First of all let me say that I in no way wish this to be a religion-bashing thread. I am completely non-religious, but I respect the right of others to believe what they please.
The question I have is why? Why in the first place believe in any religion at all? Also, why the specific religion you choose? What does Christianity have that Sikhism doesn't, what can you gain from Islam that you can't from Hinduism?
I have friends that are very religious (see, not a religion basher), but I hesitate to broach this subject with them for fear of arguments and falling out. Since I know none of you I feel I can ask this question in safety
i wasn't gonna post this, but decided to anyway...:
because God created the Heavens and the earth. he created you and me. everything around us is created by him. we beleive in him, because he exists. we worship him because of everything he's done for us
a question to you:
why do you celebrate Christmas? do you celebrate Ramadan? or Passover? (i'm assuming you do celebrate Christmas btw....)
Originally posted by geniuswere you around when this ‘god’ created everything? 😉... And if this ‘god’ is sooooo great, why do bad things happen?
i wasn't gonna post this, but decided to anyway...:
becasue god created the heavens and the earth. he created you and me. everything around us is created by him. we belevie in him, bacsue he exists.
a question to you:
why do yuo celebrate christmas? do yuo celebrate ramadan? or passover? (i'm assuming you do celebrate christmas btw....)
Originally posted by sunsetbeachhe gave us choice. that's why bad things happen. we are free to perform our own will. and no, i wasn't around. were you? how can you say he didn't do it? and noah wrote the book of genesis. he wrote about the creation. he wasn't around then. except, the order that he wrote things happened in is the same as the order that modern scientists have surmised them to have taken place in. fluke? or something spoooooooooooky? or-dare i say it?-God?!?.......
were you around when this ‘god’ created everything? 😉... And if this ‘god’ is sooooo great, why do bad things happen?
were you around when this ‘god’ created everything? ... And if this ‘god’ is sooooo great, why do bad things happen?
That's just it. Religion seems to me (and to all athiests) to be based entirely on hearsay and myth. How do you know God created the world? Because the Bible says so? Why? What makes it the truth? And what makes the Bible more true than the Koran or any other religious scriptures?
Your reply seemed somewhat hostile so I reiterate, I don't mean to be religion bashing, I am genuinely interested to know what makes people believe
And yes, I do in a sense celebrate Christmas, but I treat it as a celebration of family and friends and the happiness these bring me. I celebrate it at this time of year out of tradition and because the rest of the family do, so it's a convenient time to have such a celebration. Also, it helps take away the dreary dullness of this season.
Originally posted by geniusi didn't say that he/it didn't create everything, i personally attribute everything to the big bang theory though 😉. did this ‘god’ create dinosaurs? & tell them about this choice. ‘god’ shouldn't have created asteroids, or did he not like his dinosaurs? 😉. or even, is there any mention of dinosaurs? 😉 or does religion say people were first?
he gave us choice. that's why bad things happen. we are free to perform our own will. and no, i wasn't around. were you? how can you say he didn't do it? and noah wrote the book of genesis. he wrote about the creation. he wasn't around t ...[text shortened]... uke? or something spoooooooooooky? or-dare i say it?-God?!?.......
Originally posted by jimmyb270o.k.-why do i beleive in god? why do i love him, and put my trust in him?were you around when this ‘god’ created everything? ... And if this ‘god’ is sooooo great, why do bad things happen?
That's just it. Religion seems to me (and to all athiests) to be based entirely on hearsay and myth. H ...[text shortened]... tion. Also, it helps take away the dreary dullness of this season.
i don't know.
maybe it's becasue i was raised in a house where God meant so much. alot of it's trust. it's beleif. but there's somehow more to it than that...from personal experience, i beleive. things that i've prayed for have come true and whatnot. (i like the line in bruce almighty-"since when did humans know what they want?"...😛) but yeah-somepeople, when they're converted, they feel a sort of high. they'll start speaking in toungues etc.
try reading "the cross and the switchblade" by David Wilkerson, and/or "the heavenly man" by Brother Yau (i have no idea how to spell either of their second names...but the first is an autobiographical type-thing on the experiences with new york gangs of a minister, and the others an autobiogrpahy of one on the chineese house church leaders)
and sunsetbeach-neither contradicts the other (big bang/religion)
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Religion exists as it always has, to fill the void of mans mortaility and purpose. It explains to the ignorant what they can not understand, it gives power, wealth and prestige to an elite few, it can be used as an excuse for war and as a method to define cultures and societies.
Its a great "all sizes fit" solution to all the worlds problems.
Basic idea of religion...
Why am I here - to do a gods will
How do I know what his will is - do as we tell you, he spoke to us
How do I know that is true - it is fact based on belief (a joke if there ever was one).
What should I do now - brainwash the next sucker
When sciences provides all the answers, as one day logically it will, what will religion do then? Probably a another big war of belivers against non-believers.
Andrew
I'm still taking the middle ground in the religion-science debate. Who says science will provide 'all' the answers? I'm not convinced. Two hundred years ago everyone was absolutely certain that religion had all the answers and then science came along and said nope, this is how it is. How do you know something won't come along and say the same to science?
