Religion and Ethics BBS

Religion and Ethics BBS
[ Religion and Ethics BBS ]

there-is-absolute-truth

Posted by scott on June 21, 2025, 7:55 pm

Here are five absolute truths that Jesus affirmed—each rooted in Scripture—that some atheists and self-proclaimed religious students, may find challenging, not necessarily because of hatred, but because they confront naturalistic or relativistic worldviews:

1. **Jesus is the only way to God**
*“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”* — John 14:6
This exclusive claim directly opposes pluralism and relativism, asserting that salvation is found in Christ alone.

2. **Truth is not subjective—it is grounded in God’s Word**
*“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”* — John 17:17
Jesus didn’t treat truth as flexible or evolving. He rooted it in the eternal Word of God, which challenges the idea that truth is merely a social construct.

3. **Humanity is inherently sinful and in need of redemption**
*“For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts… All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”* — Mark 7:21–23
Jesus taught that sin isn’t just behavior—it’s a condition of the heart. This contradicts the belief that people are naturally good and only corrupted by society.

4. **There will be a final judgment**
*“For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.”* — Matthew 16:27
The idea of divine accountability and eternal consequences can be deeply uncomfortable for those who reject the supernatural.

5. **God created humanity with purpose and design**
*“Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female…”* — Matthew 19:4

Jesus affirmed the Genesis account of creation, which stands in contrast to purely materialistic or evolutionary explanations of human origin and identity.

These truths aren’t meant to provoke hostility—they’re invitations to wrestle with deeper questions about existence, morality, and destiny.

These teachings have shaped history, culture, and even personal transformation stories.

Yours-awaits-or-perhaps-has-taken-place.

There is only absolute faith. But it’s obvious salt is salty.

Posted by GOG on June 29, 2025, 6:05 pm, in reply to "there-is-absolute-truth"

Here are the only three absolute truths that I know:

Posted by DFM on June 26, 2025, 2:26 pm, in reply to "there-is-absolute-truth"

Energy is conserved subject to the limitations imposed by General Relativity.

Entropy cannot decrease in natural processes, subject to the same limitations as above.

It is impossible to achieve absolute zero temperature by any means whatsoever.

Number three is the most fascinating.

Posted by GOG on June 29, 2025, 6:09 pm, in reply to "Here are the only three absolute truths that I know:"

I suppose getting onto the other side of the Big Bang is another impossibility. Kinda like absolute zero….

There is also reason

Posted by Mugwump on June 23, 2025, 9:39 am, in reply to "there-is-absolute-truth"

Atheism, at its core, is not a faith or a dogmatic belief system, but a conclusion reached through the application of reason, skepticism, and empirical evidence. It is the position that there is no sufficient evidence to warrant belief in a god or gods. This stance is not born of a desire to be contrarian, but from a commitment to intellectual honesty and a worldview grounded in the natural world. The arguments supporting atheism are numerous and varied, but they can be broadly categorized into the logical, the evidentiary, and the scientific.

One of the most powerful logical arguments against the existence of an omnipotent and omnibenevolent God is the "problem of evil." This argument poses a difficult question: If a god is all-powerful, all-knowing, and perfectly good, why does suffering and evil exist? The world is replete with examples of immense suffering, from natural disasters that kill indiscriminately to diseases that ravage the innocent. A god with the power to prevent such horrors, the knowledge of their occurrence, and a benevolent nature would presumably do so. The reality of this suffering presents a stark contradiction to the qualities attributed to the Abrahamic God, for instance. While theologies have offered explanations like free will or a divine plan beyond human comprehension, these often appear as ad-hoc justifications rather than convincing resolutions to the fundamental paradox. For the atheist, a far simpler and more logical explanation is that the universe is not governed by a benevolent supernatural entity, but by impartial, natural laws.

Beyond the logical inconsistencies, atheism is also grounded in a lack of empirical evidence. Science, the most reliable method for understanding the universe, operates on the principles of observation, experimentation, and verification. Claims made by religions, particularly those concerning a supernatural realm and a deity who intervenes in the world, fall outside the scope of this rigorous inquiry. There are no testable, repeatable experiments that can verify the existence of God. Prayers are not demonstrably answered with any statistical significance beyond chance, miracles remain anecdotal and unsubstantiated, and sacred texts, while historically and culturally significant, do not constitute evidence for the divine claims they make. In any other area of life, we would not accept extraordinary claims without extraordinary evidence. The atheist simply applies this same standard of intellectual rigor to the question of God.

