Why are you even here?

[Floatingaxe]

The forums provide a testing ground for me to understand what Christians think and why they think it. This helps me to become a more effective witness.

Witness to what?

[Openly Curious]

There is a lot of purpose in persuading people. But let me give the one that mirrors your own: since I have become an atheist my life has become vibrantly more meaningful and rich. I want to save people from the dull lives they live in the pews. I want save them from a wasted life (which I believe is the only life they have).

The forums provide a testing ground for me to understand what Christians think and why they think it. This helps me to become a more effective witness.

Let me set the record straight you are of your father the devil and the will of your father you will do and you do not have the power to save lives that you are deeming wasteful lives believing us poor miserable Christians to have. The devil was a liar from the beginning and I learned to not listen to a liar but I see you still are listening to the lies of your father the devil.

I see you have an agenda here to seduce as many Christians away from the faith by coming here asking your questions and learning of various beliefs in order to seduce folks from the truth.

Well you go ahead and live up your happy go lucky lifestyle without any restrainst or moderation for it is your choice to eat drink and be merry while you live your life out on earth. But that breath you have in your body is not your own it belongs to another. Death will come knocking one day and you'll find out if it was all worth it as the devil will have his part in the lake of fire that burneth with fire and brimestone forever.

If you do not like to retain God in your personal knowledge by faith now then that is your choice but at least open your eyes that the devil is using you as his pawn and you don't even know you are being used as a evangelist for the devil.

I however will continue to choose to retain and keep God in my knowledge by faith.

Openly Curious

[Emissary]

The forums provide a testing ground for me to understand what Christians think and why they think it. This helps me to become a more effective witness.

Witness to what?

To truth and intellectual freedom. The freedom to question anything and to grow beyond the cage that theistic belief puts you in. When I was a Christian, every thought I had, every observation I made, was filtered through a maze of doctrine that had to be trusted without evidence.

Now I think quicker because I simply judge things for how they appear to be. There is no need for me to filter what I see and think anymore. I grow quicker. I'm able to provide for my family faster. I am able to devote time to exploring the true mysteries of life. I no longer have to pretend that the words of the Bible hold some kind of untapped wisdom.

I am also a witness to unity that rises above beliefs without evidence. A Christian can do nothing to quell the difference between himself and a Muslim. They both hold their beliefs without evidence so nothing can be done.

An athiest, however, can resolve the situation by convincing both to base their beliefs on evidence. Since we all have have access to the same evidence we will come to many of the same conclusions. There will be more agreement and more unity. This is a path to world peace.

There are more. So in short, a witness to more wonders than anyone can imagine. A witness to the freedom to think and explore.

Edited January 4, 2007 by Emissary

[Emissary]

Let me set the record straight you are of your father the devil and the will of your father you will do

I guess my question is: how could you possibly know that? How do you know it isn't the devil using you as a pawn to spread ignorance and keep the light of truth from reaching you and your family?

It all becomes incredibly hairy when you choose to believe things for which you have no evidence.

But here is a better question: why did God create the devil? Why would God create such an evil monstrosity to use me as a pawn? If God is in control of everything (including the devil) isn't it ultimately He who is controlling me? Do you really think God is that evil?

It seems to be a contradiction. You can't say that God is in control of everything but then blame the devil.

[Openly Curious]

There is a lot of purpose in persuading people. But let me give the one that mirrors your own: since I have become an atheist my life has become vibrantly more meaningful and rich. I want to save people from the dull lives they live in the pews. I want save them from a wasted life (which I believe is the only life they have).

The forums provide a testing ground for me to understand what Christians think and why they think it. This helps me to become a more effective witness.

Let me set the record straight you are of your father the devil and the will of your father you will do and you do not have the power to save lives that you are deeming wasteful lives believing us poor miserable Christians to have. The devil was a liar from the beginning and I learned to not listen to a liar but I see you still are listening to the lies of your father the devil.

I see you have an agenda here to seduce as many Christians away from the faith by coming here asking your questions and learning of various beliefs in order to seduce folks from the truth.

Well you go ahead and live up your happy go lucky lifestyle without any restrainst or moderation for it is your choice to eat drink and be merry while you live your life out on earth. But that breath you have in your body is not your own it belongs to another. Death will come knocking one day and you'll find out if it was all worth it as the devil will have his part in the lake of fire that burneth with fire and brimestone forever.

If you do not like to retain God in your personal knowledge by faith now then that is your choice but at least open your eyes that the devil is using you as his pawn and you don't even know you are being used as a evangelist for the devil.

I however will continue to choose to retain and keep God in my knowledge by faith.

Openly Curious

You also should be listed as a Non-believer being an atheist---ATTENTION MOD'S

[Floatingaxe]

The forums provide a testing ground for me to understand what Christians think and why they think it. This helps me to become a more effective witness.

Witness to what?

