Who are happier -- Christians or Atheists?

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February 27th, 2015 at 7:01:51 PM permalink
FrGamble
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 67
Posts: 7596
Quote: Evenbob

The 'only thing we need do' is actually the
last step in a process that's fraught with
bad conclusions, guesswork and outright
assumptions. A path you can go down if
you have blinders on, and have suspended
your disbelief at the door.


As you share your thoughts I get more and more of a better understanding of your unbelief. There is no process or assumptions or bad conclusions in accepting love. It is t the same time the easiest and hardest thing we can do. It is not always easy because you have to let go of your guilt or shame and give it God who wants to take it from you. You have to first realize you are worthy of this amazing love...and you are!
“It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures.” (
February 27th, 2015 at 7:09:51 PM permalink
FrGamble
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 67
Posts: 7596
Quote: Nareed
If you're talking about what scholars call Mosaic Law (which strikes me as a great name for a law firm with a side business in tiles and bathroom fixtures), I've never concerned myself with it.


Good one. This is the law Christ was referring to.


Quote:
As opposed to continually having to sacrifice to everyone in order to remain in his favor? Not long ago you pretty much branded every moral action a sacrifice.


The sacrifices I was talking about were done in order to remain in our own good favor. Moral sacrifices are meant to and are a blessing to ourselves and others. The sacrifices to appease God or the gods was not done for our benefit, but solely for God's. This is not the type of sacrifice He requires. "I desire mercy, not sacrifice."


Quote:
This would help explain the incredibly stupid (brainless) idea that "salvation" comes through faith and not by one's actions.

[gratuitous provocation removed]


What ever was removed couldn't be worse than what you said. If you really think about it I think you would discover all the reason why earning your salvation through works is the truly stupid play. It leads to inequality, bragging, exterior actions without interior conviction, conditional love that is only based on what have you done for me lately, despair, and not to mention it is impossible. It would be galactically stupid to think our salvation could ever come by our actions.
“It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures.” (
February 27th, 2015 at 7:21:39 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Quote: FrGamble
you have to let go of your guilt or shame and give it God who wants to take it from you.


If I have guilt and shame (if), it's mine
and it's part of who I am. I more than
likely earned it, that's part of being an
adult. To want some god to forgive it
is the attitude a child has. In the Jewish
culture, I believe, you aren't responsible
for your actions till you're 12 or so.
After that you own them, which is how
it should be. Asking some god to constantly
forgive you is not what a mature adult
does. It keeps you forever in adolescence,
always begging mercy from a father figure.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
February 27th, 2015 at 7:26:54 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Quote: FrGamble
It would be galactically stupid to think our salvation could ever come by our actions.


Why not, everything else comes with our
actions, thought alone will get you nowhere
without action. Not that I believe in salvation,
there is nothing to be 'saved' from. If there
was a religion that paid hard cash for actions,
I might go for that, though.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
February 28th, 2015 at 5:31:27 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Quote: FrGamble
What ever was removed couldn't be worse than what you said.


I'm told my tongue is sharper than a serpent's tooth :)

Quote:
If you really think about it I think you would discover all the reason why earning your salvation through works is the truly stupid play.


So a man, let's call him Justinian, can order the massacre of thousands of people, but he is "saved" because of his faith? then he can launch wars of conquest, and when they wind up devastating large areas of Italy and killing yet more thousands of people, he's still "saved" due to his faith.

That's not just stupid, it's evil.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
February 28th, 2015 at 11:58:50 AM permalink
FrGamble
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 67
Posts: 7596
Faith without works is dead.
“It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures.” (
February 28th, 2015 at 12:48:47 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Quote: Nareed


That's not just stupid, it's evil.


It makes no sense. Your works can send
you to hell, but works won't send you
to heaven. Who thought that up, it's
ridiculous.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
February 28th, 2015 at 5:21:22 PM permalink
FrGamble
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 67
Posts: 7596
It's really not that hard. Evil is only concerned about what you do and Love is only concerned about who you are.
“It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures.” (
February 28th, 2015 at 5:27:15 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Quote: FrGamble
It's really not that hard. Evil is only concerned about what you do and Love is only concerned about who you are.


But god is concerned about what you
do, you don't go to hell for thinking
about killing somebody. The commandments
say do not kill or steal, they don't say
'don't think about killing and stealing'.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
February 28th, 2015 at 6:03:36 PM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Quote: FrGamble
Faith without works is dead.


What I've pieced together goes something like this:

1) An omnipotent, omniscient, perfect deity, let's call him God, creates the universe about 13 billion years ago(*). He may or may not have created the primordial atom from whence the universe came.

2) About 8-9 billion years later, either God creates the Solar System, or it is formed through directions from God, or it forms on its own.

3) Soon afterwards, perhaps less than half a billion years or so, life either is created on Earth by God, or arises as a result of inorganic chemical evolution under God's direction, or arises on its own.

4) For around 3.5 billion years, life exists on a microscopic level only, mostly consisting of single-cell organisms like protozoa and bacteria, life either as directed by God, or on its own.

5) After this time, multicellular organisms evolve to the point they can be seen. Species rise and fall life either as directed by God or on their own.

6) Around 1.5 million years ago, hominids arise, either created by God, or evolve as directed by God or evolve on their own.

7) About 200,000 years ago, Homo Sapiens, modern humans, arise on Earth, either created by God, or evolve as directed by God or evolve their own.

8) About 3,000-3,500 years ago, God the perfect, omnipotent and omniscient being, lays down the law for humans to obey.

9) A bit less than 2,000 years ago, God, this perfect, omnipotent and omniscient being, realizes the law he laid down is impossible for humans to follow. He then splits himself in three. One part he sends down to Earth, implanting it on the womb on a woman presumably without her consent (if this had actually happened, it would be known as The Rape of Mary), to eventually let people at a small Roman province know the law his perfect father/himself laid down cannot be followed and is now lifted. He/his son allows himself to be killed by gruesome means, because somehow that redeems the actions of other people (how???????) He/his father then resurrects and tells his/their disciples to spread the word to half the world (why not the whole world is a question apparently one should not ask; though later on the people in the neglected part of the world will be horribly mistreated in large part for not practicing the rituals that evolved from God/Jesus' followers). Apparently then Jesus goes up into heaven (still alive!!!) presumably for a family reunion with his dad and the mysterious third part of himself/themselves, which is heard about but never seen nor heard from.

10) We're told too, that faith trumps actions, but that faith without actions is "bad." What need for faith, then?

I'm sorry, this makes absolutely no sense compared to other myths, and less than no sense compared to reality. Really, God comes off as incompetent, neglectful, and just plain clueless.


(*) My timing may be off, but the feel of the scale is right.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
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