Let’s chat about the atheist religion.

[alang1216]

I can just as easily turn it back on you and say you believe what you believe because you want to.

I think I've managed to save the baby. There are Christian values I try to emulate, love your neighbor for example, and there are Christian values I will not endorse, religion is more important than family, for example.

In some regards you're correct and I should have said "Historical accuracy is almost always secondary to the theology" since there are parts of the NT that would not be there if the story were pure fiction.

Sure you could but the difference is I have reasons for believing what something is, you have arguments against my beliefs. You can’t make an affirmative case for your beliefs. I can. But more importantly I have tested my beliefs. How have you tested your non-belief? Look I’m not trying to convince you. I really couldn’t care less what you do. You seem like a nice guy. Better than most that I converse with on this board. But I think you aren’t being objective.

I’m not sure where you got the idea that Christianity teaches religion is more important than family. Religion isn’t God. To many atheists here confuse the two. For that matter too many persons of faith do too.

With that said there actually is a practical aspect to the order God, Country and Family. But that has nothing to do with religion or theology. It’s more about logic.

My personal observation about you is that you are letting religion get in the way of your relationship with God. Or I should more accurately say, you are letting your biases about religion get in your way.

Thanks for the kind words, they actually mean something to me coming from someone I respect. A rarity on USMB.

Since I was 12 I've been trying to make sense of what people tell me about religion and God (and everything else). I grew up in a multi-cultural, multi-religion world and, I like to think, started as a blank slate. I used my logic based on my knowledge at that time and formulated my beliefs. In all the years since I've never encountered any evidence or argument that changed my beliefs. Stress testing those beliefs is why I came to USMB.

BTW, Christianity teaches religion is more important than family in Matthew 10:35, "For I have come to turn ‘A man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law".

 

[Blues Man]

Atheist religion is an oxymoron

What are atheist churches?

Regards
DL

They are places where atheists assemble and say....

I don’t believe in God, do you believe in God?

then any time people congregate you can call it a church.

The Church of government for example

 

[Indeependent]

There is history in the Bible, but some context is required to understand it. Of course there are other literary styles as well.

But we aren't on exactly the same page because I do believe God created the material world and that he does care deeply about us.

I see no evidence of any caring but then again, I'm not yet dead. Yes there is history in the Bible and context is required to understand it, that context being the theology of the writer. Historical accuracy is always secondary to the theology.

That’s probably just because you don't want to. You still can’t get past the bathwater. Your loss.

It’s not that the historical accuracy is secondary. It depends on the literary style and the age of the accounts.

I can just as easily turn it back on you and say you believe what you believe because you want to.

I think I've managed to save the baby. There are Christian values I try to emulate, love your neighbor for example, and there are Christian values I will not endorse, religion is more important than family, for example.

In some regards you're correct and I should have said "Historical accuracy is almost always secondary to the theology" since there are parts of the NT that would not be there if the story were pure fiction.

There is a difference between “believing” and attempting to study the event and blatantly saying you know something that you have never looked at.

 

[Indeependent]

I am hoping you are an intelligent person who has been indoctrinated to robotically accept whatever he hears from his assumed peers or superiors who can be intellectually honest when no one is looking over his shoulder.

I like to think I'm intelligent and honest but I'll let others be the judge. I think if I robotically accepted ideas I wouldn't be on USMB writing to someone so very different from me.

Intelligence and honestly are two separate attributes.
I never stated you weren’t intelligent, I stated you are intellectually dishonest because you keep referring to a text you never read as though you have read it.
In NYS, we call that being Full Of Shit.

 

[Blues Man]

Atheist religion is an oxymoron

...atheism is an oxymoron, because there is no god ..it's like a word for not believing in the Tooth Fairy/Easter Bunny/Boogie Man/Santa/ etc

There is a God because molecular computer code DNA can not write itself from nothing

Just because we may not know how something happened is not in itself proof of a supreme being.

It is arrogance to think that w a human beings are capable of knowing everything.

Consider that our brains and capacity for thought are bound by physical limits of the organism itself.

Just like my dog will never understand algebra, humans may never understand the answers to the very questions they seek.

I for one see no need to attribute processes I do not understand to the doings of some god. I can accept that we may never understand the universe because of the limitatiins of the human body and brain.

 

[ding]

I can just as easily turn it back on you and say you believe what you believe because you want to.

I think I've managed to save the baby. There are Christian values I try to emulate, love your neighbor for example, and there are Christian values I will not endorse, religion is more important than family, for example.

In some regards you're correct and I should have said "Historical accuracy is almost always secondary to the theology" since there are parts of the NT that would not be there if the story were pure fiction.

Sure you could but the difference is I have reasons for believing what something is, you have arguments against my beliefs. You can’t make an affirmative case for your beliefs. I can. But more importantly I have tested my beliefs. How have you tested your non-belief? Look I’m not trying to convince you. I really couldn’t care less what you do. You seem like a nice guy. Better than most that I converse with on this board. But I think you aren’t being objective.

