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If they believe the Bible is the indisputable "word of God", then they're probably going to have a hard time imagining that anyone would disagree with them.
Exactly - in fact its been demonstrated already here in this thread, by more than one person.
I don't think people are born non-believers , to say they are non-believers means they already made a choice not to believe. I think people are born more with a open slate.
In my opinion you may even not read the bible and not go to church but if you live your life well and caring with love in your soul you may still be in good grace whether you realize it or not, but that's my opinion.
The holy book is a battery charger, it charges you when you need guidance. We all need that sometimes, and for some they find it in the bible which does have a lot of wisdom and passages that make you reflect inner. It might have stories, poems, and somewhat abstract ways about it , but they all go to trying to show wisdom in and for life even if sometimes the way it is delivered might not make sense if you try to interpret it literally.
In my opinion, the path to finding what is really at the heart of what is written in it is for you, to take between yourself and the words. I am not saying don't listen to other people's point of view on it, but don't let other people tell you what it means or says, that will only lead you away from the personal nature of it that it was intended to be, in my opinion....
Anyway on a lighter note I always loved this song. Watched dawn of the dead again the other night and the song is in the movie.
First, I'd reccommend the Blank Slate by Steven Pinker. Great book about what we are actually born with. Secondly, children are not born with a belief in any god which means they are non believers in gods at birth, period. If they haven't made the choice to be a believer, they're in fact a non believer, be it an agnostic or atheist. Theistic beliefs are taught/learned.
Really, the rest of your post is just a bunch a wishful thinking and woo-woo. Sounds groovy but doesn't have much substance or meaning. You're basically saying excatly what xians already do, and that's interpret/cherrypick the bible in any way that makes them feel better. I guess that's fine but it doesn't make any of it true which can be a problem when your interpretation does not coincide with reality. I'd rather believe in true things even if they are uncomfortable. It actually makes life less complicated.
First, I'd reccommend the Blank Slate by Steven Pinker. Great book about what we are actually born with. Secondly, children are not born with a belief in any god which means they are non believers in gods at birth, period. If they haven't made the choice to be a believer, they're in fact a non believer, be it an agnostic or atheist. Theistic beliefs are taught/learned.
Really, the rest of your post is just a bunch a wishful thinking and woo-woo. Sounds groovy but doesn't have much substance or meaning. You're basically saying excatly what xians already do, and that's interpret/cherrypick the bible in any way that makes them feel better. I guess that's fine but it doesn't make any of it true which can be a problem when your interpretation does not coincide with reality. I'd rather believe in true things even if they are uncomfortable. It actually makes life less complicated.
I disagree. You are dwelling on theistic beliefs as you put it. That somehow because someone claims they believe or that they identify themselves to a church that makes them in good grace. You seem to identify the bible to religion, religion (religions) that people have twisted and turned.
Cherry pick? Maybe. If that's what you get from it. Reality? Who's reality? Tell me that someone who was down in the dumps in life, who then opened their mind and more important humbled themself to look into the scriptures written in it and came away with a experience that bettered their life, seems to me that is pretty real for them isn't it? So if that is the case, maybe it isn't all without substance and meaning after all?
I know some of you are put off by bible thumpers, so am I. But some of you act like a teen in rebellion who can't or won't admit that maybe......maybe what is written in it might have some wisdom after all. But so it goes.
I disagree. You are dwelling on theistic beliefs as you put it. That somehow because someone claims they believe or that they identify themselves to a church that makes them in good grace. You seem to identify the bible to religion, religion (religions) that people have twisted and turned.
Cherry pick? Maybe. If that's what you get from it. Reality? Who's reality? Tell me that someone who was down in the dumps in life, who then opened their mind and more important humbled themself to look into the scriptures written in it and came away with a experience that bettered their life, seems to me that is pretty real for them isn't it? So if that is the case, maybe it isn't all without substance and meaning after all?
I know some of you are put off by bible thumpers, so am I. But some of you act like a teen in rebellion who can't or won't admit that maybe......maybe what is written in it might have some wisdom after all. But so it goes.
I have no idea what you mean by "good grace"..Can a delusion be reality to an individual? Yes, a real delusion. It is cherrypicking, people somehow miss the misogny, violence, incest etc when crafting nice pretty stories like yours. What wisdom is there in the bible really? If you can claim there's wisdom in the bible, then there's wisdom in every holy book and every book ever written for that matter. Why pay any special attention to the bible? Why lend it any more authority than Harry Potter? I've said this over and over, religion has mastered the art of taking credit for everything positive and never accepting blame for anything negative.
So it's rebellious to speak honestly about religion but cool to write pretty little cherrypicked anecdotes about how great it is? Please.
OP: How do you know that they are expecting people to automatically agree with them?
Maybe you are prejudging them and assuming things because of your views about it? Not everyone is out to say things and just expect people to accept them.
