Not all suffering has purpose to you or, I or, the sufferer. The suffering of some people has profound effects for people who do not feel it. Suffering you choose to undertake to better this world is a sacrifice of your time to obeying the moral law.
Sacrificing to earn something is what gives it meaning. The more sacrifice the greater the reward. When you sacrifice your time to be great at something it gives more meaning to that achievement.
I do believe there are atheists that behave as very good people as often and more often than any other Joe Blow Christian. This is directly addressed in Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. If God allows people to do bad things and become bad people they also have the chance to stop their ways and, start acting better. This means that there are many Christians who are at very different points in their spiritual journey that is meant to play out over their lifetime.
I don't think you should solely base your belief on that wager and, it isn't a broad enough framework to fit my rationale for believing in God. I believe you do have a point and, the bible does talk about this. The Sabbath is for God and, the rest of the week you have to do your best to make life better for those around you.
So suffering is necessary? Not all suffering. And I'm sure individually we are probably exempt from trying to address it in most cases, two left feet being what they are.
However, churches in America have a ton of power. The shutdown police took a risk and the gambit paid off. I can now no longer trust that there's a separation of church and state. That specific suffering definitely could have been avoided.
I am at a different path in my spiritual journey. I love those enough to respect and maybe critique their faith (like this should be okay). I also relish the question itself, the one Christian question. There's no need for you to ask and I'd be a bit worried how you'd take my answer.
I do also believe in the separation of morality and religion. Especially those who believe in the theory of Rights as is being tested in the US now.
I agree, I have caused myself tons of meaningless suffering.
I am not a doctor so, I literally cannot help ease most sufferings.
I was not trying to say all suffering is meaningful and important but, rather that some sufferring is meaningful.
The sacrifice you make, to ease another's suffering is meaningful. By choosing to suffer for a person or goal, you choose to make it meaningful.
You are treating churches and churchgoers as a collective.
There are Idk how many sects and, small churches with less than 50 people are common. Sure, do some megachurch pastors do greasy shit?
Yes
I believe they take the lord's name in vain.
The point of a moral law is that you can choose to break it.
You could go on wayfair and start buying cabinets right now but, you won't why? Expense sure but, don't you feel that there is something definably evil about that?
I don't believe you or, the average atheist would do that. I don't mean that I believe you could snap at any moment or, are actually crazy. I believe you wouldn't do that not because of social pressures but, the moral compass inside you.
I disagree because of the assumptions, such as suffering has purpose or Pascal's wager.
Atheists living a moral doctrine may act to end suffering instead of allowing it to happen.
With Pascal's wager, God may actually not want us to worship him, like to enjoy our time here in this universe rather than waste time on our knees.
Not all suffering has purpose to you or, I or, the sufferer. The suffering of some people has profound effects for people who do not feel it. Suffering you choose to undertake to better this world is a sacrifice of your time to obeying the moral law.
Sacrificing to earn something is what gives it meaning. The more sacrifice the greater the reward. When you sacrifice your time to be great at something it gives more meaning to that achievement.
I do believe there are atheists that behave as very good people as often and more often than any other Joe Blow Christian. This is directly addressed in Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. If God allows people to do bad things and become bad people they also have the chance to stop their ways and, start acting better. This means that there are many Christians who are at very different points in their spiritual journey that is meant to play out over their lifetime.
I don't think you should solely base your belief on that wager and, it isn't a broad enough framework to fit my rationale for believing in God. I believe you do have a point and, the bible does talk about this. The Sabbath is for God and, the rest of the week you have to do your best to make life better for those around you.
Sorry for the delay. ;)
So suffering is necessary? Not all suffering. And I'm sure individually we are probably exempt from trying to address it in most cases, two left feet being what they are.
However, churches in America have a ton of power. The shutdown police took a risk and the gambit paid off. I can now no longer trust that there's a separation of church and state. That specific suffering definitely could have been avoided.
I am at a different path in my spiritual journey. I love those enough to respect and maybe critique their faith (like this should be okay). I also relish the question itself, the one Christian question. There's no need for you to ask and I'd be a bit worried how you'd take my answer.
I do also believe in the separation of morality and religion. Especially those who believe in the theory of Rights as is being tested in the US now.
I agree, I have caused myself tons of meaningless suffering.
I am not a doctor so, I literally cannot help ease most sufferings.
I was not trying to say all suffering is meaningful and important but, rather that some sufferring is meaningful.
The sacrifice you make, to ease another's suffering is meaningful. By choosing to suffer for a person or goal, you choose to make it meaningful.
You are treating churches and churchgoers as a collective.
There are Idk how many sects and, small churches with less than 50 people are common. Sure, do some megachurch pastors do greasy shit?
Yes
I believe they take the lord's name in vain.
The point of a moral law is that you can choose to break it.
You could go on wayfair and start buying cabinets right now but, you won't why? Expense sure but, don't you feel that there is something definably evil about that?
I don't believe you or, the average atheist would do that. I don't mean that I believe you could snap at any moment or, are actually crazy. I believe you wouldn't do that not because of social pressures but, the moral compass inside you.