Comments on: Theology Smack-Down: Andrew Sullivan vs. Sam Harris http://iamachristiantoo.org/?p=351 a Christian blog for the rest of us Fri, 15 Jun 2007 03:00:33 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Ryan http://iamachristiantoo.org/?p=351&cpage=1#comment-111335 Ryan Thu, 07 Jun 2007 00:16:29 +0000 http://iamachristiantoo.org/?p=351#comment-111335 You said, "First, moderate and progressive Christians don’t believe the Bible was dictated by the Holy Spirit." I find it astounding that you can deliver an ultimatum about what moderate and progressive Christians believe. Besides, what is a moderate/progressive Christian anyway? Someone who, specifically doesn't believe that the Bible was dictated by the Holy Spirit? I find that far too narrow of a definition. Is progressive Christianity an ideological platform with which one can define themselves, or is it a descriptor of your beliefs? You said, “First, moderate and progressive Christians don’t believe the Bible was dictated by the Holy Spirit.” I find it astounding that you can deliver an ultimatum about what moderate and progressive Christians believe. Besides, what is a moderate/progressive Christian anyway? Someone who, specifically doesn’t believe that the Bible was dictated by the Holy Spirit? I find that far too narrow of a definition. Is progressive Christianity an ideological platform with which one can define themselves, or is it a descriptor of your beliefs?

]]> By: Christianity makes no sense... http://iamachristiantoo.org/?p=351&cpage=1#comment-96571 Christianity makes no sense... Sat, 07 Apr 2007 00:45:13 +0000 http://iamachristiantoo.org/?p=351#comment-96571 HAHA! Christianity is true? The reasons you have for calling Christianity "true" are in the same class of reasons that determine the trueness of Buddhism, Islam, etc... Most every religion is just as "true". My opinion... Buddhism is the closest thing to reasonable. Christianity makes zero sense. It is filled with contradictions and lacks anything that would make it more "true" than any other religion. HAHA! Christianity is true? The reasons you have for calling Christianity “true” are in the same class of reasons that determine the trueness of Buddhism, Islam, etc… Most every religion is just as “true”. My opinion… Buddhism is the closest thing to reasonable. Christianity makes zero sense. It is filled with contradictions and lacks anything that would make it more “true” than any other religion.

]]> By: Bob http://iamachristiantoo.org/?p=351&cpage=1#comment-95761 Bob Wed, 04 Apr 2007 22:25:56 +0000 http://iamachristiantoo.org/?p=351#comment-95761 Keith - As Andrew Sullivan replied, I am a contingent human being. It is very difficult for me to answer "what if" questions because I am a product of my life experiences. However, I'm certainly not one to dismiss other religions as without merit. True, I was set on a particular spiritual journey because of my upbringing, but have spent my adult life reading about other religions as well as my own. I can appreciate their philosophies, but have found nothing to convince me to give up the path I'm on. Sheer accident? Perhaps. I'm a product of my upbringing? Certainly. Is Christianity true? Yes. Is Buddhism true? I can't really say. Keith -

As Andrew Sullivan replied, I am a contingent human being. It is very difficult for me to answer “what if” questions because I am a product of my life experiences.

However, I’m certainly not one to dismiss other religions as without merit. True, I was set on a particular spiritual journey because of my upbringing, but have spent my adult life reading about other religions as well as my own. I can appreciate their philosophies, but have found nothing to convince me to give up the path I’m on.

Sheer accident? Perhaps. I’m a product of my upbringing? Certainly. Is Christianity true? Yes. Is Buddhism true? I can’t really say.

]]> By: Bob http://iamachristiantoo.org/?p=351&cpage=1#comment-95754 Bob Wed, 04 Apr 2007 22:04:49 +0000 http://iamachristiantoo.org/?p=351#comment-95754 Thor - <em>The fact remains though, that trying to beleive in both science and the existence of god is becoming increasingly difficult.</em> Really? A <em>fact</em>? For someone obviously devoted to science you have a rather loose definition of the word fact. My undergraduate degree is in Physics, I accept the Big Bang, evolution and all the rest, and see no conflict between science and God whatsoever. Your statement is simply indefensible. Thor -

The fact remains though, that trying to beleive in both science and the existence of god is becoming increasingly difficult.

Really? A fact? For someone obviously devoted to science you have a rather loose definition of the word fact. My undergraduate degree is in Physics, I accept the Big Bang, evolution and all the rest, and see no conflict between science and God whatsoever. Your statement is simply indefensible.

