Howdy

[Trout XIII]

Some God hasn't revealed itself to me. Therefore some God must not want me to believe it exists. Therefore I don't believe some God exists.

Therefore you are obeying God's will for you.

 

Therefore you are righteous and correct in your belief.

 

Therefore Trout have no business trying to disobey God's will for you by trying to convince you otherwise using his own personal experience as evidence.

 

In other words, Trout is disobedient and rebellious against God, while you are not. So which one of you is more likely to go to Heaven? I would say Chef.

 

I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything. I don't have that kind of power. If God is powerful, He can convince anyone He wants of anything He wants.

[godsfavoritecolor]

I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything. I don't have that kind of power. If God is powerful, He can convince anyone He wants of anything He wants.

 

Yes He can! Allah be praised!

[Trout XIII]

You had some sort of experience, right? I'm not asking you to reveal God to me. I think that might be asking too much. I was only curious about the experience you had. Can't you describe it?

Not exhaustively.

I would be satisfied with only a cursory description of your experience.

 

He made His existence clear to me in my mind.

Okay, that’s fine. But I hope you’ll understand that I can’t accept that as a basis for my own belief.

 

I would never expect you to.

[Neon Genesis]

I think I've had some interaction with Him.

 

Why else?

So why didn't you ask God to give you a brain? Maybe we'll take you with us to the Emerald City to get the wizard to give you one since clearly Yahweh forgot to?

[Trout XIII]

I think I've had some interaction with Him.

 

Why else?

So why didn't you ask God to give you a brain? Maybe we'll take you with us to the Emerald City to get the wizard to give you one since clearly Yahweh forgot to?

 

I don't want a "herd" brain like yours, Neon. I want a free thinking one. Nor do I really want to follow the herd to the Emerald city, but good luck with that.

[GraphicsGuy]

I'm pretty sure you do, otherwise you wouldn't have posted.

 

Meh. Posted out of boredom. Stating my opinion. Soap-boxing.

 

You know. Standard reasons why most of us use forums at all...

 

However, I really, truly don't care if "God" exists or not.

 

He/she/it doesn't lift a finger to help the starving/weak/oppressed/abused around the world throughout the ages. Why should he/she/it give the smallest shit about my (relatively) painless existence?

 

My life, not "God's". Even if there is one out there I have a restraining order on the bastard.

[Trout XIII]

I'm pretty sure you do, otherwise you wouldn't have posted.

 

Meh. Posted out of boredom. Stating my opinion. Soap-boxing.

 

You know. Standard reasons why most of us use forums at all...

 

However, I really, truly don't care if "God" exists or not.

 

He/she/it doesn't lift a finger to help the starving/weak/oppressed/abused around the world throughout the ages. Why should he/she/it give the smallest shit about my (relatively) painless existence?

 

My life, not "God's". Even if there is one out there I have a restraining order on the bastard.

 

I think that's a great place to be, Mark.

 

Well thought out.

 

Thank you.

[godsfavoritecolor]

I think I've had some interaction with Him.

 

Why else?

So why didn't you ask God to give you a brain? Maybe we'll take you with us to the Emerald City to get the wizard to give you one since clearly Yahweh forgot to?

 

I don't want a "herd" brain like yours, Neon. I want a free thinking one. Nor do I really want to follow the herd to the Emerald city, but good luck with that.

 

I see. You prefer the herd brain you already have.

[Neon Genesis]

I don't want a "herd" brain like yours, Neon. I want a free thinking one. Nor do I really want to follow the herd to the Emerald city, but good luck with that.

Let me get this straight. You blindly follow the holey babble because you've deluded yourself into thinking God's picked you to go on his fantasy quest yet I'm the one with the herding brain?

[Zaramon]

Hi there. Zara here.

 

I am enjoying this game. Let's take a different approach.

 

Trout, we are newly arrived aliens from another planet. We have no concept of god and, to boot, we are asexual. His and hers just becomes theirs.

 

So, as innocent oblivious travellers, explain to us what a god is and what "He" refers to in the role of a god.

 

Seriously, in order to discuss this matter of your interaction with a god we must set aside our a priori concepts of a god.

 

I, for one, await your enlightenment.

 

Edit note: forgot the "quotes" around "He"

[Ouroboros]

I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything. I don't have that kind of power. If God is powerful, He can convince anyone He wants of anything He wants.

Good.

 

Then why are you here?

[godsfavoritecolor]

Then why are you here?

Good question. I was wondering that , too.

