: the body of real things, events, and facts : actuality
also : the real facts about something
: the state of being the case : fact
2 a : the property (as of a statement) of being in accord with fact or reality
okay, we got defintions of truth. Now generally, what do you need for something to be considered true? You guessed it. EVIDENCE.
So, prove it. Prove this holy god and savior exists with concrete, tangible, and verifiable evidence.
Haters of God
That ain’t god-hating, it’s doubt.
“blessed is the mind too small for doubt” - Emperor of Mankind(debatable)?
“Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed.” - Jesus
alright, we got some quotes here responding to doubt. But is that really a valid response?
“Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed” is just one of many manifestations in the NT of contempt for “mere human reason” and claiming that un-credulous acceptance of religious dogma is somehow a virtue or substantively different from un-credulous acceptance of any random assertion.
Interestingly when these words were put into Jesus’ mouth it was in the context of Thomas’ skepticism that this was really Jesus risen from the dead. Despite what he said, Jesus was gracious enough to show Thomas his wounds, including the fatal spear wound in his side, and let Thomas touch them. He was saying that while Thomas was to be commended for believing, it’s even more commendable to believe without the evidence of your five senses. Not really that Thomas’ doubt was inherently bad or something. The “doubting Thomas” label is something Christians have since added to their folklore, so that they can feel superior to him for believing without seeing.
Elsewhere you have the tale of the father of the demon-possessed boy – before casting the demon out, Jesus asks the father if he believes; he says, “I believe; help me [in] my unbelief”. He wanted to believe, maybe believed to an extent, but had doubts and understood this might get in the way of the desired healing. The episode intended to encourage honesty about same and to suggest that god’s grace could overcome imperfect belief.
So I think the scriptures aren’t all black-and-white in this regard. Still, they basically tell you to override the evidence of your eyes and ears and believe anyway.
Not coincidentally, this is the insight George Orwell had in his novel 1984 – that the regime’s “last and most essential command” was to disbelieve your eyes and ears in preference to not just the propaganda, but the propaganda of the moment. We see this in the US now when the Trump regime says the video – some of which they provided from the murderer’s own phone – shows something the opposite of what it shows, that Renee Good was putting the agent in danger, doing something not just wrong but worthy of extra-judicial death.
I think religion primes people to discount their own mind in favor of the hive mind. With some folks this works quite well; they even welcome it.
I am mystified. Why do you seek to save the souls of those who know your religious beliefs are a sham? Like Ron Reagan of FFRF fame has said: “Not afraid of burning in Hell!” Maybe someday you will wake up and understand what we already know. Perhaps I should pray for you. But then, I already know that such a prayer will go unanswered. I just think you will find greater comfort in consulting a Christian website rather than this one. If you’ve already found “the light,” why do you seek out darkness?
Hope they are dark chocolate and also sugar free! I like Voortman’s fudge brownie chocolate chip zero sugar cookies. I’m a diabetic so hey, what can I say.
Man I wish a sugar high felt that good for me but one thing I have noticed is that when my blood sugar has been suppressed to what has come to be regarded as normal levels, I feel hangry, tired and out of sorts so I know that when I feel pretty good my blood sugar is out of control.
All I do is fight negative feedback loops all day. Is there a food I enjoy? Don’t eat it. Do I feel crashy and weird? Don’t do anything about it. Maybe even make it worse, depending on what The Oracle (my glucose meter) says.
My older brother (10 years ahead of me) ignored this and is missing half of one of his feet and what’s left of it is always in need of debridement. So I’m determined to avoid that fate. I guess.
I know the feeling your brother has! I lost all but the two small toes on my right foot so taking insulin and watching my blood sugar is not an option. Folks, do mind the amount of sugar you take in, your very life could depend on it! Actually, sugar has ZERO nutritional value to the human body and can be as addictive as cocaine if you abuse the privilege. If I’d have known that back when I was a kid, I would never have pounded down all those cookies and candy. Just a heads up FYI.
Sometimes they’re budgies with altered colour palettes, at other times I fire up Eastern Rosellas, but with Belgian chocolate I go full bore LSD trip psychedelic macaws that speak unusual languages.
What’s now amusing me, is the fact that my budgie hallucinations are proving to be more popular than the mythology fanboy’s sanctimonious panhandling.
well, Calli, if you came over to Australia and I took you on a short drive (13 hours) to the North of our State you could experience what I experienced when I travelled regularly up that way.
As I left Carnarvon thousands of short billed corellas were gathered to raid the fruit crops llol…and many hours North (Near Whim Creek) there is a waterhole that I visited to witness hundreds and thousands of Budgerigars (parakeets to you septics) of all colours swooping diving back to only watering place for hundreds of miles until the Wet. It was surreal and the noise actually hurt.
Sadly I lost my film of that and other singular experiences one only gets in Remote Western Australia…
Reality trumps those dreams every time. But I am glad you hallucinate those lovely birds, more fun than sparrows…
2000 k in any direction from their habitat…I am very relieved to say…Aus is a BIG place.
I fairness I assume you mean the Sydney Funnel web…ataxa? Funnel webs are found most places in Aus but most just don’t bother people. The Sydney Funnel web is because the male wanders around in search of a mate…and woe betide anyone who gets in their way. Right bastards.
We have a recently discovered, even more venomous Funnel Web in the North of WA, but she lives a long way away!
I did have an 8" dia (Sideplate sized) Huntsman spidey, Nigel, who shared my shack in the hills, I fed him mince, mice, cockroaches if he looked hungry and in return he kept my place clear of nasty spideys, unpleasant juvenile snakes, mossies, and anything up to the size of an adult mouse…He had the occasional unsettling effect on random visitors when he popped up to say hello and join in the convo.
Hunstmen and Wolf spideys can bite but are not venomous. They are our friends.
For a while there I was somewhat scared, as the word I have highlighted was registered in my brain as “moose”. I didn’t react at first, because I know aussie spiders are nasty and can take down whatever prey. It wasn’t until I realised that you don’t have moose in Australia that I reconsidered and had to read it again. Mouse. Not moose.
I got over my fear of spiders when I handled Rosie, the rose colored tarantula at The Butterfly Pavilion here in Denver Colorado. She was a real sweetheart, didn’t bite and left me a souvenir of her webbing on my hand. Now I have fun handling common house spiders and jumping spiders around my apartment. I love em!
