Are some rescues just not worth it?

[crotchitymedic1986]

So God tells people to do stupid stuff so they will die ?

[Just Plain Ruff]

hmmm, nice question, but I don't believe that's the case at all.

I believe that he knows what you and I will do, he allows us freewill so in essence he allows you to do stupid stuff and yes if you do some things that are stupid, you will die. But I don't believe he outright tells you to do stupid stuff.

A good valid question which I have no answer for.

I have never been directly talked to by God, have you? I do believe that I have been pointed in one direction or the other but never told directly to do stupid stuff.

How many people do you know who have said they have been directly told by GOD to do something? I'm sure they all were branded nut jobs though and sent to psychiatric facilities.

I also think that religious leaders who say they have a direct line to God and talk to him one on one and he gives them these revelations but you can only know what those revelations are by purchasing some sort of miracle salve or spring water or what not. For a mere 1000.00 faith promise, you can have everlasting happiness and your money problems are over. Well they are over for you as you give your last 1000 dollars to the ministry of some fly by night schister!!!

so no, I don't believe that God tells you directly to do stupid things.

[akflightmedic]

But many men in the biblical times spoke directly to god...they were not/are not considered nut jobs. In fact, many of the rituals, practices, beliefs, rules, etc are based on these personal conversations. But today if I say god told me to do something I am crazy and there is NO WAY god was the one talking to me...not your god for sure! Why not? Why can't your god talk to me? Why could it not be him giving me directives?

What if I said your god told me to write these things, it happened when I walked by a burning bush in Honduras. Why would you not believe me yet believe all the other folk tales?

[Just Plain Ruff]

But many men in the biblical times spoke directly to god...they were not/are not considered nut jobs. In fact, many of the rituals, practices, beliefs, rules, etc are based on these personal conversations. But today if I say god told me to do something I am crazy and there is NO WAY god was the one talking to me...not your god for sure! Why not? Why can't your god talk to me? Why could it not be him giving me directives?

What if I said your god told me to write these things, it happened when I walked by a burning bush in Honduras. Why would you not believe me yet believe all the other folk tales?

Ok, fair question, but I'm sure that there have been people after the authors of the book that have been directly talked to by God but many if not all of them have been branded crazy.

Let me ask you this, if I told you that Today God told me to do something such as move to Africa to be a missionary to a community. Or that God told me to spread the news that something was going to happen. What would your opinion of what I told you be?

Would you brand me as a nut job or would you say "excellent, go and do it Mike. It sounds like God is really talking to you?"

What would your reaction be to what I told you, that God talked to me directly?

I do think that God can talk to you, but I don't think its a direct commandment that he will give. I think it's something more subtle. I also don't believe that the bible is a bunch of folk tales which is where you are showing your disdain of my faith. I don't show disdain for you thinking that you are the captain of your own ship and everything you have done was because of what you did and you did alone. I have never ridiculed your belief system yet you seem to ridicule mine at times.

[akflightmedic]

Not ridicule, just expressing my rationale as comfortably as you express yours.

I would not brand you a nut job but those who say they have been spoken to are not on my near and dear trust list. The burden is never on me to prove a negative, it is on the person who affirms it is so. Until that day comes, my brain allows me no ability to entertain nomadic tales of fantasy handed down by voice for generations before finally being put in writings which have since been altered numerous times over by religious leaders and kings, all with their own personal agendas--it is the human condition after all.

Thanks for chatting.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Not ridicule, just expressing my rationale as comfortably as you express yours.

I would not brand you a nut job but those who say they have been spoken to are not on my near and dear trust list. The burden is never on me to prove a negative, it is on the person who affirms it is so. Until that day comes, my brain allows me no ability to entertain nomadic tales of fantasy handed down by voice for generations before finally being put in writings which have since been altered numerous times over by religious leaders and kings, all with their own personal agendas--it is the human condition after all.

Thanks for chatting.

And until each of us dies, we won't know if we were right or wrong will we.

So we all go on with out lives the way we wish to live, to believe what we want and what we don't want.

We all need that at least in my short 43 years I've learned that we need to hold on to certain things.

Can our belief system be changed, yep, it can if the right and valid argument is presented but it's pretty hard to change a belief system if it clashes with what we know or think we know currently.

See, this was a good exercise. Neither of us budged on our positions yet we had a good discussion.

[akflightmedic]

And until each of us dies, we won't know if we were right or wrong will we.

So we all go on with out lives the way we wish to live, to believe what we want and what we don't want.

We all need that at least in my short 43 years I've learned that we need to hold on to certain things.

Can our belief system be changed, yep, it can if the right and valid argument is presented but it's pretty hard to change a belief system if it clashes with what we know or think we know currently.

See, this was a good exercise. Neither of us budged on our positions yet we had a good discussion.

You are leading up to Pascal's Wager.

Anyways, yes we live and believe as we personally need BUT the issue is when those beliefs infringe on my daily living, my chosen way of life, when those beliefs of others control my life or actions...that is a HUGE problem...hence some of my disdain for all things religious.

And until we achieve a secular society, I will continue to strongly oppose all things religious and endeavor to abolish their influence. Notice I did not say abolish them in itself, but their influence needs to go. Keep it personal, keep it at home, keep it in your house of worship. Everywhere else is for all to enjoy and live.

**And pay taxes...being a house of religion does not earn one a free pass on taxes when they use all resources funded by those same taxes. It is the biggest scam ever!

[Just Plain Ruff]

Not familiar with Pascal's wager. Will look it up.

What is ironic is that only one of us is correct, or are both of us correct in our beliefs?

Like I said, the only way each of us will know if we were correct is to die. hmmmmm I'm willing to wait until that happens.

And I end this by saying, to each their own.

Edited August 31, 2011 by Ruffems

[akflightmedic]

And I view it this way...for the sake of debate..let us say you are right. There is a god and heaven and hell...would the creator be pleased that I used the brain and logic he gave me, I utilized all the resources he wired in my system? Or will he be happy that I ignored rational thought and chose to follow blindly avoiding the gifts bestowed upon me? I have lived a good life...you mean in spite of living well, questioning everything...I still should be banished to eternal hell/damnation? Not very kind at all...

[Just Plain Ruff]

And I view it this way...for the sake of debate..let us say you are right. There is a god and heaven and hell...would the creator be pleased that I used the brain and logic he gave me, I utilized all the resources he wired in my system? Or will he be happy that I ignored rational thought and chose to follow blindly avoiding the gifts bestowed upon me? I have lived a good life...you mean in spite of living well, questioning everything...I still should be banished to eternal hell/damnation? Not very kind at all...

I'd love everyone to go the heaven or hell depending on their good works but that's not how it works according to the bible. Not my words.

but this discussion isn't getting anywhere with just the two of us talking.

Not a truly valid reason for ending discussion but it's reached it's end. A stalemate.

Edited August 31, 2011 by Ruffems