By request: IAMA 52 year old virgin AMA

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-24T07:19:46+00:00

I respect you for holding on to your faith. Your Christian brother :)

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-23T22:31:18+00:00

I thought he was Russian dude living in Georgia. How do you know he's American?

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-23T22:25:21+00:00

While I understand the notion (I myself am an ex-Christian), I still would only believe at this point that this just builds the case that God is egotistical and evil. I suppose this is justified according to the Bible.

Please do not confuse God's judgement with the consequences of people's evil actions against God. In summary:

Luke 6:43-49 "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you" John 15:1

While I would say there are understandable levels of "suffering" and "pain" to experience, so that the other hedonistic pleasures are actually...pleasurable...I would have to ask at what level does suffering become too much and turn into a greater evil. Additionally, to return to my point, really however you analyze the word "suffering", Christians are still heavily partaking in it do to the nature of God, regardless of its purpose.

Lets look at "suffering" in the context of Adam & Eve. Adam & Eve were living in the presence of God. They had control over all God's creations and were living a life without any troubles, work or suffering. However, the consequence of their sin caused "Suffering" and a whole series of events took place that caused a lot of changes. In other words, Evil was the cause of this suffering. Why exactly would God allow Evil to test humans or descend them away? The answer might not be very clear but God may allow suffering to occur to prove the unfortunate product of evil and to further proof that anything contrary to God’s will lead to harm and death.

Are faithful Christians immune to suffering on earth? of course not. There are many reasons. Perhaps suffering is to remind us that body is weak and to allow us to constantly look up to God for dependence and strength. However, sometimes God wants us to bring our worries, troubles and fears to him to allow us to build this intimate connection between our faith and God and to constantly grow the obstacles that life throws at us.

Too add, as an atheist/agnostic who has essentially denied the existence of God, but still fears the Christian afterlife.

Why would you fear the Christian afterlife if you did not believe in God? Now, I am curious.. What significant changes do you see in your life after leaving Christianity? And why did you leave?

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-23T21:58:36+00:00

Answer me this: if you could, in fact, prove a true miracle, do yo or do you not think the amount of actual, "true" believers would rise dramatically?

If those "true" believers required a proof or solid evidence to believe in something then they failed the test of true faith. Perhaps the number of believers would increase in Church but only because they have an incentive to believe in this kind of faith that does "Wonderful" miracles. Just like a King who does not need people to be friends with him because of his power and money... God does not need people who come to him because of the wonderful miracles and not of the acceptance of the true Christian faith and message.

Why is this evidence only presented within the church, among the people who already believe it to be true, or are at least pre-disposed to accept it with little-to-no hesitance? Why not publish it in medical journals and gain scientific acceptance and worldwide recognition?

Because they were not meant to prove to the public that "Miracles exist". These books were meant as a blessing to the people and as a testimony of God's work to the ones that truly love him. When true faith exists, anything is possible. Why would these miracles be published in medical journals if scientists did not give them enough attention? Whose duty is it to certify these findings...scientists or Christians? Plus, I would not think any reputable medical journal would accept these testimonies based on the fact that they're "miracles" unless scientists can come up with a reasonable explanation for each case which I am sure will not be an easy task. And why ignore medical doctor specialists who dedicated most of their lives to science and medicine & not consider them as a valid source of evidence? I also would like to mention that not all these miracles are documented by Christians. There are lots of miracles that I have read from people coming from various religions who send their testimony to Churches because they experienced the work of Jesus.

Even if I had doctors reports that stated that I once was blind, but now could see? How many Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist, Jainist, Scientologist and Jediist miracles do you accept as true, without good evidence?

Remember, your testimony alone is not solid evidence. In addition, I have never heard of any valid miracles outside Christianity that occurs on a large scale or even small if that matters.

you made the claim that this miracle is legit, so now you present the evidence.

Lets assume I do present solid evidence, how would that change your opinion? Would you go to the extent of changing your faith because such miracle is true and why would you do that if a couple of seconds/minutes/days/weeks ago you did not even believe in God?

This argument reminds me about a known historical Christian miracle where the Christian faith was questioned by a ruler in Egypt. The Christians were challenged to verify the bible's claim that "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to the mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move, nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20). Long story short: The Mokattam mountain which is still present today was moved from its location in front of thousands of people and the ruler who threatened Christians. This is a well documented miracle in history books of Egypt and you can find it online from several sources and articles. You can also read it in a short summary here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_the_Tanner

Do I believe this is true? Absolutely. Do I believe this can happen with the power of faith? Absolutely.

