All I can say is that I have read books about philosophy since I was little and have studied many religions as well as atheism as a religion in itself. For me, I believe each person has a natural right to their belief that cannot be denied by anyone or any being no matter how powerful that being is. When it comes to religion or non-religion, it is all about belief. It is beyond human reasoning capabilities to logically analyze the issue.
But that’s not true at all. Just about anyone can philosophize and theologize. We all have access to google search if we‘re here. I have had plenty of high level discussions on philosophy and theology. And I don’t have any formal education in those subjects, nor is it necessary that I do. And really, if you’re not capable of breaking down complex thoughts and subjects for more simple folk, it’s likely you don’t have much of a grasp of it yourself.
I disagree. I don’t think you have a natural right to believe in error. You certainly have a right to believe what you want and express those beliefs. But when it comes to being judged for beliefs, should God actually exist, and it comes to whether or not you should go to heaven or hell? You’re not entitled to heaven. So in that sense you don’t have a natural right to believe whatever you want.
Read my post. We have a natural right to our belief. Whether that belief is true or false does not matter. Existence of God or heaven or hell is absolutely independent of belief. Since you are a professed Catholic then you should believe that God has given human free will to believe whatever they want.
The internet? I personally think it’s easier to have these discussions online. I don’t know what it is, but I have a sort of disconnect between my mind and my speech. I can’t express myself in speech as well as I can in writing. And I can reread what I’m trying to reply to when I forget what was said, or look up difficult terms and concepts.
But that’s entirely false. As a Catholic, I believe that those who have access to the Gospel, and refuse to believe it, are going to hell. The afterlife is very much dependent upon belief in traditional Christianity, and even in Islam. So beliefs definitely matter. They can be spiritual and eternal life or death if Catholicism is true.
Why is it that everyone who disagrees with you is (to use a rather silly term) "a snowflake," yet you seem to be very, very, VERY sensitive about what YOU believe. I am a Christian and a Catholic. My faith is strong enough to stand by itself without constant reassurance by having it validated by others or by criticizing others for believing differently.
My friend, you have drifted into the consequence of belief. God will not force you to believe in him. In John 3.16 it was written: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." Even is that famous verse, each person still has the capability to choose! You can torture, drug, and do all sorts of mind control acts on a person to make them profess anything but deep down you know that the belief is theirs to choose and cannot be taken away from them. That is why I say it is natural.
You’re obviously interpreting the situation wrong. Read his replies to me in general. He’s the one who can’t handle disagreement. Do you really think his reply to me was acceptable? He’s the one who shut down the conversation.
Well I think that would depend on the person. Many sincerely believe in God but never repent. Protestantism with its emphasis on faith alone to the exclusion of works makes this quite possible. But others would simply be expressing an empty platitude, or cultural belief.
But you’re not really taking into account what I said. I’m simply saying there’s no natural right to belief when it comes to error in the eternal sense. Like, you’re not getting into heaven if you’re an atheist because of this right. I think you’re misunderstanding me. You have a right to believe whatever you want in the general sense. I’m not going to tell you that you can’t have such and such an opinion. But you don’t have a right to error in the ultimate sense.
Well there’s bound to be division because there’s always contradictory opinions. The ideal would be to remain civil and polite, in spite of those contradictions.
You are getting to what I wanted to say. We have a right to make or not make that error. That right cannot be denied. It is a natural right to belief. We are allowed to make that eternal choice.
Lemme use some false logic here.