Swine flu

[thetank]

If there was a god, why does he test people with this faith bull?  Is it part of some celestial game he's playing?  He's bloody good and hide and seek though, I'll grant you that.

That's one possible reason.

If God is playing a game, it's unlikely that the rules he uses are the same as Hide and Seek or the controls are the same as The Sims on the Playstation 2. More likely that he's up to something neither you or I understand.

[bolt pp]

please for the love of god i beg you dont get kinboshi started 

[thetank]

Oh, and a central idea of Christianity is that we are being punished for the sins of our forefathers (and mothers).  So it's not a minority of Christians - it's ALL true Christians.

Punishment in the sense that we are subject to an existence that we know now where we have to look after ourselves and bad shit happens sometimes.

Not punishment in the form of writing lines of a blackboard during detention or getting ill.

[boldie]

and on the 7th day, after he had his little break, he created the 51st state of the USA and dealers at the APAT in Edinburgh.

[bolt pp]

Oh, and a central idea of Christianity is that we are being punished for the sins of our forefathers (and mothers).  So it's not a minority of Christians - it's ALL true Christians.

Punishment in the sense that we are subject to an existence that we know now where we have to look after ourselves and bad shit happens sometimes.

Not punishment in the form of writing lines of a blackboard during detention or getting ill.

[ ] well done

[G1BTW]

If there were a God and if he were to favour his followers by zapping the nasty viruses or destroying the cancer cells of people who sang him hymns then after a statistically significant sample of the faithful living and the non-believers dying the existence of God would be proved.

This would change the nature of faith, believing would not be a choice. God would be undeniably there and at that point he'd cease to become an immortal Deity whose existense transcends our own understand and just be some kind of unelected dictator whose policies or their lack of implementation we can moan at in a conventional way (but not too noisily lest we be stricken with a pox).

As much as I disagree with the logic used by people using the whole pain/suffering thing as an argument against the existence of God, it doesn't put me on tilt.
What does put me on tilt is the minority (I hope it's a minority) of loony so called Christians who think that people who get sick are being punished or people born with disabilities are being smited for the sins of previous generations.

If there was a god, why does he test people with this faith bull?  Is it part of some celestial game he's playing?  He's bloody good and hide and seek though, I'll grant you that.

Oh, and a central idea of Christianity is that we are being punished for the sins of our forefathers (and mothers).  So it's not a minority of Christians - it's ALL true Christians.

The convo between Betrand Russell and Frederick Copplestone is a good read. At one point Copplestone asks him what he would say to God if he dies and finds himself there in front of God. Russell replies 'Why did you not make your existence more apparent to me during my lifetime".

A couple of my friends are bona fide (geddit) religious zealots, and in one of these convos (the type of which I've now given up on) one of them dealt me a killer blow with the question 'So what would God have to do to prove his existence to you?' F F S

Seems to me if you were setting up some kind of bullshit religion that made no real sense it would be best to have a 'Faith' element to it, to refute those few followers who actually started smelling something.

[kinboshi]

and on the 7th day, after he had his little break, he created the 51st state of the USA and dealers at the APAT in Edinburgh.

AAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111oneoneoneleventyonehundredandeleven

[TightEnd]

too late, Kinboshi on thread.

[gatso]

too late, Kinboshi on thread.

don't worry, I'll distract him

going dead fast is really bad and kills bunnies and stuff

[TightEnd]

too late, Kinboshi on thread.

don't worry, I'll distract him

going dead fast is really bad and kills bunnies and stuff

Paula Radcliffe is the nutz.

[G1BTW]

Click to see full-size image.

[thetank]

Seems to me if you were setting up some kind of bullshit religion that made no real sense it would be best to have a 'Faith' element to it, to refute those few followers who actually started smelling something.

Would agree with that. It's an awfully tidy get out clause and could be a complete fabrication. There's a chance God does not exist in any form.

Although if I were to be convinved by above argument that any God definately does not exist then I would also be convinced by Loose Change that Bush and Cheney definately planned 9/11 because it's a bit iffy how the buildings fell and they had something to gain by scaring us all.

[EvilPie]

Just spotted this thread and it's very worrying as I've never heard of swine flu.

Is there a smart arse on here who could possibly explain to me what it is.

As much scientific detail as possible is required so it will need to be a school teacher type person of incredible knowledge.

Is there anybody here capable of this I wonder? Please help now!!!!

[celtic]

in a nutshell...

[EvilPie]

in a nutshell...

Excellent. Thanks mate.

If that clever person's still available maybe they could just discuss the existence of God instead.