Why you are a theist?

[mitchellmckain (Scientist and Christian)]

@adamjedgar

Mitchel i like the amount of thought that goes into your post there, however, in all honesty i have to suggest that in producing your own explanation of God there, you are overcomplicating the entire notion of what is actually claimed by Christians to be going on here.

Christianity wasn’t any part of the question. The question was…

@Alamini

why you are a theist also, what convinced you that there’s something outside that we call God?

“Why Christianity?” is a completely different question with a different answer: here

Remember that I wasn’t raised Christian or in any other religion and had no basis for seeing any meaning in the word “God” at all – that was something I had to figure out before I could take either the Bible or Christianity seriously.

@adamjedgar

Fundamentally Atheism offers no alternative other than Kaput? I mean lets face it, the atheist doesnt pretend to accept anything beyond this life…certainly they do not appear to me to seek any notion other than Kaput…perhaps you might give me a different description of Christopher Hitchen’s last recorded thoughts on the matter?

You see this idea of nothing after death (ignoring all the meaningless “kaput” babble) as a problem with atheism but that sounds really good to me. I don’t believe it (this idea of nothing after death) because to me it looks too good to be true.

@adamjedgar

When i read your post, i get this feeling that you are suggesting that in order for you to “meet the grade” so to speak, you must work harder?

When I read this, I get the feeling your are just making things up and you don’t even bother reading what I wrote at all.

@adamjedgar

Given Christianity makes no such claim, where do you get this “I must work harder to be more Godly and thus meet the grade” notion from exactly?

Given Christianity says no such thing why do make this up and insert it into your version of Christianity?

@adamjedgar

I would argue that your overcomplicating is a result of not allowing Christ to explain himself to you…all that is required are two things:

1. Follow Godly law
2. Believe in the gospel

I would argue that you make things up in order to change Christianity and the Bible into a tool of power for controlling other people.

@adamjedgar

We are somewhat like intelligent pawns on a real life chess board.

This combat analogy fits well my conclusion that you use the Bible and Christianity as a tool of power over other people.

In my view we are children not pawns and Satan only has power because we give it to him with our own refusal of responsibility.

[mitchellmckain (Scientist and Christian)]

@adamjedgar

I am not an expert on Existentialism, however, my limited understanding is that they are not actually Christian. Perhaps I’m wrong on this?

More like you have no understanding of existentialism at all. Existentialism came from Soren Kierkegaard (called the father of Existentialism) who was always a devout Christian.

To be sure… others like Sartre and Camus were not. Camus, my favorite, criticized Christianity and since this is how I was raised, nothing could be more natural for me. Sartre adapted existentialism to an atheist point of view.

Is this how you treat everyone who becomes Christian? You attack them for what they believed before they became Christian. I guess you would shut down all missionary efforts and condemn the whole world for the crime of being born into any other culture or religion. Sounds like entitlement Christianity for sure – Christianity made into something completely evil.

[RichardG (Richard Gillett)]

@mitchellmckain

You see this idea of nothing after death (ignoring all the meaningless “kaput” babble) as a problem with atheism but that sounds really good to me. I don’t believe it (this idea of nothing after death) because to me it looks too good to be true.

Who wants to live for ever?

I think some people want this life to go on for ever. Perhaps becasue they are afraid of what might or mght not follow it?

I think the idea of just going to permanent sleep or oblivion has its appeal. Eternal peace in temrs of eternal nothing. You aren’t aware so it does not matter.

It does seem that the whole notion of Heaven and Hell came from Jesus, or at least the human understanding of what He said.

The dead know nothing?

As opposed to the dead knowing everything?

I am not sure that the idea of my parents knowing all my secrets and faults is very comforting, or even that God does. I would guess that most of us have our little private parts that we are reluctant to reveal, even to our closest friends or spouse.

For me. eternity would have to be something other than what I have now. The idea of pandering to a body like ours for eternity is less tha appealing. No amount of pleasure of contentment could compensate for eating, drinking, disposing of such, and having to sleep for at least a third of it. If Heaven is eternal joy, then mundane survival is not a part of it.

I almost feel sorry for those who are craving Heaven or even the Second Coming. I do not see the apocalyps as something i want ot live through or come out the end of. I see the New Heaven and Earth as a police state to which there is no rebellion possible let alone allowed. The only way I could live in it would be if i was brainwashed.

Perhaps this makes me a bad Christian? Or perhaps it just means that have rejected most of what you see as wrong in Christianity.

There is no doubt that the Christianitypromoted by most “Christians” on this forum is of a single type and I am seen as a rebel at best or a heretic at worse. but…

Faith is personal. And I, for one, do not think that God is as dictatorial, or inflexible as the traditional Christian Doctrine makes Him. Perhaos this will give my eternity a bit too much warmth, but I cannot change who I am in this respect.

Richard