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originally posted by: Subaeruginosa
a reply to: bitsforbytes
Faith is the fear of facing ones mortality. I am not afraid of my own mortality, I will die one day and I will be gone forever. I accept that.
I believe in seeking the truth. I believe in what can be touched, seen, measured though mathematics and evaluated though the scientific method. This is where mans only hope lies. Abandoning our ancient beliefs and turning all our energy on advancing the scientific method is the only chance man has of taking control of our own fate.
originally posted by: Subaeruginosa
But! Back to my original point, if you believe so strongly about all this, how can you possibly be so confident you are on the right side...
Ian was night diving off the island of Mauritius when he was stung multiple times by Box Jellyfish, which are among the most venomous creatures in the world. His testimony relates how he clung to life while getting to hospital, was declared clinically dead soon afterwards, and how during this time he had an encounter with Jesus, which radically changed the direction of his life. Link
And He said, "Ian, do you wish to return?" "If you wish to return you must see in a new light." Words appeared in front of my eyes, God is light. And ‘in him there is no darkness at all’. I thought ‘God is light, could that possibly be God? And in Him there is no darkness at all, I’ve just come from darkness, whoever this being is He is completely separate from darkness. I see no shadow, I see no evil. Only pure white radiance. And he knows my name. Could it possibly be God that I am standing in the presence of talking to? I thought if it is He must be able to see my spirit absolutely naked. He must see everything.
I began to pull back, and as I began to pull back towards the darkness of the tunnel, I watched a wave of radiance come off of Him, I expected it to touch me and literally catapult me back into the pit. But as this wave of light emanated forth off Him, it moved through me. All I felt was love. The love was causing me to literally blubber, I was just pouring myself out and I could feel an acceptance coming. God you can’t love me, I’ve cursed you. More love.
I was shaken. He knows my name, he knows my thought before I speak, then he must see all my sins. And I am not a good man. I’ve done a lot of things wrong. So I pulled back, as I did, waves of light came off of his presence, pure love. And I cried like a child as waves of love and acceptance came into me. I told him God you cannot love me, and I started telling him my sins. And each sin I told him – more love. And I said God but I have cursed you, slept around, drugs… and more and more of his love – he showed me that all of my sins had been forgiven when I had prayed in the ambulance.
He says of course that the blood of Jesus washes away all sins – and he had forgiven me when I prayed from my heart. And I stood before him with no sin, no darkness. I opened up my eyes and I was full of liquid light – love – encased 2-3 feet around me in pure light, in pure love. The radiance around the Lord eclipsed – like a glowworm or a firefly. I saw this cloud – I said God, if you love me can I step in and see you face to face?
I thought I am so close, and if he loves me so much – so I walked into this cloud. As I did, my hand disappeared and then I put my face in – and I could not see my own spiritual body it had been eclipsed by the radiance. It was like veils of miniature stars. As I moved through these veils I could feel the light that I had stepped into was healing my broken heart, my heart of heart.
And as I got deeper in I watched the waves of light open, the cloud begin to part, and Jesus with his arms outstretched, barefeet, dazzling white robes. It was like he had taken this cloud and clothed himself in garments of this cloud of light. And as I looked toward the face of the Lord… the radiance… the source of all of this light was coming out of his face. You knew if he spoke a constellation, galaxies would come into existence. I could see he had the form of man, but the face of God. His hair was radiant white.
I had never read a bible so I didn’t know that John had seen that in Revelation – his face shining like the sun and his hair white like snow. But I am seeing what I know to be the Lord, God almighty, radiant light pouring forth from his hands, and as I walk towards him white light pours out of the face of Jesus.
I feel purity, I feel childlike innocence restored back to me. I come about half way towards him, more light – holiness flows into me. And as I get right up to him, I am trying to see his unveiled face, but I don’t know that no man looks upon the face of God and lives, but I am so happy… that I am – so happy but still – and I watched Jesus and I thought why won’t he permit me to see his face? As the Lord moves, with his hand he steps aside and he shows me a continuation of the circular tunnel.
Right behind him I can see a whole new world opening up behind him as if he is a door of light. As he is opening this doorway into eternity I can see fields. Grass with the same radiance and glory that is upon him right across the pasture. The flowers, crystal clear river, trees along both sides, mountains, blue skies, rolling hills. I come from New Zealand, like Lord of the Rings country, and I am looking at paradise. I am thinking if you stepped on it – it would spring back. The radiance was across the entire creation – I thought – I am home. Link
These studies you refer to have been carried out by believers.
originally posted by: ketsuko
originally posted by: Subaeruginosa
a reply to: bitsforbytes
Faith is the fear of facing ones mortality. I am not afraid of my own mortality, I will die one day and I will be gone forever. I accept that.
I believe in seeking the truth. I believe in what can be touched, seen, measured though mathematics and evaluated though the scientific method. This is where mans only hope lies. Abandoning our ancient beliefs and turning all our energy on advancing the scientific method is the only chance man has of taking control of our own fate.
I see, so you do not believe in love. It cannot be measured or quantified. I hope for their sake you are not married or in any relationships.
