Religion

[Figment]

*facepalms*

[ItsTheSheppy]

Originally Posted by IDukeNukeml

If I'm right, you get a firey lake of hell. If I'm wrong, we all just go to sleep forever. Either way, in the end. I win. Period.

Unless you believe in the wrong god. Then you're screwed.

And considering the sheer number of gods that humanity has already invented...

...Compounded with the literally endless possibilities for the nature of god, if one does exist, that we simply have not discovered...

It looks to me like nobody wins.

Pascal's wager is a goofy fallacy because it looks at the god question as if it's binary. Either there is a god, or there isn't. While technically true, it doesn't serve to tell the whole truth. That's like saying my choices for dinner tonight are 'spaghetti' and 'not spaghetti'. The truth is, there are a great many more options than that.

Except for the analogy to work perfectly, you'd have to be talking about dinner options for which there is no evidence of them existing. Like "Gooblechunks" and "Bangarang Pie" and "Roast Jabberwocky". It's very, very likely I won't be having any of those.

[Sirisian]

Originally Posted by IDukeNukeml

Go back and read all of what I've posted about human intelligence and then make your statements with absolute solace.

I've read this whole thread. Not sure why you would make such a statement. I stand by what I said.

[Baneblade]

Umm, the only people that claim to have all the answers are the... religious.

[NivexQ]

Originally Posted by IDukeNukeml

What fears me is people not believing in anything at all... or believing in this race as it is now. We do NOT know it ALL. WE never will.

Nobody is claiming to know it all except, like Sobekeus said, the religious. I believe in science (No. Not Scientology, like you keep trying to insist we believe in.), reasoning, and logic (And there's only one logic. You can't say that you were taught a different logic than I was. Well, I suppose you could but that wouldn't be logical )

Originally Posted by IDukeNukeml

But ignorance will ALWAYS be bliss.

It seems to be working for you, Duke.


Duke, I've said it once and I'll say it again. I like you. You're a good guy, and I enjoy gaming with you. But, you're making a fool of yourself.

[Figment]

Scientology is probably one of the most messed up money making sectarian cults in the world.

[Vash02]

Originally Posted by Figment

Scientology is probably one of the most messed up money making sectarian cults in the world.

You havent seen American televangleists then. They encouraged people to throw their medication away (or at least used to) and praise jesus instead, also give them lots of money. Actually you can forget the jesus part just give us the money.

[Figment]

Seen that yes. With the whole super-stadium churches and all.

[Crator]

The first baptist church here in Houston is massive. And they have multiple campus buildings in different areas of the city. When I first visited the main church back when I was still in high school in Louisiana I was in awe.

http://houstonsfirst.org/

They don't encourage folks to throw away meds and give the money to the church though. :P

[Sirisian]

Originally Posted by Vash02

You havent seen American televangleists then.

Awesome music video about that:

[Warborn]

Originally Posted by elfailo

I voted atheist not because I have absolute certainty that God doesn't exist, but because if he did exist, I would really hate him.

You have a point there. If this world is the best God could do, he's either evil or incompetent.

[BuzzCutPsycho]

Edgy.

[Effective]

Originally Posted by IDukeNukeml

What excites me the most ( and this I have said before) is the amount of participation involved.

In all that has been spoken about, people wouldn't be trying to convince JUST me and crazy assed traak that we're wrong unless they were looking for someone to convince them.

It hurts people that other people can know they're right ( and those same people can justify and and logicify it otherwise) but can't win their battle through that logic.

People blame ignorance, then use their own intelligence to base THEIR facts on.

It simply flat amazes me. Really, Honest to GOD, amazes me.

what? do you ever say anything that makes any sense ever?

[AnamNantom]

Originally Posted by Figment

Duke, I can tell you one thing: history is NOT behind you, since you make it up as you go. You seem to reason like an anti-intellectual, which quite frankly, is a dumb position to hold, pun intended. You don't think you have to be right in a debate and back up anything you say, you just feel right, so then you must be right, right? No, that is not how things work in a debate.

To the poster defending Duke, the point he and you try to make are both based on self-deluding circle argumentation and wishful thinking. Try to understand that some of us prefer to face reality than to Memento Mori and waste our lives in hope of some none existing afterlife. You say it is that simple, to just believe. Is it then so hard to provide any reason to do so? Consistency with facts. Consistency with itself. Consistency with observations? None of those goes, so why would anyone aside from those unable to accept death have any reason to believe?

You may have missed it, what I was meaning to indicate was that the way of salvation was simple. It was putting our trust in Jesus Christ's sacrifice to save from Hell. I'm not saying belief is easy. Especially in the world we live in. There's a lot out there in the world seeking to destroy any faith you might have in Jesus Christ, specifically.

Here's a simple thing:

John 3:

16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.


That is what I present to you, take it, or leave it. No one in the world will ever completely be able to comprehend God, or the full measure of His love. Faith in Him does not take a full measure of knowing everything there is about Him, nor in fully trusting, believe that or not. Faith in Christ just takes one step toward Him.

I'm not debating, but offering you what I believe.

[Baneblade]

Originally Posted by IDukeNukeml

What excites me the most ( and this I have said before) is the amount of participation involved.

In all that has been spoken about, people wouldn't be trying to convince JUST me and crazy assed traak that we're wrong unless they were looking for someone to convince them.

It hurts people that other people can know they're right ( and those same people can justify and and logicify it otherwise) but can't win their battle through that logic.

People blame ignorance, then use their own intelligence to base THEIR facts on.

It simply flat amazes me. Really, Honest to GOD, amazes me.

Nah, they just want to see if you are real or just trolling.