What price religion?

[LongShot]

Quote from marketsurfer:

i am curious spect8or--- are you an ex theist or ex christian ?

surfer

i am and have always been a proud atheist thank you :-/

 

[spect8or]

Quote from marketsurfer:

i am curious spect8or--- are you an ex theist or ex christian ?

I'm an ex-Christian. My path was a devout Christian --> agnostic on Christ, faithful to God --> throwing in the towel on the whole fiasco.

 

[ShoeshineBoy]

Quote from stu:

If you do not believe in religion because of fear, threat or superstition you presumably believe in religion because it meets your requirements of rationale, reasonableness, truth, fact, probability based on substantial existing evidence which can be corroborated, not just by the say so of some other believer? Then pray let us know of it. I for one would be most interested and attentive to such information.

I was into the occult before I became a Christian and had some extremely negative spiritual experiences. So on a practical level, that was one of the prime drivers as to why I became a Christian and why I never even think of going to another religion.

For me Christianity was a "breath of fresh air" and like night and day. To this day I will not watch any movie with supernatural overtones. That's why no atheist can convince me that there is no spiritual reality behind various spiritual practices - I've seen it from both sides.

As far as "requirements for reasonableness", I hardly know where to start. If I were to talk about it, I would sound "preachy" and I try to avoid that.

If you're asking me to share a few of the supernatural experiences I've seen as a Christian, I will be glad to do that although I've done that on another thread. But I don't think that's what you're getting at...

 

[ShoeshineBoy]

Quote from spect8or:

But on what basis do you differentiate between your religious experiences and the religious experiences of other religions?

So far you've given me that you believe there's a "spiritual reality" to life. Which I can only read as there being no essential difference between a Christian religious experience and any other religious experience.

What you're accpeting "on faith", it seems, is that while there is no discernible difference between religious experiences, you just believe you're right and everyone else is wrong.

Can you understand why I then term that "irrational"?

And why I then claim that your decision to stick with Christianity is essentially an emotional one?

See above. I can't answer this w/o getting preachy. If you invite me to talk about it, I will, but then don't start blaspheming and spitting blood. Very often when I talk about something personal, you guys go AWOL...

 

[ShoeshineBoy]

Quote from LongShot:

very perceptive of you, nice pick up dude that is what is precisely suggested by her comment :-/

Hey, you guys all think alike. See above...

 

[spect8or]

Quote from ShoeshineBoy:



For me Christianity was a "breath of fresh air" and like night and day.

So you admit that the only reason you stick to Christianity is for the emotional benefits?

I'm curious, would you agree with the statement that there's a fine line (perhaps no line!) between someone who has regular "spiritual experiences" and someone who suffers from mental illness? Don't get offended at this one, just think about it a little.

 

[ShoeshineBoy]

Quote from LongShot:

Thank god you didn't have the koran in your hands :-/

True. But the occult is much more powerful (imo) than the Koran. I wouldn't have been interested in the Koran...

 

[spect8or]

Quote from ShoeshineBoy:

See above. I can't answer this w/o getting preachy. If you invite me to talk about it, I will, but then don't start blaspheming and spitting blood. Very often when I talk about something personal, you guys go AWOL...

I'll read it.

I can't guarantee I won't make any wise cracks should the opportunity present itself D) but I will let you finish your piece. And I'll give you my opinion on it, so I guess you should probably only continue if you're okay with this.

 

[ShoeshineBoy]

Quote from spect8or:

So you admit that the only reason you stick to Christianity is for the emotional benefits?

I'm curious, would you agree with the statement that there's a fine line (perhaps no line!) between someone who has regular "spiritual experiences" and someone who suffers from mental illness? Don't get offended at this one, just think about it a little.

Lol!

Nobody's ever accused me of that one before - I love it!

I might have a touch of Asperger's and a little ADD, but I assure you I'm quite stable.

Some of the miracles that I have seen cannot be explained by "brain stimulation" or "mental illness"...

 

[ShoeshineBoy]

I'm going to have to go in a few minutes, but here's one that I shared on another thread. I went and saw a "no name" evangelist that came in from the third world - not a Benny Hinn televangelist is what I'm getting at.

He asked for people to come down to the front who needed healing. When he laid hands on a kid in a wheel chair, it was like an explosion went off. The kids arms went flying and his whole wheel chair started shaking. I guarantee you that if you saw it, you would not say the kid was "quivering" with excitement...