Religion Ask a Christian - Continued in Part 2

[Chief]

Continued in Part Two:

https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/ask-a-christian-part-2.1295001/unread

 

[Gethelred]

yes I get from your perspective how it is funny.

though you probably disagree by virtue of our diametrically opposed views on one particular issue I am, when the mood takes me, an intelligent and perceptive individual.

It doesn’t change my perspective though.

Out of curiousity, how familiar are you with these kinds of conversations?

In this thread - which is generally more visited by the non-religious than christians, if I'm honest - we've only really had two types in here. Boston tiger, who is so familiar with these arguments that he's tired of them, and Vdubs, who is more willing to answer questions but is also more likely to prosletyse.

 

[PhatBoy]

Out of curiousity, how familiar are you with these kinds of conversations?

In this thread - which is generally more visited by the non-religious than christians, if I'm honest - we've only really had two types in here. Boston tiger, who is so familiar with these arguments that he's tired of them, and Vdubs, who is more willing to answer questions but is also more likely to prosletyse.

I talk pretty openly with people in general if they prompt me to it - for example this morning my closest co-worker, he is a supervisor, fellow Rooster fan, fellow golfer, fellow AFL follower, we are on the same page on a whole bunch of stuff. He was talking about how his favourite time of day is just before work when he drives his daughter to school and they listen to music and have a chat. I said mine is the same - I say a little prayer for my boys just that they'll enjoy the day and have fun etc - yes many many people will laugh at that but I'm not ashamed of it - and that kind of piqued his curiosity and he asked me a lot of questions, not test questions just that he wouldn't have picked me for the religious type etc. I don't hide from it, my friends know that side of me. They also know the bawdy, drinking, smoking, adulterous piece of human wreckage that has masqueraded as their mate for the last 20 years so it is a bit of a conundrum for a lot of them. I'm trying to put most of that behind me.

I don't preach unless someone wants my thoughts on something - ie. 'What would you do in this situation' or something and I tell them I'd probably seek Biblical counselling or something.

I've had many of these discussions but hey, I am not scientifically minded and even the things I do try to investigate I struggle to come to grips with. I'm a creative. Give me a guitar and an album and in 20 minutes I can work out a base understanding of half the songs on it. I've even worked out songs on the way to a gig by ear and then played them with no practice.

Put a bunsen burner in front of me or a periodic table and I'm clueless. So I don't try to keep up any pretense that I have a huge understanding of it

 

[Gethelred]

I talk pretty openly with people in general if they prompt me to it - for example this morning my closest co-worker, he is a supervisor, fellow Rooster fan, fellow golfer, fellow AFL follower, we are on the same page on a whole bunch of stuff. He was talking about how his favourite time of day is just before work when he drives his daughter to school and they listen to music and have a chat. I said mine is the same - I say a little prayer for my boys just that they'll enjoy the day and have fun etc - yes many many people will laugh at that but I'm not ashamed of it - and that kind of piqued his curiosity and he asked me a lot of questions, not test questions just that he wouldn't have picked me for the religious type etc. I don't hide from it, my friends know that side of me. They also know the bawdy, drinking, smoking, adulterous piece of human wreckage that has masqueraded as their mate for the last 20 years so it is a bit of a conundrum for a lot of them. I'm trying to put most of that behind me.

I don't preach unless someone wants my thoughts on something - ie. 'What would you do in this situation' or something and I tell them I'd probably seek Biblical counselling or something.

I've had many of these discussions but hey, I am not scientifically minded and even the things I do try to investigate I struggle to come to grips with. I'm a creative. Give me a guitar and an album and in 20 minutes I can work out a base understanding of half the songs on it. I've even worked out songs on the way to a gig by ear and then played them with no practice.

Put a bunsen burner in front of me or a periodic table and I'm clueless. So I don't try to keep up any pretense that I have a huge understanding of it

So, when I mention God of the Gaps, are you familiar with the term? It's not so much a scientific argument as a semantic/philosophical one.

Part of the thing when it comes to questions concerning the existence of a god is that they've existed for as long as people have worshiped one; it's very, very rare that we come across stuff that is new or unbroken ground in threads like these.

 

[PhatBoy]

So, when I mention God of the Gaps, are you familiar with the term? It's not so much a scientific argument as a semantic/philosophical one.

Part of the thing when it comes to questions concerning the existence of a god is that they've existed for as long as people have worshiped one; it's very, very rare that we come across stuff that is new or unbroken ground in threads like these.

Ive not heard the term before but pretty much knew what you were pointing to as soon as you mentioned it. The spiritual equivalent of 'a wizard did it' yeah?

 

[Roylion]

I believe in what we have been able observe, what we have recorded. I can’t explain it any simpler.

Scientists are able to measure the level of radioactive isotopes and know at what rate they decay therefore they know how old rocks are and when they formed by the cooling of lava. This is conclusive proof that a young earth creation simply didn't happen. We know the age of the earth is at least 4.5 billion years old.

 

[PhatBoy]

Scientists are able to measure the level of radioactive isotopes and know at what rate they decay therefore they know how old rocks are and when they formed by the cooling of lava. This is conclusive proof that a young earth creation simply didn't happen. We know the age of the earth is at least 4.5 billion years old.

ok

 

[Ghost Patrol]

How old was Mary when God did that thing?

