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Understood, I assume Atheist or honest doubters are sincere. Lukewarm belief can sincerely change and become lukewarm disbelief. A strong belief could fall apart and become a strong disbelief.
Yes with reservations
Religion on it's own has been periodically improved by revelations great and small which has been tumultuous in itself apart from the influence of the age of the renaissance.
Yes, I agree that science and sincere questioning has sped up the mortality of false Gods, false concepts etc., but I object to throwing out the God of Love altogether
and replacing that with the presumed values of secular totalitarianism.
I'm a skeptic of claims but also religious. I'm a reformer not an abolitionist. The difference should be clear.
Are your religious beliefs grounded in your sincere lack of belief in Odin, or are you wishy-washy about his existence and not sure if he is real or not? That's the false dichotomy you're setting up for atheists, and it makes as little sense as my quesiton.
That´s nonsense. Disbelief is neither hot, cold or luke-warm. This is exactly where you draw false conclusions. It is, however, probable that a zealous believer in A will become a zealous believer in B (which doesn´t make him a zealous disbeliever in A).Understood, I assume Atheist or honest doubters are sincere. Lukewarm belief can sincerely change and become lukewarm disbelief. A strong belief could fall apart and become a strong disbelief.
Not believing something is not a belief. That should be obvious.I'm not accusing people of insincerity, just that it is belief of one sort or another.
So in your theology Lucifer didn´t believe that God existed?In my theology (psychological world view) Lucifer was a very high and trusted administrator who fell into disbelief in the unseen Father. He literally became and Atheist.
If "the God of Love" has any merit, then surely it should be able to withstand scrutiny? Think of all the false gods that have been slain, and how many of their believers said, "I agree that sincere questioning has sped up the mortality of false gods, but I object to throwing out the God of X, Y, and Z."
I don't know what that is. 'Presumed' seems to be the key word.
It's a fine line indeed.
I concede that point, I see it as a religion of doubt.
That´s nonsense. Disbelief is neither hot, cold or luke-warm. This is exactly where you draw false conclusions. It is, however, probable that a zealous believer in A will become a zealous believer in B (which doesn´t make him a zealous disbeliever in A).
If by all means you want to search for hot beliefs in non-theists you would have to look for their beliefs, not the beliefs there are lacking.
That´s why you don´t get far down that road with the term "atheism", no matter how hard you try.
Not believing something is not a belief. That should be obvious.
So in your theology Lucifer didn´t believe that God existed?
But I think you have by now derailed the thread long enough with your contemplations on atheism (or what you mistakenly picture it as). Actually, it is about reasons to be a theist.
How could anyone not love pink unicorns?
Fearful? Oh, you are precious! Why would you imagine anyone would fear a silly screen name?
You are not "Death"...although you might be a little "grim". You certainly are not frightening.
A little confused, perhaps.
As for the face...you've used some sort of filter or something. You do not look like Death...I've seen death, and you ain't it. Grim, maybe. You look like one of those old old old black and white movies...all grainy. Not scary at all.
Mostly sad.
Yeah, I saw that. Not impressed. Today's just an ordinary day, and you aren't frightening anyone.
You've been busy, I see. Getting many hits on all those sites?
Just curious.
You're young yet.
Yes, I noticed that. I think that's why I'm interested.
Not really. Should it?
God of the sun. Yeah, I do love summer.
Yeah, I got the concept. Obviously I don't agree...
Ahh. OTOH, how quick are you to blame "religion" for things like witch burnings, for instance? And, of course, everyone knows that religion is what causes war, right? *rolls eyes*
God can use even the most reluctant. I love the story about the elderly Christian lady who prayed for something to eat. Her atheist neighbor went and bought her some groceries and left them on her porch...when she found them, she praised God for His benevolence. Of course, the neighbor told her that he had bought the groceries...God, he said, had nothing to do with it. She smiled, thanked him, and raised her eyes to heaven and added, "And thank you, Lord, for using this man to do Your will."
You are aware that Al Capone was a Catholic? S'true.
Are you serious? Dear man, that is hardly "secret knowledge". I've been hearing it all my life.
Truth is truth....
Yes, Lucifer knew his creator brother The Son as well as a myriad of other universe personalities but he lost faith in the Unseen Universal Father. He then launched a rebellion effecting our world and many others.
You don't agree with my characterization of Atheist who I claim have decided and with willful intent work against faith in God/religious belief in God. We will just have to disagree then.
In my theology (psychological world view) Lucifer was a very high and trusted administrator who fell into disbelief in the unseen Father. He literally became and Atheist.
