How some creationists pushed me away from christianity

[Catherineanne]

I'm pretty sure he does.

So, you don't believe in God, but you know what Satan believes?

Riiiight.

 

[Catherineanne]

I must say it's great fun watching American Christians getting confused when confronted with other, saner versions of Christianity. You can almost watch their brains going "abort, retry, fail".

Obviously, being an atheist, I find plenty of nonsense to disagree with in Catherineanne's posts, but I can at least appreciate that her version of Christianity makes much more sense on a humane and emotional level than the American fundamentalist infantalist version, which doesn't.

Thanks. I think.

Who on earth would want an inhumane faith, exactly? Beats me.

For anyone who is interested, my version is the 2,000 year old one.

 

[Non sequitur]

So, you don't believe in God, but you know what Satan believes?

Riiiight.

Mark 5

1 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.[a] 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.”


Do demons not communicate with Satan?

 

[Catherineanne]

Mark 5

1 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.[a] 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.”


Do demons not communicate with Satan?

Why are you quoting the Bible to me? What do you hope to achieve? You want me to revise my opinion of satan? Why?

So, here it is. Satan is a liar and the father of all lies, and the truth is not in him. He couldn't admit that Christ is Lord to save his life, and one of his highest priorities in relation to any Christian is to get us to share his disrespect for the Lord. It is that simple.

If a Christian can be induced to deny the Divinity of Christ, then satan is happy.

 

[Oncedeceived]

That's why I'm waiting for an appearance.

Shouldn't be too hard.

In fact, according to Scripture, there will be two more appearances. One will be for the Church, the other for those who refuse to accept God's salvation. The choice of course is yours as to which one you will see.

It may not, but it's a perfect analogy

No actually it is not. There is an independent awareness of God whereas the analogies are completely used to mock Him. It also provides evidence that the atheist will use mockery as a logical argument which is not persuasive to anyone but himself and others who hold the same belief system.

 

[Oncedeceived]

Why, thank you.

I'm sorry but that was not a compliment.



Certainly Satan knows who God is, but he denies the Divinity of Christ. Satan would be delighted if we would all stop regarding Christ as divine, and regard him instead as some kind of teacher or prophet.

Here you are, dear. Satan does not believe that Christ is the Son of God, and tries to sow doubt in Christ's mind as well.

So here I felt you were saying that Satan does not believe that Jesus is God, or the Son of God.

Yet he would be delighted if we all stopped regarding Christ as such. I don't see where you are coming from.

 

[Catherineanne]

I'm sorry but that was not a compliment.

I know.

 

[Oncedeceived]

Bible poker!! My favourite game!!

So, I will see your accusation and raise you. You tell me what part you disagree with, or think is unScriptural, and I will provide the Scripture for it.

And then no doubt you will disagree with the interpretation, or claim that I have taken it out of context, and I will laugh, for the simple reason that the Bible does not interpret itself. In other words, you can disagree all you like with the interpretation, but you will not be able to prove me unBiblical.

However, good luck trying.

For further explanation of what this means, see below.

How Can The Bible Be Authoritative? by N.T. Wright

Thanks for the link if I get the time I will take a look.

 

[Non sequitur]

Why are you quoting the Bible to me? What do you hope to achieve? You want me to revise my opinion of satan? Why?

So, here it is. Satan is a liar and the father of all lies, and the truth is not in him. He couldn't admit that Christ is Lord to save his life, and one of his highest priorities in relation to any Christian is to get us to share his disrespect for the Lord. It is that simple.

If a Christian can be induced to deny the Divinity of Christ, then satan is happy.

You said, "Certainly Satan knows who God is, but he denies the Divinity of Christ."

So again, how is it that all these unclean spirits who report to Satan and are under his command knew who Jesus actually was; but yet Satan did not?

Are you talking about him admitting Jesus was the Son of God or not honestly believing Jesus was the Son of God?

 

[Catherineanne]

You said, "Certainly Satan knows who God is, but he denies the Divinity of Christ."

So again, how is it that all these unclean spirits who report to Satan and are under his command knew who Jesus actually was; but yet Satan did not?

They were being ironic, not sincere. Demons don't do sincere.

