OneInFundieville

aChristian, ignoring your use of "random" for the moment, basically this says, "I can't imagine a way to find meaning in a material world."

Your statement simply attests more to the capabilities of your mind than whether or not YHWH is anything other than imaginary.

George S

The search for meaning in day-to-day existence is not enhanced by the notion that the end of life is not the end of self.

When the meaning is to appease God and get special favors for (depending on your theology) either belief magic or prescribed behavior, there is a danger.

What if belief magic doesn't work? What if what you believe does not matter a bit in the (hypothetical) afterlife?

What if the prescribed behavior is immoral? For example, disobedience to commandment 1 is death. Is this prescribed behavior really a rule of God? If one Abrahamic religion is correct (they can't all be) then you are hellbound for not killing everyone who says, "Oh God!" other than as a prayer.

When the meaning is to do God's will, those who claim to know God's will abound. If God wanted mankind to know His will, He is rather incompetent at getting the job done. Given this ineffectiveness on the part of an omnipotent God, it sort of rules knowing God's will. This, in turn, implies that those who claim to know God's will are faking it. This faking is accomplished by the "leap of faith."

When the meaning is to be human in a human society, the entailments are different. All there is to being a human being being human is interactions among other human beings and other real sensible things. Such a life has meaning in the here and now. Meaning today for self, family, community of mankind, and our environment.

ChristMyth

Hey HL, If your still with us...

I've always thought of Hell this way:

Really, it doesn't matter what you do because, if omnimax God knows everything already, then you are already predestined to go to Hell. That's right. No matter how saved you think you are, if Bible God knows your going to Hell, and Bible God is never wrong, then guess what, your going to Hell!

Seems rather pointless, doesn't it. I mean, you can think your saved, but die and find out that "Nope." It was all in your head. You attended the wrong church. You didn't ask forgiveness for that last sin you did before you took the dirt nap, so into the furnace you go. But that's alright because God knew you were never get to sit on one of those clouds and play that harp anyway. It already written, there's nothing you can do. Accept it.

Of course, there is a small loophole that spares you this unfortunate future, and its not the torture of some innocent man who may or may not have existed way back yonder in the darkness of time. So what is it?

Realize that Hell doesn't exist. You can no more be thrown into the fiery pit than you can be thrown in to Wonderland. Ever afraid of ending up in Wonderland or Oz? Me either.

So, either accept the idea that there's a possibility that you were destined for Hell to begin with or drop the whole idea altogether.

(Of course, the opposite is also true. You could very well be destined for Heaven, which God would have known since the beginning of time. But, either way, you don't have much to say in the matter so don't worry about it and begin enjoying life. You only got one to enjoy.)

Christmyth

Roger Pearse

Is this thread still appropriate for BC&H?

Solitary Man

I never thought it was.

JPD

Half-Life, you'll probably - at the point at which it suddenly dawned on you - have experienced a rush of feeling similar to that that you experienced when you first became religious. That is, of course, if you can remember it happening (if it wasn't when you were very young). Enlightenment is omnidirectional!

Good move mate! The only bit of advice that I can give you is to try not to react too strongly to the negative feelings that you may be experiencing in response to, essentially, your previously religious self. Oh, and keep an open mind about EVERYTHING!

Its all good. Look forward to chatting with you soon.

JPD


ETA: Well, maybe not about everything. Some of those Morris dancers look a bit dodgy. Then there's that dratted Moonpig.com advert. While we're on the subject people who sit in a particular way on the tube. Although I secretly quite like Girls Aloud. Not for their music you understand, its their personalities that interest me.

Roger Pearse

I don't think that a simple denial of what seems like a reasoned argument followed by a personal reflection is much of a reply.

All the best,

Roger Pearse

chrisengland

I havn't looked at the reply in much detail' but I think it's important to be careful.
Arguments which say there is no meaning if God does not exist do not establish anything.
Chris

WVIncagold

is this the NT god or OT god? Because the war god of the OT was naything but "loving".

WVIncagold

WE are all intr4ested in what you think and can prove thats why we are here.

Please show us that hell is real. we will accept any verifiable evidence. Otherwise your just making threats of wish fulfillment from one make believe place to another make believe place.

anyone one asking a person to be blind to reason and logic obviously wants to keep them from seeing reality. So please provide the proof of gods existence we await patiently.

Meaningless preaching in order to stifle free thought.

which is?

very good i agree.

one is electro-chemical and the other is caused by electrostatic induction. But please explain to us you statement that this is what would occur? Proof will be accepted that is verifiable.



this is what all electrical currents now do so your point?

there is a huge diffrence in amperes and voltage not to mentions ohms law.


they are meaningless to everyone but you. and thoughts are not electrical currents.


and this is a problem ...why?:huh:


I love when people argue about made up deities and use the word "logic":banghead:


Awfully arrogant to think your life actually has to have meaning. Why does it. show us proof that life has meaning and isn't a big old ball of random circumstance. by the way what your describing is how the universe began.


We believe its you as well. But we also believe the voices in your head are you as well and not god.

I encourage everyone to do so. More atheist are made by reading the bible than any 0other method.


what part of it is true? the truth we are only 6000 years old? how about the truth that men lived with dinosaurs? how about the hoax ...i am sorry truth of the flood? Or maybe your referring to flying zombie space man? Unicorns? how about dragons? or as sugarhitman believes the giant sadistic cannibal vampire rapist of Canaan?

Half life i am happy for you that your opening your mind to thought and reason. I understand for many leaving the Xian stranglehold on your mind is very hard, for me it wasn't. Read and actually read what is in the bible not what your told it contains. you will start a journey that will leave you loving the world and what it contains instead of trying to please the Evil war god of a bunch of middle east bronze age sheep herders.