Rituals within religion - why?

[nobspeople]

Face one direction to pray.
Wearing specific pieces of clothing at specific times.
Eating specific foods.
Not eating specific foods.
Killing of animals as offerings.
Adorning the blood of an innocent animal around a door.

The list is almost endless as, within many religions, there are certain 'things' people can do or don't do, often at specific times and or for specific reasons. Some seem odd, some ridiculously stupid and others just don't make any logical sense (such is religion - there's little logic within it). But people do them because 'they're supposed to' because they 'represent' this or that.

While rituals do tend to 'help' (be it the passing of time, a sense of belonging, synchronizing of heart rates, etc), when dealing with a supreme being, what benefit do they have for it?

Surely, said being knows all (even knowing things about you that are absent in your own consciousness), so what difference does it make, to this being, what you wear when, why you face this direction instead of that, blood of an innocent animal (which is highly barbaric)?

What point do these things serve to this being?

[Miles]

.. claim of "god's unconditional love" is not a biblical fact, but an inferred conclusion

Based on which scriptures?

I haven't the slightest idea...

So you to conclude that the bible contains information that "inferred" god's unconditional love on hearsay?

SIGH* Not at all. Heck I didn't even conclude that the bible contains information that implied god's unconditional love.

You have no biblical references to support your position but just presume it is valid because some people say it is

Quite correct, which is why I never implied I did. ALL I SAID WAS, and please read carefully:

"So one is left to conclude the common Christian claim of "god's unconditional love" is not a biblical fact, but an inferred conclusion," (I don't really care where they inferred it from: some preacher's claim, the Bible, or The WatchTower. )

and

Based on which scriptures?

I haven't the slightest idea, but Christians are quite fond of the claim.

"Christians are quite fond of the claim" being my only position here, coupled with my assertion that the claim of "god's unconditional love" is not a biblical fact, but an inferred conclusion, of course.

DOUBLE SIGH* My only purpose in listing the quotes was to show that despite its absence in the Bible, within the 22 minutes of your post (#26) I was able to find five instances of people making the claim, copy these claims to make a post, attach their "source," and format them within my post. just to show how popular the phrase is. So it's the popularity I was striving to show not the content of the phrase, its legitimacy, or anything else that would warrant your silly misuse of a logical fallacy.


BY THE WAY, I'm still waiting for your answers to "1 Who says spirits are not gender bound, bibically or otherwise, and 2 where have they said it? "


.

[JehovahsWitness]

...I didn't even conclude that the bible contains information that implied god's unconditional love.

Well okay then. I wrongly presumed you were saying there was valid reason to conclude the above, rather than simply pointing out that some hold to this position. I am fully aware that some hold that the God of the bible's love is unconditional, should such a person actually post in this thread, I shall be happy to debate them.

As for you and your 22 minutes of "research"....thanks for sharing,

JW

[1213]

... and says, "Take eat, this is the body of Christ." ...

It is interesting how differently that saying can be understood. For example, if I would have a dog and say “take this, this is my dog”, probably no one would think it is me. But one says “take (this bread), this is my body”, for some reason people think it is about the actual physical body of Jesus, not the bread.

[William]

Biblically God favors his own children over and above the wicked with whom he does not have an intimate relationship.

This is rich. Let's guess, who are those that are deemed wicked? Those who don't follow the teachings of the JW branch of Christianity of course. At least by those who follow and believe the teachings of the JWs.

Nothing surprising here. Those who follow a specific mythology are prone to claim those who don't follow it wicked. What is their verifiable evidence to support this conclusion? They have none.


Tcg

Yes - this is one reason why I create the thread [url=viewtopic.php?f=38&t=38236"The Doctrine of Satan" [/url]to point out - not only that is was Christianity which created the image of Satan, but that without this entity, Christianity - and all the competing denominations therein - would not have a leg to stand on.

In this way - Christianity confuses and condemns the world while basking in the light of its own self-righteousness...

