@thor Mmmm, or a universal spiritualism if anything. More like Spinoza's God, if I recall correctly. There may be something more than us out there and who knows what happen when you die, but if it doesn't make any difference now, what's the point?
@chiasm @thor That is the rub for most people, but there are many(myself included) who observe that God does make a difference in the world presently. Fair enough if some attribute that to mental illness, because I have seen that, especially in those who try to formulate God and attempt some false sense of control in the situation. If God has made his actions untestable in the world, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t having an affect.
@chiasm @thor A chunk of encrypted data(maybe reality) can statistically look like random noise, but to those who have the key to decode it, it can be interpreted. The parables of Jesus were also designed for an intended audience. If God decides who holds the keys, there’s nothing anyone can do but ask. Thanks for doing your research and soul searching before trying to reach a conclusion. I will beg that God reveal himself in your life, He is good.
@jordan @chiasm @thor Hope I didn’t miscommunicate. I wasn’t talking about Gnosticism or some secret knowledge. Christianity and the Bible are clearly public knowledge. I was talking about who and how people respond to that knowledge. You can’t really ignore that the Bible talks about the elect and the called out ones. Some people simply hear and believe this stuff in the ups and downs in life, no matter how they challenge it.
@daniel @thor Yeah, it was that mindset that finally flipped me off of Christianity, I think. The "I have secret knowledge"/"You're not one of the cool kids" attitude flies in the face of a reasonable, rational life and healthy society.