For All Those Who Do Not Believe In GOD?

Wildest Bill, since I doubt anyone else will realize this, let me be the first (and perhaps only) to say it: you are one sharp fellow. Don’t let anyone tell you what you “should” or “shouldn’t” do … just do what you feel in your heart God is calling you to do and leave the results up to Him.

Be prepared for a lot of blunt cruelty and judgmentalism hurled your way. With some exceptions, the folks on this board seem to take pleasure in not just disagreeing with Christians, but generally ridiculing them and trying to act intellectually superior to them.

I like your style … you state the truth in simple, easy to grasp ways. A lot of people on here won’t like you for that. I’m just warnin’ ya ;). You will meet some exceptions and they are great. There are some who are actually willing to have a normal conversation with you about this stuff. I hope you are able to spend time with them and give them something to think about.

Just a nudge of encouragement from a fellow believer :).

Just for fun. The anti-christ, if he is alive today and a young adult, is probably a decent, ambitious guy with good intentions. But when the 40 days of temptation in the desert comes, the AC cuts a deal with beelzebubba. A good guy with promise, but goes to the darkside

Thanks FriendofGod for those words of encouragement. How long have you been typing around here?

Wildest Bill;

Seriously–a mark on the forehead? Can you honestly concieve of people submitting to such a fashion nightmare? On the right hand, sure, but the forehead? I can only imagine this happeningif the world turned out to be like the sci fi movies of the 50’s predicted.

If you are thinkning, “Ok, so forehead, right hand, it doesn’t matter”, that is (sort of)what I am trying to point out to you. If you haven’t thought about the extreme unlikleihood of people getting their forheads tatooed (human vainty being what it is), maybe you haven’t critically examined your viewpoint.

And, while I know I shouldn’t do this, FoG you once again stun me with your arrogance. Has it occured to you that (some) people are treating you like a thick-skulled idiot because you are acting like one? I admit that when I read a calm and well written post responding to a post of yours (such as those by Dr. Loa) I am envious of the good Dr’s level of self control. When I read your posts, I just want to pull my hair out. Not because of what you are saying about god, but because of your attitude. You come to a board that values FACTS and refuse to have any sort of discussion beyond, “these are my experiences and you would be wise to follow in my footsteps”. Any disagreement is met with the very insulting, “I guess you people just don’t want to believe”. Yeesh. FoG, your behaviour is akin to standing up and down screaming that the sky in Borneo is green today and getting all bent out of shape when people won’t take your word for it.

If you really want to serve your god, take the advise of Tris and Polycarp (for starters).

Have you ever considered that, if you get treated that way, it’s because of something you’re doing?

If Polycarp, tomndebb and Libertarian, at a minimum, are not my intellectual superiors (the breadth of their experience astounds me), I will eat your underwear. And they never fail to be treated with courtesy, with a few rare exceptions.

Yep, trust me–it’s you.

That could describe a lot of historical figures who have come and gone. Why would they go into the desert in the first place?

Originally posted by Lucky

I don’t know lucky maybe the mark will be done in some nice cursive splattered gold color big 666 tattooed on their forehead it might just be the fasion statement that everyone will be going for at the Grammys that year(especially for people like Madonna and people that wear eyebrow rings).
Like I said I don’t exactly what the tatoo or mark will look like. It could be a chip under the skin. I don’t know. But I don’t think you are going to have to much of a choice about it at that time. What I have read there is suppose to be alot of beheadings at that time. So they might say you don’t want this snazzy tattoo on your forhead fine we will just cut your head off instead. See what I mean?

I knew it!

Don’t let Aenea hear you say that, Andros!! :slight_smile:

Sorry, Wildest Bill, but I don’t see what you mean. I know that you take your belief very seriously, but to me it is no more believable than the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Honestly, the more details you provide, the more ridiculous (and comical) the vision I have of this scenario in my head becomes.

Beheading? Isn’t that a little, um, old fashioned? But maybe after the locusts and the raining down of fire it would be a welcome relief.

