Spirituality
16 Sep 23
19 Sep 23
@ghost-of-a-duke saidI use repetition to chase down evasion. You are using repetition even though I have answered the question.
You never use repetition yourself of course...
@ghost-of-a-duke saidWell, I'll certainly use the word delusion for both of them if they talk about speaking to angels but I won't be using the word delusion with either of them if they are talking to me about their faith in God and Jesus and the angels and how this affects the way they live their lives.
You now have 2 people on your delusion list, Suzianne and Dive.
There's no backtracking from that.
19 Sep 23
@ghost-of-a-duke saidDo you think that me expressing my atheist perspective on a Christian friend's theist beliefs is enough to end a longstanding friendship when he has been fully aware of my beliefs, in great detail and with great candour, for more than ten years?
I don't think I have ever called a close friend deluded.
19 Sep 23
@Ghost-of-a-Duke
You seem to have latched on to a new mission here.
I think it's making you come across as shallow.
Do you really not have any close friends with whom you have fundamental differences in terms of perspective and belief?
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@ghost-of-a-duke saidI am quite comfortable with atheists thinking my belief in God, God’s interventions in human affairs, supernatural beings and all manner of religious, spiritual and miraculous paraphernalia, are indeed delusional. It’s doesn’t impact my relationship with you, FMF nor anyone else who happens to think I’m delusional. I choose to hold to these beliefs irrespective of a lack of any encounters with any supernatural beings.
......for now....
What is of interest is that you a hard atheist, are contorting yourself to avoiding acknowledging that Suzianne is either lying or delusional about having met and spoken with angels, by claiming you don’t know and it may be some other thing (whatever that might be) which caused her to have such manifestations.
What is also interesting is that your 25 year “career path” in mental health has not enabled you to see the difference between the billions of people who claim to believe in spiritual beings and someone who repeatedly claims to have met some and talked with them.
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@fmf saidIn the hundreds of lengthy discussions we have had over the years you have, more than once, shared your belief that you suspect people who believe in supernatural beings to be delusional (edit; I seem to remember it that way, but I may remembering incorrectly). In doing so there was no disagreement between us over it. In fact we have on occasion disagreed far more strongly over our political views on various topics.
Do you think that me expressing my atheist perspective on a Christian friend's theist beliefs is enough to end a longstanding friendship when he has been fully aware of my beliefs, in great detail and with great candour, for more than ten years?
Edit: you have never done so publicly I might add. But even if you did I would totally get it. I sometimes myself wonder if faith is all just one big complex delusion.
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19 Sep 23
@ghost-of-a-duke saidMaybe you haven’t had the opportunity or lack either the honesty or depth of relationship to be able to do so.
I don't think I have ever called a close friend deluded.
I think people who believe that the stories about talking serpents are deluded. In retort they have said I am deceived. You obviously think I’m deluded for believing the things I believe and in fact you have said so about me and others here on this forum more than once. It’s interesting how you have suddenly adopted the word as being taboo once the focus of the word has shifted to what Suzianne claims about herself.
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19 Sep 23
@ghost-of-a-duke saidDon’t forget all the billions of other theists, and indeed FMF himself when he was a theist.
You now have 2 people on your delusion list, Suzianne and Dive.
There's no backtracking from that.
@divegeester saidTo Ghost of a Duke: Maybe you lack either the honesty or depth of relationship to be able to do so.
Maybe you haven’t had the opportunity or lack either the honesty or depth of relationship to be able to do so.
This is what this peculiar and perhaps revealing conversational riff about friendship, plus all the contortions over the last 36 or so hours, have got me thinking too.
Perhaps if he described Suzianne's CPR story, the Jack Reacher story, or the Bribing Russ story as "delusional", she wouldn't be his friend anymore.
Maybe that is a very real threat to the way his persona lives its life on these forums.
19 Sep 23
@ghost-of-a-duke saidWhy would I need to be backtracking?
You now have 2 people on your delusion list, Suzianne and Dive.
There's no backtracking from that.
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19 Sep 23
@divegeester saidI have already offered an opinion on 'whatever that might be.' You just choose not to acknowledge it.
by claiming you don’t know and it may be some other thing (whatever that might be) which caused her to have such manifestations.
I can see how a theist, who already believes in angels (like yourself and Suzianne) could misconstrue an encounter with kind and helpful people at a time of crisis. - Had Suzianne mentioned flying or wings I would think differently.