The Pope had no answer...do you?

[GuessWho]

I don't think its anything deep rooted. If someone said they believed that fairies were living in their bathroom and said they spoke to them daily then they would de deemed as deluded. However if someone says they speak to a god daily then they are just a christian. I don't see why one should be given special status over the other. Its not deep rooted anger or self defence. Its just dismissal of the absurd. That's pretty much how Everyone I know regards religion.

The bold part confirms what Hizikyah was saying: that modern atheists are very shallow and ignorant in respect of what christianity is. For instance, for almost all atheists God is easily replaceable (in their arguments and examples) with Santa Clause, Bigfoot, Tooth-fairy etc.

At first I thought atheists do this out of mockery and disrespect. But this clichee about Santa Clause keeps on coming over and over and I begin to suspect that most atheists do actually put God on the same ontologic level with Santa Clause. As if the existence or non-existence of Santa Clause, Bigfoot, Tooth-fairy, Spiderman etc. would have the exact same impact on human life (and meaning of life), on cosmos (and its purpose) etc. as the existence or non-existence of God.

 

[ColinCat]

The bold part confirms what Hizikyah was saying: that modern atheists are very shallow and ignorant in respect of what christianity is. For instance, for almost all atheists God is easily replaceable (in their arguments and examples) with Santa Clause, Bigfoot, Tooth-fairy etc.

At first I thought atheists do this out of mockery and disrespect. But this clichee about Santa Clause keeps on coming over and over and I begin to suspect that most atheists do actually put God on the same ontologic level with Santa Clause. As if the existence or non-existence of Santa Clause, Bigfoot, Tooth-fairy, Spiderman etc. would have the exact same impact on human life (and meaning of life), on cosmos (and its purpose) etc. as the existence or non-existence of God.

Yeah to atheists god is in the same category as the other fantasy figures you mentioned. And your right, its not mock or ridicule. Because to me they are all mythical figures and the god character doesn't have any higher standing than any other imaginary figure.

Some theists have trouble grasping that. A lot of theists think I know god exists but I'm just in denial so I can sin. Where as my life is probably exactly the same as any theist. I get up, send the kids to school, go to work, come home, do some chores, play with the kids.. Eat, sleep repeat. The only difference is I don't believe in a god. And not knowing how we got here has no impact on my life whatsoever, I've still got bills to pay lol.

Doesn't mean I don't think the world is a less beautiful or fascinating. To quote someone I can't remember... "I also think the garden is beautiful, I just don't believe there are fairies living at the bottom of it"

 

[Dan_473]

Not everyone needs to be so devoted to their belief system to find joy.

Well, as I said before, If your life has lots of joy in it, then keep going on the same track...

 

[Dan_473]

Dan, I get the feeling that you think atheists know its true but will do their best to try and deny it, am I right?


And the bible confirms people will say its false?


Well I can fly, and be warned.. people will try and deny this, and prove these words to be true!!


That doesn't mean I can fly.

No, I don't think "atheists know its true but will do their best to try and deny it." I do think that when we talk about beliefs and faith, nobody 'knows' they are true...

 

[GuessWho]

Yeah to atheists god is in the same category as the other fantasy figures you mentioned. And your right, its not mock or ridicule. Because to me they are all mythical figures and the god character doesn't have any higher standing than any other imaginary figure.

Some theists have trouble grasping that.

Theists don't have to grasp that. That's the idea. No educated person has to grasp the ignorance and the poor understanding of some atheists regarding God.

A lot of theists think I know god exists but I'm just in denial so I can sin. Where as my life is probably exactly the same as any theist. I get up, send the kids to school, go to work, come home, do some chores, play with the kids.. Eat, sleep repeat. The only difference is I don't believe in a god. And not knowing how we got here has no impact on my life whatsoever, I've still got bills to pay lol.

I don't think you're in denial so you can sin. I think that you don't put the question of God in the right way. You reject/deny an idea that you have of God.

Doesn't mean I don't think the world is a less beautiful or fascinating. To quote someone I can't remember... "I also think the garden is beautiful, I just don't believe there are fairies living at the bottom of it"

For christians it doesn't mean either that there are fairies living at the bottom of it. Christians admire the garden and go further with the questions. Human beings have the capacity to think themselves (I don't know if you understand what I mean by "thinking yourself"). Thinking yourself doesn't pay your bills this is why for some people it might seem like a waste of time. I got very shocked when I heard an atheist saying that the questions such as "who I am?", "why am I here?", "where do I come from?", "what is the meaning and purpose of this life?", "what is death?", "what is life?" are unnecessary questions. He said that the religions and philosophies started from the very beginning with unnecessary questions. It left me speechless. This man is a scientist and he said that the necessary questions are those starting with "how?", not with "why?". That man will never understand me and I will never understand him.

 

[Viligant_Warrior]

Are you feeding the hungry? Clothing the poor? Comforting the homeless? Giving water to the thirsty? And visiting the sick and imprisoned?

Yes, I am. Are you?

Or are you advocating cynicism? Advocating pessimism?

Nope. I'm calling a spade a spade. If you're going to read my posts, get used to it.

By the way, Pope Francis is doing those things.

He used to. When he was a simple parish priest. But then again, he was under a heavily Marxist influence then, and it obviously rubbed off on him. And now he has no time to do it himself. He make a great show of living simply and refusing the papal apartment. But he has abandoned God's word to step into the Shoes of the Fisherman, who was neither Catholic nor a pope, despite Rome claiming him as both. Peter fed Jesus' sheep -- he also gave them food and water. Do you know the difference?

Francis and most before him have abandoned the Gospel in favor of a social contract. It is an epic fail, and makes me eternally grateful I am of a different denomination than he.

 

[notuptome]

Why expect anything else? If we create unreasonable expectations are we really surprised when things don't pan like we had hoped?

For the cause of Christ
Roger

 

[nogard]

Well, as I said before, If your life has lots of joy in it, then keep going on the same track...

I'm glad you care about my well being, don't get me wrong, but whether or not I have joy in my life would not change what is true, or at least what I perceive to be true.

 

[Dan_473]

I'm glad you care about my well being, don't get me wrong, but whether or not I have joy in my life would not change what is true, or at least what I perceive to be true.

right, and we spend our time searching for truth and doing other things... what I'm saying is that if a person has lots of joy, then they're on the right track and don't need to keep spending time rechecking the truth or how they perceive it.