theIPU

I have no desire to present "facts" or to expound upon the historical accuracies of the IPUscripture in a feeble attempt to "prove" to you why I believe in theIPU . While I think such debates are healthy, I believe that they bear absolutely no fruit when in contact with hardened athiest (at least in my expirience). So instead, I just want to show you the personal reasons as to why I believe in theIPU.


For me it is the knowledge that there is an all knowing, all powerful IPU out there. It's not the thought that yes she does judge us, or that she will punish us for our wrongs, but the thought that compells me more than anything to believe in her is the fact that out of all the religions, IPUism is the only one in which theIPU dies for the people. I find it amazing that theIPU , who was theIPU , was willing to die for her own creation. To me there is no greater love. I cannot find any reason other than to follow her for that.

And that is just a short snipit of why I believe what I believe. I do look forward to the responces.

Fiach

Originally posted by Apologetix

I have no desire to present "facts" or to expound upon the historical accuracies of the Bible in a feeble attempt to "prove" to you why I believe in Christ. While I think such debates are healthy, I believe that they bear absolutely no fruit when in contact with hardened athiest (at least in my expirience). So instead, I just want to show you the personal reasons as to why I am a Christian.

I wish you would not use the term"hardened" Atheist. I would get as much sympathy for referring to hardened Fundeamentalists or Hardened Christians. It might be better to refer to convinced or confident Christians, and convinced or confident Atheists. The odds against an atheist being converted to theism in this setting must be mathematically awesome, and nearly so for confident christians. Your reasons are personal for both of us but there the similarity ends. Christians believe for mostly emotional and psychological needs to believe (faith), sometimes for personal "experiences" which they believe to be metaphysical. You are more right hemisphere (emotion-affective) driven. Atheists do not believe because we have a rigidly tight rational system that filters data out that does not meet strict sceptical logical patterns. That is somewhat more left hemisphere or analytical-rationality driven. We each arrive at our conclusiong by different mental processes.

Most Christians admit that sceptical rationality is not going to lead to god, and leads to atheism/agnosticism. Christians are led to god belief by "feelings", "emotions", intuitive affective processes, and are not going to be comfortable with atheistic possibilities based on analytical methods based on logic.


For me it is the knowledge that there is an all knowing, all powerful God out there. It's not the thought that yes He does judge us, or that He will punish us for our wrongs, but the thought that compells me more than anything to believe in Him is the fact that out of all the religions, Christianity is the only one in which the God dies for the people.

I could dispute those last 10 words, but not now. You have summarised it well. You believe for emotional reasons, the idea that a god would "die" for you, personally. That is a very moving feeling, perhaps why praying christians cry when they say that.

I find it amazing that Jesus, who was God, was willing to die for His own creation. To me there is no greater love. I cannot find any reason other than to follow Him for that.

And I can understand that if one believes that, it follows that one would have a faith that is very emotional, sometimes so much so that an logical blips will be written off. The usual write off is "God works in mysterious ways," or "we cannot know the mind of god."

And that is just a short snipit of why I believe what I believe. I do look forward to the responces.

This is the value of our discussions. It is understanding not converting that occurs here. For our part, I wish that you could learn our point of view. We are not Atheists because we are evil, sinful, bad people (statistics belie that). We are atheists because our brains are structured in a way that our frontal filter that screens input for logical content is very demanding. It will not send data to our association areas and conceptualisation areas if that data has rational flaws. For the same reason we, Atheists, almost 100% also reject Big Foot, visiting space aliens, parasychology, distant viewing, psychokinesis, Tarot cards, astrology, and fortune telling. Those who accept those things are also able to accept religious belief, or actually cling to ESP and parasychology as a religion substitute.

Fiach