[Neon Genesis]

Good.

 

Then why are you here?

Maybe God predestined him to come here?

[Ouroboros]

Maybe God predestined him to come here?

Funny.

 

Then I was thinking... why can't God come himself instead, why send a lackey to do his dirty work? After all, it's all in our brains if we believe in him or not, so one delusional lunatic or another won't change our minds, only God himself can do it.

 

Maybe God is delusional too, and that's why they're homies?

[Trout XIII]

I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything. I don't have that kind of power. If God is powerful, He can convince anyone He wants of anything He wants.

Good.

 

Then why are you here?

 

I thought this was a discussion board.

Maybe I'm wrong.

[florduh]

Maybe I'm wrong.

 

 

Yes, and on so many levels.

[Ouroboros]

I thought this was a discussion board.

Maybe I'm wrong.

Well, it's a kind of a discussion board. It has the purpose of letting people who used to be Christians gather and discuss. It also to some degree allow Christians to come and participate (under supervision).

 

But your answer doesn't explain anything though. If you find candy on the floor, do you eat it? Why not? It's candy. So is: "It's a discussion board," explain why you participate in it? You only pointed out that this is a forum, but you didn't give any reason to why you are here wanting to discuss. And considering what your discussion topic was, it doesn't seem like you really believe that God gives people insight in his existence or not, but rather that you are deep down intrigued by the idea of maybe converting one of us back-sliders. Which would go against your claims. So again, what is the reason you are here?

[Kathlene]

I'm pretty sure I don't care.

Mark...that was classic. Sharp, short succinct!! Gave me a pretty good belly laugh!

[willybilly30]

Is this a late april fools joke comeone I figured you out say gothcha!

Trout you say you believe in God and give a half assed answer as to why. Sounds a bit fishy to me like a trout.

God told you he existed that's the best argument you got? Prove it.

I could easily say God told me your a person playing a stupid joke on us.

Trout do like a fish on a peer and jump in a lake.

[Zaramon]

STOP

 

I know that I am new here but watching this pile-on and name calling is disturbing. Yes, this is a forum dedicated to us ex-christians, but Trout has something to relate to us about his experiences.

 

C'mon, most of us here have wounds and scars from years of religious experiences, and we deal with them in the best way we can by commiserating about them. We are far too ready to attack anyone that represents an opposing viewpoint. I have found that we can learn to live with the pain of betrayal by interacting with those who represent the source of that betrayal. We have the advantage of sleeping in a different bed and we don't have to swallow their bait hook, line and sinker.

 

I admit that I have been role playing with Trout, but so what? A person named Trout saying that they have personal experience with a god is almost as interesting as sex with a Raelian. Dialoguing is far more exciting than demigoguing. Trout has only offered teasers, I am interested in his personal experiences in depth. I am interested in witnessing a first-hand experience with a god from an alien viewpoint.

 

As Petra sang, "We are strangers, we are aliens, we are not of this world." If anyone is triggered by such a dialogue then change channels for a while and come back and examine.

[Ouroboros]

Maybe he's not a True Trout™ (Christian)?

[Zaramon]

Maybe he's not a True Trout (Christian)?

Maybe he's a Rainbow Trout, changing colors in different light. Maybe he's a Reader's Digest Trout, a condensed theological anomoly. Trout fish have soft mouths and if you jerk the hook too hard they will certainly get away. Let's keep this one on the hook.

[Ouroboros]

Maybe he is a new species: Troll Trout.

[Neon Genesis]

STOP

 

I know that I am new here but watching this pile-on and name calling is disturbing. Yes, this is a forum dedicated to us ex-christians, but Trout has something to relate to us about his experiences.

To be perfectly fair, we did try to have a dialog with him and asked him about his experiences. So far he hasn't said diddly squat about it. Then he wants to know how we've come to the conclusion that his god is a fairy tale and when we ask for evidence, apparently God picks and chooses who he wants to reveal himself to, but apparently we're supposed to be held accountable for God's whims. So, it's not like we haven't tried, but apparently he thinks we're not good enough like him to receive special proof from the Lard.

[Zaramon]

Maybe he is a new species: Troll Trout.

Eating bandwidth?

 

Perhaps I have been away from debate for too long. Even though this may not count, I will nibble on the bait until I see the hook. I have a bizarre interest in people who see ghosts, gods and UFOs. Call me a spirituspalaentologist. Who knows? Trout could be the next Joseph Smith. Would anyone want to miss out on the next Donnie and Marie?