Just got banned from Christian Forums

[Baruch]

You use the word 'channel'. What you mean is you are INSPIRED by so-and-so. You are confusing inspiration with reality just as you confuse feelings and emotion with substantial objects. I do not deny the power of emotion. In the course of our evolutionary history, emotion does play a very important role. The ability to be inspired by something spectacular or 'divine' is really written into our genetic code because it was essential for our survival. Today, we no longer need this emotion for our survival but like all evolutionary elements it remains a hangover from the time when we really had need of it.

You earlier mentioned 'experiencing' ghosts. That can of course be explained in many ways. Sceptics have shown that every 'sighting' of ghosts can in fact be explained away.

When we use our emotions to tell us if something exists, we are employing something which has no value today.

Oh I just realised that I didn't explain why such emotion that includes inspiration of the 'divine' played an important role in our earlier evolutionary journey. We are a social animal and one crucial ingredient for our survival is the cohesiveness within the human society. Unlike lions that can survive in small prides, humans couldn't. We like the baboons needed a large number of people to form a society in order to repel intrusion and to get enough food for our survival. The shaman was always the leader in such a group. The rest of us had to be 'inspired' by the shaman. If we didn't have that sense of the divine, we'd have broken away from our social group and died because the human animal couldn't survive on its own or in small groups.

But today, we no longer need this 'sense of the divine'. But we have it still, like all evolutionary baggage that we carry. I used to sing before my voice broke and some arias could bring out the goose pimples. That is the sense of the divine. A long time ago, the shaman would recite some poem in his loud voice and all of us would break into goose pimples and we just obeyed him and did what we were told and we became a really cohesive group that could withstand an attack by Neanderthals or some other groups.

This 'sense of the divine' today has no purpose. It however has the function of making people believe that there is a god or whatever word they choose to describe such a being.

Well, "inspired" is a theological word.  I am "triggered" by your misappropriation ;-)  What is being/becoming?  That nasty philosophy thing that people here don't like, because they like the exactitude that you also desire.  Micromanagement of cogitation that is.

You do understand that hymn singing, per Luther, is a prayer prayed twice over?  Yes, singing is wonderful, my favorite part of worship.  I plink a little on instruments too, but won't have much time until I retire .. I never have enough time for music.  You understand shamen very well, that is what clergy are, when they are doing things correctly.  It has gotten much harder since the Stone Age.  There are real shamen in parts of Indonesia that haven't been converted to Islam yet.

You are mistaken, regarding us as being modern.  Compared to future people, we are ancients.  Compared to ancients, we are the future people!  It is a matter of perspective.  You better be careful with "explaining away" ... "make everything as simple as possible, but no simpler" Einstein says ... I say "be as skeptical as possible, but don't be a nihilist".  Explanations are a dime a dozen, and worth about as much ;-)  There has been too much "saving of appearances" even in science, since the time of John Milton.

[Cavebear]

I used to be Shrek, then I became Zelig.

I'm stunned!  I just had that idea yesterday of someone who appeared to be whatever people around him expected and thought to write a short story about it.  Seriously, it came to me in a dream (and boy do I have some beauts).

There must have been something on-air to suggest it...

[Baruch]

I'm stunned!  I just had that idea yesterday of someone who appeared to be whatever people around him expected and thought to write a short story about it.  Seriously, it came to me in a dream (and boy do I have some beauts).

There must have been something on-air to suggest it...

I am everywhere!  Even in your dreams ;-)  You will try to find a logical explanation for synchronicity, but won't find it ... grow tired, your eyes are feeling tired ... and you will forget that this "coincidence" ever happened ... that and I stayed overnight at a Holiday Inn Express, and now I know brain surgery ;-))

[Cavebear]

I am everywhere!  Even in your dreams ;-)  You will try to find a logical explanation for synchronicity, but won't find it ... grow tired, your eyes are feeling tired ... and you will forget that this "coincidence" ever happened ... that and I stayed overnight at a Holiday Inn Express, and now I know brain surgery ;-))

Nah, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed now.  Everyone fades at the few hours before dawn.  Noctural habits of prey.

[Blackleaf]

Greetings, St Truth. Your name seems familiar, but I'm not sure why. Back when I was a devout Christian, I frequented those forums, though I doubt I had met you there if you're only 16 years old. Back then, the forums had a pretty different atmosphere. There weren't nearly as many ads, the roleplaying section was lively, and they had a chatroom (which was the only safe haven for atheists). Yes, I can say from my experience there that the Christian Forums do not welcome opposition. 99% of the forums are limited to "Christians-only," and many are banned and/or silence simply for voicing opinions that they do not approve of. After I became an atheist, I wanted to return to those forums, but found that it was incredibly difficult just to locate places where I was still welcome. Theists in general are like this. They are not interested in finding the truth. They gather on a regular basis to continually reassure themselves that they are right with misrepresentations of the Bible that fit their agenda, strawmen arguments from "evolutionists" and atheists (as if atheists have a creed), and claiming to know things they know nothing about. It's rather pathetic.