Are you talking about him admitting Jesus was the Son of God or not honestly believing Jesus was the Son of God?

Satan tells lies, and so do demons; they are incapable of either recognising or telling the truth. If a demon tells you it is Tuesday, check your calendar.

Actually, if a demon tells you it is Tuesday, see your doctor. Then check your calendar.

 

[Non sequitur]

In fact, according to Scripture, there will be two more appearances. One will be for the Church, the other for those who refuse to accept God's salvation. The choice of course is yours as to which one you will see.

I'll go with either, for a personal appearance.

No actually it is not. There is an independent awareness of God whereas the analogies are completely used to mock Him. It also provides evidence that the atheist will use mockery as a logical argument which is not persuasive to anyone but himself and others who hold the same belief system.

A subjective independent "awareness" is simply that, not a truth.

Why do you keep arguing by begging the question?


This analogy could be used for any religion, so I'm sorry logic upsets you so much that you think logic is mocking.

 

[Non sequitur]

They were being ironic, not sincere. Demons don't do sincere.



Satan tells lies, and so do demons; they are incapable of either recognising or telling the truth. If a demon tells you it is Tuesday, check your calendar.

Actually, if a demon tells you it is Tuesday, see your doctor. Then check your calendar.

Fortunately, I take demons with the same seriousness as as your response.

 

[Catherineanne]

Fortunately, I take demons with the same seriousness as as your response.

Very sensible. They are really not worth paying any attention to; we certainly can't build Christology on the testimony of servants of the evil one.

 

[Non sequitur]

Very sensible. They are really not worth paying any attention to; we certainly can't build Christology on the testimony of servants of the evil one.

(Un?)fortunately, the rest of the same seriousness goes for the religious concept, as a whole.

 

[Catherineanne]

(Un?)fortunately, the rest of the same seriousness goes for the religious concept, as a whole.

That doesn't bother me.

They do say if you can't be a good example, be a terrible warning. Third place may well be to be an object of fun, and why not?

"For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn?"
Mr Bennet in Pride and Prejudice

 

[Belk]

Why, thank you.



Certainly Satan knows who God is, but he denies the Divinity of Christ. Satan would be delighted if we would all stop regarding Christ as divine, and regard him instead as some kind of teacher or prophet.

Hey Catherineanne, Nice to see your posts again.

A quick question if you please? Why would Satan find lack of belief delightful? If, as you believe, he does not think Christ divine would he not be happy to have people believe in a false idol?

 

[Catherineanne]

Hey Catherineanne, Nice to see your posts again.

Thanks.

A quick question if you please? Why would Satan find lack of belief delightful? If, as you believe, he does not think Christ divine would he not be happy to have people believe in a false idol?

It is a bit tricky going down this path, to be honest. I am a Christian, not a satanist, and irl I never give the evil one so much as a passing thought; he is not worth the effort. I know a lot of Christians get very exercised in chasing after demons and working out ways of challenging satan, but I prefer to ignore him, and look only to the cross.

However, I would suggest that he does not want people to worship Christ who is Truth because he prefers them to worship a variant of his own pack of lies. Materialism, consumerism, capitalism; any lie will do, as long as it leads us away from God.

 

[Non sequitur]

That doesn't bother me.

They do say if you can't be a good example, be a terrible warning. Third place may well be to be an object of fun, and why not?

"For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn?"
Mr Bennet in Pride and Prejudice

I am the Terrible Warning, trolling with reason and logic.

Be afraid!

 

[Catherineanne]

I am the Terrible Warning, trolling with reason and logic.

Be afraid!

Yeah, I am really really scared. Can you tell?

 

[Belk]

Thanks.



It is a bit tricky going down this path, to be honest. I am a Christian, not a satanist, and irl I never give the evil one so much as a passing thought; he is not worth the effort. I know a lot of Christians get very exercised in chasing after demons and working out ways of challenging satan, but I prefer to ignore him, and look only to the cross.

However, I would suggest that he does not want people to worship Christ who is Truth because he prefers them to worship a variant of his own pack of lies. Materialism, consumerism, capitalism; any lie will do, as long as it leads us away from God.

Hmmmm. Well, not a terribly convincing reason to be honest. Thanks for the answer though.