Rebellion against whom?Yes, Lucifer knew his creator brother The Son as well as a myriad of other universe personalities but he lost faith in the Unseen Universal Father. He then launched a rebellion effecting our world and many others.
Except that you are not in the position to tell me what my intents are.You don't agree with my characterization of Atheist who I claim have decided and with willful intent work against faith in God/religious belief in God. We will just have to disagree then.
Whet? How would Lucifer disbelieve in his own father? The guy he straight up backstabs and takes a few angels with in the process. I don't think you fully understand disbelief... or Satan
Rebellion against whom?
Except that you are not in the position to tell me what my intents are.
By not loving them. BA-ZING.
That confuses me. The face was never meant to be scary. Just striking.
It's mostly just a cool allusion
Yes, a fair amount. Could be so much more, but life gets in my way. Maybe when i finish up school I'll be more active.
My severe storms are over.
When reality keeps not making sense because what you believe just doesn't come to fruition, no matter what situation that happens, it's just not working the way your belief says it would.
Do you change reality or your belief?
Holy trinities
Don't insult my lord Helios.
So if I turn into a Muslim now, reality itself will change?
If religion was the REASON not the MEANS. Anything that is a REASON to commit murder, mass genocide, mass destruction is a bad thing. You didn't understand the statement so you set yourself up for that.
Creepy.
You're also aware that he was a dangerous man, see? I doubt he did much for religion. But even Tony Soprano was a devout Catholic.
Obvious.
All kids deserve fist bumps, not doing so is child abuse.
42 bears?
I do agree with you and would support the critical analysis of religious dogma because for the most part its some man or group of men's interpretations with concerning certain events in history, converted into "The Word" by church authority and used as an authoritative foundation for their social institution.
But there are obvious limitations to the finite analyzing the infinite; I trust my heavenly parents.
Agreed.We can only know what those limitations are by questioning and exploring. It seems like a giant cop-out to say that a certain doctrine is just "mysterious" and that we are too limited to understand it, but must believe it nevertheless. Maybe it is mysterious, or maybe the doctrine is untenable and should be discarded. We have, in many areas, exceeded our supposed limitations. Go back a hundred years, and how many would believe you if you said that one day a man would set foot on the moon? Our limitations are not always an impenetrable wall; with the right knowledge, they are often surmountable. But we don't know unless we try to make the climb, however steep it seems at first.
So he did believe that God existed, and hence was not an atheist?Rebellion against the creator Son, Michael, aka Jesus of Nazareth.
Anyone who doesn't love pink unicorns would have to be pretty grim.
You said the name was supposed to scare devout Christians. I'm a devout Christian, and it doesn't scare me a bit. Just makes me chuckle at the childish effort to scare me.
The face...not striking, just grainy.
What are you...like 15?
I meant, are other people checking out your sites. I did pull up your Smash Words site, and as far as I could see, you have no comments, so I wondered.
And you know that because?
Well, well...I hope you're right, but seriously...I doubt it.
So, let me guess. You said the magic incantation, and God didn't poof the solution you wanted Him to, so therefore, He does not exist, right?
Hun...it doesn't work that way.
Ahh, I see. Hun, the trinity is probably one of the most common things in nature. If you look for them, you'll find them everywhere.
Insult? Hardly. I need him to come out and warm up my little above ground pool...
I do love to swim.
Depends. Do you plan on moving to somewhere like Pakistan?
I see. So if someone, or some organization sets up a homeless shelter, for instance, because they want to honor Jesus Christ, who said that if we do these things for the least of them, we do it for Him, that is just men doing it.
But if someone shoots a gay person because the Bible says it is an abomination and their blood shall be on them, then his religion is to blame, is that right?
If one believes in an omnipotent God (as I do), believing that he can use even an atheist such as Richard Dawkins himself to do what he wants done is not out of line.
Why would it be? Dawkins, and you, are no less His creation than I am...
All I know about him is what little I've read. Same as you.
Skin cancer?
We can only know what those limitations are by questioning and exploring. It seems like a giant cop-out to say that a certain doctrine is just "mysterious" and that we are too limited to understand it, but must believe it nevertheless. Maybe it is mysterious, or maybe the doctrine is untenable and should be discarded. We have, in many areas, exceeded our supposed limitations. Go back a hundred years, and how many would believe you if you said that one day a man would set foot on the moon? Our limitations are not always an impenetrable wall; with the right knowledge, they are often surmountable. But we don't know unless we try to make the climb, however steep it seems at first.
Lucifer denied Jesus was a "God" or "of God."So he did believe that God existed, and hence was not an atheist?
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