[Cavebear]

Greetings, St Truth. Your name seems familiar, but I'm not sure why. Back when I was a devout Christian, I frequented those forums, though I doubt I had met you there if you're only 16 years old. Back then, the forums had a pretty different atmosphere. There weren't nearly as many ads, the roleplaying section was lively, and they had a chatroom (which was the only safe haven for atheists). Yes, I can say from my experience there that the Christian Forums do not welcome opposition. 99% of the forums are limited to "Christians-only," and many are banned and/or silence simply for voicing opinions that they do not approve of. After I became an atheist, I wanted to return to those forums, but found that it was incredibly difficult just to locate places where I was still welcome. Theists in general are like this. They are not interested in finding the truth. They gather on a regular basis to continually reassure themselves that they are right with misrepresentations of the Bible that fit their agenda, strawmen arguments from "evolutionists" and atheists (as if atheists have a creed), and claiming to know things they know nothing about. It's rather pathetic.

I think, from only slight experience, that christian forums demand absolute acceptance of their specific deity, but atheist forums generally tolerate raving theistic lunatics.

Probably has something to do with intelligence.  ;)

[Blackleaf]

There are priests in my church who openly say they don't believe God exists. One Archbishop has said it too. He started out by denying the Virgin Birth which is of course sensible. Everyone knows the Virgin Birth is false and is a mistake from the Almah-parthenos mistranslation. Then he denied the historicity of Jesus. That's normal. Then he denied the existence of God. If Christianity is what you say it is, why didn't the church ask him to leave?

I think the word for church leaders like that is "fraud." Why continue to support a church that you believed was spreading a lie? They say that for every religion, there's a man at the top who knows its all bullshit. While I would argue that many religious leaders are delusioned enough to believe their own claims, what you're describing seems to fit.

[Cavebear]

I think the word for church leaders like that is "fraud." Why continue to support a church that you believed was spreading a lie? They say that for every religion, there's a man at the top who knows its all bullshit. While I would argue that many religious leaders are delusioned enough to believe their own claims, what you're describing seems to fit.

Iffen ya don't folla the rules of the club. ya should get kicked out.  Then clubbed...

[Blackleaf]

I think, from only slight experience, that christian forums demand absolute acceptance of their specific deity, but atheist forums generally tolerate raving theistic lunatics.

Probably has something to do with intelligence.

To an extent. We will allow people here to believe whatever they want, even if their beliefs are indefensible. There is a limit to how much we will tolerate, but that alone affords theists more freedom than we are given in their forums.

[Cavebear]

To an extent. We will allow people here to believe whatever they want, even if their beliefs are indefensible. There is a limit to how much we will tolerate, but that alone affords theists more freedom than we are given in their forums.

Yeah, there are a couple raving theists I wouldn't mind getting too close to crocodiles...  But we tolerate them  (I keep reminding myself).  And a couple I don't...

[trdsf]

Welcome aboard!  Personally, I would take being banned from a religious forum as a badge of pride, especially doing it without resorting to foul language and namecalling and other unpleasantries.  :)

[St Truth]

Greetings, St Truth. Your name seems familiar, but I'm not sure why. Back when I was a devout Christian, I frequented those forums, though I doubt I had met you there if you're only 16 years old. Back then, the forums had a pretty different atmosphere. There weren't nearly as many ads, the roleplaying section was lively, and they had a chatroom (which was the only safe haven for atheists). Yes, I can say from my experience there that the Christian Forums do not welcome opposition. 99% of the forums are limited to "Christians-only," and many are banned and/or silence simply for voicing opinions that they do not approve of. After I became an atheist, I wanted to return to those forums, but found that it was incredibly difficult just to locate places where I was still welcome. Theists in general are like this. They are not interested in finding the truth. They gather on a regular basis to continually reassure themselves that they are right with misrepresentations of the Bible that fit their agenda, strawmen arguments from "evolutionists" and atheists (as if atheists have a creed), and claiming to know things they know nothing about. It's rather pathetic.

We certainly haven't met before. I joined CF last year but then I went away and only went back to them about some weeks ago. When they banned me and asked me to speak to an admin chap, I decided it was time to forget CF. For one thing, some of the nicer people who messaged me already know I'm under 16 and CF doesn't accept anyone under 16. I wasn't sure if some of them might have reported me to admin and if they did, I'd be confronted with this age thing if I contacted admin. But it was obvious they didn't want me there anyway. So I did a search and I'm here in atheist forums.

