The opinions you've expressed here have quite often actually helped strengthen my faith.
I believe we all have doubts - whether we wish to accept it or not. If we had no doubts, we wouldn't mourn for loved ones that have died. We'd all be a little jealous and mostly happy that our newly dead relative is a little closer to Jesus.
What I most appreciate about your postings is the eloquent and rational way you make sense of our doubts without pulling a punch.
I'm really adverse to fooling myself, but others seem to embrace self deception as if it were a life sustaining substance. I suppose I can relate. I know I have my own extreme intolerance to ambiguity on a few subjects, and it's a constant struggle on my part to reject my 'black and white' views on some issues.
I believe we all have our own limits to just how much ambiguity we can tolerate from the world. This intolerance to ambiguity manifests itself in many ways on many different subjects of life. For many this intolerance for ambiguity is centered on their religion. I believe this is where religious fundamentalism is formed - be it in atheism or faith.
You may not be able to cause someone to loose faith with your postings, but it seems you make many very uncomfortable with the notion all they believe is not so cut and dried.
getoffmylawn: The opinions you've expressed here have quite often actually helped strengthen my faith
I am humbled. Of course I believe that people can change each others' minds. But, from the Christian point of view it is impossible. Therefore a Christian cannot blame another person for his or her loss of faith any more than he or she can credit another person for having faith, lest salvation/perdition depend on man.
From the Christian point of view, one could say you only think my opinions have helped strengthen your faith, but it would have to be God whose will it was that you perceive my postings in such a way as to achieve that result.
It all comes down to this: faith = salvation and salvation = God. This cuts me out, or anyone else, in deciding who is saved and who isn't.
What I most appreciate about your postings is the eloquent and rational way you make sense of our doubts without pulling a punch.
Strangely enough, other say I make no sense whatsoever, but thank you wholeheartedly. :)
I'm really adverse to fooling myself, but others seem to embrace self deception as if it were a life sustaining substance
I either know or don't know. If I have to "believe" then I am guessing. And if I am guessing then I am fooling myself.
You may not be able to cause someone to loose faith with your postings, but it seems you make many very uncomfortable with the notion all they believe is not so cut and dried
From the Christian point of view those Christians who'd admit to losing faith because of another man would give divine sovereignty to that man, thereby making him a god. Such Christians were no Christians to begin with, were they they? They used it only as a label and therefore were not among the "saved" in the first place.
I only share my opinions, fwiw, no different than anyone else. :)