Question for non Christians.....

  • Thread starter Thread starter AnthonySorensen
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
seeker57 said:
What makes me happy?

Many things: gardening, walking in the desert, hiking in the mountains, train travel.

As a Unitarian Universalist, I don’t worship a god. I believe there is a source of all that exists.

We all came from it and we shall all return to it, regardless of whether you call it a god, the sprit of life, nature, or whatever.

Since that spirit of life is in each of us, worship is not spending a lot of time mumbling words, but in acting.

When we help others, try to make the world a better place than we found it, try to protect the circle of life, we are worshipping.

Peace,

Seeker
Click to expand...
Supposing there was no intelligence behind the universe, no creative mind. In that case, nobody designed my brain for the purpose of thinking. It is merely that when the atoms inside my skull happen for certain physical or chemical reasons to arrange themselves in a certain way, that gives me, as a by-product, the sensation I call thought. But if it is so, how can I trust my own thinking to be true? It’s like upsetting a milk jug and hoping that the way the splash arranges will give you a map of London. But if I can’t trust my own thinking, of course I can’t trust the arguments leading to atheism, and therefore have no reason to be an atheist, or anything else. Unless I believe in God, I can’t believe in thought; so I can never use thought to disbelieve in God.
 
Favian25054 said:
Supposing there was no intelligence behind the universe, no creative mind. In that case, nobody designed my brain for the purpose of thinking. It is merely that when the atoms inside my skull happen for certain physical or chemical reasons to arrange themselves in a certain way, that gives me, as a by-product, the sensation I call thought. But if it is so, how can I trust my own thinking to be true? It’s like upsetting a milk jug and hoping that the way the splash arranges will give you a map of London. But if I can’t trust my own thinking, of course I can’t trust the arguments leading to atheism, and therefore have no reason to be an atheist, or anything else. Unless I believe in God, I can’t believe in thought; so I can never use thought to disbelieve in God.
Click to expand...
How can one believe in God without using one’s mind and thinking? If one uses one’s mind to believe, your question on how to know if what you believe is true still stands.
 
Favian25054 said:
Since your a Pagan how do you think this Man named Jesus performed so many miracles and than still get crucified and come back alive on the 3rd day
Click to expand...
Well, that’s a long list of assumptions:
  • assuming Jesus ever existed
  • assuming, if he did exist, that he performed miracles (and these miracles were supernatural in origin, not just trickery)
  • again, assuming he existed, assuming he was crucified
  • and finally, assuming all those other points, that he came back alive on the third day (and that his disciples didn’t just make it up, 'cause, you know, they kept telling people he was going to do it, wouldn’t want him to not fulfill a prophecy, now would we?)
shrugs I don’t know. Am I supposed to have a special knowledge of such things because I’m Pagan? TBH, who Jesus is or is not is irrelevant to either my beliefs or practice. How should I know?
 
Hunter24 said:
and what makes me happy? A clear day, the wind in my hair, the thrill of the hunt, the subtle ebb and flow of life… College Football!
Click to expand...
That sounds nice on paper. But I’d wager that isn’t reality.
 
Lokabrenna said:
Well, that’s a long list of assumptions:
  • assuming Jesus ever existed
  • assuming, if he did exist, that he performed miracles (and these miracles were supernatural in origin, not just trickery)
  • again, assuming he existed, assuming he was crucified
  • and finally, assuming all those other points, that he came back alive on the third day (and that his disciples didn’t just make it up, 'cause, you know, they kept telling people he was going to do it, wouldn’t want him to not fulfill a prophecy, now would we?)
shrugs I don’t know. Am I supposed to have a special knowledge of such things because I’m Pagan? TBH, who Jesus is or is not is irrelevant to either my beliefs or practice. How should I know?
Click to expand...
Just asking I ask a lot of people what they believe Jesus is
 
I’m not sure if you mean only atheists when you say non-Christians or if you mean other religions, or both. Anyhow, I must say the thread itself seems confrontational. And I guess I’m being confrontational as well but I felt the need to express this.
 
AnthonySorensen said:
That sounds nice on paper. But I’d wager that isn’t reality.
Click to expand...
i can say more things that make me happy. being with friends and family, barbeque, military history, a rocking party, love… what are you expecting me to say? the grace of the gods?
 
meltzerboy said:
I’m not sure if you mean only atheists when you say non-Christians or if you mean other religions, or both. Anyhow, I must say the thread itself seems confrontational. And I guess I’m being confrontational as well but I felt the need to express this.
Click to expand...
Oh, I know…he’s going to tell me to “clear out”. but you are not being confrontational, you are being very rational and calling us all to remember to be nice! Thank you for expressing what I feel.
FYI, Anthony, I do not have to avoid a thread because you dislike my questions or me :), unless a mod orders me to stop posting, which I would obey. 👍
I must say, if you are going to start threads like these, you have to be ready to get different answers, not the one you want, maybe…but if it’s going to annoy you to get answers, maybe you shouldn’t ask 'em. All the posters who are of a “different mind” have been very polite. Now look at some of the other posts…hmm.
 
