Anyone Watch the Latest Democrat Debate? Anyone care?

[_ajax18]

Would you like a list? I'm serious. I can list them.

Can you even find the word racist in KJV Bible?

[_Some Schmo]

Can you even find the word racist in KJV Bible?

If we can't find it, does that mean the Bible condones racism?

Can you even find the phrase "baby damned" in the Bible?

[_canpakes]

Talking to you and Doubting Thomas one might conclude that religion has never motivated anyone to live a more moral life.

What is the root of that motivation, ajax?

ajax?

[_ajax18]

Talking to you and Doubting Thomas one might conclude that religion has never motivated anyone to live a more moral life.
What is the root of that motivation, ajax?

For me what I believe makes a big difference in what I view as moral/immoral and how much I exert myself to adhere to that. For me the root of all good is in Christ, the light of Christ that we all have to different extents. The root of all evil comes from Satan.

For Schmo the fact that people cannot follow their religion perfectly means it's all wrong and they shouldn't even try at all. This is what Satan would have us believe.

[_Chap]

For me the root of all good is in Christ, the light of Christ that we all have to different extents. The root of all evil comes from Satan.

This seems like a position that sees the universe as involved in a fight between two opposite powers of good and evil. That is in fact more like Manichaeism, an early rival religion to Christianity. St Augustine was a Manichee before he became a Christian.

In fact, in classic Christian theology, Satan is a mere creature of God, and infinitely below God and his son Jesus in the scale of being. He was a few grades above human beings, as an 'angel' - an intellectual non-material being who had the immense privilege of the direct vision of God. But like all God's creatures, he had free will, and out of pride he made the free choice to disobey God. Having fallen from his previous state as a result of his evil choice, he decided to involve the human race in his fall, and off he went to tempt our first parents, Eve first and Adam through her.

Satan did not invent evil. The possibility was always there long before he made his choice. Even if Satan had never made his choice, other beings might themselves have chosen to sin without active temptation by another creature, just as Satan did.

(Of course I no longer believe any of that stuff ...)

[_Maksutov]

For me the root of all good is in Christ, the light of Christ that we all have to different extents. The root of all evil comes from Satan.

This seems like a position that sees the universe as involved in a fight between two opposite powers of good and evil. That is in fact more like Manichaeism, an early rival religion to Christianity. St Augustine was a Manichee before he became a Christian.

In fact, in classic Christian theology, Satan is a mere creature of God, and infinitely below God and his son Jesus in the scale of being. He was a few grades above human beings, as an 'angel' - an intellectual non-material being who had the immense privilege of the direct vision of God. But like all God's creatures, he had free will, and out of pride he made the free choice to disobey God. Having fallen from his previous state as a result of his evil choice, he decided to involve the human race in his fall, and off he went to tempt our first parents, Eve first and Adam through her.

Satan did not invent evil. The possibility was always there long before he made his choice. Even if Satan had never made his choice, other beings might themselves have chosen to sin without active temptation by another creature, just as Satan did.

(Of course I no longer believe any of that stuff ...)

A multicultural civilization can't be managed with binary values and approaches. On the other hand it seems like every successful population reaches a certain size and then finds ways to tear itself apart, almost like mitosis. Could there be a critical limit of complexity inherit in the biology? Or...?

[_Res Ipsa]

I think that ^^^ is congruent with Christianity. I think it's Biblical and if anyone needs me to, I will post supporting scripture for what I think and what I believe.

This is what gets me, Jersey Girl. Everything you described about yourself is a description of the way you think. All of it can be said without superimposing religion over it. You are talking about humanity.

I think what you described is congruent with Christianity (writ large), but it's also congruent with any number of other philosophies, including agnosticism.

What bothers me about it most is the dislocation of credit. You were describing you, not Christianity. You act a certain way because of who you are, because you're Jersey Girl, not because you're a Christian.

I used to think religion made people do bad things. Now I think it's more a case of using religion to justify the bad things you were going to do anyway. The same can be said for the motivation behind doing good things. It's way more about the individual, not the ideas to which they've been exposed.

I think two things are true: Jersey Girl theoretically could be as she is without her Christian Faith and Jersey Girl’s Christian Faith helps her be the person she is. Both are true of most of the Christians I have known, including Mormons.

[_Some Schmo]

For Schmo the fact that people cannot follow their religion perfectly means it's all wrong and they shouldn't even try at all.

Christ, you have a reading deficiency.

This is what Satan would have us believe.

This is what a child would believe.

[_Some Schmo]

I think two things are true: Jersey Girl theoretically could be as she is without her Christian Faith and Jersey Girl’s Christian Faith helps her be the person she is. Both are true of most of the Christians I have known, including Mormons.

Easy to buy the first, not so much the second (I mean, unless by that you also mean that the food she eats and the clothes she wears help her to be the person she is... i. e. it's part of her personality).

[_Jersey Girl]

I think that ^^^ is congruent with Christianity. I think it's Biblical and if anyone needs me to, I will post supporting scripture for what I think and what I believe.

This is what gets me, Jersey Girl. Everything you described about yourself is a description of the way you think. All of it can be said without superimposing religion over it. You are talking about humanity.

I think what you described is congruent with Christianity (writ large), but it's also congruent with any number of other philosophies, including agnosticism.

What bothers me about it most is the dislocation of credit. You were describing you, not Christianity. You act a certain way because of who you are, because you're Jersey Girl, not because you're a Christian.

I used to think religion made people do bad things. Now I think it's more a case of using religion to justify the bad things you were going to do anyway. The same can be said for the motivation behind doing good things. It's way more about the individual, not the ideas to which they've been exposed.

No. I am describing the person I developed into being. While it can be said that I would be who I am without religion/spirituality, you can't understand the resulting human being unless you understand the beginnings of a person in much the same way that some folks here aren't considering the development of societies.

I am the result of parents who influenced me by their example, reinforced by Christian influences beginning where I began to form trust bonds with Christian adults at a very early age (age 2.5 years) who taught me, and also by life experiences --all of which caused me to develop a strong sense of empathy.

That's how I ended up being me.

So there you have familial, community, religious, and experiential influences that made me whatever the heck I am now. All of those are integral parts of my psycho-social-emotional make up. They are all parts of the whole of what is me.

So yes, you could say that I would be who I am without a spiritual life, but you'd be missing the part where that spiritual life is one of the reinforcers that molded and guide my inner self. It's as natural to me as my right arm is natural to me.

I don't think that is misplaced credit either. I don't look for credit to begin with. I look for ways to help people feel not so alone or marginalized and help them feel supported because I know what alone and marginalized feels like first hand and what it's like not to have support.

I probably could have written this more coherently but you'll have to take whatever this is for whatever it may be worth to you.

I'm adding on here quick because it didn't post the first time. Two of my earliest memories. My parents on the first aid auxillary team in my home town and my father using a toboggan to deliver water to neighbors in winter during a blizzard.

And now folks, I am getting into a 4WD in my pajamas to go to the local store and no I am not joking. I'm that desperate.

Later.