steve_bank
Diabetic retinopathy and poor eyesight. Typos ...
If you believe god exists and have faith in an afterlife, why must you prove it and why get hostile to those who reject it?
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For Christians:If god exists why must you prove it?
- Thread starter steve_bank
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I never saw any scripture telling me to prove God exists. In fact there's a fair bit telling me NOT to put God to the proof.
As for hostility towards those who reject God, nope. Christians who aren't welcomed are invoked to turn and leave and shake the dust off their sandals.
As for hostility towards those who reject God, nope. Christians who aren't welcomed are invoked to turn and leave and shake the dust off their sandals.
southernhybrid
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In other words, you are supposed to just believe everything that you read in a book that was written thousands of years ago without even questioning if it makes any sense, but when there is overwhelming evidence for things like evolution or human made climate change, for example, it's okay to reject it? Got it. On the other hand, if medical science finds a cure or successful treatment for a disease that a Christian suffers from, it's okay to believe that? Strange. Very strange.
steve_bank
Diabetic retinopathy and poor eyesight. Typos ...
You are doing the usual Christian two step. Find a passage and make it fit something unrelated as an answer.
Aren't they commanded to give up possesions and follow Jesus?
James Brown
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When I was an Evangelical, apologetics was just one more tool in the toolbox used to win souls for Christ. Some folks used compassion and good works, some preached and taught, others argued for the faith. No one method will convert everyone, so all methods were encouraged according to one's own temperament and talents.
(Side note: Why is the past tense of preach 'preached', but the past tense of teach isn't 'teached'?)
(Side note: Why is the past tense of preach 'preached', but the past tense of teach isn't 'teached'?)
James Brown
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And yes, there's Biblical Support for apologetics. Acts 17 tells of St. Paul reasoning with philosophers and other religious teachers in Athens, and some of them converted. So if something is good enough for St. Paul, it's good enough for anyone else, no?
And if anyone values Thomas Aquinas, C. S. Lewis, or Lee Strobel, then they'll value apologetics and even engage in it themselves. Particularly if there are lucrative book deals or popular speaking engagements to be had.
And if anyone values Thomas Aquinas, C. S. Lewis, or Lee Strobel, then they'll value apologetics and even engage in it themselves. Particularly if there are lucrative book deals or popular speaking engagements to be had.
steve_bank
Diabetic retinopathy and poor eyesight. Typos ...
Aquinas was the pope
s theological hit man. He went out and debated.
I believe CS Lewis was led to a conversion by Tolkien, or maybe the other way around.
s theological hit man. He went out and debated.
I believe CS Lewis was led to a conversion by Tolkien, or maybe the other way around.
That’s so weird. How do you avoid having faith in falsehoods, then? Faith in false gods?
Why does it take them so fucking long to do it?
Even metaphorically, why does it take so long for christians to stop blathering about their religion when you’re their friend and make it clear you’re atheist and you don’t welcome it?
Wouldn’t it be great if christians cared about this verse, asked if you want to hear and then shut up about it when you say no?
Wouldn’t if be great if they took their stupid anti-birth control evangelism and left town? No, instead they pound you over the head with it and strip you of access to medical care.
Wouldn’t it be great if christians took the fact that 80% of the country disagrees with their barbaric treatment of gays and they “shook the dust” and stopped trying to impose their beliefs by force?
Wouldn’t it be great if Christians stopped arguing and going to court for power to force their religion on unwilling people?
So what’s the reason? Why don’t christians think this part of the bible is true? When are they going to shake the dust, sell everything they own and actually follow Jesus’ teachings?
DBT
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The existence of those who do not share the faith puts the faith to question. Other beliefs or points of view imply other possibilities, that one's article of faith may not be true, posing a threat to the faith.
DrZoidberg
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Isn't a hostile Christian an oxymoron?
DrZoidberg
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I don't think so. Aquinas was a loose cannon. He had plenty of public conflicts with various popes. Refusing to do as he was told. Not to mention that Aquinas' work relied heavily on Aristotelian logic, which had been outlawed by several popes. Aquinas seems to have been picking fights, with pretty much everyone he came into contact with. If he hadn't been from an exceedingly rich noble family nobody would have put up with him.
He was canonized after his death because his work was undoubtedly useful to the church. I think it's safe to say, to the popes he was a lot more popular dead than alive.
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Now you're changing the topic. Your Op was very specific about some supposed obligation Christians have to prove God exists and allegedly getting hostile at those who aren't persuaded.
Name some self-professed Christian here at TTF who you believe interpret their Christian calling this way.
Keith&Co.
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Why on Earth would you think that?
Crusades, witch trials, Inquisition, Mad About Dungeons And Dragons, Jack Chick...
Oh. Wait, you're being funny? Sorry.
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If you are an non-christian why do you keep asking for proof?
If you did not ask for proof we would not need to be so active.
I do not get hostile to those who reject. I am sorry they reject. Hostile, no.
Keith&Co.
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And I suspect you're probably in the Majority. Unfortunately, a largely silent majority...
DrZoidberg
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But you just described the main problem with the current society. News is today primarily spread for shock value. A person being cool about shit, is not news. I don't think it's a question of sensible Christian being quiet. It's more that nobody is listeing to what they're saying. Today, we almost exclusively give attention and platforms to complete idiots. Idiots who's only role is for us to react against. The OP to this thread is a prime example
I'm sure it's works the same on the other side. I'm convinced Christians continually spread news about atheists saying and doing vile shit, that we in the secular world give zero attention.
I think most people everywhere are fairly decent.
Don’t forget Jesus and the money-changers...
DrZoidberg
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Wasn't Jesus more passive aggressive?
I believe the evidence shows otherwise.
If Christians were majority not-hostile, we would not have restrictions on birth control and atheists would not be the most untrusted group by Xhristians.
They are majority hostile. They say so in polls when they claim they don’t trust atheists. They say so when they permit companies and people to discriminate against non-christians in medical decisions, marriage and tax collection.
Tigers!, you need to understand that “hostile” includes asking people again and again and a-fucking-gain if they’ve heard the “good news” snake oil.
Everyone on the planet has heard about your religion. If you weren’t bringing it up in our lives in our laws and in our workplaces, no one would ask you for proof. We wouldn’t care, just as we don’t actually care about people who use crystals and essential oils and spirit yoga.
You get hostile when people say they don’t want to be harmed by your ancient superstition in contravention to shaking the dust off your sandals and shutting up about it.
No. You’re having a language problem. The sentence “why must you” means “why are you incessant about this?” The only obligation is the one apparent from your incessant behaviour. We might assume that you have some internal obligation to drive such aggressive behavior, but that’s between you and your old book. The sentence “why must you” simply means, “why do you always do that?” It’s a question. WHY do you do that all the time?
Hope that helps.
You.