ReachingFaith said:
Oh, I know…he’s going to tell me to “clear out”. but you are not being confrontational, you are being very rational and calling us all to remember to be nice! Thank you for expressing what I feel.
FYI, Anthony, I do not have to avoid a thread because you dislike my questions or me :), unless a mod orders me to stop posting, which I would obey. 👍
I must say, if you are going to start threads like these, you have to be ready to get different answers, not the one you want, maybe…but if it’s going to annoy you to get answers, maybe you shouldn’t ask 'em. All the posters who are of a “different mind” have been very polite. Now look at some of the other posts…hmm.
Click to expand...
👍
 
ReachingFaith said:
Oh, I know…he’s going to tell me to “clear out”. but you are not being confrontational, you are being very rational and calling us all to remember to be nice! Thank you for expressing what I feel.
FYI, Anthony, I do not have to avoid a thread because you dislike my questions or me :), unless a mod orders me to stop posting, which I would obey. 👍
I must say, if you are going to start threads like these, you have to be ready to get different answers, not the one you want, maybe…but if it’s going to annoy you to get answers, maybe you shouldn’t ask 'em. All the posters who are of a “different mind” have been very polite. Now look at some of the other posts…hmm.
Click to expand...
You are a trouble maker. Stay out of my threads. I’m done being courteous to you. Stay out or I will get a mod to keep you out.
 
Hunter24 said:
i can say more things that make me happy. being with friends and family, barbeque, military history, a rocking party, love… what are you expecting me to say? the grace of the gods?
Click to expand...
My point was I think your answers are meant to impress and sound nice but are not reality.
 
Hunter, would you say the more suffering a life is filled with, the less it is worth? For example if you had to choose between saving person A who can enjoy worldly pleasures and person B who can’t, would you say that the life of person A is more qualitatively valuable?

It is my opinion that without God one would adapt a utilitarian view on the value of life, which is why euthanasia when people will suffer is practiced and honorable to the secular society.
 
InJesusItrust said:
Hunter, would you say the more suffering a life is filled with, the less it is worth? For example if you had to choose between saving person A who can enjoy worldly pleasures and person B who can’t, would you say that the life of person A is more qualitatively valuable?

It is my opinion that without God one would adapt a utilitarian view on the value of life, which is why euthanasia when people will suffer is practiced and honorable to the secular society.
Click to expand...
Believing in God as you do, which one would you choose?
 
I would not say person A’s life is more valuable. Hence I would not abort babies with down syndrome or “mercy kill” a person just because they have an incurable illness while at the same providing suicide hotline for “normal” people.

I think that the Catholic stance is that both people are infinitively valuable. But what would a person who has no view of redemptive suffering choose?
 
InJesusItrust said:
I would not say person A’s life is more valuable. Hence I would not abort babies with down syndrome or “mercy kill” a person just because they have an incurable illness while at the same providing suicide hotline for “normal” people.

I think that the Catholic stance is that both people are infinitively valuable. But what would a person who has no view of redemptive suffering choose?
Click to expand...
In your question you stated that one had to choose between two people. You didn’t ask about euthanasia or abortion.

You haven’t answered your own question. Which one would you choose? Perhaps you would like to rephrase your question?
 
I would rephrase it as if you believe that person A is more valuable than person B. Given no other details, would you lean to choose to save person A? I would not. Others might say that the choice is obvious but I do not.
 
InJesusItrust said:
I would rephrase it as if you believe that person A is more valuable than person B. Given no other details, would you lean to choose to save person A? I would not. Others might say that the choice is obvious but I do not.
Click to expand...
Try again. Here is your original question.
For example if you had to choose between saving person A who can enjoy worldly pleasures and person B who can’t, would you say that the life of person A is more qualitatively valuable?
Click to expand...
You are still saying one has to choose. Which one would **you **choose to save?
 
No, I said “would you lean” the second time. I would not lean to choose person A, given no other details. Why are you arguing semantics?
 
InJesusItrust said:
No, I said “would you lean”. I would not lean to choose person A. Why are you arguing semantics?
Click to expand...
Regardless of who is chosen to live, one would have to die. You are choosing to allow person B to die. Person B has done nothing wrong except to enjoy life, yet he dies. What does that say about your question?

By the way, I have worked with children with Down Syndrome and they are quite capable of enjoying the pleasures of life.

Why don’t you ask if it is Ok to kill people with Down Syndrome or a chronic disease if that is what you are trying to get at.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top