Original Sin?

Quote: FrGamble

We make more decisions based on faith every day than we ever make in our lifetime with solid proof.

Not faith in god, but faith in things that we
know are real. I have faith the sun will come
up, that my car will make it to the store, that
my dog will wait till he's outside to do his
business. I have no faith in god because there
is no evidence of god's existence. You think
you see god everywhere because you want to.

You said you got in trouble because you spilled
the beans about Santa to 6th graders. They
thought he existed because they were told he
did and they wanted to believe. Belief in something
not real is easy when a bunch of others believe it
too.

Quote: Evenbob

Belief in something
not real is easy when a bunch of others believe it
too.

Not true at all. Believing in something not real with no evidence and no benefit is extremely hard work. You have to keep convincing yourself and talking yourself into it over and over again. You have to ignore evidence to the contrary all around you. It helps to have other people around you but that won't last, eventually the truth will win out and you will see that your belief was wrong. Just ask any atheist and they will tell you hard it is ;)

Quote: FrGamble

We make more decisions based on faith every day than we ever make in our lifetime with solid proof.

A fact exploited by con men, gypsies, thieves, politicians and priests.

Quote: FrGamble

Not true at all. Believing in something not real with no evidence and no benefit is extremely hard work. You have to keep convincing yourself and talking yourself into it over and over again.

Padre, you keep saying this. I'm going to tell
you again. It's zero work because no belief
at all is involved. You act like we wrestle
day in and day out with it. We don't. I know
you can't understand this, but lack of belief
in god is like lack of belief in Superman or
Bugs Bunny. We just accept they aren't
real and move on.

What do you mean? I've never read an atheist
who said what a lot of work it is, just the opposite.
You want to believe that, so it's true to you.
I'm always afraid people will lose their faith
and fall apart when they lose the crutch they
are so dependent on. To an atheist, it looks
like they are always close to a nervous breakdown,
not salvation.

Quote: Evenbob

Padre, you keep saying this. I'm going to tell
you again. It's zero work because no belief
at all is involved. You act like we wrestle
day in and day out with it. We don't. I know
you can't understand this, but lack of belief
in god is like lack of belief in Superman or
Bugs Bunny. We just accept they aren't
real and move on.

This sounds a little like your criticism against the Christians that you know. You said they never ever EVER think about what they believe, or in this case what they don't believe. It's zero work and takes no thought or thinking, sounds kind of boring doesn't it?

Quote:

What do you mean? I've never read an atheist
who said what a lot of work it is, just the opposite.

You might want to read a little more about the lives of some of the brilliant men you often talk about as being atheists. Darwin for example wrestled greatly with his faith. Because of some awful tragedies in his life he gave up on the idea of a personal God, but for what I know never doubted a creator God. Einstein was certainly not cavalier about his unbelief and at times seemed to wrestle with faith and ask important and deep questions about it. It is a sign of intelligent people who really think deeply and carefully about such fundamental questions as: Is there a God? Is there a meaning or purpose to life? What happens when I die? Why is there something rather than nothing? etc...

http://diversitytomorrow.com/thread/580/58/#post22178

Quote: FrGamble

While they didn't have Thorazine the ancients had no shortage of those claiming to hear, know, or see God. Yet this one man Jesus Christ was different. We've forgotten everyone who claimed such things before him and since. In the Scriptures it records a high priest saying basically, "Look we have seen these Messiahs before, and just like before if he's a phony it will fade into nothingness quickly, if He happens to be the true Messiah we are fighting against God and will eventually lose." Sure enough Jesus was the real deal, there is no other way I can think of how you can explain His impact on human history.

So you believe God communicated with Joseph Smith through visions? If not, why and how can you prove it didn't happen?
Can you disprove that David Koresh didn't talk to God?


Padre, if I told you I just spoke to God—would you believe me?
If not, then why do you believe someone who claims to have spoken to God thousands of years ago? It should be no different...

Quote: FrGamble

Nothing seems more obvious to me throughout human history than the fact we are religious beings. There is something ingrained in us to believe there is something beyond us, some hope we can't place our finger on, some explanation for life, existence, and consciousness. We long for a better more perfect world, yet this world is all any of us have ever experienced - where does that yearning come from? "Life exists get over it" will never satisfy us we have so many questions some we know we will never find the answer to this side of Heaven. Even faith is instinctive to us. We make more decisions based on faith every day than we ever make in our lifetime with solid proof. Yep, faith and God are pretty instinctive and obvious when you think about it.

We believe until we no longer believe. As science and technology propel us further to understanding the universe that surrounds us, we no longer need a man in the sky to explain it all.

Quote: aceofspades

So you believe God communicated with Joseph Smith through visions? If not, why and how can you prove it didn't happen?
.

I believe god talked to Smith just as much as
he talked to men in the OT. That is, not at all.

And if you believe in god, it should be just as
valid for Smith as it was for Moses. Can't prove
either one.

Quote: Evenbob

I believe god talked to Smith just as much as
he talked to men in the OT. That is, not at all.

And if you believe in god, it should be just as
valid for Smith as it was for Moses. Can't prove
either one.

Exactly my pernt.