[Brother Enoch]

Re: Introduction

I don't read either.

You're stating the obvious.

[Absurdist]

Re: Introduction

Ask yourself: would you rather read a bunch of books with made-up characters with non-existent powers, or would you rather read The Word of God© ?

I don't read either.

[Zechariah Smyth]

Re: Introduction

***wizarding nonsense removed*** If only you could use your powers for good instead of evil you could be a powerful wizard, Ezekiel.***wizarding nonsense removed***

Why would Brother Ezekiel want to be a powerful wizard (sic) when he is already guaranteed Eternal Life™?



As for the rest of your wizarding nonsense: J.K. Rowling should be burned at the stake for bringing all of this satanic wizardry nonsense back into vogue. I suppose being on welfare all those years made it easy for the devil to get his hooks into her.

Ask yourself: would you rather read a bunch of books with made-up characters with non-existent powers, or would you rather read The Word of God© ?

I think the answer should be obvious.

YiC,

Z. Smyth

[Absurdist]

Re: Introduction

That's witchcraft right there, so I am sending a very powerful prayer against witchcraft out at you right now n Christ's name. This prayer can shut down witches and satanists forever. Being that this prayer basically shuts down the senders of the hexes and vexes by returning their evil to them sevenfold.

Ah, you figured me out. That counter-curse you sent was pretty powerful!
If I hadn't set up an Infinite Circle of Impasse around myself, with the help of two other warlocks, you could have seriously hurt me.
If only you could use your powers for good instead of evil you could be a powerful wizard, Ezekiel.
Since no harm was done, I see no need to retaliate. A magic battle across such huge distances would only be a waste of energy.

[Pastor Ezekiel]

Re: Introduction

I don't understand your premise here. If one cannot know X, they by definition do not know X and are thus ignorant of X.

That's witchcraft right there, so I am sending a very powerful prayer against witchcraft out at you right now n Christ's name. This prayer can shut down witches and satanists forever. Being that this prayer basically shuts down the senders of the hexes and vexes by returning their evil to them sevenfold.

Father,
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I plead the precious uncorruptable blood of Jesus over myself and my church and everything that belongs to us. I ask for giant warrior Angels to be loosed from Heaven to surround and protect us. As your war club and weapons of war I break down, undamn, and blow up all walls of protection around all witches, warlocks, wizards, satanists, and the like, and I break the power of all curses, hexes, vexes, spells, charms, fetishes, physic prayers, physic thought, all witchcraft, sorcery, magic, voodoo, all mind control, jinxes, potions, bewitchments, death, destruction, sickness, pain, torment, physic power, physic warfare, prayer chains, and everything else being sent my way or my family members way, and I return it and the demons to the senders right now!, SEVENFOLD, and I BIND it to them by the Blood of Jesus!

Father, I pray that these lost souls will find the light of your son Jesus.. Their own snares and traps have been set against themselves.. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth I now loose them from all mindcontrol of satan!.. Father I also ask that you Bind the Holy Spirit to there hearts as a guide to your son Jesus.. So they may be set free from the bondages of satan.

In Jesus name I pray..
Amen

[proteastantguy]

Re: Introduction

Welcome Scott, hopefully your stay will change your point of view somehow. It changed mine.

[True Disciple]

Re: Introduction

No, of course not, True Disciple.
I was just using that example to show that, in my opinion, the world could have been created for any number of reasons and that I don't know which reason is the real one.

I'll try to be clearer, but it was almost midnight when I wrote that and I was falling asleep. Sorry.

Well, that may be your opinion, but the Bible shows us God's opinion. Who do you think knows it better, you or God?

[Absurdist]

Re: Introduction

I understand you less and less with each subsequent post. Are you saying that God created everything solely so that there would be people yapping with one another about God knows what?

No, of course not, True Disciple.
I was just using that example to show that, in my opinion, the world could have been created for any number of reasons and that I don't know which reason is the real one.

I'll try to be clearer, but it was almost midnight when I wrote that and I was falling asleep. Sorry.

[Absurdist]

Re: Introduction

But absurdism has nothing to do with ignorance. It does not postulate that one does not comprehend but rather one cannot and will never know how or why the universe came into existence.

