Key

Member
  • Posts

    1,555
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by Key

  1. On 3/4/2022 at 9:53 PM, Dan56 said:

     

    I'm aware of that, but if you think that passage was describing an erratic episode of Jesus losing his temper over a fig tree not yielding fruit, your not reading with any degree of understanding. You have a habit of mocking what you don't comprehend.

     

     

    No contradiction, everyone has morals to some degree, but believers have a foundation outside of themselves..  Is the death penalty wrong? Is homosexuality right? My answers would be rooted in what I believe, and not necessarily in what I personally think or my own moral standards. You no doubt would agree that murder is wrong, but that morality emanates from within your own judgement or what the government tells you. An atheist  morals are not based on any foundation of truth outside of themselves.

    Dan, when you seriously contemplate it, you are saying your morals' foundation is actually based outside of yourself. You base it on Scripture written by other people that gave basis to an organized religion. Basically, from what someone else told you. No different than how you think atheist find their morals. it seems.

     

  2. 5 hours ago, Dan56 said:

     

    Correct, I never meant to imply that morals were exclusive to a person with beliefs, only that atheist don't have a foundation of which they base their morals on.

     

     

    That was no flaw, but a prophecy. The fig tree is symbolic of Jerusalem.

     

    The time had come for God’s people to yield fruit that would bless the world (Isa. 27:6). Several times the prophets describe God as inspecting Israel for “early figs,” as a sign of spiritual fruitfulness (Mic. 7:1; Jer. 8:13; Hos. 9:10–17), but he finds “no first-ripe fig that my soul desires.” So in two exiles (Assyrian and Babylonian), God pours out the curse of barrenness (Hos. 9:16), and Israel becomes a rotten fig (Jer. 29:17).

     

    After rejecting and killing Messiah, Israel became a withered nation that disappeared. But another prophecy states that after the time of the fulfillment of the gentiles, Israel would be reoccupied at the end times.

     

    That is a glaring contradiction, Dan. If there are morals, there is a foundation. But, again, since you are not anything other than Christian, you simply can not understand their beliefs, or lack, that govern them.

  3. On 3/1/2022 at 11:11 PM, Dan56 said:

     

    So, what does an atheist base their morals on? That was my point, and not that I know what their morals may or may not be. 

     

    I believe Christ was the Truth, because he said so.. An atheist rejects the Truth (Christ).

     

    Christianity has been going strong for 2000 years, it will never die-out. "Heaven (sky) and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away" Luke 21:33).

    You're kidding, right? Knowledge of right and wrong, AKA morals, is not exclusive to what one's belief system is based on.

    Atheist, that I know of, reject Christ only as a deity. They see value in his teachings, but see no proof of his divinity. 

    Jesus did not set out to start a religion. So while His teachings continue, the religion He did not establish may die, even as the religion He did believe in while alive continues, (Judaism).

  4. On 7/18/2021 at 8:54 AM, Dan56 said:

     

     

    Atheist and all can have compassion and moral values, but they are based on nothing but what they think, which means that their morals can fluctuate on a whim. Believers have a solid foundation of unchanging morals based in a Truth that eludes nonbelievers. That's the difference.. It has nothing to do with bigotry, but simple biblical absolutes. 

     

    Your all searching for answers from a fictional Star Trek episode while simultaneously suggesting that Christians are delusional :)

     

     

     

    Its been 2000 years since Christ brought the truth and it hasn't burnt out yet, so I wouldn't hold your breath on it dissipating anytime soon. Consider that if something is actually eternal, its longevity is guaranteed.

     

    The wind has gone out of your sails, but Christianity will never burn out and is going full speed ahead, so your comment is kind of a oxymoron. 

    I happened to be rereading this thread, then a thought occurred to me. You are not an atheist, Dan. You can not know what their values and morals are based on. Nor can you truly state with any fact that those can fluctuate on a whim.

    Then, as a bonus, you believe you have a solid foundation for those because "truth eludes nonbelievers"? Christians do not have the market of truth cornered, I must tell you.

     

    As for the rest, they weren't looking for answers from a fictional Star Trek episode. They were discussing the points of the person who sought to do so in the video by using his own bias.

     

    Btw, thanks to the new Republicans with Trump and evangelist supporters, folks are leaving Christian churches in droves. So, at least as organizational congregations, it is indeed showing sign of dying out.

  5. On 7/25/2021 at 12:20 PM, tkdiv said:

    yes thank you tried all your suggestions the phone number is no person just message service

    and Kevin who has emailed me said they would send it never got it still

    just wandering anyone else have this issue?

    plus another thing.  OHIO sent in to get my minister license and showed my minister certificate and they wouldn't give it to me.  In part what do we need to show them of our ordained status?

    I have never had an issue to date with neither the online store, nor Brother Kevin. 

    As for the Ohio part, every state may have their requirements for license or practice. Many have advised here with similar inquiries to check with county clerks on relevant rules for license. It could be something as simple as a letter of good standing with the church. Have you tried googling for the state's requirements?

