Yes I've read the bible, not all of it, yet, but a large amount. The whole new testament shows God is a God of love. Yeah, wars and disease happened, but that's because this world is imperfect. Murders are carried out by humans, not God.
Where was it Fire and Brimstone rained down upon people? Sodom? Gomorrah? God did that right? Cause he was soooo loving... Didn't he also turn ppl to stone around the same time? Nice one! Glad your God doesn't consider any of that MURDER. Of course that had nothing to do with the explosion on Thera (Greece) that was one of the biggest ever (the entire volcano blew, destroying much of civilization around the eastern Med).
Ok, God is vengeful. I would be too, if the creatures I created turned their backs on me and completely threw everything I'd done for them in my face. I apologise that I'm overly optimistic about things, I do tend to focus on the happy shiny parts of life, but I'm not brainwashed. I'm aware that awful things happen, and I can't explain them. I do know that the God of the old testament is appeased by the sacrifice of Jesus, and while natural disasters still happen, I know He doesn't see that I'm a sinful creature. And no, I don't use that as an excuse to sin, I try my hardest not to, because that's the way He wants me to live. Where are people turned to stone? I'm not disputing that happened, it may have done, I just haven't read that bit.
There's a difference between living a good life because you want to and living a good life because you are told to by the bible and/or by the church. Do what YOU feel is right and don't base all of your decisions on what is said in the bible and don't do things because you are told by a religion that they are the right things to do. If you don't think for yourself and if you let god or the bible make all of your decisions for you.....you're kissing god's ass like a bitch. Besides, there's no way that every little bit of the bible is right, anyway. Some of it has had to have been changed or lost in translation over the past 2000 or so years. Be a good person and live a good life, and god would have to be one evil motherfucker to send you to hell, regardless of your religious beliefs.
Guess what? You can be HAPPY and NOT be a Christian! Yes, it is possible! You can be a loving, giving, sharing, caring, wonderful person and NOT BE A CHRISTIAN! You can be all of these things your whole life without EVER attributing ANY of it to Jesus! I'm sorry I meant turning ppl to Salt, not stone, although I do think that happened elsewhere (Medea - another mythos). Do you consider the God of the Old Testament to be a different God than that of the New Testament? Did the old one get voted off Heaven, and a new one replaced him/her/it? So you're saying Christians believe in MULTIPLE Gods, right?
First of all; WHAT THE FUCK?! Show some respect! It may not be YOUR religion- that doesnt give you the right to throw it on the ground and walk all over it. Back on topic though, I agree with most of what you guys have said. Its a way to keep people in line. If your bad- you spend eternity burning and rotting in hell. Scare tactics is how I look at it, nobody wants to go on a murderous rampage if they will have to spend the rest of Time in hell...
Many things here are getting borderline offensive. If I were a Christian I would certainly be upset by some of the comments made here. But that is a given with a debate, I'm just saying, dont get so heated trying to push your beliefs down others throats... Believe it or not, not everyone thinks like you.
A firey pit were satan lerks. DUHHHHHHHHHHH Oh and organized religion causes war, hate, and negativity. People use religion to cope with the mystery of life that they cant seem to handle.
What exactly happens in the "firey pit"? Oh, and where exactly is that pit located? Is it on earth, inside perhaps? Or somewhere else. I'm confused about that.
Get off your high horse, it's not like anyone is making up lies, the failures of the Abrahamic God are contained within his own religions... so back off unless you have anything intellectual to say, because you are being disrespectful with your assumptions. First of all it has to be said that Yahweh is more powerful then man, not better. He is not all knowing otherwise he would not have flooded the entire earth (except Noah and his arc) only to realize that man is born with sin. He is not all loving other wise he wouldn't have REPENTED HIS EVIL UNTO MOSES!. He is not all powerful otherwise he would demonstrate much less frustration and (as Yahweh puts it himself) EVIL. And this is the guy they have the nerve to call all loving and all knowing.
yeah, I agree about the comments anti-christians make. its downright rude. Im not a practicing catholic by any means, but I find that alot of what these antichristians are saying is borderline trolling and downright unfactual accusations pretty much....
Only a person who has something to worry about would be asking a question such as what hell is and what it looks like. No man on earth can say what hell looks like. Otherwise it wouldn't be hell. Hell is not a district, a town, a camp site. Hell is the most unimaginable horror there is. And it lasts for all eternity. Do not think of hell. Get it out of your minds. Erase that word from your mind. God forbid that the last thing you think of before you die is hell. God forbid. Think only of the Lord and the door will appear. Knock and the door will be opened to you. Hell is not waiting for anyone. Only you choose in life where you will go. God gave you free Will and as long as you recognize the Truth you will receive your place in paradise.
