Humility: Good or Bad?

[Non Nobis]

Would you place a piece of candy in front of a baby, but not let the baby eat it?  If not, why would God?

This leads to a proof for God, at least for an optimist.  Man desires more than the world can give him or he can give himself; questions that can't be answered here, love that is unfulfilled, desire for more beauty and truth than man can reach.  The pessimist atheist says tough, that is the way it is, enjoy what you've got, the problem is soluble, too bad if you never solve it.  The optimist who believes in God knows that God is the answer, the source of all that is desired, and that God in heaven will be what we are only reaching for on earth. God does let the baby eat the candy, the universe does not.

[Probius]

The entire world is silly if you really think about it.  We let idiots in government control us with violence, and we accept this as necessary.  We are lied to on a daily basis, and we ignore it.  Everything I have ever been told is a lie.  The average man in this country is a bumbling idiot, and doesn't care either.  He cares more about American Idol than he does about philosophy.  He hates truth and loves lies, this is the American citizen.  This is all beyond silly, and it is amazing that almost no one sees it.  Try speaking the truth to the public, and see how much hatred you bring down upon yourself.  In a world of lies, truth is seen as a lie.

Absolutely. I see that every day. Do you think there was a time when this wasn't so? (Not rhetorical, here). Or not so...painfully so? If there were such a time, what has changed?

Probably not.  I doubt there was ever a time when people were that much different than today.  The study of philosophy will cause a man to wake up and realize he is living in an insane asylum.

[Probius]

The entire world is silly if you really think about it.  We let idiots in government control us with violence, and we accept this as necessary.  We are lied to on a daily basis, and we ignore it.  Everything I have ever been told is a lie.  The average man in this country is a bumbling idiot, and doesn't care either.  He cares more about American Idol than he does about philosophy.  He hates truth and loves lies, this is the American citizen.  This is all beyond silly, and it is amazing that almost no one sees it.  Try speaking the truth to the public, and see how much hatred you bring down upon yourself.  In a world of lies, truth is seen as a lie.

Absolutely. I see that every day. Do you think there was a time when this wasn't so? (Not rhetorical, here). Or not so...painfully so? If there were such a time, what has changed?

You might be interested in the video above, which is entitled 'the story of your enslavement.'

[Probius]

The society in which we live is immoral to the core: 

[Probius]

Would you place a piece of candy in front of a baby, but not let the baby eat it?  If not, why would God?

This leads to a proof for God, at least for an optimist.  Man desires more than the world can give him or he can give himself; questions that can't be answered here, love that is unfulfilled, desire for more beauty and truth than man can reach.  The pessimist atheist says tough, that is the way it is, enjoy what you've got, the problem is soluble, too bad if you never solve it.  The optimist who believes in God knows that God is the answer, the source of all that is desired, and that God in heaven will be what we are only reaching for on earth. God does let the baby eat the candy, the universe does not.

I have heard this argument before, usually it's called the God sized hole.  You have a hole in you that cannot be filled, it is the 'size' and 'shape' (metaphorically speaking) of God.  We all have a longing for something that will give our lives purpose, and this need can be fulfilled by children, a career, or some kind of cause.  You see people trying to fulfill this need all the time.  A couple who can't have children will put a great deal of time and money into their pets.  A man who who feels unfulfilled by his job will put a lot of time and money into a hobby, a cause, or will become very religious.  I know about this first hand.  I have never cared much for my job, so I have tried finding fulfillment in many other areas.  I worked as a pilot in southern Florida, studied to be a priest in Minnesota, raced cars, became a master scuba diver, and even jumped out of a plane.  Nothing I tried in the past worked, but I have solved the problem.  The answer lies in philosophy, a good philosophy should give you guidelines to living a good life.  Ever since I began studying Objectivism my life has improved.  I still have much to learn, but I am making progress.  I am more active, I'm losing weight, and I have never been happier.  I am, however, still very lonely.  Once I get myself back into good shape, I will find a wife and start a life with her.  I'm going back to mass, to spend time with my grandmother, and I am taking bible classes.  I am very optimistic about the future now, and it is because of philosophy.

[voxxpopulisuxx]

Would you place a piece of candy in front of a baby, but not let the baby eat it?  If not, why would God?

This leads to a proof for God, at least for an optimist.  Man desires more than the world can give him or he can give himself; questions that can't be answered here, love that is unfulfilled, desire for more beauty and truth than man can reach.  The pessimist atheist says tough, that is the way it is, enjoy what you've got, the problem is soluble, too bad if you never solve it.  The optimist who believes in God knows that God is the answer, the source of all that is desired, and that God in heaven will be what we are only reaching for on earth. God does let the baby eat the candy, the universe does not.