  6. On 4/3/2021 at 7:47 PM, StuartJackson said:

    I am  happy to jump in, though I am not certain how active the thread is. I am an Eclectic Pagan, and will proudly call myself a witch. I've said before I can't call myself a wizard, because I can't grow a beard worth a damn, and as to the other term that some use for a male practitioner, I won't use it because of the words definition. Warlock, just to throw it out there, means oath breaker. Yes, there are many branches within Paganism, Asatru, Norse, Egyptian, Hellenic (Greek), Hinduism being polytheistic can sometimes be considered pagan, and so on. Not all will refer to themselves as a witch, many will not, I see it more as an individual choice, really. My connections with Deity are, well, varied, as I am not one who focuses exclusively on a single pantheon as some do. My simple rule is this, if a deity wishes to give me a nudge or a heads up, then my ear, my heart, my door, it is always open. If I need a heads up, bring it, because my job, before any other, is to shut up, listen, and learn. SOrry to ramble, but wanted to just jump in with a thought, even if it's late to the party.

    Not all wizards wear beards. Check out Harry Potter. 😉

    I liked your contribution to the thread, however. Welcome, and please continue to ramble when feel the need to share something we need to learn, or you feel strongly about.

  7. On 3/9/2021 at 10:28 AM, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said:

     

     

    It is the joy of being awake.  Would you rather go back to being asleep?

     

    If the sheep understood their shepherds, they would take their chances with the wolves.

     

    :bye:

    Was already woke. But the levels of absurdity continues to surprise me.

    And I wouldn't be sure of the sheep taking their chances with wolves. as the wolves are merciless. But at least they'd give a good chase. :bye:

  8. 21 hours ago, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said:

     

     

    First off, America is a land of slogans.  Americans think that all we have to do is get a bumper sticker.  The sticker says -- Support our troops.  In America, people think that this is actually doing something -- or giving a crap.  Actually fixing the V.A. would really mean something.

     

    Second, Americans can't tell the difference between words and deeds.  A nation that actually trusted God, would never have -- In God we trust -- as a national motto.  They would be too busy actually living those words.  Not pretending.

     

    It's all part of the same gap between words and deeds.  Like saying how much we value children, then not funding education.  Like respecting our elders, then cutting back on social Security and Medicare.  Like praising valor, then not funding the Veterans Hospitals.

     

    In America, when we say -- I will pray for you -- congratulations.  That is their actual contribution to your problems.  They can not tell the difference between prayer and actually doing something.

     

    Remember:  When all has been said and done, a lot more has been said than done."

     

     

     

    :bad:

     

     

     

    Quite disturbing, yet true. Now I'm depressed for our country.

  9. 31 minutes ago, RevBogovac said:

     

    I find this soo confusing... either Croatia is such a wealthy nation compared to the USA or something else is going on (and I really do not know what), but Croatian war veterans get all kinds of privileges like housing, tax exemptions, pensions that rival medical healthcare specialists salaries et cetera... how come the USA is treating it's veterans so poorly? 

    Sadly, I think because of so many politicians being beholden to big pharma and other corporate lobbyist. The worst side of capitalism.

  10. 7 hours ago, Dan56 said:

     

    Sounds like a very self-centered and selfish way to approach life (me, my, mine, myself and I). There's more to life than pleasing yourself, so its a pretty narrow pursuit. I wouldn't find hedonism to be fulfilling.. jmo

    He didn't indicate he meant solely pleasure on the self, I'm sure. Mindful of others pleasures can allow boundaries that present a more cooperative society.  As conflicts of interest may inevitably arise, ability to compromise to a favorable and pleasurable solution is far more desirable ideal than making war.

  11. On 1/21/2021 at 7:22 AM, gospelgirlone said:

    I meet people now who confirm that working at home is losing its charm now that the novelty has worn off.

    However, it looks to me like the changes are going to become permanent.

    Can we expect to be home-bound for the remainder of our careers? What do we intend to do with all of that sparkling, new office space which is just sitting there empty? And all of the clothing that was part of the "dress for success" movement?

    Humans are social animals. Interaction is a basic need that is met in some form or another. But actual physical contact, or person to person interaction, plays a big psychological part of how we see ourselves and others. I really don't see the "new office space" staying empty for very long.

    Pandemics come and go over the centuries, so nothing is permanent.

  12. On 1/28/2021 at 8:06 AM, RevBogovac said:

     

    Well, I would like the definition of "the pursuit / seeking of pleasure" more. There's a distinction.

     

    And to be honest your addition is not so much an addition in the philosophy itself as much as it is a distinction in how well someone is able to pursue a: "train of thought". If someone is shortsighted then he'd probably just keep on eating - for instance - while if someone actually thinks one step further than he'd probably come to the conclusion that might not be very pleasurable at all.

     

    And if we look at the ancient Greek philosopher there's also Aristotle who proposed the "golden mean" (using more or less the same examples)... but even the ancient Hedonist were well versed in athletics (which they obviously found enjoyable) as well as debating... (although I must admit that the term diabetic is also a Greek one and the affliction was also described in those times...).

     

    I believe (pun intended) that if most people were educated/raised well enough that Hedonism would bring a better world: we'd be pursuing our own happiness but also understand that to be happy we need a healthy body and a healthy environment... 

     

     

    Ah, well, that "pursuit" can be an actual distraction to living life well lived, too. Pursuit can not be universally defined, either.

    What one may seek, may intrude upon another's pursuit of happiness. How to reconcile? Moderation, I think.

    I lean more to what Jonathan said. Living in moderation as outlined in his bullet points.