Quote:[Spit:] "Can you even entertain that God doesn't exist?"
In my survey of your polemical posts, I noticed one of your greatest debating weaknesses. You make unjustified assumptions about your posting partners and their positions. As I will perhaps demonstrate on March 1, your assumptions often cause your critique to unravel. In logic we refer to this tendency as a lack of awareness of hidden premises.
In fact, I'm confident you've never met a poster as thoroughly trained in academic reasons NOT to believe in God. Nothing is more devastating to faith than a PhD in religious studies from an Ivy league secular Religious Studies department. One of the first things my professor/ advisor told me was: "You won't find many Jesus fans around here." In debates, you must keep your assumptions close to the vest until they are borne out in your oppoents' statements. Otherwise, you just lead with your chin. As an ex-boxer, you know that's a bad idea.
BTW, another of your false assumptions seems to be that I'm mainly interested in winning. In fact, I'm only interested in expanding the horizons of those I engage. Your posts often criticize what you obviously don't understand (e.g. biblical teaching). The first crucial step in a serious spiritual quest is an acknowledgement of what you don't know. Most debaters blur the line between what they do and don't know. Without that acknowledgement, there is no lasting growth.
That does not mean you need to be shy and restrained. Rather, you need to begin your posts with phrases like, "My understanding of biblical teaching about God is..." No shame in that. That way you open the door to correcting your misunderstanding. Then ask more questions until you are confident you've grasped the point at issue. Then, of course, you may or may not like the corrected version of the teaching.
If you follow these two guidelines on March 1, our disciussion may actually be quite cordial and productive. I've summarized my overall position before and will briefly do it again. In life theological understanding is the booby prize because it offers just enough spirituality to inoculate you against the real thing. Personal experience of the divine is everything. Living vicariously off of other people's miracle stories just creates a 2nd-hand spirituality that severely limits growth potential. I share such stories not as an end, but only to evoke wonder and excite people's spiritual quest towards the transforming experiences that make the decisive difference.
Don
P.S. I may or may not stick around until March 1. I still don't like "rats." And I know it wasn't you.
We all make assumptions. Yes i make assumptions, just like you do. And as you have even in your last post, such as
"'Imconfident you've never met a poster as thoroughly trained in academic reasons NOT to believe in God."
"BTW, another of your false assumptions seems to be that I'm mainly interested in winning.
You say you wish to expand others horizons, but after your polemical posts it seems your not willing to expand your own?.
As i have said on pervious posts, im not versed on the full bible, nor do i wish to be, it does not intrest me in the slightest, i do not believe it will enhance my "spiritual growth", therefore it's a waste of my time.
I cant be bothered to bounce back and foreward with 10000 word essays, "my understanding of the biblical teachings about god is...." can be nicely condensed to "God is...". You can save that for your academic papers.
Personal experience of the divine is everything. I have had none, the majoirty of the population has had none. How can you even try to convince others of a god, when it comes down to personal experience?, unless you can give me his phone number, and i can verify myself?
If second hand accounts limit spiritual growth, why do people base there lives upon the bible?
Would you even know about god without second hand accounts, the answer is no.
Tell me what "personal experiences" of god, convinced you of his/it's existance, i would be very intrested.
You said you were not gonna post until march the 1st. Since you have broken your word, i would recomend you "unleash" whatever you have now as i see no point for you to wait.
Home
Pages: 
