Ereverend saying hi

[Ereverend]

Hi to all

I am quite happy to call myself an agnostic, even though it feels a bit of a cop-out. I have been a practicing Christian (Protestant and Catholic) for many years, and grew up in a very devout household.

But these last few years I have moved very far away from my faith. I have studied more theology and apologetics than I have studied my chosen profession (law), and far from it helping me into a stronger relationship with God it made me move further away. I simply have too many questions that simply cannot be resolved, even after very detailed reading and research. Some of the suggested answers just seem so contrived and fanciful.

That said, I continue to read on both sides of the proverbial fence, and I retain an open mind. As my journey has shown me, today's certainty may be tomorrow's doubt. The loss of my faith was one of the most painful experiences in my life, but I have vowed to myself to always do this trip with integrity and brutal honesty.

I hope to learn a lot more here.

:cheers:

 

[chickenman]

Welcome to TOL, ereverend.

If you'd like to toss out your unanswered questions here, a lot of people would like to take a stab at them. I supposed it's not too likely that the answer attempts will help, but it's worth a shot.

Thanks,
Randy :chicken:

 

[TomO]

Welcome to TOL, ereverend.

If you'd like to toss out your unanswered questions here, a lot of people would like to take a stab at them. I supposed it's not too likely that the answer attempts will help, but it's worth a shot.

Thanks,
Randy :chicken:

.....and besides the literary chaos which would ensue is always very entertaining. :chuckle:

 

[chickenman]

Ereverend saying hi

.....and besides the literary chaos which would ensue is always very entertaining. :chuckle:

:chuckle: No doubt about that!

 

[Stripe]

Hi to all

Hi. :wave:

Why are you a lawyer?

 

[alwight]

But these last few years I have moved very far away from my faith. I have studied more theology and apologetics than I have studied my chosen profession (law), and far from it helping me into a stronger relationship with God it made me move further away. I simply have too many questions that simply cannot be resolved, even after very detailed reading and research. Some of the suggested answers just seem so contrived and fanciful.

Hi Ereverend,

I’ve never had a faith to lose and I don’t want one either.
:cheers:

 

[chrysostom]

you are either looking for a way out
or
for a way to get back in

either way you will find what you are looking for right here at TOL

welcome

 

[fool]

Yo.

 

[godrulz]

Revelation>reason. The Bible, the Word of God, is the authority with the answers you need (as good as some apologetic books are). You must dismiss the Bible, not just contrived books.

You have the issue of worldview and explanation for creation (creation--->Creator).

The person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ is another barrier you must overcome. Who do you say Jesus is? Where did you get those ideas? Have you considered what He said about Himself?

Is your issue truly intellectual (Christianity is rooted in space-time history and intellectually defensible) or is it moral (Ps. 14:1 moral vs intellectual fool/dolt)? If true, are you willing to submit to a holy God as Boss rather than living for King Self? Some atheists don't like the idea of God as Judge, so it is easier to rationalize Him away than to change their selfish lives to an unselfish stance. He came to us in Christ, but too many love darkness and refuse to come to Him to have life.

We want to see in order to believe. John/Jesus say to believe that you may see. You have enough light to believe and will get more once you surrender to Him.

Genesis 1:1
Jn. 3:16 vs Jn. 3:36
Rom. 1:16
I Jn. 5:11-13
I Cor. 1-2 also deals with the vain philosophies of the world vs His truth/gospel.

His Word is truth whether you believe it or not. The Father wants you to come home. Honest doubters like Thomas are given more evidence. Dishonest skeptics, like the Pharisees, are not given more light lest they be condemned further.

Rom. 1 God has made it plain and we are without excuse if we suppress truth by our sin.

 

[kmoney]

I have studied more theology and apologetics than I have studied my chosen profession (law), and far from it helping me into a stronger relationship with God it made me move further away. I simply have too many questions that simply cannot be resolved, even after very detailed reading and research. Some of the suggested answers just seem so contrived and fanciful.



__________________
Replica Handbags
Replica Watches
Replica Handbags

No one is going to buy your stupid handbags.

:wave2:

:mock: lehua

 

[zippy2006]

Hi to all

I am quite happy to call myself an agnostic, even though it feels a bit of a cop-out. I have been a practicing Christian (Protestant and Catholic) for many years, and grew up in a very devout household.

But these last few years I have moved very far away from my faith. I have studied more theology and apologetics than I have studied my chosen profession (law), and far from it helping me into a stronger relationship with God it made me move further away. I simply have too many questions that simply cannot be resolved, even after very detailed reading and research. Some of the suggested answers just seem so contrived and fanciful.

