Searching for GOD...

[Alan Burns]

So if Fred West had woken up one day and thought I am tempted to stop killing people and burying them in the house and garden, then that would have been the devil?

I would have thought that Fred's conscience would tell him this was the right thing to do, so not the devil's temptation.

[Nearly Sane]

You just need to listen to your own conscience to find out

Is that the small grasshopper chappie?  I ate him when I was two years old with some rusks and a nice banana juice.

[Nearly Sane]

I would have thought that Fred's conscience would tell him this was the right thing to do, so not the devil's temptation.

So you know what went on in Fred West's brain, ok, backs away smiling...

[Dicky Underpants]

So again without and until evidence is provided that would support the magical, mystical and superstition based parts of what appears to be his belief, people that believe these religious things, as far as I'm concerned are delusional.

ippy

 

What an earth are you babbling on about, man? Magic and superstition as part of NS' belief??  Since you only mentioned NS in your post, I can only assume you were referring to him. You really need to pay more attention to the subtleties of NS' thinking. Get a grip.

[torridon]

I think the test is that if what comes into your mind is something you know to be wrong for you at that time, and you are tempted to do it, it is probably from the devil.

That slice of chocolate cake is not going to do my blood glucose or my waistline any favours; so I guess the devil put it there according to your test.

[Dicky Underpants]

Oh yes, I made a point of not classifying you as a religious believer or not, something else you seem to have  missed

ippy   

No, what you wrote was this:

So again without and until evidence is provided that would support the magical, mystical and superstition based parts of what appears to be his belief, people that believe these religious things, as far as I'm concerned are delusional.

[Dicky Underpants]

I am not implying that everything which comes into your mind is the devil's temptation.  I think the test is that if what comes into your mind is something you know to be wrong for you at that time, and you are tempted to do it, it is probably from the devil.  And as I said, the decision whether to do it or not is your choice, controlled by the power of free will from your soul.

And could you give us the subtle distinction between this temptation from the devil, and what St Paul means when he speaks of the promptings of "sin which dwelleth within me"?

[Shaker]

You just need to listen to your own conscience to find out

Yes Alan, precisely - conscience. Not the devil.

[Gordon]

I am not implying that everything which comes into your mind is the devil's temptation.  I think the test is that if what comes into your mind is something you know to be wrong for you at that time, and you are tempted to do it, it is probably from the devil.  And as I said, the decision whether to do it or not is your choice, controlled by the power of free will from your soul.

So, if I am desperate for food and decide that in these circumstances shoplifting wouldn't be wrong for me at that time, then the devil is off the hook?

[Nearly Sane]

That slice of chocolate cake is not going to do my blood glucose or my waistline any favours; so I guess the devil put it there according to your test.

the devil knows your weaknesses, god gave him a list of them

[Dicky Underpants]

I would have thought that Fred's conscience would tell him this was the right thing to do, so not the devil's temptation.

By all accounts, Fred had a typical injury which seems important in the behaviour of many mass murderers - a severe injury to the head, which affected his pre-frontal cortex. We are now in the area of how much responsibility 'evil-doers' actually have. Could his 'conscience' have overcome the effects of his brain injury? Maybe the devil caused his brain injury in the first place....

[Dicky Underpants]

Women, though they are like betting shops, and Greggs, have the devil wandering around and been in thrall ever since the business with the talking snake.

I've often wondered how Jews view the talking snake. The whole episode is not mentioned again in the Old Testament (apart from some genealogical references to Adam). It was left to Christianity to beef up the story, with special thanks to Tertullian.

[wigginhall]

I met a woman in Greggs once; anyway, I was admiring her Belgian buns, and she said that my sausage roll looked succulent, so I sang to her 'You're the Devil in Disguise', and she said, what a cheek, so I said, no my dear, turn the other cheek, so she did. 

[Nearly Sane]

I've often wondered how Jews view the talking snake. The whole episode is not mentioned again in the Old Testament (apart from some genealogical references to Adam). It was left to Christianity to beef up the story, with special thanks to Tertullian.

Which needs to beef it up by going 'chatty reptile = devil'  which is not clear in the original script

[Walt Zingmatilder]

When Alan says 'probably' i............these bloody atheists use it all the time,

Ah probability.......funny you never see their working out.

[wigginhall]

Ah probability.......funny you never see their working out.

You should start a thread on it then; I think you might be surprised.

[bluehillside Retd.]

FD,

Ah probability.......funny you never see their working out.

Given how badly you struggle with probability even as a concept, I'd have thought showing "working out" would have been even more of a wasted effort.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

FD,

Given how badly you struggle with probability even as a concept, I'd have thought showing "working out" would have been even more of a wasted effort.

...and I bet we won't get the probability of THAT either..................

[bluehillside Retd.]

FD,

...and I bet we won't get the probability of THAT either..................

Of explaining probability to you being a wasted effort?

That's easy: 1.

[Outrider]

FD,

Of explaining probability to you being a wasted effort?

That's easy: 1.

But isn't that the probability of an even that's already happened?

O.

[bluehillside Retd.]

Outy,

But isn't that the probability of an even that's already happened?

Yes, but given that history I had a high enough degree of confidence in his uneducability to round the 0.99999 to 1. 

[Walt Zingmatilder]

FD,

Of explaining probability to you being a wasted effort?

That's easy: 1.

You're a complete Moderator: content removed.

...................( I bet he didn't see that coming.)

Moderator: perhaps not, but don't do it again, Vlad.

[bluehillside Retd.]

FD,

You're a complete Moderator: quoted content removed.

...................( I bet he didn't see that coming.)

Irony never was your long suit was it.

Oh, and given your form of spitting the dummy when you run out of answers, yes I did. 

[Walt Zingmatilder]

FD,

Irony never was your long suit was it.

Oh, and given your form of spitting the dummy when you run out of answers, yes I did.

Dear CC

I don't know what you mean.

[bluehillside Retd.]

FD,

I don't know what you mean.

Apology accepted.