I’m not sure where you got the idea that Christianity teaches religion is more important than family. Religion isn’t God. To many atheists here confuse the two. For that matter too many persons of faith do too.

With that said there actually is a practical aspect to the order God, Country and Family. But that has nothing to do with religion or theology. It’s more about logic.

My personal observation about you is that you are letting religion get in the way of your relationship with God. Or I should more accurately say, you are letting your biases about religion get in your way.

Thanks for the kind words, they actually mean something to me coming from someone I respect. A rarity on USMB.

Since I was 12 I've been trying to make sense of what people tell me about religion and God (and everything else). I grew up in a multi-cultural, multi-religion world and, I like to think, started as a blank slate. I used my logic based on my knowledge at that time and formulated my beliefs. In all the years since I've never encountered any evidence or argument that changed my beliefs. Stress testing those beliefs is why I came to USMB.

BTW, Christianity teaches religion is more important than family in Matthew 10:35, "For I have come to turn ‘A man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law".

How do you know that is what that means?

I have an entirely different understanding of what that means. Is it possible that your understanding was chosen to confirm your bias? Is there no other possible understanding which is less insulting than concluding that religion -,which isn’t even what Christ is discussing - should be placed above family? Because if you cannot think of one single positive explanation for what this means then how did you test your belief?

 

[ding]

It is arrogance to think that w a human beings are capable of knowing everything.

Is it arrogance to believe humans are capable of learning everything?

 

[esalla]

Atheist religion is an oxymoron

...atheism is an oxymoron, because there is no god ..it's like a word for not believing in the Tooth Fairy/Easter Bunny/Boogie Man/Santa/ etc

There is a God because molecular computer code DNA can not write itself from nothing

Just because we may not know how something happened is not in itself proof of a supreme being.

It is arrogance to think that w a human beings are capable of knowing everything.

Consider that our brains and capacity for thought are bound by physical limits of the organism itself.

Just like my dog will never understand algebra, humans may never understand the answers to the very questions they seek.

I for one see no need to attribute processes I do not understand to the doings of some god. I can accept that we may never understand the universe because of the limitatiins of the human body and brain.

God is the end of science, where creating life and planets is just a mornings activity, not even work just a byproduct of needing something to do. We know that the code of DNA can not write itself, no code can.

 

[Blues Man]

It is arrogance to think that w a human beings are capable of knowing everything.

Is it arrogance to believe humans are capable of learning everything?

Yes.

My dog will never learn how to perform simple algebra. What makes you think the people do not have a physical limitation in cognitive function that renders us incapable of learning the concepts needed to understand the universe?

 

[Blues Man]

Atheist religion is an oxymoron

...atheism is an oxymoron, because there is no god ..it's like a word for not believing in the Tooth Fairy/Easter Bunny/Boogie Man/Santa/ etc

There is a God because molecular computer code DNA can not write itself from nothing

Just because we may not know how something happened is not in itself proof of a supreme being.

It is arrogance to think that w a human beings are capable of knowing everything.

Consider that our brains and capacity for thought are bound by physical limits of the organism itself.

Just like my dog will never understand algebra, humans may never understand the answers to the very questions they seek.

I for one see no need to attribute processes I do not understand to the doings of some god. I can accept that we may never understand the universe because of the limitatiins of the human body and brain.

God is the end of science, where creating life and planets is just a mornings activity, not even work just a byproduct of needing something to do. We know that the code of DNA can not write itself, no code can.

We know no such thing.

Equating DNA with computer code is a poor analogy

 

[esalla]

Atheist religion is an oxymoron

...atheism is an oxymoron, because there is no god ..it's like a word for not believing in the Tooth Fairy/Easter Bunny/Boogie Man/Santa/ etc

There is a God because molecular computer code DNA can not write itself from nothing

Just because we may not know how something happened is not in itself proof of a supreme being.

It is arrogance to think that w a human beings are capable of knowing everything.

Consider that our brains and capacity for thought are bound by physical limits of the organism itself.

Just like my dog will never understand algebra, humans may never understand the answers to the very questions they seek.

I for one see no need to attribute processes I do not understand to the doings of some god. I can accept that we may never understand the universe because of the limitatiins of the human body and brain.

God is the end of science, where creating life and planets is just a mornings activity, not even work just a byproduct of needing something to do. We know that the code of DNA can not write itself, no code can.

We know no such thing.

Equating DNA with computer code is a poor analogy

Nope computer code is base two 0/1 and DNA is base four adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), or thymine (T).

All they do is repeat to form the product

 

[Blues Man]

Atheist religion is an oxymoron

...atheism is an oxymoron, because there is no god ..it's like a word for not believing in the Tooth Fairy/Easter Bunny/Boogie Man/Santa/ etc

There is a God because molecular computer code DNA can not write itself from nothing

Just because we may not know how something happened is not in itself proof of a supreme being.