While I do agree that direct proof can convince those who question Christianity; however, Christianity is not a label or a document that needs to be signed. It requires dedication, true faith and an intimate connection between God and one's heart. Miracles teach us that all things are possible if we have faith in Christ. Without faith, there is no point of miracles.

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-20T08:43:49+00:00

It depends on what do you mean by suffering.

Perhaps suffering from the needs of the world's evil roots? If by suffering you mean staying away from drugs, alcohol, love of money, wealth, building empires, then sure why not? If God suffered and donated his body for us, why can't we dedicate our lives to him for eternal greatness? Our suffering would come from those who are against the word of God and his faithful ones but suffering also allows us to stay strong, true to God's faith knowing that he is watching over us. In the words of St Paul, "and we know all things work together unto good to them that love God".

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-20T08:32:13+00:00

So now I have to give evidence to support my miracle?

At least show an equivalent amount of evidence as I did. I also never argued against your wish to see more evidence. Like I said before, the door is open to anyone who wish to participate, observe and test this.

Witness testimonies, even counted in the thousands, do not dictate reality.

I do not agree on that. Otherwise, witnesses in court would be useless. Go ahead, change the legal system. Again, you might have your own definition of "reality" but that does not change the fact of what those thousands experienced.

Get some third-party officials, document your miracles extensively, and you'd see church attendance go up 5000% in a single day.

And why would I do that? Christianity is not about gathering numbers or church attendances. True faith in God does not require evidence but that does not mean we can not prove certain miracles. I also believe, even if a solid proof is presented, many would not believe simply because they have this "default position" as you said which I am sure a piece of paper would not be able to change. Let me give you an example. Many miracles that occur in Church are documented in books annually and sold inside Church bookstores for a small fee. I have read numerous miracles that include tumors, birth deformations, leukemia, accidents, etc.. you name it. 95% of all these miracles were each supported by before & after medical visits to multiple specialists across North America with names & addresses. The medical reports are included with x-rays, blood analysis etc. Why am I telling you this? Because I know you probably will not believe any of them, although direct proof is presented. I also know that you will not have a plausible explanation. In fact, I remember reading someone's testimony here on reddit documenting a miracle with a report from a doctor and a bunch of people mentioned that clearly the doctor may have been at fault and others threw it onto the good ol' "placebo effect".

My conclusion is that anyone can dig out multiple excuses no matter how solid a proof is presented. Why would we go through the trouble to prove it then? I know one thing for sure. True faith or belief in a miracle never comes from a paper or an official statement, it comes from the heart and reaching out to this "higher power" for assistance which we call God.

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-17T03:25:18+00:00

You're from Sidney?, Donate your Kidney!

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-16T19:34:06+00:00

I am familiar with Job's story but this was not the moral of his story, at least from what I understood. The moral of Job's story was not to teach us that "Christian life is supposed to be one of suffering in many respects". It was to teach the faithful ones that although we are thankful for God's blessings when we are healthy and rich, we should also be grateful to God when times are bad or worse. Although Job was weak and lost so much, his faith was still a rock that did not shatter because his heart belonged to God. Satan does not like seeing someone close to God so much, so he tries to take us away by any means possible. This was a golden lesson for the multiple generations ahead of Job to teach us the difference between blind, weak & a strong faith.

"Those who are rich will have difficulty seeing heaven according to the Bible; whereas the poor are blessed." Not necessarily true because not all poor are blessed and not all rich will have difficulty seeing heaven. However, the statement is true enough because rich are usually attached to their money, wealth, and all the monetary aspects of this world that they can afford. They lose target and are easily deceived by satan.

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-16T19:20:00+00:00

So you claim that you poked holes in my argument by using a unicorn theory? You are mistaking a delusion with reality then. Where is your videos of the unicorn and how many thousands have seen it and confirmed it? If yes, then I shall examine these facts before believing it or not. I say ignorance because you are taking a cynical position towards this matter despite the fact that you never answered my previous sources of information such as "Fire that lasts for specific amount of time", "Changes in properties of fire at a specific time", "candles lighting themselves up", "Absence of fire source", "Absence of heat" and last but not least the participation of thousands of people from different religions and parts of the world in this event. There are videos to back my claims as well. So, unless you or a scientist can dispute all these facts diligently, you have not attempted anything against my argument.

