Theology

[Sabby]

And Maledoro, those pictures you post may be funny to a lot of people here, but they aren't funny to me at all. They're pretty dickish, actually. You're basically mocking most of my family, there, dude.

How is pointing out inconsistencies and contradictions in something 'dickish?'.

If I believed in Homeopathy, would saying that water has no memory be offensive because I believe otherwise?

[Dovahkiin]

but did you really expect that there wouldn't be those kinda pics in this thread?

No, I did expect them. I was just kinda pointing it out because things that make fun of my family, even indirectly perturb me.

And Maledoro, those pictures you post may be funny to a lot of people here, but they aren't funny to me at all. They're pretty dickish, actually. You're basically mocking most of my family, there, dude.

How is pointing out inconsistencies and contradictions in something 'dickish?'.

If I believed in Homeopathy, would saying that water has no memory be offensive because I believe otherwise?

Those pictures are mainly making fun of the Christian religion, which is what most of my family follows. The inconsistencies aren't the only things those pictures feature. I don't have anything personal against Maledoro, but as stated above, when something makes fun of my family, even indirectly, it sparks a natural protective urge I have.

And did you not just read my post? It's not offensive to have a different belief. I don't care what anyone believes or doesn't believe. It doesn't offend me that you're an atheist and that you believe that God isn't real. I don't care about any of that. I honestly have no idea where you got that from my post.

Look, seriously, I'm done. Kindly respect the fact that I don't want anything else to do with this thread. I've spoken my peace.

[Sabby]

You don't need to continue interacting here, but you can't ask that people not respond to what you've contributed. If you really don't want to read that, then you're free to not read it. I can respect your desire to not be in a discussion that upsets you, but I must ask you respect our right to hold a conversation amongst ourselves.

[maledoro]

It's not so black and white, man. There are many Christians that believe that the Bible was written by man, and therefore, many things could have been misinterpreted. They still follow the principles of Christianity, but don't necessarily follow the Bible to the letter.

Yeah, man, it really is that black and white. Again, you're begging the question that if they pick and choose parts of the Bible how do they know what are the principles of Xtianity?

What are the Principals of Christianity?

I guarantee you, your answer will differ from other Christians answers.

Love and tolerate your neighbor is the main one I follow.

So you ignore the rest?

Oh, sorry. I'm tired as hell. Took down a hundred feet of briar thickets half as tall as me today.

I would assume you know. It's pretty common knowledge.

That's no excuse; you were on the forum hours before you had written that. Plus, as Sabby pointed out, there will be different answers.

Loving and tolerating your neighbor.
Spreading the word of God.
Believing that God is real.
Believing that Christ is the son of God and died for our sins.
Believing that Christ is returning someday.

Let's see, not only are a couple of them ripped from the Jews, most of them are more about feeding God's ego than helping Man.

Now as for me, I've always been one to stand up for what I believe in. I've been a Christian for most of my life, but to tell the truth, recently I still haven't figured out what exactly to believe and not believe.

Let's hear it for Cafeteria Xtianity!

But I do choose to believe in God, and I do believe in the "loving and tolerating your neighbor" aspect of Christianity. It is a principle I personally live by. Now am I absolutely one-hundred percent positive that God exists? Absolutely not. But for now, I choose to believe.

I could choose to believe I am a billionaire, but since I see no evidence of being one, it's a waste of time.

As for Atheists, I know several and they're great people. One of my best friends is an Atheist. But I have a particular distaste for the Atheists that personally insult Christians as being sheep or calling them stupid for following a belief. I can't help but think that they believe they're better than Christiansas human beings.

Have you ever even taken the time to ask yourself the very things that the atheists suggest?

To do with religious Christians: Again, I live in the southern USA and there are tons of religious Christians here. But the vast majority of them (that I have met, at least) have been some of the sweetest, most genuine people that I have ever met. My grandfather was an example. He was the kind of stinker that'd make fun of everyone. He wouldn't mean it, of course, and when it really came down to it, he truly appreciated everyone he met for who they are. I use him as an example of the best Christians. Now it is common knowledge that there are many, many Christians that hate and criticize others for being Muslim, Gay, Atheist, etc. And they are just as bad as any Atheist that make fun of Christians for their beliefs.

I'm still waiting for the day when atheists band together and bomb, burn and just kill for what they believe.

And Maledoro, those pictures you post may be funny to a lot of people here, but they aren't funny to me at all. They're pretty dickish, actually. You're basically mocking most of my family, there, dude.

Sorry you don't understand the basic tenets of your religion or just plain choose to ignore them.

