,

felixomor:
.
Thank you my brother KingEbukasblog
For this informative post

Here is a science article that backs up this article

http://www.science20.com/writer_on_the_edge/blog/scientists_discover_that_atheists_might_not_exist_and_thats_not_a_joke-139982

The funny part is that the scientist who carried out the research being referenced in the article is a staunch atheist.
But he was sincere enough (unlike the ones here) to admit that atheism appears to be alien to the human make up.

As a matter of fact, some even concluded that atheists dont exist.

In case this response, is in support of theistic and scientific angles of the OP, i will say that it's a mockery of both.

The uncoordinated link you grace your post with, speaks of the use, to which the human belief system is put variously.

No reference or inference in the article, that suggests innate-specific-belief in humans. It only speak of human as a complex belief being, as it concerns finding meaning for events or phenomenon.

As it concerns believe in God, the use of the word "alien", in reference to atheists, doesn't connote a defect in the belief system of the atheists, but the rare possibility of having ones (atheists) belief in God, reorganized to reject that belief.

I'm of the opinion that most theists, are having difficulty in understanding the conclusions of scientific works, or making erroneous inference or all together, confusing pseudoscientific and mainstream scientific works.

Scientifically, atheists are conscious of the choice of their disposition towards believe in God. if the contrary were the case, then a case of innate mental variant will be established.

KingEbukasBlog:


Thank you sir for your contribution . At the age of reason , deism became prominent and the acknowledged the existence of God through a posteriori knowledge devoid of any religious indoctrination . Religious beliefs were mocked and ridiculed by the deists .



This is very less likely . If man during the course of biological evolution could deduce the existence of God and create concepts explaining His existence whereby prior to that time that idea was non existent , then why wouldn't a child brought up in an environment devoid of 'God mention not deduce the existence of God ?

As a Christian, i simply accept the existence of God, on faith as prescribed in the bible. Beyond this faith walk with God, i can't prove anything about God.

An attempt to do this, is an attempt to ridicule and mock the spiritual things. By faith (not by logic or science), we UNDERSTAND that God, via his word created.......

Now, as a scientist, we know and understand, that the origin of gods and religions, are strongly connected with the perplexity and ignorance of the early men. This is obvious from the myths and superstitions, that characterize these gods and religious practices.

menxer:

What this OP failed to bring into the equation is the fact that feral children don't exhibit any innate God knowledge or belief.

KingEbukasBlog:

Can you name feral children who have not shown such tendencies ? Let's scrutinize them

No humans knows anything, except he first learn it (be it consciously or subconsciously).

Because, it's experimentally unethical, to make human grow in the lab, from fertilized stage to adulthood, we can't use human model, to demonstrate that NO human INNATELY have belief in God.

But lower animal model, has helped in establishing the fact, that no innate - belief - specific, exist in human mind.

An indirect way of establishing this, is to consider how human grow up to believe and strongly believe that their own variant of God, is the true God. This is a product of mental conditioning via the environment or knowledge.

A Christian believes the Christian God, because such Christian grew up, in dominant Christian environments or knowledge.

I'm a Christian and a scientist, with specialist interest in biopsychology.

My interest in this your post stems from my ability to be a Christian and scientist. Despite the parallel premise from which both operate.

The scientific work you referred, may have suggested inference that you don't understand. Because, what is generally known and accepted in Behavioural Neuroscience, is that human is functionally a belief being. Without conscious or subconscious acceptance of our our lives and environment as real, existence is impossible.

So, human beings are capable of believing anything, as long as they are able to come up with evidence (real or imaginary), to support such beliefs.

Now, as a Christian, I believe that God created human beings this way. Exercising that belief capacity, is a volitional one. At the age of reason, human beings decides on what or who they want to believe.

The defective reasoning in this thread, is obviated by one fact, which is; if human is programmed by God to believe him (theism) innately, why would a child brought up in an environment devoid of God mention, not automatically start believing in God?

But researchers have established this (that humans are not innately programed, to align with a particular belief) in various mental conditioning experiments.

analice107:


If you have any life little life in Christ you'd know that Christ cast demons out off Children too.

You speak what you know nothing of.

Listen, you who have a life in Christ, demons hardly possess adults, they take their hosts before they Children grow up.

When a demon possesses an adult, most of the time, the adults manifests by going insane, but when they take up the body of kids, they lie low manipulating the child who normally won't know the difference until the child grows up.


If you think those kids can't be witches, i will consider you a pretentious witch.

St. Matthew 19:13 Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.

St. Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

The above Bible verses are the clear and compassionate disposition of our Lord Jesus, towards little children.

There are many charlatans in the garb of minister of the gospel, who now claimed to have received a "specialist ministry", and called same deliverance ministry.

These agents make mockery of the anointing of the Holy Spirit, by bandying theological training in "demonology".

These ungodly agents, are quick to claim the presence of demon in any thing (animals, trees, children, aged etc ).

It's this strange "specialist demonology ministry", that morph into the heinous and savagery acts, of victimizing innocent children and aged as witches.

This is no Christianity. The teachings of Jesus, and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, can't possibly be associated with this wickedness.

Peace!

nmreports:


Are you saying authoritatively that they were not possesed animals?.
Just want to know your stance.

The case in reference for folks, who now see every uncommon behavior of animals, as demonic manifestation, is demons electing to take abode in swine.

According to the Bible, the demons spoke through the lunatic. A practical case there.

Most of what obtains now, are Christians, who are intoxicated and obsessed with superstitious scenes, from Africa magic yoruba and some charlatans' gist, who now parade themselves as having received calling into the ministry of "demonology".

It's pathetic, seeing what these weird folks have now present as Christ given ministry.

analice107:

Witches are those who speak the way you do, to shift attention. You don't. know demons possessed animals. Cats Mew, how come they now cry like newborn babies, and why only at nights?

In the day time they mew, in the night they cry, why?

If you lack something to say, just move along. Witches everywhere pretending.

Lol...... Your likes make mockery of life in Christ.

It's this type of your mentality, that goes round accusing children and aged of witchcraft, that never was.

analice107:
No it isn't.

Screaming and running after animals, and you claimed they are demon possessed?

analice107:
Command the knock to stop in the Name of Jesus. If you believe, it will stop.

I had issues with night Cats sometime back. They usually come from 1am and cry till they exhausted themselves. They cry like new born babies. You'd be wondering where these creatures come from. You never see them in the day, but every night, always two of them.

When they start, there's no way you can sleep. I will pray inside my house and command them to go away, they just shifts to a distance but i still hear them.

One night at exactly 2am, i got it up to here, since everyone in the estate believes they are witches so won't dare even talk about them loudly, i opened my door and came out, i demanded to see them face to face.

Cowards hide under the cover of night and am not a coward, so, reveal yourselves, i demanded. This was not prayers, It was a challenge. i was angry in my spirit.

Demons have no right to keep a child of God awake in the night when my Heavenly Father promised to give me sweet sleep. How dare you think you can do that.

I challenged them to come lets cry if they feel they can cry. I was mad. When I was done with challenging them, i began decrees. I decreed what i wanted to see from that night henceforth.


I gave them a radius with which they can operate. I wasn't about to stop them from doing their thing, but it shouldn't be done here. I gave them 20,000 kilometre radius from where i was, to the left, right, north, south, east and west. I went in and slept. that was it. They stopped.

The next day, my neighbours came out looking at me like i was mad, but that was it.

For about a year later, they came back. This time right in front of my door, inside my protector. See wailing, ahhhh. what. For wia? Na lie.

I woke up, went out, told them to remember what i said to them before, go away or they'll regret it. As i went out they jumped off. I said my bit and went back in. I was about to doze off, they came back, Oh God, this is it, i rushed out with holy rage, One jumped off, the other tried hide under my Gen, cut it and killed it. I took a robe tight it round its neck and hung it where his colleagues will see it hanging there
this i did to send a message to others to keep off my territory. Am not afraid of witches or wizards.

When i move into a place, i possess it.

That was the end of their harassments till this day.

You have rights if you are a believer, use your rights.

is this some kind of joke or what?

zionmade1:

Bros as long as am boasting in d ability of my God i can boast to any extent. Elijah did it, Daniel did it. We christians must learn how to stand up and boast in d name of our God.
It won't be under controlled environment. They will bring d person to shiloh or christ embassy healing school

According to your learning, be it unto you brother.

zionmade1:

No one can tell me anything about dat school wit wat i have seen wit my very own eyes.
D registration is free for everybody as long as u register and present ur medical report. If its all fake why would they be admitting everybody who registered?
D last one dat held in lagos had a capacity of over 100000 though not everybody gets healed but at least 80% are healed.
I challenge any atheist who thinks he really wants to know d truth to step into dat school. Or Even Shiloh. It wont cost d person anything

You're just making a mockery of the name of christ. The challenge of the atheists here, is that the healing power of God, be put to test, under controlled environment. In the likeness of prophet Elijah and prophets of Baal.

