Conservatives were right

[xr7g428]

If I have to beg God to take care of those in need then he's not a God I want to pray to. Perhaps you believe that God needs a pep talk, a motivational poster from his followers, I don't. If he can't do it on his own without a halftime speech from me then he's just an asshole.

 

I prayed that God would do something about those children dying slow painful deaths from starvation, he didn't. I prayed that he'd do something about the children dying in the wars of grown men, he didn't. So I didn't do something too, namely pray anymore.

 

Children die and this is what you say? This is one of the most revealing posts you have ever made. You are like an angry child. Your sense of entitlement knows no bounds. You deny the existence of God based on his lack of obedience to your whims. This is all profoundly sad, but you would be incapable of understanding that. Your sense of self-importance eclipses everything. The one lesson from the tragedy in Oklahoma that you should be able to grasp is that we are all insignificant in the face of nature.

[Langston Hughes]

Children die and this is what you say? This is one of the most revealing posts you have ever made. You are like an angry child. Your sense of entitlement knows no bounds. You deny the existence of God based on his lack of obedience to your whims. This is all profoundly sad, but you would be incapable of understanding that. Your sense of self-importance eclipses everything.

 

You missed the irony of what you said. I deny God precisely because children die.

 

You get mad at me when children die and I don't want to beg your God to do something. Why aren't you mad at God?

 

Go home and pray every night that God doesn't let one more kid die of hunger. When they do, come back here and explain to me why he didn't answer your prayers.

 

 

The one lesson from the tragedy in Oklahoma that you should be able to grasp is that we are all insignificant in the face of nature.

 

That has nothing to do with God.

[BlackHorse]

You missed the irony of what you said. I deny God precisely because children die.

 

You get mad at me when children die and I don't want to beg your God to do something. Why aren't you mad at God?

 

Go home and pray every night that God doesn't let one more kid die of hunger. When they do, come back here and explain to me why he didn't answer your prayers.

 

 

 

That has nothing to do with God.

 

 

Two things.

 

1. Sometimes bad things are going to happen in life. You will never learn and grow as a person if life is always easy and nothing bad or tragic ever happens. That is just a reality of the human existence. So weather or not a child dies or some 20 year old kid with their whole adult life in front of them or someone who has lived a long a full life, it's all equally traumatic and its all a part of life.

 

2. Just because we pray to God does not always mean that the answer is yes or that he'll give us what we want. That's the thinking of a spoiled child.

Edited May 28, 2013 by BlackHorse

[FiredMotorCompany]

What beauty would we see if we saw only beauty?

 

It takes rain to appreciate the sunshine.

 

It takes pain to appreciate being pain-free.

 

It takes death to appreciate life.

 

 

And who are we to know what God intends when he takes a child.

 

That differs infinitely from when Man takes the life of a child.

[Langston Hughes]

Two things.

 

1. Sometimes bad things are going to happen in life. You will never learn and grow as a person if life is always easy and nothing bad or tragic ever happens. That is just a reality of the human existence. So weather or not a child dies or some 20 year old kid with their whole adult life in front of them or someone who has lived a long a full life, it's all equally traumatic and its all a part of life.

 

2. Just because we pray to God does not always mean that the answer is yes or that he'll give us what we want. That's the thinking of a spoiled child.

 

Two things about your two things....

 

1. Your #1 doesn't point to the existence of God.

2. Rationalization. When faced with the reality that God doesn't respond to your prayers you find a reason to explain it away. Why would God not say yes to stopping world hunger?

 

Now my two things

1. Why do bad things happen?

2. I'm not praying for myself. I shouldn't have to pray to God to keep his children from starving. He should handle it on his own.

[FiredMotorCompany]

Two things.

 

1. Sometimes bad things are going to happen in life. You will never learn and grow as a person if life is always easy and nothing bad or tragic ever happens. That is just a reality of the human existence. So weather or not a child dies or some 20 year old kid with their whole adult life in front of them or someone who has lived a long a full life, it's all equally traumatic and its all a part of life.

 

2. Just because we pray to God does not always mean that the answer is yes or that he'll give us what we want. That's the thinking of a spoiled child.

As to #2.

The worst thing god could do is answer every prayer exactly as he is asked.

 

We pray for God to slay our enemies.

Our enemies pray for God to slay us.

[NickF1011]

You're all sure in a lot of trouble if you're praying to the wrong god, huh?

