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I have done this in tears. When questioning my faith, I had a very real crisis. God never came. When I ask Christians about this they either quote 1 John 2:19 or they say I was not truly repentant. Of course they can't possibly know that. People usually stop there and move on without further discussion.
It’s actually the churches who attempt to adapt to the world which fall apart.The religion will adapt or die, and it seems slow to adapt since it was an apex predator for so long.
Interesting. The Apostle Paul I think explained disbelief very well in 1 Corinthians 1.Maybe, but reasons for disbelief usually originate from bad arguments or bad apologetics. Often believers think arguments sound much better that they are because of confirmation bias.
I think that is true. I have a lot of regrets about things I used to advocate as a Christian. I think many of my old ideas are in fact bad for the world.
I think @Caliban and @St_Worm2 meant an atheist or skeptic “witness” would be seen as proselytizing or recruiting unbelief. That is not allowed here.I’ve read in here much more than I’ve posted. As far as I have seen eye gouging, hair pulling, and biting are all quite common in here, just ask @2PhiloVoid lol
Often believers are claiming that God cannot be proven.
We are called to present the truth whether it is accepted or not.
I am interested in what you think about the role of apologetics when discussing the faith with non-believers on this forum.
What excuse do atheists have for accepting fiction as truth then?From my experience, Christians cannot distinguish between truth and fiction, because Christians rely on faith. But by faith, one can accept fiction as truth.
A very simplistic response. I've seen the argument used, but nearly always in response to some daft claim that since God's existence cannot be proven, he doesn't exist.Based on my experience, apologetics are really designed for the fellow Christians, to allow them to think that their belief is rational.
Here is an example of how their apologetics can work.
Can you prove there is no God? If not, then Christians are justified in their belief in a God since his non-existence cannot be proven to be true.
Based on my experience, apologetics are really designed for the fellow Christians, to allow them to think that their belief is rational.
Here is an example of how their apologetics can work.
Can you prove there is no God? If not, then Christians are justified in their belief in a God since his non-existence cannot be proven to be true.
Speaking for myself and not other skeptics, I see no need to "dance" around the issue of the resurrection. I think 1 Corinthians 15:14 is correct when he said, "...if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain." I apply the tools of skepticism when reading texts which make huge claims for themselves. If the claim was that an itinerant preacher named Yeshua challenged the Pharasaical expectations of his day, I would have no problem with that. However the claim is much larger. It involves supernatural events which, according to everything we know, impossible. But, "...with God all things are possible." Great--now demonstrate that!For some reasons I’ve noticed skeptics seem to dance in the margins avoiding a direct discussion of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Now I mean my belief. If you asked me three years ago I might have said something like, my standing before God based on the atoning work of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.Bolded above. Please define what you mean by “my faith.”
Does this include the likes of Pascal and Kierkegaard, among others like them?
That's a tough question to answer. So much of what we think is informed by culture, upbringing, and "the givenness of things"--to use a Marilynne Robinson quote. As a christian I made great effort to be text centered and to organize my thoughts and theology on scripture. Of course, traditions differ over certain texts--baptists and paedobaptists for example; but few denominations dispute whether homosexuality is biblical or not. I think the scripture is rather clear on that point--the Bible does not support a homosexual lifestyle). This wasn't my idea--I got it from the Bible. That is an example of one thing I regret believing. I see no reason to conclude that it is wrong if the Bible is merely a human document.Were they YOUR old ideas?
I got here when my parents did the grown-up.Not to those in denial. Just look around, and you explain how what you see got here.
That was my point about applying the Bible. Some think that all Christians are like Fred Phelps at Westbro Baptist Church. Hopefully you are not of that opinion. One can be opposed to a homosexual lifestyle without being opposed to homosexuals, even those that engage in such a lifestyle.That's a tough question to answer. So much of what we think is informed by culture, upbringing, and "the givenness of things"--to use a Marilynne Robinson quote. As a christian I made great effort to be text centered and to organize my thoughts and theology on scripture. Of course, traditions differ over certain texts--baptists and paedobaptists for example; but few denominations dispute whether homosexuality is biblical or not. I think the scripture is rather clear on that point--the Bible does not support a homosexual lifestyle). This wasn't my idea--I got it from the Bible. That is an example of one thing I regret believing. I see no reason to conclude that it is wrong if the Bible is merely a human document.
Definitely not--he was an outlier in contemporary Christianity. But, a couple generations ago, he would not have been as rare.Some think that all Christians are like Fred Phelps at Westbro Baptist Church. Hopefully you are not of that opinion.
I agree that if the Bible is merely a human document there is no reason to believe it, but I do hope that is not the reason why you don't believe the Bible is divinely inspired, since that means that your belief is based on your personal feelings not on whether there is a God or not.
Definitely not--he was an outlier in contemporary Christianity. But, a couple generations ago, he would not have been as rare.
I just see not evidence that the Bible is anything other than a human text. My opinion is based on a combination of personal feeling (moral intuition), textual analysis, and a lack of evidence favoring a divine proposition.
What is your understanding of the biblical text, it the cannon divinely inspired? Are some books inspired? I know inspiration is a theologically complicated word. How do you see it?And my opinion emerges out of considerations involving the confluence of spiritual intuition, textual and philosophical and historical analysis, and a few evidences favoring a diabolical proposition.
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