Jesus:the rock of our salvation

taxslave

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 25, 2008
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you are fools!!!!

No, we simply have the ability to think for ourselves and question that which is absurd or false.
What makes you think that yours is the one true religion out of the 5000 or so around. Are all the others wrong or is it you that is wrong.
For that matter can you even prove that there is such a thing as god?
In any event being a good person does not require one to proclaim fealty to any being real or otherwise.
Since a fair number of those that claim to represent your god sexually abuse little kids I think I will just stay agnostic.
 

Cliffy

Standing Member
Nov 19, 2008
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I think you are onto something there, Cliff. One thing I might add - probably the first thing one should do on their route to sanity is to get those frickin' "Joneses" out of their heads. THAT and the idiot box are the two greatest enemies of mankind today. Happy Canada Day. :lol::lol:
Good morning and Happy Canada Day, to you too. I'm just debating if I am going to the Fire Departments Pancake Breakfast. I really love greasy sausages but they don't like me.
 

Scott Free

House Member
May 9, 2007
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Well Scott, there is life after catholicism. I know a lot of aboriginal people who went through the torture and torment of residential schools who have regained their life. I once read a book called Losing Your Mind. It was about losing the socially conditioned mind to discover who you really are. The book that started me on my journey was Allan Watts' - The Book [on the Taboo against knowing who you are]. I don't believe anybody is lost or without their own character. It may feel like that sometimes, but everyone has a path.

The journey may begin with rejection, as was my case, but there is far more to life, human psychology and the energy force that animates out bodies and minds. It is dogma that kills the spirit but that can be resurrected. The story of Jesus can make sense if it is viewed as a metaphor for life. Taken literally it is just so much nonsense. Not that I recommend trying to figure out what it means to you, I just use it as an example. If you seek YOUR truth, you will find it. Life will show you the way but first you need to get over your anger and frustration. They keep you from appreciating life to its fullest.

I spent ten years living in the forest with the wild beasts to get past my anger and come to a place where life began to make sense (although what we call society or civilization is completely insane to me. It is just as dogmatic as religion.) I think that we just have to become sick and tired of being sick and tired to finally be motivated to get off our asses to go looking for answers that make sense to us personally.

Sure a person can find a place for themselves in society but they cannot rebuild early childhood development. Residential school was horrific from anything I can tell but regardless children started attending at a late enough age that they did still have a basic foundation from which to work. Also it wasn't their parents who created anxiety for them and undermined their dignity. The whole point of residential school was that the children knew there was somewhere else for them.

The most difficult thing to guard against is a self serving bias which prevents a person from hearing evidence (or testimony) contrary to what they want to believe and focusing on that which seems to reinforce their own convictions. So I'll agree that maybe you're right but I think, especially based on your history as you explained it, that you're still playing games and your journey is at a beginning not an end. Allen Watts never did figure it out IMO. He was a prisoner of conviction trying elegantly to rationalize his emotions. I'll admit that all I know of the man is what he wrote so my opinion is based on that.
 

L Gilbert

Winterized
Nov 30, 2006
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"Behold I stand before thee there upon the Rock of Horeb; and thou shalt smite the Rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel." Ex 17:6 (Jesus was smitten)

"And it shall come to pass, while My glory passes by, that I will put thee in the cleft of the Rock, and will cover thee with My hand as I pass by." Ex 33:22.

"And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod, he smote the Rock twice: and the water came our abundantly, and the congregation drank and the beasts also." Num 20:11.
I'd bet a month's pay that Chris Angel's a better magician than Moses.
BTW, give me a hammer on a Cat 385 CL and I can make mineral powder from rocks. Or put the bucket back on and I can move the rock from the Artesian well to let the water flow. :)

Well Gerry, this is supposed to be a discussion, but the guy just posts a bunch of unconnected biblical verses and buggers off, only to return occasionally to tell us we will all burn in a lake of fire if we don't believe his version of the bible. Perhaps if he stuck around to discuss what the point of his posts are, he would not get so much flack. And unfortunately, his threads show up[ in the general topics of the day, so we can't miss them. Besides, I don't appreciate anybody who tells people they are going to burn even if I know he is full of it. He makes it personal. So he can expect people to respond in a personal manner.
It's a free forum.
Like Gerry says, if you don't like Herald's threads, stay out of them. If no-one replied in them, they'd disappear from the menu.

