Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
This is the final part of this four part series. Pastor David begins to laud his own goodness to prove his superior faith:
David, you say it is so, so it must be so. That's as fair as a point I can give you with that one. As far as I'm concerned, I am pretty damn sure that Prince Humperdink is still running the small country of Gildor and the Dread Pirate Roberts is floating the high seas. Nah...that stab wound in his belly was but a minor flesh wound and shouldn't affect his abilities to thwart the armies of Floren at all.
Also, two things. First, the sun isn't hot depending on where you are with respect to it. Distance or angle can render it pretty damn cold. Secondly, the sun being hot can be tested empirically. Your religious mumbo jumbo about Jesus Christ being some sort of gallant knight on a white steed for all who accept the fairy tale cannot be tested empirically. Is it possible that he isn't as you say he is? Why yes! It is!
After all, young squire, you're an atheist, just like me. i just go one god further.
David, I'm genuinely happy (again) for you. I love that your family is awesome. I love that your marriage has lasted as long as it has. I love that, should your testimony be true, you are a good example for humanity on how people should live, according to you. I wish that all humans, religious or otherwise, would be like you.
But that's not the issue here. If you beat your wife every day, burned your kids with cigarettes, despised your neighbors, even murdering one of them and getting away with it, lied to your parishioners every time you got up in the pulpit. and did any other manner of evil - yet confessed your sin on your deathbed, saving your soul in the process - though you laid waste to hundreds of lives while you lived, and hurt those you should love the most, your family, you would be granted a place in heaven, just like those who lived the perfect life, and "accepted Christ" during it.
That one was easy. What about this David? A man who has been married for 29 years, has no skeletons in his closet and no ministry horror stories with reference to his home, has five children, is on good terms with all people he touches--Christian and non-Christian, living the perfect life - yet never believed in Jesus, that man, David, will go to hell, according to your "glorious gospel of Christ".
Now put those two scenarios together. Does that seem so "glorious" now? Yeah. I didn't think so either. I'll stick to the second scenario, knowing there is no hell, no god, no deified Jesus, no heaven, and live my life the way I see fit, doing what I believe to be right (just like you, though you attach a trivial religious paradigm to it).
Now about cynicism. My writing may contain a fair amount of what you consider to be cynicism. But it's really just looking at the world with a realistic and pragmatic point of view, without assigning ideological answers to that which I don't understand or need to learn. So you can accuse me of ignoring your gospel because I was affected my morons and idiots in my formative years, but that's really just for you to dismiss my reasonable words so you can walk off into the sunset, having "presented the gospel," believing that "God's word will never return void."
And finally, thanks for calling me blind, using the following Bible quote:
You can keep your god David.
And, if you ever get up here to Minnesota, let's go out for a beer together. I'd love to chat.
Part 2
Part 3
This is the final part of this four part series. Pastor David begins to laud his own goodness to prove his superior faith:
And yet I am as sure that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior of all who will receive Him, as I am sure that the sun is hot.
God has given me a wondeful marriage--29 years with one dear wife. We have no skeletons in the closet and no ministry horror stories with reference to our home. I have five children. We are a diverse yet unified bunch, all on good terms with each other and our neighbors--Christian and non-Christian. The answered prayers we have experienced are stunning. The provision, the guidance, the inner strength, and yes the chastening of the LORD too--are so real.
I will do somewhat as you said. I will continue my ministry. You are another reason why I will continue my ministry--your terrible past encounters, your present egregious cynicism--compel me afresh to continue my appointed ministry of "the glorious gospel of Christ.""And yet I am as sure that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior of all who will receive Him, as I am sure that the sun is hot."
David, you say it is so, so it must be so. That's as fair as a point I can give you with that one. As far as I'm concerned, I am pretty damn sure that Prince Humperdink is still running the small country of Gildor and the Dread Pirate Roberts is floating the high seas. Nah...that stab wound in his belly was but a minor flesh wound and shouldn't affect his abilities to thwart the armies of Floren at all.
Also, two things. First, the sun isn't hot depending on where you are with respect to it. Distance or angle can render it pretty damn cold. Secondly, the sun being hot can be tested empirically. Your religious mumbo jumbo about Jesus Christ being some sort of gallant knight on a white steed for all who accept the fairy tale cannot be tested empirically. Is it possible that he isn't as you say he is? Why yes! It is!
After all, young squire, you're an atheist, just like me. i just go one god further.
David, I'm genuinely happy (again) for you. I love that your family is awesome. I love that your marriage has lasted as long as it has. I love that, should your testimony be true, you are a good example for humanity on how people should live, according to you. I wish that all humans, religious or otherwise, would be like you.
But that's not the issue here. If you beat your wife every day, burned your kids with cigarettes, despised your neighbors, even murdering one of them and getting away with it, lied to your parishioners every time you got up in the pulpit. and did any other manner of evil - yet confessed your sin on your deathbed, saving your soul in the process - though you laid waste to hundreds of lives while you lived, and hurt those you should love the most, your family, you would be granted a place in heaven, just like those who lived the perfect life, and "accepted Christ" during it.
That one was easy. What about this David? A man who has been married for 29 years, has no skeletons in his closet and no ministry horror stories with reference to his home, has five children, is on good terms with all people he touches--Christian and non-Christian, living the perfect life - yet never believed in Jesus, that man, David, will go to hell, according to your "glorious gospel of Christ".
Now put those two scenarios together. Does that seem so "glorious" now? Yeah. I didn't think so either. I'll stick to the second scenario, knowing there is no hell, no god, no deified Jesus, no heaven, and live my life the way I see fit, doing what I believe to be right (just like you, though you attach a trivial religious paradigm to it).
Now about cynicism. My writing may contain a fair amount of what you consider to be cynicism. But it's really just looking at the world with a realistic and pragmatic point of view, without assigning ideological answers to that which I don't understand or need to learn. So you can accuse me of ignoring your gospel because I was affected my morons and idiots in my formative years, but that's really just for you to dismiss my reasonable words so you can walk off into the sunset, having "presented the gospel," believing that "God's word will never return void."
And finally, thanks for calling me blind, using the following Bible quote:
Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to everymen's conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid from them that are lost: In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 2 Corinthians 4:1-4That was an easy one for the Apostle Paul to say back in those days. There wasn't Google to search whether his story was bullshit. So he could pull a "because I said so" on anyone and everyone. It won't work these days. Not on the educated, anyway. Not to mention, this flies in the face of who your god says he is, a loving god who wills that none perish - and yet he willingly and purposefully blinds the minds of people so they can't figure out the riddle - which is stupid anyway?
You can keep your god David.
And, if you ever get up here to Minnesota, let's go out for a beer together. I'd love to chat.
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