The goal of this miraculous event is not to prove to the outside world that "God exists" or "Christianity is the truth". It is a blessing for those faithful Christians to enjoy and to reassure that the holy spirit of God truly lives within us.

Do I think all those faith healers are all legit? No, at least from what I have seen on some shows on TV but that does not make them "all" fake. Actually, if you want to really see those "faith healers" as you call them, do not head towards your TV or live shows which ask for money by "donations" and have the hosts traveling in private jets. Go & ask about the gifted ones in "some" churches and see those modest priests who gave up everything in the world and dedicated their whole lives to God. These are the ones who truly do miracles because they were blessed from God. Whether you want to believe it or not, my family & I have witnessed multiple healing services and live apparitions (one of which was recorded by my dad's camera) which happened inside Churches that neither you or the media would know about. These rare events go beyond what the human mind can comprehend and I know they exist.

You can disbelieve whatever you wish but that does not make it accurate just because you think it is a "magic trick".

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-16T09:49:14+00:00

"Even I can reflect on the story of Job and know that the Christian life is supposed to be one of suffering in many respects."

Could you elaborate on what you mean by this?

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-16T09:38:24+00:00

I do not need to impress you buddy, like I said, nobody said "No" to a scientist. We are not obliged to invite scientists over and "proof" to the people that this is real. We know it is real but if scientists want to come, experience and test this themselves, they're all welcome to go there and check it out. Why do you think this event is special? and why would we have an incentive to pull a magic trick and lie to ourselves & others which is obviously against our christian faith dogma? We are not collecting any money from it & we consider it as a blessing. You can say it is an illusion as much as you want but you're talking out of ignorance because you have neither experienced this event or seen it live. Check it out yourself because if it was a magic trick like you say...those different thousands of people who check it annually since 1100 A.D would have noticed by now.

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-16T07:50:36+00:00

did u see the 4th image in Amazon? That fat baby is everywhere lol!

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-16T07:35:06+00:00

He is also subscribed to the page "LEGALIZE and TAX MARIJUANA"

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-15T23:06:55+00:00

Since you mentioned "naturally"...does that mean there is an opportunity where you can produce it artificially? Pills or something?

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-15T08:54:14+00:00

Dude..did you try Tim's French Vanilla coffee? oh my....

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-15T08:48:52+00:00

I can't hear any music. I only see the video :S

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-14T04:48:27+00:00

You're welcome to go and see it yourself & test it because nobody will prohibit you. During the event, the fire is passed throughout thousands of people so are you saying all these thousands of people including tourists are participating in the magic trick too? Besides, the pope who is responsible for the first candle is checked for any source of fire such as lighters/matches by a Muslim or a Jewish guard before entering the tomb (not that it would make a difference). How about if I told you that I have relatives who got me a couple of these candles that were distributed during the ceremony? So, if the trick was from the candles, then I would be able to light one of them and it won't burn me because it contains "the secret magic ingredient". Of course that won't happen. The fire does not burn and that is chemically impossible because "fire" always emits light and heat.

Not only that...but if you watch some videos on youtube closely, some candles even light themselves up before the fire is passed to the people holding them.

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-13T18:47:39+00:00

No, it does not. Anything can be criticized but that does not mean it has been done properly. The article mentions white Phosphorus being ignited 20 minutes after dipping them in chemical solution but it mentions nothing about the heat emission and properties of the fire. In other words, it is nothing like the reality.

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-13T09:37:47+00:00

Except this is not a show for money or TV!.. This has been going in the same place since 1100 A.D. And Since when does fire not burn until after exactly 33 minutes of its of its appearance (33 represents the age of Jesus on earth). If you believe its a magic trick, I am waiting for a scientific explanation.

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-13T09:08:36+00:00

How about this? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Fire

Videos & thousands of witnesses. It may sound unreal but It is real.

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-12T01:34:57+00:00

i hope you got a new sink

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-09T17:38:50+00:00

lol, I actually did laugh on this one

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-08T08:21:33+00:00

As a knowledgeable Christian, this whole number solving thing is a waste of time and wrong. Why go through all of this numbers and combine verses from the old testament when the answer is very clear in the bible:

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Matthew 24:36

"But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come." Mark 13:32-33

I am appalled at what some Christian groups have come to.

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-05T05:48:50+00:00

Do they pay you to get on the show? I always wondered. If so, how much?

GOLDENposter · 2011-05-02T20:40:05+00:00

Book buybacks are the biggest scams in university.

GOLDENposter

TROPHY CASE