Quote of the Day, by Terry Prachett and Neil Gaiman
God does not play dice with the universe; He plays an ineffable game of his own devising, which might be compared, from the perspective of any of the other players (i.e., everybody), to being involved in an obscure and complex version of poker in a pitch-dark room, with blank cards, for infinite stakes, with a dealer who won't tell you the rules, and who smiles all the time.
17 comments:
An amusing analogy.
And completely false, and you know it, John.
Just as you know God exists.
And that is why you are so conflicted.
Morrison.
Typical of you believers to tell people whats what!
Besides, if you or anyone else KNOWS that God exists then I guess that would pretty much do away with the whole faith aspect of it now wouldn't it??????
You don't know the rules? Where have you been?
John 1:12,13 Jesus said, “Unless you are born again, you can never get into the kingdom of heaven.” There is no eternal doom awaiting those who trust Him to save them. But those who don’t trust Him have already been tried and condemned for not believing in the only Son of God.
John 8:24 - Jesus said, “For unless you believe that I am the Son of God, the Messiah, you will die in your sins.”
1st Thessalonians 1:8,9 - The Lord Jesus will bring judgement on those who do not wish to know God and those who reject His plan to save them through our Lord Jesus Christ. They will be punished in everlasting hell, forever separated from the Lord, never to see the glory of His power.
There, problem solved. Those are the rules.
Thesauros,
The Bible is a rulebook in the same sense that these are definitive rulebooks:
1. Book of Mormon
2. Koran
3. Baghavad Gita
et al.
The Bible is as compulsory to an atheist as any of those other books.
They are all works of the human imagination designed to control other humans. The rules as you understand them are nothing more than what your masters want you to do (and your masters are fellow human beings). Congratulations on being a sucker!
But you can figure your way out of the maze and we will welcome you when you do!
Jim, Jim, I'm not suggesting that you believe the Bible or live by it or anything like that. You can ignore it completely for all I care.
The quote was, "[God] does not tell you the rules," and I'm saying that the rules, as far as the Bible goes are very, very clear.
Written by man or inspired by Creator God is not the point. The point is that the rules that Jesus taught regarding heaven and hell could hardly be more clearly defined.
@ Morrison:
The only part that's wrong in the original post is that God NEVER smiles.
I think this is what started me on my early path to atheism:
The god of the Bible is one totally humorless sonofabitch.\
Never smiles, never laughs.
Thesaurus tells us the rules.
Apaprently, they do not include baptism or repentance.
mORRISON.
As a matter of fact, the bible gives us contradictory rules!
The rules as outlined by the synoptics are more or less based on a life of love, charity, and obedience. Where as "the rules" as outlined by the apostle Paul who takes a slightly different approach basing everything on faith.
These rules are also very different from the rules of the OT which apparently come from the same God!
If you want to say that Jesus came and changed the OT rules-then tell that to the Jews!
Thesauros,
Jim, Jim, I'm not suggesting that you believe the Bible or live by it or anything like that. You can ignore it completely for all I care.
Then stop wasting our time with this Bible quote inanity. Of course we know the Bible exists, and there are rules contained in it, but we don't know they are the rules anymore than you do--you just believe they are the rules.
But since you know the rules and they are clear, can you answer this?
Is killing a sin or does it have to be murder? Which Bible translation is correct? Where is the glossary section of the Bible where "murder" is defined?
Iraq did not attack the United States. Did President Bush murder fellow human beings by invading Iraq?
Was he justified?
Is the thought that someday someone MIGHT kill you justification to kill someone? Or is that murder?
Will Bush suffer in hell for murder?
If killing fellow humans because you think they might do harm someday is murder, will U.S. military members themselves suffer in hell for murder or will they get a pass because they "thought" they were doing the right thing? Or maybe because they were "just following orders?"
The rules are so clear, I'm looking forward to an unequivocal definitive answer.
Did Jesus supersede the Law including the 10 commandments or did he come to fulfill the Law?
Do you need faith only? Or faith with works?
And a million other questions about the "obvious" rules . . .
Jim
Theo,
Come on man, at least apply the recency principle when quoting your Lord and Savior and draw from Mark. You'll see there that some actions are necessary for getting into Heaven.
So what is it, faith or works?
Be clear now because you assert the rules are crystal.
Too bad the redactive theologians writing your holy book didn't agree on them.
If you'd spent more than one or two Sundays inside a Church you'd know that "works" are proof of "faith."
Theo,
Your comment betrays your narrow Evangelical Protestant worldview. Do not Catholics worship in churches too?
-Louis
Thesauros.
You said works are a proof of faith?
Well who must it be proved too? It cant be God because he apparently knows everything?
Also, if James was strictly trying to explain that works are "proof" of one's faith, then why did he have such an intolarent attitude with regard to salvation by faith in his letter? And why did James emphasize obediance to the law which he referred to as "the law which sets you free"?
I have spent more then a sunday or two in church, and I have spent more then an hour or two reading the bible (possibly more then you) , and it is very clear that the letter of James was specifically addressing those christinas who believed in salvation by faith alone- APART from works....which was Pauls gospel that he preached!
I realize the error that christians like yourselves commit when trying to reconcile the letters of Paul with the letter of James. Like Chuck said-the forerunners of your faith did not agree!
Are you suggesting that we shouldn't expect to see any difference in a person's behaviours after becoming a follower of Jesus?
Prior to my conversion I was a committed adulterer, liar, thief, drug abusing violent man. If I was still like that while claiming to be a follower of Jesus, you wouldn't have any problem with that?
This is an interesting statement:
"Prior to my conversion I was a committed adulterer, liar, thief, drug abusing violent man. If I was still like that while claiming to be a follower of Jesus, you wouldn't have any problem with that?"
Looks suspiciously like the things Christians say about atheists and why they ARE atheists, but in reverse.
You're only a Christian due to a knee-jerk reaction to the bad consequences of hedonism (which, apparently, you weren't smart enough to avoid). Your basis for faith is as weak and superficial as the "atheists" who embrace atheism because they feel "wronged by God", or rebellious to the "objective morality from which Christians say atheists wish to be free.
It's a shallow faith.
Wow, you've got everybody figured out. You go boy!
Nope.
Just you.
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