***Note to self: See if any French guillatine makers are still in business. Invest heavily.

Wildest Bill wrote:

I see what your saying. I did not mean to make fun of Odin(maybe I am still mistaken but thought it was kinda of a fantasy religion kinda like “the force” in Star Wars or something.) And as far as other religions that may or may not be true I wanted to see what they would say if the things in the Bible come to pass also. I also would turn that around if they(other religions have something to warn me about to prove their religion) I would listen to that too.

Please be careful how you label other people’s religion or faith. No one likes to have their religion labeled a fantasy or “make-believe”. Doing so is highly insulting.

As for what would happen should events in Revelations come to pass, as I said before, I’m Wiccan and therefore outside the rules and jurisdiction of the Judeo/Christian god. My gods would protect me from any retribution of the J/C God or his followers.

Other religions generally out there trying to prove themselves to you. This seems to be a major problem with monotheism; either a religion is right or wrong, there’s no other choice. Try understanding that each religion is right for the people that practice it. Xianity is right for you, Wicca is right for me. Saying that Xianity is the only right religion is like saying that 10 - 3 CAN’T equal 7 because 4 + 3 already does. Do you see my point?

Regarding Revelations you said: Just a mere Christian that has read Revelation in the Bible and asked the Holy Spirit too help me understand it. And I ask questions to other Christians I know and respect too.

Glad to hear you’re trying to understand it. The point I’m trying to make is that St. John the Divine wrote and interpreted his vision in terms of his time and place in history. You seem to be ripping it completley out of context and pasting it onto late 20th cent. culture. You need to understand the language and culture of his time before you can start interpreting it for OUR time. I highly recommend a course in sociology and/or anthropology first.

Then regarding interpretation of the J/C Bible, you wrote:
In all due respect how do you know you interpreted right? In otherwords come to the right conclusion. I am not perfect you are not perfect Goboy is not perfect even though he thinks he is.(sorry Goboy I just couldn’t help myself) so your conclusions could be wrong. The Bible is God’s love letter to Christians and the Holy Spirit helps Christians understand what God is telling them. If you are not a Christian the Bible would not make as much sense to you. I never said my viewpoint was superior (matter of fact many of you told me that). I am just a normal guy with a Superior God.

My interpretation of the Bible doesn’t matter, I’m not the one trying to convince people here of its correctness. You on the other hand are trying to do just that but have yet to give any qualifications of your ability to do so.

As for your Superior God, that is the biggest crock of shit I’ve heard since Nixon said “I’m not a crook.” Your superior god put men, women and children to death simply for being in the way of his chosen people. Your superior god drowned the population of the planet for simply not listening to him. Your superior god tortured one of his most devout followers to simply win a bet. Your superior god has the personality of a spoilt brat. Need I go on?

I hope you learned something reading PolyCarp’s comments. You certainly need to.

Lucky,

Wouldn’t hurt to make that investment. It is bizarre and it is going to get more bizarre. Did you know that beheading is becoming more prevalent in the middle east all the time. So it is not that far out there if you think about it. And those middle eastern countries don’t like us much as you well know.

Freyr,

I did read your post but I am hungry and not thinging straight right now. I’ll answer you when I get back. I think you misunderstood me with the comment about Odin being a fantasy religion. I will clear it up then.

Wildbill, I’d like a cite for the increase in the number of beheadings in the Middle East. It’s actually not because I think it unlikely. It’s just that I have a suspicion that you are just repeating something you’ve been told. As you admit to not having read much (besides the Bible) about a topic you feel passionately about, I’m a little hestitant to just take your word on this Middle East bit. I hope you understand.

Of course, an increase in beheadings in the Middle East wouldn’t really mean much one way or the other in terms of this discussion, would it?

This morning there was a knock at my door. When I answered the door I found a well groomed, nicely dressed couple. The man spoke first:

