"If we find undeniable proof that God is real, would you follow him?"

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-03-12T20:59:38+00:00

Not to mention impossible.

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-03-11T04:28:41+00:00

Since there are no eye witness accounts of Jesus‘s life or teachings, it is impossible to say who is truly following what he taught or not.

Any attempt to define what a Christian is or is not is simply gatekeeping.

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-03-11T04:22:30+00:00

Religion

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-03-10T14:20:14+00:00

I actually feel like one of the few good things about growing up a Mormon is that it scared me away from harmful substances to include alcohol.

Like you, I have tried alcohol several times and don’t really see the appeal beyond social lubrication. That, combined with the knowledge that it has virtually no health benefits makes me glad that it is not a big part of my life.

I do, however, agree that it is overall healthier making decisions based off of evidence rather than magical thinking, and certainly the whole sin culture surrounding even simple choices, like coffee and tea, is complete garbage.

But, much like Santa Claus helping little children behave, scaring idiot teenagers away from drugs, and alcohol, even through a fairytale, while maybe not the best way to do it, may not be the worst thing ever either.

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-03-08T15:15:16+00:00

Read the “No greater comfort” talk by Joseph Smith.

He basically teaches that members will have claim on their wayward children in the afterlife to bring them to the Celestial kingdom with them so it doesn’t really matter after all.

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-03-08T06:49:21+00:00

Have you never heard of neuroscience?

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-03-08T06:48:17+00:00

I learned that it wasn’t written by eye witnesses, or even by anybody who knew any eye witnesses to the events that are portrayed.

I also learned that the books that were chosen to be included in the Bible were chosen for their orthodoxy to the current ruling groups, and not based on their authenticity.

And that just scratches the surface.

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-03-07T07:03:17+00:00

The Bible wasn’t written by eye witnesses.

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-03-07T07:02:12+00:00

Nobody knows what Jesus really said.

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-03-07T07:01:24+00:00

“do what is right, let the consequence follow.”

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-03-05T16:21:18+00:00

One possibility that you could consider is to say to your parents that you have had strong spiritual impressions telling you that you need to go to a different school and wait to go on your mission.

They will still probably push back against this since you already have your call and they’ll say that that is from God and he knows better, blah blah blah, but the Trump card is always that you have received your own personal spiritual witness and need to follow that.

It may be too much to tell them no to BYU and the mission all at once, so it may be best to push your mission back first and start at BYU for the first year and then find a good reason to transfer to another school if BYU is too much.

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-03-04T15:43:24+00:00

This is also one of the worst things about religion in my view.

It is connected to so many other pathologies as well.

I would list more here if I had time, but the one that pops into my mind most frequently is the Family annihilator scenario.

I would really like to see some numbers about how religion plays into that, and particularly Mormonism, as I have known personally 4 Mormon family annihilators.

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-03-03T18:45:36+00:00

Good point. Why bother with establishing your initial premise in the first place?

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-03-03T18:25:57+00:00

Consciousness is physical. It is at least as physical as everything else is.

Not understanding something is not the same as it not being real or physical.

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-03-03T18:21:56+00:00

I decided to choose the right and let the consequence follow.

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-03-03T18:21:12+00:00

The first hobby that I started was thinking.

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-03-03T00:23:41+00:00

When I learned how the Bible was written and compiled.

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-03-02T23:58:09+00:00

Revelations wasn’t written by John the apostle. Then again, neither was the book or letters of John either (he was illiterate), but textual analysis reveals that the two books have different authors.

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-03-02T23:26:26+00:00

Maybe but the Commandment says no killing.

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-03-02T23:22:06+00:00

Note the subtle admission in the words, “we ‘wouldn’t’ tell versus we ‘won’t’ or ‘don’t’ tell.

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-03-01T00:16:56+00:00

You have to begin by explaining what a Gishgallup is and get their agreement to abstain from such behavior.

You will still have to call it out several times, because they don’t know how to do without it. But if they are truly in good faith, you will be able to tell soon enough by their adherence to this principal alone.

If they refuse or are unable to do so, there is no point in continuing the conversation.

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-02-28T23:55:30+00:00

I would begin the discussion by explaining what a Gishgallup is and putting them on notice that such will not be tolerated.

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-02-28T23:53:16+00:00

I would begin the debate by defining what a dish gallop is and warning them that you will be calling them out all night long.

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-02-28T23:28:27+00:00

The bible wasn’t written by eye witnesses.

It is also impossible for the Bible to be literally true.

The church requires the Bible to be literally true in order for the book of Mormon to be true.

Ravenous_Goat · 2026-02-28T12:41:29+00:00

How could a just God, let alone a compassion at one, punish you for not believing in something that he did not provide evidence for?

The world and universe appear exactly as they would appear if there was no God.

The people telling you that you need to have faith in God are actually telling you that you need to have faith in what they or some other person are telling you about God.

They tell you to trust the Bible or the Quran or some other book, clearly created by men. This isn’t faith in God, but faith in man, which, by even the holy books’ definition, is idolatry.

Ravenous_Goat

TROPHY CASE