maycocksean
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
Absolutely agree here.
To go back to the therapy notion, I don't think you can help people who don't want to be helped, or who don't admit they have a problem. I suppose that's why Jesus avoided the self-righteous who thought they had it figured out; they had no need for Him.
Having just watched Tom Shadyac's new documentary I AM, where he talks about all the things that are killing our souls (consumerism, competition, greed, etc), and how tuned out we are to it all, I think it's safe to say that few of us really know what's good for us. The problem, however, is that we're all being told we're all right, when the reality is far different...
I don't disagree with any of this, but perhaps you could articulate exactly what this implies about people going to hell?
And i think that could sum up what we have going on in here.
Those of us who use science, logic, common sense, and whatever else is used to measure and test whats in the real world will never convince a believer that God/Heaven/Hell/etc does NOT exist.
I wouldn't argue with the assertion that there isn't emprical evidence for God, but your suggestion that only people lacking logic and common sense would be religious is condescending not to mention on untrue.
Heaven sounds like a great place from descriptions (though an eternity is too long for me, hopefully there's a lot to do) if it were to be true.
Presuming excellent health and optimum personal circumstances, how long would be long enough for you?
As i said before, I can't just pretend in something on blind faith. Tried that with Santa, and that turned out to be a disappointment.
I wouldn't suggest that you should believe out of "blind faith." There is an experiential (though not experimental) aspect to faith that we believers have that I think you either discount or assume is not there.
speaking of that, funny how we can lie to kids about a man who travels the world on flying raindeer in one night, delivering gifts to good boys and girls until they get older and we admit it was just a story to make you behave.
Yet we continue to lie about a creator somewhere we can't see who created everything, and may or may not be invovled with everything, and if we're good and follow his 10 laws, we'll meet up with our loved ones in the next life.
Makes perfect sense to me.
Again, you're suggested that those of us who are believers are knowingly lying about our faith--saying that God exists when we know good and well he doesn't. Doesn't that strike you as a rather self-serving argument? (Incidentally, I don't discount your parallel to Santa Claus. I know most people view teaching your kids about Santa Claus as harmless, but ESPECIALLY as a believer, I find it quite harmful to teach my child about someone that I know isn't real. My kid may be the only one in preschool who doesn't believe in Santa, but that's okay with me).