There is no "god"

[kallipolis]

You have only restated the same thing without addressing the point.

I've addressed your question believing that you are unwilling to accept my premise that my beliefs are based upon my intelligence, integrity, and understandings drawn from my experiences relating with the divine mystery.

 

[kallipolis]

umm when i was very young, i was very sick and i saw ghosts, demons ... etc but it was all in my head.
Other people were not able to see it.

Unlike you I have never seen a ghost even, one that appears inside my head, for my imagination is never so imaginative.....whereas, you are clearly highly imaginative...

 

[Telstra]

Unlike you I have never seen a ghost even, one that appears inside my head, for my imagination is never so imaginative.....whereas, you are clearly highly imaginative...

Lol, so when you were very very young, you never scared of anything, like very bad nightmares, severe fever ... etc ?

 

[Love me 2]

Ghosts, Demons........What of them? Try having recurring night mares over a span of 9 years of Demons trying to drag you towards them, and yet they were the blackest of black against the darkness of my bedroom which began when I was 5 years old. Everytime I woke up, it was like the dream was still happening in real time, and still see the demons with there yellowish slitted eyes, and the smell of burning sulpher which lingered long after the dream that night ended. Then I finally got fed up with it, and called upon Mary, the Mother of God by name.....the demons have vanished from my waking night-mares since I was 14 years old. Has anyone had anything similiar to what I have experienced?

 

[Telstra]

Ghosts, Demons........What of them? Try having recurring night mares over a span of 9 years of Demons trying to drag you towards them, and yet they were the blackest of black against the darkness of my bedroom which began when I was 5 years old. Everytime I woke up, it was like the dream was still happening in real time, and still see the demons with there yellowish slitted eyes, and the smell of burning sulpher which lingered long after the dream that night ended. Then I finally got fed up with it, and called upon Mary, the Mother of God by name.....the demons have vanished from my waking night-mares since I was 14 years old. Has anyone had anything similiar to what I have experienced?

If only you can smell the burning sulpher and no one else can,
its all in your head i would say.

 

[kallipolis]

Lol, so when you were very very young, you never scared of anything, like very bad nightmares, severe fever ... etc ?

I was blessed with a happy childhood without being plagued by nightmares, or visits from "demons."....

 

[kallipolis]

Ghosts, Demons........What of them? Try having recurring night mares over a span of 9 years of Demons trying to drag you towards them, and yet they were the blackest of black against the darkness of my bedroom which began when I was 5 years old. Everytime I woke up, it was like the dream was still happening in real time, and still see the demons with there yellowish slitted eyes, and the smell of burning sulpher which lingered long after the dream that night ended. Then I finally got fed up with it, and called upon Mary, the Mother of God by name.....the demons have vanished from my waking night-mares since I was 14 years old. Has anyone had anything similiar to what I have experienced?

A deeply religious culture can often inculcate such "fears" into our conscious awareness even, creating frightening night mares that can be vanquished by appealing to imagery from the same religious culture "checkmating" our fear of the unknown.....obviously, it is not that simple for often there are family related issues influencing our sense of insecurity ....leading children to experience so called "demonic" episodes, evidencing conflict raging within our limited understanding of what is going on in our childhood world.

 

[Love me 2]

A deeply religious culture can often inculcate such "fears" into our conscious awareness even, creating frightening night mares that can be vanquished by appealing to imagery from the same religious culture "checkmating" our fear of the unknown.....obviously, it is not that simple for often there are family related issues influencing our sense of insecurity ....leading children to experience so called "demonic" episodes, evidencing conflict raging within our limited understanding of what is going on in our childhood world.

I didn't have any of those things you mentioned, as my Childhood was pretty good. As a child, I had no fears of the Unknown, and I still have no fears of the unknown. The Unknown will reveal itself to me in its proper time and place.

 

[Love me 2]

If only you can smell the burning sulpher and no one else can,
its all in your head i would say.

My Mom and Dad smelled it, my Brothers smelled it too. My Brothers and I slept in the same room at the time.

Google St. Padre Pio, and learn of his fights with Demons in his Monastery Cell, and learn of the Friars witnessesing the same type of smells from the good Padre's room. Padre Pio has been documented, which had to be done for his Canonization by Blessed Pope John Paul II.

