OT: It really is the "Devil's Playground"

[Transference]

Originally posted by BigCat123:

Originally posted by Transference:


1) Unless your definition of God ranges from bearded white guy in the sky all the way to multiverse phenomena, and everything in between, then there is no proof of a god (as any religion past or present claims).

I mean, that's pretty much my definition. I feel like the existence of a Creator (God, Spaghetti Monster avec Noodly Appendage, Iluvatar, call it whatever you want) is evident, so much so that I don't understand when people request proof of that existence. I'm proof, you're proof, everything is proof that we were created by something.

I think its equally evident that whatever God created us has no vested interest in our corporeal safety or our material prosperity. Not only is that truth born out 150,000 times daily with each human death, but in every instance of unjust suffering or pain. Everytime you see an animal eat another animal that didn't want to be eaten, thats proof that whatever created us all does not care about our Earthly well-being. Hell, most of the Gospel is Jesus telling us exactly that in different ways (My kingdom is not of this world). Which is what makes stuff like prosperity gospel so ridiculous and insulting. Its so obviously not true.

But that's as far as you can take it without venturing into the realm of conjecture. Any God that could have created me and also dark matter and the Crab Nebula and quantum physics and photosynthesis must be so unfathomable as to defy even one word of explanation. And, to me, that's all religion is; an imperfect attempt to define and understand the Divine. Which is fine, no harm in trying. Lots and lots of harm in declaring you know everything and telling everybody else they're going to hell for not agreeing with you. Even more in blowing up buildings and cutting people's heads off because they don't agree with you. But that's people for you and a lot of people suck, unfortunately.

That doesn't mean that I don't believe in an ultimately loving and good God. I absolutely do. I refuse to believe that the God who created us did so only to watch us suffer in pain and death and nothing more. I see the beauty in the world, I know that beauty is not necessary. Love is not necessary. Joy is not necessary. But we have all of these things. We have rainbows and roses. That's not proof of anything, I know. But for me its enough.

IMO just because we exist doesn't mean we were created by a higher power. The more we learn about the universe, we see that the chances of other life existing is guaranteed. "I don't know" should still be the default assumption since there is literally nothing that tells us something "made" it all.

 

[firegiver]

Originally posted by ebog:

Originally posted by Keith52:
blind faith in christianity, islam, judaism, buddhism, etc. all have one common theme: fear

and Bionic tiger: that to me is the biggest tragedy, that someone is scared to even BEGIN asking questions that may eventually lead them closer to truth in this crazy world whether that person is christian, islam, whatever

I know this was way back in the thread, but Why are some of you so afraid of "fear"? It can lead to a right healthy life...and eternity. I know we live in this macho "no fear" world. But fear kept me from touching a hot stove. Fear keeps me from walking in the middle of busy highways. Fear keeps me from jumping off of cliffs. Fear keeps me from screwing around with other women(Bobbit). Fear leads me to make wiser choices.
I agree, it is not the best motivator for a healthy relationship, but it can keep me on the path that leads me to a healthy future. For some of you to stand as if you are not fearful of anything, especially God, is a major mistake.

Fear also kept you scared in bed of the monsters under your bed. Fear is a healthy thing when its rooted in reality. If you read history books though you can see how FEAR is used by those in power to get the people below them to do awful things to one another.

Fear is a great motivator but it also erodes ones ability to reason (has been proven to be true).

It's pretty easy to not be afraid of something you don't believe in.

 

[BigCat123]

Originally posted by Transference:

Originally posted by BigCat123:

Originally posted by Transference:


1) Unless your definition of God ranges from bearded white guy in the sky all the way to multiverse phenomena, and everything in between, then there is no proof of a god (as any religion past or present claims).

I mean, that's pretty much my definition. I feel like the existence of a Creator (God, Spaghetti Monster avec Noodly Appendage, Iluvatar, call it whatever you want) is evident, so much so that I don't understand when people request proof of that existence. I'm proof, you're proof, everything is proof that we were created by something.

I think its equally evident that whatever God created us has no vested interest in our corporeal safety or our material prosperity. Not only is that truth born out 150,000 times daily with each human death, but in every instance of unjust suffering or pain. Everytime you see an animal eat another animal that didn't want to be eaten, thats proof that whatever created us all does not care about our Earthly well-being. Hell, most of the Gospel is Jesus telling us exactly that in different ways (My kingdom is not of this world). Which is what makes stuff like prosperity gospel so ridiculous and insulting. Its so obviously not true.

