I have been socially shunned: officially, summarily, and without appeal. Ever since the fundy gave me back the book I loaned him (Atheism: the Case Agaisnt God) I have been unworthy of an invitation to play cards at his house. The original story is here in my post born again attempt #3 which happened about the 10th of August.
I spoke recently with John (the guy I enjoy most playing skip-bo with) and he asked Ken why he didn’t call me over to play skip-bo anymore. Ken said, “I do not invite people to my house, they just show up when they want to visit me.”
I said, “That’s funny John, because for a year and a half, he invited me every single time I came over to his house to play cards with you two.”
What I find amusing about the situation, is that it is him and not me who has changed. He still occassionally drops off leftovers at my house, but never anything I’ve specifically mentioned enjoying. Interesting.
I was really confused by his reaction until it was put into perspective for me. Never before has he met a rational atheist. Oh sure, he might have met people who didn’t believe, or people who grew up in the church but weren’t born again- he had no significant trouble upgrading their beliefs into born-again status. But to meet someone with a rational basis for their disbelief- that one threw him. I don’t think he’s ever failed quite so stupendously before, once he set his mind to giving somebody “the talk”.
I remember being at his house at one point and he was bragging about how he’d made some poor bloke break down in tears. It wasn’t the first story he’d told where the person ended up crying because of the scolding he’d delivered.
But that’s what the fundies look for in their converts, isn’t it? A broken spirit and a contrite heart. Well, not this atheist poor deluded fundy. *snerk*
Frankly, having observed how far he got through ACAG (page 41 for those of you playing along at home), I would say he probably had a small crisis of faith himself. He believes that he had a near-death experience in which he pleaded for one more chance to spend time with his son and at that point jeebus gave him back his conscience. Which meant that he felt contrition about the life he’d led up to that point, and was given a second chance to redeem himself with his children. With a book that very clearly lays out why such a belief is idiotic, he would have no purpose in his life, no meaning.
Poor, poor deluded fundy.
Showing posts with label fundy neighbor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fundy neighbor. Show all posts
Friday, September 21, 2007
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Mark Cahill e-mail & his proof of god
Just to make sure Cahill and I are on the same page, I e-mailed him and asked him "what is faith?". He replied...
The best definition of faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
What you really want to distinguish is between blind faith and a calculated faith. You don’t blindly believe in Australia.
You look at evidence to make that decision. The same thing is that you don’t believe Australia is in the northern hemisphere. The evidence doesn’t lend you to believe that. So you look at evidence to make your decision.
You do the same thing with God. You take a look at the evidence and see if it is there. If you believe in no god, then you take a look at the evidence to see if it backs up your belief system.
So as you can see, the search is always for truth. I never look for something to believe in. I search for the truth.
Keep searching for the truth. You will find it.
Faith, evidence, truth. Tied together to look rational.
CHAPTER ONE
Many people believe there is no God because they are convinced that science has fully explained how our universe came to be.
What scientist on the planet claims ANYTHING is *fully* explained let alone the origins of the universe?
How is it that we can predict the precise day of a full moon or an eclipse, or determine whether to expect a violent thunderstorm or a fresh snowfall? Where does lightning come from, or a brilliant rainbow?
SCIENCE- Science allows us to do these things. Yet Cahill implies that god is providing these answers. I can think of a few meteorologists who wasted a lot of time in school learning to interpret weather data when maybe they should have been in church learning to hear god's voice.
So if everything man-made has a creator, designer, artist, or orderer behind it, why would we not think that there is a Creator, Designer, Artist, and Orderer behind the universe?
Logically, we know that there cannot be an unpainted painting, an unsculpted sculpture, an undesigned design. That just doesn't make sense. And it makes much less sense for us to base our eternal destiny on something that we know is not reasonable.
Something from Nothing -> Big Bang
Cause and Effect -> First Cause
Evidence of Design -> Blind Chance
Moral Law -> Mindless, random, chance processes
I cannot do it.
I cannot continue to read this tripe and and reinvent the wheel debunking it. I have seen nothing that has not been addressed by Dawkins, Smith, and the others.
