New Group for Bible Believers.

[Capstone]

[MENTION=40845]Jeremiah[/MENTION],

I've decided not to go through with our planned debate. It's highly unlikely that any minds would have been changed by what I had in mind anyway. There was never any intention on my part of approaching the discussion seriously; and upon reflection, I think the world will continue spinning without another anti-Christian diatribe soaked in satire.

Consider this a personal victory. It was your personality, after all, that made it difficult for me to summon the will to further belittle you on the grounds of your faith.

Sincerely.

 

[koshergrl]

So capstone admits he's one of those who trolls and attacks, but really has no interest of presenting ideas.

 

[Capstone]

I'm glad you chose to chime in here, K-girl, because I have no qualms about belittling someone like you. Your attitude reeks to high heaven (if there exists such a place), and I can think of very few members on this board who'd benefit more from being taken down a peg or three.

In this thread alone, I've presented a number of legitimate criticisms (granted, colored by insulting language), and have countered every response to them, so my posts really speak for themselves.

What have you contributed, beyond the usual sourpussery and whining based on your persecution complex?

 

[koshergrl]

*yawn*.

As I said, an admitted troll trolling. Nothing new.

 

[freedombecki]

I'm glad you chose to chime in here, K-girl, because I have no qualms about belittling someone like you. Your attitude reeks to high heaven (if there exists such a place), and I can think of very few members on this board who'd benefit more from being taken down a peg or three.

In this thread alone, I've presented a number of legitimate criticisms (granted, colored by insulting language), and have countered every response to them, so my posts really speak for themselves.

What have you contributed, beyond the usual sourpussery and whining based on your persecution complex?

She has benefitted America, Mr. Capstone, by noticing that more than 50,000,000 Americans have died before birth. So bitter are her adversaries, she puts the ball back in their own court so well, they can't be apeshit enough to hit it back, so they start in tirading her sterling character which remains untarnished, imho.

Have a lovely day.

 

[Capstone]

She has benefitted America, Mr. Capstone, by noticing that more than 50,000,000 Americans have died before birth. So bitter are her adversaries, she puts the ball back in their own court so well, they can't be apeshit enough to hit it back, so they start in tirading her sterling character which remains untarnished, imho.

Have a lovely day.

With all due respect, Mrs. Becki, since my question was based on K-girl's contribution to this discussion (not her stance on abortion or any other issue) -- and as you may or may not have noticed, I haven't been a vociferous champion for the 'pro-choice' cause in here or elsewhere, myself -- your opinion of her "sterling character" seems to lack relevance here.

Nevertheless, in my humble opinion, she's done NO favors for Christianity's image in this or any thread she's sullied with the self-victimizing sourness that so consistently oozes from her posts, at least from those I've seen.

I'll take your opinion under advisement, though.

You have a lovely evening yourself, now.

 

[freedombecki]

She has benefitted America, Mr. Capstone, by noticing that more than 50,000,000 Americans have died before birth. So bitter are her adversaries, she puts the ball back in their own court so well, they can't be apeshit enough to hit it back, so they start in tirading her sterling character which remains untarnished, imho.

Have a lovely day.

With all due respect, Mrs. Becki, since my question was based on K-girl's contribution to this discussion (not her stance on abortion or any other issue) -- and as you may or may not have noticed, I haven't been a vociferous champion for the 'pro-choice' cause in here or elsewhere, myself -- your opinion of her "sterling character" seems to lack relevance here.

Nevertheless, in my humble opinion, she's done NO favors for Christianity's image in this or any thread she's sullied with the self-victimizing sourness that so consistently oozes from her posts, at least from those I've seen.

I'll take your opinion under advisement, though.

You have a lovely evening yourself, now.

Will do, Mr. Capstone. Well, Christianity is what it is. Even Christ whipped evildoers who made his father's house an house of merchandise, though. Those who take a life given by God sell a future American child down the river, imho. If I were as understanding as this courageous lady has been, I might have a little sting for the grifters of God's children myself. She's the whip. I'm merely the beggar who asks God to help people turn from that kind of killing and do it no more in exchange for his full pardon. Full forgiveness gives everyone a fair playing field in life. Thanks be to God, of course.

 

[Capstone]

...She's the whip. I'm merely the beggar...

Said the venerable teacher of the delinquent student.

Your attitude and methods are more persuasive by leaps and bounds than the lashes from any whip.

 

[koshergrl]

Becki has been known to wield the whip a little herself, lol.

 

[DriftingSand]

What if I believe in the bible, believe in and worship God, but I'm a Pagan? Am I welcome?

I've never actually heard of anyone believing the Bible and worshiping the biblical God AND being a pagan at the same time.