[William]

Does ‘Love’ play favorites? There are different types of love and only Unconditional Love does not play favorites.

Unconditional Love is not a bible teaching.

And interestingly enough, none of the 15 bibles I checked use the word "unconditional" at all. So one is left to conclude the common Christian claim of "god's unconditional love" is not a biblical fact, but an inferred conclusion, just as one can equally infer that god is a male because of the numerous "father," "he," "him," and "his" reference attached to him. ( )


.

Yes. Narcissism has no place for the idea of Unconditional Love, preferring lesser forms of love as good enough to get the job done...

[William]

Does ‘Love’ play favorites? There are different types of love and only Unconditional Love does not play favorites.

Yes it does.

Please give an example

You are wrong.

So you claim, but I see no supporting evidence for your claim.

Unconditional Love is not a bible teaching.

Pretty much what I argue in regard to those who teach the Bible...the biblical idea of The Creator appears to operate with lessor forms of love.

[JehovahsWitness]

Does ‘Love’ play favorites? There are different types of love and only Unconditional Love does not play favorites.

Yes it does.

Please give an example

You are wrong.

So you claim, but I see no supporting evidence for your claim.

I presume you have read my post above in which I supply supporting evidence for my claim
viewtopic.php?p=1041513#p1041513

[William]

Does ‘Love’ play favorites? There are different types of love and only Unconditional Love does not play favorites.

Yes it does.

Please give an example

You are wrong.

So you claim, but I see no supporting evidence for your claim.

I presume you have read my post above in which I supply supporting evidence for my claim
viewtopic.php?p=1041513#p1041513

No I hadn't. I am just needing a clarification that you are arguing that the God-entity of the bible does not operate with Unconditional Love.

[William]

Does ‘Love’ play favorites? There are different types of love and only Unconditional Love does not play favorites.

Unconditional Love is not a bible teaching.

And interestingly enough, none of the 15 bibles I checked use the word "unconditional" at all. So one is left to conclude the common Christian claim of "god's unconditional love" is not a biblical fact, but an inferred conclusion, just as one can equally infer that god is a male because of the numerous "father," "he," "him," and "his" reference attached to him. ( )


.

Upon further thought - I am wondering now as to whether Unconditional Love is a feature of the God-Entity of the Bible...because even that the word "unconditional" is not used in the Bible, this might have more to do with the fact that it is a relatively modern word, and therefore there may indeed be instances where some action/reaction noted of the God, can be said to be an example of "Unconditional Love"...I will have to check out the links you gave in post#28 and see if I can gain any insight from those.

[William]

[Replying to Miles in post #29]
From the first link you gave, there is this explaination;

The Bible tells us that God is love. God's love is unconditional.



To help understand the unconditional love of God, just look at what God's love would look like if it was conditional.



If it was conditional, it would be based on something you did to earn it or deserve it. If you could do something or work for God's love, that would make His love conditional.



So what is the unconditional love of God? It's a love that doesn't depend on you. It's a love that depends on God alone. It has nothing to do with you. God's love depends entirely on him.

The author appears to be equating the script 1 John 4:8...;

[KJV]He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

As being an example of Unconditional Love. If indeed this is an example of unconditional love then it also appears that the beloved ought also love one another unconditionally....

Also the script would be best read as follows;

He that loveth not unconditionally knoweth not God; for God is Unconditional love. In this was manifested the Unconditional love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is Unconditional love, not that we Unconditionally loved God, but that he Unconditionally loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us Unconditionally, we ought also to love one another Unconditionally.

I cannot see therein any particular problem any Christian should have with the idea that the above advise is not speaking about unconditional love.

Those Christians who argue that the God of the Bible is not unconditional love would have to agree then that the script can be read as follows.

He that loveth not conditionally knoweth not God; for God is conditional love. In this was manifested the conditional love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is conditional love, not that we conditionally loved God, but that he conditionally loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us conditionally, we ought also to love one another conditionally.