Jesus Lied . For The Bible Tells Me So .

@divegeester said
Maybe you haven’t had the opportunity or lack either the honesty or depth of relationship to be able to do so.

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 ...[text shortened]... he word as being taboo once the focus of the word has shifted to what Suzianne claims about herself.

@divegeester said
Don’t forget all the billions of other theists, and indeed FMF himself when he was a theist.

@fmf said
Why would I need to be backtracking?

@ghost-of-a-duke said
In firing 'delusional' at Suzianne you have inadvertently taken down Dive in the crossfire (who has revealed he also believes in the existence of angels).

@ghost-of-a-duke said
Like I said, a bad day at the office.

@fmf said
divegeester hasn't made any delusional claims equivalent to Suzianne's CPR story, or her Jack Reacher story, or her talking-to-angels story. So I haven't "taken down" divegeester at all. There are levels of delusion.

@ghost-of-a-duke said
I haven't referred to theists as deluded.

@fmf said
I don't see what's "bad". I am entirely happy with the accuracy and candour of every perspective that I have shared.

@fmf said
In my dialogues with theists about their faith, I haven't referred to them as "deluded" because I don't see how it would be of any benefit to the debate.

@ghost-of-a-duke said
Both Dive and Suzianne believe angels exist. It therefore follows that both believe an encounter with angels is possible and not a product of delusions.

@fmf said
If either of them tell me they have met angels then they will, in my view, be telling me a delusional story.

both believe an encounter with angels is possible and not a product of delusions.

Neither would think they were being deluded if they thought they'd met angels? is that what you are saying?

What does that have to do with my perspective?

@ghost-of-a-duke said
How is it of any benefit to label individuals like Suzianne or Dive as deluded for believing in angels?

@ghost-of-a-duke said
It destroys your theory of varying levels of delusion.

@FMF

Dive believes in angels. I think he is wrong about this but not deluded.

If he recounted a story of meeting an angel in human form, I would not automatically judge him delusional. I would ask follow up questions looking for an alternative explanation.

If Dive recounted meeting a flying angel with wings I would probably think something else was going on and advise him to speak to somebody about it.

@ghost-of-a-duke said
I just see the tactic often deployed by religious folk to say something cataclysmic is going to happen in the lifetime of the listener. We've seen it more recently with JWs and other cults/sects who give hard dates for the end of the world (which obviously come and go). This tactic is more effective at attracting followers than vague premonitions with no time stamp.