Nancy Pelosi channeling ghosts now

[Quantum_Dragon]

So a typical exchange would be "god told me to [run for city council/walk my dog/eat more fiber]" but it would just be an expression? That's weird.

Maybe you should just say you felt like doing those things and leave the creator of the universe out of it.

I don't want to get into a debate here because I personally believe people shouldn't say that "God told me to do X" because it makes you sound like you believe you're a prophet or something. :/
However, I would like to point out that while the words "God told me to do X" are not exactly everyday, in certain Christian circles, they may something to the tune of "God showed me that I have to do X" or "God revealed to me that I have to do X."
They mostly say this because they notice certain coincidences in their life and they are of the philosophy/theology that God reveals things through coincidences everyday or that God shows them things as answers to their prayers.
For them, things kind of work towards a "grand design" of sorts.
I don't think it is quite the same as seeing feminist ghosts because that seems kind of random (although I wonder if Sen. Pelosi was joking because in one video I saw her comment evoked laughter and she didn't seem perturbed by it like "why won't they take me seriously" or maybe she is just crazy) but I've heard people say before that "I was reading x in the Bible and I realized that God was trying to tell me something" so.......yeah.

[lilpixieofterror]

And it skips the point that if you have to be "indoctrinated" to be religious then who indoctrinated these early humans?

AKA, another dodge to avoid answering the question. Fundy atheist do have an awfully hard time answering arguments against their insane notions.

[Whag]

And it skips the point that if you have to be "indoctrinated" to be religious then who indoctrinated these early humans?

It doesn't skip that but directly addressed it. I explained how it's conceivable early human beings initiated systems of "belief" as a reaction to their surroundings to gain a sense of control over predation and catastrophe. That could have started with the personification of animals and natural phenomena like weather, volcanoes, and earthquakes. Once those are personified, they can be reasoned with and appeased.

[rogue06]

It doesn't skip that but directly addressed it. I explained how it's conceivable early human beings initiated systems of "belief" as a reaction to their surroundings to gain a sense of control over predation and catastrophe. That could have started with the personification of animals and natural phenomena like weather, volcanoes, and earthquakes. Once those are personified, they can be reasoned with and appeased.

"Conceivable" yet nothing but speculation. We know next to nothing about what prehistoric man's religious beliefs were. But the fact that they appeared to have them does seem to terminally rebut your contention that people have to be "indoctrinated" into religious belief. They had nobody to "indoctrinate" them yet somehow again and again they developed religious beliefs.

[Sparko]

"Conceivable" yet nothing but speculation. We know next to nothing about what prehistoric man's religious beliefs were. But the fact that they appeared to have them does seem to terminally rebut your contention that people have to be "indoctrinated" into religious belief. They had nobody to "indoctrinate" them yet somehow again and again they developed religious beliefs.

It's the old "ancient people were gullible and stupid and not sophisticated and smart like we are today" idea. Chronological Snobbery.

[Cow Poke]

"Conceivable" yet nothing but speculation. We know next to nothing about what prehistoric man's religious beliefs were. But the fact that they appeared to have them does seem to terminally rebut your contention that people have to be "indoctrinated" into religious belief. They had nobody to "indoctrinate" them yet somehow again and again they developed religious beliefs.

I believe it's that pesky Romans 1:20 thing... "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead..."

They were smart enough to look around and say "we didn't BUILD this!"

[Whag]

"Conceivable" yet nothing but speculation. We know next to nothing about what prehistoric man's religious beliefs were. But the fact that they appeared to have them does seem to terminally rebut your contention that people have to be "indoctrinated" into religious belief. They had nobody to "indoctrinate" them yet somehow again and again they developed religious beliefs.

Well, first, Phank said "indoctrinate," which you took perhaps too literally as meaning a separate and distinct group of religious teachers hammering these concepts into early hominid brains. I wouldn't have used that word because it can be misconstrued as something else entirely. I explained how it could have happened more subtly.

Speculation? Yes, but certainly more in line with what we know about animism. Your speculation barely corresponds to what we *do* know since you posit a prejudaic monotheism. We have good evidence showing nature and ancestor worship preceded monotheism.

Please elucidate and speculate all you like. I like your posting style and sense of humor and would very interested in hearing your counter speculation.

[Whag]

I don't want to get into a debate here because I personally believe people shouldn't say that "God told me to do X" because it makes you sound like you believe you're a prophet or something. :/
However, I would like to point out that while the words "God told me to do X" are not exactly everyday, in certain Christian circles, they may something to the tune of "God showed me that I have to do X" or "God revealed to me that I have to do X."
They mostly say this because they notice certain coincidences in their life and they are of the philosophy/theology that God reveals things through coincidences everyday or that God shows them things as answers to their prayers.
For them, things kind of work towards a "grand design" of sorts.
I don't think it is quite the same as seeing feminist ghosts because that seems kind of random (although I wonder if Sen. Pelosi was joking because in one video I saw her comment evoked laughter and she didn't seem perturbed by it like "why won't they take me seriously" or maybe she is just crazy) but I've heard people say before that "I was reading x in the Bible and I realized that God was trying to tell me something" so.......yeah.

I mostly agree with your analysis. I still think interpretations of spectral communication occupy the same realm as theists who claim direct communication with god. I have no reason to budge from that position.

Those who take the approach of interpreting a series of coincidences as a divine telegram aren't as bad as those who say God talks to them, though I would submit that I've experienced a good amount of strange coincidences that would have been foolhardy and pointless to interpret as anything but a series of strange coincidences. The frequency and distribution of strange coincidences is even among believers and non believers, and I think that rather telling.