 

Everybody is at least 99% atheist. People who don't believe in any god just take it the extra 1% of the way.

 

:shrug:

[FiredMotorCompany]

You're all sure in a lot of trouble if you're praying to the wrong god, huh?

 

Everybody is at least 99% atheist. People who don't believe in any god just take it the extra 1% of the way.

 

:shrug:

You are far off regarding 99% atheist. There are hundreds of millions if not a billion religious followers of some sort. Definitely not atheist.

 

But, I have often considered the consequences for those who believed in the wrong god.

[NickF1011]

You are far off regarding 99% atheist. There are hundreds of millions if not a billion religious followers of some sort. Definitely not atheist.

 

But, I have often considered the consequences for those who believed in the wrong god.

So you believe in Zeus?

[Langston Hughes]

You are far off regarding 99% atheist. There are hundreds of millions if not a billion religious followers of some sort. Definitely not atheist.

 

But, I have often considered the consequences for those who believed in the wrong god.

 

And people here have the gall to suggest I'm being self-important. Shouldn't you mean that you have considered the consequences for you? I have considered the consequences if Christians, Jews, Muslims and others are separately and individually right and I am wrong, but I have never considered the consequences of others being wrong.

 

Nick's right to an extent. If there was no hell or being cast away from God and suffering in major religions then most people would take a much less fervent view of God.

[NickF1011]

I'm only pointing out that people disregard 99% of other theologies in favor of their own, making them 99% atheist. I didn't say 99% of the population was 100% atheist (although it's probably a higher percentage than most polls would suggest).

Edited May 29, 2013 by NickF1011

[Langston Hughes]

So you believe in Zeus?

 

Crom and the Riddle of Steel

 

[Langston Hughes]

I'm only pointing out that people disregard 99% of other theologies in favor of their own, making them 99% atheist. I didn't say 99% of the population was 100% atheist (although it's probably a higher percentage than most polls would suggest).

 

Sometimes they disregard 99% of their own theologies in favor of what they have been told.

[BlackHorse]

Well, we all know that debating religion is pointless. I'm sure as hell not taking any religious advice from some stupid ass Arnold movie from the 80's. lol I'll be the first to admit that there is a lot about organized religion regardless of which one it is that gets on my nerves. Chief among these is that there are always followers of any religion who believe that their way is the only way and that followers of other religions are damned to hell. So a bunch of people who are born in remote China where they are never exposed to Christianity, never even heard of it, are damned to hell by circumstance? No. I don't believe that for a second. But I do believe that all of this didn't just go "poof" and pop into existence for no reason at all. If you just look around and pay attention to the way life works and how things are just so then it is becomes so obvious that there is something going on. Something greater than ourselves. If you choose not to believe in any sort of God Langston that is your choice. But I wonder why it is you feel the need to be so confrontational with those that do? That smacks of a lack of conviction.

Edited May 29, 2013 by BlackHorse

[Langston Hughes]

Well, we all know that debating religion is pointless. I'm sure as hell not taking any religious advice from some stupid ass Arnold movie from the 80's. lol I'll be the first to admit that there is a lot about organized religion regardless of which one it is that gets on my nerves. Chief among these is that there are always followers of any religion who believe that their way is the only way and that followers of other religions are damned to hell. So a bunch of people who are born in remote China where they are never exposed to Christianity, never even heard of it, are damned to hell by circumstance? No. I don't believe that for a second. But I do believe that all of this didn't just go "poof" and pop into existence for no reason at all. If you just look around and pay attention to the way life works and how things are just so then it is becomes so obvious that there is something going on. Something greater than ourselves. If you choose not to believe in any sort of God Langston that is your choice. But I wonder why it is you feel the need to be so confrontational with those that do? That smacks of a lack of conviction.

 

I don't think it's advice. I think it's offered as comedic look at religion.

 

But here's a take on your gut feeling that a prominent pastor had.

 

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/304/transcript

 

 

Here's what makes me right. I'm sitting next to a little Tibetan monk. He's been a Tibetan monk for the fourth generation. Here's a monk that all he does is every morning he milks the goats, takes them to another pasture. He works in the garden. He says some prayers. He burns some incense. He's never married. He doesn't kill, cuss, fight, lie. He never heard the Gospel, never seen a television, or a radio, or a track. He lives way up there in the cold. He's taking the goats to one pasture, slips off a cliff, falls into a valley, and dies. Is there a Jesus anywhere to receive that man? Or is the devil there sucking them all into Hell? And I would say no, no, no. My God loves you.

