Does faith need defending?

[Guest charlie]

ex

[Bread_of_Life]

I'm sorry, what is existentialist about what Charlie said?

n.

A philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one's acts.

sexuality, evolution, no discussion about God, peer pressure, and parties (alcohol, sex, drugs)... these things wear on your ability to be a Christian.

Yes, sexuality, evolution and drugs - the three main evils of my life hehe

But then I found two Christian apologists that saved my

[apothanein kerdos]

I'm sorry, what is existentialist about what Charlie said?

Read his post...he treats faith as a leap of faith, meaning that there is nothing rational behind it. This is the original concept of existentialism..Kierkegaard in "Fear and Trembling" spends the entire book dealing with this; you cannot rationalize faith, thus any belief in God or following of His laws is nothing more than a leap of faith. You are probably thinking of Sartre (athiestic existentialism), in which case accusing Charlie of being an existentialist wouldn't make any sense. Go back further to Kierkegaard and it makes sense. It's nice that you're using a dictionary to see what it means, but at the same time, there's more to the word than just the definition in a dictionary. Just to validate this claim, look to his "speech in praise of Abraham" where he asserts Abraham's faith was based upon an irrational decision that went against all logic and what could be proven to be true. This is Kierkegaard's existential faith, or "leap of faith."

[Bread_of_Life]

To be honest, I was using the dictionary to make sure other people knew what it meant - I've always used the word in that sense. "Existential angst" is one of my favourite phrases in conversations with my sister - she's always going on about the fundamental aloneness of human beings, and their inability to connect fully with others - the ultimate experiential aloneness of our existence. That's basically how I've always thought of existentialism - I didn't know it had any second meaning as regards faith.

[apothanein kerdos]

To be honest, I was using the dictionary to make sure other people knew what it meant - I've always used the word in that sense. "Existential angst" is one of my favourite phrases in conversations with my sister - she's always going on about the fundamental aloneness of human beings, and their inability to connect fully with others - the ultimate experiential aloneness of our existence. That's basically how I've always thought of existentialism - I didn't know it had any second meaning as regards faith.

I think the problem is you are using Heidegger (who coined that term btw) and not Kierkegaard. Kierkegaard is the "originator" of the existential movement. Most existential definitions today rely either on Heidegger and/or Sartre, but both base their entire philosophies off of Kierkegaard. The difference is that Heidegger used the philosophy to explain the problems brought up by Neitzsche and Sartre applies the philosophy to athiestic thoughts and worldview. However, it all "began" with Kierkegaard. I think, and I"m not sure, Tess was looking to Kierkegaard's epistimological problem and seeing similarities between what Charlie posted and the problem. That's why what she said was justified, and what Charlie said is true existentialism. Anything from Heidegger, such as existential angst, is actually an extention of true existentialism.

[germanJoy]

Why do we practice Apologetics? Does faith need defending?

Yes, we need to be Apologists, defending the gospel of Jesus Christ, the pillar of our faith.

For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.

Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; Philippians 1:7, 15-16

The gospel needs to be defended to keep the evil one from smearing it up with deception and lies. Every true christian believer needs to be ready at all times to stand up for Christ, to defend His gospel against those who oppose it. It is only through and by this process will the "faithful" ("faith/gospel defenders" not just the obedient) christians be called to suffer for His name's sake and be persecuted. While the "fearful" christians remain defenseless, the "army of Christ" marches on and proclaims the good news.

I hope there's an almighty Creator but the only thing I'm 100% certain of at this point in my life is that this life is the only one we know for sure that we're gonna have.

charlie, life is indeed what you make it. If your life is godless then that is the only 100% thing you can be certain of... a faithless life. But there is more to life than that. I personally define "faith" as "an experience with God in this life". We will only begin to receive or understand "faith" once we begin to experience God. Then and only then can we become 100% certain that there is more to life than what we know we have.

[dakota190]

Why do we practice Apologetics? Does faith need defending?

I used to engage in a lot of "apologetics"; these days I tend to view "apologetics" as nothing more than damage control. It's what you do when somebody actually reads the whole bible....not just the parts the clergy carefully steers us toward; it's the excuses you make for glaring contradictions and errors in the so-called infallible bible.

As for faith, I think Mark Twain pegged it correctly when he said "Faith is the belief in something you know ain't true".

Charlie, just because someone does not understand the bible, does not mean it is infallible. if you have/had an issue with a member of the clergy now or in the past, you should meet with him and work it out, if he steared you wrong, learn what would have been right and correct him. standing at a distance and broadly stating, the bible is not infallible, is a waste of everyone's time, including yours. are you an expert on the bible, so that you are qualified to make such a judgement, or are you, as i suspect, just repeating what you have been told by someone else, that is also not an expert on the bible? i have read the entire bible and i found no contradictions, glaring or otherwise. if you would tell me where the errors are. further, i believe the bible defends itself just fine.

