What I believe now

[mgrfin]

I did look it up. It is not in my Webster’s dictionary. It is not an English word.

peace

 

[zerinus]

Chill out there.

All I said was I would have no way of knowing the source of a “sign” even if it came, and chances are, the stereotypical “God feeling” is just your emotions wanting to believe in God. My emotions tell me Mayonaisse is intrinsically evil, and though mayo is a sin against nature , there’s a slight chance that* I* just think it’s disgusting.

In other words, my emotions are so biased that I have a bias against my emotions. (if I become famous one day that’s going in a quotebook )

Look up the word “truthiness”

Who said anything about “emotions”? I don’t recall that I did. This brings me back again to what I consider to be your fundamental problem with the concept of God. Your view of God is so limited and contemptible that you think He is incapable of making Himself known to you (or to anyone else) in unmistakable terms—or in any way other than what you consider indeterminable “emotions”.

What is the basis of your making such an absurd assumption?

I consider that to mean holding God in contempt. You are lucky God is kind and merciful, otherwise He would have never forgiven you for that!

zerinus

 

[Laurence_of_PA]

Let us know when you are speaking facetiously, or when you are speaking seriously.

You asked what “Realistic Relativist” means.

I responded “whatever you want it to mean”. Though “whatever you want it to mean” is sort of a sarcastic answer, it delivers the point nonetheless.

Because you may have not understood the point I *was *making, in a previous post I explained it to you.

No malice intended.

You will be treated like you want to be treated. Respect for elders is a mark of breeding.

I’d like to be treated like any other set of words on your computer screen. (that was facetious)

Let’s move on.

 

[Magicsilence]

Chill out there.

All I said was I would have no way of knowing the source of a “sign” even if it came, and chances are, the stereotypical “God feeling” is just your emotions wanting to believe in God.

In other words, my emotions are so biased that I have a bias against my emotions. (if I become famous one day that’s going in a quotebook )

Look up the word “truthiness”

Laurence, I had not realised you were only 16.

If I could go back in time, and speak to myself at the same age, I would say two things:

1. Do not make the mistake of viewing your intellect, and mental agility to be the denominator with which to judge the world, and others.
2. In the same vein, knowledge is not power. Sometimes, wisdom is encapsulated in the tiniest action, or the illogical choice.

However, I know how I was at 16 . Here’s hoping you possess far more maturity, and the patience to chew through these points, and understand what I am truly indicating through them. They hit home on many, many levels, and while I am sure you will understand them, only experience will teach you how to appreciate them as being fully reflective of reality.

In Jesus Christ,

 

[Laurence_of_PA]

Colbert’s Catholic ya know?

Big fan of the show here . Too bad all the writers are on strike.

But anyway, Colbert may be Catholic, but if you watch him – really watch him – he’s by no means orthodox. I’d even bet that if someone of *his *religious stance were on these forums, he’d be labeled an absolute heretic (but don’t go thinking the television or the media stole my belief :tsktsk.

So, you understand what truthiness means, then?

Here’s the definition from an *updated *Webster’s:

**Definition: the state of wishing things to be true; also, conformity to beliefs one feels or wishes to be true

Example: Truthiness is a satirical term coined by television comedian Stephen Colbert to describe things that a person claims to know intuitively, instinctively, or “from the gut” without regard to evidence, logic, intellectual examination, or actual facts.**

Does anyone see the point I’m making???

 

[mgrfin]

You asked what “Realistic Relativist” means.

I responded “whatever you want it to mean”. Though “whatever you want it to mean” is sort of a sarcastic answer, it delivers the point nonetheless.

Because you may have not understood the point I *was *making, in a previous post I explained it to you.

No malice intended.

I’d like to be treated like any other set of words on your computer screen. (that was facetious)

Let’s move on.

You like to throw your darts at people, and then when done you say, “Let’s move on”.

I dont want to move on. I just want to forget about you.

 

[Laurence_of_PA]

You like to throw your darts at people, and then when done you say, “Let’s move on”.

I dont want to move on. I just want to forget about you.

