ORWELL, REPENT!! !

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Orwell, this thread is to call out to you to repent of your heretical theism, and embrace the glorious enlightenment of atheism!

Ok, the heresy part is a joke, but I do want to publicly challenge your theism, so that way it can be examined.

Here's the issues I see:
1) I don't think you can avoid the conclusion that a God with a LOT of power and knowledge and some degree of morality would sensibly make a world as bad as the current world, as I know you don't think that this is the best possible world. This means that this God does not exist.
2) I don't think you are the kind of person to lend much credence to miraculous claims. On average, I would imagine you reject the vast majority of them, so to accept the few that work for Christian theism would seem like special pleading.
3) You don't tend to accept most of the standard apologetics as very successful at all, so you don't seem to have much reason to believe your beliefs, BUT in most other cases, you will not allow someone to just arbitrarily hold to what they feel like, even mocking some people for being resistant to the truth.
4) Even the Christian theological tradition has a lot that would seem disturbing to you, as the text itself affirms the brutal treatment of God towards the Egyptians, as well as a multitude of other groups, all done as a reflection of the character of the Christian God. This Christian God also demands great sacrifices of individuals, even within the Christian age, that they be willing to give their lives for this doctrine. Do you really believe that such a character is meaningful to label as "good", especially in light of human virtues, and what love entails. Even further, do you think that Christian doctrine is even close to important enough to die for?
5) Just as a historian, do you think that the Christian text is that special? After all, the Jews, like all tribes, borrowed from the cultures outside of them, and proclaimed their specialness in the world. Why is the Bible then better?

I hope for your response, so that we, the STRIDENT atheists of PPR can understand you and your position better. It does seem odd to us, and I hope you don't take this effort as rude, but I think you recognize that the concerns are legitimate.

Isn't Orwell's religious beliefs Orwell's business?

F***ing honestly. I totally agree with you.

Eh, I like to pick on Orwell. Besides, he did know about the thread before I posted it, so I don't think he is offended by my action.

Pfft. I don't need theological advice from a nihilist.

Hey, that is totally an ad hominem! Only we nihilists can do that.

No you can't. You don't exist, so you can't do anything. And even if you did exist, you believe noone else exists. Talking to nonexistent persons is a tell-tale sign of insanity. Why would I listen to the theological views of a crazy person?

I don't know why you listen to Jesus, Orwell. That's why I posed the question in the first place.

This is a silly thread, if you have personal issues with somebody why not keep it that way instead of making a public spectacle out of someone who disagrees with you? Orwell keep on truckin' man

If you haven't noticed, Orwell and I do know each other.

I started the thread for a few reasons:
1) It can start a discussion on religion.
2) I am, as well as likely most people who know Orwell on this forum, curious about his religious beliefs.
3) I really do want him to think about his beliefs, and I want others to do so as well.
4) Ideally, he will repent.

I picked he should become a Muslim

LOL

Last edited by DarthMetaKnight on 12 Jan 2011, 10:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I think he would actually like that.

Not a fan of Islam.

Incidentally, why are Catholicism and Orthodoxy lumped together? I mean, I don't have any issues with the Orthodox at all, but I could never be part of the Roman Catholic Church.

The main difference in doctrine between the two seems to be that one preferred Rome as main city and the other didn't...

Well, they are both very traditional churches. Vexcaliber is also partially right. Catholics have an Eastern rites section.