Do you believe in God?
Tell me people do you believe in God?
Christianity isn’t completely dependent on the Bible.
It’s not Islam which is completely dependent on its holy book(s), since it claims there are no more prophets moving forward (useful short term strategy but fatal long term).
Without the Bible, there isn't any Jesus. He simply doesn't exist outside of it.
Even Josephus and Tacitus, writing 60-70 years later, only reference the beliefs of the cult (depending upon how much of Josephus's paragraph mention of Jesus was true and how much was forged), not any direct evidence that Jesus existed. They certainly weren't eye witnesses.
And no one chooses their beliefs. Their beliefs are merely the collection of things they've become convinced are true.
Describe the subjective experience of overcoming / persistence in terms of belief and see if choice comes up.
Without the Bible, there isn't any Jesus. He simply doesn't exist outside of it.
Even Josephus and Tacitus, writing 60-70 years later, only reference the beliefs of the cult (depending upon how much of Josephus's paragraph mention of Jesus was true and how much was forged), not any direct evidence that Jesus existed. They certainly weren't eye witnesses.
Christianity is about the story of the soul, which has been primarily embodied by the Jesus character in the Bible.
To someone like me who actually knows what he’s talking about, you’re going to make yourself look foolish arguing that Christianity is completely dependent on the Bible.
Philosophy exercise for the physicalists:
If the soul exists, then the physical world is not more real (reality) than the soul.
You see that, right?
So when you’re assuming that the physical world is to be equated with reality, this is not a neutral position.
You are making a metaphysical (atheistic) assertion.
Philosophy exercise for the physicalists:
If the soul exists, then the physical world is not more real (reality) than the soul.
You see that, right?
So when you’re assuming that the physical world is to be equated with reality, this is not a neutral position.
You are making a metaphysical (atheistic) assertion.
When you assert the soul exists, you are adopting the burden of proof for your claim. Got any reasonable evidence?
Because the physical evidence overwhelmingly explains consciousness and reveals no trace of a “soul”. Brain injuries are well documented to change entire personalities, so the essence of you has a strong link to the physical.
Near death experiences don’t generate any compelling evidence of anything other hallucinations generated by oxygen deprived brain cells. In fact they even produce strong evidence for the physical explanation, given the religious imagery experienced in an NDE almost always matches what the persons social religious indoctrination predicts. For example, Christians often see Jesus, or Mary, etc, while Muslims see Islamic angels (like Azrael, the Angel of Death), the Barzakh (the interworld angel), etc.
Without the Bible, there isn't any Jesus. He simply doesn't exist outside of it.
Even Josephus and Tacitus, writing 60-70 years later, only reference the beliefs of the cult (depending upon how much of Josephus's paragraph mention of Jesus was true and how much was forged), not any direct evidence that Jesus existed. They certainly weren't eye witnesses.
Christianity is about the story of the soul, which has been primarily embodied by the Jesus character in the Bible.
To someone like me who actua
Well then I can respond like every other Christian responds to another Christian, saying you are not a true Christian.
But it’s precious and hilarious that you call yourself a “Christian” while not believing in Jesus Christ.
I guess that makes me a Christian too!
When you assert the soul exists, you are adopting the burden of proof for your claim. Got any reasonable evidence
Because the physical evidence overwhelmingly explains consciousness and reveals no trace of a "soul". Brain injuries are well documented to change entire personalities, so the essence of you has a strong link to the physical.
Near death experiences don't generate any compelling evidence of anything other hallucinations generated by oxygen deprived brain cells. In fact they even produc
My aim with that post is not to get into a debate. It’s simply to point out the absurdity of framing the story of the soul within a strict physicalist perspective.
You seem to be unable to even momentarily transcend physicalism though.
Either that or you’re purposely acting in bad faith by trying to import soul matters into strict physicalist framing.
Well then I can respond like every other Christian responds to another Christian, saying you are not a true Christian.
But it's precious and hilarious that you call yourself a "Christian" while not believing in Jesus Christ.
I guess that makes me a Christian too!
Idk what you’re talking about.
We all have an intuition that the way forward involves closing the gap between ourselves and reality.
This is a poker forum, so everyone should be aware of first level thinking..
The idea that closing the gap with reality automatically means we should study the physical world, this is first level thinking.
Jesus / God knows about humanity’s tendency to (erroneously) associate reality with physicalism, which is why he acted out the story in the physical world for the dumb dumbs that we are.
We all have an intuition that the way forward involves closing the gap between ourselves and reality.
This is a poker forum, so everyone should be aware of first level thinking..
The idea that closing the gap with reality automatically means we should study the physical world, this is first level thinking.
Jesus / God knows about humanity’s tendency to (erroneously) associate reality with physicalism, which is why he acted out the story in the physical world for the dumb dumbs that we are.
Demonstrate why anyone should believe your god exists or that reality comprises anything not in the physical universe.
