Barriers to belief

Originally posted by FMF
Don't answer my questions if you don't want to. Over the last decade, I have written thousands of posts about my thoughts on Christian doctrine, both in the past and in the present. I'm just not answering yours. I've told you the reason for this numerous times over the past few weeks. You have been studiously ignoring this reason and pretending I haven't told you exactly what it is.

No matter how you try to spin it, you are dodging and won't admit it.

Originally posted by Eladar
Paul says we should not create division over debatable issues.

So I would avoid that discussion anywhere.

This is just a deflection and a conflation of division in the church and arguing on a website.

Originally posted by Eladar
I do not have a perception about God. I only have perceptions about what is sinful according to God.

So you do not know God?
How can you...if you have no perception of God you cannot know him.

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
Of course I understand that you are not willing to reveal information that may put all the claims about your past beliefs in doubt.

Why are you being such a twit over this?
FMF has explained to you over and over and over again that he used to think he was a Christian, he was completely sincere in that belief, and then gradually over time he came to believe that while he felt he once had a genuine faith, he now feels that he was was wrong, and he now believes that his faith was misplaced or faith in the wrong thing.

Now he could have been wrong, perhaps his faith wasn't actually real then after all. Or perhaps it was real and he is wrong now. But what he is telling you is obviously the truth as he sees it.

Originally posted by divegeester to Fetchmyjunk
Why are you being such a twit over this?

He just likes asking the same question over and over and over and over again and perhaps thinks that I respect him for doing so.

Originally posted by divegeester
Why are you being such a twit over this?
FMF has explained to you over and over and over again that he used to think he was a Christian, he was completely sincere in that belief, and then gradually over time he came to believe that while he felt he once had a genuine faith, he now feels that he was was wrong, and he now believes that his faith was misp ...[text shortened]... t was real and he is wrong now. But what he is telling you is obviously the truth as he sees it.

The point is FMF doesn't even want to consider the possibility that his faith might not have been genuine, and that the way he perceives Christianity based on his previous beliefs may be totally inaccurate.

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
The point is FMF doesn't even want to consider the possibility that his faith might not have been genuine, and that the way he perceives Christianity based on his previous beliefs may be totally inaccurate.

I am not the slightest bit interested in your evaluation or analysis of my 25+ years of Christian life. Not in the slightest. The fact that you don't seem to understand this makes you come across - to me, anyway - as clinically gormless [just an affectation? Or are you 'trying your best'?], and peculiarly self-absorbed.

What on earth makes you think I am interested in whether you think my Christian beliefs were "totally accurate" or "totally inaccurate", or whether you think they were "genuine"?

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
The point is FMF doesn't even want to consider the possibility that his faith might not have been genuine, and that the way he perceives Christianity based on his previous beliefs may be totally inaccurate.

Well you and he need to first agree on your definition of "genuine faith" don't you think?

Originally posted by divegeester to Fetchmyjunk
Well you and he need to first agree on your definition of "genuine faith" don't you think?

And Fetchmyjunk will also need to find an ex-Christian who actually cares what his personal definition of "genuine faith" is with whom to discuss it. 😉

Originally posted by FMF
[b]I have told Fetchmyjunk exactly why I won't answer his personal questions about

If you don't want to answer questions about your current beliefs, sonship, then you don't have to.

I do answer questions about my current beliefs.

And in asking these questions sometimes I must reflect on past beliefs.
I think the same goes with you.

You see, by asking you about your experience in the past your current beliefs are being asked about. I gather that Fetchmyjunk is asking about how past experience. This involves your current explanations and beliefs about the past.

The way I see it that is also about your current beliefs?

That's the standard for responding to questions I hold over myself and others. I have never once probed you on your beliefs in the past.

That is your choice.
I don't see any great noble thing in that you chose not to.

Originally posted by sonship
I don't see any great noble thing in that you chose not to.

Who has suggested to you that you should see it is a "great noble thing"?

Originally posted by sonship
You see, by asking you about your experience in the past your current beliefs are being asked about. I gather that Fetchmyjunk is asking about how past experience. This involves your current explanations and beliefs about the past.

I am not a Christian, sonship. Fetchmyjunk has started explicitly that he wants to assess whether the Christian life I lived was "inaccurate". I am not interested in his assessment. Nor yours.

Originally posted by FMF
I am not a Christian, sonship. Fetchmyjunk has started explicitly that he wants to assess whether the Christian life I lived was "inaccurate". I am not interested in his assessment. Nor yours.

I am not a Christian, sonship. Fetchmyjunk has started explicitly that he wants to assess whether the Christian life I lived was "inaccurate". I am not interested in his assessment. Nor yours.

But you will not be able to easily remove some of our suspicions that your bragging of being once a Christian is a lie.

Some of us will retain the possibility that your grandstanding about having been where we are now, is anything more than exaggerated bluster.

And when approached a little bit about it, you retreat into "Oh, it doesn't matter. Oh, I don't care if you believe me. Oh, it is neither here nor there."

But then when handy, you PUT it here or there.

Originally posted by sonship
But you will not be able to easily remove some of our suspicions that your bragging of being once a Christian is a lie.

I don't feel the need to remove your suspicions. If you think I am a liar, so be it.

Originally posted by FMF
I don't feel the need to remove your suspicions. If you think I am a liar, so be it.

Well maybe you should also stop claiming to be forthright and transparent.