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[PERMANENTLY CLOSED] A problem at the bottom of reason

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paulm50

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You're missing the point. I'm saying its unreasonable to believe in non-existence, therefore, I accept the truth that I exist and therefore I believe I will never cease to exist, simply because I do not believe in non-existence because I think its unreasonable to believe in non-existence.

So what are the implications of reasonably believing existence is all there is? Well the implications are that existence must be infinite and timeless, but I myself am not infinite and timeless, therefore, my existence has a beginning, but no end. The only logical answer for where my existence came from is infinite timeless existence, which is how I would expect God to describe himself to me if I were to inquire about Him, simply because it makes sense. So this is my logical, reasonable answer to why I believe in God and since I believe in God, He has made himself known to me, but whats even more important is that He knows me and therefore I will exist forever with Him.

Its from this basic understanding of God and believing in this God because He makes sense, that we can then move to understanding the purpose God has for the Bible, however, if you refuse to believe in this God that does make sense, then you will not understand the purpose of the Bible and will continue to be blinded to the truth that God wants to give you.

I have a sound reason that makes sense for my belief in God, therefore, anything you bring up about the Bible not making sense to you has no effect on me because what doesn't make sense to you, makes perfect sense to me and I'm sure even you would consider me unreasonable if I chose to not believe something that makes perfect sense.
I can't contradict what you believe, that's your belief.

Does it make it true to the rest of the world?

I refuse to believe in the god of the bible. Or any other bibles or religions. Because their existence and achievements according to the people recording the occurrences and those of the followers. Have been disproven time and time again.

Believe there is a god, that he knows you, that your existence has a beginning, but no end and all your other beliefs that can't be disproven.

But don't believe a god created the world in 6 days, the first sons were farmers, a god made one son so angry he killed his brother, that the world flooded and killed everyone except Noah, his family and two of every animal, etc. Because all those are disproven.
 
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dlamberth

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If I were to follow your logic, I could even say to you that "there's a lot of stuff going on inside of us that makes us who we are", and so you should view us as purely natural beings, because that stuff that is happening inside is part of our natures as living beings in a natural universe.
There is no difference between us in this. I'd take it a step further and say that a lot of the issues we have as human beings is that we think that we can step out of the natural universe and create it in the image we want it to be. And in the process pretty much desecrate it.

.
 
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dlamberth

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2. There are no x-Christians. In order to "be" a Christian, you die, and then it is no longer you who live, but Christ who lives in you. ...That doesn't sound like your experience.
Interesting. I see myself as an ex-Christian. But that's because in my world I see Christ and the religion called Christianity as two distinct things that only occasionally cross paths. Jesus wasn't a Christian either.

.
 
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paulm50

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Your reasoning is based on one of the two statements below:

1. I assume reality is real, therefore I accept the truth of reality.

2. I accept the truth that reality is real.

Many will say that our reasoning is based on the assumption that reality is real. To this I pose the question: Were the first self aware humans capable of basing their reasoning on an assumption about reality? Do you think they were even intellectually capable of even considering reality to not be real?

Or is it more reasonable to think that they based their reasoning on the belief or acceptance of truth that reality is in fact real? If this is the case then our human reasoning as a whole is not based on an assumption, but rather based on the belief that reality is real.

Or do you think making an assumption about reality is the same as accepting the truth about reality?
Did they know rain, sun, wind were real. Or that game came through a certain place at a certain time?

Of course they did, it is real and was to them.

What they didn't know was why it rained, or the sun was stronger, or the why the wind blew, or migration of animals. And all the other things around them. They knew they were real, just didn't know why they happened.

Then along came a wise man, who told them of a powerful being they can't see, but he can see them. And he controls everything. And all the people had to do, was worship to make everything right, and should it not go right. That was because they didn't worship hard enough.

Now all the wise man has to do is decide what the worship requires. Build a stone circle, pyramid, sacrifice human babies, a chicken, or just fill the wise man's hut with gifts. Well all the wise men decided that was a good way to worship. Which is why the wise men usually ended up with big houses. LOL

We went from real to imaginary, in a few steps and handing over control to an elite.
 
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paulm50

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Interesting. I see myself as an ex-Christian. But that's because in my world I see Christ and the religion called Christianity as two distinct things that only occasionally cross paths. Jesus wasn't a Christian either.
That opens a can of worms.

Was Judaism or Christianity meant as a world religion? Based on the evidence.

Jews were a minor bunch and still are. They just have a very powerful friend.