I also owe you an apology for an appallingly boring couple of blog entries.
The best definition of faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
What you really want to distinguish is between blind faith and a calculated faith. You don’t blindly believe in Australia.
You look at evidence to make that decision. The same thing is that you don’t believe Australia is in the northern hemisphere. The evidence doesn’t lend you to believe that. So you look at evidence to make your decision.
You do the same thing with God. You take a look at the evidence and see if it is there. If you believe in no god, then you take a look at the evidence to see if it backs up your belief system.
So as you can see, the search is always for truth. I never look for something to believe in. I search for the truth.
Keep searching for the truth. You will find it.
Faith, evidence, truth. Tied together to look rational.
CHAPTER ONE
Many people believe there is no God because they are convinced that science has fully explained how our universe came to be.
What scientist on the planet claims ANYTHING is *fully* explained let alone the origins of the universe?
How is it that we can predict the precise day of a full moon or an eclipse, or determine whether to expect a violent thunderstorm or a fresh snowfall? Where does lightning come from, or a brilliant rainbow?
SCIENCE- Science allows us to do these things. Yet Cahill implies that god is providing these answers. I can think of a few meteorologists who wasted a lot of time in school learning to interpret weather data when maybe they should have been in church learning to hear god's voice.
So if everything man-made has a creator, designer, artist, or orderer behind it, why would we not think that there is a Creator, Designer, Artist, and Orderer behind the universe?
Logically, we know that there cannot be an unpainted painting, an unsculpted sculpture, an undesigned design. That just doesn't make sense. And it makes much less sense for us to base our eternal destiny on something that we know is not reasonable.
Something from Nothing -> Big Bang
Cause and Effect -> First Cause
Evidence of Design -> Blind Chance
Moral Law -> Mindless, random, chance processes
I cannot do it.
I cannot continue to read this tripe and and reinvent the wheel debunking it. I have seen nothing that has not been addressed by Dawkins, Smith, and the others.
I also owe you an apology for an appallingly boring couple of blog entries.
Mark Cahill
One Heartbeat Away: Your Journey Into Eternity
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to Truth.
If you search for it, you will find it.
Irony- 1) The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning.
2) Incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs.
3) Dedicating a book of false assumptions and baseless conclusions to Truth.
INTRODUCTION
We are all one heartbeat away from death. Where will you be in 300 million years?
300 million years from now I will be in the same place I was 300 million years ago.
What is the purpose of our existence? Many people think it is just to go to school, party a little, find a job, get married, have kids, attend sporting events, watch their hair turn gray (or turn loose), retire, play golf, and die...Wouldn't it be important to find out where you are gong after you die, and for your family to join you there someday?
I am horrified that Cahill's answer to the purpose of existence is exclusively concern about the life after death. Not about producing anything of value, or making a difference in this life, or leaving the world a better place, but only about himself and his family and their life AFTER they die. Focus on your death and what happens afterwards. What about this life? What about making this life meaningful and purposeful? What about working towards the things you value most now?
Oh- I see, none of that matters, only getting to heaven matters.
He uses statistics gathered by the Barna Group. whose ultimate aim is to partner with Christian ministries and individuals to be a catalyst in moral and spiritual transformation in the United States.
No potential for bias or misinterpretation of statistics in this organization is there? Let's see what they have to say:
- 8 of 10 Americans believe in some sort of afterlife.
- 79% agree that "every person has a soul that will live forever, either in God's presence or absence."
- 1 in 4 adults admits that he has "no idea" what will happen after he dies.
- Two-thirds of atheists and agnostics accept the existence of an afterlife.
He then goes on to sum up Hindu, Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, Atheist, and New Age beliefs in the afterlife.
"Although we may not realize it, we all have faith in something. In fact, you place your faith in many things every day. You have faith each time you drive that other drivers will stop at red lights. You have faith that the chair on which you're sitting will continue to hold you. Every time you fly, you exercise faith that the pilot is not suicidal and planning to crash the plane."
Faith. He tosses that word around like it is the only way to describe human thought. He uses it as if it is synonmyous with rationality, knowledge, judgment, reason, evidence, experience.
