What do you believe and why do you believe it?

[UnderGrace]

@Spectrox do you trust your brain?

In terms of brain evolution- evolution is to do with survival of the fittest or luckiest.

 

[Spectrox]

@Spectrox do you trust your brain?

Only up to a point. My brain makes images of the world which are useful representations of reality. But my brain can be tricked or come to the wrong conclusions. Which is why its important to have scientific verification of certain phenomena through independent supporting evidence.

Do you completely trust your brain? If not, how do you know that Biblical claims are true and that you have got the correct God?

 

[Spectrox]

@Spectrox do you trust your brain?

How is your logical argument going?

 

[posthuman]

Evolutionary processes give the illusion of design.

it follows that your own mind creates only the illusion of thought, but in reality is nothing more than random sequences of electrochemical waves in a puddle of mud.
it follows that what you call 'reason' and 'logic' are nothing more than the illusion of these.
it follows that your perception of 'self' is only an illusion of self.

it follows that you don't exist, and the temporary deception of 'life' you think you have is nothing more than vain psychosis.

 

[posthuman]

Faith can never be a reliable pathway to truth.

seeing that everything in the temporary facsimile of psychosis you call your own mind is nothing more than the illusion of organized & designed thought, you don't have any option other than 'faith' yourself, the difference here being, you put your trust in what you 'know' has no basis to be trusted - yourself, which doesn't even exist, but only has the deceptive appearance of existing for a brief time before it's revealed as non existence, and only has the appearance of cognizance, and only the illusion of coherence. your trust is in a random sequence of electrically charged dirt which has been shaped by aeons of stochastic random collisions to favor whatever increases its likelihood of mating.

*shrug*

you think you're smart, tho, right? of course you do. evolutionary pressure on the sparks in your mud-sack skull wants you to not accept your own insanity. it's disadvantageous from an evolutionary perspective for you to understand or accept the truth about the reality you believe.

 

[posthuman]

scientific verification of certain

the entire basis of science is the presupposition that the universe is an orderly, self-similar and epistemologically consistent thing pervaded by the ubiquity of law.
this presupposition has as its basis the belief -- the faith -- that the universe is a created thing designed by an intelligent & noble Creator who does not lie.

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities -- His eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. ​

(Romans 1:20) ​

​

such faith is the underpinning of Newton's Principia. without it, there is no guarantee - and no reason to believe at all - that science is a remotely tenable pursuit.

 

[posthuman]

What does that even mean? My mother gave birth to me.

'you are the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?'​

 

[Spectrox]

it follows that your own mind creates only the illusion of thought, but in reality is nothing more than random sequences of electrochemical waves in a puddle of mud.
it follows that what you call 'reason' and 'logic' are nothing more than the illusion of these.
it follows that your perception of 'self' is only an illusion of self.

it follows that you don't exist, and the temporary deception of 'life' you think you have is nothing more than vain psychosis.

None of what you said rationally follows. Are you saying we cannot know anything at all?! You haven't even attempted to answer my questions from my last post. All you have done is dump your usual bizarre stream of consciousness onto this thread which feels to me like you have just vomited all over the page.

 

[Spectrox]

Your reply to stonesoffire here tells me you are incapable of understanding Matt 16.

As far as your statement that Matt 16 "just feels like an outright error" ... consider the other two issues which have now been cleared up. These were two relatively simple matters. Yet, all you want to do is "prove a clear contradiction or inconsistency" when it comes to Scripture. What is it about Scripture that makes you "feel" that there is "outright error" or that you have to "prove" contradiction/inconsistency?

God is holding out His Hands to you, calling you to join Him and you resist. You can let go of your resistance to Him. You will find that He is able to provide understanding concerning Scripture. Maybe not on your time frame because first milk then meat. But He will give understanding. The blindness which engulfs the mind is removed as we turn our hearts to the Lord. I know that sounds like foolishness to you, but I am speaking truth to you. Do not harden your heart to truth. Think about it ... ponder it ... don't just automatically reject it in obstinate stubbornness.

Why do you feel the need to evade answering a reasonable question about Matthew 16? I don't buy this "milk then meat" evasion. It's profoundly patronising. What you seem to be saying is I have just got to believe and accept what the Bible says and it will start to become clearer. Well in 1994 I was in that position. I had faith in the Lord. What better time for the Lord to answer doubts I had at that time? But instead there was a deafening silence. Apart from Christians telling me that Matthew 16 was referring to the Transfiguration which it clearly isn't if you read it in context. So what does "born from above" actually mean? I suspect it is yet more word salad.

 

[Spectrox]

the entire basis of science is the presupposition that the universe is an orderly, self-similar and epistemologically consistent thing pervaded by the ubiquity of law.
this presupposition has as its basis the belief -- the faith -- that the universe is a created thing designed by an intelligent & noble Creator who does not lie.

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities -- His eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. ​

(Romans 1:20) ​

​

such faith is the underpinning of Newton's Principia. without it, there is no guarantee - and no reason to believe at all - that science is a remotely tenable pursuit.

I wondered when we would get to that old chestnut Romans 1 about "being without excuse." I don't have excuses for disbelief. I have good reasons. If your God had any intelligence at all he would understand that. And if I don't know the answer I admit it. Unlike Christians who seem to jump on the bandwagon that the Bible has a coherent answer to all problems in philosophy. It really doesn't.

