Fundamentalist faith perhaps similar to sexual masochism?

As an atheist it often boggles my mind, as it does for many religious people with a liberal take on religion too, that someone can be a Biblical literalist (or extremist in other non-Christian faiths as well), believing literally in the often vengeful, jealous, tyrannical and cruel God of the Bible, yet still describe such a being as "all loving" and "infinitely just".

Some of this can be explained away by ignorance -- a lot of people who say they believe the Bible is literally true simply haven't read that much of the book they put so much faith in.

Some of this can be explained by realizing that some people have a breathtaking capability for swallowing enormous quantities of cognitive dissonance, to a degree that would make ordinary people's heads explode. You look at the Bible, and the lives believers follow supposedly in keeping with this book, and you see massive contradictions that you'd think were staggeringly obvious. The believers look, and somehow look straight past those contradictions with barely a blink of an eye.

But what about the idea that some people see all of what we see, and they like it that way?

In what other area of human psychology do you see people craving pain, abuse, and humiliation? Who else seeks debasing themselves before a powerful, feared authority figure? Who else, if they're deeply into this way of thinking, might have a hard time understanding why you don't want to submit to the same authority they submit to, and in the same way? Who else might view impatience, vanity, and cruelty as virtues when exercised by the "alpha dog", signs of power when exercised by the one who is in charge, inspiring admiration, desire, and love?

or "sixth sense" that allows them to comprehend the unseen.

...not just to faith in particularly cruel and vengeful gods.

Many atheists can comprehend black holes without seeing one.

"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

So according to the bible, everyone got one those "souls" handed-out to them when they were born. And as I recall, only the angels didn't get to have a soul (free will), which is why some of them got pissed-off at the Big Dood and started all this mess in the first place.

- Of course with myths, facts don't matter as much. What matters is the telling of it. Over and over until it sticks.....

:silly:

...so if I'm carrying your line of reasoning to it's logical conclusion, then there should be "spiritual orgasms" had all-round by the end of each service. Right?

- Ahhh, I see. So these are the "blessed who hunger and thirst after righteousness and who shall be filled." I always wondered what that meant......

K&R

Ridiculous.








And boy, do you find odd things when you google for worshippers (not work safe, edit out spaces to fix link):

h t t p://pages.prodigy. net/snake_worshipper/assets/snakeday.jpg

Debasing the ego, becoming humble before an energetic force greater than ones self, opens us to the experience of connectiveness/interconnectiveness with all that is...God. The experience of interconnection is the basis of spiritual enlightenment.
You must be totally selfless, in submission and of loving character to experience this.
That is why many believers will accept debasement, discipline and humility to live this experience.

Your understanding of God is at a childish level. And, when you deny God you are actually denying your childish interpretation, not what is actually taught or believed by mature, experienced people. Grow beyond yourself.

Who pissed in your cheerios? I'm merely guessing out loud about what might be going on in other people's heads in relation to some very strange ideas of what a God would be.

As for me "denying" God, I simply do not believe in deities. I don't believe in many, many different variations on the theme of divinity. If you think I'm merely creating a "childish interpretation", and then thinking that I think that the rejection of this one interpretation is all that's needed to reject all concepts of divinity, you're sadly mistaken.


Oh, yes, oh wise one! :eyes: Take a little of your own advise and grow beyond being a sanctimonious prick.

I tell you simply the meaning and key to spiritual enlightenment, and point out what is holding you back, and what to do to overcome your personal stumbling block...
And, you respond by calling me a sanctimonious prick. How childish.

...to offer after getting up on your high horse because you overreact to your own ridiculous interpretation of what I've written, imagining yourself to be the bearer of "the meaning and key to spiritual enlightenment"...

Yes, I call that being "a sanctimonious prick".

Did you even bother to ask me a few questions first, pose a few problems you saw in my words in a non-confrontational way first?

No, you just come out blasting, thick with condescension straight from the start, posing as the Voice of Wisdom, come to straighten out the childishness of lesser souls.

Again, I call that being "a sanctimonious prick". Even the idea that any sort of deep wisdom ever comes packaged within your kind of blustering, tone-deaf, arrogant delivery is utterly laughable.

of ego-sodden egolessness. If you can't recognize the spiritual depth in that, then...

...skooch over here, I made a space for you. I don't understand it either.

There, I asked you a question to give you opportunity show the quality of your character and the depth of your knowledge.

You talk about childishness while you come at this discussion with that kind of strutting and posing? What will you ask next? "Do you wanna piece of me?"

I might have considered trying to turn down the heat on this pissing contest and try for a real discussion, but after not only getting this kind of attitude from you, but then seeing the crap you posted in another thread about underground alien bases... I can't tell if you're here just to yank people's chains or because you went off your meds, but in either case engaging with you is obviously even more pointless than is typical with internet arguments, and that's saying a lot.

Have a lovely day.

Truly. Please consider that you sound full of ego still. How many paths are yours? Only one, yes? Yes.

All understanding of god is at a childish level. Adults know better.

- But it sounds..... important.

more than anyone needs to know...