I have heard this argument before, usually it's called the God sized hole.  You have a hole in you that cannot be filled, it is the 'size' and 'shape' (metaphorically speaking) of God.  We all have a longing for something that will give our lives purpose, and this need can be fulfilled by children, a career, or some kind of cause.  You see people trying to fulfill this need all the time.  A couple who can't have children will put a great deal of time and money into their pets.  A man who who feels unfulfilled by his job will put a lot of time and money into a hobby, a cause, or will become very religious.  I know about this first hand.  I have never cared much for my job, so I have tried finding fulfillment in many other areas.  I worked as a pilot in southern Florida, studied to be a priest in Minnesota, raced cars, became a master scuba diver, and even jumped out of a plane.  Nothing I tried in the past worked, but I have solved the problem.  The answer lies in philosophy, a good philosophy should give you guidelines to living a good life.  Ever since I began studying Objectivism my life has improved.  I still have much to learn, but I am making progress.  I am more active, I'm losing weight, and I have never been happier.  I am, however, still very lonely.  Once I get myself back into good shape, I will find a wife and start a life with her.  I'm going back to mass, to spend time with my grandmother, and I am taking bible classes.  I am very optimistic about the future now, and it is because of philosophy.

The final part of this post is the best thing you wrote in all 50+ pages.

[Probius]

Thank you, Voxx.

[james03]

I'm going back to mass, to spend time with my grandmother, and I am taking bible classes.

Deo Gratias.

Now read my book so you don't backslide.

[Probius]

Don't get me wrong, I still don't believe in God.  I am going to mass in order to spend time with my grandmother.  I am taking bible classes at a Protestant church, because my aunt and uncle attend and I would like to know more about the bible.  I think it is good to know about the bible since it dominates our culture.  If I had lived in Ancient Greece, I would have studied the Iliad and the Odyssey.

[Probius]

The following video explains the violence of the state.  We should all strive to live in a peaceful society.

George ought to help:

[voxxpopulisuxx]

Don't get me wrong, I still don't believe in God.  I am going to mass in order to spend time with my grandmother.  I am taking bible classes at a Protestant church, because my aunt and uncle attend and I would like to know more about the bible.  I think it is good to know about the bible since it dominates our culture.  If I had lived in Ancient Greece, I would have studied the Iliad and the Odyssey.

believing in God is up to God not you...my optimism is based on the fact you will be in the same proximity with God himself when you join your Grandmother....(pretty shitty to use your granny like that though....and the protty bible study...which will be wrong anyway)

[Probius]

Don't get me wrong, I still don't believe in God.  I am going to mass in order to spend time with my grandmother.  I am taking bible classes at a Protestant church, because my aunt and uncle attend and I would like to know more about the bible.  I think it is good to know about the bible since it dominates our culture.  If I had lived in Ancient Greece, I would have studied the Iliad and the Odyssey.

believing in God is up to God not you...my optimism is based on the fact you will be in the same proximity with God himself when you join your Grandmother....(pretty shitty to use your granny like that though....and the protty bible study...which will be wrong anyway)

Why would it be shitty to spend time with my grandmother?  And how am I using her?

[voxxpopulisuxx]

Don't get me wrong, I still don't believe in God.  I am going to mass in order to spend time with my grandmother.  I am taking bible classes at a Protestant church, because my aunt and uncle attend and I would like to know more about the bible.  I think it is good to know about the bible since it dominates our culture.  If I had lived in Ancient Greece, I would have studied the Iliad and the Odyssey.

believing in God is up to God not you...my optimism is based on the fact you will be in the same proximity with God himself when you join your Grandmother....(pretty shitty to use your granny like that though....and the protty bible study...which will be wrong anyway)

Why would it be shitty to spend time with my grandmother?  And how am I using her?

why are you going to mass with her if you dont believe in God? Does she know this? You could just spend time with her anywhere....but she believes in God and she loves her grandson...who doesn't honor her because he rejects God.

[Probius]

I don't think she believes in God either.  She has said she doesn't care what the pope says, she rejects all Catholic dogmas, she is super Novus Ordo, and she almost never speaks about religion, and when she does it is to criticize The Church.  She has told me that she wants married priests and women priests.  She expects the mass to last exactly one hour, and complains if it goes over by a few minutes.  She once said it was 'ridiculous' when the mass went 8 minutes over.  I'm pretty sure she is a deist at most, and maybe even an atheist.

[voxxpopulisuxx]

I don't think she believes in God either.  She has said she doesn't care what the pope says, she rejects all Catholic dogmas, she is super Novus Ordo, and she almost never speaks about religion, and when she does it is to criticize The Church.  She has told me that she wants married priests and women priests.  She expects the mass to last exactly one hour, and complains if it goes over by a few minutes.  She once said it was 'ridiculous' when the mass went 8 minutes over.  I'm pretty sure she is a deist at most, and maybe even an atheist.

then your hurting her by indulging her fraudulent behavior.