Actually, both God and Jesus were cool with slavery.
Maybe you should take this Biblical Slavery Quiz
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Do you believe in God
- Thread starter verizyou
- Start date
Actually, both God and Jesus were cool with slavery.
Maybe you should take this Biblical Slavery Quiz
I don't think anyone has doubt or is uptight, really. However, you admitting to living a li(f)e all based on what you heard when you were a child (better known as a human being without grasp of the world, lacking a fully-formed brain, and possessing the logic of the toys he/she plays with) is more revealing than people who were raised to be religious and then grew out of it. You know what you know, and you don't know much else.
So what you're saying is, that you can pick and choose which parts of the Bible/Quran you do and don't listen to, because they may or may not have been changed by any number of peoples over many centuries....?
Where do I sign up?
Usually, if I don't care about something ... you won't see me trying to debate it.
You're right to ask these questions, but it just highlights further problems with all scriptures. When religious scholars can't even agree on who wrote the gospel of Matthew, for example, all you've got is a bit of paper with a story written on it and you can't verify who wrote it, whether it's been edited, or if it's true or not. All scripture was written by human beings, but if you can't trust parts of the Bible in its current form, what reason do you have to trust any of it? What reason do you have to trust any of it anyway?
Ehh No? It's not about picking or choosing. It's about being able to believe what you want to believe and at the same time being able to enlighten and protect yourself from following the wrong crowd which in historical context have proven so. Arming yourself with knowledge and the ability to act and think independent of what you believe in without strings attached. It's called being flexible.
The only minor thing that differentiates you and me if you like it or not, is that I believe in a creator that created time and the complexity of life.
mrqs
Android Expert
many people answered this already, but since you quoted me when asking - yes, if presented with evidence of something, people who embrace logic will consider it
actually the criticism is towards all religions, or theism in general, not just christianity - that just comes up in western societies where it's the most common religion
as for criticizing all religion, rather than the worst sub-groups; it's concentrating on the root of the problem - curing the disease instead of treating the symptoms
a discussion of opposing views doesn't always aim to "convert" the other - it's about understanding them
No, although I'd gladly be proven wrong. If there is a God, I'd like to think he would reward me for using my brain.
The problem is, that this is the way all religious people think - regardless of their religion. It just so happens that what they they think God thinks just so happens to correspond with how they think.
The only minor things that separate us are. reasoning, evidence - and education, by the sounds of things.
1up5dn
Well-Known Member
That is exactly the point. Anybody can make you not be here anymore, but only One made you to be here.
Just for one second, let's say God, the creator of the entire universe, is real and alive. Do you think he would take commands from something he created? Especially something that is against His will? Something that will hurt what he created?
I love my kids like nobody else can, but I don't give them everything they want because it will harm them. And, they certainly don't tell me what to do.
IOWA
Mr. Logic Pants
Actually, it took two people for me to me here. My mom, and my dad. That's it.
How come we don't see any modern day miracles then?
And God sure did hurt things he loved back in the day, you know, soddam and gomora and all that. The great flood. Etc etc. so that theory is out.
The problem is that people blindly follows an idea like sheep influenced either by their environment or cultural ideal. And in the end, that person no matter the reasoning will still be unwilling to think about other possibilities. (For an example a missionary/preacher who goes on to preach in a hostile country that blindly preach to people who would like to kill them for invading their privacy. In my eyes that person is an pinhead for even going there in the first place).
As I see it, you refuse to believe a diety exists until there is physical evidence shown otherwise, Am I correct? But thinking only on one direction without reasoning, no possibilities flooding your mind, and yet remaining critical to others while staying in a limbo state like them. The difference between you and me is that I look not wait for answers. There are a handful of people who are willing to go beyond the boundries. The purpose of education was to enlighten ourselves to assess the endless possibilities of situations that had came to past and ones yet to unravel. To continually try to understand the complexity of life and where it had their origins from (That's where I can reason within my pool of possibilities that a neutral diety exist expanding and continually altering the constructs of life - I maybe wrong but at least im reasoning; Willing to look into the possibilities instead of downgrading other ideaologies). Everything does have their origins, we just have to connect the dots
.To believe in a god, you have to suspend reason, not use reasoning. It's fine discussing the possibilities - a god creating everything out of nothing is one possibility - but you have absolutely no reason to believe that a god exists. If I ask you a question that you can't answer, you'd be better off saying "I don't know" as your answer. With religious folks, they use the word "god" to answer questions, and rather arrogantly, they're not saying "god is a possibility". They are saying "god is a fact" without a single atom of evidence. I think you should go back and read my definition of what true open-mindedness is, because the only people "blindly following an idea" are theists, not atheists.
