Audie wrote:...So there is no recognized "Human Dilemma" as such, it is the name of a book?
If there is, perhaps you could say what it is in, say, a sentence or 2?
As for what I learned in college divinity classes, that would be zero, marcning the number of classes I took, a point I dont think you actually misunderstood.
Your quote about "walking away..denying..hope..no responsibility.."
You didnt say that, but does it represent your understanding?
Maybe it applies to someone, who knows. Not to me; perhaps to you, whilst you thought you were an atheist?
I dont "know about"Jesus. I've heard what other people say things that are said to be about him.
My comment to which you made a rather odd and oblique reply had to do with people who think that they have supernaturally inspired infallible bible reading skill, or that thro’ philosophical efforts they can arrive at infallible knowledge.
The "Human Dilemma" is a philosophic point of view that has been around for some time in existential psychology. It deals with moral human dilemma's. Much of what has been mentioned here on this form thread fits this line of reasoning.
If I recall correctly, the term "Human Dilemma" came about around 1956 yet Pascal's Wager uses this format way back in the 1600's. Pascal's Wager basically posits that human beings, as shown by their lives, bet that either that God exists or that he does not.
The article I quoted bets that God does not exist based upon personal presupposition that no evidence for God existing is allowed or permitted to win the bet. As for books and articles, there are several and I suggest you search the internet to find a few. You can start with Pascal and move toward the 20th century with Rollo... Take your pick. Also, ‘look’ into existential philosophy as well.
As for "walking away…denying…hope…no responsibility" well: if you look at Existentialism, how much time is wasted with many words to justify that nothingness should be the rule all should follow?
No offense to Kenny here, as I was addressing all atheist who have come on this forum, but how much time do atheist waste on this forum defending a state of nothingness? Are you defending nothingness? Does your life have value? If only nothingness awaits what value is life at the end of life? Is there only a smug satisfaction one did well, what good is that in a state of nothingness?
You can rightly deduce that atheism defends nothingness. Defends that there ‘really’ is no purpose to live other than exist to die into nothingness. Because of this, anything goes while alive as one can get away with doing whatever one wants in life as there is no need to ‘actually’ be responsible to anyone except self.
All else one does is merely something to do to keep from getting bored, good or bad; however, the irony is that one cannot define what good and bad ‘really’ is? So, one is left with the maxim, the ends justify the means to govern one's mortal life because only nothingness exist as a reward that awaits after ones dies.
In fact, that influence is guiding human thought today. Look at the fruit of it. The world is a mess because of it, big time.
Many years ago, before I met Jesus Christ as a living person, that is how I lived my life defending - Nothingness - basically doing whatever I thought was right in my own eyes because I defined what right was for me. I ignored the big empty hole I felt inside and did whatever I could to fill it in with whatever I wanted to do. Nothing I did or thought satisfied or could fill this void. Nothingness stared at me in my face. There was no point to life. I was defending that point, yet, even that did not grant me purpose or hope. Been there, done that.
I discovered the hard way that atheism/humanism simply defends - nothingness. All its achievements will be lost to future generations who will squander whatever good those before them concocted. People will still betray, abandon, reject, belittle, mock, use, defame, control, put of show trial, bear false witness against all goodness anyone derives and pass this on and on to future generations to emulate. After all, someday the entire universe will end - no point in it all or is there?
It is that - is there - that encounters all human beings to face a dilemma...
Rom 1:20,
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. NASB
Rom 2:14-15,
For when (people) who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law (The Ten C's or the Golden rule as they define it), these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them... NASB
Rom 3:20,
...because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin (ie Dysfunction, falling way, missing the target, twisting/warping things to ones advantages). NASB
The dilemma is to ignore the things we do to self, friends, family, strangers, acquaintances, God awaiting a nothingness to fall into to absolve us from what we have done to each other. The good we can do, well, we can't even define what that is, can't erase one aspect of how we objectively betrayed, abandoned, rejected, belittled, mocked, used, defamed, controlled, put of show trial, bear false witness, etc...
So, atheism/Humanism creates its own laws of Nothingness to pit its hopes and dreams upon as the greatest good. Age has a way to creep upon a person. When we are young things are built on idealism of self to find importance, significance. The older one gets, they face the human dilemma. No one knows for certain when or how we will die but die we all will.
I see the crux of humanism/atheist ideology is based upon the belief that people who think they have supernaturally inspired infallible bible reading skill, or that thro' philosophical efforts they can arrive at infallible knowledge so they set that up as the main premise to reject God.
We also can turn that around as well: people think that they have empirically inspired infallible College PHD reading skills, and that thro' philosophical efforts they can arrive at infallible knowledge is all that is needed to prove all things. Therefore, they set this up as the main premise to reject God and select instead nothingness.
For there to be a Great Just Creator also means he would do something to solve this human dilemma.
He did, He sent forth Jesus Christ into this crazy mixed up world to save us from ourselves so we can return to what He designed for people to be.
A Just Creator would be fair to our reason, intellect, and moral will letting us decide if on our own if we should return to him or not based upon what He does because we twist away, exploit, warp, and game all we do and thus cannot save ourselves. He came to save us, alone, by his work. All he asks is to Trust in His work, what He does, and gives. Sadly, so many folks cannot do that and instead rely on nothing...
Now you know about Jesus, so what will you do with Him?
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