This thread, annoying as it is

[jasong]

This thread, annoying as it is, reminds me of an experience I had years ago in a Baptist Sunday school class.

They were talking about how God was infinite, and I asked,"How infinite is he?" They giggled and said,"You can't define infinity, it's undefinable." So then I gave the well known example of all the decimal expansions between all the counting numbers. Then I asked,"Where does God's infiniteness fall? Even if we can't exceed Him, there has to be some sort of definable limit."

That's probably one of the reasons I never made any friends at that church. I believe God is logical, among His other traits, so being who I am I try to seek logic when apparent contradictions come up. But a lot of Christians I meet simply avoid the hard questions, which makes me question whether they have actual faith in God.

[firejuggler]

This is what faith is.
Belief without proof... like superstition.
And I'll try to not mention the subject in this thread anymore.

[NBtarheel_33]

Originally Posted by jasong

But a lot of Christians I meet simply avoid the hard questions, which makes me question whether they have actual faith in God.

And this does Christianity a great disservice, as it seemingly reduces very important tenets of the faith to mere "magic tricks" never to be questioned on pain of eternity in Hell.

Young Earth Creationism (because Hubble is a tool of the devil and God could never have been behind a Big Bang), all peoples and races mysteriously cropping up from Adam, Eve, and Abel, answering a child's question "why is the sky blue or the grass green" with "because they're God's favorite colors" instead of properly explaining the Scientist's work...the list goes on and on. Ooh, I almost forgot...adaptation of living beings to their surroundings is a miracle from Heaven, not that "evolutionary response" mumbo jumbo. Because an intelligent God would never permit living beings to evolve needed functions, skills, or traits when He could wave his magic wand!

Here's another really fun question for your congregation: What really will go on in Heaven in the afterlife? I mean, surely after generations of ever-improving life, leisure, and technology upon the earth, it's all going to come down to 2^57,885,161-1 years of sitting in the clouds with an ill-fitting pair of wings and a halo, singing bad renditions of Southern gospel until our voices give out. No need to eat, sleep, or search for Mersenne primes anymore...really? That's Heaven? Raise this point, and see how quickly you and your blasphemous soul are encouraged to find another sanctuary.

But I've gone off topic quite enough here...

[retina]

Originally Posted by NBtarheel_33

What really will go on in Heaven in the afterlife?

Well of course one shall be permitted to bask in the glory of god for ever and ever. And also one shall be permitted to eternally give thanks to god for allowing them to exist. What else could one want from life other than to be continually thankful for their existence? Doing anything else is purely a distraction from the task of being sycophantic towards god and should be avoided upon pain of death going to hell. What else could possibly give one more pleasure than saying "thank you god" 10000 times per day?

[firejuggler]

Listening Slayers... as you know, God listen to slayers.

[c10ck3r]

Originally Posted by retina

What else could possibly give one more pleasure than saying "thank you god" 10000 times per day?

Beer. Beer is good.
And Dr. Pepper. That's good, too.
Oh, and bacon.
So...well, that's three things...

[Puzzle-Peter]

Originally Posted by firejuggler

Listening Slayers... as you know, God listen to slayers.

So that's why he ordered their guitar player back rather early?

[xilman]

Originally Posted by c10ck3r

Beer. Beer is good.
And Dr. Pepper. That's good, too.
Oh, and bacon.
So...well, that's three things...

All good things come to an end.

Apart from sausages.

They come to two.

[chalsall]

Originally Posted by NBtarheel_33

Here's another really fun question for your congregation: What really will go on in Heaven in the afterlife?

According to Leonard Cohen (a Buddhist), "...and the place is dead as Heaven on a Saturday night...."

Some like him; some don't....

[kladner]

Originally Posted by chalsall

According to Leonard Cohen (a Buddhist), "...and the place is dead as Heaven on a Saturday night...."

Some like him; some don't....

I've had the honor to hear him in person twice.

More on Leonard over in the Muzak thread.

[ixfd64]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absolute_Infinite