[analogbear]

Originally Posted by soupnazi

The new testament provides fine values to treat your fellow person. The problem is that it's widely pissed on by folk who are supposed to be Christian. Capital punishment in TX is a bit bizarre. A burning desire to go to war is also. And there's plenty of bad folk born into every brand of religion, Buddist, Muslim, Hindu, Christianity and the list goes on. Each religion has it's admirable traits but there's always assholes.

I agree about the beauty of our complex world, it's also not surprising that we haven't identified everything under the ocean. It's a large area to explore and poses some interesting challenges as to how to survive under such great pressure (correct me if I'm wrong but the pressure in space's vaccume isn't a pinch on the weight of such a body of water).

That said Hubble is keeping our minds open.. what if... it discovered a planet with silicon based life? You can't keep your head buried in the sand... or ocean as it were.

A couple of my favourite H.L.Mencken quotes:

Each religion believes each other religion to be wrong. They're all right.

The greatest sea in the universe is the sea of blood, shed by piety, in furthering the kingdom of the Prince of Peace.

[leelover]

Originally Posted by analogbear

But, if god has no reason to reveal anything to you if you have no commitment, how is a person who doesn't know god get to know god?

Now there is a good question!
I am not so sure that God does not reveal Himself to those who are not committed. I think He does the just don't see it since the are not paying attention.
I think God will honor those truly seek him. Those who want to learn who He really is. Not those who want to make a god to fit their idea of how, or what he should be.

[analogbear]

Originally Posted by leelover

Now there is a good question!
I am not so sure that God does not reveal Himself to those who are not committed. I think He does the just don't see it since the are not paying attention.
I think God will honor those truly seek him. Those who want to learn who He really is. Not those who want to make a god to fit their idea of how, or what he should be.

I agree.

[analogbear]

Originally Posted by leelover

Now there is a good question!
I am not so sure that God does not reveal Himself to those who are not committed. I think He does the just don't see it since the are not paying attention.
I think God will honor those truly seek him. Those who want to learn who He really is. Not those who want to make a god to fit their idea of how, or what he should be.

We will of course return to the idea that, in my opinion, I am not at all sure man can understand the nature of god. If that limitation on man can be accepted, then isn't that last little statement of yours a little nonsensical? We can only understand things through our awareness. It is natural to anthropomorphize things into human terms...Why should it be any different with god? If we can never really understand the infinite, why should we be criticised for attempting to within our fallable limits?

[leelover]

Originally Posted by analogbear

We will of course return to the idea that, in my opinion, I am not at all sure man can understand the nature of god. If that limitation on man can be accepted, then isn't that last little statement of yours a little nonsensical? We can only understand things through our awareness. It is natural to anthropomorphize things into human terms...Why should it be any different with god? If we can never really understand the infinite, why should we be criticised for attempting to within our fallable limits?

I don't think that man is able to completely comprehend the Being that created all that there is. But I do believe that we can go a long way to understanding His nature.
I think that the Bible has an amazing amount of evidence regarding God's nature. My point here is that few read it for what it is as a whole, without taking ideas or concepts out of context. Most who don't think is relavant in knowing God have not given it the same open minded chance they would give a fiction novel. IMO.

[analogbear]

Originally Posted by leelover

I think that the Bible has an amazing amount of evidence regarding God's nature. My point here is that few read it for what it is as a whole, without taking ideas or concepts out of context. Most who don't think is relavant in knowing God have not given it the same open minded chance they would give a fiction novel. IMO.

First, I am not sure the bible can be considered evidence, for all of the obvious reasons (written by man, translated often and poorly, selectively edited at the beginning and through time, only interpreted by clergy for the first 1500 years, selectively taken from parts of other religions, etc). It may, however, present an honest attempt to explain the nature of god.

So:

Do you think the bible is the only text that seeks to explain god's nature?

[trippd]

God is willing to reveal himself to us no matter our initial commitment level as his most special revelation was coming into the world as a man, Jesus, totally God & totally man. Out of his love for us, sinners still, He died for our sins as a righteous Creator, & proved what he said & did by rising from the grave bodily. He wants each of us to have a personal feverlasting relationship with Him!

[analogbear]

Originally Posted by trippd

God is willing to reveal himself to us no matter our initial commitment level as his most special revelation was coming into the world as a man, Jesus, totally God & totally man. Out of his love for us, sinners still, He died for our sins as a righteous Creator, & proved what he said & did by rising from the grave bodily. He wants each of us to have a personal feverlasting relationship with Him!

Yeah, that is but one of the things I can't accept as an actual occurence...The whole rising from the grave in the same corporeal form thing seems a bit over the top for an all powerful/all knowing god to do in an attempt to establish a bona fide.

[@cbr1000]

yeah, right..a "god"