Protestantism

» HeadZenCards - Brian's Blog On Amputees

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In his latest blog on god, amputees, and starvation, Brian (who amazingly can find time to blog but will not debate when challenged - see the "God and Children" thread) claims that it is significant that people who disagree with his swiss cheese logic cannot disprove that God exists.
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Brian, the burden of proof is on the believer to show that God exists.
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Unicorns are no more likelier since you cannot prove that do not exist.
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You cannot disprove the God Krishna. Does that mean He exists in your mind?
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It is perfectly reasonable to test these ideas.
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Why not test the LORD GOD?
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Why not organize a billion Christians to pray for a single amputee and ask that the LORD GOD regrow his limb?
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Surely, believers in the LORD GOD believe that the LORD GOD WOULD hear the prayer of one billion organized Christians.
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Surely, believers in the LORD GOD believe that the LORD GOD COULD regrow a single human limb, in the same manner that salamanders regrow their limbs.
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Perfectly reasonable, unless there is no LORD GOD, only natural, random happenings in a beautiful, human-filled world.

-- posted by HeadZenCards

» pink101 - Brian's Blog On Amputees

In response to Brian's Blog On Amputees posted by HeadZenCards:
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As a pastor, Brian has an image to which he must live his life.
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I appreciate the fact that he comes here as an individual human being and, at least, tries to interact with those of us who have had it with religion. Especially, when we consider he is somewhat answerable to a group of advisors.
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And, he has a family he loves deeply and wants to provide for them and to do that which he thinks the Creator might want him to do. You gotta give him some credit on both sides the the equation,
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He's in the same boat the rest of us find ourselves in. No one of us is any superior to another. WE are equals to each other.
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-- posted by pink101

» HeadZenCards - Brian's Blog On Amputees

In response to Brian's Blog On Amputees posted by pink101:

You are very kind, Pinky.

I'm not angry, just impatient, as Sam Harris says.

I can't wait for tomorrow, another day closer to the universal discovery that we human beings invented Gods and we human beings can set them aside; another day closer to the discovery that all human beings need is good common human sense to guide us toward truth and a peaceful society.

I am arguing here against the idea that people who do not believe in something must prove that it does not exist.

Brian seems quite positive that there is a God. Therefore, the burden of proof is on him.

Is it so wrong to test out the idea that the LORD GOD exists?

-- posted by HeadZenCards

» pink101 - Brian's Blog On Amputees

In response to Brian's Blog On Amputees posted by HeadZenCards:
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You're correct, of course.
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But, you seem to forget the idea of a god is a personal thing. That's the point, after everything else, isn't it?
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I've come to a place where I cannot imagine what a god responsible for the creation of all that is, might be or even what such a being might look like. It goes beyond what I can know.
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So, how can some book that was developed over several centuries provide its readers with a specific idea of that one entity?
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You don't have to be a rocket scientist to .................
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:)
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-- posted by pink101

» HeadZenCards - Brian's Blog On Amputees

In response to Brian's Blog On Amputees posted by pink101:

If only "the idea of god" was "a personal thing."

It is the number one problem in the world, IMHO, because it has ruined governments, inspired murder, wasted money and time and may one day trigger a nuclear war.

All for an idea that people who believe in it cannot prove!

-- posted by HeadZenCards

» pink101 - Brian's Blog On Amputees

In response to Brian's Blog On Amputees posted by HeadZenCards:
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Well, let me say its a personal thing for those of us who have enough evidence to make a choice one way or the other.
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Cognitive science says we have no choice other than out of whatever it is that is presented to us. We can't get out of the box of our reality.
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-- posted by pink101

» HeadZenCards - Brian's Blog On Amputees

In response to Brian's Blog On Amputees posted by pink101:

Another way that there can be enough evidence for the power of prayer is to have one person successfully pray that all cancer disappears tomorrow, if it is discovered by cognitive science that a billion people praying in a thousand different languages is the reason that the LORD GOD becomes confused and does not answer prayer.

-- posted by HeadZenCards

» Migisi - One language under God...

In response to Brian's Blog On Amputees posted by HeadZenCards:
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a billion people praying in a thousand different languages is the reason that the LORD GOD becomes confused and does not answer prayer.
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Reminds me of Bruce Almighty answering prayers by email. So overwhelmed, he hit 'yes' for em all. I loved that part.
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The Book says there was once one language, but God created different languages to intentionally confound and confuse us. Sounds to me like he was afraid of human potential...
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Gen 11:6 - The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them."
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And then Man countered with a multi-lingual cross-referencing system, and interpreters. I think God's still in a snit about that, and is ignoring us. (wink)

-- posted by Migisi

» pink101 - Be Serious

In response to Brian's Blog On Amputees posted by HeadZenCards:
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To deny there is any power in prayer is as bad as to claim there is. The two claims tend to cancel each other out.
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When I was a younger man I studied the art of hypnosis. I was intrigued with the ideas of the supernatural and I had a very hungrycuriosity.
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Anyway, the basic theory of hypnosis--the thing on which it works--is that belief plus expectation equals the possibility of a hypnotic state. "I believe it and I expect it to take place." Whammo!! You are a great subject.
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The method of hypnosis begins with the idea of a pretense. The operators starts his "patter" with something like this, "I want you to imagine that the things I'm about to say are actually true." And, the hypnotist goes on from there. "Think of this," he says, "as though it were actually happening.".
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A very peculiar power exists within hypnosis. Persons can actually gain control over what seems like a totally uncontrollable behavior or action of their body. Smokers can breat the habit that has controlled their life for decades and over eaters can break their eating habits. Why is that?
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The facts are that some prayers ARE answered and the question arises, "Why do some prayers get results and others do not?"
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All the jibs and jabs aside, there are serious sides to the prayer question. Rather than taking unprovable jabs at people who believe in prayer, it might be a better idea to learn why some prayers do work?
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Some do, I'm sure you are aware of that.
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-- posted by pink101

» HeadZenCards - Be Serious

In response to Be Serious posted by pink101:

Coincidence.

-- posted by HeadZenCards