I Say We Duke It Out!

Bartikus wrote:

How far back are you going?

I can logically go back no further than the Planck Horizon - nor can anyone else.

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That preference I have is universal.

I submit not only is that assertion neither demonstrated nor indicated, it in fact is contray to the observed condition.

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Do I need to be the one who presents an idea?

Whether or not you needed to - and I see no objective reason to conclude any such need might now exist or ever have existed - you have presented ideas - the idea of the Theory of Faith, at the very least, along with your most recent presentment of the idea that some particular preference be universal

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What ideas do you have?

Fair enough; for one, I have the idea you are either unable or unwilling to submit the idea of "Faith" to objective appraisal, scrutiny, discussion, and/or criticism. For another, I have the idea that constitutes a special pleading, and for a third, I have the idea special pleadings are specious.

It is fun watching a dog chase it's own tail!

I asked questioner what his concerns about religion were....he said he did'nt want to say.

I try not to ridicule and mock, but I damned well will continue to challenge things. I have reasons for doing so, and they have nothing to do with anyone on these forums.

Do you care to share what some of those reasons might be?

Not particularly.

Bartikus wrote:

It is fun watching a dog chase it's own tail!

In the perhaps erroneous assumption that was directed to me, I challenge you to demonstrate how that might be applicable to my commentary ... asking only that you not engage in the practice of chasing your own tail.

Bartikus wrote:

I asked questioner what his concerns about religion were....he said he did'nt want to say.

No, I said

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I try not to ridicule and mock, but I damned well will continue to challenge things. I have reasons for doing so, and they have nothing to do with anyone on these forums.

and you asked me:

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Do you care to share what some of those reasons might be?

To which I replied

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Not particularly.

as those reasons weren't in any way pertinent to the subject being discussed.

However, if you'd like to validate your reason for needing to know I'd consent to comply.

Does this mean that you are willing to put forward on this forum anything and everything that comes to your mind.....or do you think some things in your head are better left unsaid?

Questioner wrote:

Bartikus wrote:

I asked questioner what his concerns about religion were....he said he did'nt want to say.

No, I said

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I try not to ridicule and mock, but I damned well will continue to challenge things. I have reasons for doing so, and they have nothing to do with anyone on these forums.

and you asked me:

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Do you care to share what some of those reasons might be?

To which I replied

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Not particularly.

as those reasons weren't in any way pertinent to the subject being discussed.

However, if you'd like to validate your reason for needing to know I'd consent to comply.

I don't need to know anything from you. Do you need to know something?

Bartikus wrote:

Questioner wrote:

Bartikus wrote:

I asked questioner what his concerns about religion were....he said he did'nt want to say.

No, I said

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I try not to ridicule and mock, but I damned well will continue to challenge things. I have reasons for doing so, and they have nothing to do with anyone on these forums.

and you asked me:

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Do you care to share what some of those reasons might be?

To which I replied

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Not particularly.

as those reasons weren't in any way pertinent to the subject being discussed.

However, if you'd like to validate your reason for needing to know I'd consent to comply.

I don't need to know anything from you. Do you need to know something?

Not in the least. You were the one that jumped in and asked a question which I declined to answer for the above reasons. I'm now giving you the opportunity to discover that answer. If you don't care then I have nothing further to discuss with you.

Cheers.

Bartikus wrote:

Does this mean that you are willing to put forward on this forum anything and everything that comes to your mind.....or do you think some things in your head are better left unsaid?

Straw man. The reference is to propositions and positions. That I feel such as hatespeech, gratuitous vulgaroty, and personal invective are best left unsaid is well established, and apart from that is codified in the user agreement to which registrants ton this website assent in order to gain posting privilege. Beyond that, any position or proposition is fair game for discussion, analysis, scrutiny, criticism, and rejection or acceptance.

I don't need to know this but....why does faith in God concern you? I only ask because I want to understand where others are coming from. Does something about believers in God bother you?

I have my own ideas why people are concerned.

Go ahead and voice whatever concerns you feel comfortable discussing.

Bartikus wrote:

I don't need to know this but....why does faith in God concern you? I only ask because I want to understand where others are coming from. Does something about believers in God bother you?

Not at all. I used to be one. Now I'm not, and I've been looking back on what I once was and contemplating whether or not I wish to return. Thus I take a rather strong interest in religious discussions both pro and con.

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I have my own ideas why people are concerned.

Go ahead and voice whatever concerns you feel comfortable discussing.

