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Philosophers Stone

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 12 (view)

Masturbation to thoughts of you Posted: 5/25/2007 8:36:48 AM
If I was NOT in a relationship and she said something like that. First, I'd be flattered, and second I would very quickly consider a relationship with her. Not the kind of thing people usually talk about, but yeah, I would definitely be more flattered than offended.

Philosophers Stone

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 54 (view)

How did you choose your religion? Posted: 5/22/2007 5:30:28 PM
I was raised protestant. It never seemed quite right to me and I was always questioning things, but since I was born and raised in the bible belt before the advent of the internet, I had absolutely zero exposure to anything BUT Christianity. When I went to college I met my first atheist. Thats right, I had never MET an atheist before I went to college. That got me to thinking. Eventually I embraced atheism and tried to convert others to it. I was actually pretty good at it to, which was a shame. I found that many people resented the loss of their faith. That calmed me down a bit. Now I am agnostic with atheistic leanings. I find it likely that there is no higher sentient power, but I would not bet on those odds. I currently preach tolerance and acceptance of others as they are. My enemies are bigotry and closed minded indoctrination regardless of the extreme. I know this is the opposite direction you are looking to go but, you asked so there it is.

Philosophers Stone

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 24 (view)

Fear of God Posted: 5/18/2007 6:18:59 PM
hey skypoetone, i gave up on the forums for a while... switched to poetry. but i think that the fear of God is best described by Jesus when he tells the disciples to not fear man who can only kill the body and after that can do no more but our creator can put both body and soul in hell. sooooo, Fear of God seems more like a good reason to seek Gods truth instead of mans truth... in another place Jesus says that the pharisees teach the fear of god through commandments of men by continueous training. sooooo, what is the fear of God? I think it is remembering that truth belongs to God and not man... hey! here come da judge... believe in the one God skypoetone! happy foruming I had to check your profile to see if you were being sarcastic. The whole God Fearing thing and the horrific things that the bible says he does to people were what started me questioning the Bible as a kid. God is the world's biggest terrorist based on what the Bible says. Osama only wishes he was able to slaughter all first born children in a nation save for his faithful or cause the entire world to flood.

Philosophers Stone

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 76 (view)

Male Virgins? Do they exist? Posted: 5/18/2007 4:11:48 PM
Most virgins I know are not Christian and have no interest in becoming so. Most "loose" individuals I know ARE Christian. Your mileage may vary, but based on my experience, if you are looking for a Christian virgin who is willing to wait... good luck.

Philosophers Stone

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 6 (view)

UFO-Men in Black Phenomena .. Posted: 5/18/2007 3:58:38 PM
Sounds like interesting fiction. Honestly, a few minor quirks would be more believable than some of the more blatant behavioral oddities described. My guess is a combination of delusion, hearsay, and speculation, with a bit of fiction and urban legend thrown in for good measure. Just seems too farfetched for it to contain any significant degree of reality. There are probably just as many people who believe that they have personally witnessed a miracle, if not more.

Philosophers Stone

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 11 (view)

how religious in your state? Posted: 5/17/2007 6:10:38 PM
Texas... the buckle of the bible belt. Protestants and Catholics of every variety and in large quantities.

Philosophers Stone

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 23 (view)

Would long distance really hold you back? Posted: 5/16/2007 6:15:02 PM
He gave it a shot, it didn't work, he didn't want to lose a friend over it. Seems pretty clear cut to me. I tried a long distance relationship once. Instead of being a fulfilling companionship it was just emotionally draining and frustrating. Long distance is just not worth it. If they don't live close enough that I could feel comfortable driving that far at least once every week or two... well it just won't work out.

Philosophers Stone

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 3 (view)

Confusion Posted: 5/16/2007 6:03:54 PM
Sounds like he is just a flirt. He may still have feelings for you, or he may have just changed his focus in attentions. It is hard to say since I don't know the guy beyond a handful of sentences. My suggestion... corner him. Get him when his friends are around and possibly the young girl he is flirting with and ask him point blank. It sounds like you have given him opportunities to discuss this in private, just make it so he either has to make you publicly his girlfriend or dump you. Yeah it sucks but honestly... do you WANT to be in a relationship with someone who is going to treat you this way? If it were me, I wouldn't be sure I could trust them not to cheat on me for a very long time if this kind of stuff was going on. Just my 2 cents.

