I need help. I cannot understand this....... (bible, believers, heaven)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Where's the prohibition of rape, slavery, torture, or genocide in the Ten Commandments? If someone was concerned about people's behaviors, why would these not be included. They sound more like commandments to ensure God's taste for narcissism is satisfied than any moral code. What's morally wrong with coveting anything of anyone's? What's wrong with making graven images? These are the result of artistic talent, to be revered.
Evidence continues to mount against your claims and assertions. Maybe it's time to reevaluate them. You still haven't answered many of my questions, as is typical from someone making the claims that you are making. You are right about one thing, one's intellect would lead one to disbelieve what you are claiming.
Education should always be geared to the capabilities of the students. Our primitive ancestors during the OT were savage and untamed barbarians . . . more animal than human. They soght to maximize their pleasure and minimize their pain. They applied their mental abilities to doing just that. They became truly superior animals. Only fear was a strong enough motivator to alter their self-centeredness. Fear of God was the motivator during the schoolmaster stage of our species' evolution of self-control over our baser urges. By the time of Christ . . . "the fields were ripe for harvest" as Christ said. Our species had developed the self-control over our baser urges . . . but the motive had to be changed to "Love of God and each other."
Education should always be geared to the capabilities of the students. Our primitive ancestors during the OT were savage and untamed barbarians . . . more animal than human. They soght to maximize their pleasure and minimize their pain. They applied their mental abilities to doing just that. They became truly superior animals. Only fear was a strong enough motivator to alter their self-centeredness. Fear of God was the motivator during the schoolmaster stage of our species' evolution of self-control over our baser urges. By the time of Christ . . . "the fields were ripe for harvest" as Christ said. Our species had developed the self-control over our baser urges . . . but the motive had to be changed to "Love of God and each other."
In materialism, since sin is not found to be detrimental due to the fact that the standard of non-detrimental as set by spiritual practice is unacknowledged, the prohibition of sin and the enforcement thereof are unjustifiable, tortuous, barbaric.
In spiritual practice where the costs of sin are tallied, murder comes through sin, slavery is in the bonds that tie us to the earth, torture is exacted by the prolonged ravages of sin. Those are the things that do any kind of meaningful or significant damage and they were and are being addressed in theism.
You sound like you belong to a cult. What is the name of this cult to which you prescribe?
As to the OP, believers have numerous benefits
1) Peace of mind
2) Comfort
3) Spiritual Relationship
4) Guidance
etc
etc
1,2, and 4 can be achieved in a myriad of ways, other than a belief in a mystical being. "Spiritual Relationship" isn't really definable and not always desirable.
1,2, and 4 can be achieved in a myriad of ways, other than a belief in a mystical being. "Spiritual Relationship" isn't really definable and not always desirable.
Your point?
OP asked for the benefits and I gave them.
When talking about the possibility of an afterlife, how else would one get a piece of mind?
Spiritual Relationship CAN be desirable and thus a benefit.
Education should always be geared to the capabilities of the students. Our primitive ancestors during the OT were savage and untamed barbarians . . . more animal than human. They soght to maximize their pleasure and minimize their pain. They applied their mental abilities to doing just that. They became truly superior animals. Only fear was a strong enough motivator to alter their self-centeredness. Fear of God was the motivator during the schoolmaster stage of our species' evolution of self-control over our baser urges. By the time of Christ . . . "the fields were ripe for harvest" as Christ said. Our species had developed the self-control over our baser urges . . . but the motive had to be changed to "Love of God and each other."
Quote:
Originally Posted by overcastg4
In materialism, since sin is not found to be detrimental due to the fact that the standard of non-detrimental as set by spiritual practice is unacknowledged, the prohibition of sin and the enforcement thereof are unjustifiable, tortuous, barbaric.
In spiritual practice where the costs of sin are tallied, murder comes through sin, slavery is in the bonds that tie us to the earth, torture is exacted by the prolonged ravages of sin. Those are the things that do any kind of meaningful or significant damage and they were and are being addressed in theism.
Materialism or theism are quite beside the point because all sin and negative societal outcomes are the result of a lack of agape love, period. If everyone universally acted with agape love for one another . . . there would be no sin and no crime.
Education should always be geared to the capabilities of the students. Our primitive ancestors during the OT were savage and untamed barbarians . . . more animal than human. They soght to maximize their pleasure and minimize their pain. They applied their mental abilities to doing just that. They became truly superior animals. Only fear was a strong enough motivator to alter their self-centeredness. Fear of God was the motivator during the schoolmaster stage of our species' evolution of self-control over our baser urges. By the time of Christ . . . "the fields were ripe for harvest" as Christ said. Our species had developed the self-control over our baser urges . . . but the motive had to be changed to "Love of God and each other."
I'm sorry, but this is one of the biggest cop-out's I hear from Christians. The people in the OT were not savage and untamed barbarians. They were quite intelligent and had made many scientific discoveries.
Just some examples are Papyrus as early as 3000 BC, Using animal bones and later carving sophisticated ploughing instruments, the use of silk and silk weaving, sundials, hourglasses, blowing glass, Navigation on the sea using the stars, Distillation of sea water to obtain drinking water, the pulley, etc. These are not savages but highly sophisticated people wigh highly sophisticated knowledge of engineering, math (Pythagoras), science including the first idea of materials made of atoms.
I could go on and on. Saying that the people of this era could not understand a commandment as simple as "Everyone of my children is equal, no man shall own another as property" or the golden rule of treating other as you wish yourself to be treated is ridiculous.
When talking about the possibility of an afterlife, how else would one get a piece of mind?
Well, you could let yourself be turned into a zombie ... then you could feast on brains. You'll get a piece of mind that way.
Or, a less painful (and permanent) way of getting a piece of mind is to anger someone. Because then I'm sure the person you angered will give you "a piece of his mind."
Or, you could hang around a hospital and wait for a brain surgery to be completed. I bet there are some "left-overs" from the operation that the doctors might let you have ...
I'm sure you're creative enough to find even more ways.
In theism, theism is the only valid option for information. In materialism, materialism is the only valid option for information. When asked by materialism for objective, independent, valid evidence, you're being asked for evidence through materialism. But independent, objective, valid are assigned to theism in theism, so there may be some confusion.
Or in other words... spiritual things cannot be understood with a material mind. Ya gotta become spiritual, which ain't all that difficult to do.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
