Complience, you write: no one here is discussing a belief in god... we are discussing a belief in religion. You have a convenient memory. Let's sees but some of what else was written at this state, especially by you: All religion is nonsense. The existence of god is not a fact. You certainly teach them to ignore scientific facts in favour of the bullshit that's written in your holy book. Complience: If given what the bible says about jesus is true, and he only lived 2000 years ago or so in a fairly modern roman country.. why there is virtually no corresponding historical record of him? If you look at the facts - jesus might have existed tho he probably didn't. What is without doubt the story given in the bible is a complete fairy story which you can not place one ounce of trust in. Compliance: Can you prove me to jesus existed? Can you show me what he looked like? COMPIENCE i accept and every other scientist that atoms may or may not exist if you provide evidence... but Christians don't accept the same about jesus even tho we've proven that he doesn't. December 25 was originally a Pagan holiday; the date has nothing to do with the birth of Christ. History proves that humans generally believed in the existence of a god but history also proves that humans increasingly believe in the non-existence of god. I'm talking about the strength of the belief in God. Now people realise that hell, heaven and god dont really exists. __________________ Come on buddy, go back 100 years, 300, or 1000, the belief in a god is has diminished over time You believe, or atleast I assume you believe, Christ was ressurected from the grave. Where is the evidence for this theory? here you go again, not wanting to hold even yourself accountab le to what you would us of faith
one of the weakest arguements atheists have is when they ask "how do you know Jesus existed?" use your brain...it was 2000 years ago...theres no proof that a couple million people lived back in that time either... even muslims believe in Jesus...face the facts.
I beg to differ as do some doctors who have experience with dying patients. There is a body of knowledge from near death experiences (NDEs) that points to there definitely being life after death. One book I remember reading is from a cardiologist named Maurice Rawlings (I think the book is called "Beyond Death's Door"). Interesting point is that good ole Dr. Rawlings converted to Christianity after witnessing the first-hand accounts from those brought back from death. While the physical body does decay, the invisible part of man (soul/spirit) does not.
Lol. A near death experience is the brain responding to death or a state in which it feels to be near death. Nothing else. And what would Christianity have to do with a NDE anyways? Do you think Christians are the only people who experience them? You'd think someone holding a doctorate would be more intelligent. (or maybe he's intelligent enough to know that if he writes a book about it people will eat it up) Trust me, I'm somewhat knowledgable in this area. I do something that is called Lucid Dreaming, and I frequent a forum full of people that can manipulate LDs (lucid dreams), OBEs (out of body experiences), and have also talked with people who have had NDEs on more than one occasion. In fact some astronauts and pilots who undergo centrifugal training experience NDEs almost consisitantly while training. When the blood starts to leave their brain during rotation a NDE will sometimes trigger. It's just the brain, there's nothing spiritual or magical going on. Don't believe me? Talk to these people.
Although i cannot do it anymore (as a lack of practice) from when i was very young i was trained to control dreams fully and did just that. Anything and everything. I was able to create, change, and do anything while dreaming. It had gotton to the point where i was really looking forward to it every time. I could cause repeat dreams (scenerios) intentionally & change the outcome completely. I could also wake myself up at any point (that was a big/original goal for me) ~Full control. Also the ability to switch to an entirely different scenerio (dream) at any point. Could also 'import' people (ones i knew or new). Although it is a 'bad' practice, i would sometimes 'cheat' to wake myself up and commit suicide to do so. (i got very creative with this! +suicide expert! favs were: crashing planes & running head first into walls!) Completely endless really. Most people really don't 'get it' in regards to the potential. In my pre-teen years when i was awake (& wanted to induce day-dreaming (for lack of a better term)) my 'imagination' (creativity) level being substantial would be a complete understatement. It was like a bomb of power & energy. I often wondered, but knew. That other kids were just not 'the same' when it came to the power of real (non-reality-based) imagination. I know everyone would like to think 'all kids' are like that or they were, but unless you've done the above^ i probably wouldn't really entertain you at all (sorry!). This can only be attributed to the work with regards to the dreams. I still retain a little bit of this today. It's been quite a few years (i'm 28+ now) and about the only thing i have left (in regards to dreams) is (most of the time) the ability to wake myself up (not induced from an 'action' within the dream) It would appear to be much easier to train some one at a young age to do this. As you get older it takes more work, and can be quite difficult to re-instigate esp if you slack off. One thing i am adimant about, is the drudgery of being a 9-5'er and generally being a non-creative dud (not in a 'real-world' sense) can really damage the capability of ever being able to do, or retrieve this. Years have flown by when i'd been working every day and i literally felt something had been lost (the above^) as a result of this. I've also been clinically dead many times (& resuscitated several). No joke. I believe i have the ability of snapping myself out of it on a certain level (self-induced shocks). I do believe that most OBEs i've heard of are simply the result of how the (~certain peoples) brain reacts. I know death very well. As i've experienced it more then a few times. I've never experienced an OBE. It would take some one that i knew had control over dreams for me to believe they had a 'real' OBE (by definition). This type of control to me, represents a persons mind may not as easily be fooled, out of their control, or understanding of what is actually happening. Real religious dream controllers are essentially non-existent (by true non-spiritual definition). Which would make sense actually. When they do exist, they may be notably the most 'crazy'. Likely as a result of (~self induced) spiritual 'visions' they then propagate to others. Certainly at one point i had that ability.