What is faith, to a christian?
Faith- 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.* Hebrews 11:1-3 NKJ
Faith 1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seens was not made out of what was visible. NIV
Faith So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. NKJ
Faith If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. Luke 17:6 NIV
Why both translations? Because that crap is confusing enough one time, at least if it is rephrased from a slightly different angle it increases my "understanding".
So what do I "understand" about faith? That it is about day dreams (hopes) and imagination (things not seen) and if I have enough of it I can grow silk worms in the ocean. Riiiight.
How about knowledge outside the christian "faith". Let's try reason.
Reason is the faculty that identifies and integrates the material provided by man's senses.**
I don't use faith when I drive. I use my senses to watch for others around me, including morons that run red lights. I use my mind to make reasoned decisions about road conditions, other drivers, my own vehicle.
When I approach a chair, once again- senses- does it look like a chair capable of supporting me. How does it compare to chairs that I have experienced in my past. Does it have at least 3 legs positioned appropriately to not tip me on my ass when I sit on it? Do a faith check. Nope, not a lot of wistful thinking going on in my brain when it comes to chairs.
If I were to fly, I would research the company- Do they have a good reputation for reliability? Is there any reason to believe or evidence to support concern for the pilot's capabilities? I guess how much I look into it, depends on how paranoid I am being.
When I read tripe like Cahill's I can feel my mind glazing over, the rational part starting to shut down, lose focus. But when I pull back, look at what is actually being said, THINK about the issues he brings up, it becomes one gigantic WTF????
It all comes down to the faith thing. The desire for things hoped for, believing in the unseen. My mind does not accept that as a rational approach to life.
And while I was researching the faith stuff.... check this out...
Hebrews 6:4-6 NIV It is imposssible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
Hebrews 6:4-6 NKJ 4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
Looks like fallen christians are fucked. Where's the forgiveness there? Is it just me or does the christian god look for reasons to throw you on the fire? How is an eternity of punishment a just response to the mistakes made in less than 100 years of living??????? Seriously- over react much????
Can you imagine how fast a child would be taken from a parent who beat their child every day of their life for stealing a candy bar as a 3 year old? Isn't that at least partially equivalent to hell?
50 lashes with Daddy's belt for stealing that snickers. Every day. For the rest of your life.
At least the belt would stop when you are dead. But with god? Oh no, death brings no relief. The beating continues for all eternity.
* New King Jammes Version
** Objectivism: the Philosophy of Ayn Rand
So much for the Introduction.
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to Truth.
If you search for it, you will find it.
Irony- 1) The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning.
2) Incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs.
3) Dedicating a book of false assumptions and baseless conclusions to Truth.
INTRODUCTION
We are all one heartbeat away from death. Where will you be in 300 million years?
300 million years from now I will be in the same place I was 300 million years ago.
What is the purpose of our existence? Many people think it is just to go to school, party a little, find a job, get married, have kids, attend sporting events, watch their hair turn gray (or turn loose), retire, play golf, and die...Wouldn't it be important to find out where you are gong after you die, and for your family to join you there someday?
I am horrified that Cahill's answer to the purpose of existence is exclusively concern about the life after death. Not about producing anything of value, or making a difference in this life, or leaving the world a better place, but only about himself and his family and their life AFTER they die. Focus on your death and what happens afterwards. What about this life? What about making this life meaningful and purposeful? What about working towards the things you value most now?
Oh- I see, none of that matters, only getting to heaven matters.
He uses statistics gathered by the Barna Group. whose ultimate aim is to partner with Christian ministries and individuals to be a catalyst in moral and spiritual transformation in the United States.
No potential for bias or misinterpretation of statistics in this organization is there? Let's see what they have to say:
- 8 of 10 Americans believe in some sort of afterlife.
- 79% agree that "every person has a soul that will live forever, either in God's presence or absence."
- 1 in 4 adults admits that he has "no idea" what will happen after he dies.
- Two-thirds of atheists and agnostics accept the existence of an afterlife.
He then goes on to sum up Hindu, Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, Atheist, and New Age beliefs in the afterlife.
