Mendalla
Happy headbanging ape!!
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
There are no rewards or punishments — only consequences. — W.R. Inge
I like that. Very much my view of things. Fits nicely with faiths that have a karmic understanding of things.
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There are no rewards or punishments — only consequences. — W.R. Inge
Speaking for myself, the question of whether I believe 'God' exists or not is futile.But when it comes down to the nitty gritty you all believe in an imagined being which in and by itself is dangerous.
you all believe in an imagined being
The forums have a section for social and political discussions called the Think Tank (mostly to keep them out of the other forums, I suspect). I rarely go in because it is mostly political BS that generates more heat than light but there is the odd philosophical or religious discussion that catches my interest.
You're conflating imagination with imaginary beings. Imagination is about creativity and the ability to look at things a different way. Imagination leads to art as much as it does to science. It is a very human trait.“Imagination is more important than knowledge.
For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand,
while imagination embraces the entire world,
and all there ever will be to know and understand.”
― Albert Einstein
I am under no delusion that I will change some people. I think the best I can do is have them serve as a warning for others. I think laughter at the expense of religion is important. You can see it in how it is more widely accepted now. People are a lot more at ease about laughing at faith than they were 20 years ago. Not saying anything is not the answer. Treating batshiat insane Christianity as something you're not allowed to criticize or make fun of works to the advantage of batshiat insane Christianity. We can't make them all jump on a plane (unless we tell them it will take them to Jesus - they may fall for it). We can expose their beliefs and have some fun at the same time. At least, that's my approach. I think it's a good one.That said, I do have some ideas on what may help.......
Just insulting someone's beliefs, and then expecting them to change, is unlikely to work. All that tends to do is increase your smugness and sense of superiority at their expense. We are all the products of our environment and hereditary - that is what we all have in common. People's views are more likely to change if they change their environmental factors.(The books I've read and the theologians I've met have changed my views on Christianity from orthodoxy to progressive -particularly process theology -Christianity.)
Change in environmental factors is what makes life interesting and the life journey more rewarding. I highly recommend it . Travel and experiencing different cultures and different folks with different points of view has enriched life's tapestry for me. And that's why, politically, I'm a democratic socialist, I just wish others had the same opportunities in life as I have had.
It's one facet, but pick your measuring stick. On the whole, we're not at rock bottom. To suggest we are is a slap in the face of history.Chansen said," one of the ways we know that we're not at our lowest, is that religious faith is in decline."
Does lowest mean a materialistic poverty to you?
The ethics of reciprocity.Your good is based upon what
Not likely as it is the ethics of reciprocity. Oh all moraity is subjective. Subjective morality is one rooted in human feelings and desires. These are the things that are most important to us, indeed the only things important to us! Objective morality is nonsensical.your own subjective morality which can change at your whim.
How so. Is it based on an unproven god, or that unproven gods morality, like yours.Shaky ground to be sure.
I fixed it for you.I imagine I follow God in the here and now, and my imaginary God blesses me in the here and now, as I so choosesit.
I fixed it for you again.I imagine I do good because I love God and believe my imagined God's way is best.
Yet you still believe in an imagined being and you want it to look favourably on you. Do you not?I'm a Christian -a follower of the way -and I do good because it's good. I have no idea what will happen to me when I'm dead beyond a shy hope of an afterlife. I don't believe in a controlling God who tells me what to do.
Is there really any other way to under stand literature. That is all Christianity is a book. I'm not out to win arguments, I fail more times than I can count. However, if stating facts, is classed as winning then I'm guilty.Perhaps you would benefit from asking yourself why is it that you only acknowledge a literal understanding of Christianity/Christians? Perhaps you have a need to win arguments and always be "right"?
Really? It could not possibly be due to the ethics of reciprocity. That it is the right thing to do simply for survival's sake, we are a social species. And even if you do get satisfaction from the deed. Is it really a reward, do the people you help reward you with life eternal. All they do is look at you favourably for a short time.[U]Pavlos Maros[/U] your quote -----I do good because it's good, not for any reward.
That is a False Statement ---you do good because you get a personal gratification from doing the good or you wouldn't be bothered to do the thing
Wow! I surprised that is the most sensible thing you have ever said.If you know a thing then you don’t need to believe it.
Not quite. You accept a thing without any actual knowledge of the thing. but you are getting there. There is hope for you yet.If you believe a thing it is because you are not sure that you know it.
As already said: "You're conflating imagination with imaginary beings." However, what I would like to know is why the interpolations.“Imagination is more important than knowledge.
For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand,
while imagination embraces the entire world,
and all there ever will be to know and understand.”
― Albert Einstein
I nearly fell of my chair laughing so much at this. Wow!
Pavlos Maros said:....Oh all moraity is subjective....
Pavlos Maros said:....I fixed it for you. I fixed it for you again.
No you imagine you have a god.Agreed that all human morality is subjective. Which is why we need something better. Thankfully, we have God's morality as revealed in God's Word.
I corrected your mistakes. Unless of course, you have proof of your god's existence, and that it is the author of morality. And not simply your imagination.Don't put words in my mouth.
I said what I wanted to say and want my words left as-is thanks. That you see some of them as "mistakes" doesn't give you license to change them.No you imagine you have a god.
I corrected your mistakes. Unless of course, you have proof of your god's existence, and that it is the author of morality. And not simply your imagination.
Ah! But it does, lest you misinform the vulnerable. And I don't see some of them as mistakes, they are obvious mistakes because you have no proof of what you are saying, so it can only be deemed as hearsay.I said what I wanted to say and want my words left as-is thanks. That you see some of them as "mistakes" doesn't give you license to change them.
No it doesn't. You're free to disagree with me, but it's disrespectful to try to twist my words. Since it seems you won't acknowledge that and do the honorable thing by apologizing, I'm out.Ah! But it does, lest you misinform the vulnerable. And I don't see some of them as mistakes, they are obvious mistakes because you have no proof of what you are saying, so it can only be deemed as hearsay.
There I fixed it for you.I imagine I corrected your mistakes
It is you that wants to include imaginary beings in this.You want to include imaginary beings in this. That's clearly not what Albert was going for. He wasn't referring to wishing a being into existence because you really want him to exist.
Prove it.However he never said " to all we now know and understand," and he never ever ended with. "and all there ever will be to know and understand" So why the interpolations.
Clearly quote mined..