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Why are you here?
I would like to suggest a subject that could open up a whole new area of frank discussion and debate.
Quite simply, I invite all the regular posters here to say why they participate in these debates.
In a few lines, explain your motivation.
Of course, complete honesty is essential if we are to deepen the meaningfulness of these exchanges.
The reason for my making this request is that what a person says is more readily understood when we know where that person is coming from.
To set the ball rolling, here are my motivations:
For several years, as an atheist, I had fun on atheist web-sites, particularly RichardDawkins.Net, justifying myself in my atheism, discovering new ways to argue that the existence of God was a delusion, and feeling myself in contact with like-minded people around the globe.
Also, for the last couple of years, I have not worked, as I am on long term sick leave,and I had a lot of time on my hands.
When people occasionally asked me, "Haven't you get anything better to do?" I could reply, "No, I haven't. What's your excuse?"
My life changed because a pastor in the Free Church of Scotland, David Robertson, participated in a discussion of his book "The Dawkins Letters" on RichardDawkins.Net.
(You can read the whole story here, if you're interested.)
http://www.freechurch.org/pdf/monthlyrecord/sept08.pdf
On April 12th, 2008, after over a quarter of a century as a convinced atheist, humanist, materialist, my life was literally transformed by the love of God.
I wasn't on my way to Damascus.
I was sitting in my kitchen with a cup of coffee, and the print-outs of all the posts on the "Dawkins Letters" thread.
David Robertson's willingness to be insulted and scorned and mocked by RDNet atheists became the means that God used to lightening-strike me with His love.
He kept coming back, and coming back, in humility (most of the time) with sincerity (all of the time) and God's word (when appropriate).
I have since labelled him "God's Scottish Terrier"! You couldn't shake him off!
(My tongue-in-cheek reference to "Darwin's Rottweiler, of course.)
And because he wouldn't let go and slink off into a corner quietly to sulk, because he "took it all", I was brought to a place where God entered my life.
I post here because I truly believe, for a hundred different reasons, that in every person's heart, there is a "God-shaped hole".
I believe we all need God's love, and that it is the will of God for all to accept it.
That is why I post here, often in my awkward, blustering, teasing manner, which doesn't always go down too well. (Yes, I know.) But I continue sharing my thoughts, my beliefs, my faith, my life here, hoping they could be an element which might enable an anonymous atheist somewhere to open his heart to God as revealed in Jesus Christ, and in so doing have his life transformed as mine has been.
That is my dearest wish today.
I have no hidden agenda.
Now it's your turn.
(As we read other people's posts, it could be useful to refer to this thread in order to gain a better understanding of what is being said.)
Quite simply, I invite all the regular posters here to say why they participate in these debates.
In a few lines, explain your motivation.
Of course, complete honesty is essential if we are to deepen the meaningfulness of these exchanges.
The reason for my making this request is that what a person says is more readily understood when we know where that person is coming from.
To set the ball rolling, here are my motivations:
For several years, as an atheist, I had fun on atheist web-sites, particularly RichardDawkins.Net, justifying myself in my atheism, discovering new ways to argue that the existence of God was a delusion, and feeling myself in contact with like-minded people around the globe.
Also, for the last couple of years, I have not worked, as I am on long term sick leave,and I had a lot of time on my hands.
When people occasionally asked me, "Haven't you get anything better to do?" I could reply, "No, I haven't. What's your excuse?"
My life changed because a pastor in the Free Church of Scotland, David Robertson, participated in a discussion of his book "The Dawkins Letters" on RichardDawkins.Net.
(You can read the whole story here, if you're interested.)
http://www.freechurch.org/pdf/monthlyrecord/sept08.pdf
On April 12th, 2008, after over a quarter of a century as a convinced atheist, humanist, materialist, my life was literally transformed by the love of God.
I wasn't on my way to Damascus.
I was sitting in my kitchen with a cup of coffee, and the print-outs of all the posts on the "Dawkins Letters" thread.
David Robertson's willingness to be insulted and scorned and mocked by RDNet atheists became the means that God used to lightening-strike me with His love.
He kept coming back, and coming back, in humility (most of the time) with sincerity (all of the time) and God's word (when appropriate).
I have since labelled him "God's Scottish Terrier"! You couldn't shake him off!
(My tongue-in-cheek reference to "Darwin's Rottweiler, of course.)
And because he wouldn't let go and slink off into a corner quietly to sulk, because he "took it all", I was brought to a place where God entered my life.
I post here because I truly believe, for a hundred different reasons, that in every person's heart, there is a "God-shaped hole".
I believe we all need God's love, and that it is the will of God for all to accept it.
That is why I post here, often in my awkward, blustering, teasing manner, which doesn't always go down too well. (Yes, I know.) But I continue sharing my thoughts, my beliefs, my faith, my life here, hoping they could be an element which might enable an anonymous atheist somewhere to open his heart to God as revealed in Jesus Christ, and in so doing have his life transformed as mine has been.
That is my dearest wish today.
I have no hidden agenda.
Now it's your turn.
(As we read other people's posts, it could be useful to refer to this thread in order to gain a better understanding of what is being said.)
