yguy

Offhand, I don't know that it does, sorry. But whether the Bible says it or not, doesn't it make sense? I mean, as an atheist, you might not agree that it's a sin, but it's stupid to let praise go to your head, isn't it?

Bree

A bona fide label of "sin" carries some pretty hefty consequences. One can go to Hell for a sin! There's a difference between something that seems "pretty stupid" and something that you can actually go to Hell for.

That's the reason I'm asking for clarification. Especially because, if God really saw it as the grevious offence that most theists make it (being pride) out to be, I'm sure He'd be sure to put it in the Good Book - right along with all the other rules He'd like for us to follow.

yguy

Personally, I don't find the distinction meaningful. What Adam did was superficially innocuous, but had deadly consequences. It was like a fool thinking he'll get rich at a slot machine and losing everything he has - or like a novice pilot thinking he can fly the plane better than the instructor, taking the plane up without permission, and crashing it.

As for your question, there is probably something in the Bible that addresses it directly, but I'm not enough of a scholar to know where.

Sabine Grant

that is usualy the kind of response that is given when one cannot accept what or who is different " you must be mad"....

Sabine Grant

Hello again Bree... it may not " say that" but the story of Peter rather demonstrates the effects of pride and how God deals with it... we have a boasting Peter who tells Christ , his rabbi, that he would never deny Him and would certainly give his life for Him. Well...when given an opportunity to demonstrate his prideful claims, poor Peter has to deal with human fear. It was a necessary experience for Peter to be prepared to be the founder of the early church and to do it humbly. Another episode of his life, as he pertains to protect Christ from being arrested, our passionate Peter attacks the poor guard and cuts his ear off.....instead of giving Peter brownie points, Christ rebukes him and reminds him that a legion of angels could come to rescue Him, sort of like " hey buddy... I am the Son of God.. get off your high horses now.." plus, as a gratification, Christ heals the soldier's ear.
Peter tended to beat up his chest a little too much..." Oh I would never do that... I can do all those things.. I can even rescue God Himself!" Though well intended and very much loved by Christ, Peter had to learn to do things in God's time and plan.
Many of us christians have similar attitudes today..." My Lord".. " I took so and so to Christ"..." You are not doing God's Will cuz I know god's Will better than you do"... it is all motivated by pride.

HelenM

Seriously, this seems rather pointlessly rude to me...

I am diagnosed with a mental health disorder, in fact. So you can stop wondering, I guess.

Helen

Sabine Grant

((((( Helen)))) we all have a little something off balance at times in our complexe brains..and it is often the case for the most brilliant minds.

Opera Nut

The last fundy that I had a screaming fight with, the son in law and daughter in law, do you know what the son in law said?

He said I needed "mental care". I think that was the most serious insult he could think of. My answer was "OK, I am seriously depressed, have been for years, I talk to shrinks once a week at a major medical school outpatient clinic, take anti depressants and try to be aware of my moods and how I can change them. I'm dealing with my problems the best I know how, and I admit that I go to a shrink. So why aren't you going to a shrink to find out why you have this obsessive compulsive disorder of constantly getting in peoples' faces about Jesus? Why not mind your own business since it just pisses people off?"

He also said that I was "an evil woman" and "controlling his father". IOW, his dad was p-whipped.

I am also a creative person but I don't think I can attribute my creativity to God in particular. It's just a matter of sitting down in front of the piano with the computer on, and noodling and generating notes, and getting in the flow. I don't think there's anything particularly mysterious about that. You just have to relax and do it often, without regard to whether you get a viable song out or not.

I still have not had any subjective experience of God or message from God, so I am incapable of having a relationship with a deity who does not communicate with me in any fashion.

HRG

Not really. He was listening to two different instructors, with mutually contradictory instructions, and found that the second one was more credible.

What does this tell us about the first instructor - who knew about the presence *) and ability to persuade of the second one, yet did not give Adam a word of warning, a clear demonstration of his credibility, or knowledge of the difference between the two instructors: you know, good vs. evil ?

I think Adam would have had a good case for damages - before an impartial judge, of course.

*) actually, was responsible for this presence - which by itself creates liability for lack of warning!


Regards,
HRG

Oxymoron

I did not intend offence. Nonetheless, since I believe that religion is indeed a symptom of mental illness, I am going to find it hard to express that view without trampling someone's toes. Given that the thread is "Religion: a mental disorder?", and that this is an atheist discussion board, and that you are not an atheist, you are almost certainly going to be peed off at some point.

I propose that your religious beliefs are actually a result of your health problems, or perhaps vice versa, or perhaps even a symbiotic coupling between the two. Can you categorically say this is not so, and how can you back that up other than saying "no it's not" period?