Original Sin?

September 3rd, 2019 at 2:13:47 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Quote: Evenbob
This stuff is fascinating to me.
Paul made up the modern
Xtion religion, like he was
writing a sci/fi novel.


Xtions are the victims of a
hoax and they don't even
know it. They are 'Paulines'
and not Xtions at all. Reminds
me of an episode of Star Trek
where there worship a god
who isn't a god at all, but
a sham.

If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
September 4th, 2019 at 7:45:49 AM permalink
FrGamble
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 67
Posts: 7596
Do you think that Peter and the other disciples disagreed with Paul? Do you think Paul was the greatest evangelist ever, communicating clearly the truth that all Christians believe? Do you think Paul just made everything up and everybody just went along with it? Do any of the Letters not written by Paul or the Gospels contradict Paul's theology? Have you read the other Letters in the NT and know their theology about Christ and how it differs from Paul's or the Gospels?

I think that episode reminds me of the god you think Christians believe in. You are making up what you think others believe to rail against it. So sad.
“It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures.” (
September 13th, 2019 at 11:50:21 AM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
In 1968 I had a factory job 3rd
shift in a cookie factory. My boss
was probably all of 28, I was in
my late teens. There was a
vending machine in the lunch
room that dispensed sandwiches.
My boss had figured out that
if he inserted a long screw driver
in one of the sliding doors, the
machine rotated a sandwich
for free.

Over a two year period he did
this countless times for me. I
ate lunch for free and thought
not much about it. I don't recall
feeling bad or repenting, and
I still don't. But if I was a Xtion,
this would mean I'm going straight
to hell. What a ridiculous religion.

I hadn't thought of that in decades.
I was reminded because I'm reading
a book where a guy did the same
thing. I don't feel the least bit of
guilt about this, I think it's funny.
It was great fun and made a bond
between me and the boss.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
September 13th, 2019 at 12:05:21 PM permalink
terapined
Member since: Aug 6, 2014
Threads: 73
Posts: 11786
Matthew
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

This passage in the bible recently came to my attention
What I decipher from this is. Don't pray in a church. If you are going to pray, do it alone
I really like this passage
Because
Prayer is not a problem
but
Organized religion requiring prayer in a Church rather then not being ok with not attending church and not being ok with just praying in private, is a problem
Sometimes we live no particular way but our own - Grateful Dead "Eyes of the World"
September 13th, 2019 at 12:34:34 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Quote: terapined
If you are going to pray, do it alone


You can talk to yourself anywhere,
cause that's all you're doing. There
is no god listening, obvious if
you're paying attention and not
living in a fantasy world of
superstition and the supernatural.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
September 13th, 2019 at 8:00:09 PM permalink
FrGamble
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 67
Posts: 7596
There is private prayer and public worship. Both are very important and strengthen each other.
“It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures.” (
September 14th, 2019 at 10:59:46 AM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Quote: Evenbob
You can talk to yourself anywhere,
cause that's all you're doing. There
is no god listening, obvious if
you're paying attention


"As I repeatedly have to point out to religious believers, if praying to a god actually achieved results then it is relatively easy to evaluate the outcomes and see some form of resulting difference that can only be explained by some supernatural intervention by the selected god. If the religious are so sure that prayer does in fact produce positive results one would expect the Pope or some other representative of a god on Earth to have done such research and had it independently evaluated and confirmed. The fact that they never have is sufficient reason to be very suspicious of all claims in regard to prayers being answered."

https://www.news24.com/MyNews24/Why-praying-is-a-useless-waste-of-time-energy-and-emotion-20150313
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
September 14th, 2019 at 12:26:51 PM permalink
FrGamble
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 67
Posts: 7596
I'm always saddened and confused by people who think God is a genie and prayer is rubbing the lamp.
“It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures.” (
September 14th, 2019 at 1:03:30 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Quote: Evenbob
"As I repeatedly have to point out to religious believers, if praying to a god actually achieved results


Prayer is such a joke on humanity.
What a colossal waste of time.
Meditate if you have to, just don't
think anybody outside of yourself
is listening. I think prayer is a
dangerous practice, it takes your
mind and will away from action
that might be beneficial to you.

"While the main purpose of prayer may be to help others, it never demonstrably does that. Prayers benefit only those believers who say or hear them. Prayer gives them comfort. It lets them think they have some control over a situation that may be out of their hands. It’s the last resort of people who have run out of ideas, and the first resort of people who never bothered to think about how they could actually fix the problem at hand.
This is not harmless. There’s a very real downside to praying. It lulls believers into a false sense of accomplishment. We cannot solve our problems – much less the world’s – through prayer. We often see people with good intentions praying for victims in the wake of a tragedy, but prayer is useless without action, and those actions make the prayers irrelevant... Prayer is nothing but a powerful placebo. We’d all be better off accepting that."

https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/06/27/should-atheists-pray/prayer-is-useless-and-has-a-downside
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
September 14th, 2019 at 1:36:42 PM permalink
FrGamble
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 67
Posts: 7596
Your quote is awful, but in your own comments you dance around an important aspect of prayer. Motivation and a call to action is often the fruit of prayer. God desires us to do good for ourselves and others, prayer is an essential way to be inspired by God who is love.

By the way, we would never say talking to spouse we love or to a loving father is a waste of time.
“It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures.” (