....so as not to tick anyone off in the Bench. elegache, you said: "Hmm, strange how your scripture meshes with my blend of those scriptures and Quantum Mechanics. Nonetheless, I think your religious view has an odd paradox that my view is immune to. Isn't that intellect and technology a gift of that deity you insist is omnipotent, benevolent, and infallible? Why therefore do we have these gifts of intellect and technology, but we do not have the gift of the heart of Jesus that can put to use those gifts? Shouldn't we have the heart first and the intellect and technology second?" This is one of the easiest question to answer that you have ever asked me. Some do have both. In fact if you have not already, I suggest you read The Language of God by Francis Collins. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1849885/ But is because some of those who have been given these gifts do not WANT the heart of Jesus. Which leads to another gift we have been given by him, which is the gift of FREE WILL. Why were we given the gift of free will? Because he want us to come to him out of the desire of our hearts. Just like we want our children to come to us. Not by force. It is a two way street. He is not a tyrant. If you do not want him, it grieves him, but you will never be forced. He knows before we are born who will accept this gift with thanks and who will not. Just because he wants us to come to him does not mean all will come. And he won't make you. Why would he? If he did, he would be a liar, because he gave the gift of free will. Yes, we should have the heart first and the intellect and technology should be second, to be used responsibly by giving God the glory and the thanks. But we simply do not. By our very fallen nature we are too proud and resistant to do this. It does not come naturally to us. Only by submitting to the will of the Spririt of God can we begin down this road.
Apologiy and "tease" . . . (Re: Revised Cinco de Mayo thread) Dear Ken and V-8 Buick armchair theologians, I should apologize to you over this comment. Although I must admit having this exchange has allowed me to further understand the religious landscape and helped me realize why the human experience of religion is as it is. Hmm, the summary of the book is interesting and is sufficient to get a basic sense of the metaphysical basis of Collins point of view. However, I got enough to see I reject his main premise. His view is a variation of God as the cosmic clock-maker. Science depicts a world of much more uncertainty and chaos. My own philosophy has come to a notion of emergent spirituality that resolves a number of puzzling impasses in the way nature unfolded and what can be found in scripture. I won't respond to your other comments because it is ideas you have expressed before and I'm sorry, and honestly I am in very different spiritual place than you. I tried to express this idea in this posting this morning: http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.p...ragedy-of-Cinco-de-Mayo&p=2454763#post2454763 We experience Jesus, God, and other icons of religion in radically different ways - this is phenomenology, not dialog. So there is no way we can come to see eye to eye. This afternoon I came with with really wonderful analogy to explain what I mean, but it is too late here for me to write it up properly so it will have to wait for tomorrow. There is just one problem with it. I don't know where to post it . . . It makes an analogy between competing religions and . . . . . Buick Muscle Cars!! :3gears: For tomorrow . . . Edouard :beer
Definitely interesting perspective(s)...so,What do you mean by competing religions? As in Baptist,Lutheran,Catholic,etc...forms of Christianity.....or other religions like Hindu,Buddhism,? I have read opinions that Americans are the most hypocritical as far as Christianity. I went to a Baptist school before public high school,and it sure seems like times have changed. One of the largest churches in the U.S. had a congregation of over 40,000 and an old school black preacher was heard saying "they are very popular, I don't know where they are getting their sermons,but it sure is not out of the Bible". It was quite a few years ago,before the IRS recognized Scientology as a religion. I think EVERYMAN is philosophically speaking ,just one man. Much like a computer reasons,just a bunch of zeros and ones. I can appreciate the fact that I would rather be one of one,rather than none of 40,000. I think this choice,or free will,was one of the most important cornerstones of our society. I think it was originally enacted to create a more just and peaceful comradery among citizens. I definitely would not want anyone to think I am arguing for or against religion with your historical take on Cinco de Mayo. I think it was a pretty cool post,and a different take on the Mexican holiday. I for one,had no idea what the day was about. We only had a few holidays when I was growing up....then it was back to work.