Philosophers Stone

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 2 (view)

A Question for the Fellas Posted: 5/16/2007 5:00:46 PM
If we are talking about purely physical attractiveness, I find some African American women to be attractive, but I have to admit that it is less common than with most other races. That said I think how a woman carries herself, her attitude, and her behavior are much bigger factors than race when determining how attracted I am to them.

Philosophers Stone

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 41 (view)

When a guy wants to get together right away? Posted: 5/16/2007 4:39:33 PM
In my experience, some girls will just quit messaging you if you do not propose a date within 3 emails or so.. Others take their time. He might just be trying to avoid being ignored or not taken seriously by you. If he is insistent, then worry a bit, but if he just asked once, let him know your feelings on the matter and gauge his response. Note: if you do this please understand that for a lot of guys this puts the expectation on you to let him know when you ARE ready to meet. Don't be sitting there emailing away wishing he would ask you out when you have already told him to be patient once.

Philosophers Stone

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 2 (view)

Circumcellions. Posted: 5/15/2007 6:43:27 PM
Heh, I'm amused. Someone really should have told them the definition of the word martyr, not that they would have listened or believed them... but you know, its the thought that counts.

Philosophers Stone

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 22 (view)

Which do you prefer? Posted: 5/15/2007 3:33:41 PM
Intellect girl. Could you introduce me to her? ;-)

Philosophers Stone

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 71 (view)

What were your S.A.T. scores? Posted: 5/14/2007 6:02:23 PM
xvr145 It is a volunteer survey, it is not an accurate representation of what everyone on POF would even admit to their SATs scores being, it is just a representation of what some people on here are willing to divulge given that they knew what this thread was about before even clicking on it, much less answering. Furthermore I do not feel the need to prove anything or provide pointless information in a misguided attempt to sound more "credible". Why do you assume that just because NMS is not mentioned, that nobody knew about it? I am not sure what you were trying to prove but most of the people with high scores seem to be indicating that they believe them to ultimately be meaningless. Your attack and cynicism are completely unwarranted. dianoor By the sounds of it, you are still in college. College is not the real world. While you are in college everyone seems to think that GPA and achievement are important. There are people who intentionally go out of their way to work hard on extracurricular activities to make them more impressive to employers and they are serious about it. When you get to the real world these things don't matter. The degree does, but that is about it. Now if you want to get into grad school, then your GPA matters, but you are still in Collegeland where artificial achievements reign supreme. Once again back in the real world, if you have a bachelor's in computer science and no experience, good luck finding a job. You might get lucky but I know several CS majors who focused on GPA and passed up valuable internships that are now... unemployed or working retail. I cannot stress enough... Take every opportunity you can to get real work experience. Just something you can put on your resume that they will actually care about. If it means your grades slide, no big deal, as long as you pass, but GET EXPERIENCE WHENEVER POSSIBLE! That is all.

Philosophers Stone

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 28 (view)

What were your S.A.T. scores? Posted: 5/11/2007 4:01:46 PM
If I remember correctly my SAT score was around 1420 (on the old 1600 point scale) I'm pretty sure my scores favored the math portion over the English portion, but I can't remember for sure or by how much. My GPA in HS was something absurd like 4.89 or something. My high school gave a bonus for certain classes and I was extremely ambitious then. My GPA in College ended up around 3.5 if I remember correctly. I really just didn't care as much about my grades by that point because my degree was a hobby, not a career. My career is Information Technology, my degree was in Psychology. As for your college GPA indicating intelligence, or much of anything really, that is a load of bull. Even if you assumed all professors in all colleges were equally difficult, which is absurd, certain majors are without a doubt more difficult than others. If I had cared enough I could easily have gotten a 4.0 for all my psychology classes, but the Electrical engineering, Calculus, and computer science courses I took still gave me trouble when I did my level best. If you want a good indicator of someone's intellect and personality, then get to know them, it should be pretty apparent within a meeting or two what kind of person they really are.