Also, the whole title of your thread implies you believe in some form of something that cannot be quantified. How can you think that Christians put a Hex on you? A "hex" by definition is an evil spell or curse. Science does not believe in or at least cannot prove concepts like good or evil. If you really put your full trust and faith in science and only science, then you couldn't believe that you'd had a "hex" laid on you. And of course, if you actually knew anything about Christianity in general, you'd know that spells and curses are against the idea of Christianity.
If you parents truly thought the house was haunted, why was someone attempting an exorcism on you? They would be doing the exorcism or blessing on the house in order to drive out the demons there first. So what was up with you that they gravitated toward you? And why did you parents buy in to whatever was told to them?
originally posted by: randyvs
a reply to: Subaeruginosa
These studies you refer to have been carried out by believers.
No were talk'n about scholars. You're wrong and you
choose to believe lies because it suits your lifestyle
to do so.
originally posted by: OptimusSubprime
a reply to: Subaeruginosa
Saying that the Bible has been altered and mistranslated by man is purely conjecture on your part. There is overwhelming scientific evidence, through the science of textual criticism, that shows beyond any doubt that the Bible today says exactly what the earliest manuscripts said. It has not been altered or mistranslated. Your claims hold no water, so the question isn't is the Bible accurate, because that has been proven, regardless of your opinion on it. The real question is... do you choose to believe it? I do and many others do, and clearly you and many others don't.
This New Testament, originally excluding certain disputed books (2 Peter, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation), had become a standard by the early 5th century. The five excluded books were added in the Harklean Version (616 AD) of Thomas of Harqel.
originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: Subaeruginosa
Pack animals may only be showing the instinctive need to further their own genes, and they do this by making sure they giver others related to them the best chance of survival they can. That's not love. It's instinct. What happens when a conspecific from outside the pack wonders in and needs that same compassion? Oh, sorry! SOL, buddy. So much for the compassion, empathy and love.
And if science really could tell what love is, why are people still getting divorced? If science could tell us what love is and test whether or not people are in love, everyone should be getting tested for love before getting married; it would be cheaper than risking divorce methinks. So, you can tell that there are chemical changes in the brain, but can you differentiate love from lust from infatuation? If not, then science cannot prove what love is only that our brains chemically react to the stimulus of others.
It was ridiculous. You are thinking that because you had an unpleasant experience with some people who called themselves Christian that God must be evil and the devil must be good. Would you be thinking the devil evil and God good had the unpleasant experience come at the hands of Satanists? Honestly, the most virulent atheists I run into seem to have deep-seated parental issues they foist off onto God as if it were God's problem their parents did things to them they didn't like.
And if you study your history, some of the worst tyrannies in the world have been based around the idea of no God and equality for all ... at the point of a gun as it turns out. How else do you force everyone to be equal?
originally posted by: OptimusSubprime
a reply to: Subaeruginosa
There is overwhelming scientific evidence, through the science of textual criticism, that shows beyond any doubt that the Bible today says exactly what the earliest manuscripts said. It has not been altered or mistranslated.
originally posted by: graceunderpressure
originally posted by: Subaeruginosa
a reply to: graceunderpressure
The Sun shines on me everyday. It has a physical presence and its existence is undeniable. God is not.
So, you're saying that you only believe in things that you personally and physically experience? That's really kinda' sad. If a man lived in a cave for his entire life and never experienced the sun, you're saying the sun is not real because he never experienced it? Or, assuming you've never been to Pluto, nor seen it with your naked eye, is Pluto also therefore "unreal?"
God's presence in my life is undeniable for me. What you have in you own life is whatever you choose.
originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: Subaeruginosa
No, animals do not show compassion, empathy or love. That is what happens when we anthropomorphize them. Since we cannot and do not conclusively know what animals are thinking, we cannot and do not know what they are doing. Evidence is not proof.
originally posted by: OptimusSubprime
a reply to: Subaeruginosa
Saying that the Bible has been altered and mistranslated by man is purely conjecture on your part. There is overwhelming scientific evidence, through the science of textual criticism, that shows beyond any doubt that the Bible today says exactly what the earliest manuscripts said. It has not been altered or mistranslated. Your claims hold no water, so the question isn't is the Bible accurate, because that has been proven, regardless of your opinion on it. The real question is... do you choose to believe it? I do and many others do, and clearly you and many others don't.
originally posted by: trollz
originally posted by: OptimusSubprime
a reply to: Subaeruginosa
There is overwhelming scientific evidence, through the science of textual criticism, that shows beyond any doubt that the Bible today says exactly what the earliest manuscripts said. It has not been altered or mistranslated.
...Please tell me this is a joke.
First of all, you're aware that there are many different versions of the bible, right? Each one is written differently. Modern bibles don't even say the exact same things.
And I really shouldn't have to point this out, but based on your comment, I think I may have to; you realize that all the bibles that exist today in various languages had to be translated into those languages? The original books of the bible were not written in English, Spanish, Japanese, etc etc. Sometimes there may not be a translation for a word between languages, such as if there was no word for "church" in Japanese, but you had to translate "church" from English to Japanese anyway. You're then left to essentially re-word it how you think it makes sense the best.
By the way, here's a little treat for you. "Lucifer" wasn't even in the original scriptures.