The Theist Thread (TTT)

College Confidential Community
141

<p>Please read post number 86 in this thread. Sorry for the confusion!</p>

142

<p>Well, you can’t get mad at me for not answering a post that wasn’t directed at me! Sheez…kids these days.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Humans can comprehend many things that don’t exist. For example, we can comprehend the notion of a “dragon.” Now, dragons have never existed. Nor is it likely that they ever will. But we can all comprehend them. Human imagination is a very powerful thing. Hell, we can comprehend things like quarks, gluons, and other subatomic particles that we’ve never even seen (and likely never will see.) </p>

<p>

</p>

<p>I suspect that every child at some point wonders, “Gee, I wonder if someone is orchestrating all of this?” And why not? The universe is incredible, complicated, and vast. It’s much easier to say to yourself, “There’s a God!” than to try to comprehend it.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Again, many Ancient Greeks believed a dude in a chariot brought the sun. That’s because they didn’t know why the sun rose every day and set every evening. Most educated Greeks, however, did not seem to ascribe to this notion.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Source? I’ve never really heard this from him. </p>

<p>

</p>

<p>I’m of the opinion that humanism is less of a religion and more of a set of philosophical beliefs. Calling secular humanism a religion is like calling individualism a religion.</p>

143

<p>Re the dragon point. </p>

<p>You are confusing “comprehending” with “desiring”…that’s the flaw in your argument. You can comprehend nearly anything–I can imagine a unicorn in my head, but it doesn’t exist. Justinian is talking about a natural curiosity and desire we have to learn about God and meaning. She/he is not talking about merely speculating the existence of a particular entity.</p>

144

<p>Mental curiousity doesn’t mean an object exists or not. Thats a great stretch. I ancient men think of God since they did not know too much science or how things worked (cavemen and such). Just look at the Greeks or Romans or Assyrians, etc. Anything they didn’t understand, they attributed to gods. For example, Appollo and Sun, Zeus and lightning…I think Rand is a good philosopher, and I think Crichton writes good books and gives clear opinions.</p>

145

<p>Plenty of children desire the ability to fly, I don’t see why this matters.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Who says it’s natural? As a child, I had zero desire to learn about God. I only learned about God because my family sent me to Hebrew school.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>I’m so glad I have you to clear this up. :p</p>

146

<p>w1cked,</p>

<p>I like Crichton, don’t get me wrong. I just don’t put him at the “greatest thinkers” level. I guess I’m snobbish that way.</p>

147

<p>I like Crichton because he goes against mainstream environmentalists and like John Stossel, a scourge of the liberal media.</p>

148

<p>Well, at least you’re honest in your reasons. I like him because his books are generally fun to read. I tend to put most of the political commentary off to the side. I dunno why, but when I read for leisure (that’s leh-zhure, not lee-zhure, you plebes), I tend to stay away from political stuff. Oh wait, that’s because everything I read otherwise is poli sci or IR, and I get sick of it.</p>

<p>Life makes so much more sense after this moment. </p>

<p>What I don’t get is this: Why one God? And why does God care if you believe in Him in a particular way? I mean, since he already knows what you’re going to do (omniscience, and all), why does he get angry when you choose to believe in say…I dunno… Frank, the God of Hot Dogonia?</p>

<p>And how do I know which religion to choose, anyway? They’re all so convincing when they say, “We’re right!”</p>

149

<p>Religion is founded on faith, ignorance, and prejudice. Thus, they cannot logically back their claims up. Which is why it makes no sense to follow a religion, because all you have to go on is blind faith. I think Eaters of the Dead, Jurassic Park, and State of Fear were great.</p>

150

<p>I’m not sure I understand why prejudice. Please elaborate.</p>

151

<p>Notice how every religion claims to be superior than other religion. Note also how they claim that their God is superior than other Gods, and that theirs is that true God. Also, one of their main goals in conversion. The Crusades and the Jihads are good examples. Note that religions are often hostile towards each other, based on what their religions leaders or scriptures dictate. Religion has a long and brutal history, which I won’t bother to tabulate here. Last, note that all zealots do not analyze what they are thinking or what they read in their holy texts, but take it on faith. <a href=“http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=prejudice[/url]”>http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=prejudice&lt;/a&gt; . Seems to fit most of the definitions.</p>

152

<p>Well, to be fair, there is the argument that those crazies in each faith aren’t necessarily following the teachings. I mean, people perform clitoridectamies in the name of Islam, but it’s certainly not something that the religion dictates.</p>

