After all, ones view of eternity tends to influence ones views of everything else.
Fade To Black
Life it seems, will fade away
Drifting further every day
Getting lost within myself
Nothing matters no one else
I have lost the will to live
Simply nothing more to give
There is nothing more for me
Need the end to set me free
Things are not what they used to be
Missing one inside of me
Deathly lost, this can't be real
Cannot stand this hell I feel
Emptiness is filing me
To the point of agony
Growing darkness taking dawn
I was me, but now He's gone
No one but me can save myself, but it's too late
Now I can't think, think why I should even try
Yesterday seems as though it never existed
Death Greets me warm, now I will just say good-bye
Sorry bible guys; no one cares anymore.
Yes, that doesn't really change the fact that a fair amount of literature is inspired and uses biblical symbolism. Even modern day stuff and the odd t.v. program (without, with out the Christian agenda.)
Not so, one must simply have an inspiration, I do not see how eternity is required. Perhaps a simple illustration will help. Much of what is viewed by many as great "art" is and was inspired by the beauty or hope of a desired lover, for example and not by religious themes.
The bottom line to me has always been, "Is it true?" The opening post complaining about "what has been lost" means little to me, if what was lost was never true to begin with. A mistake perpetuated for centuries, even if it happened to catalyze some good things, is still a mistake and catalyzed a bunch of wrong things as well.
The importance of knowledge is not always proportional to its "truth"; for instance, I think some basic knowledge of Marxism is absolutely essential for someone to understand modern history (and society in general), despite my conviction that the theoretical paradigm highly exaggerates one aspect of complicated reality and has done far more harm than good overall. I'm also not very fond of orthodox Islam, but attempting to understand world history or modern events without basic knowledge of it is likewise impossible. On a more advanced level, knowing the history of ideas and society is important in understanding the formation, advancement, and retention of knowledge in general.
Jennifer, when you serve a Sovereign God whose rules of faith and obedience (as revealed in His Word) are immutable, it is very hard to "adjust to the needs of a shifting culture" which is "shifting" into a more and more sinful direction. I'd rather be damned by my culture than by my God. If that "disenfranchises" those of us who believe as I do then we must as needs be thought "unyielding, unreasonable and uable to adjust." I think it is just being thought of by God as a reasonable and true Christian. The Bible continues to be the number one best seller in the world because it is relevant to the day.
so to me, in regards that that particular exchange, the bottom line is, "Is it TRUE?" Not, "Do you think it's good?"
Gotcha. I'm somewhat in the middle there, because much as I'm compelled to seek "truth," I'm also pretty convinced that objectively establishing truth is impossible, and IF in fact truth=nihilism, then whether or not something is "good" (in the utilitarian sense) is really all the truth that matters (either way, (societal) knowledge of everything, good and bad, is very important). I also often worry that Western culture has too thoroughly obliterated the "sacred canopy" without having anything to replace its most essential utilitarian elements, though I am very glad that religious dogmas can no longer block the individual pursuit of happiness without strong, reason-based opposition.
The bible is still the number one best seller? Are you sure? Are you talking about ongoing sales?
Just checking one source, ALLBOOKSTORES.COM there are 11,680 versions of the Bible listed under Bible, General. This doesn't include all the entries for each individual Bible Version, Bible Story Books, Study Bibles, Bibles in other languages... One "source" on the net claimed 100,000,000 sold per year--but that cannot be verified. (And I think that is way low.) Of course, Geoff, there is no way to track all these versions of the Bible and get a cumulative ongoing sales figure. WikiAnswers.com does not have an answer to the question "How many Bibles are sold in the world?" for this reason. You are asking for the impossible. I think any reasonable person would say that the Bible is still the number one best seller, hands down, upon looking at the evidence. More and new versions are published every year, just look for yourself.
If it is impossible to objectively establish the truth, then what is the point of opposing dogma with reason-based opposition?
Why not physical opposition?
I ask because reason is usually seen as objective, whereas dogma (usually) isn't, and this why reason based opposition is a good thing.
?