>>>Despite the respect I may have for such a system of thought, for its sheer audacity and level of sophistry, I can't trust it to be a source of any truth. Historical value, yes. It's a human accomplishment and will be a part of history forever. But truth... I prefer the things which work even if you don't believe in them.
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>>That's fine - but - what if you're wrong? If I'm wrong, I live a good life and die - the end. If you're wrong, you live a good life and die - and then spend eternity in Hell. If I were you, I'd sure want to be really, really sure of this before I dismissed it as folly. How can you dismiss it without even reading the Bible (as you said earlier you do not wish to read it?)
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>Is it faith or is it fear? In your heart you want to steal that bike that's lying around but, for fear of ending up with pich-fork in your fundament, you leave it.

Can't it be both? I fear offending God and by faith I believe that even if I do, I'm forgiven through the blood of Christ. Mind you, my attitude towards sin is not that I can sin all I want because God will forgive me. I truly desire not to sin. However, I realize I am still at war with sin and will loose that battle at times.