To you yes as your image of God is synonymous with an Easter Bunny. To Catholics God is not a big rabbit in the sky and became Incarnate.Correct.Nothing wrong with that either. But to base one’s whole life on an imaginary friend is pretty scary.
**If one is realistic **to base one’s whole life on an imaginary enemy called Chance who wreaks wanton destruction, makes everything meaningless, drives people to despair and commit suicide must be terrifying …Thank you. Now I understand what you mean. But the first thing is still the same - to make sure that your existence is beyond any doubt. Only when the are fully convinced that YOU exist, can you build upon that platform, and give them reasons to “believe IN you” or to “trust you”.
Only a very small child can do that. As a matter of fact, my parents saved a letter, that I wrote to the Easter Bunny. It quite cute.
Correct.
That is a great point. The imaginary enemy Chance is the creator, punisher and ultimately the killer of everything. Chance creates a world of darkness - and yes, realistically, despair.
Hi. Your call is an utter waste of time. Please note that after this message kindly donated by Brad no one will ever respond because you are totally isolated in the darkness of eternity…
Fortunately most people don’t take it to its logical conclusion because in their heart of hearts they know it’s not true. In the words of the sceptic David Hume:
But, you see, I am not “entrenched” in my position. I have nothing “riding” on my lack of belief. If someone could present some proof, that I am wrong, and that God actually exists, I would not change my life one bit. If there would be an afterlife, I would be very happy to see my deceased loved ones again.
One does not have to have anything riding on their belief or lack of it to hold an entrenched position.
Thanks for sharing it with me. I don’t have such strong position about my lack of belief. I can assure you that I would be willing to change my position, if I saw some strong evidence which would compel me to do so.One does not have to have anything riding on their belief or lack of it to hold an entrenched position.
The entrenched position is held as result of a combination of elements. One element is seeing no value changing one’s. Another is a dismissive approach to opposing arguments irrespective of what they are. Those who hold an entrenched position characteristically claim they do not, yet it appears to others they do. This said, I would concede there is an element of stereotyping involved in determining whether or not another holds an entrenched position. As such we should cautious in claiming another holds an entrenched position purely on the basis several elements may be present.
In terms of the existence of God I would say my position is entrenched. It’s entrenched as I have made up my mind that is where I stand on the matter and intend to continue to believe in God. For me believing in God was conscious choice, and not just on a one off occasion, it is in fact a continuous conscious choice.
I made a conscious choice to be Catholic and intend to remain one come hell or high water. I sincerely believe belief in God it is the better way and Catholicism is the faith for me, but would concede organized religion is in need of a face lift.
I don’t think of seeing my loved ones again much. I hope I will, particularly my granny. I miss her so much.
I like to think she is still with me - watching over me, and I believe there are occasions when God has let her come to me, brought to me by Mary. I’m going to stop now as I am being bizarre and ready to cry, and in general I don’t do tears. Not because I see anything wrong with tears, there was just never much time for them. Besides - granny was never a crier and she practically raised me.
My nanny came from a generation where everything was duty. She was eldest of four and her mother was invalid, and she never married until her siblings had married. She was very religious but she used to tell me how her father would not permit her youngest sister to go to dances. She used to sneak out to the dances but always got back late. My great grandfather used to lock the door at a certain hour, but my granny would sneak downstairs when he was in bed and unlock it so she could get in. If I see my grandmother again the first thing I will say to her is I’m sorry. One day I was being a stroppy teenager and made her cry. I had never seen her cry. This haunts me, even though I said I was sorry at the time as apart from the shock of seeing her cry, I made her and she said it was not my fault it was hers. It was not her fault, it was mine.
When I die, I just want to see God. I just so want to at last see God, Jesus, Mary and heaven. I so want immortality in the presence of God and the Saints, and I so want to know the answers to all the questions I currently have no answer for. I will know - if I see God.
Thanks for reading.
Negativity has positive implications for the present as well as the future. It was an atheist, Sartre, who pointed out it is impossible to sit on the fence. We have to be committed whether we like it or not. On this forum you have dedicated a considerable amount of time to attacking religion and belief in God. You also disagree with much of the moral teaching of the Catholic Church…
Warner Brothers may make suit for copyright violations.
It made me hopping mad.
In that case it would be more reasonable to be an agnostic.
Gnostism is about knowledge (aka justified belief). It’s justified belief because we can not tell, yet, how that experience was not part of the reality we all experience verse some computer program for example. Its the only reality we understand regardless if it is a computer program or actual reality. We can’t tell a difference.In that case it would be more reasonable to be an agnostic.
Very nice of you to explain it again. But I am afraid that tony will not understand it… just like the previous dozens and dozens of time it flew over his head.
Is the Atlantic Ocean agnostic atheist then?
If and when church members would hear God better, outsiders would hear Him better. Not the other way round.
I agree with your last point 100%.… Maybe you claim that this is what you believe, but your actions belie your claim. Every instance of intercessory or supplicative prayer treats God as a slot machine. Millions of them every minute. Then every time a prayers seems to be “granted”, the believer touts is as a positive outcome of the “test”. The ones which are not “granted” are not counted as “negative” outcomes (you know… if it is “heads” I win, if it is “tails”, you lose.
The point is that you (in general) cannot offer ANY objective epistemological method to substantiate your claims.
When His children listen, that will open the way for more people to join in.…
God has communicated with his children. You’re the one who says “I don’t like the way he’s done it, and therefore, that proves he hates me.” That just doesn’t hold up to scrutiny, outside of teenage angst culture.
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