When current events test your faith?

Gumbi

My post was poorly worded, I'm with you on that. I didn't make my point clearly at all, and, in any case, it's slightly off-topic. Stupid late night post...and here's another lol. Apologies.

Gumbi

philologos wrote: »

As opposed to looking to the Bible looking to find reasons not to believe as many atheists do on boards.

The honest approach would be to investigate Scripture without precluding the possibility that it could be true. That's all I expect of a genuine seeker. It's what brought me to Christ nearly 6 years ago.

That's the thing, though, isn't it. It's a lot easier to disprove something than to prove something.

In any case, many atheists, I imagine, have many more reasons to disbelieve than just the Bible.

philologos

Gumbi wrote: »

That's the thing, though, isn't it. It's a lot easier to disprove something than to prove something.

In any case, many atheists, I imagine, have many more reasons to disbelieve than just the Bible.

Not my point at all. I was discussing confirmation bias. Many atheists go looking to find perceived reasons to reject Scripture rather than listen to it.

I don't for a second believe that anyone has disproven the Bible. I just think that many people read the Bible with the intention of not listening to it.

That's really confirmation bias.

Gumbi

philologos wrote: »

Not my point at all. I was discussing confirmation bias. Many atheists go looking to find perceived reasons to reject Scripture rather than listen to it.

I don't for a second believe that anyone has disproven the Bible. I just think that many people read the Bible with the intention of not listening to it.

That's really confirmation bias.

Yeah, I think you're right there. Reading the Bible with an intention to disbelieve it isn't honest.

Tim Robbins

philologos wrote: »

As opposed to looking to the Bible looking to find reasons not to believe as many atheists do on boards.

The honest approach would be to investigate Scripture without precluding the possibility that it could be true. That's all I expect of a genuine seeker. It's what brought me to Christ nearly 6 years ago.

When you read the Bible and it makes a reference to God in every second sentence and it is written and translated by people who passionately believe it is all true, you do get a certain mystical feeling in your head alright

But when you stand back and look at the intellectual robustness of it versus say a good science book it just all falls apart.

JimiTime

Tim Robbins wrote: »

But when you stand back and look at the intellectual robustness of it versus say a good science book it just all falls apart.

Could you expand on that? I'm struggling to even compare something like a Science book to, lets say, The book of Psalms

philologos

JimiTime wrote: »

Could you expand on that? I'm struggling to even compare something like a Science book to, lets say, The book of Psalms

I guess Tim's making the claim that science books are the only useful ones.

The problem with this is that science books concern natural laws. Christianity deals with questions of meaning but it also makes claims about the origin of creation including the scientific laws that Tim thinks God must be bound by.

I think there are a lot of intellectual difficulties with atheism, but I think this is for the megathread.

Tim Robbins

philologos wrote: »

I guess Tim's making the claim that science books are the only useful ones.

The problem with this is that science books concern natural laws. Christianity deals with questions of meaning but it also makes claims about the origin of creation including the scientific laws that Tim thinks God must be bound by.

I think there are a lot of intellectual difficulties with atheism, but I think this is for the megathread.

Well a good philosophy book either. I see no intellectual robustness in scripture. I just see at best - poetic things and fantasy.
I go only speak for myself but when you start thinking scientifically (or very analytically or logically) the holes in scripture get bigger and bigger.

I was watching a bit of Lord of the Rings over xmas. I started thinking things like but that's fire surely it will burn him, when was the last time someone went to the toilet. Do they not need water soon? When did he shave?



And when you think like this the movie seems stupid. But when you see the human emotion of how sad they are when someone dies and you think more that way, you get into it a bit more. I believe something similar happens with scripture.

IT is possible to reach a different state of consciousness but only if you stop thinking logically.

I expect a lot of developments in neuro-science which will help us understand this aspect of religion in the next 20 years.

I have updated other mega-thread.

tommy2bad

So logically what help would you offer the OP; **** happens?
It's one of the things that neither science or religion can answer satisfactorily. Why do bad things happen good people? It might be the question thats at fault.

JimiTime

Tim Robbins wrote: »

Well a good philosophy book either. I see no intellectual robustness in scripture. I just see at best - poetic things and fantasy.
I go only speak for myself but when you start thinking scientifically (or very analytically or logically) the holes in scripture get bigger and bigger.

I was watching a bit of Lord of the Rings over xmas. I started thinking things like but that's fire surely it will burn him, when was the last time someone went to the toilet. Do they not need water soon? When did he shave?



And when you think like this the movie seems stupid. But when you see the human emotion of how sad they are when someone dies and you think more that way, you get into it a bit more. I believe something similar happens with scripture.

IT is possible to reach a different state of consciousness but only if you stop thinking logically.

I expect a lot of developments in neuro-science which will help us understand this aspect of religion in the next 20 years.

I have updated other mega-thread.