The 4-yr. old Preacher (5 Viewers)

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Sep 1, 2002
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The innocent will be richly repaid in heaven for their suffering, it's written so in Bible. Actually, without reading the bible it's crazy to discuss about religion man, at least the new testament, it'll explain many of those simple questions of yours. Without reading bible it's like discussing about WWII without any deeper knowledge than the name of the main leaders.
I've read many 'holy' texts, and I have to say there is more wisdom in the Never Ending Story than those scripts.
 

IrishZebra

Western Imperialist
Jun 18, 2006
23,327
The whole 'accept the unfair status quo because you'll get a reward after death' is probably one of the biggest problems people have with religion. But as for personal strife if you follow evolution and take into account environmental factors, it makes the idea of 'everything' for a reason a bit pointless.
 

pitbull

Senior Member
Jul 26, 2007
11,045
The whole 'accept the unfair status quo because you'll get a reward after death' is probably one of the biggest problems people have with religion. But as for personal strife if you follow evolution and take into account environmental factors, it makes the idea of 'everything' for a reason a bit pointless.
who's talking about accepting? you still can (and should) try to make the world better. I'd rather say it's acceptance for the fact that God is not guilty for evil humans have created, but he'll still repay those whose sufferings are unjustified and who can't do nothing about it. if you don't believe in eternal life, there really isn't much point in God for you, I agree.
 

pitbull

Senior Member
Jul 26, 2007
11,045
I've read many 'holy' texts, and I have to say there is more wisdom in the Never Ending Story than those scripts.
well the bible is pretty much everywhere since it was written and it has better sales numbers than pretty much every other book, I guess that somehow counters the wisdom point. even if you don't agree with the points it makes, it's still really well written piece an intelligent person should read, just like Igo's Les Miserables or Dante's Divine Comedy.

as for your question, I guess I pretty much answered it. any more while it's sunday?
 
Sep 1, 2002
12,745
well the bible is pretty much everywhere since it was written and it has better sales numbers than pretty much every other book, I guess that somehow counters the wisdom point. even if you don't agree with the points it makes, it's still really well written piece an intelligent person should read, just like Igo's Les Miserables or Dante's Divine Comedy.

as for your question, I guess I pretty much answered it. any more while it's sunday?
What is heaven like?
Who goes there?
What happens to those that don't?
If there is no time has the reserection of mankind already happened?
 

JuveJay

Senior Signor
Moderator
Mar 6, 2007
72,473
It should be remembered that the concept of the continuous expansion of the universe is exclusive to the Quran. No other Divine scriptures even remotely hint at it. The discovery that the universe is constantly expanding is of prime significance to scientists, because it helps create a better understanding of how the universe was initially created. It clearly explains the stage by stage process of creation, in a manner which perfectly falls into step with the theory of the Big Bang. The Quran goes further and describes the entire cycle of the beginning, the end and the return again to a similar beginning. The first step of creation as related in the Quran accurately describes the event of the Big Bang in the following words:


Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were a closed-up mass (ratqan), then We clove them asunder (fataqna)? And We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?2

It is significant that this verse is specifically addressed to non-believers, implying perhaps, that the unveiling of the secret mentioned in this verse would be made by the non-believers, a sign for them of the truth of the Quran.

In this verse the words ratqan (closed-up mass), and fataqna (We clove them asunder), carry the basic message of the whole verse. Authentic Arabic lexicons3 give two meanings of ratqan, that have great relevance to the topic under discussion. One meaning is 'the coming together of something and the consequent infusion into a single entity' and the second meaning is 'total darkness'. Both these meanings are significantly applicable. Taken together, they offer an apt description of the singularity of a black hole.

-http://www.alislam.org/library/books/revelation/part_4_section_5.html

Just felt like throwing that in here :boh:
This is quite interesting. Does the Quran thus foresee the theoretical 'Big Crunch' which begins at the end of the Big Bang, of which we are currently living?

The point about 'total darkness' could in some ways be the eventuality for our galaxy in the universe, galaxies spread so thinly across a vast area at the end of the Big Bang that we can barely see light from any others. But this is maybe a trillion years into the future, and humankind will either be extinct or much evolved in both technological and biological form.
 

IrishZebra

Western Imperialist
Jun 18, 2006
23,327
Koran also has passages about evolution, to me, it's the best of the lot in terms of completion, which would make sense if you believe the progression of prophets to Allah.
 

