Can I just ask:

[Rhiannon]

It is if their capacity to reason is healthy and functioning.

But if you take as a starting point that the big omni God exists and loves you then this appears to be reasonable.

You can reason your way out of belief, but not out of faith.

[Leonard James]

But if you take as a starting point that the big omni God exists and loves you then this appears to be reasonable.

You can reason your way out of belief, but not out of faith.

I fear you must be right. People invent daft ideas and some people become slaves to them.   

[floo]

If God never answers prayer in the way that a person expects I'd absolutely love to know how and why anybody believes a God is involved at all rather than sheer random chance.

If you wait for a sensible answer to that one you will be waiting for all eternity and beyond.

[jeremyp]

It is if their capacity to reason is healthy and functioning.

They're Christians, of course their capacity to reason is impaired.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

They're Christians, of course their capacity to reason is impaired.

You are confusing swivel eyed antitheism with reason.........reminder, take the tablets before breakfast and the green and white capsules after each meal.

[Hope]

It's simply that Christians are taught that God answers all prayers.

Interestingly, I've never been taught that.  Rather, I've been taught that I need to be in sync with how God thinks and acts, and to be ready to be the answer to my and others' prayers.

[jeremyp]

You are confusing swivel eyed antitheism with reason

Wrong. Christian faith tells people to believe things that reason says cannot be so. For instance, reason tells us that a two day old corpse cannot be reanimated and yet, you guys believe it.

.........reminder, take the tablets before breakfast and the green and white capsules after each meal.

Errr, it looks like you've accidentally pasted the to do list from your calendar into your reply again.

[Leonard James]

Interestingly, I've never been taught that.  Rather, I've been taught that I need to be in sync with how God thinks and acts, and to be ready to be the answer to my and others' prayers.

We should always subject what we are taught to reasoned thought, and reject any "teaching" that is clearly without supporting testable evidence.

[Sassy]

This thread has turned very nasty and contentious!

The afterlife cannot be proved scientifically and floo is quite right to say that belief in the afterlife is a faith matter - but I would not say, ''Only faith'', in such a dismissive way, because faith is very important to many of us.

It's Easter which is usually a lovely time of year (despite the sudden terrible weather!), so let's enjoy and relax.

Who are those being nasty and contentious?

[Leonard James]

Who are those being nasty and contentious?

Well, obviously, all those nasty atheists! 

[Brownie]

Who are those being nasty and contentious?

Only just seen this Sass.  Len told me over the past couple of days that people do not take themselves seriously and it is banter (my paraphrase), so it appears I have been overreacting.  I'll stay out of it in future.

[Sassy]

Only just seen this Sass.  Len told me over the past couple of days that people do not take themselves seriously and it is banter (my paraphrase), so it appears I have been overreacting.  I'll stay out of it in future.

No! Leonard like other atheists... insult someone and then tell others they are only joking.
The atheists are very serious they just pretend they are joking so the can insult others whilst telling the world it is a joke.
So it does what you saw it do.
You saw it as insults... they know it is an insult... but they say it not meant so it remains for everyone to see.

[floo]

Who are those being nasty and contentious?

You for a start!

[Leonard James]

No! Leonard like other atheists... insult someone and then tell others they are only joking.
The atheists are very serious they just pretend they are joking so the can insult others whilst telling the world it is a joke.
So it does what you saw it do.
You saw it as insults... they know it is an insult... but they say it not meant so it remains for everyone to see.

Yes, Sassy dear. Anything you say! 

[ippy]

Interestingly, I've never been taught that.  Rather, I've been taught that I need to be in sync with how God thinks and acts, and to be ready to be the answer to my and others' prayers.

Bit difficult that Hope since there's no way of finding out if you're in sync with something that you've no idea if it exists or not, I can see your dilemma, ever considered atheism or is it a bit too realistic for you? 

ippy

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Bit difficult that Hope since there's no way of finding out if you're in sync with something that you've no idea if it exists or not, I can see your dilemma, ever considered atheism or is it a bit too realistic for you? 

ippy

Atheism too realistic? Hope has served his community as a teacher and public servant. What have you ever done?

[ProfessorDavey]

Atheism too realistic? Hope has served his community as a teacher and public servant. What have you ever done?

Why on earth is that relevant.

There are plenty of atheists who have (or continue to) served their communities in all sorts of respects, such as as teachers, public servants, volunteers for all sorts of things that benefit the community.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Why on earth is that relevant.

There are plenty of atheists who have (or continue to) served their communities in all sorts of respects, such as as teachers, public servants, volunteers for all sorts of things that benefit the community.

Yes and they all have a better grasp on what is real that somebody who has never engaged publicly.

Now if it is ontological reality we are talking about, atheists we are often assured only see the universe in terms of what physically operates now, what is empirically detected. Given that the universe in which those laws operate may be but one universe and the universe has a past and possible future where those laws likely didn't and wont operate......the atheist view on ontological reality isn't exactly promising is it.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Wrong. Christian faith tells people to believe things that reason says cannot be so. For instance, reason tells us that a two day old corpse cannot be reanimated and yet, you guys believe it.

Is that in the same way that reason told us that a virgin cannot give birth?
Reason tells me that if you believe we are merely the result of the organisation of our physical components then not to believe that a corporal resurrection could technically take place seems to contradict that belief.

God has the technology so I'm afraid it's back to demonstrating God-Free again.

[ProfessorDavey]

Yes and they all have a better grasp on what is real that somebody who has never engaged publicly.

Now if it is ontological reality we are talking about, atheists we are often assured only see the universe in terms of what physically operates now, what is empirically detected. Given that the universe in which those laws operate may be but one universe and the universe has a past and possible future where those laws likely didn't and wont operate......the atheist view on ontological reality isn't exactly promising is it.

If you say so, but as ever this is all unevidenced hand waving and mumbo jumbo.

But what on earth does that have to do with your clear inference that somehow being engaged publicly is somehow linked to whether someone is religious or not.