If he did, nobody wouldn't have to have any faith as the issue simply wouldn't be about faith and religion anymore.

And anyway, what the hell would he say to us? — ssu

Look at our eco system and what god would say to us becomes a lot easier to see.

As to faith. What good is faith, and are you aware that our definition today bears almost no resemblance to what the word faith originally meant?

I do not mind the old definition but wrote this for todays definition.

Faith closes the mind. It is pure idol worship.

Faith is a way to quit using, "God given" power of Reason and Logic, and cause the faithful to embrace doctrines that moral people reject.

The God of the OT says, “Come now, and let us reason together,” [Isaiah 1:18]

How can literalists reason on God when they must ignore reason and logic and discard them when turning into literalist?

Those who are literalists can only reply somewhat in the fashion that Martin Luther did.
“Faith must trample under foot all reason, sense, and understanding.”
“Reason is a whore, the greatest enemy that faith has.”

This attitude effectively kills all worthy communication that non-theists can have with theist. Faith closes the believers mind as it is pure idol worship.

Literalism is an evil practice that hides the true messages of myths. We cannot show our faith based friends that they are wrong through their faith colored glasses. Their faith also plugs their ears.

Regards
DL

Are we tired of this yet? Mods? How is this guy not in violation of the rules here, he isnt allowed to just preach and deride people with zero substance is he?
This is only the latest thread where he pretends to have a premiss, always some regurgitated attack on religion, and then just ignores everyone and spouts off the same fucking thing over and over that he’s been saying in his previous thread.
Isnt that against the proselytise rules?

You seem to be confusing psychpathology with philosophy. The first deals with delusions and obsessions, like grandiose claims of apotheosis, or 'standing up for goodness'which can manifest in preaching and trolling. The second deals with epistemological and ontological issues which religions tend to subsume under their particular absolutist version of 'truth' thereby proscribing them from credible participation in the domain of philosophical debate.

I won't be assisting your self reinforcement exercises further.

Philosophy and theology, to me, are the same.
Both seek to find the best rules and laws to live by.
They are both ideologies or thinking systems and to me, feed off of each other.

If you are not esoteric ecumenist and naturalist enough to not care where you find the best rules and laws to live by then you have an inferior mind.

Regards
DL

Of course, the mythical, biblical 'God' idea is doomed, and is heading toward dead. 'God' has no character and so it is a rather sad situation, for to accept is to approve.

PoeticUniverse — PoeticUniverse

Indeed.

Thanks for this.

Do what you can to make it sooner as they are still hurting many.

Regards
DL

Do what you can to make it sooner as they are still hurting many. — Gnostic Christian Bishop

Yes, I do, but some are so taken by the idea that I'll have to wait for them to die. The younger generation seems more amenable to change.

The Great Flood is particularly ugly.

You love their genocidal son murdering god and how Christianity is homophobic and misogynous and do a lot of harm. OK. I get it you immoral piece of human garbage.

Regards
DL — Gnostic Christian Bishop

:lol:

I'm not exactly a fan of Christianity, but you take the biscuit. Your title questions are purely hypothetical, rendering the discussion of little significance.

How many angels can dance on the head of a pin? (Angels don't exist!).

How many angels can dance on the head of a pin? — S

But pinheads do!! :wink:

Best to ask a modern Gnostic Christians what his beliefs are because Gnostic Christianity is a perpetual seeking religion that has evolved along with man's moral thinking. — Gnostic Christian Bishop

Dang...I thought the entire gnostic religion was playing off sarcasm...kind of like certain versions of satanism. And it made perfect sense as sarcasm...now I don't think I get it.

In the past, I would have seen a comment like the following as having missed the point:

Before anyone can make these claims, they must prove the existence of these gods. — Sir2u

I would have said, no actually the gnostic is atheist, hence the sarcastic "is god a coward?"

The original gnostics had like a good and bad god (I think demiurge was the bad one?) or something right?

So what do you actually believe - in the very basic sense - god or no? - if yes, what powers does your god have? Are there more than 1 gods?

After god created us he fled in horror like Victor Frankenstein

After god created us he fled in horror like Victor Frankenstein — Evil

hahaha, seems plausible

TO ALL
Having trolled this forum and getting the inevitable heckling, the 'Bishop' is now trolling Able2Know as the pompous 'Greatest I Am', preaching exactly the same parasitic drivel. As with all trolls, his infantile attention seeking needs the oxygen of responses irrespective of whether they are positive or negative.

Unfortunately, the 'Bishop', who admits elsewhere to being a 'business dropout' has scratched around looking for an attractive esoteric cult to give 'meaning' to his existence. It's a pity he has not heeded Gurdjieff (one of the mystics he encountered) who pointed out that attempts to convert others would fall on deaf ears !

Fear is a component or analogous to insecurity. Have you read the Ten Commandments.
Did you note the insecurity/fear? — Gnostic Christian Bishop

I can imagine interpreting some of the commandments that way. But I see nothing there that demonstrates that God is hiding, even if it were the only possible interpretation that the commandments show insecurity. It seems to me you are making an assumption. Let's say you are correct: the ten commandments show that God has insecurity, you are still making an assumption that God is not showing himself to us becuase of that. Like if you had a fear of flying it means that you are not married because you are afraid of women. And that's accepting that the 10 commandments show and insecure God...there's still a leap.

