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I'm sorry to hear that. I didn't say anywhere in my post that everyone who ever got hit by a train didn't know it was coming.
No worries, Rob. I just thought it funny. You asked the question and I thought, "Hey, I've got the answer!" It was just a sick funny (funny in my head). Oh, and I'm pretty sure that we didn't know the train was coming...
But it also gets really old when you can't say something in here without people jumping all over your words like a swarm of disturbed bees. I mean, honestly - is it really necessary to post something like "I would suggest you reread your OP and reformulate the conclusion. (Sounds like a blatant contradiction, sprinkled with a bit of Pascal's Wager.)"...?? To me, that's an insult, and basically carries undertones of a challenge to what Dolfan believes to be the truth. I mean, for a group of people who aspire so much for Christians to accept what everyone else believes, why can't they do the same in return? So I was warning Dolfan that this is what he will face by posting his beliefs in here.
Oh...I almost forgot.....
Nope, not an insult WC. Just an observation.
Here's what seems to be contradictory:
It's not what you believe that's important, but what's true...I believe that Christianity is the truth. In fact, I am so convicted it is the truth...
The OP is telling me that belief is not important, and then tells me what he believes.
The OP asserts that belief and truth are distinct, which I agree with. I would then expect the truth to be demonstrated, not asserted as a product of belief. See the contradiction?
What follows from the ellipsis above reminds me of Pascal's Wager:
...that I am staking my eternal destiny on the claims of Christ and His way of salvation as found in John 3:16, Eph 2:8-9 etc. You may or may not share that same belief. If not I hope you will consider it, but that is really your decision. Just don't go into eternity without a clue as to what might happen.
Like Pascal's Wager, the OP assumes eternity as reality, and also like Pascal's Wager, the OP hints at a "bet," reward and punishment (...staking my eternal destiny...salvation...Just don't go...without a clue...) Also, the overall tone of the post seems to be a mild "fire and brimstone" witnessing (as another has mentioned). Again, Pascal's Wager.
I mean, if you love kids, see some kids on a rail road track and see that a train is coming, do you say "Kids get off the track!" or do you say "Hey, they can play wherever they want to play."
In the grand scheme (not the OP, necessarily), this analogy is flawed.
A more appropriate one would be two well-meaning boys attempting to help a little old lady cross the street. The problem is that the lady doesn't want to cross the street. Things then flare up when the boys tell the lady she'll die in hell if she doesn't cross. Still failing to convince, the boys attempt to enlist government in coercing the lady to cross the street.
ETA: After reading the assorted train analogies, I'd like to point out that it can be shown that trains exist and what happens to human flesh when it comes into contact with a speeding train. As soon as someone returns from the dead to tell us what to expect, then we can apply the train analogy meaningfully.
Ok, I'll give you that, but isn't that something akin to an atheist version of Pascal's Wager?
I mean, aren't we rolling dice on whether there is a train or there isn't?
There cannot be an atheist Pascal's Wager. That would require us to claim that by not betting on a non-existent craps game, we would win money, which is nonsensical.
There cannot be an atheist Pascal's Wager. That would require us to claim that by not betting on a non-existent craps game, we would win money, which is nonsensical.
June's told you, time and time again, "Don't count while walking on train tracks!!!!"
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