So, why are you here? You are an atheist on a theology forum. There are thousands of forums dedicated to all sorts of topics. Why would you want to invest time in a forum who's principle stated purpose of existence is knowledge of a God you do not believe exists?
There could be numerous reasons why an atheist would be on a theology forum. Is theology a realm of discussion reserved only for those who believe in a form of theism? My personal belief system is atheism with a slight lean toward deism, but there was no deist option to choose when labeling ourselves in our profile, so I had to choose atheism. But even as an atheist, I enjoy discussion about theology because of my educational and life background, even for the pure sake of interesting and deep discussion. Couldn't that be reason enough to be a part of this forum?
Also, just as you as a Christian feel you are doing a service for the world by proselytizing, I also feel I am doing something good for the world and good for individuals if I were somehow able to help someone give up religious viewpoints. From my personal experience, I do believe a life without religion is a better life than a religious (or faith-based, or relationship-with-Jesus based) life. Just as I would expect you to share a message that you feel would save someone's soul from eternal damnation, you should expect me to share a message that I feel saves a person from missing out on important aspects in the one life they have. That's why I'm here.
Again, we'll see. But you will have to concede there is no reason for anyone to necessarily believe you.
I don't concede that at all. If I had told you that I was a lost sinner, and had accepted the free gift of salvation offered through faith in Christ, and then later attended seminary and graduated, and now work as a minister, you would probably believe me without much question. But because you are biased against someone having the opposite experience, you choose not to believe me. I have given you no reason to doubt the very simple biographical information I have supplied. You doubt my testimony out of stubbornness, unless you just are that paranoid about everybody.
Dude, you brought it all into the conversation. Once you introduce the info it becomes reasonable fodder for conversation. As for anonymity, the name of the seminary you say you went to is a secret because it could reveal you to the world? Srsly? I went to Ohio State University directly after graduating from high school. Good luck figuring out my name.
But I already answered when someone asked me what seminary I went to that I went to a Southern Baptist seminary. That should tell you enough. Why would you insist on what seminary in particular? Seriously, why do you want to know. Give me a good reason and I will tell you which one, I suppose, but I don't see how it changes anything. Even if I tell you what seminary I went to, it doesn't tell you much about my prior theological belief system, since there is a mixture of theological bents among students at every SBC seminary. At my school, there were Arminians, Calvinists, dispensationalists, a smattering of KJV-onlyers (although very few people took them seriously), and a host of other various theological positions. But since you know I went to an SBC seminary, you can bet that I was not a believer in paedobaptism, was a believer in ordinances rather than sacraments, and on and on.
I mean how much particular detail do you want to know about my life which would convince you I have been truthful about my history? My guess is no amount would convince you, because you seem biased against believing me to begin with.
Why would anyone here ask where you went to seminary?
Well, then we have shorthand for which of the 30k belief systems you were taught. I have no idea why you brought it up in the first place.
Because this is an introduction forum? So why wouldn't I give some detail about my life and my own testimony of how I went from Point A to Point B?
Or said any of what you said. Or mentioned a wife. Except you seem to want to present some picture of yourself to us.
I don't have a wife. Not sure where you got that from. And you really don't understand why I want to present a picture of myself in an introduction thread on this forum?
It's clear to me that you are treating me differently, and with a lot more suspicion and tacit rudeness, than you treat people who give a testimony of themselves of how they became a believer. You don't question their background, or insinuate they are lying or playing a game. You just accept their word at face value. For example,
here. In that thread, Biblebeliever2007 gives his testimony, and instead of questioning his testimony like you have mine, you accept what he says as truthful. Why is that? I know his belief system matches yours more than mine does, of course, but why automatically assume the life story I presented to you is a lie, or a bluff in a poker game? I think you should ask yourself that question, and reconsider whether you treat people fairly.
I already know you are playing a game and I am not at all interested at this point.
Oh do you? Since I am not playing any kind of game, and have been straightforward throughout this thread, I guess that tells me something about how wrong your conclusions are, not just about me, but about other things as well.
You don't get it. I was trying, with my first questions, to simply verify you were a believer who lost his belief. You haven't said one thing to make me believe that's true.
I've said plenty to verify my story, but you refuse to accept anything I say. Let's be very straightforward here, what
exactly could I tell you or demonstrate to you to verify my story to you? I almost don't think it's worth it to entertain your tests, since there is no reason for you to doubt my statements as true on face value, and since you don't fairly administer verification tests to everyone who posts on this forum, as I have shown in the way you have responded to Christians who introduce themselves here, but maybe I will try to meet your unreasonable tests if you can tell me exactly what it would take. My guess, there is nothing, even if you met me in person, that could convince you.
You trotted your identity out here on our stage like a character description in a stage play. And you made something of a meal out of it.
On "our" stage? I am a new member, but I am a member. It's all of our stage now, and I didn't "trot my identity out like a character," I introduced myself, and gave my testimony. But because I'm not a believer like you, you didn't like my testimony, and attacked me for it.
you seem to not like how I introduced myself. You wanted me to just say hi, I am looking for good discussions, and then didn't want me to say anything else about myself? Well I'm so sorry, but not everyone will introduce themselves the way that best fits your desires. And even if I hadn't included my former Christian identity and seminary background in my introduction thread, it would probably have come out in some other thread, and there we would be right back to where we are now, with you calling me a liar and a bluffer, and refusing to believe me.
"Background checking?" LOL! Yer paranoid son. If I wanted to check you out, I'd ask one of the PTB to run your IP against the member list.
I don't know how you have been checking my background, but you are the one in this thread who said this: "I can be wrong. I am, in fact, trying to verify that he is exactly what he says he is. So far, not having much luck. I believe TH has been doing the same thing."
So it's not paranoia. You actually said you were doing that. I don't even care that you are trying to verify I am exactly what I say I am, other than you are wasting your time and would have saved yourself effort by believing me in the first place.
You are suspicious because so far you have behaved like a fox in sheep's clothing ...
I simply have not. Seems clear to me, and I would bet others who read this thread, that you are the one who seems highly paranoid here. So much that you think we are playing a poker game and I am trying to bluff you. You, sir, are extremely paranoid.
Or abandon this attempt by citing how unwelcome you feel, pretend to walk off in a huff, and come back under a new name with a better story now that you know what your errors were.
Why would I do that? You seem to almost want me to get mad at you and walk off in a huff. Is that
your game? It's almost as if you are aching to try to push some button of mine. It's nearly entertaining to watch you. I did not expect this in a simple introduction thread. It was never my game to try to push your buttons, but your staunch refusal to believe anything I've said about myself is amusing. You seem to have created the very game you thought I was trying to play on you, and you fell right into your own game, and it
has indeed amused me, even though that was never my aim.
So how about stop all this misdirecting obfuscating and just respond to the questions you were asked at the beginning?
For anyone who cares to go back and check, I attempted to address all questions that were asked of me from the beginning of this thread. I know I may have missed some, but not because I was trying to misdirect or obfuscate. Simply because I chose to spend the time I had to reply on the forum to you and TH and others who wanted to label me a liar. There was no misdirection on my part at all, and if there is a specific question you have of me, simply ask it, and I will answer you.
