Do you believe that Jan Ardena exists?
I neither believe it or disbelieve it as it doesn't really matter to me. But now that you've brought it to my attention, I believe that Jan Ardena exists in a particular format.
jan.
Do you believe that Jan Ardena exists?
Fair enough.
But still. If they equate the character of God with their own identity, given that they believe they themselves exist, they must believe in God. I don't think it matters that they are God in their own mind.
If someone believes they are God, that is by definition theistic. If they believe a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is God, then they believe in God. And I would be theistic to, with respect to their God, since I can see that the sandwich exists.
This is one (out of several) reasons why my own decision is that the Judeo-Christian-Islamic family of religions, those derived ultimately from Hebrew scripture, aren't the path for me. They just don't feel right. They fail the smell-test.
The way we look at it, God cares about your life as a whole... did you make the attempt to do good in the world, did you try and help those less fortunate, did you put forth the effort to "be Jesus to the least of us". It isn't the results, it isn't the outcome... it's the attempt to be an all around good person. He understands we WILL make mistakes, and that's okay. We aren't perfect.
''Any old spirituality''? ''Specific god''? I have no idea what ur talking about. Maybe you should read what is actually being talked about, then try again. Or failing that you explain what you mean.
Technically speaking, yes. A Christian, like anyone else, can kill without remorse.
My point is, if someone knows that the soul cannot be killed, then they would even think about killing anyone, let alone carry it out. Not even in self-defence. That's the level of knowing I'm referring to.
You ''understand'' that do you?
Can you please explain what ''being the creator'' means? Also what does such a post entail?
Who stole it?
How is what not a problem?
The work of the Devil? Lol!
The difference between what? If God said that killing is wrong, then quote me the scripture. Until then we'll go off what was said/written.
Even in your disbelief, you are unable to accept God' characterisations. And the reason you don't is to give yourself a reason to be an atheist. You know that the moment you start to look into it properly, you're going to believe it.
The hypocrisy and double-standards in much of mainstream religion is one of the reasons my wife and I consider ourselves modified Christians. The idea that God somehow "takes attendance" and other such notions is hilarious at best. The way we look at it, God cares about your life as a whole... did you make the attempt to do good in the world, did you try and help those less fortunate, did you put forth the effort to "be Jesus to the least of us". It isn't the results, it isn't the outcome... it's the attempt to be an all around good person. He understands we WILL make mistakes, and that's okay. We aren't perfect.
Yours is certainly a more benign interpretation, buf it's no less hilarious. You assume a celestial father-figure exists to watch over us and judge us, but you prefer that he accepts--surprise!--just about exactly the kind of person you are. By allowing that he doesn't sweat the mistakes you make, you've given yourself a free pass to use whenevr you like.
I csn better tolerate your brand of relious belief because you're not likely to hurt anyone, but I have to laugh when it's presented as a rational alternative to more traditional belief. It isn't that at all . It's just less dangerous. Then again, you did attempt to justify the Deluge as righteous...
Thing is, it isn't just my belief... that is, at least according to our pastors, the understanding of the United Methodist Church as a whole.
Yet we are being asked in this thread to accept certain images, certain scriptural depictions, as true depictions of what's claimed to be the one true God. And these scriptural depictions have this God not only committing abominations, but commanding his human devotees to commit similar crimes.
5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth--men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air--for I am grieved that I have made them."
It's not difficult, Jam. You're attempting to defend atrocities comitted by God in the OT by substituting Christian mythology with something else, probably of your own invention.
That's not what i asked you. Your assertion that God cannot murder because he knows the soul does not die naturally leads to the premise that anyone who shares this belief is morally absolved of any wrongdoing if they kill someone.
...you can't be serious. How do you explain the countlesa murders comitted by religious people?
My point is, if someone knows that the soul cannot be killed, then they would even think about killing anyone, let alone carry it out. Not even in self-defence. That's the level of knowing I'm referring to.
Oh, is this where we pretend only believers are capable of understanding the concept of your deity?
Drop the red herring and address the point.
:facepalm:
Really, Jam? Who are we talking about? What book of the bible is Genesis in?
You're not good at playing these games.
Why do I have to hold your hand through this? What wasn't clear about this? I make a point about how we know Noah's story is taken from an earlier myth, and askhow you reconcile this knowledge with your faith, and you act like I'm speaking Greek. You can read, yes?
Is "thou shalt not kill" God saying killing is wrong? Is that the game we're playing now?
Please explain.
Yes, Yazata, please explain to Jam why genocide is an atrocity.