I don't understand your premise here. If one cannot know X, they by definition do not know X and are thus ignorant of X.

Carried to absurdism's extreme conclusion the reason one will never know the how or why is simply because there cannot be a reason for the existence of the universe as far as humans are concerned.

I think that's probably true, in a sense. I find it hard to imagine anything happening for 'no reason' whatsoever because as far as I am aware every effect is preceded by a cause, even if I am not aware of that cause directly. From that I deduce that something 'caused' the universe to come into existence. But even that may not be true because perhaps cause and effect are intrinsic to our universe and do not operate outside it.
And how would we find this initial cause, if it exists? (taking out of consideration books like the bible for the moment) Can we simply look at the universe as it is now and induce backwards toward the beginning of time? Scientific induction can only allow us to determine the initial conditions of the universe, not the cause of those initial conditions nor the cause of the laws which govern how those conditions evolve to the current state we observe. In other words, science can tell us how the universe came into being, but not why.
As for 'reason' in the human sense, (as in, the reason I am inside now is because it's hot outside) I think that is probably not the case as it implies purpose. Water has no purpose when it boils, it simply does so as a result of certain conditions and the laws of physics. The universe could be much the same, created as a result of some particular conditions outside itself. Or it could be that someone or something decided to create the universe from the outside because it could and it seemed like a good idea. We can never know, because our observations are limited to events inside the physical universe.
As far as humans are concerned, I think it somewhat vain to assume that an universe thirty billion lightyears wide and fifteen billion years old, filled with such amazing complexity and majesty, was created only to provide a habitat for the inhabitants of one planet, however unique and remarkable we may be. And if we are not the reason for the universe's existence, then our purpose, our 'meaning of life', becomes whatever we want it to be. We are free to live our lives as we see fit and just feel thankful for the privilege of being alive and sentient so that we can ask the question, "why are we here?" even if we don't get an answer.

If you are going to belong to a religion, i.e. absurdism, at the very least you should understand its tenets.

Absurdism is not a religion. It is an epistemological philosophy. As such I do not belong to it. I understand its tenets quite well but I am not constrained by them. I can modify my own personal beliefs and still say that I believe the absurdist philosophy to be rational. There are no pastors or popes of philosophy to chastise me for what I choose to believe, only other philosophers, and when I meet them they are usually not dogmatic. We discuss each others beliefs and read each others books in order to better understand the viewpoint of others, and ourselves, without the need for absolutes like right and wrong. It is the secular equivalent of your study of the bible.

[Bible Student]

Re: Introduction

Originally Posted by Bible Student
Inanimate objects cannot have a purpose. The universe would have to be pantheistic to have purpose. Pantheism infers godhood. You still remain in your own trap. In order for humans to be the purpose of the universe then the universe must have purposely put them there. That requires cognition. So you are simply replacing God with the word universe, when you really mean God. Again read your 1611 King James Bible to help you with your dilemma.

Here, let me help you. What you mean is that you personally are so ignorant you do not know why the universe exists. And your mind is so closed that nothing will give you the answer. Or it is so open that nothing stays in.

I don't discount pantheism anymore than monotheism or atheism, and in the case of pantheism the words 'Universe' and 'God' are interchangeable.
You're correct, I am ignorant as to why the universe exists. That's exactly my point! It would be conceited of me to suggest otherwise.
My mind is open enough to not be axiomatic about premises beyond my scope of comprehension.

But absurdism has nothing to do with ignorance. It does not postulate that one does not comprehend but rather one cannot and will never know how or why the universe came into existence.

Carried to absurdism's extreme conclusion the reason one will never know the how or why is simply because there cannot be a reason for the existence of the universe as far as humans are concerned. If you are going to belong to a religion, i.e. absurdism, at the very least you should understand its tenets.

[Absurdist]

Re: Introduction

Inanimate objects cannot have a purpose. The universe would have to be pantheistic to have purpose. Pantheism infers godhood. You still remain in your own trap. In order for humans to be the purpose of the universe then the universe must have purposely put them there. That requires cognition. So you are simply replacing God with the word universe, when you really mean God. Again read your 1611 King James Bible to help you with your dilemma.

