Does anyone hear thank God when you win? do you thank God when you lose since God gave you the ability to get better and maybe win next time?

I do not, but I will sometimes invoke more dubious entities when I lose.

Of course not, but I do enjoy pronouncing "Power of Prayer" when I win a big pot at the casino.

I do occasionally and often times unintentionally but I think it's perfectly good to do so as a Christian. Giving glory to God for crushing a tournament isnt saying he made me win, it's simply glorifying God in all you do. You pray over food but God didnt make the food. I'd say we thank God and glorify God for a lot of things that he didn't necessarily "do."

Yes, I thank God everytime I win. I am grateful because but for God's help, my success could not have happened.

It would be more accurate to thank the sun. It provides us food, heat, and light in an ocean of cold vacuum. We wouldn’t be alive, let alone accomplish anything, without it.

Saw a good one today: "Thank you god, that although you sat by idly during the Holocaust, you helped me win, you helped me find a parking place ... etc."

Is one not righteous to think, "Go to hell with that religion?"

No.

Is that dogma or is there actually a rationale? I mean there's probably a reason you didn't offer one.

It seems to me odd to "thank" an inanimate object.

Wouldn't be much different than an atheist "thanking" God for something.

In both cases, the object being thanked didn't intentionally produce any benefit.

It might be righteous to find fault with the prayer itself and the person saying the prayer. As a Christian myself, I wouldn't agree that God "sat by idly during the holocaust.". God is never "idle." He has a purpose for all things, although His purposes are generally hidden from us.

In one sense, God sat by idly while His Son Jesus was tortured and killed. In another sense, God purposed the torturing and death of Jesus before Earth was even created.

Sure it’s odd. But at least the inanimate object really does affect us. Thanking something that has no proven existence seems more off.

You sure know a lot about the mind of god. Of course it is all about the one you were indoctrinated in. Had you been indoctrinated in any of the other 10,000 or so you'd be miming their shyt. The only evidence there is for this is "We were told it as kids. Just like Santa Claus." Is it a talking snake actual occurrence that makes babies evil today, or is that a story? That's a tough question, because if someone says "yes, it's a talking snake true story that makes human beings evil," then they have sacrificed their mind to faith, gullibility, and authoritarianism. There's is only one possible reason to believe such things: "They told me and I'm afraid not to believe it."

I think Ecclesiastes is a great book. And while I'm deciphering fables, from philosophy, from theology, from wives tales, from the primitive superstitious mind ... while reading the ancient Bible, there is much to be gleaned. There is nothing to be gleaned from suspending one's critical thinking to believe things.

You know, I think the 10 of diamonds is coming on the turn because a talking spirit, or serpent, told me. That's a thousand times less immoral than the babies are evil doctrine, fabricated by the church.

I'll address your blatant lie first: I wasn't "indoctrinated" into Christianity. My parents were non-religious, and I generally identified myself as agnostic or atheist until I became a Christian at the age of 30. Before becoming a Christian, I earned a degree in Philosophy and had taught at a community college for five years.

In my opinion, your posts read like someone who gets all their information about Christianity from atheist bloggers.

All I know about the mind of God is what He reveals in the Bible.

Have you actually taken the time to study literature by Christian scholars like Dr. William Lane Craig or Ravi Zacharias or Lee Strobel?

Your posts read like that of a bright, articulate, yet uninformed 17 year old, in my opinion.

[QUOTE=lagtight;55403032]I'll address your blatant lie first: I wasn't "indoctrinated" into Christianity. My parents were non-religious, and I generally identified myself as agnostic or atheist until I became a Christian at the age of 30. Before becoming a Christian, I earned a degree in Philosophy and had taught at a community college for five years.

In my opinion, your posts read like someone who gets all their information about Christianity from atheist bloggers.

All I know about the mind of God is what He reveals in the Bible.

Have you actually taken the time to study literature by Christian scholars like Dr. William Lane Craig or Ravi Zacharias or Lee Strobel?

Your posts read like that of a bright, articulate, yet uninformed 17 year old, in my opinion.[/QUOT




Jeezus. If you are citing those guys you just don't care about reality when it comes to religion ... which is the best way to believe it. Exactly how could it be a lie if I don't know at what age you became indoctrinated? I would have to know you became a superstitious supernaturalist at age 30, and then intentionally falsely claimed that you did at six. As usual, it is impossible to respect the whole idea of truth and lies when defending this talking snake stuff.

I watch the extreme dishonesty of apologists, and that's where I get most of my impressions. There is no rationale for the magic ... and if once you grant it then all the magic believers come into the same validity as the Jesus magic.

