Religion: Real or Fake

Armadillo

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Jan 4, 2011
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Now I've believed in and blindly followed Christianity my entire life. However I must say that the atheists may have a point. Think about it, if an individual in contemporary society claimed to be the son/daughter of God, would you believe him/her? Many people have claimed to be the son/daughter of God since Jesus, and while some of them had small cult followings, they were never widely accepted as having any relation to God, biological or otherwise. So what makes Jesus Christ so special? Was he just a crazy person who said he was the son of God? Was he just hungry for power and so he impersonated a deity? Or was he the real deal?

Also look at what the Bible says, if God and his disciples love and forgive all, then why do the people who wrote the Bible claim that God hates LGBT individuals? (Corinthians 6:9-10 - "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.") Also, why do those who wrote the Bible also claim God hated women? (Duet 25:11,12 "If a woman grabs a man's privates during a fight, her hand is to be cut off.") Of course, I am not claiming that every word in the Bible is directly from God, but these two instances show some form of hidden set of beliefs that the writers of the Bible wanted to force upon others claiming it's what God wants.

Religion is also a great tool to control people. Religion makes the best slaves, ones who think they are free. Religion was good in the early days of humanity, when people often committed barbaric deeds without remorse (which sadly happens from time to time in the modern world), however now that we have governments that actually work, there is not much need for religious control anymore. I'm not saying I'm an atheist, nor am I a strict Christian (I don't even have a denomination or go to church or have ever read a Bible), but one cannot deny the logic of the atheists. The Bible speaks of seemingly impossible events occurring, which could not have occurred in real life, and many religious ideas have been disproved by science. So is it time that we as people stop believing in fairy tales? Or is religion real?
 
I wonder how many of the self professed true believers really believe or are they just hedging their bets just in case.
 
The way I see it is like this... You may have heard this before somewhere else because it is not my original thoughts but I agree with it. I believe in God. If I'm wrong and there is no God, I've looked and sounded pretty silly all of my life. I can live with that. However, if there truly is a God, those that do not believe and frequently slander His name are going to be in some pretty deep shit come Judgement Day. I guess it's what your willing to bet. How much is your soul worth to you?
 
anyone who truly doesn't believe WHO THINKS they are hedging their bets by saying they do, are in for a big surprise imho....better to be honest, and just say they don't believe...or are unsure or are atheist, again, in my opinion....
 
anyone who truly doesn't believe WHO THINKS they are hedging their bets by saying they do, are in for a big surprise imho....better to be honest, and just say they don't believe...or are unsure or are atheist, again, in my opinion....

I would say that is some pretty good advice...
 
I wonder how many of the self professed true believers really believe or are they just hedging their bets just in case.


They are going along and doing what is expected of them.
It is much more difficult to go against the flow.
 
anyone who truly doesn't believe WHO THINKS they are hedging their bets by saying they do, are in for a big surprise imho....better to be honest, and just say they don't believe...or are unsure or are atheist, again, in my opinion....

I agree. I am a non believer but if you believe you must walk the talk if you expect to get the reward. At least that is my take on it.
 
anyone who truly doesn't believe WHO THINKS they are hedging their bets by saying they do, are in for a big surprise imho....better to be honest, and just say they don't believe...or are unsure or are atheist, again, in my opinion....

I agree. I am a non believer but if you believe you must walk the talk if you expect to get the reward. At least that is my take on it.

You know, this may be hard to believe, but I didn't always walk the straight and narrow uscit, and I still don't....and I still have lots of room for improvement....I am not going to get in to the nitty gritty of it, but just trust me on that.....

However, I would like to believe, if I had died during that ''disappointing to God period'' of my life, that God would have shown Mercy on me, and taken me in, anyway.

I hope and pray we are not judged solely on actions....

I admit, I have done my best to repent and change....NOT because I fear the pains of hell, but because I just don't feel good, when I know I have failed at what God has asked of me....so what comes first, the chicken or the egg? Repentance or forgiveness? For me, it was believing that my sins were undeservedly forgiven, that made me want to repent....that gave me the courage to repent....the knowledge that someone could be so loving and merciful to forgive, made me want to change....

My Father (in Heaven) loved me, like the Prodigal son who went astray....how could I not love and honor Him in return?
 
Now I've believed in and blindly followed Christianity my entire life. However I must say that the atheists may have a point. Think about it, if an individual in contemporary society claimed to be the son/daughter of God, would you believe him/her? Many people have claimed to be the son/daughter of God since Jesus, and while some of them had small cult followings, they were never widely accepted as having any relation to God, biological or otherwise. So what makes Jesus Christ so special? Was he just a crazy person who said he was the son of God? Was he just hungry for power and so he impersonated a deity? Or was he the real deal?

