If you are a non-believer in Christ, I assume you know that there are many Christian hypocrites in the Church.
I also assume you know that there are true Christians.
Now, if Christians are called to love people and not judge people, the true Christians would do just that. Not try to convert people, just give advice and love them.
If those Christians love you, why would they lie to you?
If a true Christian loves you, why would they intentionally misguide you?
If a true Christian loves you, why wouldn't they share what God has done in thier lives?
Final question:
Can logic explain love?
How about unconditional love?
Can logic explain the heart?
"Doug, stop throwing Pascal's wager in my face."
I'm not throwing anything, I'm offering what I have. A relationship with God is far better than anything I ever understood before.
What simple, logical thing can cause a person's heart to change?
God is supernatural.
(multiple questions... answer what you wish)
2007-01-23 06:44:34 · 26 answers · asked by Doug 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Well, the "upper hand" over the other religions would probably be:
Jesus dying for the sins of mankind and preventing an eternity of torment...
"Christianity is the best friend of government because Christianity changes the heart."
2007-01-23 06:52:36 · update #1
ANSWERING ALL QUESTIONS: I don't know
2007-01-23 06:48:13 · answer #1 · answered by Andrea 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
My personal beliefs are that there is no god! I believe in evolution. Now I am not here to say you are wrong because religion becomes a core of person (even if I believe it is misdirected). I am saying if people are true christians or believers of any sort, I wish they would all be like you! I am a nonbeliever, but that doesnt mean I think believers are stupid or crazy or wrong. I will sit and have a civilized conversation about it. I DO believe however, that just because you dont believe... that doesnt make you a bad person. I do lots of good, charitable things. I am a good person who cares about the world and all the people in it. I try to make everyones day better through a positive attitude, kindness and thoughtfulness.
Now to the real Q's:
Your logic may make sense to you, but not to me I'm afraid. If people believe something will save thier loved ones, that is enough for them. So if you believe in god, and you want your loved ones to share in that... I see your point. But love is love whether it is misguided or not. If you believe that so strongly, you dont believe that it is misguided, do you? One can love another and want to share all the good things in their life with them, if god is one then fine. If not, then fine too.
Logic cannot explain love. Nothing can explain love. We can go into hormones and receptors, but why does that happen when we are around certain things/ people?
Unconditional love is learned.
Love is the hugest mystery to humans. Trying to explain it is just impossible... all we can do is guess.
Best of luck! And I am sorry about all the rude people on here. Your Q is genuine. They are not.
2007-01-23 07:04:46 · answer #2 · answered by ihavenoidea 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Hey, Doug, can I interest you in becoming a Satan-worshipper? I promise it's really, really great. I wouldn't lie to you, would I?
If a "true" Christian loved me, I don't think he would intentionally misguide me. But I do believe he would unintentionally misguide me, as I believe him to be misguided himself. Furthermore, as I have no way of discerning a "true" Christian from one of the fake ones, I find it reasonable to simply reject all offers. I don't buy into the whole Jesus story anyway - I don't want to worship Jesus any more than you want to worship Ronald McDonald.
This is why the "non-believers," as you call them, are frustrated with and repulsed by Christians. You don't get it. We don't want what you're offering. I'm not sure if you understood that last line, so I'll type it again: We don't want what you're offering. I know you think it's really really great, and you just can't believe nobody wants it, but we don't. Seriously.
2007-01-23 06:57:06 · answer #3 · answered by Lee Harvey Wallbanger 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Being honest is not the same as being correct.
The Egyptians knew Rah existed. They would admittedly and honestly explain the greatness of Rah and why we should worship him.
They would be wrong, wouldn't they?
Just because you believe what you are saying is true, and just because you are being honest about what you believe, does not mean you are correct.
This is a logical fallacy called Appealing to Emotion.
Logic can explain love, so can evolution. Love strengthens communal bonds, and ensures that others will be there to look out for your safety. A community is far more resilient then the individual.
2007-01-23 06:57:21 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Ok kid so they love me. Do they have to stuff their religious down my throat? Your hypocrites don't bother me. They leave me alone and I can understand them being a hypocrite. They want to graze with the crowd usually that's where the best pasture is. Just look out for snakes and everything will be fine. Now your true Christian has a message they have to get out. They think it's their God given duty and right to try and save every one from Hell fire. They keep running around with those sharp hooves. Naturally what can you expect if you are being trampled on. The Snakes are going to take a bite every now and again.
2007-01-23 07:02:37 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Altruism isn't something a religion can teach you, it can teach you how to cultivate it, but you have to WANT to cultivate it to begin with.
Logic explains "love": a mental construct of grasping and attachment to people or objects we believe somehow make us happy, but that usually is only as long as that thing or person is serving our sense of self-cherishment. It's a word empty of inherent existence and a feeling equally empty, (i.e. requiring causes and conditions to arise).