Here, let me help you. What you mean is that you personally are so ignorant you do not know why the universe exists. And your mind is so closed that nothing will give you the answer. Or it is so open that nothing stays in.

I don't discount pantheism anymore than monotheism or atheism, and in the case of pantheism the words 'Universe' and 'God' are interchangeable.
You're correct, I am ignorant as to why the universe exists. That's exactly my point! It would be conceited of me to suggest otherwise.
My mind is open enough to not be axiomatic about premises beyond my scope of comprehension.

[Bible Student]

Re: Introduction

Originally Posted by Bible Student
It is not similar to agnosticism it is agnosticism. Who or what would give purpose to the universe except a god? In essence you are saying you cannot know exactly who God is. I have a clue for you. Read the 1611 King James Bible.

There are a few key differences.
Firstly agnosticism refers mainly to the existence of a supernatural deity as being unknowable, whereas absurdism deals with the more broad issue of meaning and purpose to existence.
Secondly, an agnostic tacitly accepts the absurd (the fact that humans search for unknowable truths), but an absurdist will nonetheless search for meaning in life while ultimately knowing that the absurd will stop that search from ever being complete.

As for what gives purpose to the universe, could be anything, I don't know. Human life for one is a pretty good purpose. If the universe didn't exist none of us would be around to have stimulating conversations such as these.

Inanimate objects cannot have a purpose. The universe would have to be pantheistic to have purpose. Pantheism infers godhood. You still remain in your own trap. In order for humans to be the purpose of the universe then the universe must have purposely put them there. That requires cognition. So you are simply replacing God with the word universe, when you really mean God. Again read your 1611 King James Bible to help you with your dilemma.

Here, let me help you. What you mean is that you personally are so ignorant you do not know why the universe exists. And your mind is so closed that nothing will give you the answer. Or it is so open that nothing stays in.

[True Disciple]

Re: Introduction

But as we humans are social animals that must cooperate with each other, we intrinsically know what is good and what not.

Please stop spreading your deceptive atheist propaganda here. The Fact is that humans are born evil:

Psalm 58:3:
The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

There are a few key differences.
Firstly agnosticism refers mainly to the existence of a supernatural deity as being unknowable, whereas absurdism deals with the more broad issue of meaning and purpose to existence.
Secondly, an agnostic tacitly accepts the absurd (the fact that humans search for unknowable truths), but an absurdist will nonetheless search for meaning in life while ultimately knowing that the absurd will stop that search from ever being complete.

As for what gives purpose to the universe, could be anything, I don't know. Human life for one is a pretty good purpose. If the universe didn't exist none of us would be around to have stimulating conversations such as these.

I understand you less and less with each subsequent post. Are you saying that God created everything solely so that there would be people yapping with one another about God knows what?

[Fryer Good Shepherd]

Re: Introduction

Did you just call me an animal?

Yep, i did.

acccording to the dictionary an animal is:

any of a kingdom (Animalia) of living things including many-celled organisms and often many of the single-celled ones (as protozoans) that typically differ from plants in having cells without cellulose walls, in lacking chlorophyll and the capacity for photosynthesis, in requiring more complex food materials (as proteins), in being organized to a greater degree of complexity, and in having the capacity for spontaneous movement and rapid motor responses to stimulation

maybe you are not capable of doing these things. Are you a plant or tree maybe?

[Absurdist]

Re: Introduction

It is not similar to agnosticism it is agnosticism. Who or what would give purpose to the universe except a god? In essence you are saying you cannot know exactly who God is. I have a clue for you. Read the 1611 King James Bible.

There are a few key differences.
Firstly agnosticism refers mainly to the existence of a supernatural deity as being unknowable, whereas absurdism deals with the more broad issue of meaning and purpose to existence.
Secondly, an agnostic tacitly accepts the absurd (the fact that humans search for unknowable truths), but an absurdist will nonetheless search for meaning in life while ultimately knowing that the absurd will stop that search from ever being complete.

As for what gives purpose to the universe, could be anything, I don't know. Human life for one is a pretty good purpose. If the universe didn't exist none of us would be around to have stimulating conversations such as these.