Search results

Shibolet, I agree that common sense dictates that the universe couldn't create itself, so I imagine that something created it. But theoretically, that something could simply be a force, like gravity, and as sentient as a rock. We don't have to assume it has the traits usually associated with...

Donnann, Thanks for the information. Considering how many times the Israelites strayed and returned to worshipping Baal, it seems likely that they were also worshipping his consort, Asherah, as well.

I’ve said this before, but being a Jewish atheist means I have a foot in both camps. I get to go to secular Jewish services with other atheist Jews. Unitarians, for the most part, also don’t believe in a traditional God but they have weekly church services. There’s also the Ethical Culture...

What about the fact that he committed suicide. Wouldn't that disqualify him from being redeemed?

Esau means "hairy", "rough".Hairiness is associated more with animals and less with modern humans.Think of popular images of Big Foot and the Neanderthals. The hairy, hunter Esau lost out to his herding younger brother Jacob, just as the hunter-gatherer economy eventually lost out to herding and...

Taureen, I just noticed your thread was posted two days ago. I don't know why I didn't see it earlier. I would have responded to it right away if I had. Here is my initial response to the questions about the two brothers and parental favoritism. First, consider what God says to Rebecca when...

Hi Chirpyrosa. I'm doing well, thank you. Welcome to the Forums.

Really! So either there were competing groups of Gnostics, each with their own disciple to tout, or the Gnostics were engaging in a kind of fan fiction, proposing different possible alternative universes just for fun. That's harsh. Condemned for eternity just for being clueless.

According to The Gospel of Judas, written by Gnostic followers of Jesus in the 2nd century CE, Judas is a hero not a villain. The explanation they give is that Jesus actually instructed Judas to give him up to the Romans. I would have thought that Jesus’s reason for this strange request would...

I agree with the first part of your statement. There are references outside the Bible that indicate that Asherah was probably worshipped alongside Yaweh by ancient Israelites. See my post #29. The Bible confirms this by the many times it condemns the practice. So Asherah is included in the...

Hi Taureen, Thanks for making the new thread. I forgot about newbies having to get approval for it. I hope it's up by tomorrow.

Taureen, Welcome to the Board. I’m glad you brought this up.I’ve been thinking about posting something about Jacob, myself. I wonder if you shouldn’t start a new thread about it so it will catch more attention. If you don’t want to, that’s ok too. But I’ll wait awhile to see what you do...

Thanks, Thomas. I'll add that the challenge is to put yourself in each others' shoes (or mind, actually), try to understand where they are coming from, and not totally dismiss their humanity, sanity, or intelligence.

First of all, let me say what I've said before on this board. I call myself an atheist because I see no evidence for God. I see the universe as non-sentient and effectively indifferent to us. These things are incompatible with belief in God. I happy to discuss this but I'm not out to prove a...

Go to User CP Settings and Options Edit Options Click on Save a copy of sent messages in my Sent Items folder by default

Good questions, Wil. I don't think we can know the answers. Their brains might be very different from ours. If they are wired for religion, they'd probably create religions. If they are anything like us, science will probably not eliminate religions completely. Those who believe in an...

I've received 3 private messages and responded to all of them. Now it seems that there is no record of the my replies. I expected to find them under "Sent" but they are not there. What am I doing wrong? Sorry for the duplicate posting. I put the original in the wrong place.

I've received 3 private messages and responded to all of them. Now it seems that there is no record of the my replies. I expected to find them under "Sent" but they are not there. What am I doing wrong?

Good point, Wil.

So long Thomas. I'm sorry to see you go. If you read this I have a question that you, alone, might be able to answer. I was reading the Names of God Bible and found Genesis 13:15 translated as I will give all the land you see to you and to your descendants for an indefinite period of time. This...