"Everyone is doing it" is not a valid argument. 90% of Europeans used to think Africans were inferior in intellect to themselves. You can choose to believe in religion through faith, but you can't state factually that a God exists without doubt and have it be true. The burden of evidence is on the believers, not the non-believers.
I respect the fact that you respect, honour & love your parents to the point where you will still go to Friday prayers with them to make them happy. Many kids these days would refuse to go with their parents, which can be heartbreaking for them, also have them lose respect in their community. We may have our differences of opinion, but you seem like a stand up guy. Truthfully.
Not in an answer that will please you. I've given you the answer that you refuse to accept. Faith. We believe in an omnipotent higher power Our belief is based in faith, our faith is achieved differently, depending on the person and their experiences Our faith is generally directed by a gospel or teachings of some sort - that we believe our God has provided for us, through other wise men Those teachings tell us of what God expects of us, including how we should worship him Him - and in some cases what He demands of us Only you have to answer to God, we aren't the judge, jury or executioner *Please note, this is mainly a list in reference to those who are a member of an organized religion, not those who "think" there is something bigger out there.
Again, I stated that it was an analogy for faith. If you think it is a terrible analogy, sorry... but I told you what it was for before hand. I didn't "fall back on faith," I clearly stated that is what I was trying to convey. I can't help you comprehend faith, if you don't have it you don't have it. Something "clicks" when you do. Can't really say much more than that and most religious people would probably agree.
Again the statistic doesn't do anything to help prove that a deity exists. Sorry to burst your bubble.
My mother truly believes in the Quran. I can't imagine the pain of loosing a son or daughter, nor the pain of believing your own child will suffer eternally in hell. I would rather my mother not suffer that emotional pain.
Requiring more evidence isn't evil, and anyone who tells you that is being shady or has ulterior motives. The Bible tells us to always have an answer to prove the faith that you believe. So if you are truly interested in getting more information, or evidence. Compile a list of questions you have and seek wise council or hit me up. I'll do my best to answer any questions you have.
I didn't say it did. I was simply pointing out the hypocrisy of your claims of self victimization. You have it so rough as a non-believer, all these pesky 9 out of 10 people simply won't see the light and know they're wrong!
Let me get this straight. For some people , they just don't have it and it will never "click"..... eternal damnation....k
It was terrible and you made no sense in what you were attempting to convey. One has a clearly observable series of events that can be used to make a plausible determination of the possible outcomes. While the other is just blind faith in somewhat ancient text. Do you like the Class Room picture posted on page 2 of the "A True Disciple of Jesus" thread? It's a much better analogy of faith and religion.
Hah. A libertarian in favor of mob mentality? If only to prove a singular point. Hypocrisy? Lol. I am not here to convert anyone. Just stop trying to convert me or force me to conform to what you think is right or wrong. And by me, I mean everyone that disagrees with you. Too bad that'll never happen. But it's okay since you support it. Anyone that prevents this nation from turning into a Christian theocracy should burn in hell.
If you are personally trying to win converts to a cause, you're doing it wrong. I'm sorry, I don't want to by a cynical and snarky person who bites the head off of people who are truly trying to give them a better understanding of their perspective. I personally love to hear what and why people believe what they believe, because it makes me a better person to be able to relate to my fellow man. But hey, that's just me. Thanks for continuing to show that you don't, haven't really wanted to "get to the bottom" of why people are religious. It is clear you never had intentions of trying to truly understand. Every response you have is spiteful and curt. That is epitome of the problem with this entire Phil vs. GLAAD situation. Instead of the gay community and/or the gay embracing religious community engaging Phil in a dialogue and using it as a stepping stone of bringing understanding from each side of the aisle, you just skewer the guy for his beliefs. It is the same kind of "backlash" that Chik-fil-A saw, right? You would think that they'd learn, but GLAAD isn't winning any converts by being so damn childish. All they're doing is creating enemies when they could use the platform to actually woo people to their cause, or at least provide better understanding on why they were offended.
I'm not trying to convert anyone, never have. That's not even my job as a Christian. I tell people what I believe if they ask (which was asked of me here). Simple as that. If you think this nation is even close to a Christian theocracy you should go to church, because the nation sure as hell doesn't act very Christian - and that includes both sides of the aisle. A nation 17 trillion dollars in debt and counting isn't very Christian, just to get us started.
Today I learned when a Christian speaks his mind, it's his beliefs and his freedom of speech! When people criticize someone for their views, we are skewering him for his beliefs! Poor Christians. Leave our views alone! Freedom of speech! Oh but you exercise your freedom of speech to criticize? Heathen! You're persecuting this man! Leave him alone! No hypocrisy here. This is such a non issue it's not even funny, yet people are trying to create a scapegoat for nothing. People like you. It's a non issue.
Look buddy... Where I come from, believing someone is condemned to eternal hell fire for what they are can be quite offensive. To think that homosexuals should not be offended if a large portion of America believes they are damned to a eternity of torture just for who they are is asinine.
I never said GLAAD didn't have a right to say what they said. They were well within their rights. With that said, I do know a thing or two about how to get through to Christians... I have met a few of them in my life after all. And you get a lot more of them with sugar than you do with vinegar. I never said that homosexuals are condemned to hell. In fact I said several pages ago (as did Phil) that many Christians believe that homosexuality is a sin. We are all sinners, and Phil even pointed out that he was. I have gay friends, they know how I stand. With that said, I don't judge them nor would I ever. That isn't my job and I don't know their hearts and their struggles... and most Christians don't either. Phil answered a direct question, just like I have here. If you choose to be offended by his answer, he was just being honest as I am. He could have been more eloquent, but that really isn't in his nature. I don't mean to offend anyone (and most religious people don't either), but I won't apologize for my beliefs and you shouldn't apologize for yours either.
Stop putting words in my (and most Christian's) mouths. Most don't believe gays will burn in hell, no more than any other sinner anyway. John 3:16 sums up what it takes to avoid hell, everything else is semantics and/or interpretation. The judgement of that interpretation is between you and God.
