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Hmmm...

Good thing we got rid of Deejay. Wouldn't want all this conversation to be dominated by just one guy...

😆

When we were cheering the admins probably didn't feel mutual lol... No wait, i think they are happy not to be pinged at 4am the mornings lol... I dunno, though, perhaps we were a bit harsh and scared away potential entertainers? That friend of his hasn't said a word since. I dunno why though, all we seek to do is reason about our evidence until we find an objective agreement.

It wasn't Deejay pinging the admins at 4am

It wasn't? 😐

Damn, no one corrected me before

No it wasn't.

Enlighten me please so that i may not be stray from the truth please?

Anyone keen to convince me God is real so I don't burn in hell? 😋

@DrLoLCat maybe define the God you refer to? Lol.. And are willing to entertain idea without accepting it, and wait till the very end before casting judgment? If you can do those, shouldn't be a struggle getting you to open up to new perspectives, ideas and values.

@Sheamus the Christian God. the father of Jesus Christ. The one from the Bible. Did believe in that one for 22 years of my life. I'm open minded...I think. Just not sure whether I can ever accept having blind faith again. When Willem said that atheists are diminishing in percentage, I found that very interesting. At the very least I will have a better understanding why some (most?) here believe in it. And I def want to stay in Orania perhaps in the future. Guess I assumed that atheism or rather agnosticism was a default state for intellectuals / scientists. For me it's not something very personal. It's either true or not, and I'm either eventually gonna burn in hell for eternity or rot in the ground.

@DrLoLCat being reasonable is not a matter of blind faith though. And by definition i meant your understanding of God. Typically atheists refer to God as the old bearded fairy man in the sky, is that your definition of God as well?

@Sheamus No, my definition of God would be an almighty entity that created the universe.

@DrLoLCat still quite a bit vague, but at least it's not some material ideal. Lol

@Sheamus that's the best I got, honestly. What's your definition if I may ask?

@Sheamus and do you believe in human evolution?

@DrLoLCat if by evolution you mean we started off as fish that grew legs.. Then no. But there is merit to some aspects of the theory which I'm okay with. And my interpretation of creation is not a scientific statement.

Here's the best definition of God which man has ever come up with.
First, from the Westminster Confession of Faith:

And then from the Westminster Larger Catechism:

@Sheamus @DrLoLCat 👆🏻

@Malcolm the Seceder thank you for all of that lol

Don't thank me. Thank the Westminster Divines

Okay, hectic.... thanks. I feel like there is some contradictions in there. Forgiving.....not clear the guilty..... terrible in His judgement.

Put Christ in the middle of it, then all the seeming contradictions are removed. He took upon Himself his people's sin and paid the penalty and so His righteousness is imputed to them.

I understand that applied to future sin and not only sin up to that point? Meaning @Malcolm the Seceder 's sin is also taken upon Christ Himself?

Christ's sacrifice for His people- the elect- applies to all sin they have ever committed: so when a sinner is converted at the age of 30 and has the righteousness of Christ imputed to him, his sins are forgiven: all the sins he had committed up to that point and all future sins. (Although he still has to ask forgiveness for future sins).

Christ's sacrifice also atoned for the sins of all His people who were on Earth before He came

@Malcolm the Seceder So then..... why do you believe it? In other words, why are you a Christian?

Why not believe in forgiveness... It's reasonable isn't it, someone acknowledges they do wrong, and then making every attempt to do right?

I mean, why do you believe in the Holy Trinity, why do you believe in the Bible?

Have you read it? I mean genuinely read it, casting your prejudices aside and not judging the words, but reasoning with the meaning behind it... It's pretty convincing when your feelings aren't dictating your reasons for rejecting it.

I have read it, but I'll probably have to give it another go now that I'm older.

Yes, it helps, and after you read it, would be worth reading it again with the knowledge of later parts again... It's a study, not just a good read.

A fresh attempt at Christianity sounds good, without the childhood indoctrination.