Those pictures are mainly making fun of the Christian religion, which is what most of my family follows. The inconsistencies aren't the only things those pictures feature. I don't have anything personal against Maledoro, but as stated above, when something makes fun of my family, even indirectly, it sparks a natural protective urge I have.

At least you acknowledge that there are inconsistencies in your sacred book. That would raise a flag for a normal person.

If you and your family follow a religion where its god threatens to torture you for eternity for not following him and take your religious cues from a book that proposes bad things and won't ask yourselves or your pastor why, that says more about you and your family than it does me.

And did you not just read my post? It's not offensive to have a different belief. I don't care what anyone believes or doesn't believe. It doesn't offend me that you're an atheist and that you believe that God isn't real. I don't care about any of that. I honestly have no idea where you got that from my post.

It doesn't offend you until you hear the other point of view.

[whiterabbit]

I noticed that a lot of the christian religions locally have adopted pretty simple rules. Especially the nutty evangelical sects.

God is Number 1.
Husband is number 2.
And all other things are considered far less important than those 2.

[Dovahkiin]

Maledoro, you fancy yourself better than Christians, don't you?

It's all fine and dandy to point out that yes, in the past, Christians have killed and burned for what they believed in. But that was a long, long time ago. I'm going to use the main example I can think of here: The Roman Catholic Church. They do not account for all Christians. And Christians have been largely slaughtered in the past for their beliefs as well. Time to stop holding grudges, buddy boy.

And yes, as far as I can tell, your views on Christianity are very narrow, dogmatic and black-and-white. There are such things as agnostic believers that you're not accounting for at all.

Sure, there is no evidence of God existing, but there is also no evidence of God not existing. It hasn't been proven. And until that day, yes, I will choose to believe.

It doesn't offend you until you hear the other point of view.

How are you getting that I'm offended by Atheists' point of view? I'm offended by Atheists making fun of Christians, but I'm also offended of Christians condemning Atheists. I've said that about three times. I still don't know how you haven't gotten that.

If you and your family follow a religion where its god threatens to torture you for eternity for not following him and take your religious cues from a book that proposes bad things and won't ask yourselves or your pastor why, that says more about you and your family than it does me.

I'm willing to bet that you've had a bad experience with Christians in the past, haven't you? You seem to have a distinct personal vendetta against them, no matter who they are.

[Vickers]

People continue to kill in the name of religion. It's not a thing of the past.

Agnostics aren't the same as Christians. Christians believe there is a god - black and white. Agnostic: "a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God."

There is no evidence of unicorns not existing. So should we believe in unicorns? There is no evidence of dragons not existing so maybe we should believe in them too? I don't know... let's go wild. How about a giant man in the sky whose preachings and associated stories contain many conflicting pieces of "information" and scientifically impossible scenarios? That sounds fun.

[Cvalda]

There are such things as agnostic believers that you're not accounting for at all.

what

Sure, there is no evidence of God existing, but there is also no evidence of God not existing. It hasn't been proven. And until that day, yes, I will choose to believe.

The entire lack of evidence of his existence is evidence of him not existing.

[Sabby]

How did you manage to use pretty much every limp Theist defense in one go? This will take some doing...

It's all fine and dandy to point out that yes, in the past, Christians have killed and burned for what they believed in.

Atrocities are still being committed with a Religious justification.

They do not account for all Christians. And Christians have been largely slaughtered in the past for their beliefs as well. Time to stop holding grudges, buddy boy.

So long as you and other Christians all subscribe to one book as your unifying moral guideline, the whole "There are good Christians out there" angle is meaningless. I'm sure there are White Supremacists out there who are just lovely, but that doesn't change the beliefs that they hold up, regardless of whether they personally follow them.

This is why I try specifically to avoid targeting believers and instead focus on what they believe, since the beliefs are a static thing.

Sure, there is no evidence of God existing, but there is also no evidence of God not existing. It hasn't been proven. And until that day, yes, I will choose to believe.

Sure, there's no evidence of Campbells Soup answering prayers, but there is also no evidence that it doesn't, so that justifies believing it.

How are you getting that I'm offended by Atheists' point of view? I'm offended by Atheists making fun of Christians, but I'm also offended of Christians condemning Atheists. I've said that about three times. I still don't know how you haven't gotten that.

You specifically mentioned the pictures that have been linked in this thread, which point out genuine contradictions in your beliefs. If that is offensive to you, then you should probably ask yourself why.

