Comments on: Journey of an Atheist - Part I: The Pooh Incident http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/07/27/journey-of-an-atheist-part-i-the-pooh-incident/ Helping Mankind Overcome Religion Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:11:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: The Evangelical Atheist » Blog Archive » Journey of an Atheist - Part II: I Take the Red Pill* http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/07/27/journey-of-an-atheist-part-i-the-pooh-incident/#comment-778 The Evangelical Atheist » Blog Archive » Journey of an Atheist - Part II: I Take the Red Pill* Wed, 03 Aug 2005 23:20:24 +0000 http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/07/27/journey-of-an-atheist-part-i-the-pooh-incident/#comment-778 [...] courageously extracted his 10-year-old self from the clutches of the Catholic faith. See Part I if you need a refresher. I don’t think you cou [...]

[…] courageously extracted his 10-year-old self from the clutches of the Catholic faith. See Part I if you need a refresher. I don’t think you cou […]

]]> By: Delta http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/07/27/journey-of-an-atheist-part-i-the-pooh-incident/#comment-776 Delta Wed, 03 Aug 2005 18:13:35 +0000 http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/07/27/journey-of-an-atheist-part-i-the-pooh-incident/#comment-776 Great story I AM! I remember those little autograph books from Disney World. When I went however, they had stamps for the characters that couldn't actually sign. So the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles stamped my book instead of signing. Regardless, I was thrilled. <i>Fourth, my close friends on this blog tell me there is no god, and I believe them</i> LOL!

Great story I AM! I remember those little autograph books from Disney World. When I went however, they had stamps for the characters that couldn’t actually sign. So the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles stamped my book instead of signing. Regardless, I was thrilled.

Fourth, my close friends on this blog tell me there is no god, and I believe them

LOL!

]]> By: Allyn Gibson http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/07/27/journey-of-an-atheist-part-i-the-pooh-incident/#comment-750 Allyn Gibson Sun, 31 Jul 2005 02:42:00 +0000 http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/07/27/journey-of-an-atheist-part-i-the-pooh-incident/#comment-750 I'm reminded of an episode of <i>Father Ted</i>. A bishop is visiting Craggy Isle, and the bishop asks Father Dougal about the things he doubts. Father Dougal says he doubts it all. We can only imagine their conversation, because when we next see the bishop he's given up the Church and gone off to join a hippie commune. My own journey is a bit like that. For me it was when I was thirteen, and on Easter Sunday my church's minister came to sit in on my sunday school class. It being Easter, naturally we were discussing the meaning of Easter, the prophecies, and all that. I had a question, I thought it an obvious one. "If Jesus fulfilled the prophecies," I asked, "why couldn't the Pharisees see that when we can?" It seemed a harmless enough question. We're told time and again in church that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies, that we know he's the Messiah because of those prophecies. The Pharisees surely could have realized for themselves that Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecy, couldn't they? I mean, they were so much closer to the source. They had Jesus, <i>right there</i>, didn't they? My minister didn't say anything. My Sunday School teacher, who was also the youth pastor, bobbled the answer somewhat. The problem with the prophecies, he said, was that the Pharisees weren't <i>meant</i> to see Jesus as the Messiah because the Messiah was always seen as a temporal ruler rather than a spiritual ruler. Since Jesus didn't fit the bill as a temporal ruler, the Pharisees couldn't see Jesus as the Messiah. After class the minister came up to me and said that I'd asked a good question. Unfortunately, I couldn't really let go of the question. And so I mulled over on it for a time. And I came to realize that if the people of his own time couldn't bring themselves to believe in Jesus, then why should I? Why should anyone? People with doubts shouldn't talk to members of the clergy.

I’m reminded of an episode of Father Ted. A bishop is visiting Craggy Isle, and the bishop asks Father Dougal about the things he doubts. Father Dougal says he doubts it all. We can only imagine their conversation, because when we next see the bishop he’s given up the Church and gone off to join a hippie commune.

My own journey is a bit like that. For me it was when I was thirteen, and on Easter Sunday my church’s minister came to sit in on my sunday school class. It being Easter, naturally we were discussing the meaning of Easter, the prophecies, and all that. I had a question, I thought it an obvious one.

“If Jesus fulfilled the prophecies,” I asked, “why couldn’t the Pharisees see that when we can?” It seemed a harmless enough question. We’re told time and again in church that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies, that we know he’s the Messiah because of those prophecies. The Pharisees surely could have realized for themselves that Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecy, couldn’t they? I mean, they were so much closer to the source. They had Jesus, right there, didn’t they?

My minister didn’t say anything. My Sunday School teacher, who was also the youth pastor, bobbled the answer somewhat. The problem with the prophecies, he said, was that the Pharisees weren’t meant to see Jesus as the Messiah because the Messiah was always seen as a temporal ruler rather than a spiritual ruler. Since Jesus didn’t fit the bill as a temporal ruler, the Pharisees couldn’t see Jesus as the Messiah.

After class the minister came up to me and said that I’d asked a good question.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t really let go of the question. And so I mulled over on it for a time. And I came to realize that if the people of his own time couldn’t bring themselves to believe in Jesus, then why should I? Why should anyone?

People with doubts shouldn’t talk to members of the clergy.

]]> By: Kele http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/07/27/journey-of-an-atheist-part-i-the-pooh-incident/#comment-749 Kele Sat, 30 Jul 2005 13:31:18 +0000 http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/07/27/journey-of-an-atheist-part-i-the-pooh-incident/#comment-749 Oh man, Jim rrr, thanks for that link. I've only read a little bit so far... it has to be a joke, haha. Anyway, I think I shall have some fun with that site on my blog. :D

Oh man, Jim rrr, thanks for that link. I’ve only read a little bit so far… it has to be a joke, haha. Anyway, I think I shall have some fun with that site on my blog. :D

]]> By: Uberkuh http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/07/27/journey-of-an-atheist-part-i-the-pooh-incident/#comment-748 Uberkuh Fri, 29 Jul 2005 17:39:15 +0000 http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/07/27/journey-of-an-atheist-part-i-the-pooh-incident/#comment-748 I second addict_no_more. I cannot wait to read more. When done, you might consider linking each chapter to a page entitled Reason for (dis)Beliefs, or something more explanatory, and placing a link to that page above or below your Statement of (dis)Beliefs.

I second addict_no_more. I cannot wait to read more.

When done, you might consider linking each chapter to a page entitled Reason for (dis)Beliefs, or something more explanatory, and placing a link to that page above or below your Statement of (dis)Beliefs.

]]>