Looking for people who have some aim or purpose in these forums

[PoetPhilosopher]

I thought you said that you were leaving. Have you changed your mind? Are volunteering to discuss with me what you’ve been doing, and might do, to give Christianity another shot?

I was very upset earlier. When I posted that thread, I was kind of expecting people to reaffirm I should leave by being like "yeah, you suck". People cared. The people involved that hurt my feelings put in a real effort to understand me. The bacon references in the thread were funny. I repent of having a dramatic moment.

I volunteer to any questions, as I think about religion a lot. You can ask me in this thread or PM me.

 

[Jim]

The only reason relates to the enviroment and our perceptions of it.
I came on here to understand why we see it as we do for particular reasons.

Thank you. Would you be willing to discuss with me your strategies for learning, and what you’ve learned?

 

[Jim]

been here ten years
sorting through what people believe
what they don't believe

I have no doubt.....I am an influence

Has that been part of your aims and purposes here? Would you be willing to discuss with me what you’ve been doing, and hoping to do, to be an influence?

 

[Milton Platt]

I gave up Christianity due to being hurt many times by the Christian community, by wolves in sheep's clothing. I had objections to Christianity but upon taking a look deep within, I just had a lot of hurt. That hurt came before the objections. Now that I've vented it out, I want to give it, Christianity, another shot.

You gave up Christianity for the wrong reasons. You should base important decisions on logic, imperial evidence, and critical thinking, and not on emotions. That is how I arrived at atheism, and most atheists arrived the same way. By all means revisit your Christian faith, but do it with the same set of tools you use in all other areas of your life that are important. Either way you end up, enjoy the journey.

 

[Milton Platt]

I’m looking for people who have some aim or purpose in posting about religious or anti-religious topics in these forums, that you might possibly be willing to discuss with me. I’m not saying that anyone should, just asking, because that would interest me.

I enjoy the give and take when discussing religious topics. I come from an atheist perspective, and rely on critical thinking, empirical evidence, logic, etc. I enjoy conversations with the religiously inclined who are trying to step away from the "it's just faith" position and trying to show evidence for their beliefs. I don't know that I have ever persuaded anyone to leave their religion, but the point is to provoke critical thought.

 

[Katzpur]

I’m looking for people who have some aim or purpose in posting about religious or anti-religious topics in these forums, that you might possibly be willing to discuss with me. I’m not saying that anyone should, just asking, because that would interest me.

I'm here for a couple of reasons. One of them is to try to build bridges of understanding between people of different faiths and to promote tolerance between people with different worldviews. The other is to try to set the record straight when it comes to information about Mormonism, i.e. to clear up the multitude of misconceptions about my religion that exist.

I'm always interested in exploring both the similarities and differences between our varied spiritual paths, but I absolutely refuse to get into heated arguments with (a) people who cannot even conceive of the possibility that they don't have all the answers and who would prefer to argue a topic into the ground rather than simply agree to disagree, or (b) people who try to tell me that they are better informed about my religion than I am or -- worse -- that I'm lying when I tell them that the information they've gotten from anti-Mormon publications is inaccurate.

 

[Jim]

... the point is to provoke critical thought.

Would you be willing to discuss with me your thoughts about how to provoke critical thought in Internet forums, and your experiences with that?

 

[Jim]

I'm here for a couple of reasons. One of them is to try to build bridges of understanding between people of different faiths and to promote tolerance between people with different worldviews. The other is to try to set the record straight when it comes to information about Mormonism, i.e. to clear up the multitude of misconceptions about my religion that exist.

Would you be willing to discuss with me what you’ve been doing and hoping to do, for those purposes?

 

[Milton Platt]

Would you be willing to discuss with me your thoughts about how to provoke critical thought in Internet forums, and your experiences with that?

Yes, but I think we will encounter the "pile on" effect and the discussion will become derailed. What about a private discussion?

 

[Jim]

Yes, but I think we will encounter the "pile on" effect and the discussion will become derailed. What about a private discussion?

Okay, later.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

I’m looking for people who have some aim or purpose in posting about religious or anti-religious topics in these forums, that you might possibly be willing to discuss with me. I’m not saying that anyone should, just asking, because that would interest me.

My current aim is to not get banned from RF. I have a unfortunate track record on Forums with a trail of big boots and not to ever come backs, maybe I have had two or more strikes here already as well..... .......Such is life.

Regards Tony

 

[Milton Platt]

I was very upset earlier. When I posted that thread, I was kind of expecting people to reaffirm I should leave by being like "yeah, you suck". People cared. The people involved that hurt my feelings put in a real effort to understand me. The bacon references in the thread were funny. I repent of having a dramatic moment.

I volunteer to any questions, as I think about religion a lot. You can ask me in this thread or PM me.

You kinda have to leave your feelings at the door sometimes on RF. Everyone steps on toes sometimes, and I am no exception. I can get quite pointed and sometimes people will feel offence. I try not to do that, because we both loose, but it happens.