Jesus came to get Jews back on the right path, anyone trying to influence a huge entity talks to the engineer not the oily rag. :sorry:

If a god wanted to convert the World, he wouldn't of picked an isolationist tribe. If later he wanted to convert the World, Jesus would of been in Rome. It wasn't until Rome adopted Christianity, 350 years later, that it went mainstream. It was picked as a replacement for the old Roman gods. Who were losing appeal.
 
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Chriliman

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That opens a can of worms.

Was Judaism or Christianity meant as a world religion? Based on the evidence.

Jews were a minor bunch and still are. They just have a very powerful friend.

Jesus came to get Jews back on the right path, anyone trying to influence a huge entity talks to the engineer not the oily rag. :sorry:

If a god wanted to convert the World, he wouldn't of picked an isolationist tribe. If later he wanted to convert the World, Jesus would of been in Rome. It wasn't until Rome adopted Christianity, 350 years later, that it went mainstream. It was picked as a replacement for the old Roman gods. Who were losing appeal.

Fundamental miss understanding. Jesus didn't come to convert the entire world, He came to fulfill God's will and drawing God's chosen back to Himself. If you are one of God's chosen, you will be drawn back to Him.

John 6:44
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day."
 
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Chriliman

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Ephesians 1:4-7
"4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he[a] predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace"
 
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bhsmte

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Fundamental miss understanding. Jesus didn't come to convert the entire world, He came to fulfill God's will and drawing God's chosen back to Himself. If you are one of God's chosen, you will be drawn back to Him.

John 6:44
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day."

Why would a God who loves all his creation, only chose certain people and leave the others out in the cold?
 
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Chriliman

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Why would a God who loves all his creation, only chose certain people and leave the others out in the cold?

Because God is righteous judgement. If you never accept Him, He can never know you.
 
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ScottA

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Oh, I do get "the timelessness thing"... a lot better than you would think, and, I'd say, a lot better than you.
See, timelessness is a interesting philosophical concept... but what you do is jump between time and timeless within a single argument as it suits you.
Perhaps you would like to explain your version of timelessness. But, just so you know, I am not arguing what "suits" me, but rather what I have come to know...not by my own fallible logic, but by the knowledge of One greater than us both. So, even though we argue...it is no contest. I do this as a genuine attempt to share the great things that I have been entrusted with.

I'd say you are suffering from a massive analogy fail at the moment.

First, you assert that there is a creation that is "not real"... and then a second creation that somehow is "real". But from the famous timeless, infinite, higher reality, there is no difference between these creations.
Christians are quick to point out that "the universe cannot create itself". The creator cannot create something that is "real" either.
Second, you missed (or ignored) what I previously said: your analogy of... well, every analogy you use... only works because there is indeed a reality - our reality - that it is analogous to. If you use the geek-cyberspace analogy, you have to realize that the geek exists in our reality... and can only work as an analogy, if you assume the Meta-geek. And the Meta-Meta-geek. And so on.

The creator is created. Else the analogy fails from the start.
I am, in my finite, human state, simply trying to paint you a picture...just as God has done with all of creation. But instead of you looking at the picture for what is behind it, you look only to the surface...and miss the intended message. My little analogies/word pictures, such as they are, are an extra PS, a personal invitation. I am his messenger. Are you sure you want to continue in such contempt? :(
 
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Freodin

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Perhaps you would like to explain your version of timelessness.
Timelessness is a state without temporal relations. Without any temporal relations.
But, just so you know, I am not arguing what "suits" me, but rather what I have come to know...not by my own fallible logic, but by the knowledge of One greater than us both. So, even though we argue...it is no contest. I do this as a genuine attempt to share the great things that I have been entrusted with.
I don't say that you consciously obfuscate the matter. But you are inconsistent in presenting this "knowlegde of the One greater than us both". You keep shifting in your references. You talk about things that have a temporal relation, while assuming that they don't have a temporal relation.

I believe that you are genuine. I cannot say anything about whether you have been "entrusted with [...] great things". (Though I don't believe it.)
What I can say though: you are definitly doing it wrong.

Let me present you with an example... an analogy from a topic that does indeed deal with "truth": mathematics.

We make a definite statement... let's say "every whole number can be written as one distinct product of prime numbers".
We can claim that as "knowledge", as something revealed to us by a higher power, based on higher knowledge.
We might be faced by people who doubt our knowledge, who don't accept, who don't understand, who deny this. (And believe me: in this special case, I have met some of these people. ;))

And now our ways split.
I can take you by the hand, and lead you through the streets of Lon... err, numbers. And I can show you, step by step, why this statement must be true, why it cannot be false... I can prove it to you.
You keep on asserting "knowledge", urging me to accept your knowledge, to test your knowledge without telling me how to test it, unable to tell me where I got it wrong if my tests are negative. In your attempts to explain yourself, you keep mixing stuff - mixing whole numbers and rational numbers and real numbers and sums and products.

