I'll take that as a vote for 6. Steaming into the lead with one point so far, Dougie!

See, this dude has got the idea of the thread. Great caricature, keep up the good work.

I believe there is a dragon in my garage.

Pretty sure that's not the point.

Don't mock true believers who want to take communion on Easter. They believe that they will be protected by the blood of the Lamb. It will be a test of Darwin and survival of the fittest.

You know, as pointed out a thousand times and then forgotten, when it comes to dying, for people in the Christian belief system it should be something much welcomed and looked forward to. Jesus, streets of gold, pure bliss, eternal happiness, etc. await them. So why all the fear, angst and tragedy about death? It doesn't figure. That is unless the religion is just a mime job. There is absolutely no tragedy to millions of Christians dying ACCORDING TO THE RELIGION ... but there is according to humanism. And that's important to realize what we're dealing with in terms of where morality and immorality are lurking.

Sorry to cut up your post, but this means something to me.

I've many times wondered; if I was given the chance to die, and give all other humans (past, present, and future) eternal life, would I do it?

Of course I would, duh.

Great expose here on coronavirus and god.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXvqYV_YwNQ

I don't click links on forums.

Cliff notes?

I wouldn't attempt to Cliff it ... Google 'Vaknin Covid-19 good news and why god allows evil' ... 53:20 long to make sure you have the right one

or just find Sam Vaknin youtube channel

I think of the Christian religion as one that emphasizes the importance of repentance and redemption. Historically, it is central to this viewpoint that humans are born as physically, psychologically, and morally flawed and broken creatures. Thus, the natural state of humans without God is one of sorrow and tragedy.

Then the central idea is that we are born into this sorry state, but that it need not be this way, that through repentance and dedication to God you can triumph over this world and become a new person and live in a better world.

Given this view, it's a mistake to say that Christians should regard the pain and suffering that is still part of our natural state now as not actually bad or tragic. Redemption is a process of making right what is wrong, but that is to be done through victory of good over evil or payment of moral debts, not through defining pain and suffering as themselves inherently good. Through Christ, Christians become born again as new people, they don't just have their old selves declared good.

Anyway, Christians believe that if you are saved you need not fear death, but that doesn't mean that you should not fear the pain and suffering that typically go along with dying. Furthermore, of course millions of people will die who are not Christians, and Christians are enjoined by their religion to feel compassion for them.

Well, when you put it like that, it all seems perefectly reasonable.

I tend not to question Original -- possibly the most impressive human I've never met (at least on a poker forum).

I am surprised you interpreted my comment thus.

I didn't interpret your post at all, I just used yours to make my own.

This sh*t isn't really that hard.

Yeah, it really isn't, one would have to be a total moron to **** it up in the spectacular manner you just did.

Not you, I was talking to someone else, I was just using your post to make my own.

Perfectly wrong. I love debating with a newb.

Wanna keep going?

No. I am going to turn the other cheek.

Another day, another step closer to redemption.

Smart man.

One of my favorite mods just lost a friend tonight. We'll argue another day.

I'm sorry to hear that.

Only if you drink his blood. This vestige of pre-medieval belief, the vampire clan of Galilee, fancies that god will save from the scourge even as hundreds of thousands die of it. Mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters ... all unsaved from the disease by any god. Dead. Meanwhile we imagine god saves from it all because we have zero respect for the reality of the situation. We choose a chimerical model of reality over a realistic one. Such is the succor of designer religion.

Damn bro, that's a tad dark...

BEWARE THE VAMPIRE CLAN!

Yeah, it is. The disingenuous mentality of the apologetics kind of tilts me lately. But son of a gun the weirdest thing ... shortly after I started making the vampire link to the church rites, I picked up a book called I Am Legend/The Omega Man ... and I'm a son of a gun it's about a plague that causes vampirism and apparently started at a religious revival or something, just mentioned in the plot ... I haven't finished it yet. But it was weird, I would not have even bought the book if I had known it was about vampire crap ... I thuoght it was a plague novel which I have been reading during this pandemic for entertainment.