Religiosity as an advantageous trait

2PhiloVoid · Tuesday at 11:46 AM

AV1611VET said:
But you're throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

It may be construed as good advice to a Buddhist, Hare Krishna, or Deist; but re Christianity?

It's called "blasphemy".

I agree, but you forgot one on your list that they need to think about: the generic, atheistic, self-excusing Humanist.

2PhiloVoid · Tuesday at 12:08 PM

Bradskii said:
S'funny. You've used truism at least twice. And it really only refers to something that's actually true. The clue is in the name. Now you've realised what you've said you want to say 'Oops, is it OK if I change that?'

The only thing funny here is your rhetorical feigning that you [somehow] don't know what I'm referring to where the VARIOUS denotations of truism are being analyzed. You're not stupid, so stop playing dumb as to the truth of what I've said. You may think you're fooling others, but you're not fooling me.

Bradskii said:
No.

Scene: Sermon on the Mount.
'Darn it Dave, shutup why don't you. I missed that. What he say?
'Sorry buddy. I think he said to treat others like you'd like to be treated yourself. Words to that effect anyway.'
'Huh. This isn't worth it. Same ol' cliches. Wanna go for a beer?'

Additionally, following from what I've already said above, I don't see much in the way of strong evidence that most of humanity actually could or would follow your generic, simplistic affirmation of what you and I think should be taken for granted and goes without saying.

So yeah! Let's go out for a beer.......................

2PhiloVoid · Tuesday at 12:13 PM

Bradskii said:
I can almost guarantee that I'm less assertive about what I feel to be true that almost all the Christians in this forum. As I've already stated, I might be wrong. That's a very rare comment for any given Christian to make when it comes to God. But, yet again, my beliefs don't change what I said one iota. They stand.

I've always asserted my Existentialism countless times. Don't impute other people's failures to my account.

Bradskii said:
Ah, bless you. You really tried to say that what I wrote was correct, but you just couldn't manage it. Rather than 'what he said' you just had to write 'all he spouted'. And you couldn't manage 'it was true', you had to type 'simple truism'.

I think that says more about you than about what I actually posted.

Yes, you're right. It says a lot .... to those who are used to Baby Boomer style social sloganeering and authoritative posturing.

But I'm Gen X and homey don't play that crap. And what do I mean by that? I mean you've already stated more than once that you find it nearly impossible to 'love even your enemies.' In fact, you went on record some time ago here on CF and said that you're not going to do that. .......................So much for your superior, Jesus-Free humanistic morality.

2PhiloVoid · Tuesday at 12:28 PM

Bradskii said:
You haven't rebutted any of it. In fact, you have described all the items as being truisms. Part of the definition of which is: 'a statement that is obviously true'. Hey, well done. You filled the hole in I see. And I do agree with Sapolsky.

And just for the record, I think the available synonyms and usage examples in Webster's and Cambridge say it all:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/truism

truism

1. a statement that is so obviously true that it is almost not worth saying…

dictionary.cambridge.org

Ophiolite · Tuesday at 1:09 PM

2PhiloVoid said:
What horrible advice to give to your grandson. And here I am, making the effort to help one of 'mine' find it in his mind to believe that Christ is the Risen Savior and Lord. And there you are, doing the opposite for one of yours. And more so, it seems.

That's not commendable, Bradskii. You really need to rethink that one. What was it Jesus is reported to have said in Matthew 18:6?

I'm sorry if this upsets your day.

Forum rules prevent a proper, informed response to that. All I can say is kudos to @Bradskii , well done.

partinobodycular · Tuesday at 1:14 PM

Bradskii said:
Scene: Sermon on the Mount.
'Darn it Dave, shutup why don't you. I missed that. What he say?
'Sorry buddy. I think he said to treat others like you'd like to be treated yourself. Words to that effect anyway.'
'Huh. This isn't worth it. Same ol' cliches. Wanna go for a beer?'

I've long been a fan of the command to love thy neighbor, but I've come to rethink my enthusiasm for it of late, because I find it to be a bit disingenuous. I can say that I love my neighbor, but those are just words that anyone can spout whenever they like... absent action, they don't mean anything. So I've come to prefer the command to be kind to your neighbor, because it's more proactive. Either I've been kind to my neighbor or I haven't, I can't merely claim that I have.

Ah, but someone might argue that they get so few opportunities to actually do something kind for their neighbor. Which is why you have to be ever vigilant of them, and embrace them... however small they may be...for the treasure that they actually are. Kindness is the command to love, put into action, and so my quest from here on forward, isn't just to love my neighbor, but to be kind to them.

partinobodycular · Tuesday at 1:37 PM

2PhiloVoid said:
What horrible advice to give to your grandson. And here I am, making the effort to help one of 'mine' find it in his mind to believe that Christ is the Risen Savior and Lord. And there you are, doing the opposite for one of yours. And more so, it seems.

That's not commendable, Bradskii. You really need to rethink that one. What was it Jesus is reported to have said in Matthew 18:6?

I'm sorry if this upsets your day.

Never in a million years could I have said it any better than @Bradskii did.

To me true Christendom isn't found in a church, or a religion, or a book... it's found in one's compassion for their fellow man. As such it seems to me that Bradskii isn't causing his grandson to stumble, but rather he's doing his best to teach him not to.

AV1611VET · Tuesday at 2:03 PM

partinobodycular said:
Never in a million years could I have said it any better than @Bradskii did.

Why did he backtrack then?

2PhiloVoid · Tuesday at 2:31 PM

AV1611VET said:
I do like his term "combative" though, a la Ephesians 6.

