How can you be a True Christian™ if you don't take the Eden story literally?

[ppp]

Too bad some people fill the hole with sex, which they call love.

I keep hearing that from folk whose religion imposes restriction on sexual activity, but I have met very few people who are incapable of making that distinction. Not even in ancient times, when I was a teen.

 

[Trailblazer]

Wrong again.

Right again, since God is not self.

 

[Trailblazer]

At least the addict and the alcoholic knows there is a hole that needs feeling. S/he feels the hunger, but doesn't know that only god can fill the emptiness inside.

Perhaps that is why many addicts end up in 12 step programs believing in a higher power, something higher than themselves.

 

[Trailblazer]

I keep hearing that from folk whose religion imposes restriction on sexual activity, but I have met very few people who are incapable of making that distinction. Not even in ancient times, when I was a teen.

Incapable of making what distinction?

 

[Audie]

Incapable of making what distinction?

The one you can't detect?

 

[ppp]

Incapable of making what distinction?

The distinction between sex and love.

Too bad some people fill the hole with sex, which they call love.

 

[Mark Charles Compton]

Incapable of making what distinction?

Copulation and procreation! Lol... Prophylactics such as condoms for the win, kids!

(I'm probably the youngest here, rofl.)

 

[CG Didymus]

Wrong again.

And I was talking about a selfless love. A love that is pure.

Some religious people need to surrender themselves to their invisible God to allow themselves to feel that kind of love and to live it and experience it. But, instead of God being love or the source of love, what if it's just love? But I'm okay with there being a negative force also. But who knows?

To me, it seems like religion wants people to love in that state of love, and, as far as I know, they can't. So, to get people to at least try to be loving and kind and humble and all those good things, they invented God? And then invented hell to get people to be afraid of burning for eternity if they don't live by that love. But, actually, self-love, filling holes with sex, all sounds good to me too.

 

[Trailblazer]

And I was talking about a selfless love. A love that is pure.

Do you really think such a love exists, human to human?
What human relationship is not without consideration of self?

 

[Muffled]

There is no evidence of all that a God was involved. At least none that I have seen. I have seen many endless mistakes by believers in their claims when it comes to this.

I believe that is evidence that yo are blind because of bias.

 

[Muffled]

Didn't God care about any humans anywhere on Earth before 2000 years ago? How about those today who don't know much of anything about Jesus?

I believe different times require different criteria. We are in the end time so we require end time criteria. As for those who went before, I believe with re-incarnation they are with us now. Everyone has heard the gospel at least once.

 

[Muffled]

Well then. Welcome to the club you invented.
Of course, perfection is impossible,
so you've concocted a grossly insulting
word to describe everyone.
What does that accomplish?

I believe the word has a bad reputation but it actually can cover a great many minor things that would not be considered gross.

 

[Audie]

I believe the word has a bad reputation but it actually can cover a great many minor things that would not be considered gross.

You seem unaware of what I said
or what "grossly" means

 

[Subduction Zone]

I believe that is evidence that yo are blind because of bias.

Really? Then it should be no problem for you to show that there is evidence. But unfortunately most people do not understand what makes evidence reliable or not.

The bias may be yours.

 

[Audie]

I believe that is evidence that yo are blind because of bias.

Big talk, no action. Blame others for your
failure.
Christian values on display ?

 

[Audie]

Really? Then it should be no problem for you to show that there is evidence. But unfortunately most people do not understand what makes evidence reliable or not.

The bias may be yours.

Can hardly be more biased than by making " Faith" a
top virtue.

Projection is strong with these people.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Big talk, no action. Blame others for your
failure.
Christian values on display ?

I will constantly accuse creationists of not understanding the concept of scientific evidence. But when I do so I always offer to go over the concept with them. I am almost never taken up on it and they all abandon learning when it becomes obvious to even them that I was right all along.

I have often been accuse of "bias" or some other apparent personal attack by believers, yet they never support their accusations. That makes their accusations mere personal attacks. Luckily I have very very thick skin.

 

[CG Didymus]

The distinction between sex and love.

And too bad some people fill it with sex? What is she talking about? The Baha'i God supposedly design people to have sex and to want sex. But then puts all kinds of restrictions on who, where, and when to have sex? Knowing that most all people aren't going to be able to obey this God's restrictions?

God didn't have to make sex so desirable (As if he did). Very easily it could just be how natural instincts work. He or she looks good. It feels good. Go do it. Then religious leaders say, "Wait, God says no. Gotta get married first. Don't do it and don't even think about it, until you're married." Then how many religious leaders get caught doing it.

 

[Trailblazer]

And too bad some people fill it with sex? What is she talking about? The Baha'i God supposedly design people to have sex and to want sex. But then puts all kinds of restrictions on who, where, and when to have sex? Knowing that most all people aren't going to be able to obey this God's restrictions?

People CAN wait till they get married to have sex, most people just don't want to, but God is not going to lower His standards for those people.
If most people are not able to wait till they get married, that's their problem, and it is only a problem if they are Baha'is, since nobody else is held to this standard.

God didn't have to make sex so desirable (As if he did). Very easily it could just be how natural instincts work. He or she looks good. It feels good. Go do it. Then religious leaders say, "Wait, God says no. Gotta get married first. Don't do it and don't even think about it, until you're married." Then how many religious leaders get caught doing it.

Why does God make sex so desirable? Well, primarily to guarantee continuation of the human species.
But there is another reason. It is because God wants us to struggle and rise above out our natural instincts.
An old friend of mine who was the owner of the Planet Baha'i forum once posted this and he gave me permission to post it:

"God is calling us to struggle against our lower nature and to become who we truly are: not material beings, not sexual beings, but spiritual beings who are in control of the physical side of our nature and who can thus find true happiness living in conformity with His will. Although not scriptural, there is a possible explanation of why He has made it so hard that I ran across long ago in a Baha'i children's book: Because if it were too easy, it wouldn't be worth anything. Or put another way, because only by being challenged can we really prove our love for God."

 

[Audie]

I will constantly accuse creationists of not understanding the concept of scientific evidence. But when I do so I always offer to go over the concept with them. I am almost never taken up on it and they all abandon learning when it becomes obvious to even them that I was right all along.

I have often been accuse of "bias" or some other apparent personal attack by believers, yet they never support their accusations. That makes their accusations mere personal attacks. Luckily I have very very thick skin.

SEDI- Same evicence, different interpretion-
is iniane and thought- less.
There should be a Godwin rule for it.

Its CCCS ( creo crap co star) is of course,
" bias" which is in the playbook under " magic words"
that are the final word, an automatic win.

You are of course never going to accomplish
anything trying to explain what evidence is.

'Crrovidence" as witnessed on campus.
A falling leaf is a Message ( rvidence) about the triinity.

Oops, it has 5 parts. It's about the pentarch.