hmm...and mocking deep felt beliefs is preferable to my up front honesty? I detect a hint of hypocrisy... I could have approached this whole exchange of ideas in a more deliberate, nuanced way. Hiding the core of my beliefs and motivation for writing, only to reveal them later to the outrage that I am currently subjected to, or just put it out there now so we can move on.
Also the accusation that I'm just going to badger you with Scripture is a little overstated. yes I did include one reference, not to prove a point in my arguement, but rather to illustrate it. I am attempting to deal with ideas, and arguments, using philosophy and experience. I think that there will be times I use Scripture to defend my position because it makes up a part of my experience.
As for the whole Bible "it has been picked over and changed to suit the purpose of the early Popes"
It shows you have bought into a common perception that is not what the scholarship of today would uphold. You can argue some other things about the validity of the books in the canon, but to argue that what we have has been changed is a challenge that has been given up long ago. Consult Bruce Metzger, generally recognized as the authority on Textual Criticism (a former Prof at Princeton University)
John76
The whole kid thing makes some sense. yeah I wish my kid would clean his room (and mine while he is at it.) But I think part of the issue is we as parents guide our children, we teach them to clean their rooms. We help them see good versus evil. without any God, I don't think we would understand that reality. (This can be a whole different thread if we want to go the whole morality in a completely materialist worldview thing)
So again if my Son is cleaning his room, but I really want him and expect him to be doing his homework I'm not gonna be pleased at all. In the same way I think God communicated his plan to us. and we generally try to do what we want to do or think is best. We'd rather do our own thing than listen to what anyone has to tell us, be they our parents or creator.
debdodd. THanks for dealing with the arguements, and not just taking cheap shots at my beleifs. Also with regard to shouting I hope you see two parts to my previous post.
1) the upfront honesty that you felt was shouting. I honestly did it to be transparent. To put my intentions and motivation out there from the beginning. Seeing as I came across arrogantly and loudly, I apologize.
2) I was trying to put together a reasoned explanation of the way I see the world, how do I make sense of the fact that "good" people do "bad" things, how are we so like each other and yet some of us get so screwed up we cause a lot of pain to a lot of people and others only cause a little bit of pain to a few people.
I think Christianity provides the best solution to why that is and what can be (or has been) done about it
Finally, I can't force you to believe anything. I could force you maybe to say something or admit something, but I wouldn't because you only really believe what you will believe. Jesus said that if we confess with our mouth and believe in our heart that Jesus is Lord you will be saved. (1 John 1:9) (Again only an illustration of the point) If I try to force you to anything it won't accomplish anything so rather than force, I must reason with you all. So please, continue to reason with me. And I will seek to give you the same respect.
Thanks |