the a-thiest delusion revealed..lol,,<<Actually,..considering how many Gods there are,>>please explain...there is one god..[of many names..one god sustaining all lives/..god is one..how we think of him/or how we name him/or how we judge him to be..is simply delusion/..delusions of men

<<you’re virtually..as likely as me to be wrong..if a God does exist>>no one can be wrong about the egsistance of god/you athiests delude yourself with the faulse god heads..as well as the nature of that which you deney[even those thinking god man are incorrect[ghod is no trinity/god is no judge...god is emanuel[god within/that we do/did to the least we do to him/dsustaining from within..even the least to live

<<So if you're wrong..and a different God does exist,.then you'll still know about it>>>you athiests are children/why fear you gods love?.

<<But at least I’m not making this God or Gods extra angry by worshipping a false God>>you cannot anger god[please see he sustains/EVEN THE MOST VILE LIFE..their lives to live

<<Think of it as an Atheist’s Wager as opposed to the fallacious Pascal’s Wager.>>.there is no end to you athiests deluding

<<..I’m wrong,..I’ll at least live/for an eternity..in the comfort of knowing that I didn’t foolishly believe..in a God despite the total lack of evidence>>there is your delusion/not only dening god his due...but/..calling his..unjudgmental love/..a lie.

<<No deceiving myself there>>...lol..think my foolish disbeliever...its not you athiests alone who shall live herafter..but those who laugh at you/as well as love you despite your decieving others..away..from gods true living/loving nature...

the worst sin there is..in the after real;ms...its not your deluding you/..but your decieving others/..like your chldren/for all chidren are children of god[good[love/light/mercy/grace...you suck away the hope of others..yet god sustains even leeches their lives

<<if it matters not that I may be wrong,>>yes it dont[to god]..but its not god/good alone/who lives herafter#

<<if this God of yours/..or any other God..actually exists,..then it has some serious ‘splaing to do.>>>what delusion/..he gave you the light logic/love/life...what more expect you to be given..
Posted by AJ Philips

Well no one researched that other thread on this subject.
It took a different path but was quite interesting.
I will try to find it next few days.
It told some spooky storys about after life or near death things and many contributed, think philo did.
One under God welcome back still do not share your views but read them interesting stuff.

The Dawkins interview of the Bishop of Oxford is interesting. Here is the first part of the four part series, all of which are well worth the viewing time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ0WinCWtLs

Much of the comment appearing on OLO is critical of fundamentalists, particularly Christian fundamentalists and creationists. While these remain easy marks for some, there is a larger progressive, moderate group of Christians who are are rarely mentioned and even more rarely interviewed or have their opinions published - probably because their views are not sensational.

The progressive, moderate Christians are accepting of scientific discoveries and are continually evolving their beliefs and interpretation of the messages of the Bible. That is a good thing. Thinking more generally, moderate Christians' beliefs also evolve along with social change where sometimes they might lead or as most institutions do, evolve through steady incrementalist change. A case in point could be homosexuality, which is quite accepted by moderates and has been for a long time.

There is very little certainty in the world except the physical death of living things. Perhaps the 'science-based' critics of 'religion' might consider that most moderate Christians more usually have beliefs just as they do and are not so entirely rooted in 'faith' as they (the critics) suppose.

How much of science is a certainty, or better still, how much of the universe has been explained with scientific certainty, not belief?

Not defending either side, just suggesting a little humility.

Thanks, OUG.

The one thing I do appreciate about your posts is that they act like a gauge. The more ‘on the money’ someone is, more incoherent they become.

Cornflower,

That’s all very nice. But I for one am pretty tired of having to put exceptions on everything I say about religion such as: “Of course, not all Christians are like that”.

The moderates are the ones who are choosing for themselves, the same label (i.e. Christian) as the whackos out there who are still stuck in a medieval mindset.

If the moderates are continually are evolving and growing more distant from the fundamentalists, then they have the choice to change their label and perhaps even seriously modify their Bible to be more acceptable for today’s modern society.

But it is not my responsibility or anyone else’s to continually add exceptions to everything we say if moderate Christians are still wilfully choosing to worship under the same name as the fundamentalists. Nor is it fair that myself or others cop any subtle suggestions that we may lack humility because of this.

pynchme,

'I am very grateful for the life I've had.'
Really? But you're a woman. A downtrodden martyr of society.

The art of “Praying” is still within the compass of old Sherkahn's habits. We Nature lovers; Tree huggers, Pagans, Darwinian realists, Galapagoans, are aware that everything on Earth is ‘The Complete Package’, ie; the God that you believe is never sleeping 100th of an Olympic second, seeing ‘round corners, through the bedclothes, down the Mine, even into ‘Hades’, is your Subconscious Mind!
We all have come across the general advice, when one has a problem, “sleep on it”. The Conscious mind off-loads the too hard basket into the Sub-Conscious mind during sleep.
The Sub-Conscious either presents a solution of the problem to the Conscious mind, OR, prepares you for the worst, by switching on Hormones for the body and Conscious mind to deal with the shock. You say: “God heard my prayer”.
Your God is a Palliative necessity for the majority of temperaments of the human mob. Religion is also a great Tribal or Social Club that gives you, that necessary Tribal feeling of ‘Belonging’.
I have no desire to see it crushed, only changed. Yet I am no Henry V111, or indeed Cromwell or a Communist, I love and respect religious architecture and religious music, all created by man. Each Sunday night at 10.30 pm, with my headphones on I listen to our wonderful, ABC Classic FM program, The God Who Sings, for 2 hours.
My idea of ‘being close to God’ would be, if I could touch the skin of a live Galapagos Island, Iguana, also, have my hand trod on by a Galapagos Island ‘Booby’: ie: Albatross. I have stood looking into the eye of such a bird, 3 metres from me, for several minutes, while ‘at sea’. If it had been in reach I would have kissed it.
What would be wonderful, and fill the churches again, ‘tweaking God’s words a bit’, would be for Religion to stop being so Narcissistic about the Human Supremacy, and worship Nature and all it’s creatures realistically. We may then ‘save the world’s Flora and Fauna.
If the world’s population were half of what it is, there would be hope.