scientology
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- scarabin0
love is lust paired with friendship and admiration
- Point50
I guess I could agree with that... cuz lust and love have both tricked me into reproducing. dammit!
- scarabin0
heh heh
- PonyBoy0
Enter response:
it's sad that people are judged for what they believe in, scarabin...
believing's an action - yes - but I live my life, pay my taxes (sort of) and work like everyone else... but am judged because I believe in something... that sucks - but yeah, it's a fact of life.
Scarabin - I've studied the bible my entire life. From bible-study school, to additional theocratic study that is always on-going.
I'm 30 years old now and continue to study.
I whole-hearted disagree with you about bible prophecy. I'm well-educated, talented, well-liked by my peers and friends in my profession etc...
... but none of that really matters once you find out that I have faith in the bible. Now I'm an idiot to 'you' (no one specific here - this is just conversation) because on top of all my abilities, experiences, friends, likes and dislikes etc... I have a religion.
- scarabin0
no, ponyboy, that is not why you are an idiot to me
- PonyBoy0
Enter response:
do I dare ask what your last comment meant?
- scarabin0
i simply have no other information about you besides your belief system, which i consider idiotic
i'm sure you're a great guy in person
- PonyBoy0
Enter response:
and yes... I've read Carl Sagan - he is loaded w/his own theories... but he has enough respect for mankind and their sorted theories to leave those 'theories' open for discussion in his books.
- PonyBoy0
Enter response:
:) understood, Scrabin.
I actually skip to your posts often in these type of threads because I dig the fact that you're conversational about topics that always carry controversy.
I see very much how my beliefs can seem idiotic. If I try and look from the outside at my beliefs - I can def. understand why people would thing my faith is uncalled for.
- PonyBoy0
Enter response:
and Carl Sagan's as nuts as I am... sorry. :)
- PonyBoy0
Enter response:
anyway - back to scientology... anyone ever been pulled off the street and put in a room for an IQ test by them?
I was wondering the streets of Boston about 10 years ago w/my buddy when some asked if we were up for an IQ test - and of course I said no and kept walking - leave to Jay, my dipshit friend who loves to screw with people to say 'yes'.
Anyway - they separated the two of us - and for 3 hours I was trying to find him and a way out of this building they brought us to.
- emokid0
did they use anal probes?
- scarabin0
i'm gonna go to one of their buildings in hollywood tomorrow to talk to some of them.
it's fascinating how seductive their cult is.
it's like a perfectly designed religion/scam.
- PonyBoy0
Enter response:
actually - they were really nice... but they were very misleading.
They literally lied to us about the IQ test thing. They were making it out to be some sort of public poll / education type thing. I sat down and took the test too - it started like an IQ test - some questions about logical things etc...
... but the questions got personal - and started saying things like 'check the most appropriate field'. The 'appropriate fields' were 'sometimes', 'most of the time', 'never'... that type of stuff...
.. but the questions were emotionally based. "Do you feel that you're lacking emotionally in anyway?"... stuff like that...
... then - after you take the test - some dude sits down with you and feels you out on your answers... then shows you the book Dianetics.
Anyway - that was my experience with scientologists. Nice people - but very shady on their tactics of disscusing their religion with you.
- Mal0
- discipler0
*reluctantly breaks vow of silence from PVN posting and enters discussion...
I believe people embrace religion for a number of reasons: for a sense of identity, to deal with past pain, to eradicate the fear of death, etc...
I, personally, have never felt any need for "religion" as it is generally understood. What I have experienced is a sense that there is something more to this life than the natural world has to offer. I believe everyone experiences this deep longing of the soul, but most people look in the wrong places to try and satisfy it. I believe that the missing puzzle piece is found, not in "religion", but in a relationship. A relationship with the one who created this hunger within us.
As for truth, I believe that logic dictates that it, by definition, is exclusive. There cannot be "my truth" and "your truth". Truth is either absolute, or it is not truth. Because it demands that there be non-truth... it requires that there be error. There are consequences to being wrong, we see this in our day to day experience.
The relationship that is Christianity, unlike world religions, is historic and evidential. The testimony of Christ's life, death, and resurrection happened to come to us by way of eyewitness accounts (2 Pet. 1:16; 1 John 1:1-4). Christianity therefore is a historical faith, and its truth claims can be evaluated by examining the facts and testimony of history - its a faith based in fact. None of the other religions of the world can claim this kind of historical support.
Another unique feature of Christianity is that its founder claimed to be God. Of the great religious leaders of the world (Buddha, Moses, Zoroaster, Lao Tzu, Mohammed) only Jesus claimed to be God in human flesh (John 8:58). And this is not an empty claim because it is supported by Christ’s historically verifiable resurrection from the dead (1 Cor. 15:3-8). Other religions like Buddhism and Islam claim miracles in support of their faith, but unlike Christianity, these miracles lack historical verification.
Also, Christianity is a faith relationship that is not earned thru "religious" performance or human efforts. When Jesus said, "It is finished" on the cross, he meant it. He did the work... we choose to accept his work by faith, or reject it.
An additional feature which sets Christianity apart from religion is that its beliefs system happens to be coherent. Some Christian doctrines may transcend logical categories — and even appear paradoxical — but unlike the religions of the east, they are not irrational or absurd. Oh, and before I forget, the Christian faith is unique in that it can account for the vast array of phenomena which we encounter in life — things like the laws of science, the universal laws of logic, ethical norms, love, meaning in life, and, of course, the problem of evil.
Christianity’s unique distinctions are very good reasons to embrace it, IMO.
- scarabin0
'The relationship that is Christianity, unlike world religions, is historic and evidential. The testimony of Christ's life, death, and resurrection happened to come to us by way of eyewitness accounts (2 Pet. 1:16; 1 John 1:1-4). Christianity therefore is a historical faith, and its truth claims can be evaluated by examining the facts and testimony of history - its a faith based in fact. None of the other religions of the world can claim this kind of historical support.'
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bullshit. just because someone long ago wrote it and claimed it was true, does not make a thing true. i can write a book wherein i claim to be god, make up whatever wacko shit i want, and then stir in a few current events to make it 'historically accurate' and it will still be bullshit. the bible is not an end-all argument to anything, it is not a historical record, it is not some god's creation, it is just a book; although the most popular work of fiction ever written.
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' it is supported by Christ’s historically verifiable resurrection from the dead (1 Cor. 15:3-8). Other religions like Buddhism and Islam claim miracles in support of their faith, but unlike Christianity, these miracles lack historical verification.'
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again, bullshit. the occurance of a man spontaneously coming back to life has never, ever, been 'historically verified'. the bible is not a verified historical record.
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'An additional feature which sets Christianity apart from religion is that its beliefs system happens to be coherent. Some Christian doctrines may transcend logical categories — and even appear paradoxical — but unlike the religions of the east, they are not irrational or absurd.'
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that's retarded. by definition transcending logic and causing logical paradoxes make it irrational and absurd.
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'Oh, and before I forget, the Christian faith is unique in that it can account for the vast array of phenomena which we encounter in life — things like the laws of science, the universal laws of logic, ethical norms, love, meaning in life, and, of course, the problem of evil.'
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every religion accounts for and explains all these things. that's why religions formed in the first place. to explain natural phenomena. christianity in no way is the first and definitely not the only religion to do this.
i would hardly call any of these statements good reasons to embrace christianity.
- JazX0
It's ok discipler. I approve of it.
;)
Scientology equates to pure BS.
- scarabin0
yes, it does. and no one is defending that.
btw, for more information on the bible, read some of this-
http://thetruth.hypermart.net/bi…
http://thetruth.hypermart.net/bi…
