Why Do Theists....

[nailit]

think that unbelievers are unbelievers by choice?

[nailit]

//At this point Theland will explain the differences//
He wont....

[naomi24]

Haaaa! I knew someone would say it. :o)

[nailit]

Theland to naomi
//If you don't know then your professed years of religious studies have taught you nothing//

I think that they may have taught her more than you.

[nailit]

//Haaaa! I knew someone would say it. :o)//
A true prophetess naomi ;-)

[naomi24]

Some things I just .... know .... nailit. ;o)

[andy-hughes]

// Some things I just .... know .... nailit. ;o) //

She really does nailit, i can vouch for that!!

She even knows which books I have and haven't read!!

It's amazing!!!!!

[naomi24]

//She even knows which books I have and haven't read!! //

Well, that's not entirely true. It's just the one.

[andy-hughes]

naomi - // //She even knows which books I have and haven't read!! //

Well, that's not entirely true. It's just the one. //

I stand corrected.

I was just having a bit of a laugh at your expense - I am sure like me you have no desire to revisit our extended exchange of a few days ago.

I am equally sure I can rely on you to accede to my request not to print untrue assertions about my reading history, and we can both move on.

[naomi24]

AH. I don't believe you've read the bible. That's true.

[tomus42]

tomus // Because that's their narrative. God is there for everyone if they will choose to believe. Some people choose to reject him by not believing.//

Atheist // tomus, what do you mean? //

Sorry I only just saw this. It's just that's what the Christian narrative is. If you haven't made a conscious decision to believe then you are rejecting god.

It's your fault if you go to hell, don't blame god - sort of thing.

[andy-hughes]

naomi - // AH. I don't believe you've read the bible. That's true. //

Absolutely no problem, you can say you 'don't believe' anything I post from now until Christmas.

What you can't do, is say you 'know' I have not read it - because you don't.

Are we done with this now?

[tomus42]

Mamyalynne //You'll reach a point in your life when it really won't matter whether anyone approves of the way you think and whether you do or don't believe in anything.

It's a very liberating place to be, comfortable with yourself. //

Amen to that. I'm very nearly there myself. It's taken me a few years though.

[nailit]

//Sorry I only just saw this. It's just that's what the Christian narrative is. If you haven't made a conscious decision to believe then you are rejecting god//

How can I make a conscious decision to believe in something thats patently absurd to me?

[nailit]

//If you haven't made a conscious decision to believe then you are rejecting god//
I can no more make a *conscious* descision to believe in your god than I can in Zeus or Posideon.

[Mamyalynne]

It can take a while and once you are comfortable with your own beliefs or lack of them indeed, life becomes less of an ever repeating tussle.

[tomus42]

//How can I make a conscious decision to believe in something thats patently absurd to me? //

You have to choose to believe, or more accurately you go into a temporary suspension of disbelief - you know that thing you do when you're watching a film that allows you to invest emotionally in it and care about the outcome even though you *know* it's really fiction and everyone's acting on a film set.

That's how I think it works. I'm not a believer myself so can't be sure.

[nailit]

Zeus will now thunderbolt me and Posedion will drown me.
And Jehova will now cast me into everlasting torment (or simply annihilate me...depending upon which version of the bible you believe)

Makes perfect sense!

[nailit]

Tomus...
When I view a film,
I bloody know that its FICTION...Whats your point?
//That's how I think it works. I'm not a believer myself so can't be sure//
OBVIOUSLY.

[Mamyalynne]

Have you tried meditation?

[nailit]

WHO?