It's just kind of weird to assume what people are expecting others to do.
God is a God of mercy and love but also a God of wisdom. He created all of us and he gave everyone a free will. It was the choice of free will that Cain slew Abel out of jealousy. It was in Cains heart . His choice. God can see the heart and knows all. It grieves God that man has fallen and has made a way to know God as once Adam walked with God sinless.
God destroyed the earth because it had become so wicked and evil.
Faith in God makes us believers in him. Without faith one cannot know God . God created everything and we are here because of being created by him. You rail at God and laugh at him. God is not mocked. God's wisdom and mercy can open your mind up to his love and give you spiritual eyes to see him as he is.
Ok, so 'God' wears two hats. Love and wisdom. Don't see the 'love' yet, but for now will go with the 'wisdom'. Time and space and fate created us. Trial and failure and success. But 'we' were created. 'God' believes he's so omnificent that he controlled it. He thinks he can see all too. Okay, maybe he's highly psychic and reads minds. Cain slew Able. 'God' got mad at Cain for making what he called a bad decision. So all the rest, *besides* Cain and Able have to pay for it?????? Arrainge Cain to slip on a rock. This total die off sounds like the humans which this 'God' seems to think he's more omniscent and wiser than. So instead, he goes and brings a 'God' sized atrocity. And he thinks he can because he's this 'God' and their just puny, valueless 'humans (feel free to substitue other words)' and its his *right* via better guns to just go wipe them out.
So this 'God' is a dissapointed psychopath. His toys were granted wisdome and didn't do as he told so he eliminated them. This would call into question the validity of the 'wisdom' claim since he threw a hissy fit and acted like a mad little boy.
So if the nextgen have 'faith' they can 'know' him. What do they know, that he didn't get his way and did mass murder? So maybe its a little better to behave? Spread the word so others behave? Since the one with this 'faith' probably go if he gets sufficently ticked off again. But the love, now cult leaders among puny humans often have their followers 'love' them, even if it leads to drinking spiked coolaide. If they can figure that out, and how it keeps them from noticing other anomolies, why not him?
Some space dust which gathered into a planet, and raining space junk with water molicules, and other celestual happenings led to us and our planet and all the rest of the lifeforms. But he's good with flipping words. He is really really old, but was around somewhere or how then, so in his self serving mind he *created* all. Add that to the 'love' part and we have an omnipitant bully. We don't 'mock' him but those in the know get that he might go off like the mad two year old he is and, well...
The puny human who thinks some being who thinks its okay to control your life, by threats along with his 'love' surrenders that 'free will' and buys the way the dogs dance and the ponies prance as real. And the old spoiled psychopathich child puts on the Wizard of Oz costume for his audience. And is just scary enough not to make that 'love' slip and keep the slave mentality intact. But he's got all the right lights and mirrors so that the dogs and the ponies keep dancing.
The Bible is a story - a great one at that - but a story nonetheless.
So is the Torrah and the Quran. If you're offended, then oh well. I'm not disrespecting the religious text of choice; however, I am stating what they and every other piece of religious book is - stories suited for that particular religion. Yes they have very special meanings for everyone, but they're just expounded versions of Aesop Fables.
Powerful books and words, but when looked at for what it is - a collection of stories and moral messages - it's just that, a story. Nothing special.
Quote the bible all you want - you'll be quoting your favorite story
one first must be Born of the Spirit of God to understand the word of God. If one believes in God and receives the Holy Spirit though Jesus they have spiritual eyes to see what the word of God means.. Words are spirit and without the spirit of the Living God one cannot understand it. It is foolishness to them. One must believe in God in order to discern what the words are saying and this is faith being exercised.
So "profound" statements like this are supposed to shock or amaze people enough that they will want to adhere to your beliefs? At no point is anything you said in this post actually based on tangible evidence. That's the problem with religion; it asks its followers to blindly follow a path but offer nothing to support it. Cults all over the world have accomplished a vast number of atrocities using the very mechanism of which you speak. What better way than asking someone to believe in something for which there is no proof in order to manipulate large numbers of people to further an agenda?
I have no idea what you mean by "good grace"..Can a delusion be reality to an individual? Yes, a real delusion. It is cherrypicking, people somehow miss the misogny, violence, incest etc when crafting nice pretty stories like yours. What wisdom is there in the bible really? If you can claim there's wisdom in the bible, then there's wisdom in every holy book and every book ever written for that matter. Why pay any special attention to the bible? Why lend it any more authority than Harry Potter? I've said this over and over, religion has mastered the art of taking credit for everything positive and never accepting blame for anything negative.
So it's rebellious to speak honestly about religion but cool to write pretty little cherrypicked anecdotes about how great it is? Please.
You are being rediculous comparing the holy bible to a Harry Potter book. If you wonder if there is any wisdom in the the bible, check it out particularly the new testament.
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