Well, just goes to show that no matter what type of evidence is provided, the skeptic will maintain his/her bias until the end. What's funny too is that you immediately attack the doctor's credibility and credentials (but I expect that since evidence is being provided that refutes the assertion there is nothing more to death than to "rot"). Reminds me how when Jesus worked miracles in front of the religious leaders in his day, they just said "he does that from the power of satan". Even if Jesus would appear and work miracles, skeptics would still deny or lie about what was happening. Unbelief is not based on reason, logic, and science. It's based on a spiritual blindness. Jesus said to people "you have ears yet do not hear; you have eyes, yet do not see". No amount of evidence will convince a skeptic.
Hi nextebizguy Before 'we' get started let me make something clear. Using bible quotes will not get anywhere with me. They will not, and do not prove anything. Also if you are looking to 'convert' or 'persuade' anyone here again, using the bible will not do the trick. Proving your own intellect and solid decision making outside of the bible will. Next, i do not believe humans are capable of 'spiritual blindess' as you say. It's been proven repeatedly that humans by nature not only want to believe in something, but most often need to by majority. 1000x over. Regardless of where or when. I will briefly address the "reason, logic, and science" portion. We'll start with the fact, that during the time of Jesus (& after+) it has been proven that people were easily decieved by even the most simple of tricks. Or simply things that were 'anomalies' at the time, but are not unusual today. Basically the run-down is. Reason, logic & science were all lacking at the time of Jesus. But people such as yourself, indicate that it apparently existed on a higher level then today. Given what's being passed around as 'knowledge' Lastly, i have a question for you. Given i don't believe humans are born sinners & i do believe in a natural course of the 'good of man' (outside of religion) Wouldn't it be inevitable that at some point, some one who was looked up to. Would've written something similar to the 10 commandments? Or is it if the wright brothers didn't exist planes wouldn't either? .
The ignorance in this thread is overwhelming. nextebizguy, do you honestly believe that quoting scripture from the Bible helps your argument at all? It's a nice a story and all, but when it comes to reality... well you know my position. source There you have it. Another study showing that there are biological reasons for experiencing NDEs. If you're going to respond don't waste your time with scripture, it's so 1500. And whatever you do, don't talk about providing evidence, you haven't, and I doubt you are even capable of doing so.
Since the Bible claims to be the Word of God ("Thus says the Lord") to not quote it is to remove the very way to know the nature, character, and will of God. If you argue it is "circular reasoning" to use the Bible to prove God I will say that all systems of thought are circular when arguing their foundational principles or presuppositions. I'm not arrogant enough to think I can convert anyone. I also don't think that intellectual displays mean anything to anyone. God has mercy on whomever He wills. A foundational principle in the Bible is the spiritual blindness of mankind or as Paul says it "dead in trespass and sin". This is why Jesus told a prominent rabbi "unless a person be begotten from above, he is not able to see the Kingdom of God". So yeah, man is religious/spiritual but he is also twisted by sin and seeks a god in his own making, an idol he can control. I'm surprised at your cultural snobbery. Have you read any of the classical literature written during that period of time? Have you studied Rome, Athens, and Jerusalem around the time of Christ? You might want to rethink your statements. God made man as a moral being and gave him a conscience. While man can and does make his own religious rules (both pious and impious), anything apart from God is arbitrary, non-authoritative, and tyrannical. You don't have to respond to any of this. I gather we'll just keep going in circles and get nowhere.
yes, your statement that no one here is arguing the existence of God but rather about religion is bullshit. I gave you about fifteen examples of the exact opposite culled from this thread. many of these words were your own. Once again, you try to impose upon us of faith standards you yourself feel free to ignore. Now, how about you... how many posts do you think you have answered in twenty words or less? In my neck of the woods we call this hypocracy.
I do not believe in evolution mainly because it lacks consistency.You see if evolution grants any species ability to survive then why is there a gap between the monkeys/ape we have today and modern man.Why has the linked disapeared?
It hasn't dissapeared. We just haven't found it. We have already witnessed organisms evolving. It happens.
The universe is 15billion years old.. it take alot of faith to believe the best evolution could come up with in that time is 'us'.
If God does exist, one thing we can be sure of is that he is not a man. He is the infinate space that we see around us.