Nah, not really...the Bible plainly states that the majority is doomed to damnation so it doesn't mean much to me. The majority of Churches know little to nothing about sound doctrine. There is no difference in playing in a church league for pocket change or a big money contest sponsored by a sports book - a Christian would have to believe that God would not approve of either.
Nah, not really...the Bible plainly states that the majority is doomed to damnation so it doesn't mean much to me. The majority of Churches know little to nothing about sound doctrine. There is no difference in playing in a church league for pocket change or a big money contest sponsored by a sports book - a Christian would have to believe that God would not approve of either.
If you believe in an all-knowing and all-powerful God then how can you not believe in predestination? He supposedly knew you before you were born...do you think he doesn't know exactly where you will end up? Also...If God is omnipotent then free will is an illusion...your fate was decided before you were born...
You should thank Jesus that you were one of the lucky few born into a Christian household...after all the chances that you would of found the true way to salvation....had you been born in say Iran...well lets just say you probably would of been fucked from birth. A truly novel concept that not everyone is dealt the same starting hand in regards to receiving their salvation wouldn't you say?
Here is one of my deep thoughts....
How can such a loving, benevolent creator allow so many of us to perish to eternal suffering? How many before and after us have lived and died having never been exposed to Christianity? The Bible teaches that these people are lost...you cannot say they aren't because it plainly says they are. Your religion is based almost entirely on what you are born into - parents indoctrinate children which in turn indoctrinate their children and so on - there is very, very little lateral movement between different religious sects. It promotes exclusion and elitism, war-mongering and hate, division and intolerance - leave all the love and peace - these are the emotions that religion really manifests in its followers. They all have common ground...that is...I am right, you are wrong, and you will be punished in this life or the next for your heathenism. Never before has such a disgusting entity cast its shadow on humanity.
How can such a loving, benevolent creator allow so many of us to perish to eternal suffering? How many before and after us have lived and died having never been exposed to Christianity? The Bible teaches that these people are lost...you cannot say they aren't because it plainly says they are. Your religion is based almost entirely on what you are born into - parents indoctrinate children which in turn indoctrinate their children and so on - there is very, very little lateral movement between different religious sects. It promotes exclusion and elitism, war-mongering and hate, division and intolerance - leave all the love and peace - these are the emotions that religion really manifests in its followers. They all have common ground...that is...I am right, you are wrong, and you will be punished in this life or the next for your heathenism. Never before has such a disgusting entity cast its shadow on humanity.
I like how you started the reply with "I don't believe"...to be perfectly honest if you claim to be a Christian then it doesn't matter what "you" believe. The Bible is the absolute authority and it specifically says that without Christ you are damned. Now, take a step back and look at the big picture? Is this fair? How could a noble and just God create so many for the sole purpose of saving so few? Why do you suppose you decided to follow Jesus? Did your parents take you to church as a child and have Christian artifacts around the home or did you just happen to pick up a Bible one day and decide for yourself? How much blood has been spilled throughout history because of religion? Now all we hear about is militant Islam...have you read the Old Testament? Studied anything on the Crusades? How about the colonization of the America's? Christianity was just as bad, if not worse. I know you probably won't do this, but if you really want to examine your faith you should pick up a copy of The God Delusion and read it with an open mind - if, however, you don't want to be faced with the possibility of facing really difficult, life-changing decisions then stay with your faith and try not to ask too many questions. Believe me when I tell you this...it is much, much easier to be a believer than a non-believer.
Excellent work in this thread, AL. You make one of the most powerful points possible against any religion. It's largely determined by where you were born and who you were born to. I especially like your point about how could a just and loving god deal out such uneven starting hands.
As you can see from the discussion with believing Christians, they interpret it more for their own convenience. That is why there are as many as 30,000 different sects of Christianity that arrived at their separate beliefs through different interpretations of what is basically the same book.
The Bible is a flawed book full of contradictions, atrocities, absurditites, numerous statements contradicted by science and the "loving" god committing horrendous acts of murder, cruelty and mental torture. The god of the Old Testament and New Testament are clearly two different entities that have been rolled into one religion. I've been debating believers on the internet almost since there was an internet, and I can tell you that they have responses for every criticism a non-believer can make with the bible(*cough*festeringZit*cough*), but those whose minds aren't tainted by belief can see how those arguments strain credulity.
Of course debating religion is separate from the debate concerning the existence of a supreme being and and afterlife. For me personally, I know these questions are bigger than me and I am perfectly content with saying "I don't know". But as for religions...I DO know. They're nonsense.
As you can see from the discussion with believing Christians, they interpret it more for their own convenience. That is why there are as many as 30,000 different sects of Christianity that arrived at their separate beliefs through different interpretations of what is basically the same book.
The Bible is a flawed book full of contradictions, atrocities, absurditites, numerous statements contradicted by science and the "loving" god committing horrendous acts of murder, cruelty and mental torture. The god of the Old Testament and New Testament are clearly two different entities that have been rolled into one religion. I've been debating believers on the internet almost since there was an internet, and I can tell you that they have responses for every criticism a non-believer can make with the bible(*cough*festeringZit*cough*), but those whose minds aren't tainted by belief can see how those arguments strain credulity.
Of course debating religion is separate from the debate concerning the existence of a supreme being and and afterlife. For me personally, I know these questions are bigger than me and I am perfectly content with saying "I don't know". But as for religions...I DO know. They're nonsense.
And to answer your question. Yes. I am very well educated in all of those subjects.
And I agree with you. It would be much more difficult as a non-believer than a believer. In the big picture. But day to day? I think its far more difficult to try to follow a God, religion, or a set of rules....
Revelations 21:8
Romans 6:23
James 2:10 (Pay attention to this one - it most likely applies to you)
Matthew 25
I could go on and on and on...
Don't take this the wrong way, but I get the feeling that you actually know very, very little about "Biblical" Christianity. I think you take the gist of it, which is an acceptance of Christ, but you only adhere to part of the law.
