must choose life, just as in order to enjoy pizza, you must eat pizza. It is not a condition, and you have to do nothing more than live in order to have life.

i didn't choose life it chose me...i am living.

You are alive. But as I said, you can be alive and dead at the same time.

 

[Blackheart]

i don't have an image of god. it's impossible to quantify especially from a people who believed in superstition because of lack of scientific knowledge.

i never thought god was fluffy. especially the god of the bible.
i think the god of the bible is contradictory.
you're saying the boss does what he does and we are to accept that. you don't see how this ideology is consistent with a celestial dictatorship that is so powerful it can even penetrate your inner thoughts?

and why would such an all powerful deity even care about my lack of faith in it? why does my lack of faith have anything to do with his existence?
i'll tell you why, it's because i will not be subjected to this form of celestial dictatorship used as a tool to be controlled by any political system.

the christian celestial dictatorship adopted the standard of the roman empires political system.
notice how the pope and the vatican operate. this dictatorship controls the masses for better or for worse...
and most are willing to bow to this because it saves them the trouble of figuring it out for themselves.

But im afarid you cant opt out of it. You can deny it and resist it as much as you like but as the Sun still rises from the east you will remain subject to the forces that are beyond your control.

 

[tumbleweed41]

....as the Sun still rises from the east you will remain subject to the forces that are beyond your control.

Yes, natural measurable forces.

 

[waitasec]

When you come from death into life, it is no longer speculation.

how would you know this?
have you experienced death and gone to the other side?
this claim is unsubstantiated and it comes from a time when civilization was
unknowledgeable in science and relied on superstitions to explain
mysteries.

You are entirely grounded in the physical. The physical is meaningless.

if this is true then why not sell everything you have and give it all to the poor? or is this physical life not meaningless? it is all you have.
see i don't get how you can want to be the best person you can and live a life of integrity with this notion that our lives in the here and now is meaningless.

To live, you must choose life, just as in order to enjoy pizza, you must eat pizza. It is not a condition, and you have to do nothing more than live in order to have life.

ultimatum:
a final demand, the rejection of which may lead to a resort to force or other compelling action by the party presenting the ultimatum
the problem here is i chose to eat the pizza
this ultimatum was not of my choosing... remember the alternative is damnation, that's not a choice.

You are alive. But as I said, you can be alive and dead at the same time.

are you saying i am of the living dead?

 

[waitasec]

But im afarid you cant opt out of it. You can deny it and resist it as much as you like but as the Sun still rises from the east you will remain subject to the forces that are beyond your control.

what forces are beyond my control? can you elaborate?
i know that i will die one day, that is beyond my control.
is that what you mean?

 

[Blackheart]

what forces are beyond my control? can you elaborate?
i know that i will die one day, that is beyond my control.
is that what you mean?

There are obviously many forces beyond our control and we are subject to all of them and I include God as being one of them.

 

[strikeviperMKII]

how would you know this?
have you experienced death and gone to the other side?
this claim is unsubstantiated and it comes from a time when civilization was
unknowledgeable in science and relied on superstitions to explain
mysteries.

Of course.

if this is true then why not sell everything you have and give it all to the poor? or is this physical life not meaningless? it is all you have.

If it is meaningless, why should I give it to the poor? Why would they find it more meaningful than I?
You have misunderstood me.

see i don't get how you can want to be the best person you can and live a life of integrity with this notion that our lives in the here and now is meaningless.

I chose to. Why does there have to be any other reason?

ultimatum:
a final demand, the rejection of which may lead to a resort to force or other compelling action by the party presenting the ultimatum
the problem here is i chose to eat the pizza
this ultimatum was not of my choosing... remember the alternative is damnation, that's not a choice.

The alternative is death (i.e. not being able to enjoy the pizza). Is that because God said so? No. You are hungry because you did not choose to eat. It is your choice.
You cannot complain or accuse when you are the one choosing to abstain.

are you saying i am of the living dead?

I was. In some ways, I still am.

 

[waitasec]

There are obviously many forces beyond our control and we are subject to all of them and I include God as being one of them.

if it's so obvious, please enlighten me
you didn't elaborate...

 

[waitasec]

When you come from death into life, it is no longer speculation.

how can you know?

Of course.

i don't get it.

If it is meaningless, why should I give it to the poor? Why would they find it more meaningful than I?
You have misunderstood me.

because christ commanded his followers to...sell everything you have and give to the poor.
the first will be last and the last first. christ was all about deeds. helping the needy.

I chose to. Why does there have to be any other reason?

huh? you said life is meaningless...

The alternative is death (i.e. not being able to enjoy the pizza).

i had a choice and opted for the taco

Is that because God said so?

no because a people who didn't understand science the way we do now, said so...

No. You are hungry because you did not choose to eat. It is your choice.

i'm not hungary i ate a taco instead...

You cannot complain or accuse when you are the one choosing to abstain.

who said i was abstaining, i really enjoyed that shrimp taco.
i complain when believers think they are morally superior when they are not.

I was. In some ways, I still am.

none of us are perfect.

 

[Breathe]

I havent said that he is against any of these things but if he was then he would have his reasons im sure.

For laughs?
Random bans?
Personal choice?

You say this because he does not sound like the kind of God you would like to serve you?

No, the kind I would not want to serve.

There you go deciding how a God should behave to measure up to your desires.

That's a perfectly valid thing to do when you have a deity who seems to be slightly on the mad side.

Taking religious texts too literally is dangerous.

 

[Blackheart]

Taking religious texts too literally is dangerous.

Changing religious texts to suite you is worse

 

[waitasec]

Changing religious texts to suite you is worse

how about dismissing them entirely...
if we had the knowledge of science, religion/superstition would not be necessary.
in other words, there is no need for religion today.

 

[paolops181]

To prevent the derailing of a thread on the merits of biological evolution, I am re-posting the following quote here...



It is my strong opinion that a God who demands fear from his followers is unworthy of worship, and in fact, reflects an anthropomorphic God that contains the very human destructive emotions of vengeance, hate, jealousy and low self esteem.

That's just your own opinion brother! Do you have a problem if God demands fear?
Our God does whatever he pleases (ps.115:3). And who are you if you argue w/ God for you are just a creation you're nothing (rom.9:20).
Read this!
"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" -Phil.2:12
See that? Its not my own opinion its God's word...

 

[Blackheart]

how about dismissing them entirely...
if we had the knowledge of science, religion/superstition would not be necessary.
in other words, there is no need for religion today.

Weve always had the knowledge of science. The only difference now is that some people think it can actually replace religion even though science is massively incomplete and proves to be wrong much more than it is right. If you want to base your knowledge on a constantly changing set of guesses then prioritise science and allow the wise to keep their faith. Why are you so afraid of religion?

 

[ellenjanuary]

Weve always had the knowledge of science. The only difference now is that some people think it can actually replace religion even though science is massively incomplete and proves to be wrong much more than it is right. If you want to base your knowledge on a constantly changing set of guesses then prioritise science and allow the wise to keep their faith. Why are you so afraid of religion?

Archimedes found that the area of a circle could be found by inscribing polygons around that circle, polygons of ever-increasing sides. Picture a circle inside a triangle, then inside a square, then inside a pentagon... notice how the more sides the polygon has, the closer it comes to describing the exact area of the circle. This is how science works. It is not so much a matter of being wrong, it is a matter of being more correct today than yesterday; of not being as correct as it will be tomorrow.

Revealed religion doesn't have such elegance. Revealed religion starts with a circle and states that we are all squares.