Is Christianity Irrational?

Eastree, waiting for the 'true' answers until you die is just postponing recognizing that the divine is already all around you, and smacks to me of waiting for a special door prize when you get to heaven. If there is a heaven, and you have simply been good to people throughout your life, I expect it will just be more of a "Come on in, sit by the fire" kind of thing, rather than a flame of judgement and justice. Life is simple, it's only religion that's complicated.

Let me ask you one question: How can you know your facts are true when you don't know the opposing arguments? (And no, I don't mean summary of opposing arguments with prefabricated answers of why they are wrong by the people who want you to continue to believe. I mean the arguments from their own, unmediated sources. Ex: if you don't believe in evolution, read Darwin's Origin of species. If after reading the book, you disagree, you will have stronger arguments.)

Then why bash Christianity if you don't mind that people believe something you don't?

I know that you will not accredit any healthful improvement to anything but science. But when a close friend of mine who was deaf from birth, her ear drum ruptured in the birth canal, can suddenly hear again and has an ear drum in that ear for the first time since birth, I will say it's a miracle. Doctors did not implant anything into her ear. She was receiving no treatment, as her ear was not perpetually infected, and she had accepted her deafness. This did not occur on television, it happened in front of my eyes. All of a sudden she was shocked, screaming about the fact that she could suddenly hear. How would you explain this?

What I mean by a non-Christian healing is any purported healing by a non-medical method, and the credit given to a religion, belief, or alternate medicine which is not accepted as valid. I know that there are people who are taking herbal treatments for cancer. But I'm not talking about that; it has its merits for those who feel it's right for them. I am talking about psychic healings, shamanic healings, and other types of faith healing. I have never witnessed one simply because I choose not to. I know they happen. I will not deny that.

As far as creationism, I do believe. But things must be read more than literally. The word day can easily be translated as a period of time -- nay period of time. And God did not dig in the mud for every little creature. In Genesis, God tells the Earth to "bring forth" the animals, and the water to "bring forth" the fish. This to me definitely signifies a long process. Also, science has proven more than easily that all things change over time.

There is much historical precedent for faith healing that didn't do a heck of a lot (other than comfort the victim), so I am skeptical about modern faith healing. If you go to witness such an event, do let us know.

...a positive attitude...

Then why bash Christianity if you don't mind that people believe something you don't?

I know that you will not accredit any healthful improvement to anything but science. But when a close friend of mine who was deaf from birth, her ear drum ruptured in the birth canal, can suddenly hear again and has an ear drum in that ear for the first time since birth, I will say it's a miracle. Doctors did not implant anything into her ear. She was receiving no treatment, as her ear was not perpetually infected, and she had accepted her deafness. This did not occur on television, it happened in front of my eyes. All of a sudden she was shocked, screaming about the fact that she could suddenly hear. How would you explain this?

What I mean by a non-Christian healing is any purported healing by a non-medical method, and the credit given to a religion, belief, or alternate medicine which is not accepted as valid. I know that there are people who are taking herbal treatments for cancer. But I'm not talking about that; it has its merits for those who feel it's right for them. I am talking about psychic healings, shamanic healings, and other types of faith healing. I have never witnessed one simply because I choose not to. I know they happen. I will not deny that.

As far as creationism, I do believe. But things must be read more than literally. The word day can easily be translated as a period of time -- nay period of time. And God did not dig in the mud for every little creature. In Genesis, God tells the Earth to "bring forth" the animals, and the water to "bring forth" the fish. This to me definitely signifies a long process. Also, science has proven more than easily that all things change over time.

Eastree, if you ... a lot of others.

Because forums are all about argument and debate, and they would get awfully boring if I kept my views to myself.

the physical structure of her ear would have to be different for it to work after it hadn't. My assumption is that she was mis-diagnosed by an incompetent doctor. Whatever happened, it's always good to have a friend get well.

I don't believe in anything that is inconsistent with the material world and how my senses believe it. [Judging from other discussions Iv'e had, you probably assume this gives me a lack of mysticism, but mysticism doesn't come only from Christianity ro belief in g-d .]

You don't oppose irrational people trying to impose their beliefs?

What I don't like about creationism is that is opposes science and archeology, and their data (ideally) is gathered without religious/political bias. I know that religous people who start out seeking to prove a religous view (and not any other view) may have skewed results. The same thing happens in Archaeology (the brontosaurus) or psycology (Freud) when people want to prove somthing so badly that evidence gets skewed. But at least science has an ongoing process for fixing this, religion only asks to be agreed with.

Portal Star- You may find this strange, coming from a non-believer, but I think that faith healing, for believers, has done some good. Science is slowly but surely acknowledging the mind/body connection. Often a positive attitude WILL modify a person's body chemistry, to the point where the body, in some cases, may heal itself.

If a person really believes, it is quite possible that that belief could theoretically make the difference in the outcome of some diseases.

Oh, I certainly don't take any stock in "instant" healing, except in some cases of conversion hysteria, which is quite possible.

Years ago, before the mind/body connection was understood, and the term in general use, there was a popular expression, "the will to live". I take that concept very seriously!

Disgusting! Maybe she was just immune?

I believe in all three (symbilosm, literalism, and rough terms) -- why shouldn't I? At least it can make sense of things whick completely elude reason.

Faith, by definition is "complete trust." So faith healing is complete trust that whatever non-medical method is being used will work. Also, it has been medically proven that a positive attitude does release a higher ammount of endorphins and other beneficial chemicals. This can account for part of it. The rest? The mind does have an influence on the physical nature of the body, and some would even say the surrounding world (though there is much to be debated about this). Of course, there are also claims of faith healing which were instant or even wildly bizzare (such claims as severed limbs growing back). How many times did Jesus say to people in the Bible "your faith has healed you"? It's just a thought.