 

[Evolved1]

I talk pretty openly with people in general if they prompt me to it - for example this morning my closest co-worker, he is a supervisor, fellow Rooster fan, fellow golfer, fellow AFL follower, we are on the same page on a whole bunch of stuff. He was talking about how his favourite time of day is just before work when he drives his daughter to school and they listen to music and have a chat. I said mine is the same - I say a little prayer for my boys just that they'll enjoy the day and have fun etc - yes many many people will laugh at that but I'm not ashamed of it - and that kind of piqued his curiosity and he asked me a lot of questions, not test questions just that he wouldn't have picked me for the religious type etc. I don't hide from it, my friends know that side of me. They also know the bawdy, drinking, smoking, adulterous piece of human wreckage that has masqueraded as their mate for the last 20 years so it is a bit of a conundrum for a lot of them. I'm trying to put most of that behind me.

I don't preach unless someone wants my thoughts on something - ie. 'What would you do in this situation' or something and I tell them I'd probably seek Biblical counselling or something.

I've had many of these discussions but hey, I am not scientifically minded and even the things I do try to investigate I struggle to come to grips with. I'm a creative. Give me a guitar and an album and in 20 minutes I can work out a base understanding of half the songs on it. I've even worked out songs on the way to a gig by ear and then played them with no practice.

Put a bunsen burner in front of me or a periodic table and I'm clueless. So I don't try to keep up any pretense that I have a huge understanding of it

Admittedly, the atheists and antitheists on this thread act like ravenous lions towards anyone who even smells like a Christian.

We've eaten the other Christians which is why you don't see many around these parts. I'll try to be kind, but no promises. Kindness isn't my strong suit.

 

[PhatBoy]

Admittedly, the atheists and antitheists on this thread act like ravenous lions towards anyone who even smells like a Christian.

We've eaten the other Christians which is why you don't see many around these parts. I'll try to be kind, but no promises. Kindness isn't my strong suit.

Lol it's ok mate I am fairly used to it anyway.

 

[Vdubs]

Admittedly, the atheists and antitheists on this thread act like ravenous lions towards anyone who even smells like a Christian.

We've eaten the other Christians which is why you don't see many around these parts. I'll try to be kind, but no promises. Kindness isn't my strong suit.

we're still around- just waiting for questions we can actually answer

 

[Evolved1]

we're still around- just waiting for questions we can actually answer

What types of questions can you answer?

 

[Vdubs]

What types of questions can you answer?

Not many evidently. I think all and sundry know WHY I have faith, HOW it happened, and WHAT it means to me and those like me on a daily basis.
I and we can not answer what the OT God was on about at times, but we can apply the messages to the NT writings, and there are lessons to be learned.

 

[Evolved1]

Not many evidently. I think all and sundry know WHY I have faith, HOW it happened, and WHAT it means to me and those like me on a daily basis.
I and we can not answer what the OT God was on about at times, but we can apply the messages to the NT writings, and there are lessons to be learned.

You've tried to provide answers to questions that nobody asked. That's my main critique.

 

[Vdubs]

You've tried to provide answers to questions that nobody asked. That's my main critique.

Those questions were asked of me.
Check it out.
Pretty well put it all out there.

 

[Evolved1]

Those questions were asked of me.
Check it out.
Pretty well put it all out there.

If you say so, I'll accept your word.

 

[Cooldude]

Thoughts and prayers

 

[Baltimore Jack]

 

[Boston tiger]

Ive not heard the term before but pretty much knew what you were pointing to as soon as you mentioned it. The spiritual equivalent of 'a wizard did it' yeah?

Gaps in our knowledge is what keeps athiesm alive .. without infinite knowledge humans can never prove God ... there is always an out.
" A big man appears in the Sky with lightening shooting out everywhere and declares he is God ".. due to our finite knowledge or gaps we can conclude that it was God...aliens ... Time traveler ... NASA .. or just something mysterious .
God is never a science question or answer.


“Something pretty mysterious had to give rise to the origin of the universe.”
— Richard Dawkins

 

[Evolved1]

Nice to see at least one Christian still has some meat left to throw to the hungry lions.

 

[Boston tiger]

Nice to see at least one Christian still has some meat left to throw to the hungry lions.

Luke 6:21

“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

Hang in there

 

[chelseacarlton]

“Gaps in our knowledge is what keeps atheism alive...”.
Nah, a utter lack of evidence for your version of the creator is, that and you can’t even describe one characteristic that your creator exhibits.
Creator gods are therefore implausible, non existent and fallacious.

 

[Roylion]

Gaps in our knowledge is what keeps athiesm alive .. without infinite knowledge humans can never prove God ... there is always an out. .

You could easily say the same for religion.

“Something pretty mysterious had to give rise to the origin of the universe.” — Richard Dawkins

Never has an empirical scientific discovery been deemed wrong and replaced by a more convincing mystical explanation.

 

[Evolved1]

I'd love to see the context for that Dawkins quote. Christians would never take something out of context to make a lie seem true, would they?

 

[Rusty Brookes]

I'd love to see the context for that Dawkins quote. Christians would never take something out of context to make a lie seem true, would they?

The context is of course, that it is most likely impossible to determine how the Universe came to be. However there are several plausible hypotheses (which do not require a supernatural god) supported by credible evidence that would explain how the current universe came into being.

Alternatives to the Big Bang Theory Explained (Infographic)

Is there another theory for the origin of the universe?

www.space.com

So yes it is mysterious but mysterious does not mean supernatural.

 

[Boston tiger]

You could easily say the same for religion.



Never has an empirical scientific discovery been deemed wrong and replaced by a more convincing mystical explanation.

So what