Vinnie

Yeah, I am a big fan of Borg. I have read The God We Never Knew, Jesus a New Vision, Reading the Bible Again for The First Time, and his joint work with NT Wright, The Meaning of Jesus Two Visions. His brand is much better in my opinion as well. The evangelicals and fundamentalists don't give him the time of day, though. He is even dismissed by some "liberals". When they do dismiss him it is usually quite apparent that they have never read much of his work. Also, Borg is a member of the Jesus Seminar and evangelicals and fundamentalists start seeing blood when they hear "Jesus Seminar".

Since you like Borg as well, you might find my website of interest:

http://www.acfaith.com

I'm working on articles all the time. This one about Biblical images of salvation is almost done. When it is I will put it up. I am also going to do more on atonement theology soon.

Vinnie

JCS

Why would you need to prove or consider this at all? If he makes a claim and says it could be true because you can't prove that it isn't, then tell him you can ignore it given the absence of supporting evidence.


So? This leaves him in the same boat. He can't make any claims concerning these older religions either than, can he. So without evidence one way or another it deserves no further attention.


He has postulated his idea, but not given any reason or evidence to consider it. Without evidence to support this postulation it deserves no further consideration.


Lack of supporting evidence, no further consideration required.


Tell him to set his arse down on a fire ant mound. He has nothing to fear because they will not comprehend him. I can comprehend the moon and the stars does that count?


I don't use the word believe for something that remains open. To be consistent and honest with myself I use the words-don't know.
Which scientists are postulating an intelligent prime mover? I would think any honest scientist would automatically ask the most obvious next questions. Where and how did this prime mover get kicked off?

They? Who the heck are "they" & why should I give a rats ass as to what "they" say?

Tercel

Christian teachings as I understand them, are things Church theologians have taught over the past 2000 years. Included in those teachings are several differing definitions of what the Bible consists of. But sure, Christians use the Bible lots to check doctrine against.

Some cults claim this.

Yes: God's telling me that you should give me all your money...

Copy+pasting from an earlier one of my posts in this thread:
======
That's a huge question. Answers would include things like:
Does the Bible say anything related?
How strongly does it say it and is it consistent with itself in what it says?
Is what it says consistent with logic, and other established theology?
What have Christian theologians in the past taught?
Does modern Biblical scholarship have anything to say of relevance?
What different viewpoints do modern Christians have on the question and why?
etc.
======

They can attempt to try to delude themselves into thinking that their life has a point if they want.

That we're more than a few specks of dust sitting on an insignificant little planet in an insignificant little galaxy in a universe which will end completely given a few billion years. That what we do and the choices we make actually have some sort of significance and it isn't the case that in a thousand or a million years time they'll be no difference between us having done the one or the other, and no trace left or us or anything we loved or acheived. That it's worthwhile to be a good person, to love and help others despite sacrifices you might have to make to do that.

I am fairly convinced that atheists or "humanists" who share the Christian values are not being consistent in their beliefs on this part. But even so, belief in god almost certainly makes a huge difference in your own life, especially with regard to what you view as important.

Greg2003

Title: Galaxy Song
From: Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
Transcribed By: unknown


<spoken>
Whenever life gets you down, Mrs. Brown,
And things seem hard or tough,
And people are stupid, obnoxious or daft,
<sung>
And you feel that you've had quite eno-o-o-o-o-ough,

Just remember that you're standing on a planet that's evolving
And reolving at nine thousand miles an hour.
It's orbiting at nineteen miles a second, so it's reckoned,
The sun that is the source of all our power.
Now the sun, and you and me, and all the stars that we can see,
Are moving at a million miles a day,
In the outer spiral arm, at fourteen thousand miles an hour,
Of a galaxy we call the Milky Way.

Our galaxy itself contains a hundred million stars;
It's a hundred thousand light-years side to side;
It bulges in the middle sixteen thousand light-years thick,
But out by us it's just three thousand light-years wide.
We're thirty thousand light-years from Galactic Central Point,
We go 'round every two hundred million years;
And our galaxy itself is one of millions of billions
In this amazing and expanding universe.

<waltz>

Our universe itself keeps on expanding and expanding,
In all of the directions it can whiz;
As fast as it can go, that's the speed of light, you know,
Twelve million miles a minute and that's the fastest speed there is.
So remember, when you're feeling very small and insecure,
How amazingly unlikely is your birth;
And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere out in space,
'Cause there's bugger all down here on Earth!

Life was worth it just to have Monty Python!

Greg2003

How do you know that's not what you're doing?

Tercel

God told me it wasn't.

Vinnie

And me too!

That is multiple attestation! Woot!

Vinnie

Bill Snedden

I liked the post from which this quote came, and I agree that your view as expressed there certainly is one of the most reasonable ways one can harmonize "god" with the rest of one's experience. However, I have to disagree with your last sentence. While I certainly find it "obviously possible", and maybe even a "reasonable conclusion", I don't at all find it likely.

And from another post:

Now you've really made me mad... (well, not really...)

I have all the meaning in my life to which you refer in the above passage without god. "Eternity" simply isn't a necessary part of "purpose." What I create, what I do, and the choices I make don't need to last beyond me to have meaning for me. In the final analysis, that's all that matters for my life to have purpose.

And it's no more a delusion than the big rock-candy sugar-mountain that awaits you after death...

Regards,

Bill Snedden