Digital_Savior
2005-01-05, 00:40
Demagogue posted a thread, and I spent hours replying to it. Now, it's gone !
So, here is my reply:
------------------------------------
quote:Originally posted by Demagogue:
A Mono-Theistic Religion is one which has only one god. In this there are several flaws.
You forgot to add, "...in my opinion."
quote:Flaw 1: One god cant possibly cover every single thing in the frickin universe...it's just too much
You forgot to add, "...because I can't imagine it. It is too great for me to fathom, since I am not capable of understanding the magnitude of God's abilities and intelligence."
quote:Flaw 2: Many older civilizations that are less materialistic and selfish were pagan, and proud of it.
You forgot to say, "...I only say this because I myself am pagan, and can relate to the emotion of pride in myself. I don't need God."
quote:Flaw 3: Without Pagan people...No Other Religion Would Exist. Paganism was the first type of religion, and i hope it's the last.
You didn't add, "...I am an angsty young person, and have yet to find any meaning in my life. Therefor, no one else can possibly find any meaning in their lives, which must mean that there is no God."
Now, let's review what the word "religion" means.
1. A. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
B. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
2. The life or condition of a person in a religious order.
3. A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
4. A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.
I fail to see how this describes paganism in any fashion, let alone designates it as a religion.
PAGAN - "One who has no religion." http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=paganism
I suggest that you first understand why you choose not to believe in God, so that you can understand why others do.
quote:Flaw 4: Re-read Flaw 3
Re-read all of my answers to your previous flaws.
quote:I think that there should be a new religion.
One which honors ALL gods/goddesses/entities and promotes unity, peace and the occasional anarchist website.
I think there is an over abundance of ignorance bouncing around in your head, and that yours is an all too common ailment among people.
Not only did you just contradict yourself (which I assume was a failed attempt at humor), but you just illuminated one of the more important prophecies concerning the end times.
The nations will cry out for unity, though man is a warring race. Peace cannot be found without God, and this false unity only serves to propel man towards the prophetic One World Order.
Jeremiah 6:14 - "Peace, peace, when there is no peace."
2 Tim 3:1-5 "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power."
Finally, I leave you with a quote from the great writer and pastor, Charles H. Spurgeon:
"Well, now I turn to another class of men. Finding that amusement at last has lost al its zest, having drained the cup of worldly pleasure till they find first satiety, and then disgust lying at the bottom, they want some stronger stimulus, and Satan who has drugged them once, has stronger opiates than mere merriment for the man who chooses to use them. If the frivolity of this world will not suffice to rock a soul to sleep, he hath a yet more hellish cradle for the soul. He will take you up to his own breast, and bid you suck therefrom his own devilish and Satanic nature that you may then be still and calm. I mean that he will lead you to imbibe infidel notions, and when this is fully accomplished, you can have "Peace, peace, when there is no peace." When I hear a man saying, "Well, I am peaceful enough, because I am not fool enough to believe in the existence of a God, or in a world to come, I cannot imagine that this old story book of yours—this Bible—is true," I feel two thoughts within my soul, first, a disgust of the man for his dishonesty, and secondly, a pity for the sad disquietude that needs such dishonesty to cover it. Do not suspect the man of being honest. There are two sorts of infidels, one sort are such fools that they know they never could distinguish themselves by anything that was right, so they try and get a little fictitious glory by pretending to believe and defend a lie. There are another set of men who are unquiet in their consciences; they do not like the Bible because it does not like them; it will not let them be comfortable in their sins, it is such an uneasy book to them; they did put their heads upon it once, but it was like a pillow stuffed with thorns, so they have done with it, and they would be very glad if they could actually prove it to be untrue, which they know they cannot.
God bless these words to you: if they have seemed hard, they were only meant to come home to your conscience; an affectionate heart has led me to utter them. Oh, do not this evil thing. Suck not in these infidel notions; destroy not your soul, for the sake of seeming to be wise, stop not the voice of your conscience by those arguments which you know in your inmost soul are not true, which you only repeat in order to keep up a semblance of consistency." http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0301.htm
[This message has been edited by Digital_Savior (edited 01-05-2005).]
