General Music Chat

I've been on both sides of this discussion. It's interesting to read all this. It follows the same basic path most discussions like this go down. I've certainly had my share. It also seems to stand in contrast to other discussions on this board.

The bottom line for me is this: If there is no God there is no law higher than human culture. The consequences of such a notion are as hopeless as something can be. Chaos would result. Has resulted. Somewhat akin to the French revolution when the legislature outlawed God and enthroned the goddess of reason. Didn't last but a few years. The outcome was as obvious as a train wreck.

Having been an atheist I believe I have heard just about every argument against a living God there is. In actual fact nature teaches me almost every day there is a Creator. My own experience and living faith tell me He *re-created* me thirty years ago. I am far better off now than I was, both by experience and principle. Regardless of any unanswered questions I may have, far too many have been answered by biblical tenets and daily life and it all works for me.

Somewhere above it was stated that God and Republicans, with terrible results go hand in hand. Yet I recall both Bill Clinton and Obama campaigning in churches. And both profess Christianity as their faith.

To the issue of more blood being shed in the name of religion than any other cause? When someone finds something in the life and teachings of Christ which condones such philosophy and action their point can be taken with some validity. Otherwise, historically, more blood has been shed in the name of man-made religion and apostasy from Christ than any other cause. Big difference.

I was just out driving on some of these back roads. The following occured in about 1/2 a minute:

As I drove 'round a long curve, I saw a huge siamese cat. The size of the thing challenged everything I ever knew about siamese cats, so I kept looking at it.

As I continued driving around it, it morphed into the carcass of a large animal, like a deer. It couldn't have been a deer, though, for there were way too many gray splotches on it.

Finally, the object became clear to me as I finished the curve. It was a sycamore stump. I was amazed at all the things I could see in it from various angles.

Then it hit me:

If I can see so many different things i the very same object, how could I ever possibly trust to those things that ppl describe so freely, with such determined belief, yet can only see in their MIND'S eye? What angle are THEY looking at the world? What distractions & personal agendas warp THEIR perceptions?

This is why religion is such a personal issue for me.

I watch this one coach on the UFC. He usually speaks like he's a little old lady in a quiltig bee with most of the fighters he coaches, but occasionally I hear him say things like, "What the F*CK are you doing?" He only does this with certain fighters, & not only when they are losing, but when they are winning, too.

It's clear that he adjusts his coaching style to the needs of each fighter.

I figure that god peobably does that, too. He speaks to us each in different ways. He has different paths for each of us.

I don't see any need to follow your path. I'm not at all sure that yours is the one god has chosen for me.

When I need guidance, I have faith that it will come, but I doubt that it will come from you, more often than not.

But, you are making an ASSUMPTION that freedom of thought is somehow un-natural or dependent on a supernatural explanation. From what I’ve read on quantum mechanics we live in a universe made up of AT LEAST eleven dimensions! In such a universe it is difficult to grasp many concepts, like subatomic particles which flicker in-and-out of existence or backwards in time! How this affects the properties of physical matter is largely unknown. There is no “unified theory of everything” yet.

I'm pointing out that if the sum total of our existence is due to Natural Law theory, then we would not have freedom to take control of our environment. Laws are unchanging by definition - there is no "freedom" in a Natural Law - so you can't get freedom from it to explain how we make free will decisions.

We do have free-will, the ability to take control of our environement and move contrary to what it would dictate, therefore Natural Law theory is not the answer to the human experience. That theory is a self-defeater, therefore free-will has to come from somewhere else.

If A is contingent on B, and B is false, then so is A.

So yes, I do assume that free will comes from another source, but I have good reason to believe so - Natural Law theory doesn't supply it, yet we have it. So what other theory out there can explain it?

God is Black

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuPf-TMOCY

God is Black

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuPf-TMOCY

that was such a great show

To the issue of more blood being shed in the name of religion than any other cause? When someone finds something in the life and teachings of Christ which condones such philosophy and action their point can be taken with some validity. Otherwise, historically, more blood has been shed in the name of man-made religion and apostasy from Christ than any other cause. Big difference.

http://danielmiessler.com/blog/the-jesus-quote-youll-never-hear-in-church

To the issue of more blood being shed in the name of religion than any other cause? When someone finds something in the life and teachings of Christ which condones such philosophy and action their point can be taken with some validity. Otherwise, historically, more blood has been shed in the name of man-made religion and apostasy from Christ than any other cause. Big difference.

http://danielmiessler.com/blog/the-jesus-quote-youll-never-hear-in-church

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slain_in_the_Spirit

To the issue of more blood being shed in the name of religion than any other cause? When someone finds something in the life and teachings of Christ which condones such philosophy and action their point can be taken with some validity. Otherwise, historically, more blood has been shed in the name of man-made religion and apostasy from Christ than any other cause. Big difference.

http://danielmiessler.com/blog/the-jesus-quote-youll-never-hear-in-church

that's in the context of a parable, not a commandment for the church to follow. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom32.ii.lxxix.html

Here's an example of humanism - human sacrifice in the name of science.
http://www.haciendapub.com/blaylock7.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slain_in_the_Spirit

Having grown up going to a Pentecostal church, I'm quite familiar with it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slain_in_the_Spirit

Having grown up going to a Pentecostal church, I'm quite familiar with it.

Then you should have understood the different meaning of slain.

Here's an example of humanism - human sacrifice in the name of science.
http://www.haciendapub.com/blaylock7.html

Okay, Communism = Bad. But, haven't you ever heard of MKULTRA? The Tuskogee Experiment? We brought Nazis to the US to work in Operation Paperclip.

BTW, parable or not the quote still stands as an example of Christianity's schizophrenic values.

Then you should have understood the different meaning of slain.

Don't go Bill Clinton on me debating the meaning of "is".

Then you should have understood the different meaning of slain.

Don't go Bill Clinton on me debating the meaning of "is".

is is is. slain is slain, but there are multiple meanings. one of the quirks of english.

Here's an example of humanism - human sacrifice in the name of science.
http://www.haciendapub.com/blaylock7.html

Okay, Communism = Bad. But, haven't you ever heard of MKULTRA? The Tuskogee Experiment? We brought Nazis to the US to work in Operation Paperclip.

BTW, parable or not the quote still stands as an example of Christianity's schizophrenic values.

point being, all world-views have the capacity of doing wrong things in the name of something. The difference being, those world-views that do not have a solidified standard of right and wrong, justify it in the name of their own thinking - "for the good of mankind", as the society sways back and forth between morals. God's standard may be abused, but the standard itself is not at fault - only those who stray from it.

You can make anything sound schizzophrenic when you take it out of context. The message was to his followers not to abuse his gifts to them, and to yield increase using those gifts - being slack in one's faith is what is being addressed in this parable.

"But those my enemies In this second part, he appears to glance principally at the Jews, but includes all who in the absence of their master, determine to revolt. Now Christ’s intention was, not only to terrify such persons by threatening an awful punishment, but also to keep his own people in faithful subjection; for it was no small temptation to see the kingdom of God scattered by the treachery and rebellion of many. In order then that we may preserve our composure in the midst of troubles, Christ informs us that he will return, and that at his coming he will punish wicked rebellion. "

Christianity's schizophrenic values

what the..

what website r u readin doode