- Aug 23, 2007
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I'm kinda worried that no one will wanna read this b/c it's too long lol.
Ok I had a conversation today with dad about religion (before anyone says "again? *sigh*" I think it's worth talking about).
The conversation was in the car so it didn't go anywhere, partially because we weren't finished talking, and partially because I didn't think that the discussion was conducive to driving in the car in the first place because it was so distracting.
I don't even know how to begin with this, but if I start from somewhere, I think I can get it all out. It was about a myriad of things and the conversation lacked direction.
Basically (well, not basically) he said these things (to make it short):
1. All religions have something bad in them, and contain things that should be changed.
2. That how are we supposed to say that something is really from God is a mere man is saying so. (his lack of belief in Jesus being God was an impediment to me being able to give an answer - on the other hand, I don't think any answer of mine would have worked).
To make it short, the basics of my answers were these (they were more elaborate than this, but this is the general idea).
1. If a religion is such that it's imperative that it be changed by a mere man, then it was never right to begin with (my dad laughed on this - but not in a bad way). I asked him if he could consider that possibility. He didn't look unwilling to consider that.
2. I told him about the fact that extrabiblical evidence of Jesus exists and people who were willing to die for what Jesus said - people who lived in His lifetime and were either disciples of Jesus or disciples of His disciples. And based on that, the things that Jesus said either rendered Him a liar or a loony or the real deal.
3. That some religions (I was thinking Christianity though when I said this LOL) don't necessarily have BAD in them - but have things that need to be interpreted correctly (but that begs the question of how to know what the right interpretation is - I KNOW but he hasn't a clue).
#2 didn't quite work because Dad said that if Jesus said anything that appears as if he's crazy, that must mean that it's bad or wrong. I said that some things do look funky but it doesn't mean that it isn't the truth - some things are hard to accept. But I think my Dad is SO MUCH a "feelings" person that if a belief doesn't "feel" right - it's AUTOMATICALLY wrong - end of story. He asks, how is he supposed to believe that a man says that God spoke to Him? How does he know that's the truth more than anything else? He says something like "I don't believe anyone who says that God has revealed something to Him." (I am wondering if he's a Muslim anymore as I used to think).
In other words, private revelation is an unacceptable concept because there's no way to prove that the revelation is truly from God. Ok - I get THAT. But how to demonstrate that Christianity is not based on private revelation alone (if it is not based on private revelation alone)?
In other words, my dad thinks why should he believe that Jesus' claims about Himself are any more legitimate than, say, Prophet Muhammad or another Prophet? Or - how Jesus can be proved to be true prophet over a false one. If I say it's because of objective evidence or from prophecies in the OT, he'd just say that it's all revelation and how is he supposed to believe that over everything else - how is he supposed to believe that the prophecies of the OT about Jesus are supposed to be true, etc.
I need to let out a big *sigh*
All I know is that I am not qualified to answer that. I'm almost on the edge of saying in a joke-like manner to talk to a priest and ask him that but in my heart I'd be really meaning it. It's unlikely that this man (dad) will listen to a priest because he (dad) will think that the priest doesn't know what he's talking about.
Dad has admitted that he has studied Christianity less than, say, Islam or Judaism. I told him that these things can take years to understand about Christianity - and he didn't disagree with that exactly, but anyway. I also told him that just because you are studying Christianity it doesn't mean that you will get the same thing in one book versus another because there are so many branches of it.
I told him that I could ask "some people" (meaning you guys but he doesn't know about you guys) about it because I simply don't have the intricate details that more seasoned people have on this. I kind of don't want him to see this post I wrote - at the same time the subject matter is really important to the both of us.
Arrrrrrrgh.
Ok I had a conversation today with dad about religion (before anyone says "again? *sigh*" I think it's worth talking about).
The conversation was in the car so it didn't go anywhere, partially because we weren't finished talking, and partially because I didn't think that the discussion was conducive to driving in the car in the first place because it was so distracting.
I don't even know how to begin with this, but if I start from somewhere, I think I can get it all out. It was about a myriad of things and the conversation lacked direction.
Basically (well, not basically) he said these things (to make it short):
1. All religions have something bad in them, and contain things that should be changed.
2. That how are we supposed to say that something is really from God is a mere man is saying so. (his lack of belief in Jesus being God was an impediment to me being able to give an answer - on the other hand, I don't think any answer of mine would have worked).
To make it short, the basics of my answers were these (they were more elaborate than this, but this is the general idea).
1. If a religion is such that it's imperative that it be changed by a mere man, then it was never right to begin with (my dad laughed on this - but not in a bad way). I asked him if he could consider that possibility. He didn't look unwilling to consider that.
2. I told him about the fact that extrabiblical evidence of Jesus exists and people who were willing to die for what Jesus said - people who lived in His lifetime and were either disciples of Jesus or disciples of His disciples. And based on that, the things that Jesus said either rendered Him a liar or a loony or the real deal.
3. That some religions (I was thinking Christianity though when I said this LOL) don't necessarily have BAD in them - but have things that need to be interpreted correctly (but that begs the question of how to know what the right interpretation is - I KNOW but he hasn't a clue).
#2 didn't quite work because Dad said that if Jesus said anything that appears as if he's crazy, that must mean that it's bad or wrong. I said that some things do look funky but it doesn't mean that it isn't the truth - some things are hard to accept. But I think my Dad is SO MUCH a "feelings" person that if a belief doesn't "feel" right - it's AUTOMATICALLY wrong - end of story. He asks, how is he supposed to believe that a man says that God spoke to Him? How does he know that's the truth more than anything else? He says something like "I don't believe anyone who says that God has revealed something to Him." (I am wondering if he's a Muslim anymore as I used to think).
In other words, private revelation is an unacceptable concept because there's no way to prove that the revelation is truly from God. Ok - I get THAT. But how to demonstrate that Christianity is not based on private revelation alone (if it is not based on private revelation alone)?
In other words, my dad thinks why should he believe that Jesus' claims about Himself are any more legitimate than, say, Prophet Muhammad or another Prophet? Or - how Jesus can be proved to be true prophet over a false one. If I say it's because of objective evidence or from prophecies in the OT, he'd just say that it's all revelation and how is he supposed to believe that over everything else - how is he supposed to believe that the prophecies of the OT about Jesus are supposed to be true, etc.
I need to let out a big *sigh*
All I know is that I am not qualified to answer that. I'm almost on the edge of saying in a joke-like manner to talk to a priest and ask him that but in my heart I'd be really meaning it. It's unlikely that this man (dad) will listen to a priest because he (dad) will think that the priest doesn't know what he's talking about.
Dad has admitted that he has studied Christianity less than, say, Islam or Judaism. I told him that these things can take years to understand about Christianity - and he didn't disagree with that exactly, but anyway. I also told him that just because you are studying Christianity it doesn't mean that you will get the same thing in one book versus another because there are so many branches of it.
I told him that I could ask "some people" (meaning you guys but he doesn't know about you guys) about it because I simply don't have the intricate details that more seasoned people have on this. I kind of don't want him to see this post I wrote - at the same time the subject matter is really important to the both of us.
Arrrrrrrgh.
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