Feb
5th
2015
Ever get into a debate with an atheist? · 6:50pm Feb 5th, 2015
I have. This one lasted two days. TWO DAYS.
And it leaves me feeling a little like these videos. Just sayin'.
At the end of the day, there's no debate to be had. It's pointless: Both sides have two completely different starting points, and the same evidence, which is the reality of the world around us. It's our starting point that determines the outcome, every. Single. Time.
I'm not cut out for apologetics work. I'm just not. My calling is as a pastor and missionary, in due time.
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Gamer Brash · 311 views
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I'm not an atheist, but being raised in radical christianity is leading me to it. I find it much more irritating getting into debates with my radical christian parents about the bible, because they're always right no matter what.
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Well, I'd say they're only right if they're judging correctly. However, it depends on what you mean by radical Christianity.
Anyways, check out the music I linked. Heavy stuff. \m/
Don't let the debate discourage you. You at least made your case and tried, the rest is in the Lord's hands. Remember:
"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Galatians 6:9.
I love the choice in the music, the second one being my favorite. "If freedom and equality is what you believe, practice what you preach" is probably the best admonishment for those who target the Christians for ill reasons.
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I think Fit For A King really helped me yesterday in coming off the debate, "You know nothing when you say I worship a fabricated story in the sky." are the very first words you hear in Unbroken.
Sounds like most of my debates with Christians and atheists. Darn thing is I don't normally go looking to debate, the atheist of late invade our boards.
Yes we Pagans use to have Christians coming to convert us to Christianity now we got atheist trying to take over the faith. I kid you not GB atheist trying to run the Pagans that do believe right out of their own religion. Nuts I tells ya...
Course my debates with Christians end with my bashing my head into a wall. Like yourself I look to music to help me, at one point oddly I was doubting my faith and almost returned to the Church then a friend that left Paganism for Christianity gave me his Pagan CDs listening to the music resparked my faith. Dumbledore had it right about the power of music my friend.
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I find the atheists deliberately go in search of debate with Christians, specifically.
I have a pagan friend or two up my way here in Michigan. I've read up on the matter, there's supposed to be a horned sun god and a moon goddess. That's wicca, specifically. I find every pagan religion is loosely connected by having a sun deity and a moon deity... Unless I'm being ignorant?
2774306 You are thinking Wicca there which was based off of some rather sexist outdated theories. I myself belong to Ár nDraíocht Féin a Druidic organization. I am a Polytheist and follow many gods it's been the dominate stream in Pagans for awhile now but the duotheism of god and goddess you think of has been the main stream for about seventy years and then some. So don't feel bad about being off on it.
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I mean, I did read it out of an old encyclopedia that was documented by some rather fundamental Christians, I noticed there was bias on topics like "Possible forms of demonic entry" with causes being things like rock, metal, and D&D. All of which I clearly find absurd, I actively enjoy those things.
Oh yes I can go on and on on this and will as soon as I get back from work You'll hear from me around Midnight EST if still awake.
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The three major worldviews:
(One God) (God is All, or The Worship of Nature) (No God or doubt of existence)
Theism Pantheism Atheism
Judaism Hinduism Agnosticism
Christianity Buddhism Deism
Islam Taoism (I think) Antitheism
Would occult worship fall under the second category, "God is All"?
Well don't feel bad Taoism is hard to classify. The best way to describe Taoism in the West in a way you'd understand is think of fictional nation here we shall call it Pineland. Their first contact with Christian missionaries are with all the Lukewarms, Heretics, JWs and the like which gets filtered through a do your own thing movement. Take the Christianity that would result from THAT compare it to what you know of and you'll get some idea of Taosim in the West vs. the East (Most so called Taoist in the West don't realize the Tao Te Ching is only ONE of the books of the cannon and a minor one at that. They don't even realize they have an entire pantheon of gods, demons, saints, immortal sages ect.).
Now the occult would actually fit under all three believe it or not.
Two of my teachers are both Christians (well not what you'd call a Christian) and a third will be also. See the thing with the occult in the way your using it is that it covers so much ground and what is and isn't occult can change from person to person at the drop of a hat.
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Hmm, see, what you said is helpful. To a degree. But, you have to remember: I'm not about what's true for one person to the next. That's post-modernist philosophy, and it doesn't hold up*. So, I need something that will classify it into a black-and-white right-and-wrong context. That's how I best understand Theology, and to be honest, that's how it's been taught for centuries.
(*See, Post-modernism bugs me because if I were to tell you that I believe my chair is a watermelon, you couldn't tell me I was wrong because that's what truth is for me and to tell me I'm wrong would be offensive. I would hope, for the sake of my mental health, you would use either Modernism or preferably Pre-modernism to tell me I am wrong. A smack over the head with a book might work just as effectively.)
Well if you have to remember occult isn't really a religion (no more then prayer is) but a series of practices and such. However for the sake of clarity how about we look at it from my own religion instead as I reread your question and you seem more interested in my religion. It's odd but believe it or not most Ministries get it wrong by thinking the occult is a religion in and of itself but it really isn't.
Now my faith admittedly breaks out of your categories. I'm a Polytheist (many gods) .
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Polytheist would be Pantheism, actually. That's what I was trying to say.
"God is all" qualifies Polytheistic philosophy as they are gods of elements. Am I correct in stating there's a god of fire, lightning, etc?
Actually no pantheism is pantheism and polytheism is polytheism.
Pantheist hold that everything is god. An they deny the existence of distinct individual gods of any sorts.
Where as in polytheism there are indeed distinct individual gods. Some of them have been associated with certain skills but that is hardly surprising when you take a moment to realize we don't consider our gods all powerful nor omnipotent. To make sure I am clear Thor (to make use of a popular example) was associated with thunder and lightening but he was also was called on for help in a farm work, carpentry, protection from hostile spirits. He is known for his deep love for and friendship with humanity as well as being possessed of a shrewd, if direct form of wisdom.
PAGAN WORSHIP IS CONFUSING
2785367 Oh coming from a monotheistic Christian background it can be a painful headache.
Shall we instead go to the bare bones basics as say I would explain to a newbie as in someone who say after watching Harry Potter, reading Tolkien and some other works decided he wanted to become a Pagan?