 

[zoltanspawn]

The experience of the satisfied believer may be limited or superficial, while the experience of the skeptic may be comprehensive and insightful. What then?

I tend to think that the more comprehensive and insightful experience individuals enjoy, the less likely they are to adopt a skeptical position. Rather, from a charitable point of view, they may recognize the value of others from a variety of backgrounds. And so, they are skeptical of the accounts of neither atheists nor theists, but charitably inclined to entertain the ideas of diverse peoples, whether they be (e.g.) Christians, philosophers, Shintoists or Buddhists.

 

[kallipolis]

I tend to think that the more comprehensive and insightful experience individuals enjoy, the less likely they are to adopt a skeptical position.

I agree....always assuming that the inquiring person is not anchored into an immovable position, by their prejudices....often very visible on this forum....

 

[bankside]

I tend to think that the more comprehensive and insightful experience individuals enjoy, the less likely they are to adopt a skeptical position. Rather, from a charitable point of view, they may recognize the value of others from a variety of backgrounds. And so, they are skeptical of the accounts of neither atheists nor theists, but charitably inclined to entertain the ideas of diverse peoples, whether they be (e.g.) Christians, philosophers, Shintoists or Buddhists.

I agree....always assuming that the inquiring person is not anchored into an immovable position, by their prejudices....often very visible on this forum....

Agreed!

The prejudice I discern is the one that suggests the atheist position is as a result of a lack of experience. Once this is recognised for what it is - a falsehood and an unwarranted assumption - it allows us to confront the interesting question.

 

[kallipolis]

]Agreed!

The prejudice I discern is the one that suggests the atheist position is as a result of a lack of experience.

Yes, no doubt.....however, I also recognise that scepticism is a healthy tool for the student intent on escaping from their prejudices.

 

[Telstra]

My Mom and Dad smelled it, my Brothers smelled it too. My Brothers and I slept in the same room at the time.

Google St. Padre Pio, and learn of his fights with Demons in his Monastery Cell, and learn of the Friars witnessesing the same type of smells from the good Padre's room. Padre Pio has been documented, which had to be done for his Canonization by Blessed Pope John Paul II.

Don't know, we need verifiable evidence in modern age.

 

[Love me 2]

Don't know, we need verifiable evidence in modern age.

Do you have the de lorean (Car in back to the Future)?

 

[Mariatenebre]

My Mom and Dad smelled it, my Brothers smelled it too. My Brothers and I slept in the same room at the time.

Google St. Padre Pio, and learn of his fights with Demons in his Monastery Cell, and learn of the Friars witnessesing the same type of smells from the good Padre's room. Padre Pio has been documented, which had to be done for his Canonization by Blessed Pope John Paul II.

Every religion has bouts with demons and spiritual visitations. We need a little more proof then this hearsay. As for your experiences with demons that is merely religious hysteria found in your head. Any smells was most likely wishful thinking.

One thing I was talking about with my Asatruar friend is that demonic attacks and spiritual visitations only happen to people who already believe in these phenomena. You never see Atheists needing exorcisms. This is because based on laws of magic that magic and spirits can only come to you if you are open to them. The reasons that Christians and Muslims for instance are so plagued by demons is because they open themselves to demons by believing in them.

 

[Love me 2]

Every religion has bouts with demons and spiritual visitations. We need a little more proof then this hearsay. As for your experiences with demons that is merely religious hysteria found in your head. Any smells was most likely wishful thinking.

One thing I was talking about with my Asatruar friend is that demonic attacks and spiritual visitations only happen to people who already believe in these phenomena. You never see Atheists needing exorcisms. This is because based on laws of magic that magic and spirits can only come to you if you are open to them. The reasons that Christians and Muslims for instance are so plagued by demons is because they open themselves to demons by believing in them.

If you want the proof, then get a Time Machine, and then you will experience the proof yourself. What say you?

 

[Mariatenebre]

If you want the proof, then get a Time Machine, and then you will experience the proof yourself. What say you?

You see it dosen't work that way. The burden of proof is on the person who claims spiritual phenomena to occur. Even still my argument still stands in that spiritual and demonic attacks only happen to those that open themselves up to the experience.