Maher's take on people who tell us about "God's point of view" remains materially accurate.The description and assessment of so-called atrocities is dependant on ones point of view. From God's point of view,
Well that embarrassed the commenting - unintentionally, of course (no aim of self humiliation involved, and the point lost). Typo, and bad eyes - sorry.There are quite a few assertions of that oddly conflicted appearance here - such as the one by the apparently unironically avatared Ja{n} Ardena,
He can't murder the soul. He can still murder the body. The body dies, and He knows that.''Murder'' is an act. Right?
Murder is defined by the intention of the murderer. Right?
God cannot ''murder'' because He knows that the soul never dies. Right?
Calling the genocide of the Noachian Flood "pointless" does not make it disappear. God intended to kill all those people's bodies, same as any genocide perpetrator.Or, in other words it is a ''pointless endevour'', like pretending to be surprised at a surprised birthday party intended for you, which was organised by you. Can you see how that is a waste of time?
Depends. Often, they just want to do away with their body - the entity against which they have grievance.A murderer at the very least intends to do away with his/her victim.
Quite a few theistic murderers seem to have no difficulty seeing advantage in killing mere bodies, without regard to the eternity of life granted the released souls.He/she is unaware that the body he/she has just killed, is NOT the person. It's in the same category of ignorance as, stabbing, shooting, or drowning the clothes of someone you hate, thinking that you have just killed them.
The Kurds of 1990s Asia Minor, the Tutsis of 1980s Rwanda, the Reds of 1960s Central America, the Jews of 1930s Europe, the Blacks of 1920s USA, found true believers in Allah the Merciful, Keeper of one's Eternal Soul, make dangerous neighbors.The question of whether those doing God's will can commit murder is then up for grabs, btw - yet another reason to stay alert when living next to true believers in such Deities.
Once again we are faced with the "No True Theist" fallacy. The correlation between self-identified theists, especially very deeply committed or "sincere" ones, and people claiming to act on behalf of God's will, is quite strongly positive. It is one of the threats brought by the promulgators of Gods - that your neighbors can be persuaded to act on behalf of Their will, and it's much safer to join them than get in their way.I would be very wary of someone who claims to act on behalf of God's will. It is amazingly egotistical, therefore atheistic.
It's a material fact.Bill Maher is sometimes shallow and smart-Alec, a common failing in professional comedians for some reason, but if one cannot respond to his simple and apparently accurate observations of common fact (if the Noachian flood was unleashed on purpose, it was an act of genocide) without appealing to invisible and unknowable mysteries one nevertheless claims to see and know, maybe shallow and smart-Alec is where the reality is.
It's not a fact. It's a cheap shot based on a poor fund of knowledge and ignorance of the subject matter, with a strong desire to lead people away from spirituality, straight into the arms of materialism.
What is atrocious about eradicating pure evil from the face of the Earth?
What does that have to do with what I said?
What are you talking about?
What ''red herring''?
I take it you're going to avoid answering the questions?
Another avoidance
Obviously not. It doesn't help when I don't even know the game I'm supposed to be playing.
Nevertheless, I need some clarification, so either give it, or give up.
, no it's not. It's God saying ''thou shalt not kill''.
Already have.
Bill Maher's political views appeal to me, as I've already said, but his whole criticism of religion is nothing but cheap shots on a subject he doesn't really understand. Anyone who knows anything about the Bible or the reason behind the thought and tradition of the Church/churches can see that he is very ignorant, and therefore not funny on this subject. He is just showing his ignorance, and his audience are for the most part fools who laugh because they are also ignorant. I don't mean to be provocative in saying this. I am stating a fact.
We know that God's idea of "pure evil" is spurrious.
Not believing in him is enough to earn one a trip to eternal damnationland.
And not everyone was evil, obvously, or else he wouldn't have spared Noah. Was he the only one? And what about the animals? What did they ever do to anybody?
Uh, yes it does. It's this thing called "logic." Pesky for someone of your ilk, I know, but them's the breaks.
LOL! Jesus, man, have you been huffing glue or something? What's so hard to follow about that? I can't type it slower, so...
How do you explain the countless murders comitted by believers? You said people who believe would never kill anyone, but we know for a fact this isn't true. How do you explain that?
LOL! You are a joke.
Only if you're an idiot. I mean, I can't make it any more plain than that, Jam. If you're not intelligent enough to understand...
Well, that's just stupid. It's a false dichotomy. God defines good and ill by his commandments, so pretending his commandments don't define good and ill is wrong, and flat-out stupid.
No you haven't. You need to explain to me how I would instantly become a believer if I accpted "all of God's characterizations."
An my queston is... woudnt God know who was evil even befor he put his creation plan into action... anybody.???