Without threats and promises, what does Christianity actually have to offer?

[Zzyzx]

Simple question:

Without unverifiable threats and promises (for 'after you die'), what does Christianity actually have to offer?

[Zzyzx]

You asked a question and I answered. If you want to add more stipulations when you get an answer then I’m not sure why you even asked the question.

In discussion or debate it is not uncommon to encounter follow-up questions – particularly when answers to the original question expose flaws or potential flaws in position.

Answering is always optional. A powerful answer improves one's argument. A weak answer detracts – but may be preferable if a truthful answer damages one's position. Readers evaluate what is presented.

[Muffinmayne]

[Replying to Zzyzx in post #11]

I agree follow on questions are perfectly fine.

If you ask what numbers can you add to make her to the number 13 without using 1 or 2 and I say 8 and 5. I’d be saying something correct.

If you then said “well what makes you think the numbers 8 and 5 even exist?” I would be thoroughly confused. What does that have to do with what you just asked me? It’s a good question on its own I guess. Has nothing to do with what you started the topic on.

If you wanna discuss whether heaven and hell exist I’m more than willing.

[brunumb]

[Replying to Zzyzx in post #9]

You asked a question and I answered. If you want to add more stipulations when you get an answer then I’m not sure why you even asked the question.

When someone poses questions which essentially pick holes in an argument, the usual response, if one is not in avoidance mode, is to provide counter arguments.

[JehovahsWitness]

I can only speak from personal experience about my own religion (Jehovah's Witnesses*) which is bible based and so takes its mandates from scripture



QUESTION WHAT DOES CHRISTIANITY* ACTUALLY HAVE TO OFFER?

1. A personal relationship with one's Creator which gives inner peace, lasting joy and a sense of security through the hardest of times.

2. An international brotherhood that supplies loving support and spiritual association on a regular basis.

3. Reliable and practical advice for the complexities of modern day living (see "RELATED posts" below)

4. Satisfying anwers to the deep questions of life such as "Why are we here?" , "What happens at death?" , "What does the future hold for mankind?" (see INDEX in footnote)

JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES*






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To read more please go to other posts related to...

RELIGION, CHRISTIANITY and ... THE BIBLE

[Zzyzx]

Lessons from peoples pst mistakes.

How, exactly, does Christianity provide an opportunity to learn from peoples' past mistakes?

When you have stories about entire nations turning from God or just indulging in heinous acts how are those not lessons?

Are the stories true? How can that be determined?

If a person learns 'lessons' from fantasy stories, they have NOT learned from the mistakes of others – but from stories concocted by an author. In that case, there were no mistakes in the real world; only in the imagination of the writer.

If I tell a story about someone making a mistake by believing in gods, can anyone 'learn from the mistakes of others' by reading the story?

I agree follow on questions are perfectly fine.

If you ask what numbers can you add to make her to the number 13 without using 1 or 2 and I say 8 and 5. I’d be saying something correct.

If you then said “well what makes you think the numbers 8 and 5 even exist?” I would be thoroughly confused. What does that have to do with what you just asked me? It’s a good question on its own I guess. Has nothing to do with what you started the topic on.

If you wanna discuss whether heaven and hell exist I’m more than willing.

Is this to say that lessons from stories can be considered as 'learning lessons from the mistakes of others' when the 'others' have not been shown to be anything more than imaginary / fictional / fantasy?

If characters in science fiction are depicted as making a mistake that causes their extinction (or whatever), can it be rationally claimed that readers can learn from the mistakes of others?

[Muffinmayne]

[Replying to Zzyzx in post #15]

Whether you believe they’re real people who existed or not doesn’t matter. If I wrote a story about a man who plunged his face into his soup and drowned, regardless of whether he’s real or fake, if that doesn’t teach you that you probably shouldn’t put your face in soup then something is clearly wrong with the person unable to learn from that.

[Zzyzx]

Whether you believe they’re real people who existed or not doesn’t matter. If I wrote a story about a man who plunged his face into his soup and drowned, regardless of whether he’s real or fake, if that doesn’t teach you that you probably shouldn’t put your face in soup then something is clearly wrong with the person unable to learn from that.

Perhaps we do not focus on the same audience. Readers of concern to me do not need to be taught to avoid drowning in a soup bowl.

If your audience learns from the soup story, they did NOT learn from anyone's experience. They learned from a fictional tale UNLESS you have verifiable information that a person actually drowned in a bowl of soup. Even then, your readers learned from a story.

Likewise, you can make up (or repeat) stories about supernatural entities performing magic tricks long ago and far away. What is to be learned from those 'experiences'?

[Muffinmayne]

[Replying to Zzyzx in post #17]

All you asked is what does Christianity have to offer. Regardless of if you think the people are real or not, when I say you can learn from the mistakes made that’s just a fact. I’m not even sure how this is an argument. I’m thoroughly confused.

[bjs1]

Simple question:

Without unverifiable threats and promises (for 'after you die'), what does Christianity actually have to offer?

Inner peace.
Reduced stress.
Meaning for life.
Supportive community bonds.
An effective means of developing virtue.
Increased happiness compared to non-theists in similar social conditions.
Improved physical health.
A longer life span.
Less anxiety.
Significantly decreased chance of suffering from depression.
Lower blood pressure.
Less susceptibility to disease.
Improved perseverance.
Decreased likelihood of falling into addiction, and if addiction does happen then an increased likelihood of effectively recovering from addiction.
Decreased risk of suicide.
Decreased likelihood of contracted HIV or other STDs.
A relationship with the living God.
A sense of identity.
An efficient organization that allows people to actively help those in need.
A hope for the future (the hope itself being valuable, not just the actual future events).
A large group of people wiling to offer aid in difficult times.
A community with the stated goal of helping people live better lives and forgiving them when they fail to do so.
A coherent worldview.
A socially acceptable opportunity to sing more often.



https://time.com/5159848/do-religious-p ... ve-longer/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolefish ... b58733a12c
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-life ... t-20044464
https://www.livescience.com/52197-relig ... %20suggest.
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2 ... -question/
https://www.health.com/mind-body/5-surp ... f-religion
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 7/fulltext

[Zzyzx]

All you asked is what does Christianity have to offer. Regardless of if you think the people are real or not, when I say you can learn from the mistakes made that’s just a fact. I’m not even sure how this is an argument. I’m thoroughly confused.

If you are saying that Christianity offers 'lessons' in stories that may or may not be true, I do not disagree.

It is not difficult to invent 'lesson' stories -- as demonstrated by the drowning in soup bowl story. Some ancient 'lesson stories' were more creative; often involving magic and supernatural entities. One religious book contains 800,000 words of such stories.