Religious beliefs on bitcoin

[neurobox]

If you don't believe a thing in the book, of course you're going to think the derived ideas are terrible. I just happen to have more to go on now than the book itself.

Where did you get the other things if not from the book?

From life itself.. walking with God for a change, trusting Christ and finding him faithful every single day since, and finding this verse quite true. I wish I had time to elaborate, but that's the root of it.

[Rassah]

24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

Huh. I don't love Jesus, at all, and yet I still obey many of his teachings. Does this mean
a) Jesus was wrong
b) God was wrong, and Jesus was just relaying wrong information?
c) Morals and ethics existed way before Jesus came around and started taking credit for them, and don't actually come from him?

[Bush]

 

[neurobox]

24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

Huh. I don't love Jesus, at all, and yet I still obey many of his teachings. Does this mean
a) Jesus was wrong
b) God was wrong, and Jesus was just relaying wrong information?
c) Morals and ethics existed way before Jesus came around and started taking credit for them, and don't actually come from him?

Or, "you err, knowing not the scriptures, nor the power of God."

Mat 22:34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together.

35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:

36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

37 Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'

38  this is the first and greatest commandment.

39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

[wopwop]

I am a believer

Oh satoshi

[Rassah]

If you don't believe a thing in the book, of course you're going to think the derived ideas are terrible. I just happen to have more to go on now than the book itself.

Where did you get the other things if not from the book?

From life itself.. walking with God for a change, trusting Christ and finding him faithful every single day since, and finding this verse quite true. I wish I had time to elaborate, but that's the root of it.

So why bother with Christianity and belief in god at all, if he'll just guide you anyway? Or are you saying that you can only get life education and guidance if you believe in god?

[wopwop]

Satoshi is our prophet

he has brought us the light

we must follow his steps

[Rassah]

36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

37 Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'

38  this is the first and greatest commandment.

39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

See, I find this phenomenally silly, because "Love your neighbor as yourself"has existed for thousands of years before Jesus came around, and is universal among all religions and cultures around the world, likely coming from our biologically derived feelings of empathy and need for social relationships. So the only thing god added was a rather needy and pathetic "Please love me!"

[neurobox]

If you don't believe a thing in the book, of course you're going to think the derived ideas are terrible. I just happen to have more to go on now than the book itself.

Where did you get the other things if not from the book?

From life itself.. walking with God for a change, trusting Christ and finding him faithful every single day since, and finding this verse quite true. I wish I had time to elaborate, but that's the root of it.

So why bother with Christianity and belief in god at all, if he'll just guide you anyway? Or are you saying that you can only get life education and guidance if you believe in god?

You missed the premise, IF you love, obey, and believe him, THEN his personal walk with you is a natural consequence of that. I attest to that wholeheartedly.

You can get life education anywhere. Unfortunately you can also get spirit education anywhere, but it just happens to lead you in every single direction except to the in-the-flesh, resurrected Jesus, unless it comes from God.

Jhn 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God ; believe also in me.

2 My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

4 You know the way to the place where I am going."

5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."

...

[BitChick]

I am deciding what to listen to and what influences my mind.  I have found I need to have a filter on at all times.

Sounds to me like you are describing that blindfold you mentioned earlier, and that you are the one trying to get others to put on the blindfold as opposed to "seeing" and being frustrated at others wearing blindfolds.
How is selectively picking what you allow yourself to see and read supposed to be "opening your eyes and seeing?"

That is a good question.  I can see your point.  I have no problem studying all religions and beliefs or philosophies or even reading books that I do not "agree" with.  It is really important to understand others and where they are coming from.  I think many Christians are ignorant about what others believe.  All religions have some good elements in them, otherwise why would anyone follow them?  So in order to respect others, it is really important to try to understand them!  That said, there are things that I can instantly know is not right and be selective and not allow myself to look at.  For example, pornography is one thing.  It is degrading to women.  I suppose someone could justify it in that it celebrates the beauty of women, etc, but I think that it leads to lust and thoughts that are not "pure" so I try to to avoid having it around our house.  I really don't want to expose my kids to it either.  So, I shelter myself, and my children from it.  Or songs that are violent, angry, full of cussing etc.  What good comes from that?  I am not necessarily opposed to any style of songs, per se, although I really don't care for rap too much, but if the message behind the song is good then I thing is is great.  There are many TV shows I will not watch after watching it once or twice.  Why?  The message in the show is trying to promote a lifestyle, or thinking that is hedonistic.  I have found in my life that if I allow those things in I slowly begin to think that those things are normal.  We can see the shift in our own society.  There were things that were not accepted 50 or 60 years ago that are now "normal."  Many would say that is a "good" thing.  I, on the other hand, think it is a dangerous movement.  Also, there are so many different ideas out there.  How does one know what truth really is?  We are in a world that is getting to a point where there is almost no belief in absolute truth at all.  Everything is becoming more relative.  I personally believe in absolute truth and that my foundation is the Bible.  This is my own personal belief and I know many of you will stop reading right there and say I am a Bible-thumper and discredit everything else I say.  But that is where I am coming from.  I suppose someone could argue that the Bible is my "blindfold."  I think the Bible has become my lens that I try to look through to measure what is good, right, pure etc.

I guess the question I have is why wouldn't people selectively pick what they watch?  Do they think that they can just watch anything and it won't affect them? Do they see things that they don't agree with but then not worry about it affecting them? Maybe they do not even have a moral compass by which to measure things?  I think it is just that whatever is entertaining, or interesting, or funny, or makes them feel good etc. is what most people watch, read, or fill their minds with, personally. (not all people I know)

Also, it is wrong to try to shelter myself, or my children, from things that are not wholesome?  

[neurobox]

^^^ this. Or as Ravi Zacharius once asked of moral relativism: Is anything "Wrong?"

[BitChick]

^^^ this. Or as Ravi Zacharius once asked of moral relativism: Is anything "Wrong?"

Yes!  The thing that comes to my mind is one of the greatest Christian lyricist of all time:  Steve Taylor's "Whatever Happened to Sin?"
http://www.lyricsmania.com/whatever_happened_to_sin_lyrics_steve_taylor.html

[QuestionAuthority]

I am deciding what to listen to and what influences my mind.  I have found I need to have a filter on at all times.

Sounds to me like you are describing that blindfold you mentioned earlier, and that you are the one trying to get others to put on the blindfold as opposed to "seeing" and being frustrated at others wearing blindfolds.
How is selectively picking what you allow yourself to see and read supposed to be "opening your eyes and seeing?"

That is a good question.  I can see your point.  I have no problem studying all religions and beliefs or philosophies or even reading books that I do not "agree" with.  It is really important to understand others and where they are coming from.  I think many Christians are ignorant about what others believe.  All religions have some good elements in them, otherwise why would anyone follow them?  So in order to respect others, it is really important to try to understand them!  That said, there are things that I can instantly know is not right and be selective and not allow myself to look at.  For example, pornography is one thing.  It is degrading to women.  I suppose someone could justify it in that it celebrates the beauty of women, etc, but I think that it leads to lust and thoughts that are not "pure" so I try to to avoid having it around our house.  I really don't want to expose my kids to it either.  So, I shelter myself, and my children from it.  Or songs that are violent, angry, full of cussing etc.  What good comes from that?  I am not necessarily opposed to any style of songs, per se, although I really don't care for rap too much, but if the message behind the song is good then I thing is is great.  There are many TV shows I will not watch after watching it once or twice.  Why?  The message in the show is trying to promote a lifestyle, or thinking that is hedonistic.  I have found in my life that if I allow those things in I slowly begin to think that those things are normal.  We can see the shift in our own society.  There were things that were not accepted 50 or 60 years ago that are now "normal."  Many would say that is a "good" thing.  I, on the other hand, think it is a dangerous movement.  Also, there are so many different ideas out there.  How does one know what truth really is?  We are in a world that is getting to a point where there is almost no belief in absolute truth at all.  Everything is becoming more relative.  I personally believe in absolute truth and that my foundation is the Bible.  This is my own personal belief and I know many of you will stop reading right there and say I am a Bible-thumper and discredit everything else I say.  But that is where I am coming from.  I suppose someone could argue that the Bible is my "blindfold."  I think the Bible has become my lens that I try to look through to measure what is good, right, pure etc.

I guess the question I have is why wouldn't people selectively pick what they watch?  Do they think that they can just watch anything and it won't affect them? Do they see things that they don't agree with but then not worry about it affecting them? Maybe they do not even have a moral compass by which to measure things?  I think it is just that whatever is entertaining, or interesting, or funny, or makes them feel good etc. is what most people watch, read, or fill their minds with, personally. (not all people I know)

Also, it is wrong to try to shelter myself, or my children, from things that are not wholesome?  

There is nothing wrong with trying to protect your children. In fact, that's your job as a parent. The sad truth is that the parents are not the ones, at least in my country, that corrupt children. It's the public school system, peer pressure, Sunday school and summer camp that corrupt children. The first time I got high was after church with the son of one of the church deacons. The first time I got laid was under the bleachers after school. Both were great experiences by the way.

[akumaburn]

That said, I think that all of the BTC investors should be interested in what the Bible does say.

"I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man. She must be quiet." (1 Timothy 2:12)

Yeah, that belief is gonna get you laid.

Do you know what the term is for somebody who has studied the Bible from cover to cover?







An atheist.

I have read/studied the bible from cover to cover and believe in it firmly, it gets hazier the more you move away from the Torah(the books of moses). Ironically I was an atheist before reading it.

But I have experience in the Occult which most don't have.

Just my two cents.

[ktttn]

...  My argument is against an externalized god. Satanism is a better argument against theism than atheism is...

Just a tiny technical detail:  Satanism is not an argument against theism, it *is* theism.  What's cuter still is the common variants are little more than Christian striation cults.  From simplistic inversions of Christian teachings and symbols (Good->Evil, Cross->Upside-down Cross) to sublime interpretations of Sufis*, who worship Satan as the greatest lover of God -- like Christ, receiving the ultimate punishment for embodying the ultimate truth**.

*Islam, at least for the nonbelievers: Judaism +1 prophet = Christianity, +another prophet = Islam.

**The punishment, of course, is not defeat, but being cast away from the one he adored (God).  As he fell to the depths of hell, a feather parted from his wing.  As it fell to earth, it became Satan's first gift to man: Freedom.

Satanism, as with any number of ideologies, is a tangled wreck of intersecting themes, ideas, practices and interpretations.
My satanism redefines deity into something so radically mundane as to render sacredness itself common. Of course, I maintain that this redefinition is needed for any valid discussion of god to be more than a creepy, overmedicated set of empty quotes and salesmanship of snipehunting gear.

[BitChick]

I am deciding what to listen to and what influences my mind.  I have found I need to have a filter on at all times.

Sounds to me like you are describing that blindfold you mentioned earlier, and that you are the one trying to get others to put on the blindfold as opposed to "seeing" and being frustrated at others wearing blindfolds.
How is selectively picking what you allow yourself to see and read supposed to be "opening your eyes and seeing?"

That is a good question.  I can see your point.  I have no problem studying all religions and beliefs or philosophies or even reading books that I do not "agree" with.  It is really important to understand others and where they are coming from.  I think many Christians are ignorant about what others believe.  All religions have some good elements in them, otherwise why would anyone follow them?  So in order to respect others, it is really important to try to understand them!  That said, there are things that I can instantly know is not right and be selective and not allow myself to look at.  For example, pornography is one thing.  It is degrading to women.  I suppose someone could justify it in that it celebrates the beauty of women, etc, but I think that it leads to lust and thoughts that are not "pure" so I try to to avoid having it around our house.  I really don't want to expose my kids to it either.  So, I shelter myself, and my children from it.  Or songs that are violent, angry, full of cussing etc.  What good comes from that?  I am not necessarily opposed to any style of songs, per se, although I really don't care for rap too much, but if the message behind the song is good then I thing is is great.  There are many TV shows I will not watch after watching it once or twice.  Why?  The message in the show is trying to promote a lifestyle, or thinking that is hedonistic.  I have found in my life that if I allow those things in I slowly begin to think that those things are normal.  We can see the shift in our own society.  There were things that were not accepted 50 or 60 years ago that are now "normal."  Many would say that is a "good" thing.  I, on the other hand, think it is a dangerous movement.  Also, there are so many different ideas out there.  How does one know what truth really is?  We are in a world that is getting to a point where there is almost no belief in absolute truth at all.  Everything is becoming more relative.  I personally believe in absolute truth and that my foundation is the Bible.  This is my own personal belief and I know many of you will stop reading right there and say I am a Bible-thumper and discredit everything else I say.  But that is where I am coming from.  I suppose someone could argue that the Bible is my "blindfold."  I think the Bible has become my lens that I try to look through to measure what is good, right, pure etc.

I guess the question I have is why wouldn't people selectively pick what they watch?  Do they think that they can just watch anything and it won't affect them? Do they see things that they don't agree with but then not worry about it affecting them? Maybe they do not even have a moral compass by which to measure things?  I think it is just that whatever is entertaining, or interesting, or funny, or makes them feel good etc. is what most people watch, read, or fill their minds with, personally. (not all people I know)

Also, it is wrong to try to shelter myself, or my children, from things that are not wholesome?  

There is nothing wrong with trying to protect your children. In fact, that's your job as a parent. The sad truth is that the parents are not the ones, at least in my country, that corrupt children. It's the public school system, peer pressure, Sunday school and summer camp that corrupt children. The first time I got high was after church with the son of one of the church deacons. The first time I got laid was under the bleachers after school. Both were great experiences by the way.

Sex and drugs are tempting for a reason.

I have been hurt by people in the church too, but it still does not change who God is and the fact that the Bible is true.  I think the thing that pains God more than anything (and we see this in the parables when Jesus tells off the rabbis and Pharisees) is when those that are supposed to be following Him hurt others, especially children!  The Bible even says "If anyone causes one of these little ones--those who believe in me--to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea."

[akumaburn]

Hah! I have said "Fuck you, holy spirit! I renounce you completely!" many times, which according to the bible is the worst sin of all

If we don't have control over what we think, & therefore your actions, how is it I can be punished for being a product of my environment?

DONT WHATEVER YOU DO, THINK ABOUT A PINK BANANA. ITS A DEADLY SIN IF YOU DO.

Opps, sorry folks, did you think about that pink banana? Off to hell with you.

Thinking, believing and doing are completely things.

First off the definition of sin is disappointing God. Literally.

For Christians:
Sin is in the heart, if for example some virus took over your body and caused you to rape, pillage and murder, and you had no control over your actions, and neither did you set it up/arrange to set it up for yourself. Then you have not sinned(though your body is unclean and needs to be purified-baptism/shower(wait until evening of next day)).

Only if you in your heart, you want to do the action can it be considered a sin.

Essentially: You've been found wanting for unholy things and in doing so have sinned.

For Muslims/Jews:
Sin is in the action, you can be tempted like crazy and want to do all sorts of things but until you actually do something against the explicit commandment of God you have not sinned.

Essentially: You've been found breaking the commandments of God and in doing so have sinned.

[crumbcake]

*Islam, at least for the nonbelievers: Judaism +1 prophet = Christianity, +another prophet = Islam.

Just in case one thinks all religions are the same...

Let it be known that Islam is more like Judaism + 1 prophet + another prophet (who didn't prophesy) – every prophet and passage that contradicts the later revelations of said prophet + a few essential conspiracy theories to glue it together.

I have heard it from their mouths, in person. Even a widely regarded cleric said: "If not for the punishment of apostasy, Islam would have ended with Mohammed"

Are you saying that Muhammad was *not* a prophet?  Read the definition:
"In religion, a prophet is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and to speak for them, serving as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people.[1][2] The message that the prophet conveys is called a prophecy." ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophets_of_Islam#Table_of_prophets.2Fmessengers_in_the_Quran )

[ktttn]

If you don't believe a thing in the book, of course you're going to think the derived ideas are terrible. I just happen to have more to go on now than the book itself.

Where did you get the other things if not from the book?

From life itself.. walking with God for a change, trusting Christ and finding him faithful every single day since, and finding this verse quite true. I wish I had time to elaborate, but that's the root of it.

The point of contentipn I have with that rhetoric is this. You are not litetally walking. The metaphor is vacant of a corresponding idea.
The trust youre putting in that person qua person remains undeliverable to any living being.
The ideals youre alluding to pointing to are in the most literal sense not above, below, north by northeast, ect et al of you for any given distance away from your extended, pointing, very tangible finger.
Unless you are pointing into the virtual reality of your own specific mind.

[QuestionAuthority]

I am deciding what to listen to and what influences my mind.  I have found I need to have a filter on at all times.

Sounds to me like you are describing that blindfold you mentioned earlier, and that you are the one trying to get others to put on the blindfold as opposed to "seeing" and being frustrated at others wearing blindfolds.
How is selectively picking what you allow yourself to see and read supposed to be "opening your eyes and seeing?"

That is a good question.  I can see your point.  I have no problem studying all religions and beliefs or philosophies or even reading books that I do not "agree" with.  It is really important to understand others and where they are coming from.  I think many Christians are ignorant about what others believe.  All religions have some good elements in them, otherwise why would anyone follow them?  So in order to respect others, it is really important to try to understand them!  That said, there are things that I can instantly know is not right and be selective and not allow myself to look at.  For example, pornography is one thing.  It is degrading to women.  I suppose someone could justify it in that it celebrates the beauty of women, etc, but I think that it leads to lust and thoughts that are not "pure" so I try to to avoid having it around our house.  I really don't want to expose my kids to it either.  So, I shelter myself, and my children from it.  Or songs that are violent, angry, full of cussing etc.  What good comes from that?  I am not necessarily opposed to any style of songs, per se, although I really don't care for rap too much, but if the message behind the song is good then I thing is is great.  There are many TV shows I will not watch after watching it once or twice.  Why?  The message in the show is trying to promote a lifestyle, or thinking that is hedonistic.  I have found in my life that if I allow those things in I slowly begin to think that those things are normal.  We can see the shift in our own society.  There were things that were not accepted 50 or 60 years ago that are now "normal."  Many would say that is a "good" thing.  I, on the other hand, think it is a dangerous movement.  Also, there are so many different ideas out there.  How does one know what truth really is?  We are in a world that is getting to a point where there is almost no belief in absolute truth at all.  Everything is becoming more relative.  I personally believe in absolute truth and that my foundation is the Bible.  This is my own personal belief and I know many of you will stop reading right there and say I am a Bible-thumper and discredit everything else I say.  But that is where I am coming from.  I suppose someone could argue that the Bible is my "blindfold."  I think the Bible has become my lens that I try to look through to measure what is good, right, pure etc.

I guess the question I have is why wouldn't people selectively pick what they watch?  Do they think that they can just watch anything and it won't affect them? Do they see things that they don't agree with but then not worry about it affecting them? Maybe they do not even have a moral compass by which to measure things?  I think it is just that whatever is entertaining, or interesting, or funny, or makes them feel good etc. is what most people watch, read, or fill their minds with, personally. (not all people I know)

Also, it is wrong to try to shelter myself, or my children, from things that are not wholesome?  

There is nothing wrong with trying to protect your children. In fact, that's your job as a parent. The sad truth is that the parents are not the ones, at least in my country, that corrupt children. It's the public school system, peer pressure, Sunday school and summer camp that corrupt children. The first time I got high was after church with the son of one of the church deacons. The first time I got laid was under the bleachers after school. Both were great experiences by the way.

Sex and drugs are tempting for a reason.

I have been hurt by people in the church too, but it still does not change who God is and the fact that the Bible is true.  I think the thing that pains God more than anything (and we see this in the parables when Jesus tells off the rabbis and Pharisees) is when those that are supposed to be following Him hurt others, especially children!  The Bible even says "If anyone causes one of these little ones--those who believe in me--to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea."

You sound like a good person. Good people will be good with or without God. Religion is a way for good people to rationalize all the bad that exists in the world without going crazy. It also gives them a tool to try to make bad people good. I guess from that standpoint there is nothing wrong with religion. I'm glad you found something to give you comfort.