 

[posthuman]

Dear child, you are essentially here claiming to be a temporary non-entity comprised of random partical collisions having a psychotic delusion of selfhood without any rational basis to be trusted in anything you say, purportedly carrying the message that we are likewise mere illusionary emergent properties of utter randomness with no ultimate basis for coherence apart from replication of our deluded nothingness. As tho it's some kind of freedom.

You are the one with the 'extraordinary claim' and you are too stupid to even recognize what your own argument is.

 

[UnderGrace]

@Spectrox do you trust your brain?

We are about to embark on it.

 

[posthuman]

any intelligence at all

Prove you exist.

 

[UnderGrace]

Only up to a point. My brain makes images of the world which are useful representations of reality. But my brain can be tricked or come to the wrong conclusions. Which is why its important to have scientific verification of certain phenomena through independent supporting evidence.

Do you completely trust your brain? If not, how do you know that Biblical claims are true and that you have got the correct God?

So for the most part I would say you do trust your brain, .... you trust the visual processing, motor planning ..... how your brain processes information from the world around you etc..

That is good... common ground

 

[posthuman]

So for the most part I would say you do trust your brain, .... you trust the visual processing, motor planning ..... how your brain processes information from the world around you etc..

That is good... common ground

With his worldview tho, the only reason he can trust his brain is pragmatism, because the alternative - which would be more honest to his axioms, is to fully embrace the nihilistic madness that is the inescapable conclusion of that worldview.

 

[UnderGrace]

With his worldview tho, the only reason he can trust his brain is pragmatism, because the alternative - which would be more honest to his axioms, is to fully embrace the nihilistic madness that is the inescapable conclusion of that worldview.

We will see if he can present a rational argument

 

[DeighAnn]

Hello and welcome and I have to tell you the truth, your in it now,
What if God had blinded you to the truth for your own protection? Now, what are you going to do? You have gone and made yourself responsible for all the truth you have been given. That's just great. So you now have a choice. Better choose wisely. You get to work it out here or you will work it out there. God loves and wants your love. Doesn't need it. I would study those instructions now because it is so much better to get it now as opposed to later. (ask the rich man)

Every knee shall bow. That means yours, too. Belief or no belief, still no choice. You will receive your answer, even without faith. God created all souls and we all belong to Him, so you don't have to believe it now, but guaranteed, you will. You wont be asking "if" there is a God soon

You know God is real. You know this isn't some big huge "perfect" accident. It is just mathematically impossible for the Bible NOT to be written by God. To like the billionth degree. You don't think all those EX atheists with all those computers at their finger tips didn't try to disprove it yet did you? It hasn't been done because it can't be. Those who set out to "prove" The Word is not real, always become believers.

Another way. The date. If there were any other Gods it would not be used the world over.

God makes promises. Seek, and ye shall find, I did. And He did exactly as He promised.

 

[PERFECTION]

Only up to a point. My brain makes images of the world which are useful representations of reality. But my brain can be tricked or come to the wrong conclusions. Which is why its important to have scientific verification of certain phenomena through independent supporting evidence.

Do you completely trust your brain? If not, how do you know that Biblical claims are true and that you have got the correct God?

To all ,especially young christians, who follow this thread . Be ware of wolfs in sheeps clothing.
To you Spectrox: Find yourself a different play ground. One where your brain belongs. The kingdom of God is far beyond you.

 

[CherieR]

I believe that Jesus is Lord and that he came to save the world. I believe he also came for me. I believe Jesus died on the cross and physically rose again on the third day.
I believe that one day he will come again to this world and one day God will make everything right again. One day God will make a new heaven and earth. There will no longer be injustice, violence, and wars. Instead there will be love, joy and peace.

I believe in the existence of both heaven and hell. I believe heaven is more beautiful than this world. I believe Jesus is the only way to heaven.

Reading through Psalm 22, it foretells the crucifixion so well it is as if David was watching it happen. There are plently of other messianic prophecies. There were people who not only died for their faith in Jesus Christ, but who rejoiced in sufferings and also stated they saw the Lord Jesus after his resurrection and would not renounce faith in him. Peter who had once denied the ever knew Jesus three times, after Jesus resurrection, he was bold in proclaiming Jesus in the face of persecution.

 

[PERFECTION]

I originally posted this message in the New Member Intro section but a member said I should post it here. So here goes...

Colloquially speaking I am an agnostic as I don't know whether or not a god exists. Technically I am an atheist as I don't believe any god claim I have heard. Although I used to be a Christian. I was brought up in the Church of England but properly self-identified as a Christian in my twenties and believed I was saved. I had my doubts after several months as a result of speaking to atheists and ex-Christians. Some things in the Bible stopped making sense to me. Some of the Bible was immoral, some of it was inconsistent and some of it was not credible. I prayed for answers but no answers came. I now consider myself to be an ex-Christian. Every so often I like to challenge my beliefs as I think it is healthy. In that spirit I would like to ask all Christians here what do you believe and why do you believe it?

What I know is that you NEVER enjoyed any relationship with God. However do not disappear God his still waiting and knocking.

Meanwhile you should stop spilling your thoughts on a Christian chat program about what or who you are what you believe.

Go to your closet and settle this issue between you and God. Meanwhile spare everyone else the misery you choose to wonder in because you continually reject His council.