I come seeking truth.

[Egbert]

Religious and political indoctrination routinely downplay the complexities of their respective issues. In everyday life I am often surrounded by oversimplified viewpoints; here I hope to have some richer discussions and appreciate the diversity of the arguments.

The basics: I am an 18-year-old guy from the midwest. Currently I am a somewhat skeptical Christian with some unconventional views, a classic liberal and a fiscal conservative. During the past year, I have developed my religious and political views a lot, though I have raised more questions than I have answered. I hope to reach more conclusions throughout debate, study and thought.

 

[bucksplasher]

Welcome

Welcome

This could be the place for you. Give us a try. tWINs

 

[Stripe]

Hiya, Egbert

 

[Jefferson]

Welcome to TOL. :wave:

 

[chrysostom]

How will you recognize the truth?

 

[keypurr]

Religious and political indoctrination routinely downplay the complexities of their respective issues. In everyday life I am often surrounded by oversimplified viewpoints; here I hope to have some richer discussions and appreciate the diversity of the arguments.

The basics: I am an 18-year-old guy from the midwest. Currently I am a somewhat skeptical Christian with some unconventional views, a social liberal and a fiscal conservative. During the past year, I have developed my religious and political views a lot, though I have raised more questions than I have answered. I hope to reach more conclusions throughout debate, study and thought.

Welcome friend, I was like you at that age. Here on TOL you will find a lot of views on religion. You must seek for yourself and find what you consider a reasonable view to accept. Truth can be very elusive, but it is there for the finding. Keep your mind open and learn.
God Bless

 

[Egbert]

How will you recognize the truth?

I don't know; that's the hard part. I can usually get by just mulling over the things I read/hear. If they seem to make sense (and in some cases, fit the statistics), I tend to accept them.

Welcome friend, I was like you at that age. Here on TOL you will find a lot of views on religion. You must seek for yourself and find what you consider a reasonable view to accept. Truth can be very elusive, but it is there for the finding. Keep your mind open and learn.
God Bless

Thanks for the welcome. I intend to do just that.

 

[Aimiel]

Welcome, indeed. Hope you'll stick around, even if it gets kinda' crazy in here once in a while. I pray that the more you find out about God that you'll continually discover that there is so much about Him that you don't know, that your eternal curiosity will be awakened by His perpetual game. He just loves to play hide-n-seek. Will you seek Him enough to actually find Him?

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

 

[Town Heretic]

Religious and political indoctrination routinely downplay the complexities of their respective issues. In everyday life I am often surrounded by oversimplified viewpoints;

That's bad. lain:

here I hope to have some richer discussions and appreciate the diversity of the arguments.

Ah, an optimist.

The basics: I am an 18-year-old guy from the midwest. Currently I am a somewhat skeptical Christian

Skeptical in the treatment of various claims regarding particular theological truth within the Body OR are you just into giving yourself a hard time? :think:

with some unconventional views, a social liberal and a fiscal conservative.

So you believe in helping people as long as someone else pays for it? :idunno:

During the past year, I have developed my religious and political views a lot, though I have raised more questions than I have answered.

Then you're probably asking the right sort of questions...

I hope to reach more conclusions throughout debate, study and thought.

A noble enough goal. You're ahead of my curve at your age. At eighteen theology seemed to me a house of mirrors constructed by a series of drunken carpenters to distract attention from an even less comprehendible neighborhood.

Welcome. :e4e:

 

[Egbert]

Ah, an optimist.

More of a realist, actually (often called a pessimist by optimists). I read this forum a bit before joining, and I think my chances are pretty good.

Skeptical in the treatment of various claims regarding particular theological truth within the Body OR are you just into giving yourself a hard time? :think:

The former, though in some other areas I practice the latter as well.

So you believe in helping people as long as someone else pays for it? :idunno:

Oh, my mistake. I should have said classic liberal, since "social liberal" has a definition beyond a distinction from the "fiscal" arena.

At eighteen theology seemed to me a house of mirrors constructed by a series of drunken carpenters to distract attention from an even less comprehendible neighborhood.

And how does it seem to you now?

 

[SaulToPaul 2]

Were you a part of Siskel & Egbert?

 

[bucksplasher]

Good Question

Good Question

More of a realist, actually (often called a pessimist by optimists). I read this forum a bit before joining, and I think my chances are pretty good.



The former, though in some other areas I practice the latter as well.



Oh, my mistake. I should have said classic liberal, since "social liberal" has a definition beyond a distinction from the "fiscal" arena.



And how does it seem to you now?

and I think many await the answer. tWINs

 

[Egbert]

Were you a part of Siskel & Egbert?

My name is far older than that.

 

[Egbert]

and I think many await the answer. tWINs

To that last question, you mean?

 

[bucksplasher]

Town Heretic

Town Heretic

To that last question, you mean?

's answer is what I'm waiting for. I'm sure it's been posted in various places but a nice concise summation of his beliefs would be helpful to me and maybe others. tWINs

 

[Egbert]

's answer is what I'm waiting for. I'm sure it's been posted in various places but a nice concise summation of his beliefs would be helpful to me and maybe others. tWINs

Hmm, I see.
A place for such a summation in the profile page might be handy. As it is I can see how things can get convoluted in this sprawling forum.
(Maybe it's not a big place compared to the average, but it's about the three times the size of any forum I have joined previously.)

 

[bucksplasher]

Historic

Historic

Hmm, I see.
A place for such a summation in the profile page might be handy. As it is I can see how things can get convoluted in this sprawling forum.
(Maybe it's not a big place compared to the average, but it's about the three times the size of any forum I have joined previously.)

I think you can go back to the beginning and all posts are here.

We keep recycling old arguments on new threads but maybe that's the way of the world. Out with the old in with the new. tWINs

 

[Egbert]

We keep recycling old arguments on new threads but maybe that's the way of the world.

Are you able to search the forum to see if certain topics were already brought up? It doesn't look like I can (I would prefer to before starting a thread on something), but I was wondering if that is just a privilege that is granted after some number of posts or days as a member.

 

[Mysterion]

Currently I am a somewhat skeptical Christian with some unconventional views . . . I hope to reach more conclusions throughout debate, study and thought.

I can answer just about anything you'd like to know about Judeo-Christian origins from a non-theist perspective. Most of my work deals with syncretistic developments that molded the religion over time--including key influences from various cultures, traditions, religions, philosophies, mythologies, etc., spanning from Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt on up through to the Hellenistic Age.

 

[Egbert]

I can answer just about anything you'd like to know about Judeo-Christian origins from a non-theist perspective. Most of my work deals with syncretistic developments that molded the religion over time--including key influences from various cultures, traditions, religions, philosophies, mythologies, etc., spanning from Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt on up through to the Hellenistic Age.

Excellent! Thanks. Do you know any of the original languages (Hebrew, ancient Greek, Latin)?