But that's as far as you can take it without venturing into the realm of conjecture. Any God that could have created me and also dark matter and the Crab Nebula and quantum physics and photosynthesis must be so unfathomable as to defy even one word of explanation. And, to me, that's all religion is; an imperfect attempt to define and understand the Divine. Which is fine, no harm in trying. Lots and lots of harm in declaring you know everything and telling everybody else they're going to hell for not agreeing with you. Even more in blowing up buildings and cutting people's heads off because they don't agree with you. But that's people for you and a lot of people suck, unfortunately.

That doesn't mean that I don't believe in an ultimately loving and good God. I absolutely do. I refuse to believe that the God who created us did so only to watch us suffer in pain and death and nothing more. I see the beauty in the world, I know that beauty is not necessary. Love is not necessary. Joy is not necessary. But we have all of these things. We have rainbows and roses. That's not proof of anything, I know. But for me its enough.

IMO just because we exist doesn't mean we were created by a higher power. The more we learn about the universe, we see that the chances of other life existing is guaranteed. "I don't know" should still be the default assumption since there is literally nothing that tells us something "made" it all.

If you broadly define Creator, which was my intent, then I would disagree. My definition of Creator, in this context, is only precedent. First Cause. The Thing Prior To Which There Was No Other. Nothing without precedent, everything comes from something. That's all I meant. As I said before any attempt to personalize it or define fails out of the blocks. Science calls it the Big Bang, very literally for lack of a better term.

Maybe you meant that there's no evidence for organized or purposeful creation, as opposed to random happenstance? A sentient mind instead of random atoms smashing into each other and eventually forming patterns which eventually form planets and people and dinosaurs and chocolate cake? These are all old debates, I can't really add anything new or convincing. Suffice to say I see organization in every observable natural phenomena. Everything I can see is playing by a set of rules, to me it makes more sense to say that something administrates those rules than to say they were emplaced randomly. I guess the debate either resolves or dissolves depending on perspective. Whatever form of Intelligence I'm attempting to describe must be so alien to us as to appear random by nature of its sheer vastness. We are fire ants trying to comprehend the rules of cricket.

I agree about the likelihood of other life existing, I hope we find proof of it during my lifetime. Whatever God could have created an infinite universe of possibilities would certainly have manifested in other life forms. At least it would seem much more likely than not.

Anyway, I tend to agree with the Einstein quote about looking at the world as if everything is a miracle or nothing is a miracle. I obviously fall in the former category, and wouldn't want to live in a random world with no soul to it. I do wonder how many people in 21st century America call themselves atheists or agnostics largely in reaction to modern evangelical Christianity? So many people I know revolt against the proselytizing and the arrogance they perceive and end up swinging to the other side of the spectrum in a wild effort to get as far away from bible-thumpers as they can. I wonder if we don't need a separate classification for those people, maybe a-Christians as opposed to atheists.

 

[iceheart08]

Originally posted by BigCat123:

Originally posted by Transference:


1) Unless your definition of God ranges from bearded white guy in the sky all the way to multiverse phenomena, and everything in between, then there is no proof of a god (as any religion past or present claims).

I mean, that's pretty much my definition. I feel like the existence of a Creator (God, Spaghetti Monster avec Noodly Appendage, Iluvatar, call it whatever you want) is evident, so much so that I don't understand when people request proof of that existence. I'm proof, you're proof, everything is proof that we were created by something.

I think its equally evident that whatever God created us has no vested interest in our corporeal safety or our material prosperity. Not only is that truth born out 150,000 times daily with each human death, but in every instance of unjust suffering or pain. Everytime you see an animal eat another animal that didn't want to be eaten, thats proof that whatever created us all does not care about our Earthly well-being. Hell, most of the Gospel is Jesus telling us exactly that in different ways (My kingdom is not of this world). Which is what makes stuff like prosperity gospel so ridiculous and insulting. Its so obviously not true.