Philosophers Stone

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 30 (view)

Are men intrigued or intimidated when a woman makes more $ then they do.? Posted: 5/11/2007 3:45:50 PM
Not to say I make a lot, just that it would give me more respect for her than if she was making very little, it means she is intelligent and self confident enough to succeed and that is more attractive to me than anything else really. Please don't tell me that NOW in order for women to be intelligent and confident it's reliant on the $$$ she makes? (or doesn't make....) I make very little (at the moment)....but....I'm confident and intelligent...(and now my arm hurts....but that pat on my back sure felt good!) I only stated that making good money was a sign of success, intelligence, and self confidence, not that it was the ONLY sign. Money is just an indicator of something good, but there are other indicators. If I get the impression that a woman is intelligent and self confident, I don't care if she is struggling financially, as long as she isn't getting into the relationship specifically to save money on a few meals. Money is just not that big a deal to me.

Philosophers Stone

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 29 (view)

Regarding Hatred. Posted: 5/11/2007 3:30:54 PM
A release from one's emotions. Rather than be trapped by the hatred I feel for someone, I release it and not allow it to consume me. Hmm, I guess if that works for you... For me, the more I dwell on something the more it stirs me up. If I can just get one good rant in and forget about it, it goes away pretty quick. I don't really feel the need to indulge in hatred or vengeance. I just go about my business and let it slide. Eventually I forget about it. Generally in a matter of hours.

Philosophers Stone

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 22 (view)

Are men intrigued or intimidated when a woman makes more $ then they do.? Posted: 5/10/2007 6:57:14 PM
Honestly, I think I would be a little intimidated at first if we were doing a bunch of things I could not afford on her dime. After a while I would get used to it, but I would be afraid I was taking advantage of it. In fact if a woman is making more than I am, it would impress me. Not to say I make a lot, just that it would give me more respect for her than if she was making very little, it means she is intelligent and self confident enough to succeed and that is more attractive to me than anything else really.

Philosophers Stone

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 18 (view)

Regarding Hatred. Posted: 5/10/2007 6:03:50 PM
The problem with hate is that it is generally poorly directed. Hate is often applied to large sections of the population without regard for individual differences or even individuals at all. Someone who hates Japanese people for instance would automatically discredit or even attempt to commit harm on one who has done nothing wrong or crossed them in any way. This is not a healthy way to live as it causes unnecessary conflict and destroys productive opportunities. Hate when directed at a specific person can cause you to say or do things that cast you in a bad light. People don't like negative people unless they share the same negativity toward something. If you hated a co-worker for instance and talked bad behind his back repeatedly, your other co-workers would probably like you a lot less and wonder what you are saying about THEM unless they agreed with your sentiments. In a modern society there is very little productive use of hatred and if you can diffuse your own hatred, you will probably be MORE productive and happy.

quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 13 (view)

Openly racist??? Posted: 6/19/2006 3:07:31 AM
hate... people throw this word around too easily for my tastes. I personally feel more sorry for people who have so much hate in them. Even just simple racism (ie the distrust and avoidance type rather than the kkk variety) never really made much sense to me. Violent racism, even less so. Now if she is looking for an aryan man because that happens to be the physical ideal she wants then more power to her. Everyone has preferences. I know I do, but in the end I am fairly open about the whole appearance thing. If she is looking for an aryan man because she sincerely believes that they are better in some less tangible way... well I just pity her. People who lack in critical thinking skills so badly that they let themselves think that way are .... sad. I can only hope that she is just poor at expessing an appearance and that is all there is to it.

quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 23 (view)

Different types of religion, how many are there? What are they? Posted: 6/12/2006 4:46:40 PM
No religion and athiests are really the same thing. I disagree. Atheists are a subset of those who have no religion but not everyone who has no religion is an atheist. The distinction between atheist and agnostic for instance, while minor, is still there. There is no atheistic equivalent of a theistic agnotic just as there is no agnostic equivalent of a hard atheist. A minor point to be sure, but one I felt needed to be made.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 57 (view)

What would GOD say.. Posted: 6/11/2006 1:45:32 AM
"Surprise! Sooooo I gather you have some questions for me."