It is arrogance to think that w a human beings are capable of knowing everything.

Consider that our brains and capacity for thought are bound by physical limits of the organism itself.

Just like my dog will never understand algebra, humans may never understand the answers to the very questions they seek.

I for one see no need to attribute processes I do not understand to the doings of some god. I can accept that we may never understand the universe because of the limitatiins of the human body and brain.

God is the end of science, where creating life and planets is just a mornings activity, not even work just a byproduct of needing something to do. We know that the code of DNA can not write itself, no code can.

We know no such thing.

Equating DNA with computer code is a poor analogy

Nope computer code is base two 0/1 and DNA is base four adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), or thymine (T).

All they do is repeat to form the product

it's a little more complicated than that

I will not attribute ant process to a supreme being simply because I may not understand that process especially since I believe there is a real limit to what the human mind is capable of understanding

 

[alang1216]

I am hoping you are an intelligent person who has been indoctrinated to robotically accept whatever he hears from his assumed peers or superiors who can be intellectually honest when no one is looking over his shoulder.

I like to think I'm intelligent and honest but I'll let others be the judge. I think if I robotically accepted ideas I wouldn't be on USMB writing to someone so very different from me.

Intelligence and honestly are two separate attributes.
I never stated you weren’t intelligent, I stated you are intellectually dishonest because you keep referring to a text you never read as though you have read it.
In NYS, we call that being Full Of Shit.

What do you call it when someone keeps making assumptions that are just wrong? FYI, I've read almost the entire Bible, OT and NT.

 

[alang1216]

BTW, Christianity teaches religion is more important than family in Matthew 10:35, "For I have come to turn ‘A man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law".

How do you know that is what that means?

I have an entirely different understanding of what that means. Is it possible that your understanding was chosen to confirm your bias? Is there no other possible understanding which is less insulting than concluding that religion -,which isn’t even what Christ is discussing - should be placed above family? Because if you cannot think of one single positive explanation for what this means then how did you test your belief?

We all have our biases.

This is a sentiment Jesus repeats several times and in his apocolyptic view of the world it makes perfect sense. Since the end times were coming soon, family and material goods were unimportant. Everyone should give all their money to the poor, leave their family, and follow him.

 

[Indeependent]

I am hoping you are an intelligent person who has been indoctrinated to robotically accept whatever he hears from his assumed peers or superiors who can be intellectually honest when no one is looking over his shoulder.

I like to think I'm intelligent and honest but I'll let others be the judge. I think if I robotically accepted ideas I wouldn't be on USMB writing to someone so very different from me.

Intelligence and honestly are two separate attributes.
I never stated you weren’t intelligent, I stated you are intellectually dishonest because you keep referring to a text you never read as though you have read it.
In NYS, we call that being Full Of Shit.

What do you call it when someone keeps making assumptions that are just wrong? FYI, I've read almost the entire Bible, OT and NT.

You’ve read almost the entire Bible and yet didn’t get one verse correct concerning the Flood.
I sure hope you read your geology books with more concentration.
The more you defend yourself, the dumber you appear to be.

 

[Indeependent]

BTW, Christianity teaches religion is more important than family in Matthew 10:35, "For I have come to turn ‘A man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law".

How do you know that is what that means?

I have an entirely different understanding of what that means. Is it possible that your understanding was chosen to confirm your bias? Is there no other possible understanding which is less insulting than concluding that religion -,which isn’t even what Christ is discussing - should be placed above family? Because if you cannot think of one single positive explanation for what this means then how did you test your belief?

We all have our biases.

This is a sentiment Jesus repeats several times and in his apocolyptic view of the world it makes perfect sense. Since the end times were coming soon, family and material goods were unimportant. Everyone should give all their money to the poor, leave their family, and follow him.

Then the poor become materialistic and they have to give money to the prior wealthy.
The tactical of this is ludicrous.

 

[alang1216]

You’ve read almost the entire Bible and yet didn’t get one verse correct concerning the Flood.

Correct in your interpretation you mean or do you have a direct line to God? Why should I think your interpretation is any better than mine?

 

[alang1216]

Everyone should give all their money to the poor, leave their family, and follow him.

Then the poor become materialistic and they have to give money to the prior wealthy.
The tactical of this is ludicrous.

I don't follow...

 

[Indeependent]

You’ve read almost the entire Bible and yet didn’t get one verse correct concerning the Flood.

Correct in your interpretation you mean or do you have a direct line to God? Why should I think your interpretation is any better than mine?

How can anyone accept your interpretation when you were in direct conflict with the verses?
I hope you weren’t paid to make up the Weather reports.
You are really making a ass of yourself.
How about I interpret your statement about being a geologist to mean you were a landscaper?
How would you react?

 

[alang1216]

How can anyone accept your interpretation when you were in direct conflict with the verses?

Why don't you show me the 'direct conflicts' and stop wasting your time trying to insult me?