If god could reproduce true or some other way, I cannot see him, as a member of one species, using bestiality to reproduce. Especially given that the last time the sons of god used the earth as a brothel, god got quite upset and used genocide against his own grandchildren. — Gnostic Christian Bishop

Well, you've added a lot of interpretations to various parts of the phenomenon in question. It all seems very speculative to me. But I believe you when you say that you 'cannot see him' doing it differently. That this is your take on what must be the case. I don't think it's a grounded take, however.

They offer a set of practices, ones that often lead to experiences that practitioners consider to be of God.
— Coben

Sure. Such are common, but what they are finding is not a genocidal and infanticidal god. No one in their right mind would seek such a prick of a god.
I think I just said something about Christians and Muslims here. — Gnostic Christian Bishop

OK, you just shifted topic. I was referring to you saying they offered nothing to confirm that reality. I mentioned practices as a way people can confirm, potentially, that reality. IOW people follow the practices and decide that it has been confirmed. Here you are talking about your dislike of Yahweh, which is another subject. I don't disagree with you on that one, but it's a different issue.

Yes, and was rewarded with my apotheosis. — Gnostic Christian Bishop

You tried Christian practices and experienced elevation to divine status?

If so, how is the supernatural realm accessed?

You might have forgotten that The Abrahamic god has historically been said from the start to be unknowable, unfathomable and works in mysterious ways.

That is what preachers begin with, then tell us all the know of the unknowable and fathom of the unfathomable. What could their words be but lies? — Gnostic Christian Bishop

I don't think 'that's what preachers begin with'. For example many begin with the divinity of Jesus. Further every preacher or Christian I have ever encountered believes that certain things about God are knowable and this is a working assumption in the Scriptures which purport to give information about that God. That God goes beyond that knowledge, that humans cannot know God completely, that God cannot be fully grasped, sure, that idea generally comes up or is implicit. But the OT begins by giving us information about God's actions and even his own reaction to what he created. It is clear that some things can be known about God in the Chrisitan belief system. You mentioned the 10 commandments, this is one amongst hundreds of chunks of information give about God.

Again, to say people are lying, is to assume 1) they are saying things that are untrue and 2) they know this and are choosing to say things they think are false.

I think it would show an incredibly poor read of other people to think all preachers are lying or even most.

It seems like people find use in their experiences and appreciate them.
— Coben

Indeed. as shown with inquisitions and jihads. — Gnostic Christian Bishop

This response would make sense if the issue had been 'is their belief good?' or 'does their belief lead to only positive things or mostly positive things.' It makes no sense in context.

Cowardly, silent absentee gods are not worthy gods. They are useless to us. — Gnostic Christian Bishop

This is what I was responding to. You used the word 'us'. This means the God there in the Bible, that idea of God, is of no use to anyone. Here in context us talking about what people can or cannot confirm for themselves via practices and what experiences these might lead to.

I can agree with the horrors that certain religious beliefs can lead to. And still disagree with the other point. IOW you jumped to another issue.

I didn't find your responses to be respectful to my points. You seem to have an ax to grind. Fine, I likely share many of your cricitisms of the Abrahamic religions.

But this is a philosophy forum, not a place to pass off propaganda as reasoning.

I'll leave you to others.

The younger generation seems more amenable to change. — PoeticUniverse

Yes. The education system is at least getting that part right.
Our children are not nearly the racists or bigots of past generations.

Regards
DL

Dang...I thought the entire gnostic religion was playing off sarcasm... — ZhouBoTong

Try reality and Gnosis and what can be known. Somewhat like Buddhism and other religions that put man above god thanks to knowing that all gods are man made.

gnostic is atheist, — ZhouBoTong

Gnosis, Gnostic, root word for agnostic.

Need I say more?

The original gnostics had like a good and bad god (I think demiurge was the bad one?) or something right? — ZhouBoTong

The demiurge is Yahweh, Allah and all supernatural gods, basically.

Those are a part of how we wrote our myths.
We do not read our myths literally.
That is the great lie that people cannot get past because they see the Christian part of our label and thing we believe in the supernatural like the less intelligent literalists of Christianity do.

I hope you can see how intelligent the ancients were as compared to the mental trash that modern preachers and theists are using with the literal reading of myths.

https://bigthink.com/videos/what-is-god-2-2

Further.
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/03132009/watch.html

Rabbi Hillel, the older contemporary of Jesus, said that when asked to sum up the whole of Jewish teaching, while he stood on one leg, said, "The Golden Rule. That which is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the Torah. And everything else is only commentary. Now, go and study it."
Please listen as to what is said about the literal reading of myths.

"Origen, the great second or third century Greek commentator on the Bible said that it is absolutely impossible to take these texts literally. You simply cannot do so. And he said, "God has put these sort of conundrums and paradoxes in so that we are forced to seek a deeper meaning."

