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The precondition is full sincerity and desire to know the truth. It’s a deeply personal commitment that can’t be argued in the hypothetical/abstract. Either you

The precondition is full sincerity and desire to know the truth. It’s a deeply personal commitment that can’t be argued in the hypothetical/abstract. Either you go all in or you don’t, and nobody else will know but you. I’m just the messenger.

slfnflctd 6y ago
> The precondition is full sincerity and desire to know the truth. Believe me when I say I had both of these, and applied them earnestly in fervent & frequent prayer, study and self-denial for years. What did it get me? A whole lot of disappointment and confusion. The scientific world view has not brought me anywhere near the false happiness of believing I could become a blissful immortal, but it has at least given me firm ground to stand on, and to have rock-solid reasons for what I can still appreciate. I'm glad for anyone who can experience a happy daily life in a religious worldview, but having the prideful audacity to claim that it is equally available to everyone (and by implication, that anyone who doesn't have the same response is a liar) is either dangerously ignorant or outright evil. I have known your kind before, because I was one. Think about it.
- sbussard 6y ago
  Thanks for sharing. One thing I differ from a lot of people on is the idea that faith cannot be evidence-based. Many people of “faith” fake it because they so desire what they do not have. On the contrary, evidence is required for faith. If a lack of correct evidence has led you to a different worldview I won’t argue with that. Surely I’ve been slammed with ugly disappointments as well. But consider what a God worth knowing would do. Among the many things we can come up with, at least one is that he would do what we could not do. Certainly evidence is not out of scope for a God worth knowing, but it may not come in the form we expect. So I don’t argue for you to accept what you can’t see, just that when you see it to keep pulling the thread and don’t dismiss it. In my opinion that is a true walk of faith. Once again, thanks for sharing :)

slfnflctd 6y ago

> The precondition is full sincerity and desire to know the truth. Believe me when I say I had both of these, and applied them earnestly in fervent & frequent prayer, study and self-denial for years. What did it get me? A whole lot of disappointment and confusion. The scientific world view has not brought me anywhere near the false happiness of believing I could become a blissful immortal, but it has at least given me firm ground to stand on, and to have rock-solid reasons for what I can still appreciate. I'm glad for anyone who can experience a happy daily life in a religious worldview, but having the prideful audacity to claim that it is equally available to everyone (and by implication, that anyone who doesn't have the same response is a liar) is either dangerously ignorant or outright evil. I have known your kind before, because I was one. Think about it.

sbussard 6y ago
Thanks for sharing. One thing I differ from a lot of people on is the idea that faith cannot be evidence-based. Many people of “faith” fake it because they so desire what they do not have. On the contrary, evidence is required for faith. If a lack of correct evidence has led you to a different worldview I won’t argue with that. Surely I’ve been slammed with ugly disappointments as well. But consider what a God worth knowing would do. Among the many things we can come up with, at least one is that he would do what we could not do. Certainly evidence is not out of scope for a God worth knowing, but it may not come in the form we expect. So I don’t argue for you to accept what you can’t see, just that when you see it to keep pulling the thread and don’t dismiss it. In my opinion that is a true walk of faith. Once again, thanks for sharing :)