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Re: wearing a cardboard sandwich board predicting the end
of the world....ROTFLMAO....I like the giant RVs splattered with all the verses and pronouncements to the wicked among us....GoD Is ANGRY!!!!
loving the dialog and the no non-sensical display ...
posted by
mysteria
on February 15, 2008 at 7:07 PM
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Vairocana - after reading your comments, I don't know what to say to you
You seem to think that you have some answers about life which you not so subtly imply that I am lacking. At least that is how you come across. All I can say to anyone with this attitude is to get in line with the rest of the wannabe spiritual leaders, no pushing and shoving, or cutting in, and mark your name clearly on your lunch. Seriously, I would never consider saying something to the effect of "Good luck with finding meaning in life..." to anyone, even if it is in jest or present company is excepted.
As I said in our first comment exchange, there are a lot of people on this site that you will be able to develop a rapport with. I won't be one of them if you think that I am willing to endure yet another person with a list of my shortcomings, what they don't like about my posts and a prescription for my salvation. More power to you if you have something that works for you . . . I'm doing fine myself thank you.
posted by
gomedome
on February 14, 2008 at 8:42 PM
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Transcendental_Child - how have you been?
Yep, there is humor to be found around here some days. It reminds me of the time when cutbacks in medicare caused some hospital beds to be closed in the local psych ward. Every city street corner ended up with its own resident preacher wearing a cardboard sandwich board predicting the end of the world.
posted by
gomedome
on February 14, 2008 at 7:20 PM
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Re: Re: Re: Gomes...
I was only judging character, not ability to judge. Science obviously stand in a better position than: 12 "average" people led by a pompous asshole and persuided by a bloodsucking liar, at proving murder or not. Read my blog to get a more complete picture of what I am on about.
posted by
AardigeAfrikaner
on February 14, 2008 at 6:07 PM
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Re: strat - the human desire for this "escape clause" is ultimately what
Rational mind is merely a tool and not the ultimate goal of life. If it is, you can now commit suicide because you would have reached the apex of human development and we do not need you anymore.
posted by
AardigeAfrikaner
on February 14, 2008 at 5:39 PM
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Re: Re: Gomes...
Ah.... humor? Well then... I suppose we do not need DNA to clear murderers.. just 12 people who are courageous enough to believe in what cannot be proven. Hmmmm....
posted by
Transcendental_Child
on February 14, 2008 at 5:34 PM
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Re: gomedome, I thought it was understood that no matter how heathenous
When I was stil an atheist my Mother used to tell me that she has prayed that God would open my eyes and give me clarity of mind. I then thanked her because I was sure that my eyes were wide open and I had clarity of mind, therefore her God must have answered her prayers..
We have to first empty our cup before a new brew can be poured in without spoiling it...
Becoming a non believer is an essential step in coming to grips with reality, but it is by far not the end of the road to deliverance from the frustrations of life.
posted by
AardigeAfrikaner
on February 14, 2008 at 5:33 PM
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Re: Gomes...
He who believes in what he cannot prove is courageous and not faint of heart. I do not take sides between believers and non believers. I take sides between those who's words and actions leads to more suffering and those who's words and actions leads to less suffering. Your words hurt some people and I have to reprimand you for that. I'll hit you with a toothbrush on your head if you continue along this path
posted by
AardigeAfrikaner
on February 14, 2008 at 5:27 PM
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Re: sam444 - to understand you would have to spend a day as a non believer
Only the God you do not believe exists doesn't exist.
This word, God, is used out of it's originally intended context in 99.99..% of cases. Perhaps we should invent a new word to point to that on which everythings' arising depends. This ground of all the arisen phenomena is not perceivable directly by an untrained mind. It is however directly present everywhere at al times and if you put in the required effort and practise the exercises proven to work by many throughout the ages you too will be agree on this. Before you have this experience of direct awareness of "God" it is actually better to doubt all the dogma, otherwise you'll get stuck in the rut most believers are stuck in. Good luck with finding meaning in life...
posted by
AardigeAfrikaner
on February 14, 2008 at 5:22 PM
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Gomes...
I am a true non-wavering "non-believer"... religion is for the weak of mind... and the faint of heart.
Guess they'll just have to shoot me, eh?
posted by
Transcendental_Child
on February 14, 2008 at 5:10 PM
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Re: FineYoungSinger - pertaining to C.S. Lewis, you are correct but I was not
Gome--I figured as much, and I'm sure you know I was more responding to strat's comment than yours. I do agree with both of you---deathbed conversions are
very common, even within religions.
posted by
FineYoungSinger
on February 14, 2008 at 12:58 PM
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mysteria - I think it is only the Mormons who believe in remote salvation
They were asked by the leaders of the Jewish faith recently to stop posthumously baptizing victims of the holacaust. As for the rest of us, I have no doubt that we are being prayed for.
posted by
gomedome
on February 14, 2008 at 12:36 PM
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gomedome, I thought it was understood that no matter how heathenous
a person you are (atheists included), that if you have someone praying for your salvation you will go to heaven anyway. And being that there are so many Christians in this world I am sure there are prayers plenty enough to save us all...