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 2 (view)

Are we God? Posted: 6/11/2006 1:31:24 AM
My take on that quote is that it needs some serious context to get anything meaningful out of it. For one thing, who "them" is would need to be addressed. Also the verbiage is very... difficult to read. Part of me almost wonders if this were an example of sarcasm or insult rather than strict dogma. I'm feeling too lazy to go look up the context right now so I will leave that to those better 'versed' in these things.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 14 (view)

Different types of religion, how many are there? What are they? Posted: 6/11/2006 1:25:15 AM
If you take two random people who profess to be of the same religion, I would bet quite a bit that there are many points about said religion that those two individuals would disagree strongly on. Faith is a personal thing and as such, it is largely unique to the person. I personally am a devout agnostic. It is my position that faith is a hinderance to my progress as a human being and I avoid it in all of its forms. Yes I do still take some things on faith, such as the idea that I am who I think I am and I have lived the life I think I have lived. I have no scientific proof of that but I accept it as truth. I do not however feel that my path is the path that all should follow. For many religion is greatly needed in their lives and without it they would suffer more than with it. Whether the reasons for this are spiritual or just similar to needing a security blanket is something I could only speculate on. I have studied many religions in my time and have a little knowledge about a lot of them, but only a lot of knowledge of a very select few that tend to recur in conversations with the followers. Taoism is more of a philosophy than a religion, but it is a philosophy that some people have adapted to religious rituals and structure. I used to consider myself pretty close to Taoist at one point. I wouldn't say I really grew out of it, just away. I have a lot of respect for the Taoist way of life and I will always carry a part of that in me. I have gone on a bit longer than intended but I hope this is along the lines of what you were looking for in the OP.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 15 (view)

the 10 commandments....complete bull. Posted: 6/11/2006 12:40:16 AM
Honour thy Son and thy Daughter and thy Brother and thy Sister Mother and Father are not enough. How about just 'respect one another'. I think that about sums it up.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 25 (view)

Without a separate observer, what can truly be said to exist? Posted: 6/10/2006 3:36:57 AM
OP: What makes you think, in the first place, that you are not the entirety of the universe, and that discrete notions such as God, self, time and so on aren't just the riddle you left yourself to answer so you would have something to do? Precisely my thoughts on the matter. Descartes' I think therefore I am thing was so loaded with logical fallacies that is practically meaningless as a philosophical example. For that matter existentialism has always struck me as the pursuit of logic from the premise that everything, including logic must be deduced logically. You will result in one of three things: Making assumptions that break the logical sequence, running around in logical circles, or not going anywhere with it at all. To date I have never seen a productive attempt at existentialism free from logical fallacies. I wish you all luck however.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 10 (view)

Does it matter if we perceive free will or destiny? Posted: 6/10/2006 2:55:00 AM
(If God's plans and purposes must wait until our free decisions are materialized before he can know what they are and take them into account, then he loses all three attributes in one fell swoop.) Ahh but what if he is not forced to but simply chooses to wait? Perhaps God, wanting to play a game, finds that it is difficult to enjoy a game if he knows the outcome beforehand and therefore ignores the knowledge he could obtain through omniscience by using his omnipotence and thereby exercising his sovereignty.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 12 (view)

the 10 commandments....complete bull. Posted: 6/10/2006 2:49:00 AM
I do find it amusing when people point to the ten commandments saying 'hey look. You agree with this stuff right, most religions do... That means we are right.' Eh... logic malfunctions happen.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 134 (view)