]]> By: sam harris http://iamachristiantoo.org/?p=351&cpage=1#comment-95676 sam harris Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:21:05 +0000 http://iamachristiantoo.org/?p=351#comment-95676 Christianity is predicated on the reliability of the gospel account of the miracles of Jesus. And yet, there are modern books cataloguing the miracles of Hindu adepts, written by educated Westerners. Why not grant these testimonials even more credence than the gospel? I would bet that you are not even inclined to read this literature, much less organize your life around it. Then why not view the gospel with the same skepticism? Christianity is predicated on the reliability of the gospel account of the miracles of Jesus. And yet, there are modern books cataloguing the miracles of Hindu adepts, written by educated Westerners. Why not grant these testimonials even more credence than the gospel? I would bet that you are not even inclined to read this literature, much less organize your life around it. Then why not view the gospel with the same skepticism?

]]> By: sam harris http://iamachristiantoo.org/?p=351&cpage=1#comment-95675 sam harris Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:20:27 +0000 http://iamachristiantoo.org/?p=351#comment-95675 As you said, if you'd been raised a Buddhist, you'd probably be a Buddhist. And yet, you also believe that Christianity is really true. This seems to entail that, by sheer accident of birth, you were raised and culturally conditioned to believe the one true faith. Do you really believe this? Doesn't it seem more likely that you just happen to subscribe to the religion into which you were born (as most people do) because of social pressure, emotional consolation, attachment to tradition, etc.? As you said, if you’d been raised a Buddhist, you’d probably be a Buddhist. And yet, you also believe that Christianity is really true. This seems to entail that, by sheer accident of birth, you were raised and culturally conditioned to believe the one true faith. Do you really believe this? Doesn’t it seem more likely that you just happen to subscribe to the religion into which you were born (as most people do) because of social pressure, emotional consolation, attachment to tradition, etc.?

]]> By: keithswan http://iamachristiantoo.org/?p=351&cpage=1#comment-95673 keithswan Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:18:26 +0000 http://iamachristiantoo.org/?p=351#comment-95673 If the questions posed by Sam at the end of his communication of 20th March were carefully considered by all open minded people of faith, mass enlightmnement would break out. It will be interesting to see if Andrew has the courage to confront these questions and meet them head on. Given his past answers, I suspect he will not. If the questions posed by Sam at the end of his communication of 20th March were carefully considered by all open minded people of faith, mass enlightmnement would break out. It will be interesting to see if Andrew has the courage to confront these questions and meet them head on. Given his past answers, I suspect he will not.

]]> By: ThorMakesThunder http://iamachristiantoo.org/?p=351&cpage=1#comment-95645 ThorMakesThunder Wed, 04 Apr 2007 16:09:13 +0000 http://iamachristiantoo.org/?p=351#comment-95645 This "blogaloge" is indeed fascinating. It is interesting to see moderates dispute some of Harris' claims about moderates. And excellent to see that "Pastors and priests have spoken out against the rapture (”the rapture is a racket“) and against violence of every kind." The fact remains though, that trying to beleive in both science and the existence of god is becoming increasingly difficult. This “blogaloge” is indeed fascinating. It is interesting to see moderates dispute some of Harris’ claims about moderates. And excellent to see that “Pastors and priests have spoken out against the rapture (”the rapture is a racket“) and against violence of every kind.” The fact remains though, that trying to beleive in both science and the existence of god is becoming increasingly difficult.

]]> By: normdoering http://iamachristiantoo.org/?p=351&cpage=1#comment-91866 normdoering Thu, 22 Mar 2007 09:35:39 +0000 http://iamachristiantoo.org/?p=351#comment-91866 I've also written about it here: http://normdoering.blogspot.com/2007/03/andrew-sullivan-talks-death.html And here: http://normdoering.blogspot.com/2007/02/harris-versus-sullivan-battle-becomes.html And here: http://normdoering.blogspot.com/2007/02/harris-versus-sullivan-battle-continues.html I’ve also written about it here:
http://normdoering.blogspot.com/2007/03/andrew-sullivan-talks-death.html

And here:
http://normdoering.blogspot.com/2007/02/harris-versus-sullivan-battle-becomes.html

And here:
http://normdoering.blogspot.com/2007/02/harris-versus-sullivan-battle-continues.html

]]> By: Progressive Christian Blog http://iamachristiantoo.org/?p=351&cpage=1#comment-85075 Progressive Christian Blog Sun, 25 Feb 2007 21:47:40 +0000 http://iamachristiantoo.org/?p=351#comment-85075 Thanks for the post. I've enjoyed this debate and also written about it here: http://danutz.blogspot.com/2007/02/faith-vs-belief.html Thanks for the post. I’ve enjoyed this debate and also written about it here: http://danutz.blogspot.com/2007/02/faith-vs-belief.html

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