Chicago Tribune Editor Atheist Converts to Christianity

[cliffy1]

God’s Word declares, “The fool hath said in his heart ‘there is no God'” (Psalm 14)

So, your god speaks to you personally. There is a scientific name for that. Or are you saying that a two thousand year old book written by men that tells you it was inspired by god and therefore it must be so, cuz it says so. Life is a spiritual journey whether you believe in a god or not, whether you belong to a religion or not. I find it rather egotistical that anyone would think that their way is the only way for everybody. It smacks of a god complex or a messiah complex. That very same self righteous attitude has some Muslims chopping off heads and had Christians massacring hundreds of millions of indigenous people all over the world not so long ago.

[Glacier]

Thinking someone's opinion is foolish is not the same thing as violently subjugating those whom you think hold foolish and wrong opinions. The same applies to a theist in another thread that compared a non-violent foolish atheist's opinion to ISIS. Believing in objective truth is not the same thing as believe that violence solves differences of opinion. It's just not.

[pepsilover]

Thinking someone's opinion is foolish is not the same thing as violently subjugating those whom you think hold foolish and wrong opinions. The same applies to a theist in another thread that compared a non-violent foolish atheist's opinion to ISIS. Believing in objective truth is not the same thing as believe that violence solves differences of opinion. It's just not.

Serious question 'cause most of your posts are very thought-provoking and I find you interesting which is more than I can say for a lot on here. Here's the question. Do you believe that actions follow the thought process?

That is a VERY loaded questions I know with a ton of gray areas. As a Christian we are taught that if you have lust in your heart, murder in your heart etc., it is as if you have committed that sin already. Which means I am a sinner, as are all Christians, so this is no surprise to me. Does it mean I am guilty of murder (as in the law of the land?) - it's all relative isn't it really. Because each country, each judge, each jury, has different opinions on what constitutes murder. So no, if I had murder in my heart for somebody but would never act on it, then I am not guilty of murder according to the laws of the land; but I would be guilty in God's eyes. So it's a philosophical/spiritual belief vs. a practical application.

I'm not sure what my point is with this question, but some of the things you have said make me think, not just about whether you have a point or not, but whether you don't. I'm mulling it over.

[Glacier]

In a sense I agree that wanting to kill someone is wrong and could be considered murder in the heart. ISIS believes that they have authority from Allah to kill infidels. The atheists on here have contempt for Christianity that's for sure, but I do not think that they want to kill Christians. They might not like the ideas behind Christianity, and would like them to go away, but that's not the same as wishing death on anyway.

Yes, there could be some similarities between ISIS and atheists in their attitude toward Christians, but I don't think contempt and murder are moral equivalents. Contempt is wrong and ugly if it's directed at Christians or any other group of people. Not murder wrong, but still wrong.

"No idea is above scrutiny; no person is beneath dignity."
~ Maajid Nawaz (a Muslim)

[cliffy1]

Watching Morgan Freeman's series "God" on the History Channel. What a fantastic series!
I just don't understand why anyone needs to insist the rest of the world share their particular view of God. Isn't it enough to say that we are all different, and we are all the same, and out there is something bigger than us all? to let each other call that essential energy whatever they like? It seems to me the height of human ego to insist YOU know what "God" wants, and YOU have the right to impose it on the rest of the world.
I dream of a world where every soul within it understands that we are all different, and we are all the same, and the universe is big enough to hold us all. - Janis Ian