Anything based on evidence is invariably wrong. In the words of one of greatest parliamentary passioneratas <sp?> ' Don't confuse me with facts'
Dr Michael Benjamin, Community Psychiatrist ------------------------------- myRay: On-line Self-Help CBT http://www.myRay.com http://www.myRay.org ------------------------------ Mental Health: http//www.MyDoctorExplains.com -------------------------------- Auditing || Quality Control http://www.MyDoctorExplains.com/alamo/ -------------------------------- Blog: http://www.DrMichaelBenjamin.com On 10 January 2013 01:39, Eric B <[email protected]> wrote: > "It’s also based on evidence –" > > Evidence?! You certainly lost me there. and it reminds me why I ve stopped > debating this a while back. In the end of the day its all about opinions, > and we all know the old adage about opinions and arses which renders most > discussions futile after a short while. > > Eric > > > On Thu, Jan 10, 2013 at 4:12 AM, Gav Burnage <[email protected] > >wrote: > > > OK, here we go then, a quick one-off response for a change – with > > apologies and please delete / jog on down the digest if you’re > > uninterested, easily offended, or an atheist botherer. > > > > To be honest, I’ve got no real interest in religion, whatever it is, and > no > > need or desire to defend it. > > > > My Christian faith, on the other hand, is based on reason. It’s perfectly > > reasonable to assume that we and the universe we live in are the creation > > of an enormous power way above our comprehension. (And if it’s true, it’s > > profoundly unreasonable to think otherwise). > > > > It’s also based on evidence – Jesus said he was that powerful God > > intervening as a human being to get us out of the fine mess we’ve got > > ourselves into. (Happy Christmas!) > > To that end, he lived our life, died our death, for us – and then > > physically rose again to a new kind of existence. > > > > That is a very unusual claim: then, as now, dead people, especially those > > beaten up and tortured to death, don’t just rise up to a new kind of > life; > > they remain stubbornly dead. But that’s the claim here – and it’s a > > straightforward historical Yes/No prove-all: If Jesus really rose, > > physically, then happy endings are here to stay, along with faith, hope > and > > love, and mankind really is onto a winner. (Happy Easter!) > > > > If he didn’t, Christians are the saddest cases in existence. At least, > > that’s what the bible says. > > > > The more I find out about the bible, the more gobsmacked I am by it. So > > many different books, stories, documents, and accounts, written by people > > (ostensibly at least), for people, over hundreds, even thousands of > years, > > which join together in such a coherent and profound whole, showing how > God > > loved and saved us by becoming one of us. The Bible says how he said he > was > > going to do it, and then says from first-hand eye-witness accounts how he > > did do it. And it gives a few tantalizing pointers into the amazing > future > > ahead too. No historical documents have been subject to as much scrutiny, > > claim, and counter-claim, and still held up. Check it out. > > > > There’s reason, there’s evidence, and there’s also experience. The > > spiritual experiences I and millions of others have had confirm that > Jesus > > is alive and active right here and now. > > And now I’ve seen too much, and there’s no going back. Drug addicts and > > drunks clean and sober, living well. People in even the worst, most > > inexplicable kind of suffering helped, healed and given heartfelt, > tangible > > hope, enough to hold on. And there's no one beyond this. Not even me. > > > > If there is no God and everything is random, then good and bad and even > > reason and life itself is all a specious temporary irrelevance on a > > mind-bogglingly enormous scale, and “we’re all doomed” in a lugubrious > > Scottish undertaker accent, doesn’t even begin to come close to how grim > > "things" really are. > > > > And finally: Football is all about teamwork and support networks in the > > joint pursuit of a higher goal, at every level. How can footie fans, of > all > > people, not "believe" in "organized religion"? All the singing, > handwaving, > > and self-righteous offence-taking? All the worship of player-idols, all > the > > baying for the blood and sacrifice of inadequate managers? All the boring > > legalistic stattoes? All the ritualised drinking of alcohol? The heaps of > > cash, and the hopes of trophy glory? All the mindless turning up even > when > > it's boring and rubbish? And not to mention the endless hatred and even > the > > ongoing, non-metaphorical smiting of enemy tribes? Flip me, even this > email > > list requires organization, policemen and cash to keep going. > > > > Mustn't get on the high horse tho, I've been there and done all that too > of > > course (apart from the smiting, obviously…). But then, like I say, I'm > not > > really out to defend 'religion'. I think the local church is the way > > forward - a bunch of people trusting Jesus meeting to worship God and > work > > with him and each other in and for the world. And in that fallen world, > > there are well-run clubs and badly run clubs and indifferently run clubs; > > there are good supporters, bad supporters, indifferent supporters etc > etc. > > That bible book also suggests it’s going to be like this till Jesus shows > > up again to finish off once and for all the good work he’s started. > > > > Back to lurk, and to work, > > Cheers, > > Gav > > DaRealRev, Church of the Real Man – Jesus Christ > > > > (Sorry for shamelessly nicking your old tagline John :-) > > _______________________________________________ > > Leedslist mailing list > > Info and options: > > http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist > > To unsubscribe, email [email protected] > > > > PETE CASS (1962 - 2011) Rest In Peace Mate > > > _______________________________________________ > Leedslist mailing list > Info and options: > http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist > To unsubscribe, email [email protected] > > PETE CASS (1962 - 2011) Rest In Peace Mate > > _______________________________________________ Leedslist mailing list Info and options: http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist To unsubscribe, email [email protected] PETE CASS (1962 - 2011) Rest In Peace Mate
