@pb1022 saidWhat do you mean I "had nothing to do with it"? It was my faith. It happened to me. I was X. Now I am Y. It isn't about someone else's faith or life experience. It's about mine and it's all down to me. To suggest I "had nothing to do with it" is daft.
I realize you don’t want to talk about the process that caused you to abandon the faith and become an atheist, but it seems odd to me that you don’t think you had anything to do with it.
@pb1022 saidAs for when I was a Christian, your questions about how much, how long, how deep, how real, how true, how sincere, how many sermons, how many prayers, how many experiences, and to what degree etc. are tedious. I am not interested.
Do you at least acknowledge that you made choices in how much to cultivate and grow in your relationship with God before you became an atheist?
My 20-years-ago self is not in some kind of Christian willy-waving contest with you.
I may have been a far more devout and committed Christian than you back then.
Or I may not have been. I may have been weak and uncommitted. It doesn't matter. And I don't care. I am not giving any personal testimony about it to you.
@fmf saidYou’re getting quite defensive about a simple Yes or No question.
As for when I was a Christian, your questions about how much, how long, how deep, how real, how true, how sincere, how many sermons, how many prayers, how many experiences, and to what degree etc. are tedious. I am not interested.
My 20-years-ago self is not in some kind of Christian willy-waving contest with you.
I may have been a far more devout and committed Christian ...[text shortened]... mitted. It doesn't matter. And I don't care. I am not giving any personal testimony about it to you.
Here is the simple Yes or No question again:
<<Do you at least acknowledge that you made choices in how much to cultivate and grow in your relationship with God before you became an atheist?>>
No one’s asking anything about your activities when you were a Christian or engaging in a “willy-waving contest.”
I’m simply trying to determine, via a Yes or No answer, if you acknowledge you made decisions in how much to cultivate and grow in your relationship with God.
That’s all.
@fmf said<<I may have been a far more devout and committed Christian than you back then.
As for when I was a Christian, your questions about how much, how long, how deep, how real, how true, how sincere, how many sermons, how many prayers, how many experiences, and to what degree etc. are tedious. I am not interested.
My 20-years-ago self is not in some kind of Christian willy-waving contest with you.
I may have been a far more devout and committed Christian ...[text shortened]... mitted. It doesn't matter. And I don't care. I am not giving any personal testimony about it to you.
Or I may not have been. I may have been weak and uncommitted. It doesn't matter.>>
Oh, I think it matters a great deal as far as your loss of faith is concerned.
It’s pretty surprising you don’t think so.
@fmf said<<What do you mean I "had nothing to do with it"? It was my faith. It happened to me.>>
What do you mean I "had nothing to do with it"? It was my faith. It happened to me. I was X. Now I am Y. It isn't about someone else's faith or life experience. It's about mine and it's all down to me. To suggest I "had nothing to do with it" is daft.
That last sentence - “It happened to me.” - is exactly what I’m talking about.
You’re describing your former faith as something that “happened to” you, and I assume you think your loss of faith is also something that “happened to” you - as though you had nothing to do with it.
@pb1022 saidThe loss of faith happened to me; it didn't happen to someone else. That was my point. "Happen to me" is a turn of phrase. There is no need for you to overthink it.
That last sentence - “It happened to me.” - is exactly what I’m talking about.
You’re describing your former faith as something that “happened to” you, and I assume you think your loss of faith is also something that “happened to” you - as though you had nothing to do with it.
@fmf saidYou can’t answer a simple Yes or No question?
Oh, on the contrary, I think you are. You've been doing it for weeks and did it for months and months in 2018.
Seems like you feel cornered again and are again claiming it was all discussed before while you start pool whizzing.
It’s a Yes or No question. If you don’t want to answer it, don’t answer it.
But spare me your dishonest trips down Memory Lane.
1 edit
@pb1022 saidAs I said before, regarding what went on when I was a Christian, what I did or didn't do, or how strong my faith was, your questions and sense of entitlement are tedious and I am not interested. My 20-years-ago self is not giving you any personal testimony about the faith I had for 25 years.
Do you at least acknowledge that you made choices in how much to cultivate and grow in your relationship with God before you became an atheist?
@fmf saidIt’s a Yes or No question.
As I said before, regarding what went on when I was a Christian, what I did or didn't do, or how strong my faith was, are tedious and I am not interested. My 20-years-ago self is not giving you any personal testimony about the faith I had for 25 years.
Your refusal to accept responsibility for your loss of faith - which you claim “happened to” you - is why I used the word “absolve.”
It seemed to fit when I first used it to describe your responses and it seems to fit even better now.
@FMF
<<Do you at least acknowledge that you made choices in how much to cultivate and grow in your relationship with God before you became an atheist?>>