John: “Hi! I’m John, and this is Mary.”
Mary: Hi! We’re here to invite you to come kiss Hank’s ass with us."
Me: “Pardon me?! What are you talking about? Who’s Hank, and why would I want to kiss His ass?”
John: “If you kiss Hank’s ass, He’ll give you a million dollars; and if you don’t, He’ll kick the shit out of you.”
Me: “What? Is this some sort of bizarre mob shake-down?”
John: “Hank is a billionaire philanthropists. Hank built this town. Hank owns this town. He can do whatever he wants, and what He wants is to give you a million dollars, but He can’t until you kiss his ass.”
Me: “That doesn’t make any sense. Why…”
Mary: “Who are you to question Hank’s gift? Don’t you want a million dollars? Isn’t it worth a little kiss on the ass?”
Me: “Well maybe, if it’s legit, but…”
John: “Then come kiss Hank’s ass with us.”
Me: “Do you kiss Hank’s ass often?”
Mary: “Oh yes, all the time…”
Me: “And has He given you a million dollars?”
John: “Well no. You don’t actually get the money until you leave town.”
Me: “So why don’t you just leave town now?”
Mary: “You can’t leave until Hank tells you to, or you don’t get the money, and He kicks the shit out of you.”
Me: “Do you know anyone who kissed Hank’s ass, left town, and got the million dollars?”
John: “My mother kissed Hank’s ass for years. She left town last year, and I’m sure she got the money.”
Me: “Haven’t you talked to her since then?”
John: “Of course not, Hank doesn’t allow it.”
Me: “So what makes you think He’ll actually give you the money if you’ve never talked to anyone who got the money?”
Mary: “Well, he gives you a little bit before you leave. Maybe you’ll get a raise, maybe you’ll win a small lotto, maybe you’ll just find a twenty-dollar bill on the street.”
Me: “What’s that got to do with Hank?”
John: “Hank has certain ‘connections.’”
Me: “I’m sorry, but this sounds like some sort of bizarre con game.”
John: “But it’s a million dollars, can you really take the chance? And remember, if you don’t kiss Hank’s ass He’ll kick the shit of you.”
Me: “Maybe if I could see Hank, talk to Him, get the details straight from him…”
Mary: “No one sees Hank, no one talks to Hank.”
Me: “Then how do you kiss His ass?”
John: “Sometimes we just blow Him a kiss, and think of His ass. Other times we kiss Karl’s ass, and he passes it on.”
Me: “Who’s Karl?”
Mary: “A friend of ours. He’s the one who taught us all about kissing Hank’s ass. All we had to do was take him out to dinner a few times.”
Me: “And you just took his word for it when he said there was a Hank, that Hank wanted you to kiss His ass, and that Hank would reward you?”
John: “Oh no! Karl has a letter he got from Hank years ago explaining the whole thing. Here’s a copy; see for yourself.”