Also look at what the Bible says, if God and his disciples love and forgive all, then why do the people who wrote the Bible claim that God hates LGBT individuals? (Corinthians 6:9-10 - "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.") Also, why do those who wrote the Bible also claim God hated women? (Duet 25:11,12 "If a woman grabs a man's privates during a fight, her hand is to be cut off.") Of course, I am not claiming that every word in the Bible is directly from God, but these two instances show some form of hidden set of beliefs that the writers of the Bible wanted to force upon others claiming it's what God wants.

Religion is also a great tool to control people. Religion makes the best slaves, ones who think they are free. Religion was good in the early days of humanity, when people often committed barbaric deeds without remorse (which sadly happens from time to time in the modern world), however now that we have governments that actually work, there is not much need for religious control anymore. I'm not saying I'm an atheist, nor am I a strict Christian (I don't even have a denomination or go to church or have ever read a Bible), but one cannot deny the logic of the atheists. The Bible speaks of seemingly impossible events occurring, which could not have occurred in real life, and many religious ideas have been disproved by science. So is it time that we as people stop believing in fairy tales? Or is religion real?

Welcome to the board, always good to see new members.

I think that your definition of religion may be a bit constrained, and narrow.

Much has been written about the 'civil religion' of American, as the following:

"1. Americans are a praying people. Praying gets even more popular in a national crisis, though Americans have always recognized god and prayer as important. We have "IN GOD WE TRUST" on our currency. We say "One nation under god” in our pledge of allegiance. In many research reports almost all Americans say they pray regularly, and more than half claim they pray “every day.”
2. The prayers offered by “civil religion” are to a expansive god-behind-all-gods—a national unifying god. Civil religion is the common ecumenical ground where we all can gather—not just all Christian denominations, but all religions, and even the great host of people who practice no formal religion at all but believe in god and prayer. This is civil religion. The god of civil religion is the "higher power as you know it"—the god behind all religions and everything else.
3. Although he recognized this as a largely Protestant nation, Kennedy did make frequent references to god—three times in his inaugural address. Robert Bellah, in 1967 first made the keen observation that John Kennedy's use of "god" however was not in the narrow sense as a Roman Catholic, but in the broader sense as a the god-of-us-all, the god of American civil religion. Bellah suggested that Kennedy was doing exactly what his predecessors had done—referring to the unifying god of American civil religion, not any specific narrow denominational god or even the god organized religion like the Christian god, or Roman Catholic understanding of God. It was the god-above-all-gods, the god of American civil religion.
4. Civil religion is not a state religion, but rather an expression that religionizes national values, national heroes, national history, and national ideals. It proposes a God behind all gods that especially favors America. The unifying thing is not the object of prayer (god) but the source of the prayer—we Americans."
Civil Religion

You might be interested in the essay titled "Civil Religion in America," written by Robert Bellah in Daedalus in 1967. The article caused an almost unprecedented burst of excitement among sociologists and other scholars of religion.
See Content Pages of the Encyclopedia of Religion and Social Science
 
Originally posted by Care4all
anyone who truly doesn't believe WHO THINKS they are hedging their bets by saying they do, are in for a big surprise imho...

The hell they are... How can you be surprised at anything after you cease to exist?? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Armadillo wrote:

Now I've believed in and blindly followed Christianity my entire life. However I must say that the atheists may have a point
.
Not really. They're some of the most close minded people out there as they're fear of responsibility, and own God complexes refuse to allow them to think of anything greater than themselves.

Think about it, if an individual in contemporary society claimed to be the son/daughter of God, would you believe him/her?
Yup, seen enough proof already in my life.

Also look at what the Bible says, if God and his disciples love and forgive all, then why do the people who wrote the Bible claim that God hates LGBT individuals? (Corinthians 6:9-10 - "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.")
BS, nothing more than RCC revisions. God wouldn't directly contradict the loving, tolerant, peaceful teachings of his own son. Hence that is NOT the real word of God.

Religion is also a great tool to control people. Religion makes the best slaves, ones who think they are free. Religion was good in the early days of humanity, when people often committed barbaric deeds without remorse (which sadly happens from time to time in the modern world), however now that we have governments that actually work, there is not much need for religious control anymore. I'm not saying I'm an atheist, nor am I a strict Christian (I don't even have a denomination or go to church or have ever read a Bible), but one cannot deny the logic of the atheists. The Bible speaks of seemingly impossible events occurring, which could not have occurred in real life, and many religious ideas have been disproved by science. So is it time that we as people stop believing in fairy tales? Or is religion real?
They've already found the remnants of Noah's Arc. Revelations continues to come to pass day by day. JUST LOOK @ CURRENT EVENTS AFTER READING REVELATION.

