Thread: Unanswered prayers, or unintended blessings?
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Old Aug 11, 2009 | 01:06 PM
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nate_man
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Default Re: Unanswered prayers, or unintended blessings?
Originally Posted by ravery
Very good illustration, Nate. It all comes down to faith. And the question is where to apply that faith. I remember many years ago in Philosophy class in college the prof asking the question, what do you know for sure? This was back in the 70s when we were still in the midst of a great cultural upheaval, the Viet Nam war had not yet ended. He was introducing the concept that some believe there is no absolute truth and that we can't know anything for sure but what we perceive as truth is constantly changing. How do I know Nate, John, Franc and the others really exist or maybe they are all alter egos of someone playing games with us. Maybe Onehunred80 doesn't really exist, but is merely someone made up by Franc for his amusement, to play games with us. Or, maybe we all really do exist and are exactly who we are as portrayed on this and other forums. What do you want to believe?

Yes, there are Creationists on this forum. But, there are also many positions relative to metaphysics. Did God create everything? Did He just create a few things and step back and let things evolve from there? Is all of this just the result of random events? The questions can go on.

Were any of us here to witness the beginnings? Has science proven indisputably what caused all this to appear and happen? Where did that big bang originate? What triggered it?

Mind boggling. We all must have faith in something or just not care. Is your faith in a God who is the creator and sustainer of all, or is it in an imperfect science?
All good points Ravery thanks for keeping us thinking...

What do we really know? This question is the bane of our existence to a great degree.

I too remember these discussions in philosophy class in college as well on what is truth, reality, life. And to a great degree when self is set aside (our opinions, goals, desires etc.) the answers become clearer. Thinking about a child that lives in deepest poverty with a very sad life, then ask the question does he/she really exist? Are the tears real? Do they really hurt, hunger, feel? It then becomes more clear that there are many initiatives to translate reality into an abstraction which helps to alleviate many of our selfish goals to have a defined answer to things that we cannot prove and also eliminate any accountability for our actions and allow us to do what we feel is best for what is our reality. Yes this philosophical dialogue definitely creates a challenge...

Christianity is both misunderstood and grossly misrepresented in society today by both Christians and non Christians alike and this is the greatest travesty of all because at the heart of all of our ills is selfishness and that ill is what has clearly led to the state of our world today!

Life, children, pleasure, happiness, sickness and death have all contributed a great deal to what I know today as reality and the constant challenge of not letting Nate rule is the only thing that creates distortion in that perception of reality. I have no need to convince others to think like me nor do I need to remain silent when it appears as if we are going down an unhealthy path.

There are some things that are pretty clear, no air we die or at least cease to exist as we know it today, no food we shrivel up and eventually do the same, no love and we isolate and protect ourselves, no gas and our xfires don’t run LOL!
 
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