What browser do you use? Posted: 4/2/2006 11:59:44 AM
If Iw as tos tay on a windows platform I would be using Opera. it's fast as heck, takes IE out back and beats it witha stick as far as page laods go. But.... very very very immature javascript support. A lot of site use javascript for calling images, link behaviour and decoration now. Opera really makes for some igly pages hehe. but... it;s worth it. I learned a hard lesson with firefox the other night. it's no where near as secure as people think it is. Some web developers have managed to cause firefox to download and install apps without you even knowing it until it's too late. I got hit so bad with a trojan the other night that trying to remove it caused the inability to boot into windows and forced me to reinstall windows. You know, that immature java support is why opera does not suffer as much or often as most web browsers from the very type of attack you got hit with. Java is the main reason those things can affect web browsers so often. I've only found 2 websites that the newest version of opera cannot display properly and I have no care nor want to visit either of them regularly. As for switching to Linux. Tried it, hated it, switched back within 5 months. Its not so much that Linux is complex, because it really isn't any more complex than a workstation class OS under Windows. Its that it is not at all user friendly and has an inexcusably immature GUI (any of them). It looks pretty, but it can't do diddly squat.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 5 (view)

today is the begining of Lent Posted: 3/2/2006 6:23:33 PM
If you smoke, give up smoking. If not then, if you drink alcohol, give that up. If you don't smoke or drink then try giving up caffiene. Without knowing anything about you this is about the best I can do.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 62 (view)

In Reply To #1 Posted: 2/21/2006 4:04:00 PM
^^^^ Then call me a kid ;-) I can really dig a good console game every now and then. If I never played consoles as an adult, I would never have enjoyed Disgaea, and that I would not want to trade. ;-)

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 53 (view)

Agnostics... a lonely life. Posted: 2/14/2006 2:19:05 PM
Does anyone know what the word is that means "a person who doesn't care if there is a god or not". There is a word for that, and I forgot what it is. Probably because you didn't care ;-) I'm kidding.... I don't know of a single word for it but there is a term for it. Humanistic agnostic. This is someone who considers the existance of God a nonissue.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 5 (view)

Christian or religious addict? Posted: 2/12/2006 9:07:18 PM
Another possibility. They might have an obsessive lifestyle but were sincere about Christianity, then something caused him to become dissillusioned. There are many similar stories amongst the non-Christian population on here. Not everyone copes with dissillusionment equally well. Where one would take the morals and standards to live by while leaving behind the dogma and faith, others would indulge in everything they were avoiding for their faith as an act of rebellion against it. It could very well be that this individual never seriously questioned his faith and when someone else questioned it seriously for him, he folded. Then in a fit of illadvised spite, indulged in every vice he could. Either way, it is tragic.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 27 (view)

Why do guys usually always state Not looking for a Serious Relationship Posted: 2/11/2006 11:06:42 PM
If you get this sort of behavior often and it is not what you are looking for then perhaps you are looking for the wrong sort of guys. I know plenty of guys who are looking for serious relationships. In fact most of my friends are looking for that and are generally more interested in getting into a serious relationship than getting into the sack. If you are tired of this treatment then perhaps it is time to stop going back to the type of guy who treats women this way. Just a suggestion.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 8 (view)

Taoism:Hidden third path Posted: 2/11/2006 7:59:12 AM
Philosophically I agree with Tao. My lifestyle is not the taoist lifestyle but intellectually I think the Tao te Ching is one of the most insightful books I've ever read. If you are truly interested in Tao, look up and read the Tao te Ching. It really isn't very long and it makes you think while making you calm. Really good book.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 14 (view)

Curiousity, Medicine, and the power of prayer. Posted: 2/11/2006 7:53:26 AM
I think the law has a stipulation that while there is freedom of religion that freedom does not extend to the point where it inhibits another person's freedoms. In this case life. I've always been of the opinion that it should be up to the child. Explain to them in no uncertain terms what the result will be if they recieve no medical attention and ask if they want it. If they are as strong in their faith as their parents, then I see it as wrong to force something upon them that will 'damage their soul' or 'send them to hell' in their beliefs. Imagine if you got an odd sensation in your stomach every time you got in a car. You thought nothing of it for a while but then one day a whole lot of people told you that the only cure was to drink hydrochloric acid. You knew full well that this would be bad for you. From the perspective of these faithful it is along the same lines. To them life on this Earth is not what is important. It is the afterlife that is important for the afterlife is eternal. I do agree that it is foolish to throw away your life because of your faith, but to these people it is foolish to throw away your eternal soul for prolonging this life.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 3 (view)

Taoism:Hidden third path Posted: 2/10/2006 11:27:03 PM
I don't know the first thing about Taoism. Care to give a brief summary? Embrace slack Hmm... that might be too brief...