But that's as far as you can take it without venturing into the realm of conjecture. Any God that could have created me and also dark matter and the Crab Nebula and quantum physics and photosynthesis must be so unfathomable as to defy even one word of explanation. And, to me, that's all religion is; an imperfect attempt to define and understand the Divine. Which is fine, no harm in trying. Lots and lots of harm in declaring you know everything and telling everybody else they're going to hell for not agreeing with you. Even more in blowing up buildings and cutting people's heads off because they don't agree with you. But that's people for you and a lot of people suck, unfortunately.

That doesn't mean that I don't believe in an ultimately loving and good God. I absolutely do. I refuse to believe that the God who created us did so only to watch us suffer in pain and death and nothing more. I see the beauty in the world, I know that beauty is not necessary. Love is not necessary. Joy is not necessary. But we have all of these things. We have rainbows and roses. That's not proof of anything, I know. But for me its enough.

i disagree with a few things in this one, and a few things in your more recent post, but well reasoned and well written. I appreciate you taking the time to write down your thoughts.

 

[usedtiger]

firegiver...good point. I understand that you don't believe there's a God that you will be accountable to. But are you telling me that you are not afraid of the unknowns that every one of us have to face?? Eg, "What happens when I die?" "Is there life after death?"

That's not make believe monsters under your bed, that's reality.

 

[gmbush78]

Originally posted by One Fingerd Fist:

Originally posted by shortbus22:
An eternity of pain in exchange for being able to find clever ways to belittle others while on earth? I will pass. But keep fighting the fight, OFF.

Hell will be hot.

Your fire and brimstone evangelical skills need work Christian. I fail to see where my post was clever or belittling. It was just scientific fact. Thanks for the comdemnation though. You pass judgement well. Must be in your book.

You would think a Christian would handle him self differently than you do. I guess I could call my self Spiderman my whole life. But people would expect me to climb walls and sling web. Do you consider the way you walk, or just perfect the way you talk?
This post was edited on 4/21 9:05 PM by One Fingerd Fist

He doesnt have to follow rules of the BIBLE if there is no GOD. So you might want to thank GOD for the rules sucka. Whether you GOD hating atheists like it or not it is GOD that keeps us sinful christians from attacking you scientifically minded intellectual GOD haters not your stupid laws but GOD's laws. So you might wanna be glad for them. Have a nice day geniuses.

 

[iceheart08]

Originally posted by gmbush78:

Originally posted by One Fingerd Fist:

Originally posted by shortbus22:
An eternity of pain in exchange for being able to find clever ways to belittle others while on earth? I will pass. But keep fighting the fight, OFF.

Hell will be hot.

Your fire and brimstone evangelical skills need work Christian. I fail to see where my post was clever or belittling. It was just scientific fact. Thanks for the comdemnation though. You pass judgement well. Must be in your book.

You would think a Christian would handle him self differently than you do. I guess I could call my self Spiderman my whole life. But people would expect me to climb walls and sling web. Do you consider the way you walk, or just perfect the way you talk?
This post was edited on 4/21 9:05 PM by One Fingerd Fist

He doesnt have to follow rules of the BIBLE if there is no GOD. So you might want to thank GOD for the rules sucka. Whether you GOD hating atheists like it or not it is GOD that keeps us sinful christians from attacking you scientifically minded intellectual GOD haters not your stupid laws but GOD's laws. So you might wanna be glad for them. Have a nice day geniuses.

 

[One Fingerd Fist]

Originally posted by gmbush78:
He doesnt have to follow rules of the BIBLE if there is no GOD. So you might want to thank GOD for the rules sucka. Whether you GOD hating atheists like it or not it is GOD that keeps us sinful christians from attacking you scientifically minded intellectual GOD haters not your stupid laws but GOD's laws. So you might wanna be glad for them. Have a nice day geniuses.

1. Its your god that keeps christians peaceful? (see: History)
2. Not being christian does not equal being atheist. Shocking, I know.
3. I don't hate god, I do find christians for the most part to be arrogant and ignorant
4. If its your god that is keeping you from attacking me, he sounds smart.
5. I also find it amusing you use the phrase" scientifically minded intellectual" as a derogatory statement.

I included a reading aid, incase you get stuck on the. . .

big words

 

[Earle36]

I pray for the people that don't know Jesus.
One day every tongue will confess Jesus Christ is Lord.
They can do it now voluntarily or later on involuntarily.