AndreaCristiano

Nato, Vive, e muore Italiano
Jun 9, 2011
18,992
It should be remembered that the concept of the continuous expansion of the universe is exclusive to the Quran. No other Divine scriptures even remotely hint at it. The discovery that the universe is constantly expanding is of prime significance to scientists, because it helps create a better understanding of how the universe was initially created. It clearly explains the stage by stage process of creation, in a manner which perfectly falls into step with the theory of the Big Bang. The Quran goes further and describes the entire cycle of the beginning, the end and the return again to a similar beginning. The first step of creation as related in the Quran accurately describes the event of the Big Bang in the following words:




Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were a closed-up mass (ratqan), then We clove them asunder (fataqna)? And We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?2

It is significant that this verse is specifically addressed to non-believers, implying perhaps, that the unveiling of the secret mentioned in this verse would be made by the non-believers, a sign for them of the truth of the Quran.

In this verse the words ratqan (closed-up mass), and fataqna (We clove them asunder), carry the basic message of the whole verse. Authentic Arabic lexicons3 give two meanings of ratqan, that have great relevance to the topic under discussion. One meaning is 'the coming together of something and the consequent infusion into a single entity' and the second meaning is 'total darkness'. Both these meanings are significantly applicable. Taken together, they offer an apt description of the singularity of a black hole.

-http://www.alislam.org/library/books/revelation/part_4_section_5.html

Just felt like throwing that in here :boh:
You statement is not 100% true in the Zohar Kabballah speaks of all of this
 

Zé Tahir

JhoolayLaaaal!
Moderator
Dec 10, 2004
29,281
Then what's the point of having a God? Why is he even relevant for people? if he is so powerless, watches good and evil happen without indifference, then why do these people want or need a God in their lives?
It's pretty much a guarantee that if you follow Gods path and seek his help that he'll answer your prayers. You can't expect to be ridiculing and insulting God 24/7 and be surprised why he doesn't exist in your life. That's just common sense.

Prayers are answered but I can't give you any proof of it because you'll write it off as a random event or the like. Until you believe you won't know what it's like. It's like explaining gravity to someone...its not an element, a gas, it can't be seen, it can't even be felt. It can only be explained and measured by explaining things around it.

You statement is not 100% true in the Zohar Kabballah speaks of all of this
Care to elaborate?
 

ALC

Ohaulick
Oct 28, 2010
46,017
It's pretty much a guarantee that if you follow Gods path and seek his help that he'll answer your prayers. You can't expect to be ridiculing and insulting God 24/7 and be surprised why he doesn't exist in your life. That's just common sense.

Prayers are answered but I can't give you any proof of it because you'll write it off as a random event or the like. Until you believe you won't know what it's like. It's like explaining gravity to someone...its not an element, a gas, it can't be seen, it can't even be felt. It can only be explained and measured by explaining things around it.



Care to elaborate?
Technically, gravity can be felt and seen. We feel it 24/7, that's why it might seem like that.

Edit: It also can be measured with numbers.
 

Zé Tahir

JhoolayLaaaal!
Moderator
Dec 10, 2004
29,281
This is quite interesting. Does the Quran thus foresee the theoretical 'Big Crunch' which begins at the end of the Big Bang, of which we are currently living?

The point about 'total darkness' could in some ways be the eventuality for our galaxy in the universe, galaxies spread so thinly across a vast area at the end of the Big Bang that we can barely see light from any others. But this is maybe a trillion years into the future, and humankind will either be extinct or much evolved in both technological and biological form.
Yes it does:

A BLACK HOLE is a gravitationally collapsed mass of colossal size. It begins with the collapse of such massive stars as are 15 or more times the size of the sun. The immensity of their inward gravitational pull causes the stars to collapse into a much smaller size. The gravitational pull is further concentrated and results in the further collapse of the entire mass into a supernova. At this stage the basic bricks of matter such as molecules, atoms etc. begin to be crushed into a nondescript mass of energy. Thus that moment in space-time is created which is called event horizon. The inward gravitational pull of that something becomes so powerful that all forms of radiation are pulled back so that even light cannot escape. A resultant total darkness ensues which earns it the name black hole, reminding one of the word ratqan used by the Quran indicating total darkness. This is called singularity which lies beyond the event horizon.

A black hole once created grows rapidly because even distant stars begin to be pulled in with the progressive concentration of gravitational energy. It is estimated that the mass of a black hole could grow as large as a hundred million times the mass of the sun. As its gravitational field widens, more material from space is drawn in at a speed close to that of light. In 1997 there was observational evidence suggesting that in our galaxy a black hole of 2,000,000 solar masses existed. But other calculations show that in our universe there could be many black holes as big as 3,000,000,000 solar masses.4 At that concentration of gravitational pull even distant stars would stagger and lose their mooring to be devoured by a glutton of such magnitude. Thus the process of ratqan is completed resulting into that singularity which is both completely closed as well as comprising total darkness. In answer to the question as to how the universe was initially created, the two most recent theories are both Big Bang theories. They claim that it was initiated from a singularity which suddenly erupted releasing the trapped mass leading yet again into the creation of a new universe through the event horizon. This dawn of light sprouting from the event horizon is called the white hole5,6. One of the two theories relating to the expansion predicts that the universe thus created will carry on expanding forever. The other claims that the expansion of the universe will, at some time, be reversed because the inward gravitational pull will ultimately prevail. Eventually, all matter will be pulled back again to form perhaps another gigantic black hole. This latter view appears to be supported by the Quran.

