Oddbean

Christianity does in fact result in perfect people. "As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'" "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." This doesn't happen in this life, but hope is the expectation that because of the death and resurrection of Christ, "as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man."

Why? It makes an incredibly clear and yet simple case for the reasonableness of faith, that we can know God, and that our souls can be transformed. I say this now because too many people think faith is "making stuff up to make yourself feel better", which misses the point entirely. nostr:nprofile1qyvhwumn8ghj76r0v3kxymmy9ehx7um5wgcjucm0d5hszymhwden5te0wp6hyurvv4cxzeewv4ej7qg6waehxw309ac8junpd45kgtnxd9shg6npvchxxmmd9uq32amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwv3sk6atn9e5k7tcpzamhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgtcqypvm0rke3eur560me9zww3xgm02s0dqw0wfawfsny929xpdtf8ynku4esdy nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyv9kh2uewd9hj7qg6waehxw309ac8junpd45kgtnxd9shg6npvchxxmmd9uq3xamnwvaz7tmsw4e8qmr9wpskwtn9wvhsz9mhwden5te0wfjkccte9ehx7um5wghxyctwvshszxthwden5te0dphkgmrzdajzumn0wd68yvfwvdhk6tcqyrljh9zfqmr6kgdngvp4wtp85ulqm3srmzrdl8t0l9hahz5ylwg2vga4mh4 nostr:nprofile1qy88wumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmv9uq3zamnwvaz7tmwdaehgu3wwa5kuef0qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyv9kh2uewd9hj7qpq6uvutzwxknm3xmzuzv2r7339ny855rllqpndnrmdlnnnkz444mlqpmssnr nostr:nprofile1qythwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnwdaehgu3wvfskuep0qyfhwumn8ghj7ur4wfcxcetsv9njuetn9uq32amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwv3sk6atn9e5k7tcprfmhxue69uhhq7tjv9kkjepwve5kzar2v9nzucm0d5hszxthwden5te0dphkgmrzdajzumn0wd68yvfwvdhk6tcqyre8t2eh6e8khcphn2zuu4ekqc8pvjcndgyv0u083h4xxw46mp9lu98ac2j

CS LEWIS WAS ALSO A MATHEMATICALLY MAGICIAN AGREED. Excellent book. 📖 Read multiple times. Live spelled backwards is evil Love reversed is evol We’re all reflections of Gods Some know we are Gods

Best place for a non-Christian to start is the Bible. Anything else is the wrong place to start nostr:nevent1qqsddxfnh0ucm9jextqrxqsj9kc8mg2hzp5ga2ndt92nr5g6u22z33spr3mhxue69uhkummnw3ezucnfw33k76twv4ezuum0vd5kzmqzyztuwzjyxe4x2dwpgken87tna2rdlhpd02va5cvvgrrywpddnr3jyqcyqqqqqqgsx977e

I would give it a go but there are a lot of books on my reading list and I have so many criticisms on religion's validity that can't seem to be answered well. So to prioritize it, I would need to be first intrigued by a Christian's responses. I just haven't seen it yet.

I appreciate the input but a problem is I've read books before that other people thought were solid only to find them to be very lacking at best. And maybe they would think the same about some books I like. I bet if we both saw the same Christian/atheist debate I would say the atheist won and you would say the Christian won. And I have a feeling that with this book you would say he was very convincing and I would say he wasn't. If he brought new winning arguments to the forefront then I would expect them to spread throughout the Christian community. So, I think I'll wait for some of those arguments to appear first.

Ya, that's true. Maybe I'll be curious enough one day to see how it reads. I have heard of some of the commonly used philosophical arguments before. I'm sure there are a ton of them I haven't heard. I'm open to hearing them out though.

This is a problem with canned replies. There isn't going to be an argument that works for everyone. It depends on each person's specific objections and values. I have been catholic since birth and committedly so, yet none of the "proofs of God's existence" have worked for me. They are at best, arguments for God's existence. I wish I could say that I had the simple accepting faith that so many of my friends and family do. I wish I could say that I'd have found my way to Catholicism if I'd been born elsewhere, but I get to have a daily struggle instead. I'd like to think it is because I am just too smart for a simple faith, but in reality I am just too proud. What I can do, regardless of the reason, is give a well-reasoned account for why I remain in the faith and fall ever deeper in Love with God and will do so till death. What that won't do is be enough for you. Luckily nothing I or C.S. Lewis can say needs to be enough for you. If Christ is who He claims to be than He will make himself known in a way that works for you (that is not to say on your terms however) If he isn't.. well now that is a confusing situation of un-falsifiabilty.

Interestingly, I did read this prior to becoming a Christian and it confirmed to me that I shouldn't become one. His emphasis on judging the tree by its fruits and seeing the hypocrisy of Christians around me, as well as the likes of Osteen, &c., was pretty damning. I ought to revisit it though

You might try the #christian tag, or the Christianostr group: nostr:naddr1qvzqqqyx7cpzqjxv6frc4t2xlzqulwea7wrlz32wsqxrly4tr52u3zx3kna94fmuqqxkx6rjd9ehg6tpdehhxarjxp2w3g I also have a small list of active Christians on nostr: https://listr.lol/npub1jlrs53pkdfjnts29kveljul2sm0actt6n8dxrrzqcersttvcuv3qdjynqn/30003/naddr1qqgngv3n8qergd3hxvengv3s8ycrqdspzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgq3qjlrs53pkdfjnts29kveljul2sm0actt6n8dxrrzqcersttvcuv3qxpqqqp6nx9tdq8u

Having been immersed in Christianity as a kid, with exposure to many of its denominations, I generally agree. But there are exceptions… I still very much respect many Episcopalians, Church of God and other liberal branches that truly follow the teachings of Jesus. That said, when you look at the bulk of Christian history what stands out are the wars and the oppression carried out falsely in the name of Jesus. This is continues to be very true today with the Christian Nationalists trying to force their beliefs on others.