My concerns vary from moment to moment, based upon what is posted here. My goal is, through debate, to discover what the hell I was thinking for the first 29 years of my life, and perhaps get a glimpse of what I SHOULD have been thinking.

I challenge what people say as a method of gaining a broader perspective on what Christianity is about, and what it 'should' be about. Nothing more, nothing less.

You do this to learn more about your past...and about yourself?

You do understand that Christians are people and could never (in this life at least) perfectly reflect the true nature of Christ.

I know some seniors who come very close but when I ask them how close they are to being like Christ....even they say....too far.

Thanks for not calling me a liar.

No, I do this to see what attitudes and ideas are currently filling the heads of other professed Christians. (I also somewhat enjoy arguing).

Bartikus wrote:

Thanks for not calling me a liar.

Don't feel too special; I don't call anyone participating on these boards a liar. I may take considerable pains to point out the inveracity of a given statement, I may say that a given statement is a lie (though I can't recall having done so explicitly - perhaps I have - no matter), but I will not explicitly term the member of this forum who is the issuer of that statement a liar. By the same token, while often I will go to length and detail demonstrating the foolishness of a statement, I will not term the member of this board who is the issuer of that statement a fool. I will not hesitate to voice exception to that which gives me cause for exception, and I will not hesitate to identify and term an untruth or foolishness as such. That in no way entails or implies I ascribe the attribute of untruthfulness or foolishness to the corporeal person of the issuer of that untruth or foolishness.

Bartikus wrote:

Thanks for not calling me a liar.

Don't feel too special; I don't call anyone participating on these boards a liar. I may take considerable pains to point out the inveracity of a given statement, I may say that a given statement is a lie (though I can't recall having done so explicitly - perhaps I have - no matter), but I will not explicitly term the member of this forum who is the issuer of that statement a liar. By the same token, while often I will go to length and detail demonstrating the foolishness of a statement, I will not term the member of this board who is the issuer of that statement a fool. I will not hesitate to voice exception to that which gives me cause for exception, and I will not hesitate to identify and term an untruth or foolishness as such. That in no way entails or implies I ascribe the attribute of untruthfulness or foolishness to the corporeal person of the issuer of that untruth or foolishness.

timberlandko wrote:

Bartikus wrote:

Thanks for not calling me a liar.

Don't feel too special; I don't call anyone participating on these boards a liar. I may take considerable pains to point out the inveracity of a given statement, I may say that a given statement is a lie (though I can't recall having done so explicitly - perhaps I have - no matter), but I will not explicitly term the member of this forum who is the issuer of that statement a liar. By the same token, while often I will go to length and detail demonstrating the foolishness of a statement, I will not term the member of this board who is the issuer of that statement a fool. I will not hesitate to voice exception to that which gives me cause for exception, and I will not hesitate to identify and term an untruth or foolishness as such. That in no way entails or implies I ascribe the attribute of untruthfulness or foolishness to the corporeal person of the issuer of that untruth or foolishness.

He also makes fries 12 different ways!

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Jesus makes me wish I was a better person. He makes a person look at themselves in a way....no other could.

Yes, well this is part of why I like debating these forums.

Jesus doesn't make me do anything. I'm a rather cynical person by nature, and am having an extroidenarily difficult time believing that the historical personage of Jesus was anything other than a figurehead of some con or another.

Perhaps it's all the past time I spent listening to people breathily whisper the name 'Jesus' and then throw their hands up in the air and sob uncontrollably, then get into their expensive cars and drive off to go catch a football game at a local stripclub.

Sort of negates the sincerity. And yes, I understand that logically I should admit that this isn't indicative of all christians, but just a few. However, it is a fair representation of most of the christian's I've met so I also have difficulty admitting that as well.

Bartikus wrote:

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Jesus makes me wish I was a better person. He makes a person look at themselves in a way....no other could.

Yes, well this is part of why I like debating these forums.

Jesus doesn't make me do anything. I'm a rather cynical person by nature, and am having an extroidenarily difficult time believing that the historical personage of Jesus was anything other than a figurehead of some con or another.

Perhaps it's all the past time I spent listening to people breathily whisper the name 'Jesus' and then throw their hands up in the air and sob uncontrollably, then get into their expensive cars and drive off to go catch a football game at a local stripclub.

Sort of negates the sincerity. And yes, I understand that logically I should admit that this isn't indicative of all christians, but just a few. However, it is a fair representation of most of the christian's I've met so I also have difficulty admitting that as well.

It's not an easy road to be on...being a christian. Everyone who follows Jesus struggles to stay on the path. I bet you did. Were you sincere in your belief of Christianity?