Your initial statement is, in this case, still correct. But you don't show any understanding of it. I can show that it is correct... you cannot.

But now we are faced with a statement that we don't know is correct. A statement that goes against anything that I consider "true". A statement that, as I see it, is full of holes and contradictions, empty claims and meaningless terms.

I ask you to guide me through it, to show me where I am wrong... to prove it to me. And you cannot.
Not a sign of truth nor falsehood per se. But a sign that your claim of knowledge is false.

I am, in my finite, human state, simply trying to paint you a picture...just as God has done with all of creation. But instead of you looking at the picture for what is behind it, you look only to the surface...and miss the intended message. My little analogies/word pictures, such as they are, are an extra PS, a personal invitation. I am his messenger. Are you sure you want to continue in such contempt? :(
Do you really think that this is contempt? Do you think that I am not sincere, not "genuine", that I am making fun of you, being deliberately obnoxious. Or rebelling against the authority of God or dogs and pigs unworthy of your wisdom or whatever else Christians think about unbelievers?

If you do, if you think that, we can end this conversation. There is no way we could ever find common ground.

But if you do believe me when I tell you that I am interested in understanding you, and that I am just trying my best to make you understand... consider this.

We both, in our finite, fallible, human state, are trying to get our positions across. We want to make each other understand what we are talking about.
I present a human message. I cannot claim authority or "higher knowledge". If I fail to communicate, I fail myself. Sometimes humans fail.

But you... you are a messenger for GOD! For the ultimate authority! For the source of knowledge and wisdom! You are HIS messenger, and HE entrusted you with a messege of enormous importance for us! Or so you think.

Don't you think that this ultimate wise and knowing God would find a better way to get his extremly important message understood by the people? Would he not at least find a way so that it is not constantly misunderstood?

I have my explanation for why he doesn't. What is yours?
 
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Davian

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That may sound crazy...
<snip>
Pretty much.
Nobody dies. Just the opposite is true. Some live.
You may believe that to be so.
4. The difference with Atheism and Humanism, is, nobody lives.
One's theological or philosophical positions have no effect on reality.
 
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madera23

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I can't contradict what you believe, that's your belief.

Does it make it true to the rest of the world?

I refuse to believe in the god of the bible. Or any other bibles or religions. Because their existence and achievements according to the people recording the occurrences and those of the followers. Have been disproven time and time again.

Believe there is a god, that he knows you, that your existence has a beginning, but no end and all your other beliefs that can't be disproven.

But don't believe a god created the world in 6 days, the first sons were farmers, a god made one son so angry he killed his brother, that the world flooded and killed everyone except Noah, his family and two of every animal, etc. Because all those are disproven.

I don't believe the things you have mentioned from scripture because I have not experienced them personally,
I can only believe what I have experienced personally.
and they are astounding miracles that changes the physical and psychological understanding of our human
natures, guiding us to be one with the creator, one mind not confused by the world.
There are no words that can explain it, it can only be understood by experiencing it .
So all the demanding by atheists or humanists to explain with words how God works is a waste of time.
Hunger to understand and you may get your superfluous questions answered.
Madera
 
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Davian

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But can you accept that cyberspace is not real?
I don't know. Do you have compelling evidence to that effect?
...Then why not space, time, and matter? It just takes a Supergeek :)
This guy?

batman-vs-superman.png
 
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Chriliman

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But, if he hasn't chosen you, you are at a distinct disadvantage in accepting him, wouldn't you be?

Honestly, I don't think you'd be on this forum if God didn't want you here. :)
 
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Davian

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I have a sound reason that makes sense for my belief in God, therefore, anything you bring up about the Bible not making sense to you has no effect on me because what doesn't make sense to you, makes perfect sense to me and I'm sure even you would consider me unreasonable if I chose to not believe something that makes perfect sense.
I can believe that the Earth is flat, for all of my life. I am justified, in that I have never had to accommodate any alleged roundness in my personal or professional life. That other areas of the world keep different time is annoying, but beyond that, flat is flat. Need I acknowledge that this belief may not comport with reality?
 
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Chriliman

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I can believe that the Earth is flat, for all of my life. I am justified, in that I have never had to accommodate any alleged roundness in my personal or professional life. That other areas of the world keep different time is annoying, but beyond that, flat is flat. Need I acknowledge that this belief may not comport with reality?

I think the "earth is flat" analogy is old and tired. It should be replaced with "I once believed the universe came from a singularity, but now I realize that would contradict existence, what other lies is atheistic science trying to get me to believe?"
 
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