Freethought & Rationalism Archive

ashibaka · 02-09-2003, 01:44 PM

One odd thing about religious discussion is that nobody's got an FAQ up for it yet. Maybe this is because it's hard to give an objective answer to a religious question, but I think the time wasted reviewing old threads would be better spent talking about newer things.

Here's how I think the format should work:

http://ashitaka.home.attbi.com/christianity/
(I went a little overboard with the 19th-century style titles. I enjoy doing that.

)

Here are some questions I've got for IIers:

- Will this work?
- Is it unbiased right now? What should I do about that?
- What websites should I reference for atheist perspectives, Christian perspectives, and Bible quotes?

never been there · 02-09-2003, 06:28 PM

I think you'll have to give more than one answer to some of the questions. Different sects have different views. For example, justification by faith alone would be contradicted by other passages, but certain churches won't tell you that. I think you get a broader view from the RCs.

Having "never been there", I can grasp most of the doctrines, but never understood the "why" behind them. Mainly, like many secular people, I still can't grasp why Paul's opinions seem to matter more than what Jesus said in the Gospels. This isn't just when they go opposite ways, but also when they agree the epistle gets quoted instead of the gospel.

ashibaka · 02-09-2003, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by never been there
I think you'll have to give more than one answer to some of the questions. Different sects have different views. For example, justification by faith alone would be contradicted by other passages, but certain churches won't tell you that. I think you get a broader view from the RCs.

I think I'll try to cover the most accepted beliefs of Protestant churches-- I know there are some sects that consider you saved by works rather than faith, but AFAIK they're in the minority, and not the sort of people I need to write a FAQ for. I've seen a general consensus on both ChristianForums and here for that.

Mmm... only one reply. X_x

Luiseach · 02-09-2003, 06:45 PM

Excerpt from the link provided by ashibaka:

'If a ruthless non-Christian father tortures his child, and the child dies, and a few days later the father is on his deathbed, and a Christian priest gets him to convert just before he dies, does the tortured kid go to Hell and the father go to Heaven?

Yup. "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." John 3:36'

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is some seriously scary 'reasoning' (inverted commas to indicate irony).

Thank goodness for atheism. I'm glad God doesn't exist.

ashibaka · 02-09-2003, 07:41 PM

That's why I'm wondering whether I'm being biased. I took that answer directly from a post on ChristianForums, but for other things-- e.g., for the "Isn't the Trinity a contradiction?" question, I originally put simply "No", which is unfair albeit funnier. Which one should it be, fair or funny?

02-11-2003, 07:43 AM

If you want to take what somebody says on a forum as the basis for your answer, you might want to indicate the source of your info in your FAQ. Lots of other things have been said on forums that contradict what you chose to include. Are you being biased by choosing just one of these that suits your worldview or sense of humour?

I could say lots of things on a forum for you to quote in your FAQ ... why not put what I say in?

02-09-2003, 01:44 PM	#1
ashibaka Regular Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Cloudy Water Posts: 443	A Christianity FAQ? One odd thing about religious discussion is that nobody's got an FAQ up for it yet. Maybe this is because it's hard to give an objective answer to a religious question, but I think the time wasted reviewing old threads would be better spent talking about newer things. Here's how I think the format should work: http://ashitaka.home.attbi.com/christianity/ (I went a little overboard with the 19th-century style titles. I enjoy doing that. ) Here are some questions I've got for IIers: - Will this work? - Is it unbiased right now? What should I do about that? - What websites should I reference for atheist perspectives, Christian perspectives, and Bible quotes?

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

02-09-2003, 06:28 PM	#2
never been there Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Winnipeg, MB Posts: 2,144	I think you'll have to give more than one answer to some of the questions. Different sects have different views. For example, justification by faith alone would be contradicted by other passages, but certain churches won't tell you that. I think you get a broader view from the RCs. Having "never been there", I can grasp most of the doctrines, but never understood the "why" behind them. Mainly, like many secular people, I still can't grasp why Paul's opinions seem to matter more than what Jesus said in the Gospels. This isn't just when they go opposite ways, but also when they agree the epistle gets quoted instead of the gospel.

02-09-2003, 06:45 PM	#4
Luiseach Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: limbo Posts: 986	Excerpt from the link provided by ashibaka: 'If a ruthless non-Christian father tortures his child, and the child dies, and a few days later the father is on his deathbed, and a Christian priest gets him to convert just before he dies, does the tortured kid go to Hell and the father go to Heaven? Yup. "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." John 3:36' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is some seriously scary 'reasoning' (inverted commas to indicate irony). Thank goodness for atheism. I'm glad God doesn't exist.

02-09-2003, 07:41 PM	#5
ashibaka Regular Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Cloudy Water Posts: 443	That's why I'm wondering whether I'm being biased. I took that answer directly from a post on ChristianForums, but for other things-- e.g., for the "Isn't the Trinity a contradiction?" question, I originally put simply "No", which is unfair albeit funnier. Which one should it be, fair or funny?

02-11-2003, 07:43 AM	#6
stretch Guest Posts: n/a	If you want to take what somebody says on a forum as the basis for your answer, you might want to indicate the source of your info in your FAQ. Lots of other things have been said on forums that contradict what you chose to include. Are you being biased by choosing just one of these that suits your worldview or sense of humour? I could say lots of things on a forum for you to quote in your FAQ ... why not put what I say in?

Freethought & Rationalism Archive

The archives are read only.