If you will put the affront of the atheists to rest, meeting them on their terms, will do the boasting in the Lord.

On the challenge of the OP, some of us have come to take our beliefs in God, to be very personal and prioritize what we stick our neck out for.

Those who believe in the spectacular works can call the OP' bluff.

enshy:
Gen 5:2 says 'Male and Female created he them and blessed them and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created'
Till date, every married woman bears her husbands name. God is Perfect! He gives attention to the minutest details!! Amen!!!
God instituted marriage. Pls let all marry on His terms to enjoy the blessings therein!
There are women who still keep their Father's name in marriage..Is this right?

The decision to keep the maiden name after marriage, is a personal one between the couple.

If the wife decides to retain her maiden name, and the husband gives his consented, so be it.

The position of the Christian, can be understood in the light of being a BELIEVER in the existence of God. It's by FAITH that we came to this conclusion.

The Christian who understands this, doesn't engage in the idiocy of proving anything, as far as the substantial evidence of the existence of God is concerned.

MuttleyLaff post=:


We dont notice that, it were the people, out of faith, who brought the sick into the streets and laying them on cots and mats, so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by and resulting in the sicks getting healed (i.e. Acts 5:15-16)

Neither do we notice, it were people, out of faith, who carried away handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched Paul's skin to the sick, resulting in the sicks' diseases leaving them and the evil spirits coming out of them (i.e. Acts 19:12)

Lastly, also not acknowleged, is that it was the woman with the issue of blood, out of faith, who touched the helm of Jesus' garment, leading to her being made whole and receiving her healing (i.e. Luke 8:43-48)
Same with people, out of faith, runing around bringing out the sick on mats just to touch the fringe of Jesus' garment for healing (i.e. Mark 6:55-56)
d

Jesus, Paul and Peter never asked these folks to bring these materials for "impartation", they chose to do that out of their volition.

And after their testimonies, these events were never made into doctrine, as it obtains today.

MuttleyLaff post=:

You cant be saying a Happy Sunday,
whats so happy about it when the sheeple, the sheepish and the sheople, again, today are about to be fleeced

Did you read this part below?

"i am of the opinion that this doctrine is one of many doctrines, that's blending Christianity with other religions in a rather ridiculous way"

akintom:
The Christians claim that Holy Spirit helps/empowers them to have self control, but a look at the logic below, the Holy Spirit turned out to be an irrelevant factor, as far as behavioural control mechanism is concerned.


If,

* Christian + self control = moral

* Non-Christian + self control = moral

But,

* Christian + self control + holy ghost = moral

* Christian - holy ghost + self control = moral

Hence,

* Holy ghost is irrelevant factor.

What an interesting logic here. Well, this reasoning is coming from a mind that's not cultured in spiritual things.

Yes, there's difference between self control and Holy Spirit. Self control is an innate behavioral moderating mechanism. It's natural to every normal human beings. Although it's relative.

Holy Spirit is the influencing power, that created a new nature (spiritual) in the Christians. The holy spirit helps the believers to adjust gradually to the culture of the Kingdom of God.

The Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

The above verse is the very word of Jesus Christ, our Lord and savior.

From basic teaching of the word of God, it has been established that, the very new life in Christ and the kingdom works of a believer, is impossible without the power of the Holy Spirit.

Looking at this doctrine of, "holy Spirit power in medium" ie the use of physical insignia as a medium of impacting the power of the Holy Spirit, i am of the opinion that this doctrine is one of many doctrines, that's blending Christianity with other religions in a rather ridiculous way.

The insignia:

*handkerchief (mantle)
*arm band (bearing GO's picture)
*chaplet (bearing GO's picture)
*olive oil

How is the apparent look and the use of these insignia different from the.....

*chaplet of herbalist and Muslims?
*arm and waist bands of herbalists?

If Jesus could heal the sick boy without physical contact, but by the power of the Holy Spirit via words, why can't we be satisfied with this model?

Happy Sunday!

It's not a matter of bondage to the religious practices, it's a matter of pride that creeped into the lives of most Christian leaders.

In an attempt to prove that the revelation given to them is correct (when they are confronted with their errors), they delve into works of flesh (like symbolism). With testimonials from their followers, they they become hard minded.

When folks begin to say that they are not Christians, just because it was heathen that described believers as such. This type of personal opinion being pushed around, are some the causes of much Labour in futility in the church today.