"Although we may not realize it, we all have faith in something. In fact, you place your faith in many things every day. You have faith each time you drive that other drivers will stop at red lights. You have faith that the chair on which you're sitting will continue to hold you. Every time you fly, you exercise faith that the pilot is not suicidal and planning to crash the plane."
Faith. He tosses that word around like it is the only way to describe human thought. He uses it as if it is synonmyous with rationality, knowledge, judgment, reason, evidence, experience.
What is faith, to a christian?
Faith- 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.* Hebrews 11:1-3 NKJ
Faith 1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seens was not made out of what was visible. NIV
Faith So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. NKJ
Faith If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. Luke 17:6 NIV
Why both translations? Because that crap is confusing enough one time, at least if it is rephrased from a slightly different angle it increases my "understanding".
So what do I "understand" about faith? That it is about day dreams (hopes) and imagination (things not seen) and if I have enough of it I can grow silk worms in the ocean. Riiiight.
How about knowledge outside the christian "faith". Let's try reason.
Reason is the faculty that identifies and integrates the material provided by man's senses.**
I don't use faith when I drive. I use my senses to watch for others around me, including morons that run red lights. I use my mind to make reasoned decisions about road conditions, other drivers, my own vehicle.
When I approach a chair, once again- senses- does it look like a chair capable of supporting me. How does it compare to chairs that I have experienced in my past. Does it have at least 3 legs positioned appropriately to not tip me on my ass when I sit on it? Do a faith check. Nope, not a lot of wistful thinking going on in my brain when it comes to chairs.
If I were to fly, I would research the company- Do they have a good reputation for reliability? Is there any reason to believe or evidence to support concern for the pilot's capabilities? I guess how much I look into it, depends on how paranoid I am being.
When I read tripe like Cahill's I can feel my mind glazing over, the rational part starting to shut down, lose focus. But when I pull back, look at what is actually being said, THINK about the issues he brings up, it becomes one gigantic WTF????
It all comes down to the faith thing. The desire for things hoped for, believing in the unseen. My mind does not accept that as a rational approach to life.
And while I was researching the faith stuff.... check this out...
Hebrews 6:4-6 NIV It is imposssible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
Hebrews 6:4-6 NKJ 4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
Looks like fallen christians are fucked. Where's the forgiveness there? Is it just me or does the christian god look for reasons to throw you on the fire? How is an eternity of punishment a just response to the mistakes made in less than 100 years of living??????? Seriously- over react much????
Can you imagine how fast a child would be taken from a parent who beat their child every day of their life for stealing a candy bar as a 3 year old? Isn't that at least partially equivalent to hell?
50 lashes with Daddy's belt for stealing that snickers. Every day. For the rest of your life.
At least the belt would stop when you are dead. But with god? Oh no, death brings no relief. The beating continues for all eternity.
* New King Jammes Version
** Objectivism: the Philosophy of Ayn Rand
So much for the Introduction.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
born again attempt # 3
About five days ago, I got a call from my fundy neighbor, "Do you have a minute? I'd like to talk to you." So I went.
Guess what he wanted to talk about?
Jeebus. Or more specifically his key concern was "Do you believe in a deity?"
I wonder if he figures that calling a supernatural being a deity prevents confining it to human terms like Yahweh or Allah or Apollo. Maybe he was leaving open the possibilities. I'm not sure.
I said, "I really don't think that is any of your business. Why do you want to know?"
He said, "Every time you come over here, you turn off the radio station."
He plays a christian talk radio station 24/7 and it is my contention that he does so to keep his mind focused on the lord and to keep himself from drifting away and doubts. The radio is pro-creationism, constantly has messages from Answers in Genesis, anti-abortion and anti-homosexuals. Basically it is all fundy all the time. Drives me batshit, so I've taken to bringing over a cd of music, any music, just to have something else playing in the back ground.
I said, "Ah. Well, I find the radio to be particularly distracting. It makes it very difficult to concentrate on the people that I have come to see because all I can hear is that droning away in the background and I can't hear what people are saying to me. So I bring my own music which acts as white noise. Much more polite to the people I'm with."
