Catharsis

@philokalia said
The benefit of increases atheism in our age is that we will shed many who are false Christians and have zero commitment to it while simultaneously making our own believers stronger and more dedicated.

Yes, it seems the distinctions are becoming clearer.

@philokalia said
And this is routinely what he means when he suggests that he debates important issues.

He talks about exactly what he wants without actually going into depth in any way, and he fights to change the topic back to his talking points.

There is a definite pattern to FMF's posting style.

Bait and switch.

@secondson said
Yes, and what is the reality in which we live?

A. Is this reality the one an omniscient God created?

B. Is this reality arbitrary and a consequence of random chance?

You should just look up "agnostic atheist" and see what it says. There may be a god or gods but I certainly have no reason to believe that you have any credible information about it if it does.

@fmf said
To what extent does your religious/philosophical/ideological outlook offer you catharsis? To what extent does it cause you frustration or even anguish?

They have offered me communion a few times but that is about it.

I'll have to ask why I've never been offered catharsis.

@fmf said
You should just look up "agnostic atheist" and see what it says. There may be a god or gods but I certainly have no reason to believe that you have any credible information about it if it does.

Look it up? Don't you recall me telling you what it means a while back?

No matter. As far as having "credible information", that's not up to me, it's for you to find.

Brings us back to your OP. Since you claim to have no credible evidence, that explains your propensity for mischaracterizing what the Bible teaches by citing what some Christians you know say concerning the subject of the OP.

It's true, the Bible says this world is slated for destruction by fire. It's false to assume that means despair and misanthropothy[sic] on the part of believers. That's a mischaracterization of the attitude of believers.

If the scriptures are true, and biblical prophecy is 100% accurate; and the only argument against that is the presumption that the prophecies were made after the fact, then it's time to take a closer look at what the Bible says is forthcoming.

It's not about doom, gloom, despair and misanthropic thinking, nor propagating the rhetoric associated with small minds unable to come to terms with biblical truth.

I think the problem you're having is disassociating your agnostic atheistic biases from what the Bible actually says relative to the OP, based in the idea that your ability to understand the Bible in its broader context is too limited, which explains why you infer fault in anyone that believes what the Bible says.

Your OP and the ensuing debate is made moot by your unbelief, or better yet what you think is true. It stifles discourse.

Then again, I have an open mind, it may be my fault. I failed to generate a convincing argument. 🤷🏻‍♂️

@whodey said
They have offered me communion a few times but that is about it.

I'll have to ask why I've never been offered catharsis.

Doesn't your church offer 'confession'?

@fmf said
You saying you welcomed the 'end times occurred in the conversations we had.

And now you're lying again.

That may be what your misanthrope mind heard, but it is not, in any way, what I said.

Relax, I'm not asking for apology. You're not that kind of man. I'm just asking you to stop lying about me.

@fmf said
I'm speaking truth to [your] "power", Suzianne.

You only have courage to speak "truth" (your truth) to your own power. You don't say anything you don't think you can get away with. And when you're scared, you call all your "friends" to the campfire for instructions.

Whatever. Just stop lying about me. Please.

@fmf said
Like I said, believers in the 'end times' and the Rapture etc. etc. sometimes seem very anguished and misanthropic about mankind and the world - even to the point of hoping it comes sooner rather than later. Perhaps it's a kind of catharsis

Even this doesn't change what I said, but "I see what you did there".

@suzianne said
And now you're lying again.

I am not.

@suzianne said
You only have courage to speak "truth" (your truth) to your own power. You don't say anything you don't think you can get away with. And when you're scared, you call all your "friends" to the campfire for instructions.

What on Earth are you about?

@secondson said
It's not about doom, gloom, despair and misanthropic thinking, nor propagating the rhetoric associated with small minds unable to come to terms with biblical truth.

Good for you. If the catharsis you get from your religious beliefs is not one of gloom and doom about the world, then that's good. I wasn't a doom and gloom Christian either.

@secondson said
Brings us back to your OP. Since you claim to have no credible evidence, that explains your propensity for mischaracterizing what the Bible teaches by citing what some Christians you know say concerning the subject of the OP.

The OP isn't about "what the Bible teaches". The OP is about the effect that beliefs have on people: whether they or what kind of catharsis they offer.

@secondson said
It's true, the Bible says this world is slated for destruction by fire. It's false to assume that means despair and misanthropothy[sic] on the part of believers. That's a mischaracterization of the attitude of believers.

It is the attitude to the world and to their fellow humans of some believers. I have not claimed it's the attitude of all believers; far from it.

@secondson said
Your OP and the ensuing debate is made moot by your unbelief, or better yet what you think is true. It stifles discourse.

The OP isn't only about theist beliefs.