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re: Do you ever question religion?
Posted on 10/23/15 at 1:55 pm to DownSouthJukin
Posted on 10/23/15 at 1:55 pm to DownSouthJukin
quote:
That's the Devil talking to you. Do you really want there to be life or our existence without God? Pretty fricking meaningless.
Wanting something to be true doesn't make it so, no matter how unpleasant the alternative.
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Posted on 10/23/15 at 2:00 pm to Roger Klarvin
Also, adding to this line of thought about morality, what does it say about someone who is only good because they think the boogy man (devil) is going to get them. Do you really believe that's where morality comes from?
Posted on 10/23/15 at 2:35 pm to BABAR
Christians don't do good deeds to be accepted by God. They do good things because they are already accepted by God.
Posted on 10/23/15 at 3:13 pm to dallastiger55
At the moment I am a big-picture non-literalist Christian. For perspective, I was raised southern baptist with a preacher for a grandfather.
I don't think you have to buy into all the supernatural aspects of a virgin birth, miracles, Noah's arc, Adam and Eve, etc. in order to take away the good teachings of Christianity. I view each story as a method of explaining a concept that is too complex for most to understand. It's unfortunate that so many converted atheists have thrown the baby out with the bathwater in this regard.
I view the "Creator" God as different than the "embodiment of good" God. But I view each as a concept and not a concrete object.
The meat and potatoes for me are the Proverbs and the teachings of Christ. The notion of a need for a sacrifice and atonement was really just carried over from previous religions from what I can gather. Essentially Christianity, the "New Covenant" is just saying you can put aside all that ritual now and just treat each other well, avoid negative character traits, and don't be a prick, as is human nature.
I am not crazy about organized religion, but church can be a place to meet good people who want to help those in need. And, for reasons I cannot explain, I still pray now and then.
I don't think you have to buy into all the supernatural aspects of a virgin birth, miracles, Noah's arc, Adam and Eve, etc. in order to take away the good teachings of Christianity. I view each story as a method of explaining a concept that is too complex for most to understand. It's unfortunate that so many converted atheists have thrown the baby out with the bathwater in this regard.
I view the "Creator" God as different than the "embodiment of good" God. But I view each as a concept and not a concrete object.
The meat and potatoes for me are the Proverbs and the teachings of Christ. The notion of a need for a sacrifice and atonement was really just carried over from previous religions from what I can gather. Essentially Christianity, the "New Covenant" is just saying you can put aside all that ritual now and just treat each other well, avoid negative character traits, and don't be a prick, as is human nature.
I am not crazy about organized religion, but church can be a place to meet good people who want to help those in need. And, for reasons I cannot explain, I still pray now and then.
Posted on 10/23/15 at 4:41 pm to DownSouthJukin
quote:
I'm sure life on earth unrestrained by morality is great. Live it up. Now... what if?
You're quite literally clueless to what you're saying.
Living without religion is not any less moral, less meaningful or wonderful. You have been brainwashed if you believe that. Sure, morality in the sense we know it has been influenced by religion. But our sense of what is right and wrong, which is just part of being a human, easily predates the largest modern religions.
Posted on 10/23/15 at 7:17 pm to piggilicious
quote:
i love church music- the end of criminal minds the other night had a nice version of amazing grace and i had to go back and listen to it about 3 times.
Contemporary churches rarely, if ever, sing any songs I have even ever heard.
I just stand there with my hands in my pockets.
Posted on 10/23/15 at 7:24 pm to dallastiger55
quote:
Do you ever question religion?
Religion, yes. Christianity, no.
Posted on 10/23/15 at 7:37 pm to dallastiger55
I grew up Christian and remember being scared shitless when I first second-guessed it. It was like falling out of love for the first time. