"Face-Off"

Started by Sugarman (hal), April 03, 2009, 05:51:14 PM

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Sugarman (hal)

I'v been listening to Night Line's "Face-Off" and found it stimulating fun stuff... just passing it on as something to consider.

Topic 1 Does the devil exist?
Topic 2  America Addicted to Porn?
Topic 3  Does God Exist?

http://abcnews.go.com/nightline/faceoff
"And in the end
The love you take
Is equal to the love you make."

My On/Off's

CrimsonxKisses

Topic 1: Does the devil exist?

Well, let me start by saying, that this question can range widely, and it really could be considered differently the way each person hears it or says it, but I will answer it as best as I can, by my own beliefs. Yes and no, I'd say to answer the question "Does the Devil exist?" Something that is quite malicious out there does definitely exist, and if it did not, I couldn't explain why bad and horrid things in the world happen. As a person, I'm not too sure I believe in the Fallen Angel named  'Satan', banished from the Heavens by God himself. I'm not even sure if I do believe in God myself, but that's a different question, so let's not get into it now! Anyways, back to the point... What causes pain, hurt, deception, and such strong emotional feelings of hate? Those are just a few I can name. Something in the world must, no matter what form it may be in, cause these things to happen. Maybe it's the complexity of the human brain, but something 'bad' does exist, and I suppose I'll leave it at that.

Topic 2: America Addicted to Porn?

I really don't know how to answer this, nor do I really want to get into it, so I suppose I won't. :)

Topic 3: Does God Exist?

Ah, the common "Does God Exist?" question, asked by millions of people populating this thing here called Earth. Does he, in fact, exist? Nobody knows for sure. They may believe they do know, but I'm sure there is doubt in the bottom of everybody's heart. I know deep down, that something created me, because I personally don't believe in the Naturalistic Viewpoint, which states that God does not matter, nature runs itself, and living matter came from nonliving matter. Well, if we are all living, and we came from something living, meaning our parents, the people who created us, how could the first living humans be created by something that is not alive? In my brain, that thought just doesn't seem to click, or even make sense. But then again, I don't believe in everything a Creationist would, either. This question puzzles me to a point of insanity, but I think it's why I like to answer things like this. My answers are probably idiotic, but at least I can say they're mine, indeed.

These are all controversial topics. In no way do I mean to be rude, or push my beliefs upon others, but this is how I, as a living human being, believe them to be. Please don't take offence to any of these things, and if you do, I'm am sorry.

MercyfulFate

1. The Devil? No, it's an imagined concept. The Devil didn't even become the Devil until the New Testament.

2. Addicted to porn? Doubtful, not more than anyone else.

3. God? I don't believe so.

Sabby

1. The Devil is real but works for Frank Fontaine *snickers*

2. You say that like its a bad thing.

3. If he exists and still gives a crap then he's a real trooper, I'll give him that.

MercyfulFate

Quote from: Sabby on May 09, 2009, 02:45:54 AM
1. The Devil is real but works for Frank Fontaine *snickers*

2. You say that like its a bad thing.

3. If he exists and still gives a crap then he's a real trooper, I'll give him that.

Would you kindly hand me that screwdriver?

OldSchoolGamer

Topic 1 Does the devil exist?
Yeah.  It's called "the government."

Topic 2  America Addicted to Porn?
Yeah, and meth and cocaine and NASCAR and cheap oil and Cheez-Wiz and American Idol and NBA playoffs and credit cards and strip malls...

Topic 3  Does God Exist?
Yeah, but He's done gone fishing.

The Overlord



A very interesting topic.


1. I believe things and/or entities exist on a metaphysical or incorporeal level, etc., and of those there are likely things we'd call malevolent. But the typical fire and brimstone, red, fork-tailed, bearded Devil, while he was an effective icon for the masters of the Middles Ages to paint inside cathedrals to scare the masses, is a very simplistic and unsophisticated notion. Just another version of the bogeyman, Darth Vader, etc. that we love to hate.


2. I wasn't aware that porn addiction is a bad thing, by some standards I'm probably an addict. If there's a downside, if you've got a thing for more specialized porn, it's probably progressively harder for anything vanilla to do anything for you. Mainstream erotica is pretty lame from my perspective.


3. 'God' if he, she, or it exists at all, is obviously open to a lot of interpretation. My own belief is that God is something much more than most mainstream explanations of him, many of which are fairly juvenile; the old graybeard concept as painted by DaVinci is a good example. God and Satan were just the comic book heroes of the Middle Ages. I'm open to the possibility that god is nothing more than a massive mathematical fractal equation that's responsible for the universe.


Sugarman (hal)

I see that much of what we do is defer our responsibility to something outside ourselves God or the Devil. Heard some say "don't worry about global worming God will salve it soon enough. His days are at hand."

something I wrote back when:

God and me
Something I fight over in my mind, his realness.
Something others know so well, blindness?

They so often say it’s God’s will.
Eight million suffering souls shows to me it isn’t so.
Or if it is, what kind of God is it we believe in?

They say he has a plan for us.
So why do we blindly go forward and seek comfort in not knowing. Or if he sees my future would he honesty lay it out to me?

I feel they have him all wrong. Truth is he stands back, hoping for us. He wants us to grow up and choose our own way. We are responsible for ourselves. He doesn’t put the pain in our lives. It’s not his fault for our pain. If it were so, he isn’t so perfect, is he?

Our faith is our rock, but it belongs only to us. We create it, like we create everything by our hand and mind. We are responsible for the bad and the good created by us… I don’t wish to think he has anything to do with that, and don’t blame the devil either.

Look within.
"And in the end
The love you take
Is equal to the love you make."

My On/Off's

Serephino

1; Does the Devil Exist?

Not in the way the Christian church tells it no.  I believe in the Arch Angel Lucifer, and I believe there is evil out there, but as someone else said, Satan is the Medieval version of the boogeyman.  The church wanted people to convert and behave.

2; America addicted to porn?

Some are.  Americans as a whole seem to have addictive personalities and everyone is addicted to something.

3; Does God exist? 

Yes.  Look around you.  The whole balance of things is far too perfect to have happened by accident.

Sabby

Quote from: chaoticangel on May 09, 2009, 09:58:25 PM3; Does God exist? 

Yes.  Look around you.  The whole balance of things is far too perfect to have happened by accident.

Earth is a gimungusly big petri dish. Leave a petri dish uncleaned for long enough and it happens.

ShrowdedPoet

Actually the depiction of Satan was taken from the pagan horned god.  The church wanted to make paganism look bad so why not turn one of their main gods into Satan?

As for the devil, no.  Yes, evil exists. . .evil entities, evil minds, evil hearts, evil intents.  There is a lot of evil in the world but let me remind you that without evil you could not have good.

Is America Addicted to porn?  America is one of the most prude countries. . .  And what is wrong with porn. . .scan my hard drive and see my fancies shall you?

As for god, not in the Christian since. . .  I believe in Gods. . .
Kiss the hand that beats you.
Sexuality isn't a curse, it's a gift to embrace and explore!
Ons and Offs


The Overlord

#11
Quote from: ShrowdedPoet on May 11, 2009, 02:47:42 PM

Is America Addicted to porn?  America is one of the most prude countries. . .  And what is wrong with porn. . .scan my hard drive and see my fancies shall you?



And this is a very crucial point to be mindful of, thank you for bringing it up. It’s easy to get trapped in that encompassing and inundating bubble of the American popular media, where now more than ever we seem to have a relentless tide of so-called authorities and experts that want to tell us what’s good for us.


We’re closing in on the two-and-a-half-century mark from the founding of this country, and nearly four hundred years from the days of John Winthrop, yet the US is still living under the ideological thumb of the Puritans and their ilk, at least in part.


Despite the fact we were first on the moon and brought the world the internet and then some, we’re actually a quite naïve and unsophisticated little group on matters of sexuality. Some of you will vilify and ignore me for stating this, while others of you shall nod knowingly.


Porn is a genre. Porn is art. Porn is biology expressing itself. Like all other genres, there is good and bad examples of it, which is often a very subjective thing. Like other genres, it has an establishment, a popular credo to determine what’s mainstream and relevant.

And like other genres, it has its mavericks (although I feel a tad dirty using that term following the McCain/Palin campaign). Like other genres, it has artists that are doing the correct thing; they’re shocking and pissing off the establishment as they push the envelope. They probably come as close to personal heroes for me as anyone does.