who wrote the Bible?

[Doc Durian]

Yeah, we have free will. But what does the Christian bible tell us will happen if we don't accept Jesus as our savior? Essentially the Christian god is telling us that we're free to make our own choices so long as those choices fall in line with its demands. That isn't free will at all.

That's what they've been preaching for some number of years, but there's evidence that Jesus (although I'm not a worshipper or follower of him) made at least one statement in a dead sea scroll about rejecting church to the benefit of anyone who every had an atheistic or agnostic bone in their body.

That scroll is supposedly held by the Israelis and they refuse to relinquish it.

The subject matter and their refusal makes sense to my beliefs about life.

Jesus was considered to be a good man, outside of Christianity even, and he was a known shit stirrer with Rome.

To me, he was a decent sort who strived to do the right thing... despite being later painted as an abstinate son of an initially abstinate mother who didn't father a "saviour" who didn't father a later generation of children who migrated through France north.

I believe the words in the scroll were roughly translated as, "I have overcome the Cosmos (church), don't let the cosmos overcome you"

He was a sort of Bin Laden meets Ghandi really.

[IndiReloaded]

But do you think everyone who "is", knows they "are"? (That sounds much too much like some sort of "chosen one" philosophy, I realize, rather than simply a division into one big and one small group.) I'm not talking about the 40% trying to be in the 2% (maybe I made it sound like that) but rather thinking they are.

If you are looking for the manual on this, I don't have it to give you. Decide for yourself.

[IndiReloaded]

To quote your sig Gott, "Shrug. LOL."

[Doc Durian]

Ouch... that's got to hurt

[IndiReloaded]

Actually, my sig says "LOL. Shrug." You usually say them in that order.

Sorry, its that 2% thing, I guess.

[Yggdrasil]

There are sheep (98% of humans, according to the genetics) and shepherds (2%). This has always been so. Genetically, that 2% of the population has been enough to drive the other 98% forward.

Yeah, Hitler was part of that 2%, so was Caesar, Napoleon, G.W. Bush, Ghandi, Kennedy... What I am trying to say is: not all shepherds are erm.. worth following

[IndiReloaded]

Yeah, Hitler was part of that 2%, so was Caesar, Napoleon, G.W. Bush, Ghandi, Kennedy... What I am trying to say is: not all shepherds are erm.. worth following

Yep, that thought had also occurred but I figured that would also become part of the discussion.

Slipped GWB in there to see if we were paying attention, Ygg? LOL!

[lovesjoyajm]

If you are looking for the manual on this, I don't have it to give you. Decide for yourself.

What would give you that impression? If you are looking for a discussion, shutting down when hypothetical questions are asked is not the way to further it.

[IndiReloaded]

What would give you that impression? If you are looking for a discussion, shutting down when hypothetical questions are asked is not the way to further it.

But I'm not looking for discussion with you. That's your mistake. You still need to learn to think independently with thoughts of your own, not merely respond to other's ideas. This was my last advice for you. TBH, I actually missed your post yesterday b/c I barely read them, they are trivial and usually just summaries of what has already been said. Thanks for the offer, tho.

[Lipp]

One interpretation is there are no demands. People are free to choose what life they want to live. It's just if they choose to help others then they will have a life of harmony and if they choose to spread chaos, be greedy and self indulgent then they will live a life of chaos (which according to Christians carries through to afterlife). People themselves ultimately choose their destiny, God doesn't choose it for them.

And as you say it still falls down to that "you're free, but god still holds a gunbarrel to your forehead if you choose differently from his preferences".

Or in this case, hellfire.

[doppelgaenger]

Holy.... bag of dicks.

The 12-page-long Flamewar.

[Yggdrasil]

Holy.... bag of dicks.

The 12-page-long Flamewar.

Wanna turn it into 13 pages?

Why not set a record eh? I mean.. while we're at it...

[doppelgaenger]

Smoke if you got 'em.