A mental exercise for believers in God.

Originally posted by knightmeister
So Christianity is an attempt to explain the experience of the presence of the Holy Spirit or the living presence of Jesus?

That is not what I said or meant and I think you know it.

Funny thing about this idea is that Jesus talked about the Holy Spirit before the disciples had the experience him (in Acts) . In the NT the explanation came before the experience.
Funny thing about your post is you didn't really think about what you were saying. You are first assuming that Christianity is correct and then trying to use it to show that Christianity is correct.
If, however, we make no such assumption then your argument is totally invalid as we have no real way of knowing what Jesus said or did or what the disciples experienced or what came first.
The other important factor is that so many other people described what sounded like similar experiences but interpreted them completely differently.

Originally posted by howardgee
Ultimately then, all of your "good" deeds are done for self interest.
An action which for an atheist like me would be purely altruistic, for you would have some element of self interest because to some degree you are doing it to get to heaven and be with your God.

In this way religious belief undermines the moral value of the action.

Howardgee...

I just want to be nice...thats all...no deep meanings or philosophies...just nice to my fellow man and if at the end of my life there is a God waiting for me then thats an added bonus....
Simple really !!!

Originally posted by KellyJay
I have to agree with you here, doing good works for the sake of doing
the good works does help us get it the most out of life, with or with
out God.

God being real does sort out why things are done the way they are in
a way no person can, which brings us the the truth of the matter not
how we view things with our limited means of understanding them. ...[text shortened]... elieve in X, while the other
could being doing it, to make themselves look good to do Y.
Kelly

KellyJay...

I dont want a fanfare for my deeds...i want to do good because thats how i feel... if God is guiding me great !(i personally believe he is) if not well never mind...i have still helped which surely is better than not.

Originally posted by Jay Joos
Howardgee...

I just want to be nice...thats all...no deep meanings or philosophies...just nice to my fellow man and if at the end of my life there is a God waiting for me then thats an added bonus....
Simple really !!!

Like I said, there is thus an element of selfishness and fear of not getting to meet God in all your actions.

Don't worry though. There is no God.

Originally posted by howardgee
Like I said, there is thus an element of selfishness and fear of not getting to meet God in all your actions.

Don't worry though. There is no God.

If i die and there is no God then no worries... how can acting kind to your fellow man mean that i am doing it for selfish needs? i dont quite grasp that... im not trying to win brownie points from God... i just want to be kind !!!!

Originally posted by howardgee
Like I said, there is thus an element of selfishness and fear of not getting to meet God in all your actions.

Don't worry though. There is no God.

no God? ... whats up there then?

Originally posted by twhitehead
That is not what I said or meant and I think you know it.

[b]Funny thing about this idea is that Jesus talked about the Holy Spirit before the disciples had the experience him (in Acts) . In the NT the explanation came before the experience.
Funny thing about your post is you didn't really think about what you were saying. You are first assuming t ...[text shortened]... le described what sounded like similar experiences but interpreted them completely differently.[/b]

The other important factor is that so many other people described what sounded like similar experiences but interpreted them completely differently.WHITEY

Let's clarify. are you talking about Acts and the coming of the Holy Spirit?

Originally posted by twhitehead
That is not what I said or meant and I think you know it.

[b]Funny thing about this idea is that Jesus talked about the Holy Spirit before the disciples had the experience him (in Acts) . In the NT the explanation came before the experience.
Funny thing about your post is you didn't really think about what you were saying. You are first assuming t ...[text shortened]... le described what sounded like similar experiences but interpreted them completely differently.[/b]

That is not what I said or meant and I think you know it.WHITEY

You are right , I was being clumsy and slightly playful. To be honest I had lost track of what point you were making.

Originally posted by Jay Joos
KellyJay...

I dont want a fanfare for my deeds...i want to do good because thats how i feel... if God is guiding me great !(i personally believe he is) if not well never mind...i have still helped which surely is better than not.

I'm glad you shoot for the warm and fuzzy in your deeds for the
reasons you say, but that doesn't change what I said either.
Kelly

Originally posted by KellyJay
I'm glad you shoot for the warm and fuzzy in your deeds for the
reasons you say, but that doesn't change what I said either.
Kelly

Fair point....

Originally posted by Jay Joos
no God? ... whats up there then?

Up where?

Give us the coordinates and we will start looking for him.