Tags: atheist, conversion, debate, discussion, motivations, transformation
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Richard Morgan on -
(I hope this is going to be useful and interesting.)
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Permalink Reply by Steven Carr on -
Nobody could accuse Richard of poking holes in the arguments of non-believers....
Why am I here?
Honest answer. I was invited to appear. Notice that Richard cannot produce one single argument that Pastor Robertson produced... Not one piece of reasoning or evidence to show that somebody walked on water and told his friends how to get money by looking in the mouth of a fish.
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Permalink Reply by Richard Morgan on
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Steven - I realise that you felt personally attacked by one of the sentences in my initial discussion.
This was not my attention, and if I have hurt or offended you, I ask your forgivness.
The sentence in question has been removed, so perhaps you would like to delete your comment, and simply answer the question - what are your motivations for participating in discussions here on Premier?
I thank you in advance.
Please feel free to continue addressing me and David in your own inimitable manner in other discussions. ;-)
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Permalink Reply by Trevor on -
Excellent question, and I'm interested to see people's answers (and hear the one you gave).
The worst reason why I'm here is that I love a bit of debate about this kind of thing, and it's best I get it out of my system here, where people have willingly come to talk to people of the opposite opinion.
Why enjoy debating? Well, it's a fun mental challenge, turning gut-feelings into more definite thoughts, then trying to communicate them. I learn loads from doing it. Sometimes I learn that my reasoning is wrong, other times I learn things that back up what I previously thought. Mostly I learn that my thoughts and writing style aren't half as clear as I'd like them to be.
Why Christianity? Well, because my mis-spent youth means I have way too much knowledge (well, mostly just thoughts and opinions!) about Christianity, the deconversion process, and related philosophical stuff that it would be a shame not to exercise it. When I first deconverted, I had a Richard-Dawkins-like dislike of religion. That's mellowed a lot now (I like the good bits of religions and dislike the bad bits) but the hobby has stuck.
And occasionally I float a half-baked idea, knowing that you clever people will help me to rework it into a three-quarters-baked idea. That's really useful when it happens, now I think of it!
I generally write with the ambition of changing someone's mind, if only a little bit. Like perhaps mellowing their brand of Christianity (or Atheism!) so that they could focus on enjoying their lives a bit more and let others (e.g., gays) enjoy their lives more too. But I realise how unrealistically ambitious that is, given the nature of these boards, so my primary motivation is mostly our mutual entertainment.
Oh, and I'm also a Celt recently moved to France, so I'm also relatively uncurtailed by any active social life!
PS I only read the "few lines" suggestion after writing all this.
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Permalink Reply by Lee on -
Hi Richard,
Good question – and the simple answer from me is… just for the fun of it :-)
I find debate and friendly discussion interesting and, sometimes, challenging.
There are not many forums where good intellectual discourse happens where you can ‘get your teeth into' a topic. At the moment, this place is doing OK for me.
So why the topic of religion and not football?
Well, after a little while talking about football gets rather dull, in about 6.36 seconds on average.
With religion I get to learn more about history, philosophy, science, the working of the mind – all sorts of things.
Also, for some, it is a rather important topic so discussions can last a little longer than ‘fair enough, Burnley might not be the best team in the world, but each to their own’
See ya
Lee
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Permalink Reply by Old Peculier on -
I joined because I'm an argumentative type, and I enjoy posting on Christian (and other) forums - rather too much so, in fact: I'm a bit of an addict. I was on the old Premier forum a few years ago, and it was in fact my first ever forum, so when i discovered recently that Prem had a new forum, I joined.
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Permalink Reply by Richard Morgan on
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Stevie - so you've tried therapy? Do you want to talk about it? ;-)
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Permalink Reply by Andy S on -
Why am I here? A number of factors perhaps. A desire to discuss some important issues with other Christians mainly. Have a bit of banter sometimes as well. I have used other bulletin boards and discussed Christianity with atheists, agnostics etc. which has been interesting.
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Permalink Reply by Justin Brierley on -
I post discussions and contribute for the same reason that I wanted to start the Radio Show.
I believe that Christianity is a defensible and rational worldview. I believe that open debate and dialogue can help to enable clearer understanding of both Christians and non-Christians towards the other. I want Christians (me included) to get better at making a defense of their faith and I want the non-Christians to see that the there is an argument to be had, even if they disagree.
I don't necessarily expect dramatic conversions of your sort Richard, but I do hope that the discussions may help to undercut some of the assumptions that prevail among non-Christians about the various aspects of faith that we discuss.
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Permalink Reply by Stevie on -
Justin,
I must take issue with the idea that Christianity is a defensible and rational worldview. Which Christianity would that be? There is a spectrum of Christian belief from the more rational, thoughtful varieties through to the strident, unthinking and often downright ugly and that spectrum is represented to different degrees in all denominations and sects.
Thanks for the show.
Stevie
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Permalink Reply by Richard Morgan on
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Stevie:
"There is a spectrum of human attitudes from the more rational, thoughtful varieties through to the strident, unthinking and often downright ugly and that spectrum is represented to different degrees in all areas of human activity."
You're talking about human nature there, my friend.
Yes, we Christians are human.
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