Yep, and I've never had any plans to cover it up despite not being a Christian anymore. That flame usually shows, too. It still means something to me, probably one of my only tattoos that really does.
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Question for former theists...
- Thread starter an anarchist
- Start date
Yep, and I've never had any plans to cover it up despite not being a Christian anymore. That flame usually shows, too. It still means something to me, probably one of my only tattoos that really does.
If a god or gods exist i would have expected you to provide proof, but you haven't so....
I personally feel that your god (whichever you chose) is in your mind so technically you created your god
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RestlessSoul
Well-Known Member
My nan always had a plaster sacred heart statue in her room. A real gaudy bit of Catholic Kitsch, but it was part of her, in a way.
When she died, she bequeathed it to my cousin, who really didn’t want it but felt she had to find room for it somewhere. In a cupboard, probably.
Haha there is always Catholic kitsch. You should see my family's Christmas boxes.
paarsurrey
Veteran Member
I am an Ahmadiyya peaceful Muslim.
Regards
RestlessSoul
Well-Known Member
Altfish
Veteran Member
Evidence is a collection of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid.
Scientific method of approving/disproving hypotheses.
firedragon
Veteran Member
The the scientific method. How could you use the scientific method on metaphysics? Its like saying to measure consciousness with a foot ruler.
Altfish
Veteran Member
I'm talking about evidence for god
firedragon
Veteran Member
So tell me. Evidence for God. How would you apply the scientific method? How would you begin? Who would falsify your paper? Go ahead and explain.
an anarchist
Your local loco.
It is an abstract concept, right? There is a parallel Taoist concept, Wei Wu Wei, to do without doing. How can you get anything done if you do nothing? The answer is; to do nothing is the only way to get anything accomplished. Once you know what it means to do without doing, then one can learn by unlearning. To intellectually describe this concept is not really possible (at least for me). It’s about shedding your ego and attuning yourself with the universe and your soul. This is how one can access instinctual, primal knowledge.
Bit long winded I’m sorry. When I first heard of the concepts, such as suspension of intellect, I didn’t understand. It is abstract, I still don’t fully understand. If we rely on our intellect to discover proof of God, I believe we will find no answers.
Altfish
Veteran Member
As usual you are off down a rabbit hole.
No matter what I post there will be follow up question after follow up question.
God could prove her existence tomorrow by appearing on TV.
firedragon
Veteran Member
Thats a strawman. You are creating a caricature of "god" as you please to make up an argument about appearing on TV. Many do that.
Anyway, you cannot answer the question I asked about anything, your epistemology, how metaphysics can be applied via a scientific method, and then your "God" insistence I asked you how you would approach it, and since there is no answer you came up with some rabbit hole explanation to avoid answering anything.
When you are making an argument, try to understand good arguments and then make up your argument to criticise them. Not make up your own caricature of this God thing, use words like "her" as if others believe in masculinity by saying "him", which shows you dont know the linguistic issues but are following some lame arguments on the internet, etc etc.
Peace.
Altfish
Veteran Member
OK, what is god to you?
Which version are you referring to?
The mark of the beast.
Arguably all thesis do a similar thing. It's not as if their references to their God or gods correlates to something we can verify exists outside of their imagination.
How would you test for the imaginary?
Irony.
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What caused me to lose my faith? I guess the short answer would be an honest search for the truth. The long answer…..
I was raised in a Christian family from birth, and it was taken as a given that everything in the Bible was true, and the God of the bible is real. I had no proof of this, I was just content with taking everybody else’s word for it; everybody I knew, loved, and respected confirmed it and that was good enough for me at that time.
As I got older, (teenage years) I knew I would have to get to know God for myself; and the type of church I went to was the kind where everybody has knowledge, and constant communication with God on a regular basis; and even though I knew deep down I never felt God, I pretended I did for fear people would know I was not saved and filled with the Holy Ghost. During this time I was also going through puberty, and my body would react in a way I knew was sinful every time I saw an attractive woman. At this time I decided I was going to try to get saved to stop this. I was to accomplish this by reading the bible everyday and understanding what I read, and praying to God to save me before going to bed every night.
I believe it was one of the Apostles who wrote “If they eye offends thee, pluck it out” Even though I didn’t have the nerve to blind myself, I wished I did; and the fact that I was too scared to do it I felt was another shortcoming of myself. I remember envying my dog because she didn’t have a soul and would not be tortured in Hell when she died unlike myself, and I went through a period of really hating myself for my sinful failures.
The more I read the Bible, the more my natural skepticism told me this cannot be right. The more I prayed to God, the more I became frustrated with myself because of the unanswered prayers. When I was 19 years old, I prayed a final prayer to God telling him when he is ready for me, I will answer his call, but I will not pray anymore till he calls me. At that point I felt such a relief; like a burden was lifted off my shoulders because the pressure was gone. That was the last prayer I prayed, and I quit reading the bible shortly afterwords, and eventually quit going to church as well. It wasn't till I was in my mid twenties before I admitted I was not Christian anymore, and because I wasn’t Christian, I had no reason to believe in God. I never really called myself Atheist; I consider myself skeptic who is also skeptical of religious beliefs also (most skeptics I know still believe in God) but most people who know of my views call me Atheist.