nermal

As a seminary, this forum would produce some of the finest Christian ministers going.
Those who read all here and try to understand it, and still keep their faith, could likely survive any test. It would be like a great weeding out process.
Those who read all here and try to understand it, and lose their faith, would, perhaps, have lost their faith at some point along the way.
Problem is, too many read all here, or elsewhere, and try to rebut it using any irrational means possible, never bothering to attempt understanding. Those quit their prison library jobs and start internet ministries, or other similar things.
Information is information. It's what you do with it that counts.

Ed

Godot

This wouldn't be a particularly effective forum if it was incapable of refuting apologetics, now would it?
As others above have mentioned, information and ideas are presented and debated for their merit (most of the time). The conclusions that are drawn depend upon the individual. It is assumed that approaching the facts from a rational perspective will generally lead to a set conclusion.

Goober

It is a good forum!

I personally think it reflects a big difference in the minds of theists and atheists. Most atheists respect the truth and want to find it, and are happy to debate it in an open manner. Unfortunately, many theists (happily not all, though) are the complete opposite, and only want to confirm their own dogma and not challenge their beliefs, even if it means not being entirely truthful. That's why you'll find so many facts here.

I mean, compare 10 minutes lurking here to 10 minutes at theology web..... What a craphole.

HelenM

Hi Rational BAC,

Could you say specifically what you've learned here that has strengthened your faith?

Helen

SecularFuture

Rational BAC
You could always TEST your faith, or STUDY up on the evolutionary origins of religion.

My guess is because it isn’t that deep. Everything relating to Christianity can be found within a couple of books, in particular – “The Book”.


Edited to fix Amazon/IIDB partnership link

HelenM

You must be referring to 'the Bible'

Helen

SecularFuture

Yeah - "The Book" that could have been written by anyone with a little too much spare time and imagination.

Biff the unclean

Irrational? Occasionally.
A fool? No, you are well spoken. You write quite well and God knows you can spell much better that I can.
But you do leave the impression, in the religion topics on this board, of being remarkably ego centric.

Rational BAC

Well thanks Biff. I get so few compliments of any kind on this forum, it is nice to read one.

Spelling is a strange thing anyway--especially in English. A very strange mixture of differing Germanic and French origin words. I know a lot of French and some German and that helps me beaucoup when I try to figure out how to spell an English word.

Ability to spell correctly in English is seriously overated IMHO. Anytime the question comes up why "Johnny can't read" I think, "for God sakes you gave him a basstard idiot language to try to learn and read from!!!!--What do you expect?"

Do not want to denigrate the English language too much. In so many ways it is a beautiful language, possibly the most beautiful language in the world (after French)---even though about as inconsistent and irrational a language as one can imagine.

I have a brother who is probably at least twice as smart as I am------but cannot spell worth a damn.

Rational BAC

Can't say yet that it has really been strengthened. Can't say yet that it has been weakened. I am just beginning "seminary school from the Internet"

But I have learned an awful lot from this forum about Christianity. And for that I am supremely grateful.

Not making fun of anyone at all here on this thread. And you all know I am capable of that sometimes.

I just wondered if anyone had considered the possibility that you may be increasing legitimate Christian faith by challenging it so well? You all do make us think and seriously question our faith.

And that is a good thing. It has always been my opinion that any Christian who shuts down his rational mind and stops questioning his Christian beliefs is at best ---a very shallow Christian.

Whoops---gonna get hit by the Fundies on that one.