Christianity: Conservative or Socialist?

Lowaicue said:
Does the word itself preclude such testing? Really?
Care to explain or give the etymology?
Tried a dictionary?

OK. I'll do it for you: Super = above or beyond. Natural = nature or adj modifying noun .
Therefore 'Beyond nature'. Well, call me a Republican but that means, to me, it does not exist since 'nature' means everything included in the known universe(s).
I think you need to help me here, sir.
Just a straight response would suffice.
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What it means "to you"...

Nothing is more certain than the fact that nothing is certain. While nature does mean "the material world" does that mean that thought does not exist as it is immaterial? Ideas, again, are not part of the material world.

I don't care what it means "to you", I just know that such certainty requires as much faith as the opposite certainty. I'm not trying to convert you to something and don't really care, but certainty without evidence definitely lowers my estimate of your intelligence.

One can say, "I believe that gods don't exist," and I'll be right there defending you. One who says, "It is impossible," is just announcing to the world, "I am a fool!"
 
Damocles said:
What it means "to you"...

Nothing is more certain than the fact that nothing is certain. While nature does mean "the material world" does that mean that thought does not exist as it is immaterial? Ideas, again, are not part of the material world.

I don't care what it means "to you", I just know that such certainty requires as much faith as the opposite certainty. I'm not trying to convert you to something and don't really care, but certainty without evidence definitely lowers my estimate of your intelligence.

One can say, "I believe that gods don't exist," and I'll be right there defending you. One who says, "It is impossible," is just announcing to the world, "I am a fool!"
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You cannot say gods exist or do not exist unless you define the word 'god'. Evidence thus far supports the non-existence of any 'god' when the usual understanding of the word is used. If you wish to say that we are our own 'gods' and that our conscience helps us make our life decisions, then OK. But I doubt that that is what you mean.
'God' as a supernatural being as described in the bible does not exist. Simple. God as described in other terms might well (see above).
The super natural does not exist. It cannot.
If your 'faith' leads you to deny that and if your 'faith' comforts you, then I would not prevent you from following it. But please, for the sake sanity, do not continue trying to convince people who do not share your belief in fairies, that they are wrong.
Have a nice day.
Oh you could, I suppose, question existence itself as have philosophers before you and you could posit the existence of parallel universes, but that would lead to an entirely different debate.
You may, if you wish define a priori and a posteriori knowledge. It might help understanding, but I fear it might engage you for far longer than you wish.
Read Dawkins when you have a moment.
 
Uh, Damo has not tried to convert a single person on this board to Buddhism, Low. He has merely defended the faiths of others, because he is a cool dude, and has an interest in comparative religions.
 
Topspin, why do you neg conservatives for everything they post? You seem to do it even when they say something that anyone could agree with. I've barely seen you contrubute anything in my few months on this site, but you strike me as being kind of a dick. Just sayin.
 
Lowaicue said:
You cannot say gods exist or do not exist unless you define the word 'god'. Evidence thus far supports the non-existence of any 'god' when the usual understanding of the word is used. If you wish to say that we are our own 'gods' and that our conscience helps us make our life decisions, then OK. But I doubt that that is what you mean.
'God' as a supernatural being as described in the bible does not exist. Simple. God as described in other terms might well (see above).
The super natural does not exist. It cannot.
If your 'faith' leads you to deny that and if your 'faith' comforts you, then I would not prevent you from following it. But please, for the sake sanity, do not continue trying to convince people who do not share your belief in fairies, that they are wrong.
Have a nice day.
Oh you could, I suppose, question existence itself as have philosophers before you and you could posit the existence of parallel universes, but that would lead to an entirely different debate.
You may, if you wish define a priori and a posteriori knowledge. It might help understanding, but I fear it might engage you for far longer than you wish.
Read Dawkins when you have a moment.
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This post makes it very clear you either do not understand what you read, or you just assume what people will say instead of reading.

Again, one can say, "I don't believe gods exist." and I will be right there to defend that kind of statement. It's the foolish certainty of "impossible" that lights up my stupidity radar.

I'll also repeat that I have no urge to convert you to anything, I just like pointing out how foolish such statements are. Of course a "god" could exist, and if it did it would be "impossible" to detect or prove because it is supernatural which largely means "we don't understand yet". Humans have spent nearly their entire existence saying that stuff is "impossible" that they later find to be quite possible, even sometimes unavoidable.

It is just inane to say that because we don't yet have an instrument that could detect something that it is impossible for it to exist. Such short sighted thinking can be dangerous when you are suddenly facing what you thought was "impossible".
 
Damocles said:
This post makes it very clear you either do not understand what you read, or you just assume what people will say instead of reading.

Again, one can say, "I don't believe gods exist." and I will be right there to defend that kind of statement. It's the foolish certainty of "impossible" that lights up my stupidity radar.

I'll also repeat that I have no urge to convert you to anything, I just like pointing out how foolish such statements are. Of course a "god" could exist, and if it did it would be "impossible" to detect or prove because it is supernatural which largely means "we don't understand yet". Humans have spent nearly their entire existence saying that stuff is "impossible" that they later find to be quite possible, even sometimes unavoidable.