To truth and intellectual freedom. The freedom to question anything and to grow beyond the cage that theistic belief puts you in. When I was a Christian, every thought I had, every observation I made, was filtered through a maze of doctrine that had to be trusted without evidence.

Now I think quicker because I simply judge things for how they appear to be. There is no need for me to filter what I see and think anymore. I grow quicker. I'm able to provide for my family faster. I am able to devote time to exploring the true mysteries of life. I no longer have to pretend that the words of the Bible hold some kind of untapped wisdom.

I am also a witness to unity that rises above beliefs without evidence. A Christian can do nothing to quell the difference between himself and a Muslim. They both hold their beliefs without evidence so nothing can be done.

An athiest, however, can resolve the situation by convincing both to base their beliefs on evidence. Since we all have have access to the same evidence we will come to many of the same conclusions. There will be more agreement and more unity. This is a path to world peace.

There are more. So in short, a witness to more wonders than anyone can imagine. A witness to the freedom to think and explore.

You must be a comedian!

Freedom? You offer that? Only God offers freedom for all things that hinder: fear, loneliness, lack, grief, pain, sickness, worry, addictions, and lastly: freedom from lies!

Through Jesus, we can have the freedom that you can only dream about! You are very wrong about the lack of wisdom that comes from God. He is the giver of it--we are the receivers of it. I know...I have received wisdom in my life at times that didn't come from my own mind.

Try exploring the mysteries of Christ. Your family will thank you, and maybe you will have an eternity with the ones you love.

World peace? You know how to achieve it? Wow..another saviour, named Emissary! NOT.

What's your next joke?

[Emissary]

Are you kidding? Christians are the only ones on this planet who know what real fun is!!!! Fun that doesn't have any sin associated with it is the best! We, who know God, know the One who created humour and with unfettered minds, we can appreciate true humour!

Boy, have you got it wrong, bub!

I wouldn't call the fun I experience with my family sinful. We do puzzles, we do kind things for each other, we visit museums, we explore the beauty of the earth through visual books. We discuss, learn together, watch movies. None of this is particularly sinful..

[Emissary]

You must be a comedian!

Freedom? You offer that? Only God offers freedom for all things that hinder: fear, loneliness, lack, grief, pain, sickness, worry, addictions, and lastly: freedom from lies!

Well no, I never said that I personally offered any of this. Rather I hope to offer knowledge that helps us embrace our natural freedom. I simply said that I am a witness to freedom. I'm not claiming to be the source of freedom any more than you are claiming to be a source of salvation, Floatingaxe. I am simply a messenger on the part of freedom.

I know that it may be natural for you to think that since I don't worship God I must worship someone and that someone must be myself. But it really is not true. I don't worship any kind of personality. No one is worthy of that kind of deification, not even Christ himself, wonderful a person as he appears to have been.

World peace? You know how to achieve it? Wow..another saviour, named Emissary! NOT.

World peace is something no single person could offer. It is a collaborative effort that I support and I hope you do too. You are really making me out to be much more narcissistic than I claimed to be. I never claimed to be the single savior of anything.

Let's not dodge the issue: do you think that unquestioned religious beliefs cause global conflicts or not? This isn't about me. It is about truth.

Edited January 5, 2007 by Emissary

[Openly Curious]

Let me set the record straight you are of your father the devil and the will of your father you will do

I guess my question is: how could you possibly know that? How do you know it isn't the devil using you as a pawn to spread ignorance and keep the light of truth from reaching you and your family?

It all becomes incredibly hairy when you choose to believe things for which you have no evidence.

But here is a better question: why did God create the devil? Why would God create such an evil monstrosity to use me as a pawn? If God is in control of everything (including the devil) isn't it ultimately He who is controlling me? Do you really think God is that evil?

It seems to be a contradiction. You can't say that God is in control of everything but then blame the devil.

I have made it a point to know my enemy. And the "light" of truth is Christ and in Christ is no darkness at all. The creation itself is my evidence of the Creator that I love and serve. And I retain that knowledge of my Creator within my knowledge by faith. So it's not hairy to me at all. It's only hairy to those closed minded to the Creator and fail to worship him as such.

your question: Why did God create the devil? It really is quite simple He had a purpose for him. God created the angelic host with free will for God does not make slaves of any of his creations for they have a choice to serve God willingly or choose to rebell against his will and purpose for their lives in which they were created to fulfill. The devil chose to rebell against God as he was lifted up in pride and met his own fate.

And it may be to your amazement but yes I can say that God is indeed control of everything even the devil and even you. Though you along with your father the devil may have free reign now it will come to a close and the devil's time is short. And your life is also but a vapour here only a short while. God is Soverign over everything I see and don't see that includes you, me and the devil and everything that exist.

OC

[Openly Curious]

Only God offers freedom for all things that hinder: fear, loneliness, lack, grief, pain, sickness, worry, addictions, and lastly: freedom from lies!

I have overcome fear, loneliness, grief, sickness, addictions and lies totally under my own power.

I hope it's still there at your death door.

OC