I'm willing to bet that you've had a bad experience with Christians in the past, haven't you? You seem to have a distinct personal vendetta against them, no matter who they are.

I doubt it, just many people, myself included, are tired of Religions being unapproachable. They are not. Sometimes a little shock value is whats needed to drive home the fact that these taboo subjects are not above criticism. If you don't like that, then once again, you need to have a close examination of what you believe and why.

Basically, if it hurts to hear that the Bible isn't great, then you probably don't have a very strong reason to believe it.

[TheLoneSpoon]

pseudo-intellectualism maaaang

[Aspie]

it's a non-stop disco bet you it was Nabisco bet you didn't know

[Dovahkiin]

Atrocities are still being committed with a Religious justification.

I don't recall anything recently about Christians burning people at the stake for their religion.

Sure, there's no evidence of Campbells Soup answering prayers, but there is also no evidence that it doesn't, so that justifies believing it.

So what you're saying is that to you, Campbells Soup is just as likely to exist as a God than a Christian God?

You specifically mentioned the pictures that have been linked in this thread, which point out genuine contradictions in your beliefs. If that is offensive to you, then you should probably ask yourself why.

There are those, but there are also the ones that ridicule Christians. I don't care about them pointing out the contradictions, it's the ridicule that makes me angry.

The entire lack of evidence of his existence is evidence of him not existing.

The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence.

Agnostics aren't the same as Christians. Christians believe there is a god - black and white. Agnostic: "a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God."

I never said they were the same. Agnostic believers are people that choose to believe in God, but really wouldn't be too heartbroken to find out that God isn't real.




I don't know why I came back to this thread.

[Sabby]

I don't recall anything recently about Christians burning people at the stake for their religion.

Checked the Middle East lately? Uganda?

So what you're saying is that to you, Campbells Soup is just as likely to exist as a God than a Christian God?

Not at all, I'm saying that your reasoning can be used for literally anything.

"There is no evidence for blank, but you can't prove blank does not exist"

We can't prove a negative dude. You have it backwards. You start with disbelief and work towards belief, not the other way around.

There are those, but there are also the ones that ridicule Christians. I don't care about them pointing out the contradictions, it's the ridicule that makes me angry.

Once again, so what? Are you really so fragile that a fundamental part of your life can't be touched at all? Sorry, but all I can say is harden the f**k up dude.

The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence.

Yes it is. We see no evidence of the Grenkdelferbquewits. Kind of makes it look not true.

I never said they were the same. Agnostic believers are people that choose to believe in God, but really wouldn't be too heartbroken to find out that God isn't real.

So why include them when discussing Christianity?

[Vickers]

You do know that a lot of recent wars have had religion at their core. And individuals around the world continue to physically attack others who don't adhere to their own ridiculous beliefs.

Unicorn God is just as logical as many of the scenarios in the bible. So I think we should acknowledge her and pray to her. There's no evidence of her not existing.

I used to be agnostic. It was when I was questioning things more and more and didn't want to believe that there was nothing after death. So I thought, "Hmm, being agnostic sounds like the safe bet so IF God is real, I still get through dem holy gates and get a swanky pad in heaven." Agnostic is just a fancy way of saying, "I want to believe God is real but a part of me realises that there's a lot that doesn't add up." I thought I was being open minded but it was just a way to comfort myself in the transition from "Christian" to atheist. If you do believe God is real, you're a Christian (or whatever religion you were raised to believe is the right one) - it's as simple as that. If you're agnostic, you shouldn't be as offended as you are now.

On that subject - how do people know their religion is the correct one? Are there different gods and afterlifes for different religions? Is God really going to send people of all other religions to a fiery pit? Or will they just live in God's basement while the agnostics live in swanky pads and the Christians live in the mansions of heaven?

[Dovahkiin]

Checked the Middle East lately? Uganda?

And, those people, they're Christians committing those atrocities? If so, then my apologies.

Once again, so what? Are you really so fragile that a fundamental part of your life can't be touched at all? Sorry, but all I can say is harden the f**k up dude.

I don't care about it for myself. I care about it for the sake of my family because most of them, if not all of them, are Christians. It's kind of a credo I live by. "f**k with me all you want but do not f**k with my family." I realize that I should take it in stride, but it's just something that I can't help. I've always naturally felt the urge to protect my family.

So why include them when discussing Christianity?

The only reason I included them really is because I was trying to make the point that it's not so black and white when it comes to belief.

If you're agnostic, you shouldn't be as offended as you are now.

Vicks...again, I will say that I am not offended for myself. I am offended for my family by those pictures.