Easter Is Coming in 8 Weeks

February 5th, 2015 at 10:37:09 PM permalink
FrGamble
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 67
Posts: 7596
Quote: Evenbob
"Within the Roman Catholic Church, clerical celibacy is mandated for all clergy."

This means all forms of sex. Not letting your
natural sexual nature express itself, is this not
giving up on it?


Not at all. Just because you are not having sex doesn't mean you stop being a male or a female. Our society has us so tied up with having sex that people think you will die without it or you lose your sexual nature.
“It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures.” (
February 5th, 2015 at 11:48:39 PM permalink
Face
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 61
Posts: 3941
Quote: FrGamble
Our society has us so tied up with having sex that people think you will die without it or you lose your sexual nature.


Sleep, sex, and sustenance. If I could rid myself of want for any one of these, I would be unstoppable.
Be bold and risk defeat, or be cautious and encourage it.
February 6th, 2015 at 6:12:16 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Quote: FrGamble
But you seem convinced that your selfishness is somehow altruistic.


You'd better be able to explain that. Not only is it not true, it's an attack on my character.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
February 7th, 2015 at 12:12:28 PM permalink
FrGamble
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 67
Posts: 7596
I forget now where we were discussing hospitals and such as evidence for the value of Christianity. The responses were quite quick that there are a few cases of ancient hospital-like places that predate Christianity. I somewhat clumsily responded I was referring to "the modern notion" of these things, whatever that means. Anyway, in thinking some more about it I realized how immune the atheistic apologetics are to the following comment from Nareed.

Quote: Nareed
That's part of what I call the Christian apologist's exaggerations.


In refuting the claim that Christianity brought to the world the idea of hospitals, orphanages, universities, modern science, civil rights movement, etc. the atheists among us brought up a couple of examples of ancient hospitals and universities. As if these examples so long in the past did anything to counter what the world saw through Christians in the figurative explosion of hospitals, universities, soup kitchens, orphanages that followed everywhere in the wake of Christian missionaries. Instead of a few ancient buildings we can barely imagine today an area of the world where there is not a school, hospital, and some outreach to the poor. These were for the most part established by Christians, whose idea that all human beings were equal in God's eyes and we should have a preferential option for the poor and suffering inspired them.

Likewise I chuckle when in response to some theological truth taught by the Church the idea of ancient and largely forgotten gods from Egypt or Iceland or made up beings like a Spaghetti monster are thrown in my face. What an absurd exaggeration to compare these things, yet no one seems to call these atheist apologies out for the exaggerations they are. Oh well, just wanted to vent a little bit about that.
“It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures.” (
February 7th, 2015 at 3:41:43 PM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Quote: FrGamble
Likewise I chuckle when in response to some theological truth taught by the Church the idea of ancient and largely forgotten gods from Egypt or Iceland or made up beings like a Spaghetti monster are thrown in my face. What an absurd exaggeration to compare these things, yet no one seems to call these atheist apologies out for the exaggerations they are.


You don't get it.

I regard the claims and myths of Christianity to be as valid as those of the ancient Egyptians, or as those found in fiction, comic books or mockery such as the Flying Spaghetti Monster (He boiled for you).

You go on chuckling. I laugh when I'm told that Jesus resurrected, or that Moses parted the Red Sea, when an adult tells me this with all the seriousness of a 6-year old who tells me what Santa Claus brought her. You may as well try to impress me with the absolute superiority and righteousness of Great Britain, by pointing to the time when James Bond saved the world.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
February 7th, 2015 at 7:07:46 PM permalink
FrGamble
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 67
Posts: 7596
I'm afraid it is you who are not getting it.

You can continue to think religion is fiction but you ignore its historical impact. It is real and as someone who enjoys history I'm surprised you don't at least recognize its historicity. The Resurrection of Jesus and His life were never written as myths or fiction, they were written as true and taken as true right from the start. Many other historical sources verify the existence of Jesus and the rise of those who dedicated their life to spreading the good news that He had risen. Persisting in comparing these historical mysteries and miracles to Santa Claus and James Bond might make you feel better but they make it obvious that you aren't really taking it very seriously. Which makes sense if you believe it is all fantasy. The question then might be why do you hate religion, especially Christians, so much if in your mind it is no more serious than believing in James Bond. I don't like the Austin Powers movies but I don't loathe or try to embarrass anyone who likes them.
“It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures.” (
February 7th, 2015 at 7:19:29 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Quote: FrGamble
The Resurrection of Jesus and His life were never written as myths or fiction, they were written as true and taken as true right from the start.


Which is meaningless! For some reason, you seem to
think if lots of people all believed the same thinks
a long time ago, then it must have been true. Nothing
could have been further from the truth.

For most of the existence of the Jesus myth, people
were superstitious to the nth degree. This myth fit
right in with 1001 other things they also believed
that weren't true. This falling away now at a fast
rate, as the rise in secularism in climbing.

Joseph Campbell says myths are useful to a society,
and when they stop being useful, they are abandoned.
The heyday of the Church is long over, it's time
to move on to the next myth.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
February 7th, 2015 at 7:39:17 PM permalink
FrGamble
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 67
Posts: 7596
Quote: Evenbob
For some reason, you seem to
think if lots of people all believed the same thinks
a long time ago, then it must have been true.


No I don't. Do you think that because lots of people believed something a long time ago it must not be true? You do realize of course that lots of people (like a third of the world's population) still believe in Jesus today?

Quote:
For most of the existence of the Jesus myth, people
were superstitious to the nth degree.


This is a myth.
“It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures.” (
February 7th, 2015 at 7:48:39 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Quote: FrGamble

This is a myth.


It's a myth that people were superstitious?
Are you serious?
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
February 7th, 2015 at 7:53:24 PM permalink
FrGamble
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 67
Posts: 7596
People are still superstitious. Were they so much more superstitious in the ancient world that we can't take seriously anything they thought or believed? No.
“It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures.” (