Why faith is declining in America

The Barbarian

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No, the sons of God (Christians) willfully obey His Scriptural directions because they believe they are right and good.

If you are correct, they only believe because God created them so they have no choice. And those who do not believe do not because God created them to have no choice. Merely highly complicated robots with no blame or praise to be given to them for merely acting as they were programmed.

Your description of Christian believers is inaccurate.

No. Your belief in humans who are created by God without free will is inaccurate. We are like God, knowing good and evil, and responsible for acting accordingly. None of was created for the purpose of being condemned. God is unwilling that any person be lost. Your defense of reprobate unbelievers is telling. It was not God creating them to be evil, but rather their own choices that make them reprobate.
 

Nang

TOL Subscriber
If you are correct, they only believe because God created them so they have no choice. And those who do not believe do not because God created them to have no choice. Merely highly complicated robots with no blame or praise to be given to them for merely acting as they were programmed.



No. Your belief in humans who are created by God without free will is inaccurate. We are like God, knowing good and evil, and responsible for acting accordingly. None of was created for the purpose of being condemned. God is unwilling that any person be lost. Your defense of reprobate unbelievers is telling. It was not God creating them to be evil, but rather their own choices that make them reprobate.

This might surprise you, but even though I am of the Reformed faith ("Calvinist"), I believe God created all mankind possessing a will, and that human will was commanded to be exercised in total subjection and accountability under God's will . . to the glory of God.

But Adam exercised his will in disobedience to God's commands (which revealed to him the will of God), and thus the will of all mankind was brought into total bondage to serving sin and the devil.

Since Adam, not a soul has been born who has had any ability to choose to align their willfulness to God's will. All men, from all time, have only served sin.

The only exception to this truth, was Jesus Christ, who was born a Man, and DID do the will of God, to the glory of God. Doing so, Jesus fulfilled His human responsibility and met all divine accountability before God, by being perfectly obedient to the laws and stated commands of God.

And He did so, on behalf of a people that God has given Him to represent (as the "last Adam"). Jesus Christ chose to do for His people, what they could not and never would not choose to do for themselves.

Only sinners who are anointed and brought to new spiritual life by the Holy Spirit, are able to believe through the gift of faith, in this divine Justification worked on their behalf by Triune God.

These regenerated and justified souls DO choose to believe and live new spiritual lives that align and accord with the will of God . . but only because they are spiritually changed and enabled to do so . . which gives God all the glory as He originally purposed men to achieve and enjoy.

Soli Deo Gloria!
 

Stuu

New member
They say, of course, that dinosaurs (plural) "evolved into" birds (plural). If they imagine they are, in so saying, really uttering a proposition--something that's either true, or false--then they have a burden to try to explain what it is for an individual dinosaur (singular) to "evolve into" an individual bird (singular). For, consider how abjectly stupid someone must be who can, in all seriousness, out of one side of his/her mouth, say "Dinosaurs evolved into birds", and, out of the other side of his/her mouth, say "No dinosaur ever evolved into a bird."
If you take the longer view, birds are therapod dinosaurs. Try looking at chickens as dinosaurs. It tells you a lot about dinosaurs.

Stuart
 

7djengo7

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If you take the longer view, birds are therapod dinosaurs. Try looking at chickens as dinosaurs. It tells you a lot about dinosaurs.

Stuart

According to the irrational view--the Disney view--birds are dinosaurs.

Look at what you're saying when you say "Dinosaurs evolved into birds" AND "Birds are dinosaurs": you're saying "Dinosaurs evolved into [dinosaurs]." So, Professor, since you say that dinosaurs "evolved into" dinosaurs, why don't you tell us which (if any) non-dinosaurs you would say dinosaurs "evolved into"? What (if anything) is your point in telling people that dinosaurs "evolved into" dinosaurs? Why do you imagine it is even the least bit interesting for you to say that dinosaurs "evolved into" dinosaurs? Do you expect applause for saying that? Would you expect applause for saying, of some man or woman, "That human being grew up to be a human being"?

By the way, why, in your reply to my post, did you even bother to quote what I had written in my post, since you utterly failed to address anything I had written in it?

"Try looking at chickens as dinosaurs"??? Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha...

Thanks (but no, thanks) for the invite into your fantastical neighborhood of whimsical make-believe, but why should I "try looking at chickens as" something they are not (and as something only confused people--enemies of logic and rational thinking--could say they are)? I'll continue to look at chickens as what they actually are--that is, as birds, as non-dinosaurs.

Why do you despise God so much that you're willing to say such stupid things as that birds are dinosaurs?
 

Stuu

New member
According to the irrational view--the Disney view--birds are dinosaurs.

