Religion/ A crutch created by man

[Avatar4321]

Atheism is a crutch for those who wont try to understand things of the Spirit. Rather than put in the work to educate oneself, they choose to pretend that the spiritual side of life is non-existant.

20 years ago I could recite word for word most bible scripture. Im in no way ignorant of the word of god. Since then things in my life have changed and things have been learned. Blind faith is no longer sufficient. There were books removed from the bible and books not allowed in. All of which were written by man, man who is full of sin and corrupt according to the gospel. Yet you take it on face value.

knowing what the Bible says and knowing the Lord are not the same thing.

 

[Avatar4321]

Why don't you back that up with some stats, joeb?

LOL Joeb? Mental illness in all its glory!!!

You really shouldn't be proud of your mental health problems.

 

[Avatar4321]

T just got banned?????

****!!!!!!!

WTF ....???????

It happens to trolls. Nothing new. He'll probably be back in a day.

 

[Agent.Tom]

No Agnostic or Atheist has had that incontrovertible, transformative, personal experience because if they did, they would be a Christian.

I had that experience and I found it to be lacking of substance.

Well, though it's obvious, you can add "substantive" to my description. Ergo, you haven't had the experience yet.

 

[HUGGY]

No Agnostic or Atheist has had that incontrovertible, transformative, personal experience because if they did, they would be a Christian.

I had that experience and I found it to be lacking of substance.

Well, though it's obvious, you can add "substantive" to my description. Ergo, you haven't had the experience yet.

Well hells bells...let's just set the insane free from the mental institutions cuz they have what you all have in spades!!!

 

[Jimmy_Jam]

You are close minded.

And your OP is just opinion, no more valid than JJ's opinion.

Exactly my point.

What's most laughable is that he probably feels he has made a profound statement in the OP that will confound and shame Christians while making atheists marvel at his wit. He has done neither, except perhaps to the most dimwitted of either set of people.

I made a statement that countless millions before me have made. I claim nothing save this....

You are a butthurt tool

Good one.

 

[Katzndogz]

Religion is an indicator of the development of civilization. As a civilization develops it progresses through several stages. They discover fire and eat cooked food. They develop ceremonies for important events. They form stable families. They build shelters. They develop a religion with a belief in a supernatural being. This is all part of the process of becoming a civilization.

It only make sense that as a civilization collapses and takes the return path from civilization to barbarism that it sets aside the indicators of civilization. It stops believing in a God, families are no longer stable, ceremonies for important events are ignored.

It really does make sense once you understand that we are just on a very well worn path back to barbarism. Probably not even as civilized as some barbarians. More like on the path to being technologically advanced neanderthals.

 

[AVG-JOE]

No monkeys here.

I agree. We're all Monkeys. With a capital 'M'.

 

[Foxfyre]

If it was Grandpa's intent to stir up a lively discussion, he succeeded. If it was his intent not to be insulting to believers in the OP, he did not succeed. Appear to accuse folks of using their relgiion as a crutch, and many will see that as offensive. But I can accept that he didn't intend to be insulting.

I don't accept that some others who have posted on this thread did not intend to be insulting.

Because Jesus practiced the rituals of his faith, we can conclude He had no problem with us practicing ours. Because Jesus was so nonjudgmental re the beliefs of others, we can assume He is okay with ours when they are for the purpose of pleasing or understanding God. I don't know but Avatar may be far more of a literalist than I am when it comes to scriptures. We would probably strongly disagree on the meaning of various texts of the Bible. But we share a common bond in understanding spiritual discernment and experience.

But there is a big difference between a crutch and faith. One suggests weakness or disability suffered by some and not by others. One is a concept of a relationship that offers a kind of support and underpinning that allows imperfect beings to be better than they otherwise could be and that enriches their lives in ways that nothing else can do. One is not the same as the other.

When you look at all the great and small charities out there all over the world that exist for no other reason than to offer hope, comfort, and material help to people regardless of who they are, almost all will have Christian underpinnings. Whatever you think of, however wrong or imperfect you see individual Christians to be, their legacy and the difference they make is difficult to ignore. I have to believe there is a force driving that which no other faith can claim. That is not a crutch. That is real and profound and valuable.

At the same time, I see all religions as having at least some pieces of the truth and I will not presume to judge those who embrace them. That job belongs to God.

 

[koshergrl]

No monkeys here.

I agree. We're all Monkeys. With a capital 'M'.

You're an Ass.

With a capital "A".

