You forgot the most important part, suffer from mental delusions. Speaking to beings which don't exist (i.e god).
AreaCode707
Lifer
- Sep 21, 2001
- 18,440
- 101
- 91
You know, throughout the repeated unprovoked attacks on religion that you've posted, I haven't retaliated. You need to learn that people have different beliefs, and have throughout all of history, and it would serve you very well in life to learn, if not to respect others, at least to hold your peace sometimes. I posted a direct response to a direct question, and your insult was uncalled for right now. Save it for a thread where flamewar was the intent, like the ones you start. In a thread like this, that type of comment is trolling.
You still suffer from delusions. You believe in a being, which can't be seen, can't be heard, and has no more proof for his existance than flying spagetti monsters. Your like an adult who believes in the tooth fairy.
AreaCode707
Lifer
- Sep 21, 2001
- 18,440
- 101
- 91
If you walk into a neurologist's office and the reason you give for wanting an exam is that you believe in God, they'll laugh you out of there. Just fyi, in case you ever feel like trying it.
Does it really matter? I never push my beliefs on others and you would never know I were Christian if you met me.
AreaCode707
Lifer
- Sep 21, 2001
- 18,440
- 101
- 91
To defend your position accurately, you would need to be agnostic. You strongly disbelieve in a being whose absence cannot be proven. Logic 101 demands that conclusion. As a do or die athiest, your position is exactly as weak, if not weaker, than a person of any religion, no matter what brand.
if you ask god for forgiveness for all your sins and really mean it from the bttom of your heart he will accept you as a son of god....he knows you before you are born
praise him for covering your sins, you cannot praise him enough he died for your sins
"many are called, few are chosen"
praise him for covering your sins, you cannot praise him enough he died for your sins
"many are called, few are chosen"
DVK916,
You believe in air, electricity, magnetism, yet these also fail your test: you can't see or hear them, although their effects are obvious, as are the effects of spiritual living.
How about taking a sincere, open-minded dive into some recreational reading such as:
gift to DVK916
and another for DVK916
and more for DVK916
& an interesting different breed of cat - practicing a life that mobilizes the same ideals as Christ's teachings, but from a different orientation
angminas
Diamond Member
- Dec 17, 2006
- 3,331
- 26
- 91
What does it mean to be a Christian? What did great men in the past who had God's holy spirit do? What should we do now? You can find answers to all these in the Bible. Here are some of what I consider the most important verses in the Bible. Disclaimer, though: you need to read at least the entire chapter that each quote is in to even BEGIN to get a handle on what it means. You then also need to read the entire Bible throughout your life and pray to God in the way he prescribes. Here's a tiny little glimpse of the Bible (New King James Version throughout):
Genesis 18:16-33: God tells Abraham of his plan to destroy Sodom. Abraham, not seeing the whole picture (God already knew how many righteous people there were), rebukes God and asks him to do right. Because Abraham is humble and seeking after righteousness, God is gracious and does not punish Abraham for what could be considered presumptuousness.
Genesis 22:12: "And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." If God already knew every choice we would ever make, this whole story would be completely pointless. God allows us to make many choices for ourselves. Abraham was not called the father of the faithful for nothing.
The entire book of Exodus is indispensible in understanding who God is and what he wants for us. I personally can't find a particular part that really stands out, except to say that the Ten Commandments are not the end-all of righteousness. If they were, why would the rest of the Bible exist?
The story of David covers several books, but is well worth reading, especially his responses to realizing that he has sinned and his unwillingness to strike his enemies.
The book of Proverbs is a dense collection of wisdom, especially from about chapters 12 to 30.
Jeremiah 10:23-24: "O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. 24 O Lord, correct me, but with justice; Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing." This attitude of humility, gratitude, and trust shows how we should approach God when we make mistakes. Similar to the things David often said.
Matthew 5-7 The Sermon on the Mount. This entire section is essential to understanding what true Christianity and Christ himself are all about. If you haven't read it a number of times, you're probably not a Christian.
Matthew 18:21-35: The parable of forgiveness. As God forgives us, so should we forgive our brothers.
Matthew 22:35-40: "Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" 37 Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." You don't get to just love God and hate the unrighteous. Nor do you get to hate yourself.
