Simple question?

Quote: pew

I guess He thought his Jewishness was strictly a cultural thing.

As to Asimov's biography...

His second wife, Dr. Janet Jepson, underwent a radical mastectomy as treatment for breast cancer. She was approached by a magazine to write about her experience. Dr. Jepson was ambivalent about it. Asimov convinced her by pointing out (more or less) "Yours will be about the only article on this subject which would not thank God for a successful outcome."

What does that tell you?

Quote: Nareed

Free? I beg to differ. it costs your soul. Your blind, unquestioning obedience to every outdated rule in an old book, to every edict from Rome, to every pointless ritual, to disgusting acts of not-so-symbolic cannibalism, all regardless of what your judgment tells you.

Not at all, you couldn't be more wrong. Obedience should never be unquestioning. Your human soul is free and intelligent, using those gifts is essential to what it means to be human. If you think you should just unquestioningly obey your own desires and passions that is foolish. If you think that you and you alone can figure it all out without help that is even more foolish. As they say the one who follows his own advice follows a fool.

Question the moral laws of the Bible taught to us by Christ, are any of them wrong? These edicts from Rome, which ones are against reason, nature, or the good of humanity? God gives us Himself in His true essence and full reality as food to strengthen us. We are not talking about pieces of flesh, blood, or bone. We are talking about His real complete presence miraculously and mysteriously present to become part of us, sharing intimately with us in life, and nourishing us. Use your judgment, but use it well with true understanding and not prejudiced sound bites. Stop your blind unquestioning obedience to yourself. You might not know for sure if there is a God, but I trust you do know for sure that you are NOT God.

Quote:

What would it gain anyone to enter heaven and lose their soul?

I think what you are searching for is: "What good would it be to lose your soul and gain the whole world?"

It looks more like - you are free to choose and use your own judgement, but if those things disagree with the church then you are going to hell.

What kind of a free choice is that, when there is an explicit threat behind making certain choices?

What kind of judgement can you make for yourself, if the conclusion you reach disagrees with the church?

You've seen what they have done to people who disagree with them and contradict them.

But feel free, it's your choice.

Quote: FrGamble

Obedience should never be unquestioning.

See, that's where you are dead, dead, dead wrong. For one thing, you're not questioning whether obedience should even enter the equation. You assume it belongs there, and any questioning will lead, inevitably, to abject obedience.

We call this slavery.

Quote:

Question the moral laws of the Bible taught to us by Christ, are any of them wrong?

We could start with the command to "love god with all your heart" etc. and work our way down.

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These edicts from Rome, which ones are against reason, nature, or the good of humanity?

I haven't read them all, but your stubborn, irrational, misogynistic refusal to allow a full range of contraception has done a lot to hurt women. Also the continued, obstinate, illogical, hate-filled refusal to recognize the full rights of same-sex couples.

Calling them "against nature" merely rubs salt in the wounds.

Quote:

God gives us Himself in His true essence and full reality as food to strengthen us. We are not talking about pieces of flesh, blood, or bone. We are talking about His real complete presence miraculously and mysteriously present to become part of us, sharing intimately with us in life, and nourishing us.

You don't have to keep trying to drive me away. I've already rejected your religion (and all others).

Quote:

You might not know for sure if there is a God,

I do know.

Quote:

I think what you are searching for is: "What good would it be to lose your soul and gain the whole world?"

I'm not searching for anything. I'm saying the price of admission into heaven is your soul, and that price is too high to pay.

I could flippantly say "Lucky for you, there is no heaven." But the loss of your soul in this world is quite real.

Quote: Dalex64

What kind of a free choice is that, when there is an explicit threat behind making certain choices?

Good luck.

I mean, I think you're right. But I've been trying to get a straight answer for years and all I get is obfuscation and doublethink.

Quote: Dalex64

It looks more like - you are free to choose and use your own judgement, but if those things disagree with the church then you are going to hell.

I can guarantee you that if you honestly use your own informed judgment and still do not agree with the Church you are NOT going to hell. This means a real and persevering pursuit for the truth wherever it may lead. It means you don't just give up and conclude without really knowing what the Church is teaching that they are wrong. It means you openly and honestly subject these teachings to reason. It also means you openly and honestly subject the secular ideology and our own personal thinking to unflinching reason as well.

Quote: FrGamble

We are talking about His real complete presence miraculously and mysteriously present to become part of us, sharing intimately with us in life, and nourishing us.

This is just crazy talk, it's pointless blathering.
You have Catholic saints who, when they were
alive, cried out every day for the smallest sign
that god was real. God never came thru, and
the man was made a saint for remaining faithful.

Now the sales point is that god 'mysteriously'
becomes a part of you and nourishes you?
What rubbish. You can't even give the tiniest
evidence that god exists, let alone fulfills your
grandiose vision of what he'll do for you.

This kind of thing really pisses me off because
I know there are desperate chumps who buy
into it. Shame on the Church, tricking people
who are defenseless is evil.

Quote: Nareed

See, that's where you are dead, dead, dead wrong. For one thing, you're not questioning whether obedience should even enter the equation. You assume it belongs there, and any questioning will lead, inevitably, to abject obedience.

We call this slavery.

Only a very strange person would call obedience to truth slavery.

Quote:

I haven't read them all, but your stubborn, irrational, misogynistic refusal to allow a full range of contraception has done a lot to hurt women. Also the continued, obstinate, illogical, hate-filled refusal to recognize the full rights of same-sex couples.

Contraception has done great damage to women, their health, and our culture. It supports misogynistic attitudes, promiscuity, infidelity, and out of control pornography. The Church has supported the full legal rights of same-sex couples as well as the elimination of prejudice and mistreatment of homosexuals. You don't know what you are talking about.

Quote:

I do know.

I'm sorry but you don't know.

Quote: FrGamble

It also means you openly and honestly subject the secular ideology and our own personal thinking to unflinching reason as well.

Been doing that for 40 years, secularism
always wins by a mile.

Quote: Evenbob

Now the sales point is that god 'mysteriously'
becomes a part of you and nourishes you?
What rubbish. You can't even give the tiniest
evidence that god exists, let alone fulfills your
grandiose vision of what he'll do for you.

Take a look at the Eucharistic Miracles. God always come through.