Do You Prefer Fact Or Fiction?

[nailit]

After 55 years on this earth I prefer fact.
As much as it pains me, as much as it upsets me, I prefer facts over faith.
A few weeks ago I was nearly suicidal. Still prefer facts to 'faith'. If I had ended my life then, I would have been dead, end off, no atheist in foxhole here.
Just dont understand this religious preoccupation with living forever....
I honesty just dont get it?
What the hell are you going to to FOREVER?
It would be like watching a game of football that went on forever...there wouldnt be a point,

[Theland]

And it should be approached how? Dismissive?

[nailit]

//Nailit, you seem to have a warped view of Jesus based on what you have read of him in your bible.
Why?//

Because Ive read the Gospels both with, AND without, the god goggles on.

You yourself, seem to have a warped view of Jesus as some kind of loving family man. A messiha that promotes family values and friendships. A being that promotes love and tolerance. A being that preaches unconditional love...

The Gospel preach NON of these things when read in context
(In context...what a laugh! Theres no other group of beings on the planet that tell unbelievers that they are taking verses out of context other than Bible believers telling other Bible believers that they are taking things out of context)
All arguing about whose mythology is the right mythology.

[naomi24]

Certainly not dismissively, theland. Honestly.

[Theland]

I approach the bible prayerfully, asking God to help me learn from His word.
I can think of no better way.

[nailit]

//I can think of no better way//
Try critically

[Theland]

Got an example of nasty Jesus?

[nailit]

//Got an example of nasty Jesus?//
Plenty thanks.

Might post some after some sleep if ur still interested.
Gotta get some zzz's at the moment.

[Theland]

I'll wait.

[naomi24]

Which confirms you approach it with pre-conceived ideas.

[Theland]

I did once, with the idea of ridiculing it, finding its faults, and destroying any influence it would have on those believers who were trying to promote it to me.
Oh how smug I was!
The rest is history, but there was nobody more critical than me.

[naomi24]

Theland, Why did you read it with the idea of ridiculing it? That’s really weird. I don’t know anyone who’s done that.

[Peter Pedant]

// Why did you read it with the idea of ridiculing it? That’s really weird. I don’t know anyone who’s done that.//

oh I know a little birdie called Naomi who does that regularly

but I can conceive of people reading the Bible with preconceptions: for a very long time, the OT was looked on as pre-quel to the New - so that every event (old )would have a parallel in the NT
hence read mark and digest the OT like billy -o

the windows in Kings College Chapel ( aaarrrgh too much, much too much detail for AB ! eek ! ) do exactly that - pane below Old - pane above New

even reading it with a view to what it meant to contemporaries in the first century has preconceptions built in, innit?

[Theland]

The people I was debating with were JW's, really nice people, but I didn't buy what they were selling.
I had attended church by order from age 5 to 11 and was glad to put it behind me. Never believed a word.
I wanted to correct the JW's.
I failed.
They left me with more questions.
I became Christian at about age 30.

[naomi24]

PP, you know nothing. Take a breath.

[Theland]

I'm still waiting for an example of the nasty Jesus.

[Theland]

MIBs @ Thursday. 18:17
That post is a classic of chicken and egg in a whole raft of chicken and egg.
Your true meaning, whatever it is, requires some timeline or chronos to make it clear.
Its a bit foggy y'know mate?

[mibn2cweus]

Chronology is precisely what must be ignored to presuppose a preexisting mind without means or process. No means to acquire knowledge. No senses with which to observe and learn about a universe that does not even exist. A consciousness with nothing to be conscious of is logically absurd. Yet you persist in insisting that knowledge required to create a universe existed before there was a universe to know about or any means to acquire such knowledge. Your refusal to acknowledge the absurdity of such a notion makes any further attempts to reiterate that absurdity equally absurd. Only you can chose to step out of the fog that you've created to shield your own mind from the reality you simply refuse to accept.

[Theland]

Oh dear MIBs, you do persist in asserting that everything in the universe had its origin from within ........ the universe.
A universe to observe, and a mind to observe it, all coming from within ........ the universe.
If that's not the foggiest chicken and egg story I have ever heard, I'd be an atheist!
I'm not the cleverest of people, but I'm not stupid, and I have enough nouse to see that your answers rely on the bootlace factor, hoisting themselves up into the sphere of acceptability by their own bootlaces.

[mibn2cweus]

I've heard of 'digging your own grave' but this is the first time I've ever witnessed someone burying themself in it.

[Theland]

Then I appeal to some AB arbiters to agree with me or point out where I am found wrong.

You MIBs, seem to claim that the universe must exist in order that it can create and observe itself.

I claim that is absurd, as the created thing cannot contain within itself the means or will to create itself.

Arbiters - Lay aside your atheism for a moment and arbitrate reasonably and logically on the above propositions.
Thank you.