 

[TAINT_PAINT]

Originally posted by Earle36:
I pray for the people that don't know Jesus.
One day every tongue will confess Jesus Christ is Lord.
They can do it now voluntarily or later on involuntarily.

IS YOUR NAME REALLY EARLE?

 

[Howard's Jock]

Lol Earle
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[Earle36]

LOL all you want. You want be laughing if you continue to mock Jesus and don't repent.

 

[BionicTiger]

Originally posted by Earle36:
I pray for the people that don't know Jesus.
One day every tongue will confess Jesus Christ is Lord.
They can do it now voluntarily or later on involuntarily.

This is the kind of hubris and ignorance that drives people away from Christianity. You are part of the reason people detest organized religion.

 

[firegiver]

Originally posted by ebog:
firegiver...good point. I understand that you don't believe there's a God that you will be accountable to. But are you telling me that you are not afraid of the unknowns that every one of us have to face?? Eg, "What happens when I die?" "Is there life after death?"

That's not make believe monsters under your bed, that's reality.

Short answer: No, I'm not afraid of what happens after I die.

As a young adult I used to believe in an after life and would use the assumption that if energy could neither be created nor destroyed, then my SOUL would have to carry on. Right?

Well, I realized I had flawed reasoning. Why? Because it relies on hope and wishes rather than evidence based hypothesis.

What we know is that we are conscious beings interpreting the reality in front of us. Thats about as close as we can get for a fact. One thing we've discovered is that our brains house our consciousness and the brain is part of our body. When we die, it loses oxygen and the cells making up its vast neural networks which we've created over out lifetimes, die. When we die the electromagnetic field surrounding our heart leaves and is absorbed by the atmosphere around us and dissipates. Our blood loses its warmth to the environment around us. Thus our energy was never destroyed, only absorbed.

Theres nothing I've seen that gives me reason to believe that any energy that was ever me in conscious form will ever suddenly manifest itself again after my body is gone.

Thats a scary thought to some, but not at all to me. I am living my life and attempt to treat it with the respect it deserves given that it and all life are precious.

This post was edited on 4/22 9:14 PM by firegiver

 

[One Fingerd Fist]

Originally posted by Earle36:
LOL all you want. You want be laughing if you continue to mock Jesus and don't repent.

I have seen a few Walking Dead episodes. I think i can handle zombies.

 

[usedtiger]

Originally posted by firegiver:

Short answer: No, I'm not afraid of what happens after I die.

As a young adult I used to believe in an after life and would use the assumption that if energy could neither be created nor destroyed, then my SOUL would have to carry on. Right?

Well, I realized I had flawed reasoning. Why? Because it relies on hope and wishes rather than evidence based hypothesis.

What we know is that we are conscious beings interpreting the reality in front of us. Thats about as close as we can get for a fact. One thing we've discovered is that our brains house our consciousness and the brain is part of our body. When we die, it loses oxygen and the cells making up its

Theres nothing I've seen that gives me reason to believe that any energy that was ever me in conscious form will ever suddenly manifest itself again after my body is gone.

Thats a scary thought to some, but not at all to me. I am living my life and attempt to treat it with the respect it deserves given that it and all life are precious.

This post was edited on 4/22 9:14 PM by firegiver

Fair enough...my hope is that you will find hope beyond this short life. If this is all there is, then we are all miserable. That "energy" is actually your spirit that will continue on after this life is over. Bless you bro!

 

[tboonpickens]

BigCat, your supposition that everything has precedent might be instinctive, but it has not been proven to be fact, especially as it relates to the universe or multiverse. Stephen Hawking's interpretation of M-theory, an offshoot of string theory, allows for a spherical view of time and space in which there is no need for any divine spark to ignite the Big Bang.

I would also love to be there on the day that sb22 explains why his screen name and picture are so funny to Jesus. Jesus and all of his bros in heaven will have a real kneeslapper on their hands that day. I wonder if people who have to ride short buses because God saw fit to create the potential for developmental and physical diseases are relieved of their burdens in heaven, or do they get to carry that cross for the amusement of the enlightened folk who go in for jokes like that for all eternity? Maybe sb22 will be able to tell us someday.

And, yes, I am being a bit melodramatic, but the hypocrisy (assuming he wasn't merely trolling) is too good to ignore sometimes.