Hitler says a prayer before he blows his brains out, and all the Jews he slaughtered are in hell forever and he is partying with Jesus forever, no 72 virgins or whatnot but streets of gold. That has to be okay with a Christian. There are horrible implications of the magic Jesus stuff. There is no magic. They sold salvation. They created original sin.

Why was Jesus illiterate but omniscient?????????????????????????

Explain what converted you at age 30 with a philosophy degree. What somebody got sick and got better? What is it?

If you have an open mind, try Dan Barker videos. If I have an open mind, who is your number 1 for me to consider?

[QUOTE=FellaGaga-52;55408161] This is mostly a rambling, incoherent mess. If you could p!ease post something reasonably coherent, I will gladly respond.

Have a blessed day.

Addendum: Please don't attempt to drive anywhere tonite. You might hurt yourself, somebody else, or receive a DUI.

Some ramblings from “Preacher’ Pokerlogist:

When people say "Thank God" they are really saying it because they are appreciative of being alive to experience a joyful event of living. It is not. or should not be, because they feel that God directly intervened in some minor event.

We wrongly take human existence for granted. When you think about it, it is fortunate that we exist at all. Science has shown that there is no particular reason that humankind should exist or should continue to exist. After plenty of searching we have found no evidence of any other intelligent life in the vast universe. In fact, there hardly any evidence of any sort of life anywhere at all except on Earth. And even on Earth, life has only existed a short time and on top of that we know that almost organic species in history have become extinct. When you look at these facts, you should realize that humankind’s existence is an anomaly. Why are we here and how are we surviving? Monotheistic religions believe that the answer is God. If you are believer in the Judeo-Christian God as the Creator of life, and you believe that life is worth living, then thanking him for a happy experience makes perfect sense.

Well said.

[QUOTE=lagtight;55408242]
Yeah, there's your "uncle" moment. You're the one with the talking snake in the origin of man and origin of evil babies bullshyt. You're the one that suspends reality testing to believe such utter nonsense. I challenged you to show the reason you believe, and you whiffed. Is that what such a good, honest, murderous book tells you to do? Sacrificing consciousness to faith is evil ... the religion is massively Machiavellian and dishonest ... as are its defenders. It doesn't make someone good to believe it (which is the real ulterior motive of it) ... just the opposite. I'm willing to debate the actual issues ... you aren't. You know where it leads. "Yes, I believe babies are evil because of the talking snake story" ... "Yes I believe the most murderous story ever told is about a God who is love" ... More people murdered by that god than all other entities put together. Stone your children for being unruly. STone women for having had sex. Kill, kill, kill. Kill the whole human race for being human. He never changes; he's like that still. Never mind, really. This can't be addressed. You'd rather accuse someone of drinking. LOL. It's not the baby rapers who prove the religion is bankrupt, it's their protector "Men of God" who enabled it. Do you not have a problem with any of this?

Like I said, religions have valuable things to offer. But not murder and evil babies and obviously fake (and borrowed) origin stories.

I just finished a book on religion, spirituality and the Great Mystery. It is not hostile toward religion. It is hostile toward the unconscionable and immoral stuff that goes on within it.

[QUOTE=FellaGaga-52;55411135] I have probably hundreds of posts in this forum "debating the issues". I love debating the issues. I just don't know how to "debate" a rambling, incoherent mess. It would probably take me 800 words just to correct all of your misrepresentations of Christian doctrine, which I have no interest in doing.

I can probably make a thoughtful response to you if you make a post about one specific point about which you disagree with Christianity.

Thanks, and have a blessed day!

[QUOTE=FellaGaga-52;55411135] I bolded some of the claims in your rambling mess that are false either about me or about Christian doctrine.

What is your evidence that I believe the bolded statements and that I am unwilling to debate? I debate here ALL THE TIME!

[QUOTE=lagtight;55411306] So take a look at the things that you didn't bolden. Anything there objectionable, or a little bit immoral perhaps??

You cool with the killing witches part? Are these scriptures an all-knowing god talking or primitive, superstitious man?

Let's see your epistemological justification of the religion. Something besides the ancient superstitious mind and magic believing. You're perfectly positioned to do it. And if it's valid in any way, I'll put it in my book and credit you.

[QUOTE=FellaGaga-52;55411334] I specifically stated that I highlighted SOME of the things you said that were false. There were others as well.



I'm cool with killing witches (If there are any still around.)

Some of Scripture is "God talking", other parts are man talking, inspired by God.

Today or tomorrow I will create a Christian Epistemology thread.

Have a blessed day.