How To Convert An Atheist To Christianity

[johnsmith]

It's a quasi nature versus nurture coupled with the God given gift of free will.

[silverblk mystix]

It's a quasi nature versus nurture coupled with the God given gift of free will.

I don't think nature/nurture or god has anything to do with this. It is simple programming and blindness if you want to call things by their real names.

[johnsmith]

I don't think nature/nurture or god has anything to do with this. It is simple programming and blindness if you want to call things by their real names.

Sure it does (well, not he god thing)....but you are born strictly with nature and its nurture that teaches you while being raised...that's where you learn all the "labels" as you put it....then once you're a little bit older and you start choosing for yourself how you want to view each one these learned behaviors, that's free will.

That's just my assessment of what you are saying...

I'm not saying I agree with your view, but I just never paid attention to it the first time and you reference it a bunch and I wanted to know what you were talking about.

[silverblk mystix]

Sure it does (well, not he god thing)....but you are born strictly with nature and its nurture that teaches you while being raised...that's where you learn all the "labels" as you put it....then once you're a little bit older and you start choosing for yourself how you want to view each one these learned behaviors, that's free will.

That's just my assessment of what you are saying...

I'm not saying I agree with your view, but I just never paid attention to it the first time and you reference it a bunch and I wanted to know what you were talking about.

Well it goes a little deeper than that - but I tried to condense it....

Here is one more way to look at it - which struck me pretty hard - when I found it - and I could sense the truth in it;


Imagine a young child...and he is given a taste for Heroin - and he is given more and more until he is an addict.
Imagine that his body is now crying out for it and the drug has completely got him addicted and he cannot live without it and he feels as if he would rather die than live without this drug.


Now...

This is exactly what was done to you and me when we were children.

Instead being allowed the simple pleasures of life - play, fun, laughter, etc...

We were given a taste for the drugs called approval, appreciation, attention, success, making it to the top,prestige, getting your name in the paper,power, being the boss - on & on & on.

Once we tasted these drugs - we began to dread losing them. Remember the horror at the prospect of failure? Of losing? Of not "achieving?"
We feared making mistakes,being criticized or not being accepted by others. So we became dependent on others and lost our freedom. When others rejected you - you crawled back and played by their rules to be accepted again. Which child did not experience some of this?

This addiction caused you to see people in terms of what they could do for your addiction or if they couldn't help you - you discarded them quickly.

There was a list of things that you were told you could not live without - things that you HAD to have to be happy. Money, power, success, a beautiful partner, great career, god, whatever....what is on your particular list?


Is there someone of whom this cannot be said - in any number of similar or different combinations?


Kind of what I had been referring to - and probably what you said you read before. It is always the same themes. Different ways of arriving but it is always the same themes when it comes to spirituality....


Guess it is just a thing with me...some people are into sports, some gaming, some politics, law,


Mine just happens to be reality/spirituality/freedom/ de-programming....

[Blake]

Guess it is just a thing with me...some people are into sports, some gaming, some politics, law,


Mine just happens to be reality/spirituality/freedom/ de-programming....

You have done exactly zero real world studies on how the brain works.

but yeah, you're pretty good at making up.

[silverblk mystix]

You have done exactly zero real world studies on how the brain works.

but yeah, you're pretty good at making up.

You would be absolutely wrong on that - but what else is new?

You have always been wrong.

When I have more time I will de-construct it step by step for you and you -still won't get it.

[Blake]

You would be absolutely wrong on that - but what else is new?

You have always been wrong.

Let's discuss why you're a liar here.

Have you always been a liar?

Did you have to lie to survive at some point in your life?

Feel free to share why you're a liar, liar.

[RandomGuy]

??I don't subscribe to that idea of "god" either fwiw. ^

Circular reasoning, false equivalence and/or strawmen logical fallacies, and a general lack of understanding of logic.

Not sure how I can really address all that.

Let's go back and start basics, and build from there. Set "god" aside for now.

Is the truth of something dependent on whether or not I believe it? i.e. is it possible to determine, to a reasonable degree, truth and reality?

We need to agree on some fundamental principles here. A simple yes or no. I would say yes, it is possible.

[RandomGuy]

As you do nothing here but follow us around, hahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trust me amigo nobody here is thinking...boy that Blake sure is smart......hahahahha!

You're a joke little man and we all see it.

I got a challenge for ya got, ignore us.

You didn't really respond to me.

Sorry if I wasn't calling you names or anything, I can do so if you want.

Is belief in God rational?

I would say it is not.