 

[91 Tiger]

Bionic Tiger,

The questions that you ask are very common ones even for admitted Christians. The Bible says "Seek and you will find...."

Let me recommend two books for you to read. Both are written by Hank Hanegraaff. One is "Has God Spoken" and the other is "After Life". Both are very good and Hank does a good job of explaining what the Bible means. If you like I will order these two books and send them directly to you. I think before you get answers to these questions you must first understand some basic concepts/understanding of who God is and his plan of redemption. These books do a good job of putting some understanding to the Hope that lies within us. There are also two websites that I like to lean on. www.carm.org and www.equip.org.

 

[BigCat123]

Originally posted by tboonpickens:
BigCat, your supposition that everything has precedent might be instinctive, but it has not been proven to be fact, especially as it relates to the universe or multiverse. Stephen Hawking's interpretation of M-theory, an offshoot of string theory, allows for a spherical view of time and space in which there is no need for any divine spark to ignite the Big Bang.

Yeah, I'm not going to pretend to have an opinion on M-theory or string theory, other than I think its all fascinating and I'm glad there are smarter people than me out there who are capable of learning about it. And who knows how the universe is structured? Could be one in an infinite series, singular, one of multiple existing at the same time, shaped like a cloud, a circle, a water color of Gary Busey's face for all I know. None of those revelations would bother me though. In the same way that describing the structure and composition of a house wouldn't impact my belief that it didn't form randomly from nothing.

 

[Earle36]

A whole lot of ignorance being demonstrated by the non believers.
As long as your alive their is still hope.
Look at the 180 Maduro Tiger did when The Lord got a hold of him.

 

[TouchDown!Tigers!]

Believers couldn't be doing a worse job of saving nonbelievers itt. Let's hear some stories of real life encounters, scientifically unexplainable events, or something. I'm talking true miracles.

 

[Transference]

Originally posted by ebog:

Originally posted by firegiver:

Short answer: No, I'm not afraid of what happens after I die.

As a young adult I used to believe in an after life and would use the assumption that if energy could neither be created nor destroyed, then my SOUL would have to carry on. Right?

Well, I realized I had flawed reasoning. Why? Because it relies on hope and wishes rather than evidence based hypothesis.

What we know is that we are conscious beings interpreting the reality in front of us. Thats about as close as we can get for a fact. One thing we've discovered is that our brains house our consciousness and the brain is part of our body. When we die, it loses oxygen and the cells making up its

Theres nothing I've seen that gives me reason to believe that any energy that was ever me in conscious form will ever suddenly manifest itself again after my body is gone.

Thats a scary thought to some, but not at all to me. I am living my life and attempt to treat it with the respect it deserves given that it and all life are precious.

This post was edited on 4/22 9:14 PM by firegiver

Fair enough...my hope is that you will find hope beyond this short life. If this is all there is, then we are all miserable. That "energy" is actually your spirit that will continue on after this life is over. Bless you bro!

Wait, why? Your belief in god is the only thing that makes you happy? This is a pretty sad outlook on life, and one I hope most religious people don't hold...

 

[BionicTiger]

Originally posted by Earle36:
A whole lot of ignorance being demonstrated by the non believers.
As long as your alive their is still hope.
Look at the 180 Maduro Tiger did when The Lord got a hold of him.

It gets better. nice....

 

[firegiver]

Originally posted by Transference:

Originally posted by ebog:

Originally posted by firegiver:

Short answer: No, I'm not afraid of what happens after I die.

As a young adult I used to believe in an after life and would use the assumption that if energy could neither be created nor destroyed, then my SOUL would have to carry on. Right?

Well, I realized I had flawed reasoning. Why? Because it relies on hope and wishes rather than evidence based hypothesis.

What we know is that we are conscious beings interpreting the reality in front of us. Thats about as close as we can get for a fact. One thing we've discovered is that our brains house our consciousness and the brain is part of our body. When we die, it loses oxygen and the cells making up its

Theres nothing I've seen that gives me reason to believe that any energy that was ever me in conscious form will ever suddenly manifest itself again after my body is gone.

Thats a scary thought to some, but not at all to me. I am living my life and attempt to treat it with the respect it deserves given that it and all life are precious.