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 47 (view)

original sin Posted: 2/9/2006 11:58:39 AM
Talk about intolerent all of you .. Some times I think it`s a power trip to say who can talk and who can`t ... stick it all of you...I`m gone oooookaaaaay..... I think you are jumping off the deep end with this one dear. Its not about repressing opinions, it is about clarifying what is an opinion, what is a fact, and what is based upon commonly accepted scriptures. FB's goal was simply to clarify whether this was Rose's own personal soul searching, or if it was based on biblical scripture. This is an understandable and even important goal in order to maintian a multiview discussion of the topics. Noone said anyone could not talk. Remember your. my opinions... and i thinks...lol Honestly, this is kind of important to avoid some people feeling like they are being told they are wrong just for thinking or believing differently.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 35 (view)

original sin Posted: 2/8/2006 11:32:04 PM
Well the apple is used because it is kind of like the default fruit. I was also always taught that it was not actually an apple and that apples were not sinful, but they just used an apple to represent the fruit as it is not a worldly fruit.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 72 (view)

Can a Christian also be an Evolutionist? Posted: 2/8/2006 11:18:21 PM
Actually recent physics findings have shown that the big bang might be a big myth. Red shifts and such are a result of temporal geometry not actual movement according to some new theories. This seems to indicate that the universe is even older than was previously estimated... more like eternal. Edit: Blast it, the PDF lecture on it has been removed from the public server. I guess they got too many random hits from people on the internet. Googling geometry of time will probably land some hits though.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 25 (view)

Should we, as Christians, be Writing Checks? Posted: 2/8/2006 10:47:21 PM
Tim, not all books that are patented require written permission. Many such books have written in the back that there is an assumed permission to copy the work as long as it is referenced and used for nonprofit purposes. I would imagine most bible translations do things that way.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 31 (view)

original sin Posted: 2/8/2006 10:44:48 PM
There are a few theories on the other people. One comes up with the Lillith character who was supposedly Adam's first wife, created as his equal. She refused to play second fiddle to him so to speak and was banished from the garden. From her were born the first children of man. Then god created Eve from Adam's ribbone so that she would be subservient to him. We see how that turned out. This as far as I know is not based on the bible, but is a belief I have seen in a few places. Another theory is that most of what is in the old testament is a collection of parables. Sometimes these parables have plot holes. It is not important to focus on the plot holes but the morals instead. I know there are other theories more based upon a literallistic view of the bible but I cannot recall them at the moment. As for original sin... I was always taught that it was Adam and Eve eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge against orders. I would say this is the understanding that most have of the event, though I am interested in other interpretations.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 5 (view)

Curiousity, Medicine, and the power of prayer. Posted: 2/8/2006 10:09:24 PM
Hmm... I think I will play devil's advocate a bit here out of curiousity. Imagine a family where there are two parents who have had 20 children. They are barely making ends meet each year, then one falls gravely ill and they have no insurance. Taking this one child to get treatmet would send them straight into poverty and jeprodize the lives of all their other children. On the other hand, the one fewer mouths to feed and backs to clothe results in enough spare money to buy health insurance for the rest. What would be the correct call in this situation? One life in the immediate future for 19 lives security and future. Morbid question but I am curious where morality and ethics step in here.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 11 (view)

Should we, as Christians, be Writing Checks? Posted: 2/8/2006 3:43:16 PM
Actually I think Blueberry might be right on in this one. For clarification though reading the surrounding verses for a better context of what he is referring to might be good. Also as has been stated, going to the source and retranslating word for word might be beneficial. Try this link http://www.blueletterbible.org/ I use it a lot to track down information on specific verses and interpretations of them.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 5 (view)