So, here is my reply:
------------------------------------
quote:Originally posted by Demagogue:
A Mono-Theistic Religion is one which has only one god. In this there are several flaws.
You forgot to add, "...in my opinion."
quote:Flaw 1: One god cant possibly cover every single thing in the frickin universe...it's just too much
You forgot to add, "...because I can't imagine it. It is too great for me to fathom, since I am not capable of understanding the magnitude of God's abilities and intelligence."
quote:Flaw 2: Many older civilizations that are less materialistic and selfish were pagan, and proud of it.
You forgot to say, "...I only say this because I myself am pagan, and can relate to the emotion of pride in myself. I don't need God."
quote:Flaw 3: Without Pagan people...No Other Religion Would Exist. Paganism was the first type of religion, and i hope it's the last.
You didn't add, "...I am an angsty young person, and have yet to find any meaning in my life. Therefor, no one else can possibly find any meaning in their lives, which must mean that there is no God."
Now, let's review what the word "religion" means.
1. A. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
B. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
2. The life or condition of a person in a religious order.
3. A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
4. A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.
I fail to see how this describes paganism in any fashion, let alone designates it as a religion.
PAGAN - "One who has no religion." http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=paganism
I suggest that you first understand why you choose not to believe in God, so that you can understand why others do.
quote:Flaw 4: Re-read Flaw 3
Re-read all of my answers to your previous flaws.
quote:I think that there should be a new religion.
One which honors ALL gods/goddesses/entities and promotes unity, peace and the occasional anarchist website.
I think there is an over abundance of ignorance bouncing around in your head, and that yours is an all too common ailment among people.
Not only did you just contradict yourself (which I assume was a failed attempt at humor), but you just illuminated one of the more important prophecies concerning the end times.
The nations will cry out for unity, though man is a warring race. Peace cannot be found without God, and this false unity only serves to propel man towards the prophetic One World Order.
Jeremiah 6:14 - "Peace, peace, when there is no peace."
2 Tim 3:1-5 "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power."
Finally, I leave you with a quote from the great writer and pastor, Charles H. Spurgeon:
"Well, now I turn to another class of men. Finding that amusement at last has lost al its zest, having drained the cup of worldly pleasure till they find first satiety, and then disgust lying at the bottom, they want some stronger stimulus, and Satan who has drugged them once, has stronger opiates than mere merriment for the man who chooses to use them. If the frivolity of this world will not suffice to rock a soul to sleep, he hath a yet more hellish cradle for the soul. He will take you up to his own breast, and bid you suck therefrom his own devilish and Satanic nature that you may then be still and calm. I mean that he will lead you to imbibe infidel notions, and when this is fully accomplished, you can have "Peace, peace, when there is no peace." When I hear a man saying, "Well, I am peaceful enough, because I am not fool enough to believe in the existence of a God, or in a world to come, I cannot imagine that this old story book of yours—this Bible—is true," I feel two thoughts within my soul, first, a disgust of the man for his dishonesty, and secondly, a pity for the sad disquietude that needs such dishonesty to cover it. Do not suspect the man of being honest. There are two sorts of infidels, one sort are such fools that they know they never could distinguish themselves by anything that was right, so they try and get a little fictitious glory by pretending to believe and defend a lie. There are another set of men who are unquiet in their consciences; they do not like the Bible because it does not like them; it will not let them be comfortable in their sins, it is such an uneasy book to them; they did put their heads upon it once, but it was like a pillow stuffed with thorns, so they have done with it, and they would be very glad if they could actually prove it to be untrue, which they know they cannot.
God bless these words to you: if they have seemed hard, they were only meant to come home to your conscience; an affectionate heart has led me to utter them. Oh, do not this evil thing. Suck not in these infidel notions; destroy not your soul, for the sake of seeming to be wise, stop not the voice of your conscience by those arguments which you know in your inmost soul are not true, which you only repeat in order to keep up a semblance of consistency." http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0301.htm
[This message has been edited by Digital_Savior (edited 01-05-2005).]