Furthermore, the history of science can be seen as a continuous process of replacing supernatural explanations with natural ones. Phenomena that were once attributed to the whims of deities—such as lightning, disease, and the movements of celestial bodies—are now understood through the laws of physics, biology, and astronomy. The theory of evolution by natural selection, for example, provides a powerful and well-supported explanation for the diversity and complexity of life on Earth, rendering the role of a divine creator unnecessary. While science does not, and cannot, disprove the existence of God, it has consistently demonstrated that the universe is explicable through natural processes. The "God of the gaps"—where God is used as an explanation for whatever science cannot yet explain—has seen his territory shrink with each new discovery.

Finally, the sheer multiplicity of religions and their mutually exclusive claims serves as another pillar for the atheistic position. Throughout history, thousands of different gods have been worshipped, and countless religions have been practiced. Each purports to hold the one true path to salvation or enlightenment, and their doctrines are often in direct contradiction with one another. The particular religion a person adheres to is most often a matter of geography and cultural inheritance, not of a universal, divine revelation. This observation leads to the conclusion that religious belief is a human, sociological phenomenon, not a response to a divine reality.

In conclusion, atheism is a rational and intellectually coherent position. It is a conclusion drawn from the lack of evidence for a deity, the logical problem of reconciling a benevolent god with a suffering world, the explanatory power of science, and the anthropological understanding of religion as a human construct. It is not a declaration of absolute certainty that no god exists, but rather a reasoned conclusion that, based on the evidence available, belief is not warranted. It represents a commitment to a worldview based on reason, evidence, and the remarkable capacity of humanity to understand the universe on its own terms.

Excellent.

Posted by 7:77 on June 26, 2025, 4:28 pm, in reply to "There is also reason"

For what they might be worth, my compliments.

Your compliments are worth a lot.

Posted by GOG on June 29, 2025, 6:16 pm, in reply to "Excellent."

But it’s seems some arguments rely too heavily on the objective. But then, if my memory serves me, you have touched upon that.

Thank you Mugwump

Posted by Dancing Digits on June 23, 2025, 1:28 pm, in reply to "There is also reason"

We can get into a discussion regarding agnosticism vs atheism (I believe you mentioned it elsewhere), but that isn't the point of your post.

AI is a tool, but IMO, should never be a substitute for human contact (which unfortunately is diminishing rapidly in this world of technology), nor should it ever replace one of our most remarkable abilities - the ability to express, share and explore (even argue over) ideas, concepts, the abstract, etc. in words of our own choice. And the words we select to express ourselves are very important. AI strikes me as a beautiful example of the saying "The lights are on but nobody is home".

BTW - everytime I see your handle, I am reminded of the Mamma's and Papa's song 'Creeque Alley'. Don't know if your handle choice is in some way related to that song, but I always enjoyed hearing them sing it. Thanks for the reminder.

Re: the handle

Posted by Mugwump on June 23, 2025, 2:25 pm, in reply to "Thank you Mugwump"

Mugwump is a term that came into wide use in the later 19th century. Without getting into detail, it had to do with rejecting the GOP and corruption and becoming independent. My Dad, part of what had been a staunch New England Republican family rejected the party during the 2nd half of the Reagan era. For reasons no one seems to remember, he was referred to as Mugwump the elder and I, in turn, became Mugwump the younger.
IOW, I take the Groucho Marx approach to party affiliation.

Re: the handle

Posted by Dancing Digits on June 23, 2025, 4:35 pm, in reply to "Re: the handle"

Reagan was the first pres I voted for. I was young, naive and with such hopes. Ah well.

your-human-brain-thinks-so-I-agree

Posted by scott on June 23, 2025, 1:05 pm, in reply to "There is also reason"

but
your
spirit
inside
knows
you've
been
lied
to
and
can't
overcome
your
fleshly
thinking.

There are times when you remind me so much of

Posted by Dancing Digits on June 26, 2025, 9:48 am, in reply to "your-human-brain-thinks-so-I-agree"

jb.

I sure miss him. Always fun in a round about subterfuge logic.

Posted by GOG on June 29, 2025, 6:06 pm, in reply to "There are times when you remind me so much of"

He is still here, in a manner of speaking.

Posted by Dancing Digits on June 30, 2025, 1:53 pm, in reply to "I sure miss him. Always fun in a round about subterfuge logic. "

Ah, yes, the "I read it in the...." syndrome.

Posted by Mugwump on June 30, 2025, 2:18 pm, in reply to "He is still here, in a manner of speaking. "

Lots of baskets(and their cases) filled with that sort of reasoning.

We're in agreement. The difference is that you are kind and I am sarcastic.