Should we, as Christians, be Writing Checks? Posted: 2/8/2006 12:54:41 PM
Context is important here. I think you are confusing the meaning intended by the word swear. This is one of those cases where I would reccomend looking up what the original word used here was, and what that word literally means. I seriously doubt it has anything to do with endorsing a signed document (check). I similarly doubt it would affect your oaths to your wife or husband or swearing to tell the truth in a court of law. It might have more to do with swearing to god and maybe with swearing an oath to king and country though I am uncertain. Also the context of the verse may be of importance.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 76 (view)

Faith the size of a Mustard seed.. Posted: 2/8/2006 11:09:55 AM
The phrase from star wars comes to mind. The tighter you grasp the more will slip through your fingers. (or something close anyway). Satan would only have to pay attention to the non-believers who were close to being saved. The majority would not be at any given point so they would likely be ignored for fear of overdoing it as well as avoidance of unnecisarry effort. The majority of non-believers are not likely to be converted, but there are some who are more precarious. Those would likely be the ones he would pay attention to.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 12 (view)

Prayer and the power of universal thought Posted: 2/8/2006 10:27:23 AM
^^^ Kind of amusing. Not really surprising, but amusing all the same. Statistics have shown all kinds of odd beliefs in people that are utterly unfounded. I can see how that relates in a broader sense though. Just passive belief in something obviously does not affect reality as evidenced by yours and several other similar studies. I would like to see a targeted study on the statistical effects of prayer or other active methods of belief like meditation. I do know of some studies that have shown meditation can have notable positive benefits for the individual meditating, but I've never seen one that shows evidence of external effect. Edit: I just got around to reading the post two above this one, so apparently there HAVE been studies that show this. Interesting. I would like to read their methods sections to see if any obvious confounds had been overlooked, but on the surface, they look fairly well done.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 73 (view)

Faith the size of a Mustard seed.. Posted: 2/8/2006 10:21:35 AM
I think the point is that Satan has no reason to tempt non-believers in Christianity. According to Christianity, we are all already doomed to our fate anyway. Satan and his cohort would be targeting Christians and the faithful because only they have something to lose (according to Christianity). The point is not that being a non-believer would protect us, it is that further temptations would be a waste of time and effort on Satan's part.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 60 (view)

Faith the size of a Mustard seed.. Posted: 2/7/2006 2:52:21 PM
About being punished for our ancestors mistakes, in ancient times, if you were banished from the kingdom, would your ancestors not bear your punishment as well. Ahh so God should be percieved as a ruler of an ancient human kingdom and not as a perfect, omnipotent, divine entity. That makes much more sense given what we see of his behavior in the OT. This is getting a bit too far off on a tangent though. I don't want to continue down this road as I have been there before and don't like where it ends. Back to the OP, I believe that the common belief is that the reason we do not see miracles anymore is that this is the era controlled by Satan. This is his time to try to dissuade as many people as possible from the faith before the coming armageddon and so God is leaving him to his work. Why this is part of the plan is beyond me but that is my understanding of the common interpretation of the scripture.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 75 (view)

Narnia Posted: 2/7/2006 1:30:57 PM
By the way, for anyone interested, Amazon has released the DVD for Narnia for preorder. Just a heads up.

Quiote

Joined: 7/11/2005

Msg: 6 (view)

Dinosaurs and the Bible! Posted: 2/7/2006 9:35:22 AM
Here is my source for this. http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Job/40/15.html If it doesn't bring up the explanation at first just click on the little blue K next to verse 15. I'm not saying this is definitely what was intended but I would say it makes a pretty good argument for this. Also I can't find a verse where it says he is plated. There is this though the sinews of his stones are wrapped together. but that is not clearly talking about plating, in fact I am not sure at all what it IS talking about. This is a good web site for getting varying opinions on bible verses though. One of my favorites.

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