As another areligious person I hereby give my wholehearted support to Christianity. It is amazing to me how our technilogically adept, morally retarded society is sweeping us along to disaster. The wisdom of the Bible leads to a wholesome and meaningful life even if that seems outdated to so many of us now. Govt rules reward cheating, welfare has ruined generations by diminished expectations, every lifestyle is 'equal'. When I grew up we all knew the values and actions we should aspire to even if most of us failed. How have we stooped so low that the 'Simpsons' is probably the most benign rolemodel on TV today. The Bible has show me how to be a better person in my personal life even if I can't honestly believe in God, Jesus and everlasting life
Originally posted by latex bishopScience will uncover all of the answers, eventually, then current religion will die off, only to have new religions created!!! All claiming that they are the one true faith & that some guy from 445 'bc' did some great, scientifically impossible, things!
Religion exists as it always has, to fill the void of mans mortaility and purpose. It explains to the ignorant what they can not understand, it gives power, wealth and prestige to an elite few, it can be used as an excuse for war and as a method to define cultures and societies.
Its a great "all sizes fit" solution to all the worlds problems.
Ba ...[text shortened]... will religion do then? Probably a another big war of belivers against non-believers.
Andrew
I guess religion comforts people.
It s nice to belong to a large community, it s nice to believe your soul will go to Heaven etc
Some people seem to love the rituals as well, a lot of people cannot get their lives organized without some guidance.
Generally i am no big fan of religion, just think about all wars started on religious grounds. And until recent times religion was rather hostile to any free thinking and any more rational or scientific world view.
Also religion was often used to justify social injustice.
I try not to be hostile versus religious people, but i cannot help to see religious people as lazy minds, preferring to stick to a clearcut philosophy and refusing to explore the world with an open mind.
PS if you want to understand religion as an institution you should read Berger & Luckmann 'the social constructiuon of reality'
Originally posted by qetutorHi,
How have we stooped so low that the 'Simpsons' is probably the most benign rolemodel on TV today. The Bible has show me how to be a better person in my personal life even if I can't honestly believe in God, Jesus and everlasting life[/b]
What 's wrong with The Simpsons ??
Bart Simpson has shown me how to be a better person in my personal life even if I can't honestly believe in nuclear energy, rolemodels on TV and everlasting world peace ...
Can i please have the freedom to look for my own books of wisdom,
my own rolemodels and my own aspirations ?
Thank you ! Come again !
🙄 😀 🙄
Originally posted by jimmyb270were you around when this ‘god’ created everything? ... And if this ‘god’ is sooooo great, why do bad things happen?
That's just it. Religion seems to me (and to all athiests) to be based entirely on hearsay and myth. How do you know God created the world? Because the Bible says so? Why? What makes it the truth? And what makes the Bible ...[text shortened]... nt time to have such a celebration. Also, it helps take away the dreary dullness of this season.
jimmy,
If you want to know what the Christian faith is all about I suggest you forget the discussions between people who claim that the world was created within six days, the creationists on one side and the evolutionists on the other side. This has nothing, I repeat NOTHING to do with the Christian Roman Catholic Faith. It is a non-discussion. The Bible is not a biology book. The Bible does not claim to be a scientific book at all. The Bible deals with the relation between God and human beings and the relationship between people as human beings. The Bible deals with such problems as Life and death, sin and forgiveness, the road to happiness, the road to unhappiness, the plan that God has with the people and with the world. This has nothing to do with biology or science as such.
If you sincerely want to know the answers to your questions I can advise you to study the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church first, There are books or booklets about the fundaments of the Roman-Catholic faith. After that you can study the teachings of the serious Protestant Churches because their teachings are usually a reaction to the teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church through the ages. Of course you know that there are a lot of self-proclaimed Christian sekts. The ideas these people advocate often cannot be called Christian at all from the perspective of the Roman-Catholic Church and the serious Protestant Churches.
The choice to start a relationship with God is the same thing as to start a relationship with a female or a male person that you want to love. It is a free personal choice and this choice has nothing to do with science or logic. It has to do with Love and wanting to love. If you choose to start a love-relationship with God, you choose to have a relationship with Life and Love Itself ...
Originally posted by ivanhoei think this is beautifully put, ivanhoe.
The choice to start a relationship with God ... It has to do with Love and wanting to love. If you choose to start a love-relationship with God, you choose to have a relationship with Life and Love Itself ...
religion contains some wonderous ideas that science is not interested in. there never needs to be a conflict unless we try to make religion into a scientific tool or science in to a religious crusade.
many scientists are deeply religious and people of all faiths value science as a way of uncovering more and more of the truth of the universe.
the problems come about when there are attempts to 'grab power'. throughout history many scientists as well as religious advocates have been oppressed killed by religious 'organization'. this does not make religion bad. and dogmatic 'scientists' have been guilty of similar crimes against religious advocates and other scientists. this doesn't make science bad. many times pseudoscience and pseudoreligion work hand in hand to oppose the search for truth be it in the moral or the scientific realm - we see this happening everytime someone provides 'scientific' or 'moral' evidence to justifiy racism or specieism.
neither science nor religion are bad. what is bad is how people misuse ideas to oppress others and maintain their own level of power denying both what is and what they could become.
in friendship,
prad