Feelings from a New Poster (Jesus, ritual, Earth, gospel)

[Booko]

Originally Posted by Green Kepi

Wow...good. Thanks. Carl R, I like the the way you broke it all down. Sunstone...I just use feelings as something coming from the result of one's own impression. My emotions are more of sensation. How strong or how I react to my feelings. I'm no psychologist, so I'm not much in answering your question. I just attempt to be a "simple" student of the Bible. Hey...at least you all did not disagree with "all" of what I said. One of you even stated, "I don't agree with most of what you said". So, thanks. This site might not be too bad :0)....

Oh, you'll be alright. Just find a thread that interests you and hop in.

In the meantime...welcome!

[Sunstone]

Green Kepi, Scientific American recently published a report of a study that suggests people "...pondering a complex decision and then distracted by puzzles made more satisfying choices than those who deliberated continuously. Evidently the unconscious mind is better at plowing through information without bias." I find that interesting in light of this discussion of feelings, because I believe that many people, when they say they are consulting their feelings or intuitions, are consulting their unconscious mind to some extent. Perhaps they do this because experience teaches them doing so results in "more satisfying choices"? I don't know, however, if you think this little tidbit might be at all relevent to how you view feelings?

Maybe to clarify: The unconscious mind is, among other things, a repository of information (memory) about experiences. Consulting it would have the advantage of making decisions on the basis of our experiences, and consulting it also seems (according to the above study) to result in less biased decisions than merely thinking about something consciously. So, if all that is true enough, then how can it be said that going by our feelings opens up to going any where the wind blows? It would rather seem that going by our feelings has the possibility at least of openning us to going more truly by what our experiences have taught us than even consciously pondering a decision can do.

Please note: I am not advocating making decisions solely based on feelings alone. Like Karl said, it is wise to consult more than ones feelings. But I am saying that it might be wiser to consult ones feelings than you seem to allow in your OP.

[s2a]

Hello Green Kepi,

I wish to commend you for your impressive self-introduction to REF (this forum). (Frubals to you). I retain little doubt that you are earnest and sincere in expressing your faith-based beliefs, and there are plenty of "followers of Christ" (both creedal and "unaffiliated") with which you may enjoy "spirited" debate.

As I am both skeptic and atheist, you would not be surprised that I consider virtually all faith-based claims and assertions of Biblically accounted "fact" as unmitigated bunk.

Like yourself, I am unmotivated to expend concerted efforts to disabuse pious adherents of any of their faith-based beliefs (how you reconcile Mattt. 28:18-20 with your personal philosophy is another matter. ;-)). I am more concerned with the "why" of what people believe (or claim) as "truth" (or "fact").

Ideas (and the reasons proffered as support of an idea) are debatable, and I'm of the mind that people can be moved to reconsider - or even change - their ideological perspectives, if a better idea is presented and hashed out amongst honest, open-minded, and sincerely thoughtful folks. Discussion is nice, and has it's own place. But debate is enjoined for the purpose of presenting the better idea or perspective, in efforts to effect change; not only of pre-conceived perceptions, but also as a matter of (leading to, or) being the best available (or most acceptable) conclusion beyond reasonable doubt.

I'll save our prospective exchanges in debate for another thread that presents (for myself) a more compelling premise beyond a singular testament of faith.

I would put but one question of you at this time. Would you, or do you, consider yourself as a Biblical inerrantist and/or literalist? Your statements regarding Noah, (and allusion to John 14:6) suggest as much, but some of your other testimonial conclusions (re: frozen wooly mammoths) hint at some extrapolative extra-biblical apologetics.

Again, I welcome you to REF, and I trust that you will find both kindred spirits and energetic foils alike.

[PS. I've but 30 years of Biblical exegesis under my belt, so you have one up on me there. ;-) Do you have a favored translation, for future reference in prospective exchanges? Oops. That's two questions...]

[zombieharlot]

I think you'll find that most people here are pretty tolerant of others and their beliefs. Some more than others, but essentially we are all here to learn from one another. So I don't think you'll really need to "duck". And welcome to the forum!