Matt 7;12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

This is how early Gnostic Christians view the transition from reading myths properly to destructive literal reading and idol worship.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR02ciandvg&feature=BFa&list=PLCBF574D

Regards
DL

So what do you actually believe - in the very basic sense - god or no? - if yes, what powers does your god have? Are there more than 1 gods? — ZhouBoTong

Man is god and we are legion.

The gods or ideal for every species is one of their own. This is irrefutable.

Regards
DL

Unfortunately, the 'Bishop', who admits elsewhere to being a 'business dropout' — fresco

You are as lying piece of human garbage.
Get the quote ass hole or be seen for the liar you are.

Regards
DL

P.S. If you are going to be one of my groupies, I have a list of where I post if you want to really keep tracking me with your great interest.

Gnosis, Gnostic, root word for agnostic.

Need I say more? — Gnostic Christian Bishop

Gnostic is to agnostic as theism is to atheism. :brow:

But I see nothing there that demonstrates that God is hiding, — Coben

Then look at the rest of reality. If not here, he is hiding.

making an assumption. — Coben

An educated guess that I can form arguments for. Quite the difference.

And that's accepting that the 10 commandments show and insecure God...there's still a leap. — Coben

Yes, but if you wish to argue for your view and not just my methods, go ahead. Kill the messahe and not the messenger.

Well, you've added a lot of interpretations — Coben

No I have not. It is the literal view of the scriptures.

You tried Christian practices and experienced elevation to divine status? — Coben

Not a Christian practice. A Gnostic Christian practice. Christianity took god out of man and put him in the sky somewhere. We know that god is within man.

I don't think 'that's what preachers begin with'. — Coben

Not todays preachers until someone stumps them with a question and that is when they hide behind their unknowable label. In the past, preachers were more honest. Now they are just all liars and con men.

I think it would show an incredibly poor read of other people to think all preachers are lying or even most. — Coben

Yet the sages say the when looking at anything, we should not be for or against as that gives us an unbiased beginning point.

Regards
DL

Gnostic is to agnostic as theism is to atheism. :brow: — S

Too illiterate for me to bother responding to.

You are trying to impress yourself as you have sure failed to impress me.

Regards
DL

Too illiterate for me to bother responding to. — Gnostic Christian Bishop

Haha! Illiterate? Ironically, it's a statement phrased in the style you'd expect to find in early learning literature.

A is for apple as B is for...?

That is not what I do you lying piece of human garbage.

For evil to grow, all good people need do is nothing.

I do as much as I can against the evil mainstream religions on that front and only bring Gnostic Christianity in on occasion — Gnostic Christian Bishop

Do you though? Do you really think posting on this forum is going to do anything to dent the mainstream religions? You should start a petition or a march something if you really care instead of wasting your time here and other forums. If you have a question or critique of religion making it as general as “god is a coward” is hardly going to make for fruitful conversation

My apologies...I took you for your one 'follower' from another trolling ground of yours, A2K.

A list of your infestations would be quite useful to give others an idea of the extent of your obsession.

A is for apple as B is for...? — S

S is for stupid.

Regards
DL

is hardly going to make for fruitful conversation — khaled

Against the obtuse and belligerent believers, you are generally correct as few are ready for enlightenment.

I am always happy to learn.
Show us one of these fruitful conversations that you or someone else started that paid off and cause a theist to agree against his original belief.

You must have had one in mind when you wrote what you did.

Regards
DL

Show us one of these fruitful conversations that you or someone else started that paid off and cause a theist to agree against his original belief. — Gnostic Christian Bishop

When did I ever say it’s easy to literally change someone’s religious beliefs by talking to them as some random stranger on the internet. Most discussions about religion here tend to be analyzing “proofs” for god’s existence or asking for clarification on specific arguments, etc. “God is a coward” doesn’t help anyone which is why no one has engaged with you seriously. How would you reply to an OP that starts with something vague like “why is god so gay?” Or “I like god do you guys agree?”. All you’ve been doing in this post is say “I agree” to people that copy pasted a line from the OP or say “die you piece of human filth” for anyone trying to point out the futility of what you’re doing

Again, as I said, do something in real life if you really care. Start a petition or a march or something. Try for office somewhere. Do you really think your posts have ANY effect on the typical theists? And even if you convert one or two how does that curb the terrible evil of mainstream religion which you’ve stated was your goal? The fact that you’re making posts like this despite knowing they’re useless while feigning that you care about “the atrocities of mainstream religion” tells me you don’t actually want to make an impact and just want attention.

Thanks for this.

Regards
DL

aving trolled this forum and getting the inevitable heckling, the 'Bishop' is now trolling Able2Know as the pompous 'Greatest I Am', preaching exactly the same parasitic drivel. — fresco

He hasn't only trolled that site. I googled his last topic: "Do logic and reason say that God is our servant?" (verbatim search). I found like twenty websites with the very same topic.

I am always happy to learn. — Gnostic Christian Bishop

Then why haven't you learnt that no one cares about your stupid religious cult nonsense?