He was quite disappointed by my answer and tried a different tactic. "Do you believe in evolution?"
I gave a disbelieving snort and said, "Of course, don't you?"
He said "no." I looked at him like he was an odd get and sensing that evolution was not going to be a weak point with me he changed the subject yet again.
"Don't you believe that your kids should have the best chance at an afterlife? How can you deny them that?"
I said, "That's Pascal's Wager."
confused look
I said, "The challenge, that there might be a god so better safe than sorry you might as well believe in it."
more confusion...
I looked him square in the eye and said, "Do you believe that my children will burn in hell for the choices I make."
He began backpeddling immediately, "Well, now, I don't know, I was just thinking that it's not fair to them..."
And I interrupted. I said, "Do you believe in hell Ken?"
"Yes, of course" he said. I said, "And you're ok with that?"
He said, "Oh come now who are we..."
And I said, "No, don't give me that 'we're not supposed to judge god' crap, Ken. You know the difference between right and wrong, don't you? Don't you?"
He said, "Yes of course."
I said, "No one deserves to be tormented for all eternity Ken. No one. Think about it, not one year, or ten years, but for the rest of all time. Utter torment, anguish, despair. Who deserves that? Who are you not to stand up and say, 'That is FUCKING horseshit! No one should burn in hell'?"
Long pause....He said "That's the price they pay."
I said, "Ken, let's think about this. God is omnipotent, omniscient and all powerful, yes? And he picked up the clay and formed it in his own image and just before he breathed life into its nostrils he knew all that was to come. That there would be billions upon billions of these creatures and most of them would suffer for all eternity in a hell he created just for not believing in him. For the sake of the worship of a few billion of these creatures, billions more would spend all time in hell. Why? Why did he go through with it Ken?"
Long pause...He said, "Well what do you think happens after you die, nothing?"
I said, "That's right, we go back to the same place we were before we were born. No where. It didn't bother us before birth, I doubt we will care much after we are dead."
Long pause...He said, "But without god people would live selfishly."
I said, "Give me one example of how people would live selfishly. How do I live selfishly Kenny, what's in it for me to live that way?"
He said, "Well of couse, you'd live for yourself and your children."
I said, "How would I live selfishly that wouldn't harm me or my children or my friends, my loved ones, my neighbor?"
Long pause...
Still pausing...
He said, "I guess there's nothing more for me to say, I can see you've made up your mind." He tilted his head to the side, gave me a wink, a smile, and said, "I'll be praying for you."
"Oh, well thank you very much." So I left.
I don't think that conversation went the way he expected.
I rather think he was hoping to get me to cry, admit what a miserable sinner I am, show me the path to the lord.
I don't think any conversion conversation has ever taken such a right hand turn as that for him.
That was about 5 days ago.
Tonight he has brought me a book. It is called One Heartbeat Away by Mark Cahill.
I reposted by giving him George H. Smith's book Atheism: The Case Agaist God.
I said, "I will read yours, if you will read mine."
He took it and left.
I better get it back.
Stay tuned and you'll get a chapter by chapter report of the book. If it doesn't make my brain turn to tapioca.
Guess what he wanted to talk about?
Jeebus. Or more specifically his key concern was "Do you believe in a deity?"
I wonder if he figures that calling a supernatural being a deity prevents confining it to human terms like Yahweh or Allah or Apollo. Maybe he was leaving open the possibilities. I'm not sure.
I said, "I really don't think that is any of your business. Why do you want to know?"
He said, "Every time you come over here, you turn off the radio station."
He plays a christian talk radio station 24/7 and it is my contention that he does so to keep his mind focused on the lord and to keep himself from drifting away and doubts. The radio is pro-creationism, constantly has messages from Answers in Genesis, anti-abortion and anti-homosexuals. Basically it is all fundy all the time. Drives me batshit, so I've taken to bringing over a cd of music, any music, just to have something else playing in the back ground.
I said, "Ah. Well, I find the radio to be particularly distracting. It makes it very difficult to concentrate on the people that I have come to see because all I can hear is that droning away in the background and I can't hear what people are saying to me. So I bring my own music which acts as white noise. Much more polite to the people I'm with."