That said, I continue to read on both sides of the proverbial fence, and I retain an open mind. As my journey has shown me, today's certainty may be tomorrow's doubt. The loss of my faith was one of the most painful experiences in my life, but I have vowed to myself to always do this trip with integrity and brutal honesty.

I hope to learn a lot more here.

:cheers:

:wave2: Welcome!

to answers: :cheers:

 

[Stripe]

No one is going to buy your stupid handbags.

:wave2:

:mock: lehua

Says who?

Alate has three already! :chuckle:

 

[kmoney]

Says who?

Alate has three already! :chuckle:

:shocked:

:chuckle:

 

[Town Heretic]

I am quite happy to call myself an agnostic,

Why on earth would that give you any sort of satisfaction?

I have been a practicing Christian (Protestant and Catholic) for many years, and grew up in a very devout household.

You mean you were, surely...:think:...so much for the "makes perfect" argument then.

But these last few years I have moved very far away from my faith.

Seems more like you moved the nature of your faith.

I have studied more theology and apologetics than I have studied my chosen profession (law),

Are you in school or in practice? Just a point of curiosity, being on sabbatical from doing that very thing for a number of years. If in practice what particular?

and far from it helping me into a stronger relationship with God it made me move further away.

Come now, we've a reputation for critical thinking to uphold regardless of our conclusions. Take responsibility for your own. Given Aquinas and Merton and Lewis and any number of well read men of God have drawn nearer through contemplation and study, you cannot reasonably suggest the change was found in that course, but rather in your response to it.

The question then becomes why.

I simply have too many questions that simply cannot be resolved,

Such as?

even after very detailed reading and research. Some of the suggested answers just seem so contrived and fanciful.

Whenever someone uses words like contrived and fanciful I'm inclined to begin a good squint. That is, I've wrestled with atheists before who when presented with an argument of intellectual integrity decided to declare the matter exactly as you did then. It's a lazy bit of response and a poor conclusion. Either an answer can be confounded and rejected as insufficient or it can't.

That said, I continue to read on both sides of the proverbial fence, and I retain an open mind.

I've heard that before as well, shortly before being told by the person writing it "The assumption I make is that there is no God." An open mind for what and to what? The fanciful and contrived? What, apart from being itself, can't be described in that manner?

As my journey has shown me, today's certainty may be tomorrow's doubt.

How sure of that are you? And will you be tomorrow? lain: We differ. I believe constants of all sorts are as permanent as our will. Doubt, as I'm want to put it, isn't a cold you catch. It's a thing you begin and/or entertain for your own purpose.

The loss of my faith was one of the most painful experiences in my life, but I have vowed to myself to always do this trip with integrity and brutal honesty.

Brutal honesty? There's a conclusion in search of its argument. You didn't lose your faith, you willfully set about to end it. Again, the question that is of moment and interest is why. What was it that you wanted more than that faith? What did you reserve against it?

I hope to learn a lot more here.

Welcome. :e4e:

 

[Ktoyou]

No one is going to buy your stupid handbags.

:wave2:

:mock: lehua

:wazzup:

Good call, perhaps this is the new improved no-handbag-seller persona.:rotfl:

 

[Internet Ministry]

Hi, at least you’re probably being honest calling yourself agnostic which I respect and this is what I’d say to an atheist and God willing, it might help you off the agnostic fence?
Why do you not believe in God? Why do you call yourself an Atheist when You can't prove God does not exist either? Why do you like the taste of Pepsi? Why do you not like the taste of Pepsi? Who cares? Believers cannot prove the existence of God any more than Science can prove God doesn't exist or can prove the big bang theory or any other theories of how mankind was created. That's why it's called a "theory" because theories cannot be proven either unless/until they are proven.
So perhaps a better question is: why bother exploring why people in God if you have made up your mind that God doesn't exist? You can't even prove why You exist nor can you prove the theory of Atheism. Therefore You don't have a clue about neither God nor Atheism.

But perhaps you’re exploring this forum because you're not truly an atheist either and so you're naturally trying to find out which "theory" is best for You to believe? If so, then you shouldn't be asking this forum. If you want to know if God exists, then you have to ask God. That's the way it works and you're in luck too because your options are simple. It's either True or False that God exists. Which means:
1. False; if God doesn't exist, then you will die an Atheist.
2. True; if God does exist, then you will die an Atheist and then be resurrected and suffer God's wrath for eternity.

Your choice. . . . tick . . . tick . . . tick . . .