But you see saying "I don't know" defeats the purpose of being open-minded. Its like saying I give up because I dont know the answer to a question. As an idealist, I believe that finding the origins of an idea should be a protocol practiced. Even if it means assuming the role of a group. To try to better understand where they are coming from before assuming and making direct statements that would be blunt. Thiest or not we as human beings depend on each other no matter what idea we each believe in. Off topic, its been great discussing this hot topic with you guys!
Speak for yourself, I don't blindly follow any ideology like a sheep.
Nope, I refuse to believe in a deity, but don't necessarily need physical evidence; for it just to make sense would be enough, but as it's nonsense, and explainable nonsense at that I find it unbelievable.
No it doesn't. Not in the slightest.
No, it's not. In fact, by saying "I don't know" in response to a question that can't possibly be answered at this time, such as "how did the universe come into existence?", you are being open-minded and honest. It doesn't stop you from discussing possible theories or researching the subject in the search for truth and it by no means implies that you're saying "I give up".JQwerty91 said:
Perhaps you could say what you think open-mindedness actually is, because I think your definition of what it is, is probably incorrect.
But you see saying "I don't know" defeats the purpose of being open-minded. Its like saying I give up because I dont know the answer to a question. As an idealist, I believe that finding the origins of an idea should be a protocol practiced. Even if it means assuming the role of a group. To try to better understand where they are coming from before assuming and making direct statements that would be blunt. Thiest or not we as human beings depend on each other no matter what idea we each believe in. Off topic, its been great discussing this hot topic with you guys!
Yeah, being open minded is accepting anything just for the sake of offering an answer - even if it makes no sense.
Its OK to say, "I don't know", and be open to explanation. You don't HAVE to have a belief/opinion.
Jammy
Android Expert
Well, no.
There are many atheists, who would give you "I don't know" as an answer to many questions, spend a great deal of time attempting to discover the answer to those questions.
bluenova
OK Computer
I find it quite funny but at the same time sad that so many people in this thread (both non-believers and believers) have to personify God and treat heaven and hell like physical places. This was necessary in times gone passed when it was the simplest way to explain things and still is relevant today for teaching Children about religion.
Is it so inconceivable that God refers to a force (yet to be understood) that connects everything in nature and that heaven and hell refer to a state of mind and soul? The New Testament points these things out all the time if you delve into it and take the time to reflect on it.
I have the feeling that a lot of people take their Sunday School teaching with them into adulthood and don’t continue to learn and understand the meaning of faith, love and hope with the logic and intelligence of an adult.
Is it so inconceivable that God refers to a force (yet to be understood) that connects everything in nature and that heaven and hell refer to a state of mind and soul? The New Testament points these things out all the time if you delve into it and take the time to reflect on it.
I have the feeling that a lot of people take their Sunday School teaching with them into adulthood and don’t continue to learn and understand the meaning of faith, love and hope with the logic and intelligence of an adult.
mrqs
Android Expert
I don't think children should be taught religion (indoctrined) at all. I t takes away their freedom of choice and teaches them to believe without evidence, or accept without question.
It also teaches them some pretty messed up morality.
As for the rest of what you wrote, again we are not only down to interpretation but also spin and supposition. It gets worse.
And what you said about it being necessary in times gone by, if there is a God - surely he should have been able to deliver a message that would span all ages, and if not then be able to deliver regular OTA updates?
Maybe this god is a dev who has given up on his app?
Jammy
Android Expert
I think that children should be taught about all religions, but in an educational way, rather than an indoctrinatory way. It is a very important part of our history and culture.