How I Became a Christian (LONG)

[ubercuber]

Wow! Didn't read entire thread, but will. I wanted to comment before going to bed.

First off, thanks for sharing your life so openly. Powerful to read, especially having been there myself.

I won't get into it, to but I had a drug filled past and was a logic based proactive non believer as well. I
could never get why God would want me to shut off my brain and just believe. I found a reason when I needed a group of children to stop asking questions and just listen to my instructions in an emergency situation. I later found myself planning to convince them that sometimes I need them to just trust me and that they don't always need to know what is going on! I immediatly made the connection and abandoned my main issue and told God I'd basically give it a shot. This is getting too long but suffice to say tha the next three months of my life saw changes that I never would have believed would happen...I was being transformed from the inside out. This is how I "just know" that God is for real. I hated that explanation from Christians when I wanted real answers!

I think many don't want to accept God cuz they think they have to sacrifice to lead a Godly life. But take it from someone who missed out on none of the wild times...the stuff God warns against is for our own good. Don't try to imagine "life without...", you have no idea what God can do with your life, don't give up anything but control, He will help you with the rest.

Some poker/God thoughts:

Giving up fast life for "boring life" is like folding Ax...you're giving up junk and avoiding sooooo much trouble.

Faith vs Brain: Does any poker player need to be reminded how badly the brain can work against you? Shut it off for six months on this issue and let God go to work. I was amazed. I used to argue how stupid the whole concept of faith was when considering God designed my thinking system. Now, I really don't care about any of the things that used to trouble me. God delivered, case closed.

What is the EV of non belief? If you are right, so what? If you are wrong, you are screwed. So you will lose the most, and gain the least by non belief, and gain the most and lose the least by belief. (Hoping I just talked my way out of trouble with God for spending waaayy more time reading Sklansky than the Bible.) I know this argument leaves a bad taste the mouths of some, but hey...it is what it is, what good is complaining going to do you...God can be harsh. Deal.

The Rick Warren book is great btw. Also Mere Christianity by CS Lewis

Thanks again for the thread.

[chezlaw]

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and they'll insist that deep down you know 2+2=5 but just wont admit it to yourself.


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I see you've joined Lestat and the others in abandoning debate and going with slurs and ad hominems. I give you credit you held out longer than most.

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Wasn't intended as a slur. I was drawing an analogy with your claim that I need to believe or am hardening my heart. Isn't that what you said?

chez

[chezlaw]

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Produce the body of Jesus. Prove the falsity of the documents. Show errors in the Bible. But most atheists admit they can't prove God doesn't exist. Can you?


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But you already admited that no evidence could pwersuade you it was the right body and that you were being rhetorical.

and I've explained why I have the best possible evidence that your interpretation of the bible is wrong, although I cant prove to you I'm not lying.

So what possible evidence could persuade you that christianity is wrong?

chez

[Lestat]

<font color="red"> I see you've joined Lestat and the others in abandoning debate and going with slurs and ad hominems. I give you credit you held out longer than most.
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Whoa. I have been careful not to make any slurs, demean, or belittle anyone.

You have to understand how incredibly difficult it is (impossible?), to debate those who abandon logic when cornered, and must resort to things like miracles to tie up their loose ends.

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If the science involved in cosmological theory points to the idea that something can indeed come from nothing, I am more apt to change my view that it is impossible than to simply continue to point out it's not possible.

Not only that, but you have theories in cosmology such as the theory that the universe is continually expanding and contracting, or Hawking's view that the nature of time allows for the idea that the universe has simply always been.


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Can a physicist write down how something comes from nothing?

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Example:
E = mc^2

So if the nothing is energy, then no problem. To believe energy was always present is no greater a stretch than to believe a supreme being was always present -- in fact, it makes less assumptions.

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I don't offer it as a logical argument. ... It's not a logical argument, it's an axiom.


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Which is why debate with you is absolutely futile. And I suggest everyone here stop responding to your posts since you have now declared that the Christian dogma is the starting point of your reasoning not the product. You can't debate someone if you don't share common axioms. Been fun chatting with you, but its pointless now.

[NotReady]

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So what possible evidence could persuade you that christianity is wrong?


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Prove the falsity of the documents. Show errors in the Bible.

Since it's falsifiable and chance isn't that makes Christianity more scientific than evolution.

[Jeff V]

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If science does prove evolution to be true, what then?

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If it's "proven" yes. Swithch the question around also.

[bocablkr]

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we walk by faith, not by sight

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Yeah, excellent post, NotReady.

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Kid,

I don't think you should use sarcasm on this board - most people missed it.

[Jeff V]

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Giving up fast life for "boring life" is like folding Ax...you're giving up junk and avoiding sooooo much trouble

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Actually being "bored" has been a nice change of pace for a while. glad to hear some of your story, and hope more people hear about it as well.