Heart: an organ composed of cells and other structures that is empty of inherent existence, and impermanent, when functioning correctly, it sustains the body, pumping blood.
I don't believe in a "creator god" as you put one forth due to logic and analytical study, however if such a belief works for you, helps you become a more altruistic person and helps you accomplish what you require in life, then I say "GO FOR IT."
The heart is an organ that people attribute, albeit incorrectly, feelings to whereas Buddhism claims that the MIND in conjunction with your BRAIN is what changes. ALL SENTIENT BEINGS WANT NOTHING MORE THAN TO BE HAPPY, if being a believer in this god makes you happy then that is a very good thing.
May all sentient beings find happiness and the cause of happiness and freedom from suffering and the causes of suffering!
Much respect
_()_
2007-01-23 06:54:14 · answer #6 · answered by vinslave 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Your post will fall on deaf ears to athiest and others that follow their own beliefs.
I agree with you but I am just a sinner saved by grace that only comes from Jesus Christ.
As you know "others" are convinced that there is not a God or have their own gods and will not change their mind no matter how much we share the gospel or preach to them. I believe that it pushes them further away from the Truth. I say if you personally know someone that is not a believer then invite them to go to church with you. And always try to lead your life as a Christian example so that "others" might one day want the happiness and joy that you and I experience by being a Christian.
The only thing that will cause a person's heart to change is God. Pray for those that have hardened hearts and you are doing all you can do.
2007-01-23 06:59:21 · answer #7 · answered by saved_by_grace 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
"If those Christians love you, why would they lie to you?"
They don't know they are deceived. They told us god caused lightning once, they were not liars, they were ignorant.
"If a true Christian loves you, why would they intentionally misguide you?"
You will now need to admit 'Christian Science' is not done by 'True Christians'
"If a true Christian loves you, why wouldn't they share what God has done in thier lives?"
This is called the argument from personal experience. Something happened. I don't know why. God must have done it. There must be a god.
That proves it to the person, not to me.
"Can logic explain love?"
What has this got to do with your god? Seriously? Even if you disprove something as controversial as evolution, it won't prove your god by DEFAULT. Yes, god can explain love, but it explains everything and is very general and does a bad job of it. '
"How about unconditional love?"
How about that. As long as we are beating this horse, biology and genetics does a pretty good job of explaining what we call love. Love is needed for the male to stick around (at least for a little while) while offspring are raised.
"A relationship with God is far better than anything I ever understood before."
A relationship with Zeus sounds just as good and is just as possible. Deluded or not.
2007-01-23 06:48:49 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 3⤋
ok from what i`ve seen i tend to think that there are 2 types of christians and gods the true and the fake , what you see nowadays are the fakes filled with greed and hate it`s funny how they tell others about peace and love after they burned down the roman empire,and burned many people alive for witchcraft without hard evidence because they said all this was evil,wasn`t evil to rewrite the whole bible and even after not respecting its story? (but the truth is this was because they couldn`t convert those people to pay for the church) no wonder they hate gay couples(aren`t they a cuple because they love each other even if theyr gay?) , (i`m not gay but yeah love is disgusting) they love only the people who pays them,popes and priests will curse anyone even if the person did harm to you or not for money if you tell them to. And btw about logic everything can be explained even god,the bible and the heart.
2007-01-23 07:15:04 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I understand what you are saying. I don't believe that those who you call true Christians are intentionally misleading anyone. I also see no reason why true Atheists would intentionally mislead anyone.
You ask about love. I could offer that love, what I would define as a non-rational bond between oneself and others, exists in the non-human world as well as the human but I don't think that is your point.
You feel that your love of humanity compels you to bring what you see as your good news (the meaning of gospel) to others. I can accept that. However, my love of humanity compels me in the same way. You bring news of a supernatural god. I bring news of a natural intelligence. You want to lift people up as do I.
2007-01-23 06:48:27 · answer #10 · answered by Dave P 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
A mother will sometimes teach wrong things to their children and overprotect them, causing them troubles in their personality. Why do some mothers do this? Because they love their children. That doesn't mean they are doing the right thing.
Loving someone doesn't mean you are right. Love doesn't make any "magical thinking" to be true. The truth won't change just because "love".
Children who believe in Santa might tell other children about Santa. Are they intentionally lying to them? Nah, but it's still a lie. You might share, with all the love you want, what you think it's to be the truth. That doesn't mean it's the truth and there's no evidence to think it is. Do I have reasons to believe you without solid evidence? Certainly not, I have reasons to doubt all your magical claims. You simply don't know you believe in fairy tales.
One more thing, experience tells me people do stupid things because love.
Bye and good luck,
2007-01-23 06:50:58 · answer #11 · answered by Oedipus Schmoedipus 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