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       #Post#: 9578--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Is There a Purpose to all This...?
       By: Leslie Date: October 10, 2023, 7:02 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=Val link=topic=118.msg9573#msg9573
       date=1696958868]
       [quote author=Leslie link=topic=118.msg9570#msg9570
       date=1696946069]
       You just can't see it can you. Greg and Val. That is the only
       answer you are going to get from me.
       [/quote]
       Evening Leslie, we can't see because there is nothing to see, I
       didn't think that Catholics believed in predestination, but I
       suppose like all religions all Catholics don't believe in the
       same things
       [/quote]
       Predestination which means forecasting the future correctly,
       appears to be in conflict with the doctrine of free will. if we
       have free will, how can someone predict what you are going to do
       before you do it.  That is a puzzle. We are dealing with God
       here, the supernatural, miracles (which do happen) by the way
       and the Catholic Church calls such things A Mystery. And defines
       a Mystery as being above reason but not beyond reason.
       In today's technical world we generate random numbers on a
       calculator which are not really random, but we call them so.  in
       reality you have an algorithm to do it.
       #Post#: 10430--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Is There a Purpose to all This...?
       By: Leslie Date: November 9, 2023, 5:45 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I was glancing through a book by the late Etienne Gilson
       entitled God and Philosophy. It cost only $1.65 when I bought it
       for a university course.It is tattered and torn Reading part of
       it lifted my spirits, I was down in the dumps and I am not
       usually like that.It is about "the relation which obtains
       between the notion of God and the demonstration of his
       existence." Science as we all know  all know explains things, it
       explainshowthings happen, not why things happen as the why is
       beyond them. outside their field of study. Thy do not talk about
       God, they do not as a rule even try being satisfied with what
       they know about mankind already. Metaphysics of Augustine and St
       Thomas Aquinas is the answer for enquiring Catholic Christians.
       AI is not going to help these scientists understand God. When
       Etienne Gilson wrote the book back in 1941 he wrote a chapter on
       'God and Contemporary Thought,' he wrote
       that it is dominated "...by the thought of Immanuel Kant and
       Auguste Comte. Their doctrines are  about as widely different as
       two philosophical doctrines can possible be. Yet the criticism
       of Kant and the positivism of Comte have this in common, that in
       both doctrines the notion of knowledge is reduced to that of
       scientific knowledge, and the notion of scientific knowledge
       itself to the type of intelligibility provided by the physics of
       Newton. The verb "to know" then means to express observable
       relations in terms of mathematical relations. Now however we
       look at it, no given fact answers to our notion of God. Since
       God is not an object of empirical knowledge, we have no concept
       of him. Consequently God is not an object of knowledge, and what
       we call natural theology is just idle talking."
       Now that is only from the first page of this chapter. Etienne
       was a confirmed Roman Catholic during his life.
       #Post#: 15946--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Is There a Purpose to all This...?
       By: Leslie Date: May 2, 2024, 2:58 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       My sister's husband and I do not get on at all whenever we meet,
       and the last time we. met was on Sunday at 8pm, at my daughter's
       bungalow. I don't know why he said exactly that I was not a
       Christian, but it was in regard to my views on Gaza. Now he is a
       relative and must be tolerated, I thought. It was noisy there,
       Everyone was talking at once around the table, and the
       discussion, if you could call it that came to an abrupt end. We
       have not fallen out officially. I suppose we will meet again
       before summer is over, perhaps at a wedding which will take
       place this summer of someone in the family. I will seek out
       others to talk to then.
       #Post#: 15949--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Is There a Purpose to all This...?
       By: Lyn Date: May 3, 2024, 1:13 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       It really is best not to get into controversial subjects at
       social events.  I wonder who brought the subject up, was it you
       or he?  You may not now remember but it might have been best to
       just say that being here is a light-hearted and fun occasion and
       there's a time and place to discuss serious issues.
       You have displayed very firm views on here about Gaza, your
       relative may have equally strong views, different to yours.
       As you said on another thread, Leslie, there are two sides to
       the story.  It's not a black and white issue.  We only know what
       we hear from the media and the media is not to be trusted.  In
       this country, it is very pro-Israel, I believe it is the same in
       the USA.
       We cannot judge whether or not someone else is a Christian, more
       specifically, truly Christian, only God can do that, but I've
       often witnessed such accusations over the years, on the forums
       that we have frequented. I believe a Christian will care about
       all and have particular love for minority groups which are often
       marginalised by society.  However, you don't have to be a
       Christian to believe that, plenty of others do.