This IS the proper place for Herald to post these topics. If you don`t want to read what he has to post, THEN STAY OUT OF THE Spirtituality subforum.
Bump

If "herald" doesn't mind....this might be a great opportunity to discuss the
motivation of some to enter the "Christian Discussion" SubForum, or
others like it, only to mock and ridicule.

I'd personally appreciate an effort at a civil discussion on this topic, as
we all might learn something.
Bump.
Even if I am an atheist, I like discussing religions, even if it is simply to see if there is any reasoning behind the religions' followers.

Yeah, we might learn something, but not from herald. He just posts bible verses, sometimes adds a notice that we're all going to burn in Hell if we don't buy his message, and disappears. He's not interested in discussion, just in making threatening announcements. That justifiably draws mockery and ridicule.
Yep, but sometimes it also provokes discussion. Some faithful even dispute what herald takes out of context and whatnot.

Well, I mock and ridicule because I know how dangerous this illness is. Levity and derision might steer someone away from it. It is a sickness that preys on the weak and vulnerable.
"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Nietsche
And don't give me any chat about people killing in the name of religions either, because people also kill for money, politics, revenge, etc., also.

Like I said Ron, there is no room for discussion here.
Then why are there quite a few posts after herald's rhetoric?

Most dogmatists are too far gone to recover but it is the people reading the posts and finding comfort in these silly imaginings that I would like to steer away.

I would add that ridicule did help me get over it. I'm still a dogmatist and always will be but I can counter it (to some extent) now with new tools.
So basically, you are saying you counter dogma with dogma; essentially adding to the dogma. Thanks a great bunch.

Dogma certainly is a condition that is difficult to overcome. We need all the tools we can gather. An ex-catholic once told me that I was the first person he met that gave him hope that there was life after Catholicism, having survived it myself. It has taken me almost forty years of studying comparative religions, spiritual paths, philosophies, metaphysics, quantum physics, psychology and para-psychology to feel comfortable with being me in a world where it is taboo to even know who you are.
You live in a different world than I, I guess. I see nothing preventing me from being who I am,. I suppose laziness keeps some from developing themselves, though. Too lazy to spend the energy to develop.

you are fools!!!!
So? Everyone is at some point.
I seem to recall reading somewhere: "Judge not lest ye not be judged" (I remember, it was Matt. 7:1) or "Judge not and ye shall not be judged" (Luke 6:7). So I guess you are just as much a fool as anyone else, right?

No, we simply have the ability to think for ourselves and question that which is absurd or false.
What makes you think that yours is the one true religion out of the 5000 or so around. Are all the others wrong or is it you that is wrong.
For that matter can you even prove that there is such a thing as god?
In any event being a good person does not require one to proclaim fealty to any being real or otherwise.
Since a fair number of those that claim to represent your god sexually abuse little kids I think I will just stay agnostic.
It's all in the Great Plan, you know.
 

Scott Free

House Member
May 9, 2007
3,893
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So basically, you are saying you counter dogma with dogma; essentially adding to the dogma. Thanks a great bunch.

Lol, that's the point. :roll:

I said I was a dogmatist. I probably always will be, that's according to the real experts anyway. Certainly I'll always be abrasive and hard to stomach. ;-)

And yes dogmatists need not be religious but the majority are and certainly it is the main catalyst for their creation. I'm not religious for example.

Why do people always read half my posts, miss the point and then reply like they got me on some small point? :shaking2:
 

L Gilbert

Winterized
Nov 30, 2006
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Lol, that's the point. :roll:

I said I was a dogmatist. I probably always will be, that's according to the real experts anyway. Certainly I'll always be abrasive and hard to stomach. ;-)

And yes dogmatists need not be religious but the majority are and certainly it is the main catalyst for their creation. I'm not religious for example.

