now i can see where you are coming from. u have built a good case for yourself, but only in your own mind.
That's just a slightly bit self-righteous dont you think? What's to say your faith isn't just in your mind and bears no basis on reality whatsoever? I've heard often people claim absolute proof because they feel joy and love. I too feel joy and love- it requires no god, just inner peace. They then proceed to tell me the bible says so. I have aimed my efforts at the bible, (with the basis that what is written within is factual)
that's the whole point to your questions and to our answers.
You have absolutely no basis with which to say this. The point is about analysis which means i must ask questions. That's not to say i cannot interpret or analyse what i read, but it would hardly be fair unless i got every opinion on the subject. That is our fundamental difference: You have your truth and are closed to any other opinion or alternative because of it. I do not claim to have the absolute truth, that is highly presumptuous for anyone, even those who 'feel' jesus. We are at such a fragile and mentally tender state of progression that we have not the slightest clue how our brains behave. There is no doubt we can have beliefs that are so deep rooted our brains live it out every day of the week for us. There is nothing to suggest reality to much of what we believe. Belief, mythology, folklore, old wives tales all bear extreme relevance in our lives in the modern day. If we think we can label one of them as true and the rest false we would be fooling ourselves beyond compare. We then teach others what we think we know until such a time where it becomes common fact. As an example off the top of my head let's talk about ostriches.
Did you know ostriches do NOT stick their heads in sand? It is a commonly held 'fact' among modern day humanity not because it has any bearing on truth but because that's what people have said for hundreds or thousands of years.
Look at werewolves... A genetic disorder turned into a tale of half wolf/half man creatures that change when there's a full moon. The disorder turned people mad which is why the moon is involved- it's the origin of 'lunacy'- which stemmed from staring at the moon for too long a period- which would turn a man mad.
A story, whether originally based on fact or not, will change to such a tremendous degree over a period of time. We can see by looking at original sumerian texts where a large majority of the bible comes from- and yet nobody questions how much those texts would have changed over thousands of years- giving people their current day belief/s. Even to this day nobody can agree- and in a few thousand years time, depending on who told you which version, the religion you now subscribe to could have changed to such an extreme it would be unrecognisable by todays standards. Every day of the week a new cult springs out of the mud claiming it has knowledge of the absolute truth. Some make it to religion status, some don't.
Look at the stories of dracula if you want to see how stories change over time. The guys name is now one of the most well known mythological creatures of all time yet it was all down to a psychopath who staked women. Other parts were added, mainly for effect and story telling, and voila! you have count dracula, blood sucker extraordinaire.
I'd question the validity of any of these in exactly the same manner. Your belief has no right to claim precedence over any of the other billions of beliefs throughout the world. As such i will state god, the loch ness monster, unicorns, atlantis etc etc all have the possibility to exist. I will not sit here and say they do exist and i wont sit here and say they don't. To do either is faulty and completely presumptuous.
i have no problem proclaiming jesus is lord, whereby u call jesus a fraud. and yet, it's u who asks every question. and so u must realistically ask yourself, what is reasonable assessment? another question would be: who be the teacher? simple enough equations, don't u think?
No, i don't. The job of someone interested in truth is to hear all sides, not just his own. If i don't ask questions how can i claim to be looking for the truth? What you can see, if you look, is that i openly welcome all other opinions, ideas, hypothesis, and beliefs. You have nothing to learn off anyone- or be interested in what anyone else has to say, so you might not understand what i'm saying, but i am. I like to hear what others have to say- otherwise i might aswell just start preaching my version like some people here seem to like doing.
"Jesus IS the devil! Pray to god now or jesus will take you to hell and cook your flesh for eternity"
Do you see now just how worthless that attitude is? Do you see now why i question people and resent plain pathetic preaching? I have given you an absolute in my quote, and short of you just calling me a liar and stupid it's not debateable. That gives nothing.
i think we have a lot more window space than u, and at least we have opened the curtains for ya.
Maybe so. I look in every single window, whereas you just expect everyone to look into yours while you pay no attention to anyone elses. That's great if you'd like to live life as a self-righteous turnip but is what some people regard as a 'closed mind'. The holier than thou attitude is also a tad suspect. You probably wont understand this paragraph- better just to skip it.
but ignorance has it's own rewards.
How fast a person can be to claim ignorance of others. If that's what makes you happy label me any way you wish but just bear in mind that difference of belief isn't sign of ignorance. Make sure you understand what it is before you throw it around like pennies. Remember also freedom of choice. Some of us choose to find answers instead of just accepting them for eternal life. If we end up burning for it, such is life.. that still gives you no right to claim everyone else as ignorant and gives you no right to expect everyone to accept your version of the truth.
[Personal thought] I always found it's better to understand oneself before trying to understand everyone else.