Not too long ago, I was at a conference, and during a social time, I was having a very engaging conversation with a gentlemen about matters of faith. Details of that matter not, but a young man sitting near us overheard us, and interjected that he agreed with our conclusions, but from an atheistic point of view.
Intrigued, we encouraged him to continue, and the gentleman, we'll call Alex, asked him why he was atheist. The young man, call him Garry, said that he had been raised in a deeply faithful Christian household, but pulled away when his father died of cancer when Garry was 12 years old. "How could a loving God take a boy's daddy from him?" It was deeply painful to hear, and we did our best to refute all of his arguments which clearly came from atheist Tumblr talking points. His biggest stumbling block was putting God into a human-size box, failing to understand the enormity of Who God is, and what He has done. I cited Job quite a lot. We all parted ways with Garry promising to look into some of the verses Alex and I cited for him, and to ponder more some of the things we shared.
Little did I know that during all of this, Garry's mama, Alice, was sitting nearby, praying her little heart out that Alex's and my words would get through to Garry. She came up to me to thank me for talking to him like that. We prayed together, hugged and promised to keep in touch.
I will now share this verse with Alice, with the prayer that it gives hope and comfort. God once held Garry's heart, He will never let go of it.
I look forward to reading the long version one day. It's interesting to read about how people become religious. Christianity is so wonderful to learn about, too!
Keri, I was at RC boarding schools from 7-17; Xtianity on steroids, morning, noon and night. Started to slide away from it as soon as I left school. Went to Canada aged 20, came across Ayn Rand. Took to philosophy. Had a 'road to Damascus' moment aged 22 or so, when I realised I didn't have a soul. Lost all fear of death instantly. Have been a very cheerful atheist ever since, nearly 60 years. There is no evidence for God, no scientific requirement for God, and no valid philosophical argument for God's existence, hence God is neither possible nor necessary. Religion was invented by some men who sought to achieve power over others, not as a guide for successful life on earth. Your experience, your feelings now, are purely subjective. You are very beautiful and very attractive, so I sincerely hope you stay happy.
If you are curious about my reasoning you'll find all you need on my website, nicholasdykes.com under 'Dialogues' or elaborated in my novel ~Old Nick's Guide to Happiness~.
All best wishes, Nicholas
PS: 'Old Nick' is a character in the novel, not myself.
"You are very beautiful and very attractive, so I sincerely hope you stay happy."
Soooo, if she were unattractive, you would not want her to be happy??? (Yes, I am being pedantic)
"There is no evidence for God, no scientific requirement for God, and no valid philosophical argument for God's existence ... "
No, yes, and no.
"Evidence" of God is observed by many in a deeply intimate way, that provides no evidence to others, only to the one experiencing it.
"Hard scientific proof" is lacking, but so is any scientific disproof. If anything, science continues to provide soft proof of God's existence.
You should read more varied philosophy if you think there is no argument for God.
"hence God is neither possible nor necessary."
False assumption. God is entirely possible, and completely necessary, if only in that He gives us an absolute moral standard, without which mankind would instantly devolve into utter chaos. But He also give us a life of beauty, wonder, and hope, and a promise of eternity, rather than the nothingness of death.
I am sorry you feel you have no soul, but I think it's more likely that you have lost touch with it, rather than lost it. But if you are so sure that God does not exist, then why do you feel the need to persuade others of that, and to defend your denial of Him?
Oooh, thank you for reminding me of that verse!
Not too long ago, I was at a conference, and during a social time, I was having a very engaging conversation with a gentlemen about matters of faith. Details of that matter not, but a young man sitting near us overheard us, and interjected that he agreed with our conclusions, but from an atheistic point of view.
Intrigued, we encouraged him to continue, and the gentleman, we'll call Alex, asked him why he was atheist. The young man, call him Garry, said that he had been raised in a deeply faithful Christian household, but pulled away when his father died of cancer when Garry was 12 years old. "How could a loving God take a boy's daddy from him?" It was deeply painful to hear, and we did our best to refute all of his arguments which clearly came from atheist Tumblr talking points. His biggest stumbling block was putting God into a human-size box, failing to understand the enormity of Who God is, and what He has done. I cited Job quite a lot. We all parted ways with Garry promising to look into some of the verses Alex and I cited for him, and to ponder more some of the things we shared.
Little did I know that during all of this, Garry's mama, Alice, was sitting nearby, praying her little heart out that Alex's and my words would get through to Garry. She came up to me to thank me for talking to him like that. We prayed together, hugged and promised to keep in touch.
I will now share this verse with Alice, with the prayer that it gives hope and comfort. God once held Garry's heart, He will never let go of it.
I look forward to reading the long version one day. It's interesting to read about how people become religious. Christianity is so wonderful to learn about, too!
Keri, I was at RC boarding schools from 7-17; Xtianity on steroids, morning, noon and night. Started to slide away from it as soon as I left school. Went to Canada aged 20, came across Ayn Rand. Took to philosophy. Had a 'road to Damascus' moment aged 22 or so, when I realised I didn't have a soul. Lost all fear of death instantly. Have been a very cheerful atheist ever since, nearly 60 years. There is no evidence for God, no scientific requirement for God, and no valid philosophical argument for God's existence, hence God is neither possible nor necessary. Religion was invented by some men who sought to achieve power over others, not as a guide for successful life on earth. Your experience, your feelings now, are purely subjective. You are very beautiful and very attractive, so I sincerely hope you stay happy.
If you are curious about my reasoning you'll find all you need on my website, nicholasdykes.com under 'Dialogues' or elaborated in my novel ~Old Nick's Guide to Happiness~.
All best wishes, Nicholas
PS: 'Old Nick' is a character in the novel, not myself.
"You are very beautiful and very attractive, so I sincerely hope you stay happy."
Soooo, if she were unattractive, you would not want her to be happy??? (Yes, I am being pedantic)
"There is no evidence for God, no scientific requirement for God, and no valid philosophical argument for God's existence ... "
No, yes, and no.
"Evidence" of God is observed by many in a deeply intimate way, that provides no evidence to others, only to the one experiencing it.
"Hard scientific proof" is lacking, but so is any scientific disproof. If anything, science continues to provide soft proof of God's existence.
You should read more varied philosophy if you think there is no argument for God.
"hence God is neither possible nor necessary."
False assumption. God is entirely possible, and completely necessary, if only in that He gives us an absolute moral standard, without which mankind would instantly devolve into utter chaos. But He also give us a life of beauty, wonder, and hope, and a promise of eternity, rather than the nothingness of death.
I am sorry you feel you have no soul, but I think it's more likely that you have lost touch with it, rather than lost it. But if you are so sure that God does not exist, then why do you feel the need to persuade others of that, and to defend your denial of Him?