Look at what you're saying when you say "Dinosaurs evolved into birds" AND "Birds are dinosaurs": you're saying "Dinosaurs evolved into [dinosaurs]." So, Professor, since you say that dinosaurs "evolved into" dinosaurs, why don't you tell us which (if any) non-dinosaurs you would say dinosaurs "evolved into"? What (if anything) is your point in telling people that dinosaurs "evolved into" dinosaurs? Why do you imagine it is even the least bit interesting for you to say that dinosaurs "evolved into" dinosaurs? Do you expect applause for saying that? Would you expect applause for saying, of some man or woman, "That human being grew up to be a human being"?

By the way, why, in your reply to my post, did you even bother to quote what I had written in my post, since you utterly failed to address anything I had written in it?

"Try looking at chickens as dinosaurs"??? Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha...

Thanks (but no, thanks) for the invite into your fantastical neighborhood of whimsical make-believe, but why should I "try looking at chickens as" something they are not (and as something only confused people--enemies of logic and rational thinking--could say they are)? I'll continue to look at chickens as what they actually are--that is, as birds, as non-dinosaurs.

Why do you despise God so much that you're willing to say such stupid things as that birds are dinosaurs?
It seems that you know everything there is to know on this topic so I will leave you with your superior knowledge.

Stuart
 

Stuu

New member
Why can't you at least try to answer the questions I asked you?
I reject the premise of the question. You have not explained why you think it is unreasonable to assert that birds are dinosaurs: it is the only proper explanation of how birds arose.

But since you have superior knowledge, perhaps you can tell me why I 'despise God so much that [I'm] willing to say such stupid things as that birds are dinosaurs?'. What do you think my motive is? Surely your god doesn't care what I think about phylogeny.

Stuart
 

7djengo7

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I reject the premise of the question.

Which question are you referring to, here? And, what are you saying is "the premise" of it?


You have not explained why you think it is unreasonable to assert that birds are dinosaurs:

It is unreasonable to assert that birds are dinosaurs because it is unreasonable to assert falsehood, and the proposition that birds are dinosaurs is falsehood.

it is the only proper explanation of how birds arose.

The falsehood that birds are dinosaurs is not an explanation of anything, whatsoever.

And, look at what you're saying: since you say that birds are dinosaurs, you're saying

You have not explained why you think it is unreasonable to assert that birds are dinosaurs: it is the only proper explanation of how [dinosaurs] arose.

That some dinosaurs are dinosaurs is an explanation of how some dinosaurs arose??

But since you have superior knowledge,

Why would you say that my knowledge that God exists is superior to your knowledge that God exists, when you and I both know that same truth?

perhaps you can tell me why I 'despise God so much that [I'm] willing to say such stupid things as that birds are dinosaurs?'. What do you think my motive is? Surely your god doesn't care what I think about phylogeny.

Stuart

What do I think your "motive" is? Your motive for what? For despising God? I, frankly, have no idea why you despise God, as despising God is not a rational thing to do. However, that you despise God is your motive for saying such banal, silly things as you're wont to say, in your pathetic attempts to lash out against Him in your hateful anger. Among other things, that you despise God is your motive for, say, writing something such as "Surely your god doesn't care..." rather than "Surely God doesn't care..." Yeah, the devil's in your details.
 

Stuu

New member
Which question are you referring to, here? And, what are you saying is "the premise" of it?




It is unreasonable to assert that birds are dinosaurs because it is unreasonable to assert falsehood, and the proposition that birds are dinosaurs is falsehood.



The falsehood that birds are dinosaurs is not an explanation of anything, whatsoever.

And, look at what you're saying: since you say that birds are dinosaurs, you're saying



That some dinosaurs are dinosaurs is an explanation of how some dinosaurs arose??



Why would you say that my knowledge that God exists is superior to your knowledge that God exists, when you and I both know that same truth?



What do I think your "motive" is? Your motive for what? For despising God? I, frankly, have no idea why you despise God, as despising God is not a rational thing to do. However, that you despise God is your motive for saying such banal, silly things as you're wont to say, in your pathetic attempts to lash out against Him in your hateful anger. Among other things, that you despise God is your motive for, say, writing something such as "Surely your god doesn't care..." rather than "Surely God doesn't care..." Yeah, the devil's in your details.
Sorry I bothered you. Carry on believing whatever you were told.

Stuart
 

7djengo7

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Sorry I bothered you. Carry on believing whatever you were told.

Stuart

Sorry? Why? You haven't bothered me. I'm thankful for the sad, banal posts you've trolled me with, because in them you have well showcased just how mentally incompetent--or dishonest--you are to even try to deal with my criticism of your God-despising irrationality. Thank you, sir!

Carry on mindlessly chanting your meaningless bumper sticker slogans.
 
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