Acts 23:1-5: "Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, "Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?" 4 And those who stood by said, "Do you revile God's high priest?" 5 Then Paul said, "I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people." Centuries after this commandment was was originally spoken by God and written in the book of Exodus, and years after the death of Jesus Christ, it was still in force, as it is today. Paul was being mistreated, but when he found out he had broken God's commandment, his response was not to justify sin, but to repent.
Romans 12:21: " Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Perhaps the single most important verse in the Bible concerning our behavior. Be careful with the book of Romans- it's advanced reading, not basic, and it can be easily misunderstood, especially if one is looking for justification for beliefs one already has.
1Corinthians 8:1-3: "Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2 And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him." As has been mentioned by others, just when you think you've got Christianity down pat, that's when you don't. Remember humility- you can't draw close to God if you are self-righteous, no matter what else you do.
James 2:14-26: "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe-and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."
Many "Christians" like to think that serving God is just a state of mind, but that's rubbish. More on that in...
1John 2:3-4: "Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."
1John 3:4: "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness."
1John 4:20-21: "If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. "
1John 5:3: "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. " 1John is indispensible in telling true Christianity from false. If you want to be a Christian, read the entire book many times throughout your life. It's only 5 chapters.
This is only the merest scratching of the surface, and it's only my personal opinions of some of the most important points- many have been left out. For the real truth, read the Bible (not just the bits you like, and I suggest you begin at the beginning as you would with any other book of knowledge), pray earnestly to God, and seek the counsel of people wiser than I am. Try the Good News radio programs if you want entry-level help. I have enjoyed them very much and learned a lot from them. There are lots of other useful links there to the UCG website.
Being a Christian is not easy. It's not supposed to be. If it were, it would be pointless. God can't give us righteous character, since character is about the choices we make. He can, however, show us the way, strengthen us to be able to make the right choices in a world gone mad, and have mercy on us when we stumble. May the Lord be gracious unto you.
Genesis 18:16-33: God tells Abraham of his plan to destroy Sodom. Abraham, not seeing the whole picture (God already knew how many righteous people there were), rebukes God and asks him to do right. Because Abraham is humble and seeking after righteousness, God is gracious and does not punish Abraham for what could be considered presumptuousness.
Genesis 22:12: "And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." If God already knew every choice we would ever make, this whole story would be completely pointless. God allows us to make many choices for ourselves. Abraham was not called the father of the faithful for nothing.
The entire book of Exodus is indispensible in understanding who God is and what he wants for us. I personally can't find a particular part that really stands out, except to say that the Ten Commandments are not the end-all of righteousness. If they were, why would the rest of the Bible exist?
The story of David covers several books, but is well worth reading, especially his responses to realizing that he has sinned and his unwillingness to strike his enemies.
The book of Proverbs is a dense collection of wisdom, especially from about chapters 12 to 30.
Jeremiah 10:23-24: "O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. 24 O Lord, correct me, but with justice; Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing." This attitude of humility, gratitude, and trust shows how we should approach God when we make mistakes. Similar to the things David often said.
Matthew 5-7 The Sermon on the Mount. This entire section is essential to understanding what true Christianity and Christ himself are all about. If you haven't read it a number of times, you're probably not a Christian.
Matthew 18:21-35: The parable of forgiveness. As God forgives us, so should we forgive our brothers.
Matthew 22:35-40: "Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" 37 Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." You don't get to just love God and hate the unrighteous. Nor do you get to hate yourself.
Acts 23:1-5: "Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, "Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?" 4 And those who stood by said, "Do you revile God's high priest?" 5 Then Paul said, "I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people." Centuries after this commandment was was originally spoken by God and written in the book of Exodus, and years after the death of Jesus Christ, it was still in force, as it is today. Paul was being mistreated, but when he found out he had broken God's commandment, his response was not to justify sin, but to repent.
Romans 12:21: " Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Perhaps the single most important verse in the Bible concerning our behavior. Be careful with the book of Romans- it's advanced reading, not basic, and it can be easily misunderstood, especially if one is looking for justification for beliefs one already has.
1Corinthians 8:1-3: "Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2 And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him." As has been mentioned by others, just when you think you've got Christianity down pat, that's when you don't. Remember humility- you can't draw close to God if you are self-righteous, no matter what else you do.
James 2:14-26: "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe-and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."
Many "Christians" like to think that serving God is just a state of mind, but that's rubbish. More on that in...
1John 2:3-4: "Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."
1John 3:4: "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness."