 

[Jim]

I need to go offline now. I’ll be back later.

 

[The Reverend Bob]

Don't look at me. I am just here to pick up on some chicks.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

Don't look at me. I am just here to pick up on some chicks.

Come for the chicks, stay for the dudes.

 

[Deeje]

Like for example, I wanted to get on female hormones because I didn't like myself the way it is... while the Bible doesn't say "Thou shall not change genders", I do think my problem stems from self-hatred, and some people can search answers elsewhere than Jesus/the Bible, but it becomes exhausting when one has to be their own God, so to speak.

I cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like to feel as if you are trapped in the wrong gendered body.

No one is responsible for their genetic make-up and God understands this.....it doesn't mean that he hates you or that you have to hate yourself because of what you cannot help for the present. Medical science can give you ways to "fit" into your own mold, so to speak, but is that really the solution that will bring true happiness and acceptance from God? It is at best an artificial exterior solution to what is essentially an internal problem. Is there a better solution? I believe that the Bible is the best guide...what about you?

I believe that the best way possible to gain God's approval and to feel whole as a person, is to follow his guidelines. Knowing that he loves you for yourself and understands what you have been through in your life to make you who you are now.....doesn't that make a difference? If we love God more than we love ourselves, then the sacrifices will not seem so big. Love for God will shrink them down to a manageable size.

Jesus said we must love God first, with all that we have....and then to love our neighbor as ourselves. That is a bit hard if you don't love yourself.
How does that George Benson song go....? "Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all". And its true. You can't even love God if you can't learn to love yourself. That is a good place to start....don't you think?

 

[Deeje]

Thank you. Do you have some aim or purpose in posting here, that you’d be willing to discuss with me, or would you be willing to put a lot of time and effort into trying to understand my aims and purposes here?

I am open to any relevant topic. My purpose in being here is to educate and to be educated. I have spent many years researching and studying the Bible. I especially like to clarify things from the Bible's perspective, if I see someone has run away with a completely muddled interpretation of scripture. The context is as important as the verse.

I enjoy discussing topics that the Bible is specific about....and I enjoy hearing what others believe so that I can try to approach a topic from their perspective.

I think I understand your aims and purpose here, but realistically, I don't think what you hope for is achievable because fallen human nature will not permit it. We never learn the lessons from the past and so are doomed to keep repeating them....its like the definition of insanity....'repeating the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome'...

Its a nice thought, bringing humanity together to work in peace and harmony for common goals and aims, but in real life, I don't believe that humans can ever achieve it.....only God can do miracles.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

I am open to any relevant topic. My purpose in being here is to educate and to be educated. I have spent many years researching and studying the Bible. I especially like to clarify things from the Bible's perspective, if I see someone has run away with a completely muddled interpretation of scripture. The context is as important as the verse.

I enjoy discussing topics that the Bible is specific about....and I enjoy hearing what others believe so that I can try to approach a topic from their perspective.

I think I understand your aims and purpose here, but realistically, I don't think what you hope for is achievable because fallen human nature will not permit it. We never learn the lessons from the past and so are doomed to keep repeating them....its like the definition of insanity....'repeating the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome'...

Its a nice thought, bringing humanity together to work in peace and harmony for common goals and aims, but in real life, I don't believe that humans can never achieve it.....only God can do miracles.

Not to mention that if one takes the Christian view that society may decay leading up to the return of Jesus... well really the forces at work are greater than what man can fix.

 

[Deeje]

Not to mention that if one takes the Christian view that society may decay leading up to the return of Jesus... well really the forces at work are greater than what man can fix.

So true. The world is under the control of one more powerful than us, but not more powerful than God. (1 John 5:19)
It is that demonic influence in this world that is leading so many down an immoral path and making what is scripturally abhorrent to God into something that must be accepted by everyone. I'm not just talking about homosexuals, but the acts performed by all immoral people of both genders, hetero or homosexual, ones that are specifically mentioned in God's word. You cannot love what God hates.

Love for God must be stronger than the desires of the imperfect flesh. If the world is about to experience the return of Christ as its judge and jury, (as I believe it is) then we have to fight that influence that is making God's moral laws into some kind of joke.

We have to be practicing the kind of Christianity that Jesus taught, not some cheap imitation where anything is permissible because "Jesus loves you". He loves God more, and he is going to eliminate wickedness, violence and immorality from this world, permanently. He gives us all an opportunity to separate ourselves from it now. Those clinging to what God hates, will not be around to lament their bad choices, according to the Bible.

We have some serious decisions to make if we are genuine followers of Christ.

 

[Jim]

Don't look at me. I am just here to pick up on some chicks.

Well, I would be willing to discuss that with you, if you’re volunteering for it. (deadpan)What have you been doing and thinking of doing, for that purpose, and what are some experiences that you’ve had with it?(/deadpan)