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DarkMage35
2005-02-14, 06:29
I only have significant knowledge of christianity and satanism, so Ill keep this to what I know.

Satanism starts with the presupposition that man is just another animal. I know this is hypocritical because of the next thing Im going to say, but I dont feel like going into possible proofs for this.

Christianity starts with the presupposition that the bible is god's word, that it is true, and should be taken without question (aside from translation issues from the original). My questions are, is there any proof for such a claim? CAN there be any proof for such a claim?

Also, what are presuppositions that other religions have?

inquisitor_11
2005-02-14, 07:19
Looks like you don't know christianity all that well. The presupposition you mention there is fairly recent development- yes there have been similar notion s around for a while, but such a view as you express only really developed in the past couplle hundred years. Even then it hasn't had the same popularity as its gained in the later half of this century, to the point where it has devoured truely evangelical christian thought and theology.

</rant>

Tyrant
2005-02-14, 17:18
Well, Islam and Judaism pretty much say the same thing about their respective interpretations of God, adding to Islam the Shahadah ('There is no God but God, and Muhammed is his prophet').

Eastern religions like Hinduism and Buddhism, seeing as they have ultimately the same root, proclaim that the physical world in which we live is an illusion, a cycle of Becoming that will always decay and die. Hinduism says to play your part in it, by adhering to rites and taboos rooted in spiritual philosophy, as all will be reborn again. Buddhism seeks to release an individual from that cycle by severing attachments - not necessarily in the ascetic connotation of severing, but more of a detached observer sense.

Jainism has the same idea of limitless deaths and resurrections. However, their exclusive pathway to abandon it is to make vows to never harm life. This is done in an effort to reduce the amount of karma that keeps the soul (jiva) attached to matter (ajiva), in an attempt to separate the two.

Sikhism has the same kind of infallibility creed that Christianity has grown accustomed to, but with the Adi Granth rather than the Bible.

Real pagans have nothing like that.

Taoism has the same belief of physical life that Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism have, but doesn't have any strict dogma by which to adhere, anyway.

Illegitimate pagans (Wiccans) have a really gay and earthly pacifism because most of them are women.

And that's all I can think of right now, because I don't really know enough about different African, Native American, or other aboriginal-type faiths to comment on, but chances are they have few perceptions of objective ideas.

Hexadecimal
2005-02-14, 19:16
"Illegitimate pagans (Wiccans) have a really gay and earthly pacifism because most of them are women."

This isn't the funniest thing I've heard Tyrant say...but it's oddly enough, true.

DarkMage35
2005-02-15, 05:51
iquisitor_11, I wasnt talking about christianity's history. I was talking about how it is today.

This is good info, but it fails to answer the two questions concerning christianity's presuppositions.

Tyrant
2005-02-15, 06:07
Hexadecimal:

You were keeping tabs on funny things I say? Between this and deptstoremook's gold star, I'm quite honored.

Out of curiosity, what was the funniest thing I said?

DarkMage35:

Sorry I left that out.

In the world of Tradition, there was no authority if there wasn't a divine presence. The existence of "God" (specific to each Golden Age culture), especially an active form of it in a human being, was what gave him his command.

As far as Christianity is concerned, since, at its inception, it has separated its doctrine from the experience that necessitated its formation in the first place, I would answer that:

1. No; as far as Christianity is concerned, there is no proof to this claim.

2. Yes; there can be proof to this claim, but not in today's world.

-*

inquisitor_11
2005-02-15, 13:14
quote:Originally posted by DarkMage35:

iquisitor_11, I wasnt talking about christianity's history. I was talking about how it is today.

This is good info, but it fails to answer the two questions concerning christianity's presuppositions.

Then it is probably important to make a distinction between the dominant form of contemporary christianity in the USA, and what christianity is actually all about.. IMO.

Why? Because the presuppositions that you see as a basis for all christian thought is in fact not at all one of the basic christian presuppositions. A more useful presupposition might be the age old creed that "Jesus is Lord" or that "Jesus was and is the Christ" etc etc. Such statements are held my bar more christians, bith now and in history than the doctrine of biblical infallibilty