Christmas and Easter are pagan-based holidays loaded with pagan traditions and symbols.


You may be a pagan and don't even know it.

Do you wear a wedding band (right)?

Pagan!

One is pagan when one worships a pagan god and follows a pagan lifestyle. I don't happen to take Christmas or Easter that seriously as I worship Christ every day but as long as Christ is the central focus when folks DO happen to celebrate on either of those days then there is nothing pagan about them. The funny thing is that most pagan religions borrowed from the true religion of Christianity in the first place.

 

[DriftingSand]

I'm glad you chose to chime in here, K-girl, because I have no qualms about belittling someone like you. Your attitude reeks to high heaven (if there exists such a place), and I can think of very few members on this board who'd benefit more from being taken down a peg or three.

In this thread alone, I've presented a number of legitimate criticisms (granted, colored by insulting language), and have countered every response to them, so my posts really speak for themselves.

What have you contributed, beyond the usual sourpussery and whining based on your persecution complex?

I'm still wondering why you're debating in an "announcement" thread. You are aware that there's a forum for religious discussion. If you are one of those folks obsessed with belittling and berating Christianity perhaps you ought to start your own thread in that section and "go to town." I'd certainly visit.

Every "man" on earth thinks his particular beliefs are the correct beliefs. Why don't you head on over there and show us what you got.

 

[freedombecki]

Becki has been known to wield the whip a little herself, lol.

My little feather ruffler?

...'Kay...

 

[freedombecki]

I'm glad you chose to chime in here, K-girl, because I have no qualms about belittling someone like you. Your attitude reeks to high heaven (if there exists such a place), and I can think of very few members on this board who'd benefit more from being taken down a peg or three.

In this thread alone, I've presented a number of legitimate criticisms (granted, colored by insulting language), and have countered every response to them, so my posts really speak for themselves.

What have you contributed, beyond the usual sourpussery and whining based on your persecution complex?

I'm still wondering why you're debating in an "announcement" thread. You are aware that there's a forum for religious discussion. If you are one of those folks obsessed with belittling and berating Christianity perhaps you ought to start your own thread in that section and "go to town." I'd certainly visit.

Every "man" on earth thinks his particular beliefs are the correct beliefs. Why don't you head on over there and show us what you got.

Well, the gentleman conceded in favor of the lady Jeremiah. *sigh* That shows a gracious heart and spirit, DS. If you want to know what he thinks, you might knock on the door of the Iron Poet in "Writing" at USMB Hobbies. Very complex individual who puts a lot of heart and soul in his vocabulary.

 

[Capstone]

I'm still wondering why you're debating in an "announcement" thread. ...

Really? Looking back on this discussion, one might think you had a pretty good handle on at least some of the possible reasons for debating in here.

My first post in this thread was #30 and was preceded by several argumentative posts, some of which were yours.

...You are aware that there's a forum for religious discussion. ...

That's where I recently engaged and came to respect Jeremiah's attitude in the face of multiple attacks (in the Pentacostal Fire thread [sic]), not that her debating skills or tactics were particularly worthy of respect in that discussion, mind you.

...If you are one of those folks obsessed with belittling and berating Christianity perhaps you ought to start your own thread in that section and "go to town." I'd certainly visit. ...

As with any large group, there are good and bad people in the ranks of Christianity, and my feelings are tempered for the collective sake of the good ones. I haven't spent much time in the Religion and Ethics forum, mainly because my heart isn't in belittling/berating the entire group, no matter how despicable some of its widely agreed upon tenets are in my view. I'd rather get a sense of the person, before deciding which weapon(s) to use against that individual, if any.

...Every "man" on earth thinks his particular beliefs are the correct beliefs. Why don't you head on over there and show us what you got.

I'm not a proselytizer. It's just that simple.

If and when I choose to engage in a discussion, regardless of the forum in which it resides, it'll be on my own terms.

 

[koshergrl]

So you're just a troll.

 

[Capstone]

Well, the gentleman conceded in favor of the lady Jeremiah. *sigh* That shows a gracious heart and spirit, DS. If you want to know what he thinks, you might knock on the door of the Iron Poet in "Writing" at USMB Hobbies. Very complex individual who puts a lot of heart and soul in his vocabulary.

High praise. Thanks.

Regarding Jeremiah, at last check, she hasn't posted since the 8th. That's uncharacteristic. I hope all is well for her.

 

[Chuckt]

This isn't really a forum for debate but I came to a belief in Christ and Christianity using a rational and logical train of thought mixed with a personal, life-changing set of circumstances. Just because you don't follow someone else's thought process doesn't mean that they are automatically "delusional" and you are automatically "rational." ...