Whilst speaking of the first creation of the universe, the Quran clearly describes its ending into yet another black hole, connecting the end to the beginning, thus completing the full circle of the story of cosmos. The Quran declares:

Remember the day when We shall roll up the heavens like the rolling up of written scrolls ...7

The clear message of this verse is that the universe is not eternal. It speaks of a future when the heavens will be rolled up, in a manner similar to the rolling up of a scroll. Scientific descriptions illustrating the making of a black hole, very closely resemble what the Quran describes in the above verse. (See plate 1).

A mass of accretion from space falling into a black hole, as described above, would be pressed into a sheet under the enormous pressure created by the gravitational and electromagnetic forces. As the centre of the black hole is constantly revolving around itself, this sheet—as it approaches—will begin to be wrapped around it, before disappearing into the realm of the unknown at last.

The verse continues:

... As We began the first creation, so shall We repeat it; a promise binding on Us; that We shall certainly fulfil.7

Following the eventual collapse of the universe into a black hole, here we have the promise of a new beginning. God will recreate the universe, as He had done before. The collapsed universe will re-emerge from its darkness and the whole process of creation will start yet again (see plate 2). This wrapping up and unfolding of the universe appears to be an ongoing phenomenon, according to the Holy Quran.

This Quranic concept of the beginning and the end of the creation is undoubtedly extraordinary. It would not have been less amazing if it had been revealed to a highly educated person of our contemporary age, but one is wonder-struck by the fact that this most advanced knowledge, regarding the perpetually repeating phenomenon of creation, was revealed more than fourteen hundred years ago to an unlettered dweller of the Arabian desert.

-http://www.alislam.org/library/books/revelation/part_4_section_5.html
 

IrishZebra

Western Imperialist
Jun 18, 2006
23,327
Can I just point something about about 'random' and 'chance' derisions that the religious here seem to like posting.

Illness, 80% fatality rate - the average person thinks they're dead, miraculous recovery, a miracle from god? a prayer answered?

No, just statistically possible. If 1,000,000,000 people get the illness, 200,000,000 will, on average, survive. That's the type of 'chance' and 'randomness' atheists take about.

They've analysed prayer as a 'healing technique' and it correlates quite well with the % of general recovery anyway.

You can't expect people to hold the 'hand of god' in as high regard as measurable evidence in a discussion.
 

Zé Tahir

JhoolayLaaaal!
Moderator
Dec 10, 2004
29,281
Technically, gravity can be felt and seen. We feel it 24/7, that's why it might seem like that.

Edit: It also can be measured with numbers.
No it can't. You drop a cup and see it hit the ground, you're seeing the cup and it falling. You don't see gravity itself. When you jump off a chair and fall down, you don't actually 'feel' gravity, you just fall.

It has no color, no odor, no smell, nada, zip.
 

Zé Tahir

JhoolayLaaaal!
Moderator
Dec 10, 2004
29,281
Can I just point something about about 'random' and 'chance' derisions that the religious here seem to like posting.

Illness, 80% fatality rate - the average person thinks they're dead, miraculous recovery, a miracle from god? a prayer answered?

No, just statistically possible. If 1,000,000,000 people get the illness, 200,000,000 will, on average, survive. That's the type of 'chance' and 'randomness' atheists take about.

They've analysed prayer as a 'healing technique' and it correlates quite well with the % of general recovery anyway.

You can't expect people to hold the 'hand of god' in as high regard as measurable evidence in a discussion.
The biggest problems with non-believers is that they want the service before they do business. Like I'd fly you to Paris and then expect to be paid. Makes total sense :rolleyes: That doesn't work in our world and it certainly almost never works with faith.
 

ALC

Ohaulick
Oct 28, 2010
46,017
No it can't. You drop a cup and see it hit the ground, you're seeing the cup and it falling. You don't see gravity itself. When you jump off a chair and fall down, you don't actually 'feel' gravity, you just fall.

It has no color, no odor, no smell, nada, zip.
Are you serious? You can tell gravity is the one doing it. You falling from the chair is the same thing as feeling it.

In space and under water, you feel the lack of gravity.
That's another way to put it.
 
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