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Amen!! It's rather sad and disheartening to know that many people don't perceive it.

2PhiloVoid · Tuesday at 2:38 PM

partinobodycular said:
Never in a million years could I have said it any better than @Bradskii did.

To me true Christendom isn't found in a church, or a religion, or a book... it's found in one's compassion for their fellow man. As such it seems to me that Bradskii isn't causing his grandson to stumble, but rather he's doing his best to teach him not to.

I think St. Paul said it better than Bradskii.

RileyG · Tuesday at 4:26 PM

CIA Agent #1029 said:
If you meant me with that, then know I said belief in God and the afterlife. Whether christian, muslim, jewish, pagan, or something else, they're superior to those who don't believe.

Life is 80 years, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter, and very limited. The afterlife is eternal, and way less limited.

And half the bible relates pretty obviously to the afterlife.

So what are you saying?

The Bible doesn’t necessarily go into detail on the afterlife other than using imagery. Jesus was very much concerned about how people treated each other in the here and now.

RileyG · Tuesday at 4:29 PM

d taylor said:
-

Not sure of the point of your post in addressing what I wrote. So I will not comment further on what you wrote.

Well, I 100% do agree that one has to repent and believe in Christ to ultimately have eternal life. Other religions won’t save someone’s soul.

Just so I’m clear.

AV1611VET · Tuesday at 4:47 PM

RileyG said:
The Bible doesn’t necessarily go into detail on the afterlife other than using imagery.

Jesus spoke more on Hell than anyone else in the Bible.

And He describes it in detail as well.

2PhiloVoid · Tuesday at 4:56 PM

partinobodycular said:
Never in a million years could I have said it any better than @Bradskii did.

To me true Christendom isn't found in a church, or a religion, or a book... it's found in one's compassion for their fellow man. As such it seems to me that Bradskii isn't causing his grandson to stumble, but rather he's doing his best to teach him not to.

Just for the record, I haven't imputed @Bradskii as being 'evil.' Nor have I verbally abused him. Nor have I stated that he has no morality or that his morality isn't substantive.

So, your attempted counter to my admonitions here about how I think he should better his dialogue and advice with his grandson doesn't actually discount anything I've said firmly elsewhere about the value of Compassion (i.e. Christian compassion versus the generic brand compassion that equates more or less to 'just say nice things only').

Furthermore, this is a sub-forum of a Christian forum. You can state what you will about what you think Christiandom is, but that in and of itself has no ontological weight (or clear evidence) that what you view as the substance of Christianity is indeed Christianity. One could just as simply cite that Buddhism-dom, or Taosim-dom, or Humanism-dom is just as much Christian in essence as bona-fide Christianity, and that would be a false equivalency and non-sequitur.

I understand that some of you here have had difficult lives and a very hard go of it where the Christian faith or dealing with Christians is a concern. I've had some hard knocks in those regards as well, but we need to not get too squishy with our discussion on what constitutes 'true Christianity' so as to avoid nearly saying (or proving) nothing other than expressing what our esthetic preferences are for such and such mode of expression we like to receive from others, Golden Rule or no.

In returning to the locus of this particular thread, I again leave folks with the following to consider about quality of life and survival IN GENERAL rather than continue on with the rather foul tasting affirmation about how, allegedly, Christian faith makes better warriors:

As atheistic neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky has stated about the generic mental benefits of religion (even if not Christianity in particular):

AV1611VET · Tuesday at 5:07 PM

2PhiloVoid said:
* video = Religion Is Nature's Antidepressant *

Who was it that said, "Religion is the opiate of the masses"?

2PhiloVoid · Tuesday at 5:09 PM

AV1611VET said:
Jesus spoke more on Hell than anyone else in the Bible.

And He describes it in detail as well.

Yes, Jesus addressed the imposing potential for Gehenna and Hades. That's for sure. But for my part, I remember rather vividly when I was 17 that it was the promise of Eternal Life in Christ (and continued existence with Him) that clinched the deal for me over and against any fear of Gehenna I might have had.

2PhiloVoid · Tuesday at 5:09 PM

AV1611VET said:
Who was it that said, "Religion is the opiate of the masses"?

Karl Marx, Mr. Communism himself. But he was a jerk and his daddy was disappointed in him.

2PhiloVoid · Tuesday at 5:11 PM

AV1611VET said:
Who was it that said, "Religion is the opiate of the masses"?

But that's not why I presented the video. I presented the video because it's always good to hear an atheist admit something about religion (which also applies to our Christian faith) that he essentially .................. is challenged by.

AV1611VET · Tuesday at 5:25 PM

2PhiloVoid said:
But that's not why I presented the video. I presented the video because it's always good to hear an atheist admit something about religion (which also applies to our Christian faith) that he essentially .................. is challenged by.

I don't know how many times I've watched this video:

2PhiloVoid · Tuesday at 5:38 PM

AV1611VET said:
I don't know how many times I've watched this video:

Actually, if it's Ted Haggard we're talking about, it might be we who are Christian who find ourselves infuriated instead .......................

Disgraced pastor Ted Haggard faces new allegations

(RNS) — A pastor at St. James Church said two young adult men told him Haggard touched them inappropriately on several occasions at the church.

religionnews.com

Maybe find a better example for us to watch and consider? How about finding a fairly recent video where Dawkins says that he essentially only sees two (binary) sexes where evolution is a center consideration?? That ought to play nicely in this thread...............

Religiosity as an advantageous trait

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