 

The way the God of the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, is presented, he's a monster. The God we've been preaching is a monster. He's worse than Saddam. He's worse than Osama bin Laden. He's worse than Hitler the way we've presented Him, because Hitler just burned 6 million Jews, but God is going to burn at least 6 billion people and burn them forever. He has this customized torture chamber called Hell, where he's going to torment, torture, not for a few minutes, or a few days, or a few hours, or a few weeks, but forever.

 

 

It doesn't matter if I believe there might be a higher power or not, I reject the formalized dogmatic representations of such. As for lack of conviction, didn't i just express that i have considered the possibility of what happens if i'm wrong? The thought of burning in some version of molten lava for eternity is a powerful image. It is what drives religion. It's the hook.

 

Come for God's love but stay for get out of hell free card.

[NickF1011]

That smacks of a lack of conviction.

Or it smacks of conviction to point out fallacy. :shrug:

 

Just because science doesn't have an explanation for everything doesn't mean "God" must be the answer.

Edited May 29, 2013 by NickF1011

[Langston Hughes]

And it's not my lack of conviction that drives my distaste towards religion it's others addiction to the dogma. I should pray to God that he now will help my family or others? It's a bit late don't you think? Those kids in the school died, they aren't coming back. Why am i confrontational?

 

Look at the case of those 3 women in Ohio. People were praising God that they got found and freed. If God decide that was the time for them to be free, then God also decided that they couldn't be free all those years, right? If it took God to get them free, why did he wait? Y

[NickF1011]

Always find it odd that professional athletes never blame God when they lose.

[Bored of Pisteon]

Always find it odd that professional athletes never blame God when they lose.

Doesn't surprise me... With the bloated, overpriced salaries that they are getting paid to do what? What do you expect from them?

[NickF1011]

Doesn't surprise me... With the bloated, overpriced salaries that they are getting paid to do what? What do you expect from them?

 

Eh, I can't put any blame for salaries on the players. I'd go after as much money as I could too if I was in the same situation.

[Langston Hughes]

Or it smacks of conviction to point out fallacy. :shrug:

 

Just because science doesn't have an explanation for everything doesn't mean "God" must be the answer.

 

Bertrand Russell formulates his version of the razor as such.

 

And his Tea Cup is the founding theory for..,..

[Langston Hughes]

Always find it odd that professional athletes never blame God when they lose.

 

Of course when there are children starving all over the world God is watching the Super Bowl and helping Ray Lewis win. But not bringing back that poor dead fellow Ray's besties killed.

[NickF1011]

Of course when there are children starving all over the world God is watching the Super Bowl and helping Ray Lewis win. But not bringing back that poor dead fellow Ray's besties killed.

Now, now. Let's not drag the Super Bowl Champion Ravens into this.

[BlackHorse]

And it's not my lack of conviction that drives my distaste towards religion it's others addiction to the dogma. I should pray to God that he now will help my family or others? It's a bit late don't you think? Those kids in the school died, they aren't coming back. Why am i confrontational?

 

 

What do you care about their dogma? It's none of your business. If you don't want to be a religious person than don't. That's fine by us. But at what point did you decide that its up to you to champion the cause of bashing religion and those who are religious? I couldn't give a rats ass about your distaste. I couldn't give a rats ass that you are atheist. Just leave it alone. How hard is that? Are you incapable of just letting religious people have their religion and just leaving them alone or is it that you feel you absolutely must chastise them? Who are you? Nobody, just like the rest of us. Why must you be confrontational about this issue? It's none of your business what our religious beliefs are. It's not up to you to tell people they are wrong for believing. Why can't you seem to understand that? If you don't like religion then don't discuss it. Problem solved. Yet even as I type this I know that you're going to have some critical comeback. Leave us alone dude. Just let it go.

Edited May 29, 2013 by BlackHorse

[BlackHorse]

Or it smacks of conviction to point out fallacy. :shrug:

 

Just because science doesn't have an explanation for everything doesn't mean "God" must be the answer.

 

And just because someone believes in God doesn't mean they reject science.

 

Perhaps you should look up the "scientific" investigations into non-local consciousness, you might find it pretty interesting.