Edited May 3, 2006 by dakota190

[Guest Museed]

I say yes, one by living it, two by preaching it.

LUKE 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to [our] father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

LUKE 19:40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

Can you Imagine living in a World without Rules or Morals? In a Sense it would be a no holds barred world, where nobody cares. Children will be victims of Pedophiles, Women will be Raped, people can be killed, and there would be no stopping, or Justice carried out. Someone can go into your Home (if you're actually allowed to own one) take your things and nobody will care!. No nobody will grow worried of Injustice. You cannot open your mouth against it, for your words will be a hyppocrite's cry in a desolated land. You will mean nothing, and your free will will dissapear, as your own life will be someone's else's to take at his will. Does Faith needs Defending? Yes. Because God Is Love, and he showed it at The Cross. With Love everything Spiritual, and Soul Nourished can be accomplished. By Defending The Faith we are Practising that Love that lives withing every real Christian. Because we don't want you to be Judged to a Perpatual Condemnation. We want you to be there in Heaven with us, as our Brothers & Sisters in Christ. God does not hurt anybody, we hurt ourselves. Whatever injustices you have suffered in this world, whatever wrong was done to you, do not place the blame at God's Feet. Put the blame on the human beings that did it, and place yourself at God's feet, forgive, and he will lead you back to Grace. As Humans we are not perfect, no not one of us can take that title, except Christ. And you know what he did, he took our blames as to his own and paid The Biggest Price ever. We are to Love One Another, How Can We Love, and Show Love if we don't care what happens to our fellow Human Beings. Would you stop a family member from jumping off a cliff to save his/her life?

[Guest Museed]

I could say the same thing about the fear of the law. Why do we need law to keep people in check? For that matter, what's the use of courts, police, firemen, and government. They all oput the fear of Justice in everybody. Anybody that needs these to keep him/her in check in my opinion is a jerk!. That's not sound thinking, if I would think that way. God is Love, and he requires all his followers to follow him, and therefore become Servants to Others in that Love. You won't hurt someone you Love, because that would mean that Love was hippocritical. In others words, it wasn't really Love. Love is not an acquired taste, it is a Spiritual Attribute. Denaminations, Traditions, and Fear of The Law does not make one Love. We make that choice, and in making that choice we are to shown it with action. The Dark Ages, Inquisition were not part of The Real Christian Attributes, but part of men's warped thinking of how the world should work. We cannot force anyone into Love, or following Christ. But God did gave Free Will to Human Kind so thay can make up their own minds. With that decicion came Responseability for our actions, just like any free Government of The People give certyain freedoms, but they make you responseable for Breaking the set rules. If you have a drivers license you can drive anywhere in a car, but with that come restrictions. Speed Limit, Not Driving while under the influencem of alcohol or drugs, not driving where your not supposed to drive, like a sidewalk, or into a restaurant. Most will not break the rules of driving for either fear of the consequenses, or because they like to be good citizens. God works with Rules, you break them, you become responseable for your actions, and therefore you are required to pay the penalty. While you believe in Him or not, you will be required to pay for everything you did here while alive. Just like if any person were to go before a Judge and says to the Judge, I don't believe in your law, does that make that person immune to Justice, no. In Society you break the rules or the law, and what happens, they put you away from society. Anything that has organization works by rules. Try not showing up for work for a long time just because of not wanting to go, and see what happens, you get fired. Society has rules, the universe has rules, the body has rules, even viruses, and bacteria has rules. when the rules are broken it destroys the infrastructure. If you were not made to withstand The Ebola Virus, and it got in your body, there's a likely chance it will turn you to pulp. Sin works much the same way, when Justice is not follow through rapidly the peoples mind turn to do evil. Riots are a cause of unrestraining ourselves, it's like a lemming effect. If The Cops are not there to stop the havoc, the destruction will be much worse. God's Spirit works to restrain evil from getting what it wants, full unrestrictive right to do that which is unhonorable. Sin kills the soul, and it delusions the mind into thinking that something that is wrong is actually right. Satan is The Father of Lies, but we make the choice to believe those lies. I was once an unbeliever, but now I can understand more and more why I am not no more. Evil has grown by mountain leaps the last few decades, and nobody seems to care. Just because we have better tech, more cars, and better economy doesn't make this a blessing. God can turn a blessing into a sleeping curse for our spoiled brains. He doesn't require anything more of you than to Love, and thank him for his blessings. To practice righteousness to your neighbor, and to praise him for your salvation, and his works. He doesn't require you to keep a certain holiday, or be a member of a certain denamination, or pray 20 times a day, or even to pray in public. he just requires of all who Love him, to Love him above everything else, and to Love your Neighbor as yourself. If we do that sin will lose it's stronhold on both you and the world. Sin may spread Like Cancer, but Love Spreads at The Speed of Light.