Posted by Mugwump on June 30, 2025, 3:37 pm, in reply to "Ah, yes, the "I read it in the...." syndrome."

Sarcasm is often times a better way to get one's point across. It does grab attention. :)

Posted by Dancing Digits on June 30, 2025, 4:08 pm, in reply to "We're in agreement. The difference is that you are kind and I am sarcastic."

Oh he's not really here.

Posted by Dancing Digits on June 30, 2025, 3:12 pm, in reply to "Ah, yes, the "I read it in the...." syndrome."

I notice strong similarities in some attitudes/approaches to other posters, thus I said 'in a manner of speaking'.

He is thus here at times, though he is not.. . .not really.

it knows NO such thing. Stop telling people what they do

Posted by trish on June 26, 2025, 7:18 am, in reply to "your-human-brain-thinks-so-I-agree"

and do not know "inside"... you are not qualified

It becomes clearer day-by-day that our "friend" is in deep-to desperate need

Posted by Mugwump on June 26, 2025, 9:38 am, in reply to "it knows NO such thing. Stop telling people what they do"

of therapeutic intervention.

That was awesome

Posted by trish on June 23, 2025, 11:26 am, in reply to "There is also reason"

That was a product of Scott's beloved AI.

Posted by Mugwump on June 23, 2025, 11:33 am, in reply to "That was awesome"

The only credit due me is for asking for it. It surprised me, though, as I've always distinguished b/t Atheism and Agnosticism. The essay seems to equate them (though I suppose I could ask for an essay supporting the distinction).
It is sad, though, that some people are so disturbed by
the idea of others not kowtowing to their belief system that they have to launch into endless rants claiming their superiority and conflating their "truth" with fact.

(no subject)

Posted by scott on June 23, 2025, 1:09 pm, in reply to "That was a product of Scott's beloved AI."

I
am
my
beloved
and
he
is
mine.

The phrase “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine” comes from Song of Solomon 6:3 in the Bible.

Re: (no subject)

Posted by Mugwump on June 23, 2025, 1:15 pm, in reply to "(no subject)"

You are a pustule on the butt of the Earth.

correction

Posted by scott on June 23, 2025, 1:06 pm, in reply to "That was a product of Scott's beloved AI."

another AI generated post.

Posted by Trish on June 22, 2025, 8:59 am, in reply to "there-is-absolute-truth"

(no subject)

Posted by scott on June 23, 2025, 8:51 am, in reply to "another AI generated post."

Fortunately,
in
the
general
public
godless
views
and
alternative
belief
systems
are
generally
dismissed
by
even
the
most
casual
believer.

I
might
be
the
last
voice
you
ever
hear
truth
from.

Death,
and
therefore
truth,
is
always
near,
is
it
not?

Whack. Whack. Whack.

Posted by Mugwump on June 23, 2025, 1:13 pm, in reply to "(no subject)"

Still at it, I see

Christians will decline from more than three-quarters of the population in 2010 to two-thirds in 205

Posted by trish on June 23, 2025, 11:23 am, in reply to "(no subject)"

approximately 35% of people in the US switched religions at least once.

Alternative religions are growing because they don't get tangled in your ridiculous "I HAVE THE TRUTH" routine. You cannot prove your point until you're dead (if what you say is true), and then you can't tell anyone!

Not sure why you must type one word on a line. Certainly doesn't impress. And truth be told, since I was at death's door three times last year, I have no fear.

So please, stop saying you have all the truth all the time. It's getting redundant and tbh an embarrassment to you.

But Christ and His Word won’t!

Posted by observer on July 1, 2025, 11:06 am, in reply to "Christians will decline from more than three-quarters of the population in 2010 to two-thirds in 205"

In total and from a prophetic standpoint the Bible is the absolute truth.

Posted by GOG on June 29, 2025, 6:12 pm, in reply to "Christians will decline from more than three-quarters of the population in 2010 to two-thirds in 205"

Maybe he thinnks he's Robert Creeley

Posted by Mugwump on June 23, 2025, 1:24 pm, in reply to "Christians will decline from more than three-quarters of the population in 2010 to two-thirds in 205"

told-you-elsewhere-my-space-bar-is-broken

Posted by scott on June 23, 2025, 1:10 pm, in reply to "Christians will decline from more than three-quarters of the population in 2010 to two-thirds in 205"

but
God's
message
remains

Stop pounding on your keyboard like the madman that yu are.

Posted by Mugwump on June 23, 2025, 1:24 pm, in reply to "told-you-elsewhere-my-space-bar-is-broken"

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