New York Times Essay - The Blessings of Atheism

by Band on the Run 73 Replies latest social current

  • cofty
    cofty

    Such things... sin and death... entered the world when Adam took them into himself.

    There was no Adam. Humans evolved over millions of years - this is a fact.

    Belief in Adam requires a willful ignorance of science.

  • EntirelyPossible
    EntirelyPossible

    The lack of belief in God is nothing but a gateway to nihilism, anarchy, selfish behavior, and immorality.

    It will turn us Christian?

    You kidding me?

    I am not kidding you.

  • unstopableravens
    unstopableravens

    ep: i knew there was a way to get you to be a believer! sex and partys

  • Berengaria
    Berengaria
    Such things... sin and death... entered the world when Adam took them into himself.
    He was given a long garment of skin (this vessel that he passed on to his progeny) that trapped the sin and death into IT. He was cast out of the garden (the spiritual realm), bringing death with him... and the way back to the Life (the Tree of Life/ Christ/ the Source of life) was blocked.

    Why? Whose game is it?

    Sounds like Mobster justice.

  • cofty
    cofty

    I have tons of questions, and i ask them, reflect on them, seek answers for them... all the time!

    Then you just make up answers out of thin air.

  • Berengaria
    Berengaria
    I have tons of questions, and i ask them, reflect on them, seek answers for them... all the time!
    :)
    Peace,
    tammy

    Wellllllll, not really. You already have the answer, you just seek to make it fit all your questions.

  • DavePerez
    DavePerez

    Sab, the World awaits your answer? Are you playing a game of "I've got a secret!" again?

    (claiming to possess satisfying answers to age-old questions seems to be a favorite pastime of many posters here, I see).

    OK, I'll play: is it bigger than a bread-box?

    Cofty said:

    Being an atheist means never having to try to believe stuff.

    I'd agree with that statement, if only you removed the words, "try to". Or even if you had only phrased it as, "forcing oneself to believe against evidence"

    But "never having to try"? Hmmmm, I dunno.

    Learning new concepts and adopting philosophies ALWAYS involves effort, the work of thinking, so as to "try them out": that implies tentatively accepting in order to challenge them. Just like you take a car for a test drive before buying, the same applies to beliefs: you need to at least approach them with as open mind, and as free of biases, as possible, to avoid "throwing out the baby with the bathwater" AKA rejecting a 'true positive' in scientific circles.

    I'm sure you know that, Cofty, but just took a shortcut for the sake of brevity, and hence my comment is only for the sake of clarity.

    Cofty said:

    Embracing reality is so rewarding.

    No disagreement there, as reality is beautiful even in it's ugliness (warts and all), not seeing the World through rose-colored glasses or only as we wish it to be.

    TEC said:

    I wanted to respond to your questions directed to me in that other thread, but it seems we can't post to it any longer? Was it something I said?

    (It's a bit frustrating to try and carry on a conversation, across so many different threads, what with disappearing posts/threads, HTML corruption, etc. So I'm a bit reluctant to attempt to write anything more substantive than short superficial replies, in fear of seeing it suddenly go 'poof'). [sigh...]

    Let me look around: I was invited to register and post my ideas elsewhere by someone who recognized my name (and the background information I shared) who I know IRL. Not sure if it would bristle feathers to say where or provide a link, but I'd love to respond to the very important issues you raised (and I hope you got some sleep in the meantime, LOL)!

    Oh, BTW and I saw some older messages where you voiced a concern over "lying scribes": you are onto a very real and significant point! So I'll briefly share this:

    You no doubt are familiar with the work of the Yahwist WTBTS "lying scribes", who famously introduced the name of the Hebrew God Jehovah in their New World Translation (237 times, no less!) in 1953.

    From wikipedia:

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World_Translation_of_the_Holy_Scriptures

    Theologian and televangelist John Ankerberg accused the NWT's translators of renderings that conform "to their own preconceived and unbiblical theology." [ 65 ] Dr. John Weldon and Ankerberg cite several examples wherein they consider the NWT to support theological views overriding appropriate translation. Ankerberg and Weldon cite Dr. Julius R. Mantey, co-author of A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament and A Hellenistic Greek Reader, who also criticized the NWT, calling it "a shocking mistranslation." [ 65 ] [ 66 ]

    Dr. William Barclay, Professor of Divinity and Biblical Criticism, concluded that "the deliberate distortion of truth by this sect is seen in the New Testament translation. ... It is abundantly clear that a sect which can translate the New Testament like that is intellectually dishonest." [ 67 ]

    What isn't as well known is that a similar episode of Yawhist scribe mischief occurred during the many redactions of the Torah that occurred over hundreds of years, intermingling YHWH (and all it's various permutations and derivatives) with Elohim such that a HUGE mess was created to obscfucate and discern what is YHWH's actions and intent from that of Eolhim.

    (Although it is interesting to note that the more honest scribes managed to reveal SOME of YHWH's hand, eg the famous account of Tower of Babel, wherein YHWH felt threatened by men building a mud tower (!), so he felt the need to confuse their languages, making it impossible for them to cooperate! While the account is clearly not a historical event (as linguists know), YHWH's fingerprints of such attempts at confusing mankind remain in the Torah, even to this day.)

    Anyway, there's TONS more to share, and I'd love to answer the questions you directed towards me, but if some feel my concern over thread disappearance is needless, then perhaps we can start a new thread (so as not to hijack this one)?.

    Regards,

    David

  • tec
    tec

    There was no Adam. Humans evolved over millions of years - this is a fact.

    There is an Adam. How that connects to evolution, I do not know at this time.

    Belief in Adam requires a willful ignorance of science.

    Not at all. I have no problem with science or evolution, and I am not ignorant of them (all - but that is no different than most people). Saying I don't know how something connects yet... is not denouncing either one of these things.

    Why? Whose game is it?

    What do you mean? There is no game.

    Sounds like Mobster justice.

    Not at all.

    Had Adam not been given the garment that trapped death in it; then he might have died then and there (his spirit - who we are) God works for US, to help US. He always acts in LOVE.

    As well, if the spiritual had death in it... then death would be everywhere. There would be nowhere free of death; and therefore, no life.

    God, again, protecting life. Not taking it. Protecting it.

    Peace,

    tammy

  • tec
    tec

    DP, if you want to start a new thread, I'll join you there (at some point, lol) for discussion. If you want to have that discussion via pm, we can do that too.

    Peace to you,

    tammy

  • EntirelyPossible
    EntirelyPossible

    So if there was an Adam, what was he? When was he?

    And please, please please please keep your conversations with DP public. I do so want to see that.

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