1John 4:20-21: "If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. "
1John 5:3: "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. " 1John is indispensible in telling true Christianity from false. If you want to be a Christian, read the entire book many times throughout your life. It's only 5 chapters.
This is only the merest scratching of the surface, and it's only my personal opinions of some of the most important points- many have been left out. For the real truth, read the Bible (not just the bits you like, and I suggest you begin at the beginning as you would with any other book of knowledge), pray earnestly to God, and seek the counsel of people wiser than I am. Try the Good News radio programs if you want entry-level help. I have enjoyed them very much and learned a lot from them. There are lots of other useful links there to the UCG website.
Being a Christian is not easy. It's not supposed to be. If it were, it would be pointless. God can't give us righteous character, since character is about the choices we make. He can, however, show us the way, strengthen us to be able to make the right choices in a world gone mad, and have mercy on us when we stumble. May the Lord be gracious unto you.
DanTMWTMP
Lifer
- Oct 7, 2001
- 15,907
- 13
- 81
although i'm a passive christian (well, more like agnostic), you can't be serious?
don't confuse emprical evidence w/ faith/anecdotal evidence.
air, electricity, magnetism all are understandable within our human knowledge, and proven w/ emprical evidence
although the existence of a god cannot be proven, it cannot be disproven, so it stands, as of still, of something that is of anecdotal evidence (unreliable, so really, moot). I will never deny an existence of a diety, but i absolutely disagree w/ human's general view of what a diety is like and such.
I don't believe a diety should be personified...more like an "all thing.." of sorts. the law is the diety. everything is the diety. It is something that is impossible to personify within our own knowledge of what a living, conscious being is.
So
Lifer
- Jul 2, 2001
- 25,921
- 14
- 81
So
Lifer
- Jul 2, 2001
- 25,921
- 14
- 81
This is a false position and it really bothers me. All an atheist says is the following:
Some person or persons, at some time in the past has made a claim ("there are one or more gods"), but has provided no evidence to support that claim. This claim is not a testable hypothesis, and does not necessarily follow from the theories I know to be well supported by evidence. Therefore, without objective empirical evidence, I cannot accept that claim.
An agnostic says: Some person or persons, at some time in the past has made a claim ("there are one or more gods"), but has provided no evidence to support that claim. This claim is not a testable hypothesis, and does not necessarily follow from the theories I know to be well supported by evidence. Therefore, without objective empirical evidence, I cannot accept or reject this claim.
Some agnostics assert that this shows open mindedness. I contend that it shows ignorance of the scientific method. It seems to me that the christian god clearly does not exist. The deist 'clockmaker god' cannot be ruled out, and I would find it comforting if such a being did exist. But such a claim is not testable and I have seen no evidence to support it. Therefore I refuse to operate under the assumption that the hypothesis is correct, and consider myself an atheist.
angminas
Diamond Member
- Dec 17, 2006
- 3,331
- 26
- 91
It may be all YOU say, but it's not all "an atheist" says. I've read lots of atheist comments mocking and deriding anyone who even considers the possibility of the existence of any kind of being greater than ourselves. Your statement about cell senescence above is an example. Honestly, this is a thread about Christianity, and nobody asked you to tell us that we're all wet. As if we're going to go burn our Bibles because you linked Wikipedia. What were you hoping to accomplish?
Do you think that all atheists say and believe the same things? Do you think you're the judge of who is and is not an atheist? Or agnostic, or any other ism? Do you know the meaning of the word agnostic? I'm going to assume you didn't mean to tell people how they're allowed to think...but if that's true, you might consider cooling down before posting in this thread again.
I was, once, and my faith was fragile and eventually I cast it aside. That being said, I concluded that I have no right to judge others for their faith as long as their practice of faith does not interfere with my ability to live as a free man. Most of my friends are Christian, and I delight in talking with them about their faith, because it helps me understand them better. It is interesting to me to see how others find solace regarding the existential questions with which we grapple.
In the end, each person has to come to his or her own conclusion about his or her meaning and significance in the world. You have to answer to your own conscience. If you are happy as an atheist, then that is all that matters in this discussion. If you are happy as a Christian, or a Buddhist, or a Muslim, then I am happy for you.
In the end, each person has to come to his or her own conclusion about his or her meaning and significance in the world. You have to answer to your own conscience. If you are happy as an atheist, then that is all that matters in this discussion. If you are happy as a Christian, or a Buddhist, or a Muslim, then I am happy for you.