Junia:

The word “religious” here refers to our outward religious
behavior. It refers to those things we would call “good Christian works,” or piety. These that James writes to think that they have a religion, outward religious behavior, that has worth to it, that IS something. But in reality, as he says at the end of the verse, it is “worthless.”
So now get this- he is dealing with a people who think that they have some acceptable religion before God, something that God would see has worth, and in reality it is utterly worthless.

The fact is this, the people consider themselves to be religious but what James is telling them is that what they are even practicing as region is actually not religion. He then explain to them what religion actually is and not what Christianity is.

All that you have said is mere repetition that says nothing contrary to what James said.

Your assertion that Christianity is not a religion scripturally, is unfounded.

It's this unnecessary complication of definitions (using dead semantics), that makes the simplicity of the gospel, odious to ordinary seeker of the truth.

Junia:

Neither did the scriptures call Christianity a religion.

What says you on the verses below?

James 1:26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.

James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

newbornmacho:

Yes I think there was. I think a close reading if the bible, particularly the Acts of the apostles reveals two streams if action coexisting side by side.there was the spirit led stream of action where the holy spirit virtually micromanaged the fledgling Christian movement. Telling them where to go, and who to meet and so on. An example is Philip the evangelist.
Then there was the man-led stream of action where men decided how to go by a combination of guesswork, popular vote, and natural logic. Examples abound as in the Jerusalem council of Acts 14, selection of apostle Matthias, etc. This continued into the later centuries with the human stream winning more people, and using their influence to spread their own narrative. A narrative which has resulted in a deeply human arrangement now called church. Therebwas always an alternative. The spirit led way wasbour alternative.

Going by the nature and character of the Holy Spirit, he moves men to act, as against men moving the spirit to act.

I think in the period of waiting for divine direction, men who now on the basis of experience (just as Paul once gave instructions in his capacity as a leader), gave direction.

When you say church, do you have sth against that?

[quote author=KingGBsky post=54715072][/quote]
It's ok. I guess the focus of this op should now be how to separate from religious bondage. And what exactly will you call religious bondage.

orunto27:


I say The same God. He gave laws in the Old Testament and punished Creatures for Disobedience.. He fulfilled laws in the New, bearing in Mind that no sin should go unpunished, He forgave sins.

This is just like the case that apostle Paul concluded on, by saying, shall the clay ask the Potter what he molded?

KingGBsky:



Christianity Ofcourse is a religion. But the question is Christianity the only form of relligion practice? and the answer is no.

So now what? In one breath you say Christianity is not a religion and just immediately you say it's.
What exactly is your crux.

KingGBsky:


that is what I'm talking about. Religion does not have to do with just Christianity. It's all about serving a God. A high divinity. Please you ought to know the meaning of religion.

But the bible described the relationship of believers with God as religion. Is God not Supreme in the consideration of Christians?

Is there bible reference for your position?

newbornmacho:

Thank you. Denominationalism is used here to depict both the denominationalization and institutionalization of the christian faith which resulted in groups that have developed an acculturated rather than a spirit led Christianity.
In my view the origins are very early in the history of our faith, when men designed worship protocols, systems and structures. These structures outlived the good spirit and intentions of the pioneers and became ritualized.
Thats the life history of any group formed by men around these truths. They fossilize and become tombs harbouring the dead revivals of yesteryears.

Was there alternative to this mode of spread of the gospel?

orunto27:

Yes. I'm Born Again.

Just wondering if there's difference btw Christianity and Judaism God.

orunto27:
Not Christians God. It's Judaism God since you find this in the Old Testament.
However, The Christians God and The Judaism God are Thesame at different times..

Do you speak as a Christian?

KingGBsky:


please that is not the definition of religion.
Religion is a belief on a high divinity. e.g God according to christians, Muslims allah, then other beloefs. It's all religion.
My problem is dragging the teaching of Our Lord Jesus Christ into a religious bondage.

What says you on the verses below?

James 1:26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.

James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Junia:

You are just forming your definition. Google is not far from you.

The beginning of foolishness of the children of the kingdom, is despising the wisdom of God, for lifeless intellectual arguments.

Google wasn't written by the inspiration of God. Those lead by the spirit, take reference from the book of life,.

KingGBsky:


Accepting Christ as your personal Lord and Savior is not a religion. as religion is a matter of discuss to see whos is better than the other.
You feel complete freedom and know where you belong in this world and exactly were you are going.
It comes with a complete peace of mind.

The bible says that the wisdom comes from above, and this wisdom is supposed to be superior to that which the heathens have.

The way of life of them, that believes and live according to the commandments of Jesus Christ, is described as religion. This doesn't make the relationship untrue. It's just a definition.