You say this but you don’t act it out, which is why you don’t focus yourself on and stare at the (physical) chair in your room all day.
Instead, you aim at a (yet to be actualized / physicalized) future reality that you associate with improvement / goodness.
Do you remember when we already covered this ground before?
Do you truly lack the self awareness to realize you don’t act out strict physicalism?
Demonstrate why anyone should believe your god exists or that reality comprises anything not in the physical universe.
Don't you understand? We create the category of supernatural, then we say "how can you expect us to provide evidence of something that is supernatural?" Then we cling to this magical thinking in spite of eons of the vanishing god of the gaps. We believe it, we believe it, we believe it. We overrule reality, reasonableness, logic with this kind of belief. And that makes us moral true believers of the one true religion. Just plug in any religion: it works.
Don't you understand? We create the category of supernatural, then we say "how can you expect us to provide evidence of something that is supernatural?" Then we cling to this magical thinking in spite of eons of the vanishing god of the gaps. We believe it, we believe it, we believe it. We overrule reality, reasonableness, logic with this kind of belief. And that makes us moral true believers of the one true religion. Just plug in any religion: it works.
It’s very simple: if the supernatural exists, it’s a completely different category than strict physicalism. You even explicitly stated it yourself.
For the so-called physicalists like you and DC to then say, “Make the supernatural compatible with strict physicalism” is obviously absurd.
It should be beneath both of you to keep behaving in this juvenile way.
Hey, you know that first couple hundred thousand years of existence of the human race, where was god for that? Why is it that he didn't show up until, in a feverish milieu of savior stories in 1st Century Middle East, the real god showed up right along with all the stories. Funny that.
It’s very simple: if the supernatural exists, it’s a completely different category than strict physicalism. You even explicitly stated it yourself.
For the so-called physicalists like you and DC to then say, “Make the supernatural compatible with strict physicalism” is obviously absurd.
It should be beneath both of you to keep behaving in this juvenile way.
You're a little better at not deviously lying and misrepresenting things than most apologists, but then in the end you have to rely on it to support a make believe hypothesis with no evidence in support of it. Like you just did. "If" is a big, big word. You don't get to make up whole cloth categories of reality, then act like they are real.
You're a little better at not deviously lying and misrepresenting things than most apologists, but then in the end you have to rely on it to support a make believe hypothesis with no evidence in support of it. Like you just did. "If" is a big, big word. You don't get to make up whole cloth categories of reality, then act like they are real.
“I don’t want to explore beyond physicalism, so you’re not allowed to explore it or discuss it in the proper subforum.”
More absurd, juvenile, and TOTALITARIAN behavior from you.
You say this but you don’t act it out, which is why you don’t focus yourself on and stare at the (physical) chair in your room all day.
Instead, you aim at a (yet to be actualized / physicalized) future reality that you associate with improvement / goodness.
Do you remember when we already covered this ground before?
Do you truly lack the self awareness to realize you don’t act out strict physicalism?
Demonstrate there is anything other than the physical world.
It’s very simple: if the supernatural exists, it’s a completely different category than strict physicalism. You even explicitly stated it yourself.
For the so-called physicalists like you and DC to then say, “Make the supernatural compatible with strict physicalism” is obviously absurd.
It should be beneath both of you to keep behaving in this juvenile way.
.
The sad, sad state of the aging bitter atheist..
The magical thinking bullshytters with the direct pipeline to god almighty with their accusation that those not relying on such crutches are juvenile. Quite rich. And pathetic. And decidedly not Christlike, it would seem.
It’s very simple: if the supernatural exists, it’s a completely different category than strict physicalism. You even explicitly stated it yourself.
For the so-called physicalists like you and DC to then say, “Make the supernatural compatible with strict physicalism” is obviously absurd.
It should be beneath both of you to keep behaving in this juvenile way.
.
I never asked you specifically for physical evidence of the supernatural, or to maybe it “compatible” with anything.
I asked for ANY demonstration of the non-physical or supernatural. Now stop dodging and provide the sufficient reasons that convinced you.
I never asked you specifically for physical evidence of the supernatural, or to maybe it "compatible" with anything.
I asked for ANY demonstration of the non-physical or supernatural. Now stop dodging and provide the sufficient reasons that convinced you.
Fair enough. I know God exists through the man who plays chicken with God.
Jesus already said it 2,000 years ago: Jonah is the only sign you will be given. Jonah represents the man I mentioned.
The man who plays chicken with God is the Son of Man.
He drowns himself in water, and he is rescued.
He starves himself, and his stomach is filled.
He engulfs himself in fire, and he lives.
He locks himself in the torture chamber, and he is healed.
He descends into death, and he is resurrected.
This is the hero’s journey. It’s inside of every human being.
Who can snatch a man out of death’s grip except God? This is the reason why I believe. I’ve lived it as the man who stares down God until God blinks.