He was quite disappointed by my answer and tried a different tactic. "Do you believe in evolution?"
I gave a disbelieving snort and said, "Of course, don't you?"
He said "no." I looked at him like he was an odd get and sensing that evolution was not going to be a weak point with me he changed the subject yet again.
"Don't you believe that your kids should have the best chance at an afterlife? How can you deny them that?"
I said, "That's Pascal's Wager."
confused look
I said, "The challenge, that there might be a god so better safe than sorry you might as well believe in it."
more confusion...
I looked him square in the eye and said, "Do you believe that my children will burn in hell for the choices I make."
He began backpeddling immediately, "Well, now, I don't know, I was just thinking that it's not fair to them..."
And I interrupted. I said, "Do you believe in hell Ken?"
"Yes, of course" he said. I said, "And you're ok with that?"
He said, "Oh come now who are we..."
And I said, "No, don't give me that 'we're not supposed to judge god' crap, Ken. You know the difference between right and wrong, don't you? Don't you?"
He said, "Yes of course."
I said, "No one deserves to be tormented for all eternity Ken. No one. Think about it, not one year, or ten years, but for the rest of all time. Utter torment, anguish, despair. Who deserves that? Who are you not to stand up and say, 'That is FUCKING horseshit! No one should burn in hell'?"
Long pause....He said "That's the price they pay."
I said, "Ken, let's think about this. God is omnipotent, omniscient and all powerful, yes? And he picked up the clay and formed it in his own image and just before he breathed life into its nostrils he knew all that was to come. That there would be billions upon billions of these creatures and most of them would suffer for all eternity in a hell he created just for not believing in him. For the sake of the worship of a few billion of these creatures, billions more would spend all time in hell. Why? Why did he go through with it Ken?"
Long pause...He said, "Well what do you think happens after you die, nothing?"
I said, "That's right, we go back to the same place we were before we were born. No where. It didn't bother us before birth, I doubt we will care much after we are dead."
Long pause...He said, "But without god people would live selfishly."
I said, "Give me one example of how people would live selfishly. How do I live selfishly Kenny, what's in it for me to live that way?"
He said, "Well of couse, you'd live for yourself and your children."
I said, "How would I live selfishly that wouldn't harm me or my children or my friends, my loved ones, my neighbor?"
Long pause...
Still pausing...
He said, "I guess there's nothing more for me to say, I can see you've made up your mind." He tilted his head to the side, gave me a wink, a smile, and said, "I'll be praying for you."
"Oh, well thank you very much." So I left.
I don't think that conversation went the way he expected.
I rather think he was hoping to get me to cry, admit what a miserable sinner I am, show me the path to the lord.
I don't think any conversion conversation has ever taken such a right hand turn as that for him.
That was about 5 days ago.
Tonight he has brought me a book. It is called One Heartbeat Away by Mark Cahill.
I reposted by giving him George H. Smith's book Atheism: The Case Agaist God.
I said, "I will read yours, if you will read mine."
He took it and left.
I better get it back.
Stay tuned and you'll get a chapter by chapter report of the book. If it doesn't make my brain turn to tapioca.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
what would you do
My next door neighbor, who has the reputation of aggressively converting non born-again people, asked me if I believe in a deity.
Debating online is one thing.
Dealing with it in person....
Well, there is a lot of pressure to that. The social pressure of being polite to someone well into retirement age. The not wanting to tick off the next door neighbor with adjoining land factor. The intimidation of him as a domineering male. The vulnerability of homeschooling my kids, leaving me wide open to social services complaints of a wide variety of unsubstantiated claims that "must be checked out".
Debating online is one thing.
Dealing with it in person....
Well, there is a lot of pressure to that. The social pressure of being polite to someone well into retirement age. The not wanting to tick off the next door neighbor with adjoining land factor. The intimidation of him as a domineering male. The vulnerability of homeschooling my kids, leaving me wide open to social services complaints of a wide variety of unsubstantiated claims that "must be checked out".
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