[BFD_Zayl]

well, i dont agree to what you say. but regardless, welcome to the family!

[telecino]

First,

Does anyone know how many Christians there are on the planet, and how many people exist on the planet.

I don't have the numbers (does anyone? just post) but i can't believe 80%-90% of the planet is wrong about their spirituality.

Second,

Who can say Buddha can't bring you to God without having taken the time to experiment buddhism. Who can say Shiva won't bring you to nirvana if Shiva's invocation has never been tried long enough. Who can place their hand in the fire, that my God is the only God, other than an "elitist". PS: Elitist = religious racism. It means "I'm part of the elite who has the truth, and everybody else is wrong."

One thing for sure, only the Christ can bring a Christian to God and Heaven, and maybe its that same for Buddha and buddhism.

Measure your reaction to the following affirmation:
A muslim becoming a God by praying with the Coran.

Now, what was your reaction to it (1= sure, why not / 10= Pfff, never! NEVER is SaiD!)
Your honest spontaneous reaction 1 to 10, this is your degree of elitism.

In my belief, i'de rather say "i don't know, maybe you have the truth. Care to show me?"

[s2a]

Originally Posted by telecino

First,

Does anyone know how many Christians there are on the planet, and how many people exist on the planet.

Best guesses:
Christianity - 2.07 billion adherents worldwide (31.8% of world population)
Source

World Population estimate - 6,513,808,264 (constantly updated)
Source

"...I can't believe 80%-90% of the planet is wrong about their spirituality".

Wrong about their "spirituality"? If it makes you feel good about yourself and others, or lends comfort in times of strife, and matters of self-doubt, then no...spirituality isn't "wrong" from a purely personalized perspective.

However, that's not to say that "spirituality" is "correct" in tendering explanations predicated upon faith-based beliefs either. ;-)

There's an axiom sometimes seen blandished on a bumpersticker:
"I don't know, and neither do you."

[Green Kepi]

S2A,

No…I do not believe that what I have in writing is free from errors nor do I accept it as word for word. I do believe that the original inspirations to the authors were divinely inspired. We do not have those. So, the question many ask me is, “Then why do you follow the words of this Gospel”? Because I believe that God allowed what I do have to be filtered down to me. When I stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, at least I can say, “This is what you gave me…I tried my best to follow it”.

I currently use 8 different translations in my studies. All have their own unique weaknesses and strengths. Additionally, I’m a big fan of history…especially, the Jewish History. This I supplement into my Biblical study. This makes sense?

I can see now that I probably will need to go into one of those forums of “like faith”. However, I usually have better, more reasoned, critical thinking with atheists, etc. than with ones of my “like” faith.

Now I have a question for you…with 30 years of critical study, did you become an atheist from the study or were you always one? Thanks again….

[s2a]

Hello Green Kepi,

You said:

No…I do not believe that what I have in writing is free from errors nor do I accept it as word for word. I do believe that the original inspirations to the authors were divinely inspired. We do not have those. So, the question many ask me is, “Then why do you follow the words of this Gospel”? Because I believe that God allowed what I do have to be filtered down to me. When I stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, at least I can say, “This is what you gave me…I tried my best to follow it”.

As long as you can trust the "filters"...;-)

I currently use 8 different translations in my studies. All have their own unique weaknesses and strengths. Additionally, I’m a big fan of history…especially, the Jewish History. This I supplement into my Biblical study. This makes sense?

Yep. I have some history interests as well, but not so much in Jewish history.

I can see now that I probably will need to go into one of those forums of “like faith”. However, I usually have better, more reasoned, critical thinking with atheists, etc. than with ones of my “like” faith.

Why do you suppose that is so?

Now I have a question for you…with 30 years of critical study, did you become an atheist from the study or were you always one? Thanks again….

We're all born atheists. Indoctrinated beliefs tend to shape folks into becoming something other than atheistic.

If you're inquiring as to whether I left some faith-based beliefs behind after some Biblical study, the answer is no. I was certainly exposed to religion (Methodist) when I was a child, and encouraged to believe in God per my grandparents wishes. They were not especially fond of my own parents' indifference to religion, and their esp