Sam Harris

I know I’m getting in on this conversation a little late, but I just joined this forum less than a week ago. Here’s my two cents.

[quote author=“TheChampion”]Case in point, Larry Nichols spared the life of his hostage after she began reading The Purpose Driven Life to him. Only one paragraph and something changed in him….Why the change? God’s spirit spoke to him.

The expression “any port in a storm” comes to mind.

[quote author=“TheChampion”]Just rambling, but whoa, what would the world do without God….there’d be serious problems, my friend.

The Greek and early Roman civilizations didn’t have your god. The Chinese empires (prior to this century) didn’t have your god.

If you actually go back and look at history, there were lots of great civilizations that lasted for centuries or millenia that had nothing to do with your god.

What would the world do without your god? Pretty much what it’s always done. It will endeavor to ensure that the children are healthy and thrive. It is pure conceit to think otherwise.

- Bulldog

Post subject: Re: tyhts, thank you so much.

Bulldog, I’m not sure what you’re referring to, but thanks back to you for the thought.

Arguing with Champion is frustrating, to say the least. Back when I was attempting to be a “proper” Christian, I’d have welcomed someone offering advice about a sensible Biblical interpretation. But that’s just me. I also majored in English, and literature means something important to me.

I guess Champ prefers to pray for interpretive guidance. Maybe he’s going through a difficult time, so I haven’t berated him for ignoring my attempt to help him a little.

Dave

[quote author=“tyhts”]Arguing with Champion is frustrating, to say the least.

I’d say problematic is a better description from what I’ve seen, but it can also be interesting to see the flips and flops and twists and turns faith can throw down on a heavily “infected” mind.

Byron

[quote author=“tyhts”]

Post subject: Re: tyhts, thank you so much.

Bulldog, I’m not sure what you’re referring to, but thanks back to you for the thought.

This is actually the subject line of TC’s reply to you. I was responding to that post from TC and the subject line just followed it.

But you’re welcome.

[quote author=“tyhts”]
Arguing with Champion is frustrating, to say the least. Back when I was attempting to be a “proper” Christian, I’d have welcomed someone offering advice about a sensible Biblical interpretation. But that’s just me. I also majored in English, and literature means something important to me.

I guess Champ prefers to pray for interpretive guidance. Maybe he’s going through a difficult time, so I haven’t berated him for ignoring my attempt to help him a little.

They adamantly insist that they believe in the literal interpretation of the bible, but they always end up cherry-picking the parts that serve their private purposes in any given situation. If they really lived the way the bible literally instructs them to live, they would all be in jail, because they would own slaves, ritually sacrifice animals (which makes a sweet smell unto the lord), not to mention they would be murdering people (vigilante style, which is what the bible prescribes) left and right for:

- worshipping any god but the judeo-christian god
- idolatry (even though there are millions of graven images of jesus, mary and thousands of saints all over the world)
- saying the word “god” in any context other than prayer
- working on the sabbath
- being disrespectful to their parents
- murder (remember, they would doing it vigilante-style, specifically by stoning, as the bible endorses, so this would not equate to capital punishment by the state)
- adultery
- stealing
- bearing false witness
- coveting anything belonging to their neighbor. When was the last time someone was accused of coveting?

The bible instructs the faithful to stone to death anyone guilty of violating any of these instructions. And these are just some of the atrocities that the bible instructs the faithful to commit. But inevitably, they take the parts that suit them and ignore the inconvenient parts. Then they blame all of the “ills of society” because people aren’t following the bible literally.

Think about what our society would be like if these instructions were actually followed.

- Bulldog

” The bible instructs the faithful to stone to death anyone guilty of violating any of these instructions. And these are just some of the atrocities that the bible instructs the faithful to commit. But inevitably, they take the parts that suit them and ignore the inconvenient parts. Then they blame all of the “ills of society” because people aren’t following the bible literally.”

Bulldog, Google the Dominionists. This will give you a really big shock, as well as a wake-up call. At this point they have a frightening amount of political power. Sam’s book is utterly correct. This is extremely dangerous stuff. Much more dangerous than most of us realize, even after reading Sam’s book!

[quote author=“MJ”]Bulldog, Google the Dominionists. This will give you a really big shock, as well as a wake-up call. At this point they have a frightening amount of political power. Sam’s book is utterly correct. This is extremely dangerous stuff. Much more dangerous than most of us realize, even after reading Sam’s book!

Thanks, MJ. This is exactly what I was talking about.