As a child, you never once played a game of, Let's pretend that....? You do not possess one iota of imagination?
Sorry, I can't imagine being anyone but who I am.
Literally a leap of faith.
How so?
That's nothing to mourn. What is worth feeling a bit sorry about is not being able to imagine there is more to know and experience when it comes to God.
Equating a possible universe creator with the improbable God of the Christian Bible is, IMHO, a leap I'm unable to make.
Sort of what people used to tell me about LSD.
LSD is a hallucinogen that alters one's sense of reality. God draws one deeper into actual reality. Have you considered you want neither a hallucinogen or reality--that both/either are too much? I chose reality.
I wasn't asking you to make that leap. I was telling you that I use creator and God interchangeably. You said, that is literally a leap of faith. I asked how so. You then tried to make it about the God of Abraham instead which has nothing to do with my using those terms interchangeably. You lack of objectivity when it comes to God and you are argumentative. This isn't you being curious. This is you being argumentative. It's more like militant atheist lite. So much for live and let live, eh. SMH.
Why not? Do you believe what you prefer never changes?
That belief in God draws one deeper into actual reality is not something I can accept. One is no more real than the other, IMHO.
And I was telling you that, to me at least, they are very different.
I have no doubt that you believe in the God of Abraham (or you would not be a Catholic) and that you believe He is the creator. I find it disingenuous of you to complain I make it about the God of Abraham when that is exactly how you see the creator. Am I wrong? Is there a difference between the two?
My preferences change, especially as I get older. I used to love staying up late, now I love getting up early, but I'm still heterosexual and will likely be so until I die. Do you think you might try the homosexual lifestyle (assuming you are not already there) just to find out what it would be like?
Do you really want to hear the rules from a Christian who has accepted his bible as just allegory and not literally true?
I know the literalist answer, ding is more interesting.
Maybe so but that's not how it was intended in post #143. In that post you were responding to MY use of God and creator interchangeably. In that post you were questioning MY leap of faith. It's no leap at all. I see God and the creator as one and the same.
Yes, you are wrong. First and foremost I don't confuse religion or dogma for God. And I never place religious dogma above God as many do. Secondly, it can't be that you were telling me it was YOUR leap of faith and then switch to explaining how it must have been my leap of faith because I am a Catholic. It can't be both. So I wasn't being disingenuous at all by calling out your disingenuousness. You are putting YOUR bias against the God of Abraham onto my using God and creator interchangeably and seeing MY perception as a leap of faith. When in reality it is merely convention. You are literally making an argument of semantics when none is needed.
Why would I? My preference is women. Besides I take my vow to my wife quite seriously. I'm not even sure why we are discussing this because my comment wasn't directed at changing one's sexuality. My comment was directed at you saying, "Until I know why I've changed, how can I know how I'll change? I can't just change my core beliefs..." So why can't you do that? Do you believe what you prefer never changes? It's not like you believe in absolute right and wrong, right? Besides I don't believe people consciously make core belief changes. I believe it is more of a subconscious thing that occurs over a long period of time and experiences. So many times you won't know why you changed until after you have changed. Sure, you can try to effect change and when you do that you are consciously aware of what you are trying to do. But that doesn't mean you will be successful at doing it. I'm afraid in the end the only absolute here is that you will know you changed after the fact. And that is probably when you will figure out why you changed... after the fact.
Perhaps what you cannot accept is reality, and therefore you avoid seeking it.
So what is the relationship between God/creator and the God of Abraham?
Do you believe what you prefer never changes? So like Meriweather asked me, imagine your belief changed and you didn't believe in God, how would that change your life?
Semantics. I use God and creator interchangeably.
I believe change is the only constant but it is so slow it is almost imperceptible. I won't get into your and Meri's conversation.