153

<p>Right, but Islam does preach violence towards non believers. It also teaches to convert the infidels.</p>

154

<p>Islam’s an interesting mixed bag. It seems to waver between violence and non-violence toward non-believers.</p>

<p>Hell, there are some notoriously bad passages in the Torah that pretty much just get ignored by Jews. </p>

<p>I think that your strongest point is the “one true God” argument, personally. I never understood that either. Well, probably because even when I did have a religion I ascribed to, it never said that! (Judaism)</p>

155

<p>I’m not particularly religious, but here’s what I’ve gathered:</p>

<p>Christians:
1.) Jesus was a Jew, so why a whole new faith?
Christians believe that Jesus was Christ sent from God, which immediately separates them from Jews</p>

<p>2.) Why are there so many sects when the doctrine in the Old and New Testaments is fixed?
Christians interpret these documents differently. Some take them literally, others only believe in one or the other, others choose to believe the parts that seem relevant nowadays (a lot of it is in context with the history of the times). Plus, the Bible has been translated so many ways that there are now many different interpretations.</p>

<p>4.) Mormons dont belive Jesus is God’s son. Does that mean they’re not really Christian?
I actually have no idea :/</p>

<p>5.) Tell me more about the Christian’s perception on the Day of Judgement.
Frankly, I don’t believe in the Day of Judgment at all, so I can’t really speak for the general Christian belief.</p>

<p>6.) Christian doctrines are contradictory to the theory of evolution, so why do Christians believe in the theory? Does that mean that the Word of God is unreliable?
Again, Christians all interpret the Bible differently. Many don’t believe in the creation theory-- I have many friends who are Catholic/various other Christian denominations, and I don’t think any of them believe that God created the world in seven days. A lot of people do take this story figuratively. On the other hand, I do have a couple friends who are somewhat fundamentalist and believe in the creations story. It all varies.</p>

<p>Personally, I really like the idea of this thread-- it seems much more genuine coming from people of all different religions. When I took world religions a couple years ago, it was taught by a jewish teacher who knew nothing about islam, hinduism, buddhism, etc., and could only recite off facts from a textbook. I remember thinking that people from those religions must have believed everything she was saying, and was pretty shocked! however, when she started teaching about christianity, i realized that i probably believed only small parts of what she said christians believed, and that it was probably the same with many members of other religions.</p>

<p>However, I think the important thing to remember is that texts such as the Bible and the Qur’an were written thousands of years ago, and a lot of it <em>does</em> have to be taken into context. For example, the Bible says that your wife is your property- evidently, this is a reflection of the fact it was written thousands of years ago, and should NOT be taken literally nowadays. I don’t think the Qur’an is telling people of our time to be violent and kill others- this just reflects the fact it was being written during times of war (someone correct me if i’m wrong).</p>

<p>I have a question about my own faith that I’ve always wondered and would really like an answer to. The whole purpose of Christianity is peace and forgiveness. Then why, in the Old Testament, does God kill so many people-even innocent ones- for disobeying him? I have a vivid memory of reading about the fall of one city (they marched around it seven times and everyone inside was killed…sorry, my memory is very sparse, but i’m sure you know what i’m talking about). It seems as thought the Old and New Testament are in direct conflict in this respect. It’s for this reason that I believe somewhat in the latter, but not at all in the former. Someone care to enlighten me?</p>

156

<p>Wikipedia nails the concept of Jinn:</p>

<p>

</p>

<p><a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinn[/url]”>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinn&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

157

<p>

</p>

<p>That goes against the Quran and sunnah. Humans have free will, if they were possessed by a jinn, it’s not free will any more, is it?</p>

<p>Anyway, here are some attempts at answers for the questions: </p>

<p>1.) Because Islam is like the updated version.
2.) Yeah. But I don’t believe they can possess people.
3.) The day of judgement is when everyone will be judged for their actions.</p>

<p>Mmm. Insightful, eh?</p>

158

<p>No tolerance for intolerance.
No apology for being free.
NO BURKA FOR THE WEST. SUPPORT DENMARK.</p>

159

<p>intolerance for intolerance, eh? good luck with that.</p>

<p>yeesh, i’m assuming you think islam is the plague and all that.</p>

<p>good for you, because i don’t really care anymore.</p>

160

<p>I’m with ya Gumball. Go Denmark!</p>