God and the Matrix

Originally posted by knightmeister
Do you remember the scene from the Matrix with Keanu Reeves where he is told that he could find out about what is really going on and why he feels that something is not quite right with life . He gets the choice of the blue pill or the red one , and he chooses to find out.

Christianity is a bit like that. The starting premise is that we have all ha ...[text shortened]... ep to who they are in christ.


By the way - before you say it - I am not "the one"

Oh rubbish! You say that "christianity is a BIT like (the Matrix) that." The Matrix is more Buddhist than christian!

Originally posted by Stregone
Oh rubbish! You say that "christianity is a BIT like (the Matrix) that." The Matrix is more Buddhist than christian!

If that is so who are the AI robots in buddhism? Who is imprisoning the human race?

Originally posted by scottishinnz
Exactly the same argument could be made, more convincingly, in the other direction. After all, religion gives people power over others, but there is no temptation to power lust with atheists.

That's just plain naive! 😵

Originally posted by josephw
That's just plain naive! 😵

Feel free to explain what possible carrot or whip any one atheist has over another! No heaven and no hell for us. Disobeying only has consequences in this world, for an atheist, not eternal damnation.

Originally posted by scottishinnz
Feel free to explain what possible carrot or whip any one atheist has over another! No heaven and no hell for us. Disobeying only has consequences in this world, for an atheist, not eternal damnation.

There are other things in this world than heaven and hell and eternal life scotty. People crave power in many different contexts and for many different reasons, being an atheist doesn't insulate you from being a human.

Originally posted by amannion
There are other things in this world than heaven and hell and eternal life scotty. People crave power in many different contexts and for many different reasons, being an atheist doesn't insulate you from being a human.

Yes, people crave power for a number of reasons. However, no-one uses the lack of a God to secure that power. Some people, such as Stalin, secure that power whilst asserting there is no God, but they don't secure that power because they say there is no God. However, religious people, priests and the like, secure power by stating there is a God. The ultimate carrot and stick. I guess I'm trying to say, people use God to secure power, but you can't do that with atheism.

Originally posted by scottishinnz
Yes, people crave power for a number of reasons. However, no-one uses the lack of a God to secure that power. Some people, such as Stalin, secure that power whilst asserting there is no God, but they don't secure that power because they say there is no God. However, religious people, priests and the like, secure power by stating there is a God ...[text shortened]... guess I'm trying to say, people use God to secure power, but you can't do that with atheism.

Agreed, but that's not to say that all people use God to secure power. I teach in a Catholic school. The principal is a priest, but his power derives not from his religion but rather his position of authority as defined by his label as 'principal'. (Although of course, he's the principal partly because he's a priest.)
I think you need to be careful about tarring every religious person with the brush of a few.

The reality is that some people use whatever contexts they're in to gain and wield power. If religious contexts work then they may use them. If others work better (you mentioned Stalin) then they use others.

Originally posted by scottishinnz
Yes, people crave power for a number of reasons. However, no-one uses the lack of a God to secure that power. Some people, such as Stalin, secure that power whilst asserting there is no God, but they don't secure that power because they say there is no God. However, religious people, priests and the like, secure power by stating there is a God ...[text shortened]... guess I'm trying to say, people use God to secure power, but you can't do that with atheism.

I agree with you that certain individuals use God as an instrument of power over people. And that is wrong. But you can't lump all christians in that mode.
It is not christian to weld power over others for personal gain.
The church, that is, the one that God is building, is not responsible for the corruption you see in the organised religions. Although there are exceptions.