CAA: Christian Anime Alliance

Lately, as you can tell from my many posts, I have been in this rare constant thinking mood. Just been... thinking about many things: logics, behavior of people, and continuously asking questions and wondering "how/why is this?" I want to understand people more, understand their beliefs and why/how they think what they do. Why do other ideas appeal so much more? I know people just simply state "oh it's sin/satan attacking", but people can be so complex that there's always more to it. I want to try and understand them more, because how can they walk in your shoes when you haven't tried to walk in their own? I'm wanting to know and understand more, to avoid ignorance/arrogance. Although my mind is constantly thinking, some people probably think I do that with my own beliefs. I just want to... see things from different angles, another perspective, and above all: try and understand Him more, and His logics and reasonings for different things and ruling.

When I became Christian, I didn't know much about any belief period and when I knew Him, something just clicked without this whole studying/trying to understand period. Call this going "backwards" if you will, but I want to know more about just... beliefs and people in general and add my thoughts into general writing pieces. I guess CS Lewis is a bit of an influence with that, since I'm a writer and after watching his biography on the Narnia special ed. Just amazing HOW many writings he made, and he turned out to be one influential person with them! I just hope that I won't sound irrational, although many times people think negatively on my thoughts... It IS only thinking, wondering, pondering, afterall. Although I wish to do it properly, in hopes that maybe one day I can help inspire people one day, but in anything but blasphemously.

This'll probably take many years, (or however long I'll be in this deep thinking mode^^) so prayer for all of this and strength especially: to look from another point of view can be tricky and can involve slight wavering sometimes... So yeah just prayer for it all would be great^^ I'm happy already that through my topics, I've had several different PMs with different thoughts, ideas and everything. I just really want to get people thinking, and hopefully for the best^^ Not to aim for "hey us Christians ARE right!" but almost view from a 3rd person's view...

Sounds like you've just found your purpose.....

You have my prayers....

Dear God,
Thank you for the gifts with which you have blessed Tenshi no Ai. I know that you are so happy she is searching for truth and understanding. I pray that you will guide her on this journey and make your presence known to her. May everything she does bring you honor and glory.
Amen.

I agree in prayer w/ Anna Mae for You to help Tenshi no Ai in her quest for wisdom & truth in human nature and your will. In Jesus name we thank & praise you. Amen.

Hi, I would like to make some suggestions:

[1] Take some official study in theology and/or philosophy of religion. Study is not easy, but it will really challenge, and broaden your knowledge and get you to think deeper about these things.

If you could do any subjects along the lines of epistemology, religious movements, and/or apologetics, I think it would help.

[2] See if you can get your hands on Craig and Moreland's Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview. It's not light reading, but it has a lot of helpful information.

[3] Lee Strobel's apologetic works are easy to pick up and understand as entry level information.

[4] It's also good to read works written by those that disagree with our beliefs - it's helpful and in a sense necessary (if we wish to grow intellectually) to see what others say and what their arguments are, whether their views are justified, backed up by evidence, etc.

[5] A philosopher you may wish to check out is Alvin Plantinga.

[6] Finally, don't be afraid if as a result of your research you do not have all the answers or still have existing doubts or have new doubts.

Having faith and doubts at the same time is not an indication of insanity - the key is learning to live with the fact that we do not have all the answers (ask whether such doubts or unanswered questions necessarily proves our most foundational beliefs to be false? If so, how does it show it to be false? Continue to think and ponder, see if there is another way through the problem), and perhaps will not; knowledge and faith are both gifts from God. All the best.

Ultra Magnus wrote:
[6] Finally, don't be afraid if as a result of your research you do not have all the answers or still have existing doubts or have new doubts.

Oh of course I already have those concerning a topic or two. Being a "know-it-all" and trying to justify something on the spot, just does not work... For example, after studying a bit of 'prehistory' from both perspectives, I am now unsure as to what the skulls and skeletons from cavemen really were. The so-called "Dr. Dino" simple dismissed them as being fakes (although I have a criticism or two about what he has to say about things), but with one or two official created as fakes, how can that be so when hundreds upon hundreds have been found?

I don't wish to get into anything further, for that was not the point, in fact, I don't even know how much of evolution/creationism I will actually be looking into. The point is, it's an example of how it can be important to look at both sides of the story, and even then I'm not even sure for an exact answer. The importance of apologetics in ways of proving/disproving that whole debate, is really... unnecessary in the long run, I think. There's better things to focus on^^ Even looking at Christianity as a whole we believe in different things and rulings, but why do you believe what we believe and follow those rules? Do we just go along with it and just listen, or do we think about WHY they are there? I think that's pretty important too, to look from a different perspective of things, and even then, sometimes I wonder and am not entirely sure why.

...I'll stop there before I already try and do more writings^^ but to put it briefly: yes, I know what you mean...

The debate surrounding evolution and intelligent design and creationism can get complicated quickly. It does help to be aware that there are assumptions made by proponents of the various positions.

E.g. It's worth thinking about whether evolution itself, if true, automatically proves that materials and particles in the universe exist uncaused (i.e. does something in biology being true make something else in cosmology true?).

It's also helpful to keep in mind that in all areas of knowledge, often we have to take an expert's view of something because we lack the necessary background knowledge, skills and resources to indepdendently verify such views for ourselves. And this extends beyond the sphere of "lay people". A physicist cannot really check a biologist's claims because the two fields are fairly different. So when we are told something, we assume it to be good (unless contrary evidence shows otherwise).

This is usually a reasonable assumption, and whilst there are checks and peer reviews of work in place, when you have a group of people working with the same basic assumptions about certain things in the world (which may or may not be true), there is the chance even being passed by the peer review does not necessarily guarantee something true - especially if at times data is "read" to reinforce theory (i.e. theory-driven approach) as opposed to data causing the theory to be challenged (i.e. data-driven approach).

I am not saying theory-driven approach is always inferior to the data-driven approach or that it always leads to incorrect conclusions about reality, but just wanted to bring out that sometimes the theory-driven approach can become a form of question begging.

Anyway, regarding:

Tenshi no Ai wrote:Even looking at Christianity as a whole we believe in different things and rulings, but why do you believe what we believe and follow those rules? Do we just go along with it and just listen, or do we think about WHY they are there? I think that's pretty important too, to look from a different perspective of things, and even then, sometimes I wonder and am not entirely sure why.

It sounds like Church History might interest you. If that's the case, I'd like to suggest The Story of Christianity (there are two volumes in total) by Justo L. Gonzalez. Like all history texts, it's coverage is definitely not exhaustive, but I've found it a good place to start.

Well, I'm glad to hear that you're aspiring to these goals. These are quite noble ambitions and I wish you the best with them. I'll pray for you!