Did you ever notice?

Quote: Evenbob

Atheism is based on lack of evidence, duh. It's
a negative stance, it's a lack of a belief. There
is no reasoning involved, there's nothing to base
reason on.

Quote: Evenbob

Atheism isn't based on reason, it's based
on evidence.

huh?

Quote: FrGamble

I don't think the Apostles or early disciples or St. Augustine or St. Thomas Aquinas or my grandmother or I were or have ever used acid or mushrooms.

I wish you had. It'd make a lot of this conversation so much easier. Mostly because you'd no longer be a Catholic and we could stop arguing lol

Quote: boymimbo

FrGamble needs to realize that you cannot convince one of God's existence via reason.

Of course not. Reason deals with demonstrable evidence and facts.

Quote:

The best a Christian can do is demonstrate the character of God via example.

Good. That makes me completely safe from Christianity :)

Nareed I peeked again and noticed that you might want to engage again in this war you have declared against Catholicism. I am happy to engage as well but I would suggest we first end the mutual excommunication we have placed on one another. If you agree I promise to never initiate a PM to you and to strive to treat you with the upmost respect you deserve.

Quote: FrGamble

If you agree I promise to never initiate a PM to you and to strive to treat you with the upmost respect you deserve.

How come you never talk this way
to me.

I'm sorry I will try to be better, but please take a look at how you talk to me. I know I should turn the other cheek, but its hard.

Quote: FrGamble

I know I should turn the other cheek, but its hard.

Just kidding, I treat you like crap. You're
obviously crying out for help, a lost
soul, and I'm trying to put you on the
path of truth and illumination. You make
it very hard, you're dug in and have
swallowed the bait for a long time.

Ed realized where he was after five years
as a priest, he was lucky. Did you watch
his video I posted about the new seminary
students? He said it very well, that unknown
to them, they were about to waste a good
deal of their lives. Oh well, there's always
next time.

Quote: Evenbob

Just kidding, I treat you like crap. You're
obviously crying out for help, a lost
soul, and I'm trying to put you on the
path of truth and illumination. You make
it very hard, you're dug in and have
swallowed the bait for a long time.

Ed realized where he was after five years
as a priest, he was lucky. Did you watch
his video I posted about the new seminary
students? He said it very well, that unknown
to them, they were about to waste a good
deal of their lives. Oh well, there's always
next time.

Sigh.

Pastors and church leaders indeed play a very important part in some people's lives and usually for the quite positive benefit. Even from a non-religious standpoint, there are parts of the bible that are very wise. Part of a pastor's duty is to counsel and comfort. The church also acts as community. You can't deny that the churches of America were not the pillars of community and still are in some places. They are leaders. Let's remember that the West exists

So, not a waste of a life, not by far.

Quote: boymimbo

S
So, not a waste of a life, not by far.

Ed was talking about priests. He felt
his five years as a priest and 8 years
in seminary were a complete waste
of his time. He felt listening to people
confess their 'thought crimes' was
silly and non productive. So was crossing
himself a hundred times a day, having
communion, saying mass. He became
a math teacher for 40 years instead, and
made a real difference in peoples lives.
Even at 81 he still tutors students 7
days a week.

Plenty of people use their faith in God and their worship of Him to give them confidence and get through the valleys in life. You see pro athletes thanking their deity all of the time for their successes. Now you many say, "well, they did it on their own". But there were undoubtably points in their progress where things were very difficult. But they persevered because of their beliefs and the examples set forth in the bible.

Now, there are many, many people who also are quite successful without God.

But I will say that being a minister has the potential to be a very positive influence in all of the lives that s/he touches. Certainly the ministry staff at my church (my favorite is a teacher that transferred into ministry) has had a very positive influence on my life even without bringing in the religion component. Your buddy Ed the priest maybe operated in positions that was distant from their flock. He himself might have felt disenfranchised with the papacy.

This is why a pope like Francis, who engages the public has a much more profound impact than Benedict who was distant.

Going to church may be silly and unproductive to you. To those who go, it is a spiritual renewal, a chance to connect, a chance to serve, and a chance to connect to their deity that they believe in. It is not silly to them.