The insanity theory

[Just_me_Mike]

Originally Posted by Beaudreaux

But the fact that one would occasionally abandon reason makes one's rationonality as a whole suspect. What reason causes those stepping off points? If there is none, how do you know when you will be stepping off again? How can such behavior EVER be rational?

We could only step off when we are reading the bible, otherwise it is suspect.

To illusrtate God's seriouness about this part of believing, he specifically put at the end of the bible a great passage.

Revelations 22:

16: I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. 17: And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
18: For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

With this we know we will see no other insane OR supernatural event FROM GOD (not the devil) other than the end of the world.

The reason for this is, if something supernatural did happen from God it would be further revelation. Does that make sense?

[Beaudreaux]

Originally Posted by Heneni

The mechanism by which a man understands the supernatural world is his spirit

The mechanism by which a man understands the natural world is his mind.

So its natural for people who dont have their understanding trained by the supernatural to think that those who do are insane.

And the natural mind with all its reasoning is insane to the supernatural world. There is nothing in the natural mind that can comprehend the supernatural. The spirit is what comprehends the spiritual world.

So while a christian uses their spirit to understand the spiritual, their minds are used to understand the natural. And to the mind the spiritual things might seem crazy at first.

Christians are not insane they are just sane in a different way. They are sane in the spiritual, which reveals the insanity of the natural mind.

People who dont believe in the supernatural believe that their minds are sane. But people who believe in the supernatural acknowledge that the mind is insane. That is why the wisdom of the world (insanity) is foolishness to god even though that wisdom to the world seems like sanity. What is sanity to us, is insanity to god. And what is sanity to the God is insanity to the world. So therefore the world cannot comprehend god with their minds. It is not possible.

Christians have to accept that the ways of the world are insane, foolishness , no matter how wise it might appear. And because we do that, the world considers us to be insane. The one group uses their minds to reason, the other uses their spirits to reason.


Heneni

Here Here!! Religion and Rationality are oil and water. It is tiresome to read posts by religious folks who insist that belief in God makes any kind of rational sense at all. Thank you for your post.

[Beaudreaux]

Originally Posted by Heneni

I just like to add, that christians are not exclusively the only people who understand that the spirit is used to understand the spiritual world. Sorcery and devination and clairvoyancy and soothsaying, and spirit guides, and such...have this ability as well. Welll some do, others just go on oprah and pretend to. So its not really the alpha and omega to have the ability to connect with the spiritual, its being SANE in the matter of doing so as well.

Heneni

I agree wholeheartedly. If one posits that the Christian God exists, then they must also accept that modern day Gandalfs and Harry Potters can exist too.

[Mister_T]

***ADMIN POST***

There are a number of bullying and/or insulting posts being seen in this thread. Let's please have everyone refrain from such from here on out.

Thanks.

[linwood]

Originally Posted by angellous_evangellous

I'll submit that as proof that Christian apologetics is dead.

Thank god, I`ve been waiting for this moment for years.

[Just_me_Mike]

Originally Posted by linwood

Thank god, I`ve been waiting for this moment for years.

You thanking God? See it is true, with God all things are possible!

[ManTimeForgot]

Need to be careful what you call insane. The closed mind is unable to fathom the deepest mysteries of the cosmos. That is why I started the thread about cosmology and have asserted what I have. If you cannot rationally account for seemingly magical abilities, then when you are presented with them you won't be able to study them scientifically. Sufficiently studied magic is indistinguishable from science (lifted from Girl Genius Web comic, but still true).


If/when an ET were to show someone "magical" powers derived from greater cosmological/technical understanding anyone who believed that it was completely impossible would be discounting all manner of future possibilities. It is important to place the caveat of impossible for us, now whenever you make these kinds of arguments.

And some people are raised to view morality tales for what they are; stories. From my standpoint taking the story of Noah and the Flood literally is about the same as taking Aesop's fables literally. But for the faithful this is a wrongheaded idea. I count the people who do take it literally as having too much faith, and discounting reason and wisdom when they should be listening to their voices. But perhaps I am wrong.

I am not completely willing to dismiss much of anything. It may be 99.99% gone, but it never quite leaves. Because I am never more than 99% sure about our best assessments of reality. We are in a position of near absolute ignorance, and as such it is best if we keep an open mind about things. I don't think an informed and well-reasoned argument can be made for a literal interpretation of the Bible (or any other Big Book), but that is why I let reason guide my understanding of the world around me and faith guide my understanding of proper personal behavior.


I am what I am because I have faith that tomorrow is almost certainly going to be a better day for humanity and if it isn't, then it is always darkest before the dawn.

MTF

[Just_me_Mike]

Originally Posted by ManTimeForgot

Need to be careful what you call insane.

Thanks for the warning