Also, Atheism makes next to no sense. They continue to lack a real answer of how time and the universe began.

Also, even if God aint real, @ least I would have lived my life tryna do good, charity, right in his name, but if he is (AND HE IS) Atheists are screwed.

It's called Pascol's Proposal. Makes perfect sense.

I know God's real, I've seen, and felt him move thru me and my life to the very bottom of my soul. I have all the proof I need, and feel kinda sorry for you.
 
The way I see it is like this... You may have heard this before somewhere else because it is not my original thoughts but I agree with it. I believe in God. If I'm wrong and there is no God, I've looked and sounded pretty silly all of my life. I can live with that. However, if there truly is a God, those that do not believe and frequently slander His name are going to be in some pretty deep shit come Judgement Day. I guess it's what your willing to bet. How much is your soul worth to you?

"Pascale's Wager" That's an old concept.
 
Whether God really exists or not is beyond the scope of any man or woman to know. Anyone who claims they have the answer to that question is deceiving themselves. Once you have a supposed all powerful entity, than all things are possible and all logic and reason that man uses to prove or disprove things goes out the window.

Religion is man's attempt to quantify God. Like all man-made ventures, it is subject to all the foibles and shortcomings of man.

As history has and continues to show us.
 
Originally posted by Mr Clean
I wonder how many of the self professed true believers really believe or are they just hedging their bets just in case.

Good point, Mr.

The sharp division between faith and incredulity, believers and non-believers is, to a certain extent, false and artificial. People need labels in order to simplify their lives and facilitate communion and debate.

All human beings walk the fine line between faith and disbelief their entire lives with different degrees of inclination towards both.
 
Care, see post 17 and comment if you wish... would love to read your comment.
 
The way I see it is like this... You may have heard this before somewhere else because it is not my original thoughts but I agree with it. I believe in God. If I'm wrong and there is no God, I've looked and sounded pretty silly all of my life. I can live with that. However, if there truly is a God, those that do not believe and frequently slander His name are going to be in some pretty deep shit come Judgement Day. I guess it's what your willing to bet. How much is your soul worth to you?

"Pascale's Wager" That's an old concept.

Tis true. I've heard of it before and even read up on it a bit. Still doesn't change my mind or beliefs. The nice thing about living here in America is that you are pretty much free to worship, or not worship, as you please. As far as "Pascale's Wager" goes... It may be an old concept but it has merit. Non-believers look upon believers to be about as foolish as believers feel that non-believers are. The squeeky wheel gets the grease, i.e., those that make the most noise (either believers or non-believers) get the most air time on the 6 o'clock news. It's very much in fashion to not believe and to be vocal about your non-beliefs.
 
anyone who truly doesn't believe WHO THINKS they are hedging their bets by saying they do, are in for a big surprise imho....better to be honest, and just say they don't believe...or are unsure or are atheist, again, in my opinion....

I agree. I am a non believer but if you believe you must walk the talk if you expect to get the reward. At least that is my take on it.

You know, this may be hard to believe, but I didn't always walk the straight and narrow uscit, and I still don't....and I still have lots of room for improvement....I am not going to get in to the nitty gritty of it, but just trust me on that.....

However, I would like to believe, if I had died during that ''disappointing to God period'' of my life, that God would have shown Mercy on me, and taken me in, anyway.

I hope and pray we are not judged solely on actions....

I admit, I have done my best to repent and change....NOT because I fear the pains of hell, but because I just don't feel good, when I know I have failed at what God has asked of me....so what comes first, the chicken or the egg? Repentance or forgiveness? For me, it was believing that my sins were undeservedly forgiven, that made me want to repent....that gave me the courage to repent....the knowledge that someone could be so loving and merciful to forgive, made me want to change....

My Father (in Heaven) loved me, like the Prodigal son who went astray....how could I not love and honor Him in return?

Christians are not perfect people. Just forgiven. I am not the "most holy of holy" Christians that has ever walked the face of the Earth. In fact, I may be more useful as a bad example but that still doesn't mean I don't believe. Those that don't believe, and are the most vocal about their non-belief, use a Christian's short-comings to justify their non-belief or as a reason to mock anyone who does believe. To me, personally, it does not bother me because people are free to believe whatever they care to believe, or not believe. Throughout history there has been some pretty stupid stuff done in the name of Christianity. Just because people behave badly doesn't mean there isn't a God.
 

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