It is just inane to say that because we don't yet have an instrument that could detect something that it is impossible for it to exist. Such short sighted thinking can be dangerous when you are suddenly facing what you thought was "impossible".
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OK. Lets put it another way.
Of all the tangible evidence thus far discovered and presented the chances of the supernatural actually existing are totally insignificant.
There are those who, despite evidence to the contrary, hang on to the belief that the supernatural can exist (that means it is definite possibility). Each time more evidence is presented they slightly change their position. Nobody nowadays (or very very few) believe that the bible is a true account of anything. The established churches now accept it as allegorical at best and a sop to ignorance at the worst. By established churches, by the way, I do not include the fringe religions such as born again christians, seventh day adventists, etc.
Sorry. My dinner is being served. I will continue this later....maybe
 
PostmodernProphet said:
obviously that is false, a third of the people on this planet believe it is a true account of the incarnation of God on this planet 2000 years ago.....
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The biggest problem is that only the religious wackos make the news. The idiots protesting military funerals get press while the millions quietly living a life of strong faith go without fanfare.
 
Damn Yankee said:
It's an emotion: what you feel about religion, and what I feel about intrusive governments and commies. Do you deny that it exists? :)
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Hate = A temporary negative emotion towards a person.
Hate = A permanent negative feeling towards a person.
Hate = An emotion that instills in one person the desire to kill another.
Hate = An emotion that instills in one person the desire to destroy a company. organisation, country, etc.
Hate = a word used in jest between two friends.

And, of course there are many other shades which may be called hate by me, but not by you or vice versa.

So, what is hate? and is it something that has its own existence or is it simply a fleeting emotion. Certainly it is not material and therefore cannot exist as a tangible 'thing'. Faith is also not a material existence. It certainly exists. Faith in the supernatural exists as does faith in the tooth fairy or faith that aliens are about to attack the earth. The difference is that few people would live their lives by the writings of people who invented the tooth fairy.
By the way, I do not hate religion in any of the forms of hatred I have listed. Religion has been a very important part of the lives of many. Many of my own family are religious in varying degrees. They do not think they are wrong and I have no intention of making them discontent by pointing out the incongruities of their beliefs.
Your final comparison with intrusive goverments and 'commies' must beg the same question.
What experience do you have of either and can you explain in sensible terms what the phrases mean?
By what I have seen of you thus far, you have not the slightest idea of what communism is or where it exists, if indeed it does. You have lived you life in a largely unrealistic society (The US) and unless you can show me I am wrong, have developed a standard right wing, refusal to accept anything that might threaten your comfort.
I'm cool with that.
 
PostmodernProphet said:
obviously that is false, a third of the people on this planet believe it is a true account of the incarnation of God on this planet 2000 years ago.....
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I would doubt that. Certainly there are about 2billion 'nominal' christians. They do NOT all believe the bible is a true account of anything. Most are far more sensible. I know that America is out on a limb as far as Christianity is concerned but even if the entire American population believed the bible was the word of god, that is still only 300 million out of about 6.5 billion. I know no Catholics who would say that, no Anglicans, only USS Loony still sails that course.
One again we see that Americans, in general terms, are very easily misled. Many seem to think that America has and deserves a special place in the world and few can see how far from the truth that is.
Very little cynicism seems to exist. Commercial manipulation was refined to an art form in America and having known several of your countrymen, of various persuasions I would conclude that their view of the world is quite similar to that of most Chinese.
Strange.
 
Lowaicue said:
Hate = A temporary negative emotion towards a person.
Hate = A permanent negative feeling towards a person.
Hate = An emotion that instills in one person the desire to kill another.
Hate = An emotion that instills in one person the desire to destroy a company. organisation, country, etc.
Hate = a word used in jest between two friends.

And, of course there are many other shades which may be called hate by me, but not by you or vice versa.

So, what is hate? and is it something that has its own existence or is it simply a fleeting emotion. Certainly it is not material and therefore cannot exist as a tangible 'thing'. Faith is also not a material existence. It certainly exists. Faith in the supernatural exists as does faith in the tooth fairy or faith that aliens are about to attack the earth. The difference is that few people would live their lives by the writings of people who invented the tooth fairy.
By the way, I do not hate religion in any of the forms of hatred I have listed. Religion has been a very important part of the lives of many. Many of my own family are religious in varying degrees. They do not think they are wrong and I have no intention of making them discontent by pointing out the incongruities of their beliefs.
Your final comparison with intrusive goverments and 'commies' must beg the same question.
What experience do you have of either and can you explain in sensible terms what the phrases mean?
By what I have seen of you thus far, you have not the slightest idea of what communism is or where it exists, if indeed it does. You have lived you life in a largely unrealistic society (The US) and unless you can show me I am wrong, have developed a standard right wing, refusal to accept anything that might threaten your comfort.
I'm cool with that.
Click to expand...

Can you prove that hate exists?
 
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