Was Jesus God?

Quote: FrGamble

However an atheist can feel (very incorrectly) that they get off scott free with no consequences at all. What if an atheist rationalizes their evil or doesn't consider it to be an evil act. I guess there is not even a need for repentance or worry. That is kind of disgusting isn't it?

Oh, I'd like to believe in a kind of karmic justice. I'd like to believe I'm going to win $5000 a week for life in the Florida Lottery.

There are things that I'd like.

Apparently we do need lots of laws for punishment, because a segment of the population doesn't seem to think even if they get away from society justice, they'd have to worry about afterlife justice. Still prison has a way big proportion of religious people compared to atheists.

Anyway, I'd counter that an atheist knowing only the life we have is the one we got, if he/she really thinks about it doesn't want to risk spending a good portion of it in prison. Why would I want to waste decades in prison if this is the only life?

We have covered this myth many times. As the introductory letter makes clear this was a self-reporting of religious affiliation, do we know how many who don't have an religion opted not to fill out the request? Do we know the large number of no preference, pagan, or unknown prisoners believe in God or not? Do we know how many had conversions in prison to help turn their life around or how many were nominally living their faith or filled out a certain preference to be able to attend services or have other privileges given (usually the first 15 or so minutes of prison Masses are spent with all the prisoners from various cell blocks and areas sharing news, gossip, ideas, etc.). Finally, this is not the case in other prisons throughout the world. There are some interesting stats you can find from the United Kingdom that show very different numbers and I wonder what the percentage of prisoners in atheistic countries would be. Basically, I think this is a very poor argument but it does prove that no one is immune to sin and its influence.

Quote: Nareed

An atheist, who knows there are no gods, no afterlife and no next world, also knows any forgiveness and atonement must be had here and now.

Why is forgiveness and atonement required in an athiest world? Why is a criminal bound to morals and ethics when clearly they ignored them when they committed their crime? Why isn't the penalty death for a convicted murderer? Or why isn't the penalty for murder dependent on the quality of the person being murdered?

Quote: rxwine

Anyway, I'd counter that an atheist knowing only the life we have is the one we got, if he/she really thinks about it doesn't want to risk spending a good portion of it in prison. Why would I want to waste decades in prison if this is the only life?

On the contrary an atheist thinking that this is the only life we got and thought about that would want to anything at all to maximize their own happiness and not really care about others in the process. If they got caught they could just kill themselves. Of course, nobody really thinks rationally about the consequences of atheism and what it allows you to do because thank God people are good and have the gift of consciences.

Quote: FrGamble

On the contrary an atheist thinking that this is the only life we got and thought about that would want to anything at all to maximize their own happiness and not really care about others in the process. If they got caught they could just kill themselves. Of course, nobody really thinks rationally about the consequences of atheism and what it allows you to do because thank God people are good and have the gift of consciences.

You must not be an AP. Well, yes, you can maximize some happiness without breaking laws. But anything in the law breaking category has risk reward. If not I could just shoot somebody who cut me off in traffic. I could just take cash from a register if someone looked away long enough.

But even without secular law, people will still kick your ass, or sick the neighborhood or friends on you when they've had enough, or you run into a the wrong person sooner or later and get beat down.

I don't even like paying the speeding tickets I've got. Has nothing to do with what I'd prefer, which is just drive fast if I need to.

But I obey all kinds of laws, because of the earthly consequences. Being an atheist doesn't make it less consequential.

Quote: FrGamble

However an atheist can feel (very incorrectly) that they get off scott free with no consequences at all.

This is what it all boils down to. First
you have to answer to your real daddy
when you're a kid, then you answer to
your daddy in the sky for the rest of
your life.

I find it odd that for most things we do
wrong, we pay for it right now. Touch
a hot stove, fall off a ladder, make fun
of a guy twice our size, tell your wife
her ass is too big. But the other things
don't have immediate consequences, so
they must come later, after we die.

Why, it just wouldn't be fair if they didn't.
Cause the universe is such a fair place.

Guffaw...

Quote: FrGamble

Every culture that has ever existed, including secular or atheistic ones have a conception of what sin is and how to atone for it .

NO they do NOT!!!!!

I have given links before on this and just
because you choose not to remember and
continue to play the stupid game, doesn't
mean I will dig them up AGAIN.

Geez....

Quote: FrGamble

On the contrary an atheist thinking that this is the only life we got and thought about that would want to anything at all to maximize their own happiness and not really care about others in the process.

The reason people give is because it makes them feel good, not because they think Gods watching and they will go to heaven because of it.

In the Navajo language, there is no word for religion.

Quote: FrGamble

Like any real loving relationship God doesn't force Himself upon us.

Golly, it's almost like he's not there at all.