Why do people always read half my posts, miss the point and then reply like they got me on some small point? :shaking2:
Um, throwing fuel on the fire to keep people from roasting their marshmallows at the fire? Genius. :roll:
BTW, are you spying on me that you know I only read half your post? :roll:
 

numbnuts

New Member
May 29, 2010
43
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Oz
Well Gerry, this is supposed to be a discussion, but the guy just posts a bunch of unconnected biblical verses and buggers off, only to return occasionally to tell us we will all burn in a lake of fire if we don't believe his version of the bible. Perhaps if he stuck around to discuss what the point of his posts are, he would not get so much flack. And unfortunately, his threads show up[ in the general topics of the day, so we can't miss them. Besides, I don't appreciate anybody who tells people they are going to burn even if I know he is full of it. He makes it personal. So he can expect people to respond in a personal manner.

It would probably do you good to read the Bible once in a while, even if you don't agree with it, then you could at least debate logically.
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
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It would probably do you good to read the Bible once in a while, even if you don't agree with it, then you could at least debate logically.

Not necessary in these days of internet. If you want to find out what the Bible says about any subject, simply Googling for it gives you the chapter and verse at your fingertips.
 

Johnnny

Frontiersman
Jun 8, 2007
9,388
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Third rock from the Sun
if the church by my place added some rock and roll or some country songs to their masses, i may in fact stop by once in awhile...

If you got alan jackson singing some of his religous songs, id buy tickets to that in a heart beat
 

Cliffy

Standing Member
Nov 19, 2008
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It would probably do you good to read the Bible once in a while, even if you don't agree with it, then you could at least debate logically.
What people who believe in the bible don't know is its history. They just assume it is the word of god but have no idea who wrote it and why. If they knew they would not have such a warped idea of what it is or its worth. I know enough about its contents and history to know it is a metaphor, not history or fact. Very few Christians are willing to debate its validity, only its contents. But if you know its history, the contents become more fiction than truth. When seen as fiction, then what is to debate about content?
 

Johnnny

Frontiersman
Jun 8, 2007
9,388
124
63
Third rock from the Sun
if the church by my place added some rock and roll or some country songs to their masses, i may in fact stop by once in awhile...

If you got alan jackson singing some of his religous songs, id buy tickets to that in a heart beat

nvm i saw rock in the title and thought it was about adding rock music:error:
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
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Ontario
nvm i saw rock in the title and thought it was about adding rock music:error:

You sure it wasn't about throwing rocks at somebody?

The christian thing would be to burn you at the stake.

No doubt Christians are good at that, or at least used to be. perhaps they may be a bit rusty by now.

What people who believe in the bible don't know is its history. They just assume it is the word of god but have no idea who wrote it and why. If they knew they would not have such a warped idea of what it is or its worth. I know enough about its contents and history to know it is a metaphor, not history or fact. Very few Christians are willing to debate its validity, only its contents. But if you know its history, the contents become more fiction than truth. When seen as fiction, then what is to debate about content?

Some Christians resort to circular arguments, Cliffy. Bible says it is the Word of God, so it must be the Word of God, and anybody who doubts the Bible (or at least doubts their interpretation of the Bible) is the infidel of the worst kind.
 

numbnuts

New Member
May 29, 2010
43
2
8
Oz
What people who believe in the bible don't know is its history. They just assume it is the word of god but have no idea who wrote it and why. If they knew they would not have such a warped idea of what it is or its worth. I know enough about its contents and history to know it is a metaphor, not history or fact. Very few Christians are willing to debate its validity, only its contents. But if you know its history, the contents become more fiction than truth. When seen as fiction, then what is to debate about content?
You are obviously the one who doesn't know its history or its meaning. Knowing it is not warped.
 

Scott Free

House Member
May 9, 2007
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No doubt Christians are good at that, or at least used to be. perhaps they may be a bit rusty by now.

I think you're probably right but I can't help think some of their spirit is behind all these wars. I know they're primarily about oil but the fools fighting seem very idealistic and self-righteous as though they are fighting some bigger war. It seems they wage war against freedom, that is to say, while they scream about freedom they mean only a certain kind; a brand developed by the western world. That seems extremely christian to me and more than a little dogmatic.