lots of people have used the arguement of earth being so perfectly placed for life as proof there is a god... (that's in the evolution-thread in GDF) that it gets very annoying to hear it again... if it wasn't perfectly placed there was no life and on the other planets where there is live, they'll use the same arguement they have here about being placed like that
Originally posted by Chris87
Augustine on the other hand argued that God is truth therfore he is in us , but at the same time is higher then us because of his eternal life. also god is perfect can he not have created himself. And from his thoughts created everything else.
Augustine's distinctive doctrine was that God created all things ex nihilio, out of nothing. This was in contrast to Plato's account of the world which was not "created" but was the Deimurge's combining of the Forms (Which if you're familiar with Plato then you know the argument is heading straight to Metaphysics) and the receptacle, which always existed inderpendently. Augustine also departed from the Neoplatonic theory of Plotinus (btw- I'm going to include him more often in my arguments about creation!) which explain the world as an emanation from God.
Plotinus had said that there was a Natural necessity in God to overflow, since the Good must necessarily diffuse itself. Moreover, this theory held that there is a continuity between God and the world, that the world is a merely an extension of God. Agains't all these notion, Augustine stressed that the world is the product of God's FREE ACT, whereby He/She brings into being, out of nothing, all things that make up the world. All things, then owe their existence to God. There is, however, a sharp distinction between God and the things he/she created.
Whereas Plotinus saw the world as the overflowing and therefore continuation of God, Augustine speask of God as bringing into being what did not exist before. He/she could not have created out of an existing matter because matter, even in primary form, would already be something. To speak of formless matter is really to refer to nothing. Actually, according to Augustine, everything, including matter, is the product of God's creative act. Even if there were some formless matter that was capable of being formed....even this would have it's origin in God and would have to be created by him/her out of nothing. That matter is created by God meant for Augustine that matter is good, because nothing evil is created by God (Yes! that's right! In Augustine is base his philosophy from the New Testament.....that's why he is a Christian Saint Philosopher) The essential goodness of matter was to play an important role in Augustine's theory of morality, for this doctrine was in sharp CONTRAST to the teachings of the Manichaeans, who said that the body was composed of darkness and therefore embodied the priciple of evil.
Chris87, you are far from dumb my friend. You speak your mind instead of living it closed to the world. I applaud you for that.
Noone has deciphered the Bible and its true meaning. You also have to put into play that the Bible has been translated and retranslated into different forms, languages, and versions. Do I think the Bible will solve all of the world's problems, no. However, I take great pleasure in knowing I am here for a reason. God does not "Choose" a path for you, he simply allows you to follow a path of he thinks will help you. I am in charge of my own fate, my own destiny. God helps me and the Bible helps guide me. I think everyone should read the Bible, front to back, at least once in your life. Don't limit yourself to what other people say, just pick it up.
Why do atheists say "God Damnit" when they swear when they obviously don't believe?
Originally posted by Gregory
Well we have to say something, don't we? "God damn it" doesn't really make any sense anyway--how can you damn an inanimate object or a situation?
Why not say Fish Damn it or Jello Damn it instead. Makes more sense for a non-believer. And if I understand atheists right, they believe in things they can see, hear, taste, touch, and smell. Fish and jello would fit nicely.
"This human world of ours would be inconceivable without the practical existence of a religious belief"
Why do atheists say "God Damnit" when they swear when they obviously don't believe?never uses frases like that, aint a part of the Brady Bunch.
I think everyone should read the Bible, front to back, at least once in your life. Don't limit yourself to what other people say, just pick it up.had the bible as a subject in school for 9 years. If i got to choose now I rather read a coock book on seafood and I hate sea food 😘
Originally posted by ETK
Why not say Fish Damn it or Jello Damn it instead. Makes more sense for a non-believer. And if I understand atheists right, they believe in things they can see, hear, taste, touch, and smell. Fish and jello would fit nicely."This human world of ours would be inconceivable without the practical existence of a religious belief"
First of all, atheists don't believe in damnation any more than we believe in God. Second, it would sound stupid. Third, why should we? As I've said, it's a nonesense phrase. Why do we yell "*hit" when the situation clearly has nothing to do with excrement? Nonesense phrase to work off tension. Why do we yell "God damnit" even though we believe in neither god nor damnation? Same reason.
Gregory and finti, you are very passionate on your stances, and for that I am impressed. You make a good case, I shall concede. I just think maybe atheists could come up with a new phrase to say, to seperate them further from God. I mean no ill-will.
Vampires our fiction, yet people still believe in them too.
"God Damn it" Has been around since the Dark Ages(or longer). It's been in use so long, that everyone uses it. I hear Christians say it, and then try to stop themselves short, because it's considered as taking the lord's name in vain, which is against one of the Ten Commandments.
It's society, it has nothing to do with believing or not.
ETK> You suggested everyone should read the Bible.
I did. And man a bunch of sexist, homophobic, paedophilic, incestuous crap. Sure, there are some good things in there – The thesis-antithesis of Jesus and a lot of other things this mythological person allegedly said – But compared to the BAD stuff!
Go here http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/
“Noone has deciphered the Bible and its true meaning.” Maybe we have and can safely conclude it’s so full of contradictions it should be abandoned? Who’re you to claim to know if the Christian bible has or hasn’t been deciphered?
” However, I take great pleasure in knowing I am here for a reason.” Wrong, you don’t KNOW that. You believe it.
Originally posted by Arachnoidfreak
"God Damn it" Has been around since the Dark Ages(or longer). It's been in use so long, that [b]everyone uses it. I hear Christians say it, and then try to stop themselves short, because it's considered as taking the lord's name in vain, which is against one of the Ten Commandments.It's society, it has nothing to do with believing or not. [/B]
👆
Charles Lee Ray yelled "Oh God!!" as a vehement ejaculation when having his arm ripped off - not "Oh Damballa (sp?)!!"
Originally posted by Arachnoidfreak
"God Damn it" Has been around since the Dark Ages(or longer). It's been in use so long, that [b]everyone uses it. I hear Christians say it, and then try to stop themselves short, because it's considered as taking the lord's name in vain, which is against one of the Ten Commandments.It's society, it has nothing to do with believing or not. [/B]
Yeah the dark ages, man I bet you wish you could travel back in time and live then.