       The book of James gives us good guidance. We all fall short at
       times, we're human, and it's not easy to walk in the shoes of
       another.
       I am delighted you had a social evening at your daughter's,
       Leslie, I hope all is well there and that you have been somewhat
       reassured.
       #Post#: 15953--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Is There a Purpose to all This...?
       By: Leslie Date: May 3, 2024, 5:50 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       With Joe it is impossible for me to agree with him. There were
       only three more males to have a discussion with, my grandson and
       the two teenage boys of a relative, one of whom is going to
       university this year for the first time.* They stuck together in
       discussion at the centre kitchen table. The female relatives ,
       my wife and Joe's wife listen in or have a discussion about more
       practical things than the Middle East.They always get along, and
       they are sisters. To answer your question: I have no idea who
       started my discussion with Joe. He has just turned 80 this year.
       *That will be difficult financially for him as his parents are
       divorced as is Anne Carol and her ex. Unless his grandparents
       help financially as we did for our grandchildren, They are
       prosperous enough more than we are.
       Looking back at this topic here a year or so ago, I note that
       Val thinks Catholics pray to statues which is not true, we pray
       for help from the person the statue represents, not the statue
       itself as would pagans do. We ask Our Lady to help us.
       Greg thinks it ridiculous that God would punish the righteous
       and tends to be an agnostic in religious matters.
       #Post#: 16047--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Is There a Purpose to all This...?
       By: Beverly Date: May 8, 2024, 9:39 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I know I’ve said it many times, but I don’t see how any action
       can be truly of God if it directly contradicts Jesus’ teachings.
       The difference I see between Israel’s killings in Gaza, and
       Palestinians killing Israelis is Israel claims God is
       sanctioning the killings. In that way, I see what Israel is
       doing as much more egregious (and really just an excuse to land
       grab.)
       Using God to back nefarious purposes in America has tested me to
       the point that I’m ashamed to say I’m a Christian anymore. But,
       the truth is, most Christians wouldn’t accept me now anyway as
       most denominations are built on theology that disregards Jesus’s
       teachings.
       #Post#: 16052--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Is There a Purpose to all This...?
       By: Lyn Date: May 8, 2024, 2:04 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I agree, Bev, however I believe most thinking, genuine
       Christians would question everything and not just follow a party
       line.
       Th human race has form for this sort of thing.  When I search
       back in history, the Crusades were fought in the name of
       Christianity, conquering the 'infidel' and all that, though they
       did nit achieve much success.
       (Edited for syntax)
       #Post#: 16053--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Is There a Purpose to all This...?
       By: Leslie Date: May 8, 2024, 5:38 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=Beverly link=topic=118.msg16047#msg16047
       date=1715179182]
       I know I’ve said it many times, but I don’t see how any action
       can be truly of God if it directly contradicts Jesus’ teachings.
       The difference I see between Israel’s killings in Gaza, and
       Palestinians killing Israelis is Israel claims God is
       sanctioning the killings. In that way, I see what Israel is
       doing as much more egregious (and really just an excuse to land
       grab.)
       Using God to back nefarious purposes in America has tested me to
       the point that I’m ashamed to say I’m a Christian anymore. But,
       the truth is, most Christians wouldn’t accept me now anyway as
       most denominations are built on theology that disregards Jesus’s
       teachings.
       [/quote]
       Where does Israel say God is "sanctioning the killings"?
       #Post#: 16057--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Is There a Purpose to all This...?
       By: Lyn Date: May 8, 2024, 7:07 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I can remember Netanyahu saying that, making reference to
       Amalekites, some time ago but later stating he hadn't meant it
       'like that'. It does appear to be part of the ethos behind the
       conflict.
       #Post#: 16118--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Is There a Purpose to all This...?
       By: Leslie Date: May 12, 2024, 10:37 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=Lyn link=topic=118.msg16052#msg16052
       date=1715195065]
       I agree, Bev, however I would think most thinking, genuine
       Christians would question everything and not just follow a party
       line.
       Th human race has form for this sort of thing.  When I search
       back in history, the Crusades were fought in the name of
       Christianity, conquering the 'infidel' and all that.
       [/quote]
       This is an old post I am responding to as I overlooked it when
       it first appeared.
       As a convert to Catholicism, I did question everything I could
       think of. There was no party line to follow.
       The Catholics were slow to respond to the Muslim conquest at
       first.When it did get going it was because the holy places were
       threatened. The Church had no choice but to do something .
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