[quote]
From the desk of Karl[ol][li]Kiss Hank’s ass and He’ll give you a million dollars when you leave town.[]Use alcohol in moderation.[]Kick the shit out of people who aren’t like you.[]Eat right.[]Hank dictated this list Himself.[]The moon is made of green cheese.[]Everything Hank says is right.[]Wash your hands after going to the bathroom.[]Don’t use alcohol.[]Eat your wieners on buns, no condiments.[]Kiss Hank’s ass or He’ll kick the shit out of you.[/ol][/li][/quote]
Me: “This appears to be written on Karl’s letterhead.”
Mary: “Hank didn’t have any paper.”
Me: “I have a hunch that if we checked we’d find this is Karl’s handwriting.”
John: “Of course, Hank dictated it.”
Me: “I thought you said no one gets to see Hank?”
Mary: “Not now, but years ago He would talk to some people.”
Me: “I thought you said He was a philanthropist. What sort of philanthropist kicks the shit out of people just because they’re different?”
Mary: “It’s what Hank wants, and Hank’s always right.”
Me: “How do you figure that?”
Mary: “Item 7 says ‘Everything Hank says is right.’ That’s good enough for me!”
Me: “Maybe your friend Karl just made the whole thing up.”
John: “No way! Item 5 says ‘Hank dictated this list himself.’ Besides, item 2 says ‘Use alcohol in moderation,’ Item 4 says ‘Eat right,’ and item 8 says ‘Wash your hands after going to the bathroom.’ Everyone knows those things are right, so the rest must be true, too.”
Me: “But 9 says ‘Don’t use alcohol.’ which doesn’t quite go with item 2, and 6 says ‘The moon is made of green cheese,’ which is just plain wrong.”
John: “There’s no contradiction between 9 and 2, 9 just clarifies 2. As far as 6 goes, you’ve never been to the moon, so you can’t say for sure.”
Me: “Scientists have pretty firmly established that the moon is made of rock…”
Mary: “But they don’t know if the rock came from the Earth, or from out of space, so it could just as easily be green cheese.”
Me: “I’m not really an expert, but I think the theory that the Moon was somehow ‘captured’ by the Earth has been discounted*. Besides, not knowing where the rock came from doesn’t make it cheese.”
John: “Ha! You just admitted that scientists make mistakes, but we know Hank is always right!”
Me: “We do?”
Mary: “Of course we do, Item 5 says so.”
Me: “You’re saying Hank’s always right because the list says so, the list is right because Hank dictated it, and we know that Hank dictated it because the list says so. That’s circular logic, no different than saying ‘Hank’s right because He says He’s right.’”
John: “Now you’re getting it! It’s so rewarding to see someone come around to Hank’s way of thinking.”
Me: “But…oh, never mind. What’s the deal with wieners?”
Mary: {blushes}
John: “Wieners, in buns, no condiments. It’s Hank’s way. Anything else is wrong.”
Me: “What if I don’t have a bun?”
John: “No bun, no wiener. A wiener without a bun is wrong.”
Me: “No relish? No Mustard?”
Mary: She looks positively stricken.
John: {shouting} “There’s no need for such language! Condiments of any kind are wrong!”
Me: “So a big pile of sauerkraut with some wieners chopped up in it would be out of the question?”
Mary: {Sticks her fingers in her ears} “I am not listening to this. La la la, la la, la la la.”
John: “That’s disgusting. Only some sort of evil deviant would eat that…”
Me: “It’s good! I eat it all the time.”
Mary: {Faints}
John: {Catches Mary} “Well, if I’d known you where one of those I wouldn’t have wasted my time. When Hank kicks the shit out of you I’ll be there, counting my money and laughing. I’ll kiss Hank’s ass for you, you bunless cut-wienered kraut-eater.”

With this, John dragged Mary to their waiting car, and sped off.

So who wants to Kiss Hank’s Ass with me?


Yer pal,
Satan

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"Satan is not an unattractive person."-Drain Bead
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I just want to state for the record that non-apocalyptic churches, such as the Roman Catholic Church, teach that this book is basically symbolic of what occurs in a believer’s heart when the Holy Spirit wins it over.

Either a god created the universe or it is a self-replicating, autonomous, asexual, orphan entity which conceived itself out of nowhere.

none of those scenarios are subject to verification, hence, no point in arguing the validity of both schools of thought.

now, to the problem of infinity. if the universe didnt bolt suddendly into existence, if it has been there forever or, if the deity which supossedly created it is eternal in nature, then we hit the wall against the concept of infinity, a term that has so far escaped human comprenhension.

so the question remains: which should we accept as the correct explanation of our origins and that of the universe in which we evolved as a species? it is a pretty arbitrary selection if you ask me, all of the proposed possibilities being equally plausible.

what to do? accept the fact that there are subjects that we are not destined to comprehend, at least for the time being.

Kissing Hank’s Ass is one of the funniest things I’ve ever read. Thanks, Satan.

BTW, Freyr: very good point about things equalling seven.

Satan

:smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

[… standing, clapping enthusiastically …]

Bravo! Bravissimo! Loved it!

Incidentally, I do talk personally with Hank, and frankly, I love kissing His wonderful Ass. I would kiss it gladly day and night for no pay at all. :wink:

[Originally posted by Lucky *

I don’t mind doing the research at all. And I totally understand what you said in the first paragraph. But I don’t think the second paragraph is very fair. So what you are saying that if I can’t offer proof of beheadings in the middle east then I am obviously wrong. And if I can offer proof than it doesn’t matter. See I am in a no win situation. But I like your style so I will provide a cite anyway. http://www.turkey.org .

Um, that’s a link to Turkey’s National Tourist Board Web site. What does it have to do with statistics on beheadings? Besides, as I recall, it’s Saudi Arabia that has public beheadings. I’m certain Turkey does not. It’s a secular society where the Muslim clerics have very little power. Besides, Saudis are Wahabis, a very puritanical denonmination of Islam. The Turks are moderate Sunnis, I think.