Egoinos

Underemphasised,
The greatest thing Christianity has to offer
Settles into forgotten dust.
Such a wonderful literary history,
Mostly free from the taint of violence
Which haunts its dealings on earth.
Beauty from the hearts
Of faithful men
Can stir where quotations cannot.
The wonderful stories
Of Christian faith through the centuries
Cannot fail to move the heart.
The poetry of music, song and hymn,
Where generations of writers
Laboured long to get the perfect words
To express their faith even better than the Bible -
A Bible for the modern man.
Into the culture consciousness
Those beautiful words have seeped
One touch, and you could ignite them,
And bring thousands to your faith.
Show them the creativity,
Of a heart bound to Christ -
That is a more compelling argument
Than your Book all bound in cloth.

Quoting the Bible over and over
Cannot prove a single Article -
Your proof relies on emotion
So use emotion.
What use is there
In talking of science,
Archaeology, and the like
When all people know,
That the heart of the matter is faith.
Blind faith without proof,
And your Gospel relies on emotion.
Embrace that emotion-proof
And remove yourself
To another language-game
Beyond which my mind cannot follow -
If you wish to be apart from the world,
Move out of world's proofs and world-language,
Into the safe haven of Christian works,
Never again to debate your faith with infidels, [ ]
Beyond that door you can open,
No infidels lie,
Only Christians like yourself.
Flee the world.

Anon.

case

Cue saxaphone...

emotional

Maybe true, but a bit sad, this devaluating of emotions. The totally logical and rational life is a sad one.

What would you say about someone who is an infidel primary for emotional reasons (like me)? I wouldn't do God's bidding even if all the evidence were for his existence and for the truth of one of those books. If God does not exist, I need not serve; and if he does, I refuse to serve.

Egoinos

As far as I can see, the poem is saying that Christians should use the emotion-argument, rather than trying to use logic and proof. As they have no proof, why not just admit that, and use emotion, and thereby take themselves out of the debate entirely? If they were to do that, then they wouldn't have to debate with infidels such as ourselves anymore, because they would be in a different language-game.

I don't think there is anything wrong with emotion, btw, the thing which first broke my connection with theism was emotion - which was then followed by all the rational and logical arguments

--Egoinos--

emotional

I've grown quite disillusioned about the ability of logical reasoning to sway people to either side. As I saw from outreach seminars, the winner of the logical debate is the one who presents the best show. It's a game of showmanship, nothing more.

Every time theists speak to me about the "glory of God", I just say, "Glory?! What glory? You can't even see him!". I don't care if "design requires a designer" or any such logical reason - the fact that God is hidden and inaccessible is reason enough for me to shun theism. It's much more pleasing to worship created things (Nature) than an invisible, unsensed creator, whether he be fictional or not.

emotional

Take the premises of the so-called "Gospel" (which I would call "Gospel for few, Baspel for many"): all are deserving of hell everlasting, by virtue of their ultimate parents' sin (thank God we have evolution ), and their saving grace is by contemplating the necrophiliac scene of the bloody body nailed to the tree. Whoever believes is saved, and whoever does not is damned for all eternity.

It is perfectly logical, when these premises are considered, to believe in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. It is logical, because you are promised heaven if you do, and hell if you don't. It makes perfect businesslike sense. Accepting the premises, he is indeed a crazy person who wouldn't believe.

BUT... my emotions go against that. Gospel, good news, yes - for the very few, a small remnant. For the majority it is bad news - being tortured forever for what their parents did, no matter how clean a life they led.

Logic: accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour (even just in case - Pascal's Wager!), for you have eternal carrot for it, and eternal stick if you do not.

Emotion: even so, remember that the majority will be doomed to eternal torture under the auspices of the very same God who gives you heaven. How can you be so selfish as to do such a thing? Can you morally and integrally accept a reward from the one who puts all opposition to eternal punishment? Though I may burn in hell, I will at least receive no heaven while others burn in hell, and my conscience will be clear.

All the evidence in the world would never cause me to worship God. For my two years of theistic stupidity I repent, and I say: no more. I will not worship the evil one (God), no matter the evidence.