It's rather unfortunate that they didn't allow me to continue arguing with some of the chaps in CF. They tried everything up their sleeves. They used names of arguments and when I said I wasn't familiar with those names, they exclaimed that I was not well-read and no wonder I had problems with my faith. They are very good at dropping names of people who subscribe to certain views and I think they did that on purpose because they knew I didn't know those names. So I told them to use real arguments and spell out the arguments so I could counter them. And when they did, I realised it was the same trite hackneyed arguments that countless apologists have come up with, each one couching the old arguments with new words.

I think the problem with them is their desperation to appear intelligent and correct. That makes them nasty and rude.  There are some very brilliant atheists there but they are quite badly treated. I can't understand why they continue to go to a place that despises them so openly. If I can feel their hostility and I'm an altar boy, I wonder how it's like as atheists.

[Cavebear]

We certainly haven't met before. I joined CF last year but then I went away and only went back to them about some weeks ago. When they banned me and asked me to speak to an admin chap, I decided it was time to forget CF. For one thing, some of the nicer people who messaged me already know I'm under 16 and CF doesn't accept anyone under 16. I wasn't sure if some of them might have reported me to admin and if they did, I'd be confronted with this age thing if I contacted admin. But it was obvious they didn't want me there anyway. So I did a search and I'm here in atheist forums.

It's rather unfortunate that they didn't allow me to continue arguing with some of the chaps in CF. They tried everything up their sleeves. They used names of arguments and when I said I wasn't familiar with those names, they exclaimed that I was not well-read and no wonder I had problems with my faith. They are very good at dropping names of people who subscribe to certain views and I think they did that on purpose because they knew I didn't know those names. So I told them to use real arguments and spell out the arguments so I could counter them. And when they did, I realised it was the same trite hackneyed arguments that countless apologists have come up with, each one couching the old arguments with new words.

I think the problem with them is their desperation to appear intelligent and correct. That makes them nasty and rude.  There are some very brilliant atheists there but they are quite badly treated. I can't understand why they continue to go to a place that despises them so openly. If I can feel their hostility and I'm an altar boy, I wonder how it's like as atheists.

Well we atheists sure aren't alter boys.  The only times I was in a church was as a Boy Scout and at a wedding once.  Twice...

[St Truth]

Greetings, St Truth. Your name seems familiar, but I'm not sure why. Back when I was a devout Christian, I frequented those forums, though I doubt I had met you there if you're only 16 years old. Back then, the forums had a pretty different atmosphere. There weren't nearly as many ads, the roleplaying section was lively, and they had a chatroom (which was the only safe haven for atheists). Yes, I can say from my experience there that the Christian Forums do not welcome opposition. 99% of the forums are limited to "Christians-only," and many are banned and/or silence simply for voicing opinions that they do not approve of. After I became an atheist, I wanted to return to those forums, but found that it was incredibly difficult just to locate places where I was still welcome. Theists in general are like this. They are not interested in finding the truth. They gather on a regular basis to continually reassure themselves that they are right with misrepresentations of the Bible that fit their agenda, strawmen arguments from "evolutionists" and atheists (as if atheists have a creed), and claiming to know things they know nothing about. It's rather pathetic.

Oh thanks for the greetings. I forgot to mention it in my ardour to talk about folks in CF.  I chose St Truth because my plan was to be perfectly truthful in CF and I thought the "saint" would  appeal to them. The threads I started questioned God eg 'How real is God?" Another topic was about the fight between Paul and Peter - that Paul started a totally different religion from the apostles. The folks in CF aren't so dumb as not to realise that every thread of mine wasn't one that could put the smile on the face of the average Christian. I also started a thread in a section for Christians only but I think they removed the thread because there were too many complaints. Yes, you are right. Most forums in CF are for Christians only. And to comment on the ones for non-Christians, you need 100 posts and you must comment on a thread to say that you will obey the rules, etc which is terribly unfair because Christians don't have to do that.

[St Truth]

Welcome aboard!  Personally, I would take being banned from a religious forum as a badge of pride, especially doing it without resorting to foul language and namecalling and other unpleasantries.  :)

Thanks for the welcome. I am rather proud that they would ban someone my age. The ban came in shortly after some of their rather tenacious members admitted that they had no answer to the problems I raised about the faith. That satisfied me a lot. I wanted to get them to admit that faith was irrational, illogical and totally unsupported by any evidence or reason but they were not willing to do that. I urged them to consider if they might not be motivated by pride. They utterly refused to admit that. And then the ban came. I took that to mean I was right. That faith is truly what I said it was and the sore losers banned me. I'm keeping the email they sent me as proof. LOL