This is really strange. You accuse everyone here of basically being close minded, echo chambers and yet you are spending time to engage while ending with “leave me alone”. Look, I think it is clear to anyone reading this thread that you are emotionally unstable. You honestly couldn’t convince me you are of stable mind. You are scattered, defensive and quite arrogant. Not to mention that any attempts to engage with you are everyone else’s fault for not understanding you. I’ll gladly step out, however. If you change your mind and actually want to engage, I’ll be here.
How loving, to be able to diagnose a person whom you have never met, who you do not know, on the basis of your own inability to understand.
Am I unstable? Maybe. Am I being patronised? Definitely.
I dont know where your diagnosis of “scattered” comes from.
But every person who has projected my own position back at me in the form of a straw man argument is guilty of arrogance.
Chris,
Your assertion that everyone here rejects penal substitution is incorrect. It is positively seen by many universalists, and I’ve often had my rejection of it challenged here. But if you offer an articulation of any view, it is most likely to draw analysis from those of us who find that view problematic.
You say that you’ve found in “any community” you’ve entered that people belittle your views and treat it as “wrong think.” That would feel alienating. It is difficult to find those o.k. with differing views, but that’s what I seek out.
Your belief that everyone should have a “very real anxiety” about wrong think, or as you put it, that “the contents of my mind” are not in sync with what pleases God would indeed leave me very anxious, since my grasp of many things, especially about God’s glorious nature, is undoubtedly faulty.
If I felt God would be unhappy with me when the contents of my mind were incorrect or might treat me as a blasphemer, I’d be made troubled by anyone who critiqued how I express the contents of my mind.
The great command urges us to love God with our mind, so I admire your desire to not be the one who is “wrong.” But I tend to be most open to learning from those who differ, when I trust that God’s love for me is not contingent even on my theological ideas not being wrong.
Strange then that I have the capability of going to work tomorrow and be responsible for protecting my colleagues from very high voltages and RF energy sources. Perhaps you should write to my employer and advise them to sack me on the basis of what I trust are formal psychiatric qualifications.
Chris to Gabe
I made this statement, on this forum before. And I’m making it again. You can’t diagnose a person, as psychologically unstable - on an online forum. And only if you meet them in person…and you are an academically trained and licensed, therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist. And these persons should have a licensed, primary care physician - rule out organic disease first.
Having said that, folks here come from a wide variety - of theological and philosophical positions. Many would be deemed statistical outliers, by the outside world. So there will be “differences”. I decided in my life, to look though the eyes of others. And spend time with them…hang out with them…whether they be Christians, Zombies, Baha’i’s, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists or Native Americans. Each had to teach me something, with I brought back into my Christianity. Especially with Tibetan Lamas, Zen Masters and Native American, medicine people.
Actually, I come from a Christian theological tradition…where being crazy (or pretending to be crazy), is a virtue - see Holy Fool or Path.
Chris, why do you keep engaging with me if you want to be left alone? I do find it very odd that you are spending all this energy to tell me how wrong I am about you… Look, I don’t know the real you. But the “you” that you have revealed to me on this forum is distressed and insecure. There is a way out, you can overcome this. I wish you the best, Chris.
Where I am wrong, I want to know about it and trust God to show me.
I am simply disappointed by the straw man arguments, presumptions of what I might be saying and various other cognitive shortcuts by …even to the point of accusations of mental illness, if necessary.
That reminds me of King David when he pretended to be insane!
The version of me that you have chosen to see, in order to protect your own subliminal insecurities, is anxious and insecure. Well done.
I will let you win, because I need some sleep if I am going to wake up sane tomorrow.
This isn’t a game, Chris. Have a good night though.
But the answer to why I keep engaging with you…I suppose I am like a rabbit caught in the headlights of someone who seriously thinks they know how to suspend judgment, and I just cannot resist seeing what observations about the inside of my soul you will come up with next. Its just too interesting.
I have emailed Jason Pratt to ask him to delete this entire post, and / or my name from it. I sincerely regret having started this post. If there are any other admins who see this post before he gets my email - please could you kindly delete it for me. I really, really, wish I had not allowed myself to get sucked into this black hole of judgment.
No, you are not consciously aware that it is a game.
Go to bed.
Chris, the only rational reason for a person to label himself Agnostic on Evangelical forum is to flag humbleness to learn from those who have revelations. As this seems not to be the case with the individual you are in exchange, it is good that you stopped the exchange.
It’s a shame that other people on this forum, who don’t label themselves Agnostic, are letting this individual hold court on this post and you, and nobody says a thing. At least there’s something to learn from it.
Having trouble understanding what you are actually saying. Are you criticizing Chris, the forum members, agnostics, evangelicals - which of those and why?
I am trying to understand why you think I am holding court. I am not an admin of these forums, nor a moderator. I cannot silence anyone, nor do I wish to do so. I do find it strange that you came out of the wood work after Chris went to bed.
I have a lot of respect for people on this forum and greatly appreciate their viewpoint on matters. I myself, even after changing my username to Agnostic_Gabe have changed my views on a number of things, thanks several individuals here. I am baffled as to how you think your claims about me are accurate, so I can only conclude that you are reacting to my screen name.
I don’t claim to be the most humble person (however, I do claim to be honest), but I have publicly saud many, many times, that I could be very wrong. Never the less, I would be greatly pleased if the hope that God saves all is true. Indeed, I hope it is true. But, like Thomas, I have my doubts. But that story in the Bible reassures me of the goodness of God towards skeptics like me.
I know, from personal experience, prior to being humbled many times, that it is very hard to believe I am not a demon trying to show destruction this forum. We are taught from a young age that those with different opinions are the enemy. Now that I am the enemy in many peoples viewpoint, it provides me with a revelation: People can form different opinions without any dishonesty in their heart, because I know that is true of myself. It was an awesome revelation, because it helps me deal with your position and not ascribe evil motives to you.
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What I wrote is quite clear. Maybe you are too tired and should go to bed, as Agnostic Babe commands around here.