If you mean the aboriginals then no I didn't intend to state they are entirely secular.
Yes they have lots of superstitions but no deity.
They also have an interesting idea that their ancestors are part of the rocks and trees pretty neat when you consider what happens to the body after death.
They do have a creation myth but it's quite vague called dreamtime (no expert here that's my limit on aboriginals)

 

Evolution explains superstition pretty well

 

I was taking a little poetic licence. As the only (known) sentient beings, and to borrow from Carl Sagan, we are a way for the universe to know itself. As such, if we are driven mechanically and coldly by selfish genes, then it necessarily follows that the universe is selfish. Of course I, as a Christian, attribute this to the Fall.

Where does one derive meaning from a universe that's 'blindly indifferent'? How do we evolve toward Christ consciousness if there is no God? What's the point if there's no goal.

Agreed.

Thanks, Matt, although I can't take credit. I'm just doing what I'm told to the best of my ability.

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." 1 Peter 3:15

 

20 minutes I wasted reading that crap. I worked for some time with a devout Jehovas Witness and you haven't even got on the bus

 

"Nature herself has imprinted on the minds of all the idea of God." - Cicero

 

I don't follow, Andy.

 

OH FFS

 

It doesn't make sense

 

Elucidate.

 

My father could out talk JW's

They would be literally backing out the gates as he continued to discuss these massive issues with them

I swear I heard one of the whisper to the other, as they retreated "fvck me that bloke can talk - what a nutter"

It became a family joke

 

I actually like it when JWs visit! I always bring the conversation around to their unitarianism v. my trinitarianism.

 

i worked with one, (at the same time as the evangelist)

He was a really lovely man actually, I remember him with much fondness

 

My father took me along to a JW convention at Home Park (the home of the mighty Plymouth Argyle) when I was a boy. He just took me to see what was going on there as he was impressed at how clean they got the ground. I always remember thinking what a great vibe it was and have always found JWs to be sound and sincere and interesting.

 

Yes, they all seem really great bunch (not sure I would want to go to Tenerife with them on a stag do, though)

Will they go to heaven though?

What about the Quakers - they seem pretty interesting too

 

I think Mormons are cool. They look like Men in Black in their smart suits.

 

Sorry took so long been busy working

Bringing unauthorised fire before God

That's bonfire night screwed then

Eating an animal which doesn’t both chew cud and has a divided hoof

Where do I start?

Eating – or touching the carcass of – any seafood without fins or scales

There goes paella!

Eating – or touching the carcass of – eagle, the vulture, the black vulture, the red kite, any kind of black kite, any kind of raven, the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat

That's quite a list, but why does it pick on only certain owls, for example,and not others?

Eating – or touching the carcass of – flying insects with four legs, unless those legs are jointed

I guess Leviticus wasn't great on biology, all insects have 6 legs, but that's a minor point in the context of this.

Eating – or touching the carcass of – the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard,the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink and the chameleon

I suppose you could argue that all those Christians who work for RentaKill wear gloves, so they are not directly touching them.......

Going to church within 33 days after giving birth to a boy

Now I can imagine that after having your first child, you may not feel like doing something for 33 days, but.......

Going to church within 66 days after giving birth to a girl

Why? Just why?

Having sex with a man “as one does with a woman”

The old Christian favourite for homophobia. We all know there are plenty of homosexual priests and practicing Christians.

Making idols or “metal gods”

I seem to recall most churches have a statue of Christ.

Mixing fabrics in clothing

Is there a NT bit that says 'and Jesus said unto them, "it's ok, thou canst wear chiffon and denim"

Practising divination or seeking omens

Uh oh, astrology!

Trimming your beard

C'mon!

Cutting your hair at the sides

I would look like Riff Raff from Rocky Horror Show if you advocate that.

Getting tattoos

No young Christian can be seen without nowadays, so it would seem.

Not standing in the presence of the elderly

Who does that?

Mistreating foreigners

US foreign policy, one of the most Christian nations on Earth.

Using dishonest weights and scales

You should speak to my brother who is a Trading Standards Officer, certainly not sticking to that one!

Working on the Sabbath

No words needed.

Inflicting an injury; killing someone else’s animal; killing a person must be punished in kind

Now I know the NT goes against this, to a degree, but to the best of my knowledge, not all of it. Some serious conflictions here with Christians not doing what Jesus says, and then also not doing what he leaves out, so by inference saying it's ok.

Selling land permanently

Did Jesus advocate leasehold then?

I imagine that you will show verses that refute some of them, possibly explicitly, but also possibly by interpretation. And that is the real issue, interpretation, in religion, generally.

 

I see you've invoked Hodgy's fallacy.

Anyway, we've been over this before, Geezer:

https://www.scoobynet.com/1019239-sh...l#post11625688

 

John 14:6

 

reading this thread is a eye opener, in todays modern world i find it hard to believe there are so many people who believe in adult fairy tales,

 

How delightfully condescending of you.

 

Prove otherwise?

 

I worked with a JW too - also a really nice bloke but being the curious type, I was often asking about the whole thing. The one bit that alarmed me was the blood thing; if his wife was in a car crash and needed a blood transfusion from him, he wouldn't do it because of the JW "code" What the actual f**K?!!!

 

Tell ya what, lets have a race. First one to definitively prove their point wins.

 

Amongst a few Old Testament verses they cite Acts 15:29 from the New Testament. It is, in my view, theologically incorrect. Christians are no longer under the Mosaic Law and the verse from Acts is simply not conclusive enough to warrant a literal application. The only sympathy I have is that blood represents life and it is Christ's blood that cleanses us of our sins; this does not mean Christians are exempt from advances in medical practice!

 

How much is god paying these days to be able to keep up this running commentary , day and night

 

Let me turn this round as what you're asking is laughable.
If all other religious gods don't exist according to Christianity, then why should yours?
why are rapists and child murderers etc able to get away with their awful crimes etc where is your god there?
Anything I believe in has actual substance. I believe I have a packet of Trebor mints in my pocket currently as I can put my hand, bring them out and actually see them.
Christianity is on the decline, it's just a pity it and all other worship systems won't have completely gone in my kids lifetime.

 

Yeah, man! My cat has gone through quite a few tubs whilst reading this thread, and she's all set with another one.

 

I'll let you off on the assumption that I believe in a particular God purely on the basis I can't recall actually stating a preference. None the less, we all know what happens when you assume.

Anyways back to the actual argument. Given the fact that the Christian God tends it be a benevolent entity, it's not entirely unreasonable to base the existance of evil on that fact. It all sorts itself out in the wash when the heaven or hell judgement is made.

As for your packet if trebor, that same logic can be applied to God. You believe you have a packet of mints in your pocket as you can witness it, by the same notion many Christians believe they have witnessed God and/or his actions. I have know more reason to believe in the existance of your Trebor than you do in God but that fact doesn't preclude their existence.

 

this explains why that logic cannot be applied to God

 

You neglect the fact that it's generally taken that the burden of proof lies with the accuser (hence innocent until proven guilty) and it was Brendy who originally asserted that the bible was no more than a book of adult fairy tales.