 

[Jimmy_Jam]

If it was Grandpa's intent to stir up a lively discussion, he succeeded. If it was his intent not to be insulting to believers in the OP, he did not succeed. Appear to accuse folks of using their relgiion as a crutch, and many will see that as offensive. But I can accept that he didn't intend to be insulting.

I don't accept that some others who have posted on this thread did not intend to be insulting.

Because Jesus practiced the rituals of his faith, we can conclude He had no problem with us practicing ours. Because Jesus was so nonjudgmental re the beliefs of others, we can assume He is okay with ours when they are for the purpose of pleasing or understanding God. I don't know but Avatar may be far more of a literalist than I am when it comes to scriptures. We would probably strongly disagree on the meaning of various texts of the Bible. But we share a common bond in understanding spiritual discernment and experience.

But there is a big difference between a crutch and faith. One suggests weakness or disability suffered by some and not by others. One is a concept of a relationship that offers a kind of support and underpinning that allows imperfect beings to be better than they otherwise could be and that enriches their lives in ways that nothing else can do. One is not the same as the other.

When you look at all the great and small charities out there all over the world that exist for no other reason than to offer hope, comfort, and material help to people regardless of who they are, almost all will have Christian underpinnings. Whatever you think of, however wrong or imperfect you see individual Christians to be, their legacy and the difference they make is difficult to ignore. I have to believe there is a force driving that which no other faith can claim. That is not a crutch. That is real and profound and valuable.

At the same time, I see all religions as having at least some pieces of the truth and I will not presume to judge those who embrace them. That job belongs to God.

I can't speak for anybody else, but I will freely admit I was intending to be insulting. However, I was intending it toward an individual, not toward and vast group of people in sweeping wholesale fashion. In the event that was not perfectly clear, let me clarify that now.

 

[Avatar4321]

I had that experience and I found it to be lacking of substance.

Well, though it's obvious, you can add "substantive" to my description. Ergo, you haven't had the experience yet.

Well hells bells...let's just set the insane free from the mental institutions cuz they have what you all have in spades!!!

You mean compassion? A heart? A desire for and love of the truth?

Just because you despise that which is good doesn't mean those who disagree with your philosophy are insane. Just that you are a crappy human being.

 

[koshergrl]

Oh good, so you were only using faith to insult one person.

That's much better.

 

[koshergrl]

Anti-Christians think that they are superior because they "accept" and "understand" that we're animals and have no intrinsic value.

They think that belief, in and of itself, makes THEM superior to those who think that humans do have value, and function according to the belief that we have a purposeful and loving God who wants us to worship him, and do good to the world.

 

[Avatar4321]

It really does make sense once you understand that we are just on a very well worn path back to barbarism. Probably not even as civilized as some barbarians. More like on the path to being technologically advanced neanderthals.

Ive marveled at those who think that because we have access to the technological advances of the age, that somehow makes us better than our progenitors. Especially when without them, we wouldnt have had the knowledge base to develop these things. In fact, there are only a few of us who are even contributing to the advancement of society.

Human nature is still the same. And more and more we are giving into our fallen nature rather than using the Atonement and overcoming that fallen nature.

A people with no desire for the truth, who make arrogant statements about things they dont attempt to understand or know, is not a people that is civilized. Quite the opposite. It's a society of fools.

 

[Avatar4321]

No monkeys here.

I agree. We're all Monkeys. With a capital 'M'.

You do realize that capitalizing a word doesn't at all change it's meaning, right?

 

[Avatar4321]

Anti-Christians think that they are superior because they "accept" and "understand" that we're animals and have no intrinsic value.

They think that belief, in and of itself, makes THEM superior to those who think that humans do have value, and function according to the belief that we have a purposeful and loving God who wants us to worship him, and do good to the world.

Personally, I dont see how one can have value by pretending they have none.

All living Creatures have inherent value. Human beings more than others because we can choose between right and wrong.

 

[HUGGY]

Atheism is a crutch for those who wont try to understand things of the Spirit. Rather than put in the work to educate oneself, they choose to pretend that the spiritual side of life is non-existant.

If there was a god I'd thank him for not giving me your brain.

 

[Jimmy_Jam]

Oh good, so you were only using faith to insult one person.

That's much better.

Pretty funny.

No, I wasn't using faith at all. I also was not really defending anybody. I just don't like shallow observations that are obviously meant to demean a group because of their religious beliefs. I do my best to evaluate people's opinions, observations, and presentations on their own merit rather than basing them on such associations.

It is possible that I fail as often as I succeed.

 

[koshergrl]

My bad, I thought you were one of the posters who jumps on the "Christians are big dummies" bandwagon whenever possible.