Believe me. I’ve bled from many dart holes, even ones thrown on CAF. Now, I’d like to move on, but since you don’t want to move on, could you at least tell me how I offended you? If it was unnecessary sass, I can apologize for it.

 

[Laurence_of_PA]

Laurence, I had not realised you were only 16.

If I could go back in time, and speak to myself at the same age, I would say two things:

1. Do not make the mistake of viewing your intellect, and mental agility to be the denominator with which to judge the world, and others.
2. In the same vein, knowledge is not power. Sometimes, wisdom is encapsulated in the tiniest action, or the illogical choice.

However, I know how I was at 16 . Here’s hoping you possess far more maturity, and the patience to chew through these points, and understand what I am truly indicating through them. They hit home on many, many levels, and while I am sure you will understand them, only experience will teach you how to appreciate them as being fully reflective of reality.

In Jesus Christ,

Thanks for the kind thoughts. I really do appreciate them.

In every day life, I make many illogical choice; I go “from the gut”; and I strive to act in the wisest of way possible even if it doesn’t make apparent sense. The thing is, when it comes to more academic arenas such as religion and philosophy, I honestly can’t stand irrationality. My mind absolutely loathes it.

Don’t think this leaves me with contempt for the idea of God, though! The conclusions I stated in my first post are the results of a tireless search for good, honest truth, and they may be wrong. I simply see no reason why they would be.

If you haven’t read it already, please read post #48 (page 4)

Peace.

 

[Laurence_of_PA]

Yep. It’s miserable. And oddly enough, it seems that people just write it off as nothing right up until it happens to them.

If you’re ever in the Detroit metro area, Laurence, let me know. I’ll buy you a drink

I should’ve replied earlier, but yeah…It really *hit *when one day I realized that praying meant nothing to me, not cause of arrogance, just doubt…almost like you’re knocking and then shoot!..no one’s inside.

My mom used to say I had the most powerful prayers, too!

thanks though, it means a lot

 

[Magicsilence]

Thanks for the kind thoughts. I really do appreciate them.

In every day life, I make many illogical choice; I go “from the gut”; and I strive to act in the wisest of way possible even if it doesn’t make apparent sense. The thing is, when it comes to more academic arenas such as religion and philosophy, I honestly can’t stand irrationality. My mind absolutely loathes it.

Don’t think this leaves me with contempt for the idea of God, though! The conclusions I stated in my first post are the results of a tireless search for good, honest truth, and they may be wrong. I simply see no reason why they would be.

If you haven’t read it already, please read post #48 (page 4)

Peace.

Ok, number 3 -

To reason your way into your faith absolutely destroys any sense of trust or ultimate understanding of the wisdom of God. If you can, trust me on this one, its from 3 years of experience, with a starting point not dissimilar to your own.

Learn to meet God in humanity before intellectual propositions, or you are placing your intelligence as the arbiter of faith, which, believe me, is a horrible mistake to make. I cannot stress this enough, and I implore you to meditate on its implications.

As for:

I honestly can’t stand irrationality.

I understand. Irrationality is often the source of many ills in the world. However, in my experience, not being able to stand irrationality was a subset of pride within myself. In essence, it places your wisdom and experience above that of all others without consideration of difference.

At the time, it seemed like a logical action, but in reality, it is like the horse with blinders not seeing the other horses overtaking, and assuming it is winning. The day we learn that our mental ability and comprehension is actually so very limited, is the day it becomes most useful.

In Jesus Christ,

 

[mlldrl]

I’m getting in on this late but I did a search and this didn’t come up. To the OP, have you considered Pascal’s wager? Choose to believe and live like a believer and you might find one day that you do believe in your heart.

M

 

[Laurence_of_PA]

I’m getting in on this late but I did a search and this didn’t come up.

Search on what?

To the OP, have you considered Pascal’s wager? Choose to believe and live like a believer and you might find one day that you do believe in your heart.

Discover I was actually believing God all along and didn’t know it? :ehh:

That’s dangerous. It might backfire…

I might discover that I *believe *you’re a composite of evil alien nanobots! :bigyikes:

But I think I’ll just live as if you’re human.

