Amos

She had enough bad luck already and now needs understanding and please don't call me a Christian because that is the wrong diagnosis from you.

Radorth

This from the man who said I know nothing about him, but he knows all about me. It's all in your head my friend. I said I would give you a fair hearing, and I did. You insisted I take your word for everything, which is hardly reasonable. Nevertheless, I understand your reluctance to share more personal things.

After reading the last few posts, I'm gonna go way out on a limb here and predict that BG will find holier-than-thou people out in the world.

Rad

Amos

Just sarcasm.

Dr Rick

You posted: Joel, if it ever occurs to you [that god] was more interested in an intimate relationship with you than all your good works..., implying that actions are not as important to the god you worship as beliefs are. Are you now disavowing this position?

Rick

Radorth

And that is true of me I take it. You know that, right? You know all the things I've done and you know they do not compare to your works, I take it. That is certaily how you come across.

I suggest you are judging me far more cynically than I am judging anyone. That I know because you haven't asked me a single sincere question. Have you?

Perhaps you are confusing style with substance.

Rad

Dr Rick

What do you think is the correct "diagnosis"?

"Luck", bad or otherwise, has nothing to do with it. The lady is rationally questioning the superstitious belief system that she previously accepted.

Rick

Celsus

Radorth.

Regarding the faith/works interpretations, I was talking about my own experience with Christians, as a Christian. I haven't said you are a bad person, or a insincere person, or anything else. I have pointed out, your behaviour here on II is a disastrously bad example of the Christian ideal. There is plenty of evidence of this, everywhere you care to look. Hence, I say I think you're a troll. Atheist or Christian, it doesn't matter. You, among others, have successfully derailed this thread beyond recognition, which is what defines a troll. I humbly apologise to blondegoddess for taking the bait.

Joel

Radorth

Well no, except you have oversimplified it a bit. I'm saying works which are most pleasing to God come out of faith and relationship to him. Jesus called his mature disciples "my friends" and they couldn't do much worthwhile until they were. I'm saying God doesn't want your good works if he can't have your heart first. He knows you will just become self-righteous. We have many things backwards. You can't get near God by just "being good" (whatever that means).

When we once see that we are all like valuable and precious specks of dust in God's eyes, we have some understanding. Then we have some hope of obeying the first two and greatest commandments. After that, we can "get off our ass" and go save the world with God's blessing I suppose.

Rad

Radorth

And what is that? Going around the world preaching your religion, and then turning atheist?

I don't remember calling people a "brood of vipers" or "whitewashed tombs" or "hypocrites" or even "fool." The closest I have come to an insult in three months is calling someone here a "fellow hypocrite" and even that was without malice. Self-righteous atheists do tick me off, as my sarcasm shows, but they don't make me mad because they are self-righteous, but because they invariably refuse to admit it. And I won't lose much sleep, given Jesus' sarcasm.

Oh please. Go back and look who got us off on this stuff first. I was minding my own business, telling BG my thoughts, and some skeptics lost control and started preaching, mind reading and acting holy.

"You're a lazy-assed twit and a troll Radorth, but not a bad person."

How magnanimous of you.

Rad

Amos

Correct, and therefore she needs understanding and not luck.