Anyways... excellent post and points gomedome. And once again thank you for allowing things to be seen from such a clear and wholesome standpoint.
posted by
mysteria
on February 14, 2008 at 12:03 PM
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Yikes! That's any other factor.
I have sausage fingers today, apparently.
posted by
strat
on February 14, 2008 at 8:55 AM
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FYS, yes, this is true.
I suppose I made a poor choice of words. You are absolutely correct. Nonetheless, the point I was so ineptly trying to make was the possibility that like many others, a need for an escape clause from oblivion was just as likely for conversion as anything other factor.
posted by
strat
on February 14, 2008 at 8:55 AM
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FineYoungSinger - pertaining to C.S. Lewis, you are correct but I was not
referring to people such as him in this post.
He was from another era and his conversion should be placed in historical context. I was speaking more of contemporaries like Antony Flew, or the handful of other names bandied about on a routine basis.
posted by
gomedome
on February 14, 2008 at 8:25 AM
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strat - the human desire for this "escape clause" is ultimately what
propels belief in a supreme being.
The desire for it all to be true, for there to be life after death, overwhelms rational thought in humans. The concepts of salvation and eternal bliss are ingrained in our consciousness, instilled from birth and have no other compelling alternatives. It is easy to see why humans faced with their own mortality would adopt this traditional mindset.
posted by
gomedome
on February 14, 2008 at 8:14 AM
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Re: The one who is always held up as a shining example is C.S. Lewis.
strat: C. S. Lewis returned to Christianity at age 30. He died at age 65. So he was a Christian for over half his life.
posted by
FineYoungSinger
on February 14, 2008 at 8:09 AM
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The one who is always held up as a shining example is C.S. Lewis.
There's no questioning the man's intelligence and certainly he did have a conversion experience late in life. What does that mean?
Basically, it can mean a number of things. One, he actually had some experience that made him realize the error of his ways for most of his life and was able to "save himself."
Just as likely -- and not to put anyone down for being human or denigrate the man in any way -- his conversion was the natural reaction to suffering a series of setbacks late in life. Loss of the love of his life, with whom he only spent a few years after finding her late in life; the facing of his own mortality -- that's always scary, especially if it seems more eminent than it used to be; and a host of other things that seem to snowball as we get older.
That's called being human. We all want an escape clause. And whether we admit it or not, I'm pretty convinced we all want to believe we have another ride on the merry go round somehow, somewhere.
Anyway, sorry about the dissertation. Always enjoy reading you, Gome! Take it easy!
posted by
strat
on February 14, 2008 at 7:58 AM
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thoughtfulness - you have to appreciate that I have been on Blogit for
over 4 years.
This subject has come up countless times, so if you see yourself in this post; it is merely a case of "if the shoe fits". The jumping up and down part is obviously an exaggeration describing the implied sense of victory and glee that many people present these stories with. If they could only count and if they do think it some sort of victory, they should see that these types of stories are speaking of a handful of people out of millions. A reasonable assumption is that just as many people turn away from belief in the same manner but somehow this is omitted from all of these stories.
posted by
gomedome
on February 14, 2008 at 7:57 AM
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sam444 - to understand you would have to spend a day as a non believer
3 groups are generally chastized on a routine basis by the believing majority. Gays, atheists and people of other religions. It becomes an issue when we are supposedly living in a country that expouses religious freedoms, including freedom from religion, yet we have people in our societies that just don't understand what these things mean.
If you were to proclaim non belief you would find out in a hurry why there are people willing to put so much effort into debunking religious beliefs. To be treated with disdain, be assigned fictitious negative character assessments, denied opportunity and generally be expected to live with an uneven playing field is something that I for one, have no intention of enduring. God does not have my attention or vice versa . . . he doesn't exist.
posted by
gomedome
on February 14, 2008 at 7:44 AM
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Vairocana - Re: I've never met a stupid atheist
That has been my experience as well. There are very few generalizations that can be applied to atheists but it is safe to say that to develop non belief whilst living amongst a believing majority indicates an individualistic mindset.
posted by
gomedome
on February 14, 2008 at 7:37 AM
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Were you talking about me?
I did write on a lifetime atheist changing his belief, but I didn't jump up and down, I wanted that story for the near death experience subject. Attention grabbers usually have great discussions. God, faith, atheist, Christians, all seem to draw interest and never run out of things to say. Anyway just wondering.
posted by
thoughtfulness
on February 14, 2008 at 4:48 AM
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I just do not understand why the atheist insists on making it an issue. If they don't believe, they don't. Who cares? I do not see where they promote their non belief inasmuch as I see them in the same light as 'Bible thumpers;' any way to get attention for their message. I still maintain that God has their attention more than they realize. sam
posted by
sam444
on February 14, 2008 at 4:13 AM
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I've never met a stupid atheist
Stupid people don't become atheists.
Stupid people don't become anything, they just mimmic the majority.
posted by
AardigeAfrikaner
on February 14, 2008 at 3:15 AM
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