Many [tiny] Peaces…

LofPA

 

[mlldrl]

Levity aside…do you know of Pascal’s wager? If so, have you considered the implications?

M

 

[Laurence_of_PA]

Levity aside…do you know of Pascal’s wager? If so, have you considered the implications?

M

yes

 

[mgrfin]

What are you smoking, young man? You’re incoherent and beginning to babble.

So you think your an athetist or an agnostic. What do you want us to do about it? Faith is a gift. You lost it, and you are responsible for that - Not God, not us. And we can’t give it back to you.

Do you want us wandering at a loss, like you? Can we copy your indecision, unfaithfulness, depression, and we will be better?

You descent into hell is no consolation to you or to us. I don’t think it is anything to brag about, that you have found a 'new religion", a ‘new faith’, called godlessness.

You haven’t found anything. You have lost a lot.

With your “think” life begins to taste like cardboard, and you want to take an AK47 and shoot up the mall?

You are not seeking; you have found what you are looking for: nothing.

peace

peace

 

[Laurence_of_PA]

What are you smoking, young man? You’re incoherent and beginning to babble.

So you think your an athetist or an agnostic. What do you want us to do about it. Faith is a gift, and we can’t give it back to you.
Do you want us wandering at a loss, like you? Can we copy your indecision, unfaithfulness, depression, and we will be better?

You descent into hell is no consolation to you or to us. I don’t think it is anything to brag about, that you have found a 'new religion", a ‘new faith’, called godlessness.

With your “think” life begins to taste like cardboard, and you want to take an AK47 and shoot up a mall?

You are not seeking; you have found what you are looking for: nothing.

peace

peace

Godless bless you for your kind thoughts. :blushing:

 

[mgrfin]

Godless bless you for your kind thoughts. :blushing:

Anything, kid, to shake you out of your drama

peace

 

[Laurence_of_PA]

I understand. Irrationality is often the source of many ills in the world. However, in my experience, not being able to stand irrationality was a subset of pride within myself. In essence, it places your wisdom and experience above that of all others without consideration of difference.

At the time, it seemed like a logical action, but in reality, it is like the horse with blinders not seeing the other horses overtaking, and assuming it is winning. The day we learn that our mental ability and comprehension is actually so very limited, is the day it becomes most useful.

In Jesus Christ,

In many ways, I’ll admit I *do *have a sense of pride – one that leaves me upset with myself during my humbler moments. Regardless, I take a terribly long time weighing evidence, and am upset whenever I realize that a judgement I previously made was based on irrational prejudice. I honestly try not be prejudiced, and if ever I say something that *sounds *prejudiced, 9 times out 10 I was simply jesting.

I’m serious about the “weighing evidence thing”, too. In case you never heard of it, I’m involved with Extemporaneous Speaking on my high school’s speech and debate team. It involves answering a question about world events with a 7-minute speech, and you only have 30 minutes to write. Well anyways, on more than one occasion I sat writing from one point of view and then changed my position half way through. It’s cost me a lot tournament wise, but I prefer to make an honest evaluation of any situation.

Believe me, I’m not some lousy teenager “doing this” to be a rebel/noncomformist/punk. As far as everyone knows in my school and at home, I’m still a devout Catholic.

Thanks for the polite conversation so far.

 

[mgrfin]

I fully expect you to make an announcement soon that you have found yourself,

and that your new-religion is:

---

It will be bible based, and there will be a lot of hymn singing, loud music, hugging, and back slapping, and it will give you 100 percent certitude of your salvation.

Life will no longer taste like cardboard, and you have sold your AK47.

You will tell us of your struggles in the Catholic Church, and how it was wrong cause its got a Pope, and a lot of doctrines about Mary.

That kind of thing. When can we expect this “flash of light” from you?

peace

PS When are you going to tell us you are not 16, and don’t go to high school?

 

[Laurence_of_PA]

Laurence of PA;3083063:

When are you going to tell us you are not 16, and don’t go to high school?

In two years!

I crack myself up! (now before you put me on suicide-watch, NO I’m not going to physically crack myself up!)

I have to go play in a Christmas Concert now (no kidding), but don’t worry, I’ll be back to spread my evil propaganda later.