What makes my thought processes more "rational" than many Christians is the manner in which I hold my beliefs -- without undue certainty, not incorrigibly, and not against the grain of implausibility. Whether those beliefs happen to be true or false, the processes by which I've come to accept them were designed to guard against delusion.

On the other hand, Christians, in general, have been indoctrinated for centuries to employ thought processes that not only fail to guard against delusions but actively encourage them. From the onset of your personal Christian path, you're required to accept an implausible corpus of beliefs "on faith" (not reason), with 'absolute conviction' .

Don't flatter yourself.

I've been to college and have more books on apologetics, archaeology and the reliability of the Bible than you do.

As far as being indoctrinated for centuries, my grandmother was different. She was from the Church of England and decided for me to be like Moses. Moses was put in a basket and put into the Nile. It was the mother of Moses that had the faith and Moses survived and by my grandmother leaving me to God, I learned on my own which means what I believe is mine.

I'm currently busy for a month but I could care less about your boasts.

 

[Foxfyre]

Come on people, both Christian and non Christian alike. Some perspective here.

This was intended as an announcement thread, yes, and it has served its purpose for that. But religion threads, most especially Christian threads, draw the non believers like magnets. And the place to exclude non believers for a discussion of Christianity unfettered by non-believers is in the special private group, not here.

The phenomenon of why religion discussions do draw the non believers like magnets has always been an interesting phenomenon to me. Curiosity? Hope? God? What is the magnet? Of course the discussions usually break down into food fights with Christians accusing the non believers and the non believers disrespecting the Christians, but the phenomenon of the fascination is still quite evident.

I would wish that the non believers had more open minds and did not seem so driven to destroy the faith of believers. I would wish that the Christians would follow the lead of Jesus and lead instead of accuse the non believers. I can't believe many, if any, people have ever come to know and love Jesus by being told they were going to hell.

Change people's minds? No, we are unlikely to do that through the force of our own words. But if we teach instead of preach, if we love those who accuse us and spitefully use us and abuse us and do not allow them to draw us into combat instead of discussion, we are likely to plant at least a different kind of curiosity. And then God will take it from there. It is not given to us to 'convert' anybody. We are just to arrange the meeting with the One who does do that, and how we arrange that meeting could make the difference in whether one is compelled to seek further or writes us all off as hateful and self-righteous bigots.

I probably won't participate much, if at all, in the new private group because too many there are not interested in my point of view and/or beliefs and in fact are bothered by them. But I do love Jesus, have committed my life in service to Him, and believe He was God incarnate on Earth and He is very much real now.

But in this forum, I enjoy a good discussion as much as anybody and will go toe to toe with anybody who also enjoys a good discussion.

Those that are just here to mock and diss Christians are really boring though.

 

[Capstone]

Don't flatter yourself. ...

Critical analysis, especially when the critical eye is focused inward on one's own belief system, is not a particularly effective means of self-adulation. It is, however, a very effective progenitor of healthy doses of self-doubt and epistemological skepticism, the likes of which are antithetical to strong religious convictions.

...I've [...] more books on apologetics, archaeology and the reliability of the Bible than you do.

Even if that's true, surrounding oneself with huge stacks of books that only support his or her preset-in-stone beliefs ...is no way to guard against delusion. It's not the size of the book collection that matters so much as its diversity of viewpoints in conjunction with the open-mindedness of the collector/reader.

And before anyone tries to suggest otherwise, throughout my life (up to and including this very day), I've remained open to the prospects that the God of the Bible actually exists and that some or all of the stories and principles in the scriptures are true. My criticism of the Christian Faith, specifically of the teachings that promote blind acceptance of a number of implausible tenets "on faith" -- not only in the absence of evidence for them but in direct conflict with evidence against them -- applies irrespectively in relation to questions of existence and biblical veracity.

What I find both amusing and telling, in terms of many Christians' belief systems, is their nearly universal unwillingness to treat all unproven concepts and potentially fictitious entities with the same methodologies and arguments they use in favor of their preferred potentially fictitious entity. Paraphrasing Dawkins, "Christians are some of the most vehemently anti-theistic people alive; I just believe in one less god than they do."

...As far as being indoctrinated for centuries, my grandmother was different. She was from the Church of England and decided for me to be like Moses. Moses was put in a basket and put into the Nile. It was the mother of Moses that had the faith and Moses survived and by my grandmother leaving me to God, I learned on my own which means what I believe is mine.

Not to get too personal here, but you've obviously been *indoctrinated (*that's not necessarily a derogatory term, you know), whether the indoctrination occurred before or after you were "

to God" by your grandma.

I'm currently busy for a month but I could care less about your boasts.

Well, that's something at least; because I couldn't care less about your misapprehensions of my views.​