This post was edited on 4/22 9:14 PM by firegiver

Fair enough...my hope is that you will find hope beyond this short life. If this is all there is, then we are all miserable. That "energy" is actually your spirit that will continue on after this life is over. Bless you bro!

Wait, why? Your belief in god is the only thing that makes you happy? This is a pretty sad outlook on life, and one I hope most religious people don't hold...

Sounds like someone is putting all their hope in the afterlife.

 

[usedtiger]

No doubt about it! I place a whole lot of hope in the afterlife. That is what makes this life have meaning and purpose. I'm almost 50, and the reality of how short this life is, is really starting to sink in. This life is just a glimpse of what God has in store for eternity.
If you think that's a sad approach, then let me know how it feels when you see all the temporal things in this life begin to fade away.

If you don't mind, how old are you(trans, fg)?

 

[firegiver]

Originally posted by ebog:
No doubt about it! I place a whole lot of hope in the afterlife. That is what makes this life have meaning and purpose. I'm almost 50, and the reality of how short this life is, is really starting to sink in. This life is just a glimpse of what God has in store for eternity.
If you think that's a sad approach, then let me know how it feels when you see all the temporal things in this life begin to fade away.

If you don't mind, how old are you(trans, fg)?

I say believe whatever you want and more power to you. I'm 33.

 

[StSimonsIslandTiger]

I believe believers and nonbelievers would be fascinated by The Science of God, Gerald Schroeder, PhD. This Jewish MIT physics professor believes scientists and theologians should be interested in each other's work rather than at each other's throat. One of the greatest works examining science and the Bible. Covers what is consistent with each other and the inconsistencies and controversies.

 

[Transference]

Originally posted by ebog:
No doubt about it! I place a whole lot of hope in the afterlife. That is what makes this life have meaning and purpose. I'm almost 50, and the reality of how short this life is, is really starting to sink in. This life is just a glimpse of what God has in store for eternity.
If you think that's a sad approach, then let me know how it feels when you see all the temporal things in this life begin to fade away.

If you don't mind, how old are you(trans, fg)?

I'm 30. Death, or the fear of death, is never going to change how I approach life. I don't need false hope in the afterlife to fully enjoy everything in this life. Obviously you do, so to each his own, just sad IMO...

 

[BionicTiger]

91 and St. Simons,

I'll check those books out. Thanks.

 

[usedtiger]

Originally posted by firegiver:

Originally posted by ebog:
No doubt about it! I place a whole lot of hope in the afterlife. That is what makes this life have meaning and purpose. I'm almost 50, and the reality of how short this life is, is really starting to sink in. This life is just a glimpse of what God has in store for eternity.
If you think that's a sad approach, then let me know how it feels when you see all the temporal things in this life begin to fade away.

If you don't mind, how old are you(trans, fg)?

I say believe whatever you want and more power to you. I'm 33.

Same here. I realize that I'm not going to change many opinions or beliefs on a message board. You will see what I'm saying, probably already have, about how short this life is, as you age. My only point is that is if this is all there is, it's not much!

 

[Transference]

Originally posted by StSimonsIslandTiger:

I believe believers and nonbelievers would be fascinated by The Science of God, Gerald Schroeder, PhD. This Jewish MIT physics professor believes scientists and theologians should be interested in each other's work rather than at each other's throat. One of the greatest works examining science and the Bible. Covers what is consistent with each other and the inconsistencies and controversies.

I read that book over a decade ago, and it was laughable about how hard he had to bend/break science and the old testament in order to try and get them to line up. If anything, that book shows how ridiculous any notion of the bible containing any scientific reality really is...

 

[usedtiger]

St.Simo, thanks for the reference. Make sure you pick up your commission check. I just bought the book. Couldn't resist after I read some of the cover and preview.

 

[BigCat123]

Originally posted by Transference:

Originally posted by StSimonsIslandTiger:

I believe believers and nonbelievers would be fascinated by The Science of God, Gerald Schroeder, PhD. This Jewish MIT physics professor believes scientists and theologians should be interested in each other's work rather than at each other's throat. One of the greatest works examining science and the Bible. Covers what is consistent with each other and the inconsistencies and controversies.

I read that book over a decade ago, and it was laughable about how hard he had to bend/break science and the old testament in order to try and get them to line up. If anything, that book shows how ridiculous any notion of the bible containing any scientific reality really is...

