[Thee Alex]

Originally Posted by Pubic Wig

Ok, as for the why.
Why not?

Because there is a very high chance that it's not true? That you're wasting your time? Why is the onus of proof always put on science whilst the 'believer' can say 'it's true because it is' or answer 'why not?' to the question 'Why do you believe?'

Originally Posted by Pubic Wig

I truthfuly could not tell you why I beleive.

Is that not a sign then that you should question that belief? You believe something but you don't know why? Blind faith anyone?

Originally Posted by Pubic Wig

My reasons for accepting and gaining faith are my own and deeply personal, not something i share on online forums, most of my close friends dont know as i am loath to force my beleifs onto them.

But Jesus himself commanded his follows to tell the world about him. Surely you're letting down Jesus by NOT explaining your faith to all around you? Don't you want your friends to be 'saved'?

Originally Posted by Pubic Wig

I have made a choice to accept my faith.

But you don't seem to actually know what your faith is in!

Originally Posted by Pubic Wig

By any standards i am indeed a terrible Christian and i openly condem the church for its general intolerance, dogmatic approach, closed minded veiws and contadictory stance on...well, pretty much everything.

So you are rational enough to see that the church (whichever sect) is preaching a lot of hateful rubbish.....yet you still don't question it??

Originally Posted by Pubic Wig

My faith stems from a beleif that there is far more to the world, life and the universe than we can possibly ever hope to know or understand or comprehend.

Again I have to ask 'why?'

Originally Posted by Pubic Wig

Oh yes, i certainly agree that science can and will provide answers to many of the questions we ask, but i cannot know this for fact. Just as i cannot know that there is a God for a fact.

If you have faith you should believe that the existence of 'God' is a fact. That's what your faith is there for.

Originally Posted by Pubic Wig

But i stand by my beliefs. I beleive in good and in evil.

Based on what evidence? I think you'll find that the world is far more complex than your reductionist thinking will allow.

Originally Posted by Pubic Wig

Can science justify why one man will kill another whilst another would never consider it? In parts of the science community there is talk of an 'evil gene' found in serial killers and career criminals but theres not a shred of evidence.

Some people have a less developed sense of guilt or repercussion, there are usually psychological reasons. To talk about an 'evil' gene is just quasi-Intelligent Design guff.

Originally Posted by Pubic Wig

Social backgrounds, economic pressure, a difficult upbringing - these are all often reasons that lead towards acts of wantom cruelty and evil, but you will find that what one person does is not the same as another.

This is what I don't get about you, you half get it right and then go off into nonsense about 'evil'. A certain percentage of any society, regardless of background, will be sociopaths.

Originally Posted by Pubic Wig

I beleive in the knowledge of good and evil and that humankind also have a free choice to make their own decisions about such things.

Are you saying that an atheist society wouldn't have that knowledge? It can be convincingly argued that natural selection/survival of the fittest works when applied to social groupings as well. The tribe that doesn't murder, steal or kidnap survives longer than the one that sees nothing wrong with those 'crimes'. Over millennia a basic sense of 'right and wrong' evolves just as surely as the ability to walk upright.

Originally Posted by Pubic Wig

My faith is that yes, there is both a benevelant and malevelant force that we cannot control nor explain. Perhaps my faith merely stems from the idea that Jesus preached of tolerance, mutual respect and forgivness.

That is a huge cop-out and denies the power of humanity. The 'God/Satan told me to do it' explanation is useless. People and not some supernatural being are responsible for their actions - if one does something good then they should feel good about it, if they do something bad they cannot go blaming some red horned fellow when they're, in fact, just a dick.

Originally Posted by Pubic Wig

I could be wrong, i possibly am wrong. As we have gone through many times already there is a distinct lack of evidence to back any claims i might make. which is why i keep my own faith to myself. One shouldnt try and force a belief on someone without the means to proove it. Many Christians would say this is a bad stance to have and that it is my moral duty as a Christian to convert others.

Jesus included.

Originally Posted by Pubic Wig

I think this is wrong. I think a person has free choice. If somone wants to know more then i would say to them faith is a voyage of self discovery and point 'em to a bible as a starting point.

Then you are directly disobeying the very Messiah you believe in. I would seriously question whether you should be pointing anyone at the Bible.

Originally Posted by Pubic Wig

*sigh* im sorry i know that is not a well defined answer that you would like to break apart and shoot down every way that you can but there it is.

I think you gave me more than enough to work with.

Originally Posted by Pubic Wig

I have faith because i choose to have faith. Thats what faith is, a choice.

No, a choice is a choice, faith is belief in something that has no evidence to back it up.... to be honest I'm not sure what you have faith in, it seems to me you've cherry picked the parts of Christianity you like and have ditched the rest...

Originally Posted by Pubic Wig

I know anyone can say "i beleive in Santa Clause or the Force because i choose to" just as easily but thats it for me. Do i need to justify my faith? Not to anyone but myself.

If you believe your Bible then you're going to have to justify your selection of what to and not to believe to 'God' come judgement day.

Still, as you believe in 'him' and I don't, that's your problem.