Wrong! I asked that question for a completely different reason than you assume. I don't believe it exists, as no one has ever proven it does, except in their OWN minds. You assume I worry about hell, because you're projecting your own beliefs upon everyone you meet and converse with. You clearly are unable to separate your own beliefs from reality. How sad you've chosen to be Christian and ignorant. OK, how about men who go into space, can they see hell? How about women and children, can they? Don't know about this either, since MAN himself has seen fit to create LIVING HELLS all over our planet. Why do we need to believe in ANOTHER HELL far removed from the one man himself creates? Go live in Baghdad now and see what the new Christian Crusade hath wrought! Go see what life is like for the innocent children who've only known bombs and destruction their whole lives. Heaven for them would be living as you do, and being able to sleep thru every night without nightmares. Yes, blind yourself to the truth that surrounds you and the discoveries of science because they will all show you the manipulative lies religion is based upon. One thing you said IS TRUE, despite yourself. You sure as "hell" don't want to be thinking of "hell" when you die! Since you create your own reality (as science now realizes), you'll be sure of coming back into a living hell in your next life. I see something interesting here. That bit of truth came thru to you. Did you read it in scriptures (please don't quote if you did), or did it "come" to you via another channel? BTW, thanks a whole bunch for NOT answering the question, and exhorting others to not even think about it. Really shows how you presume to control the minds of others. How Christian of you! Is that the same approach to you give people coming to you for spiritual advice? Why do you feel you need to control the minds of others? Of course answers like his just PROVE that hell doesn't exist, since you can't even describe it, much less locate it in reality. So it must only exist in the fantasy that the Christian Church has placed in your head, no?
Good question Skip. I have come to the conclusion(and many others have also) that much of what mainline christianity teaches about "hell" is not true to the original languages of the Christian and Jewish scriptures. So what is "hell"? I thought it would be ok to refer people to this link which has some replies that I posted in response to Campbell34 on the subject of "hell". Check it out if you are interested. And Skip, thanks for not banning me - I apologize once again for my initial attitude on this forum. Peace to you. www.hipforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=220617
For someone who does not believe in the power of Christ you are certainly showing a lot of interest in the religion. The sheep would think that the ram is using his horns to throw his weight about. Perhaps when a ram reaches a certain age it sees things in a different perspective. Another year older, another younger fitter ram waiting to take my place. Stress. Do I turn to God? No. Everyone will laugh! So, what is it? Is it the status of being a demi-god in a microchip microcosm? The rush of adrenalin from all the sycophants praising the living Lord? The God who knows he is false? Bear in mind that bigger and better have passed before, like Darius, Caesar and Alexander. But everyone who knows any of you, I would imagine, will not think that. We may put up with sycophants, but that doesn't mean we like them. So I understand that I am not a radio transmitter broadcasting to the world: "lLISTEN TO MY PROGRAM". Instead I am the opposite of the radio. I listen to your transmissions. I can feel when something is not right. I am from a different school. I am not from the school of religion. I am from the school of faith. We listen. We don't preach. We guide in the hope that someone will hear. I could blab forever, but if you haven't fallen asleep, bear this in mind. Christianity like with everything that doesn't react to change in environment has its flaws. But it also has infinite wisdom to teach, and, more than that, it can help you cope with inevitable moments of grief in your life,and to turn horrid memories into redemptious ones. Us people! We think we know everything! So does an ant.
I think Kane is asking, can you be so brave as to disobey god? It is the argument that even if you dont believe in god surely as an insurance policy it would be best to obey gods word. However that is as far as he could go except he has faith god exists and doesnt need the insurance. Is that the summary I think so
I woold like to say somethin but pleese don laff at me please. I have been lookin at this part of the fourroom for sum time now. Reverend I hope youre real n I think you ar real abaout wot you say. I m at a midll age now n I have started camin to this compyouter biznis becoz at first I needed to cuch up with the rest of the world. I am not the reel Boss Hog. Every one nows that. But I don't moind that peeple laff at me. I like makin peeple laff. Hell, I'm not even full American. My paw was from Italy n he married the most bootifool woman in Alabama. My mama god bless her sweat soul. I notis that sum peeple here laff at the way I spell thins n called me names like Centinem n Sheriff Bucanon. Whin I was in school hundreeds of years ago the teecher used to make me cum up to write senteences on the eesl n I used to make peeple laff. I didnt mind I like laffin. Laffin makes the world go roun. they said a had some kind of proublm. I didnt mind. We cant oll be like Ainstain rite? But the one thin that has kind of stopped my laffter Reverend n the reesn Im in heere is that my nefew recomendeed that the peeple here ar kind of forgivin n dont wory much who you are. I speent all ma life workin hard and ma wife was a plain qwuiet woman. Ther were nevr match in the way of conversaytion but she was ther reverend. She were there. My Lord I miss her! With oll ma heart I miss seein her face whenevr I came home sir. Diner woold be reedy, but mor than that a had someone ther to make me feel I existeed. I had some hope theere that a coold hold, n tell ma probleem n jokes two. An now althow I havent been to the cheech seens the fyounerall I fill the nead for redeemsion, yes siree. Ma nefew said a woold find a lot of kids who woold larff at me burt hee also seed that I woold find peepl of ma gineration who will undeerstand and soleace me. I am not askin for match Reeverend. All I ask is sum comppanionship. Like I sid. I dont mind the jibes. theyre kids. We all were kids once. Oll I need is some one to till me theeres hope out there n we weerent just born to die. Is that two much to ask for sir?
I know you can be happy, and a wonderful person without being Christian, I'm just saying I want to attribute my happiness to that, I wasn't optimistic at all before I was a Christian. Ok salt, that happened. No, the God of the Old testament is definitely the same as the God of the New testament, it's just in the New testament He sent Jesus, so His wrath was directed there, not at us.
he sent Jesus because the exclusionist Jewish didnt have it quite right yet. Man corrupts everything.