I've never read the book but then I've never really felt the need to reconcile science with my religious views. Science is a method of learning about and describing natural phenomena. Religion by definition is concerned with the esoteric. They're different things. I'd no sooner try and line the two up than I'd try and prove the correlation between ballet and football. The only time I could see the two intersecting would be if I insisted on literally interpreting religious texts, thus necessitating situations like a search for the Garden of Eden or Noah's Ark. None of that stuff matters to me insofar as I believe the stories are attempts to explain man's purpose in life and on Earth. That's not to say that the two need to be at odds. Both are, in their separate ways, pursuits of knowledge.

 

[SDTiger9]

I was a heavily invested Catholic and spent years learning everything there is to know about religions in general. They are, as a collective, fascinating in origin and how they've morphed over time.

The Devil's Playground moniker about the internet is accurate from a diehard Christian point of view but really needs to be applied 550 years ago to the man given most credit for bible mass production, Johannes Gutenberg. It also helped drive "blasphemous" prose at the time..................... but it got people thinking.

What's most interesting is this invention drove the Protestant Reformation. It drove a large adoption of Christianity but also drove a Baskin Robbins approach on how Christianity needs to be practiced and consumed. Would there be a Lutheran church in your neighborhood if the printing press come about? Would the Great Awakening take place without a ready made book?

You can argue that the Jesus Playground was created by Gutenberg but I'd also argue the Devil's Playground was created at the same time as it drove certain individuals(Roger Williams, Martin Luther) idea of Christianity and drove the 31 flavors.

I've always said mass communication will be the ultimate downfall to society. It allows a consultant to walk out of the CIA with classified documents that could devastate a country. It allows rogue groups to create global havoc. I'm sure some yahoo will be able to create an atomic or dirty bomb from a random website if it hasn't been done so already. The internet provides too much access to those who can't handle it. That's a problem.

I'm convinced for those that follow certain religious life paths will be fulfilled. I'm also convinced for those that lead a quality life serving the common man to make this world a better place will also be fulfilled. To ridicule or say otherwise is ignorant at best. Give me an atheist police officer with a clean record vs a diehard zealot officer who is pausing an instant decision over the perceived thought of who's soul is better to save. There is no reason to judge, none.

It's about respect and a quality. If you can't easily assess that, then hold up a mirror to your face for a reailty check.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printing_press#cite_note-42

This post was edited on 4/23 5:28 PM by SDTiger9

 

[JAMCRACKER99]

Originally posted by ArmyTiger27:

Originally posted by Howard's Jock:
This place scares me sometimes.

Posted from Rivals Mobile

It's become a Perry Noble flea market outlet.

So much for politics and religion being moved to the Round Table. Shit's ridiculous at this point.

I use to read TI every 30 min. Now, it's every 3 days.

I just read (for the most part) every comment in this thread and this is the thread winner. When will we learn that we can't change people's minds when it comes to religion and politics. There is no absolute right or absolute wrong. The truth usually lies somewhere in between. I can't wait for football season. Perhaps I need to start a LeBron thread to throw the gang off a bit in the meantime.

 

[Tiger2526]

Amen

 

[usedtiger]

Originally posted by JAMCRACKER99:

Originally posted by ArmyTiger27:

It's become a Perry Noble flea market outlet.

So much for politics and religion being moved to the Round Table. Shit's ridiculous at this point.

I use to read TI every 30 min. Now, it's every 3 days.

I just read (for the most part) every comment in this thread and this is the thread winner. When will we learn that we can't change people's minds when it comes to religion and politics. There is no absolute right or absolute wrong. The truth usually lies somewhere in between. I can't wait for football season. Perhaps I need to start a LeBron thread to throw the gang off a bit in the meantime.

Funny how 2 of you - one w/almost 7000, another w/over 10,000 post - are whining over tt. You couldn't stay away for 3 days if you had to! Lol lol.

 

[TAINT_PAINT]

Originally posted by Earle36:
A whole lot of ignorance being demonstrated by the non believers.
As long as your alive their is still hope.
Look at the 180 Maduro Tiger did when The Lord got a hold of him.

IS EARLE A FAMILY NAME?

 

[11tigers11]

I like how this thread disappears for 3 days then comes back to the top