farfignewton
the man!
Ok, new guy, first post outside the welcome thread... I know. Not supposed to start a new thread as your second post, but I like to rock the boat.
Im looking for some good conversation and debating about the deeper philosophies about God, and I figured this would be a good place to start. So, *deep breath* here I go.
Please bear with me, I am longwinded, and would like to give a frame of reference by which I might be better understood, and this might take a bit.
Part 1: History.
I was born into a Christian home, raised as a Wesleyan, and for the longest time I believed that I had been saved, based on merit alone. Around my teenage years, I began to dwell into things darker, and obviously less than Christian. Im not going into details, and please dont ask me to. Lets just say that I wasnt living as I had been taught to.
During this time of darkness in my life, I began to wonder what had become of the "good little christian boy" I had grown up to be. I decided that if this was all being a christian meant, then I wanted no part of it. I began to study. I have studied almost all of the world religions, including Buddhism, Islam, Muslim, Wicca, Hindu, and many secular and pagan religions that are less popular. I have also looked into many of the different forms of Christianity, all in an effort to find truth and something that would change me.
Now, I have chosen Christianity, but no domination. I have this thing about anything but the bible leading me.
Part 2: Thought process.
Now, in my studies, I have realized that most religions, to include Christianity, have very similar stories. Samson and his massive, god given strength can be compared to Hercules of Greek Mythology, or to Mighty Thor in the Norse culture. How to us God gave Jesus to save us from our sins, thereby granting eternal life, where the Egyptians believed that Ra gave his only mortal son to Anubus so that man might live free.
My question for the longest time was, "what makes Christians so right?" It would seem, looking at the world view, that we merely echo what other cultures have done. All religions have there supreme being. *Ra, Natrona, Odin, Zeus, etc* All religions seem to have some great martyr that saved the human race. *Thor, Buddha, Penelope, etc* So, what is it that makes us so right over the others?
Part 3: the question.
Now, you ask a Christian that question, and the answer you will most likely get is "because ours is right", said with enough conviction to mean that is all that matters. But what to say to the non-believers? If talking to an atheist, which I was almost for a long time, what proof can we offer that would tip the hand towards us? What concrete evidence could you give to a logical mind, as apposed to a spiritual one, that would lead to a conclusion of faith?
Now, I have my own answer to that question, and I believe it is solidly based, but as I said, I enjoy good conversation and debate, so I would like to see what others have to say. If your reading this, I mean YOU.
To me this is the ultimate question.
What concrete evidence could you give to a logical mind, as apposed to a spiritual one, that would lead to a conclusion of faith?
Im looking for some good conversation and debating about the deeper philosophies about God, and I figured this would be a good place to start. So, *deep breath* here I go.
Please bear with me, I am longwinded, and would like to give a frame of reference by which I might be better understood, and this might take a bit.
Part 1: History.
I was born into a Christian home, raised as a Wesleyan, and for the longest time I believed that I had been saved, based on merit alone. Around my teenage years, I began to dwell into things darker, and obviously less than Christian. Im not going into details, and please dont ask me to. Lets just say that I wasnt living as I had been taught to.
During this time of darkness in my life, I began to wonder what had become of the "good little christian boy" I had grown up to be. I decided that if this was all being a christian meant, then I wanted no part of it. I began to study. I have studied almost all of the world religions, including Buddhism, Islam, Muslim, Wicca, Hindu, and many secular and pagan religions that are less popular. I have also looked into many of the different forms of Christianity, all in an effort to find truth and something that would change me.
Now, I have chosen Christianity, but no domination. I have this thing about anything but the bible leading me.
Part 2: Thought process.
Now, in my studies, I have realized that most religions, to include Christianity, have very similar stories. Samson and his massive, god given strength can be compared to Hercules of Greek Mythology, or to Mighty Thor in the Norse culture. How to us God gave Jesus to save us from our sins, thereby granting eternal life, where the Egyptians believed that Ra gave his only mortal son to Anubus so that man might live free.
My question for the longest time was, "what makes Christians so right?" It would seem, looking at the world view, that we merely echo what other cultures have done. All religions have there supreme being. *Ra, Natrona, Odin, Zeus, etc* All religions seem to have some great martyr that saved the human race. *Thor, Buddha, Penelope, etc* So, what is it that makes us so right over the others?
Part 3: the question.
Now, you ask a Christian that question, and the answer you will most likely get is "because ours is right", said with enough conviction to mean that is all that matters. But what to say to the non-believers? If talking to an atheist, which I was almost for a long time, what proof can we offer that would tip the hand towards us? What concrete evidence could you give to a logical mind, as apposed to a spiritual one, that would lead to a conclusion of faith?
Now, I have my own answer to that question, and I believe it is solidly based, but as I said, I enjoy good conversation and debate, so I would like to see what others have to say. If your reading this, I mean YOU.
To me this is the ultimate question.
What concrete evidence could you give to a logical mind, as apposed to a spiritual one, that would lead to a conclusion of faith?