HC, I can take care of this issue real easily. DVK916, Fvck you! God will forgive me from that, but you, sir are a trolling little a-hole.
Take that, you Davisite, box brained mongerel. You douche bags who attend UC Davis, on your student loans, your daddy's money, or by grace of your athieism, aka (government grants), are a disgrace to the planet. The next time you hear a loud pop, it will not be your birkenstock, stepping on a pop rock, you Volvos driving POS's.
For clarification, I'm kidding damnit. Wow, that'll clear this all up.
I think I have an open bottle of wine... now if only I had some marshmallows to roast over this bonfire.
Frankly, I have no idea how this reprobate, ended up at Davis. I thought the Turd Bus only stopped at Berkely.
MBrown
Diamond Member
- Jul 5, 2001
- 5,724
- 35
- 91
If you are serious, then accessories you don't need. The only things you need is to accept Jesus Christ as you lord and savior. Now just saying that you do doesn't cut it. It has to be deep within. God knows weather you are serious or not. You can't fool him. You have to love God. Now if you are weary of just accepting Jesus Christ as your savior then try this. Assuming your atheist. Just pick up the Bible and start reading it. You will find many answers. Also go to a church. Talk to a pastor. This is not an easy decision to make. It took me some time.
God has given us some proof of existence. The Bible (the reason why I reference the Bible is because it is Gods word) says that but just look at the mountains the oceans and just life in general is proof. On a nice day hike up a mountain. When you reach the top look at the beauty of it all and just suck it in. Just think to yourself when you look out over this beautiful landscape, can this all could have been started but just a big bang? Life working in perfect harmony. The very complexity of life is evidence that there is a God. The water evaporates from the lakes and seas and turn into clouds, and eventually calls back down to earth to provide nourishment for life below. This cycle repeats itself and does need any help from any human on earth. It is perfect and is only something that could have been created by a genius...who is God. look at an anatomy of a human being and look at the complexity of it. Something that complex has to have been created. Look at the anatomy of any other animal. The same thing applies.
My pastor says this...if you believe that there no God and that we were just by random chance and when we die we just die and not go anywhere after, then there is no value to life at all. You can see it in people who don't believe. If there is no value to life then you might as well just kill yourself or do anything you want to do. If you at least believe that there is a God then you realize that there is at least somebody out there that loves you and created you for a purpose which means that there is value to life. There is a lot more to this. Unfortunately I don't have much time to elaborate because I have to go to class (I don't even remember what class I have LOL I think its Electronics 1).
Let me just close by saying this. The reason Christianity is different from any other claimed religion out there is this; Christianity is the only religion out there with a live savior and living God. (there are probably some typos in this but I don't feel like proof reading lol)
God has given us some proof of existence. The Bible (the reason why I reference the Bible is because it is Gods word) says that but just look at the mountains the oceans and just life in general is proof. On a nice day hike up a mountain. When you reach the top look at the beauty of it all and just suck it in. Just think to yourself when you look out over this beautiful landscape, can this all could have been started but just a big bang? Life working in perfect harmony. The very complexity of life is evidence that there is a God. The water evaporates from the lakes and seas and turn into clouds, and eventually calls back down to earth to provide nourishment for life below. This cycle repeats itself and does need any help from any human on earth. It is perfect and is only something that could have been created by a genius...who is God. look at an anatomy of a human being and look at the complexity of it. Something that complex has to have been created. Look at the anatomy of any other animal. The same thing applies.
My pastor says this...if you believe that there no God and that we were just by random chance and when we die we just die and not go anywhere after, then there is no value to life at all. You can see it in people who don't believe. If there is no value to life then you might as well just kill yourself or do anything you want to do. If you at least believe that there is a God then you realize that there is at least somebody out there that loves you and created you for a purpose which means that there is value to life. There is a lot more to this. Unfortunately I don't have much time to elaborate because I have to go to class (I don't even remember what class I have LOL I think its Electronics 1).
Let me just close by saying this. The reason Christianity is different from any other claimed religion out there is this; Christianity is the only religion out there with a live savior and living God. (there are probably some typos in this but I don't feel like proof reading lol)
Sorry, but the last time I checked, the savior was dead, in the physical sense. You will need a bigger branch, than air, to hold on to. And...if he, God, Savior lives, then, what has he done for me lately?
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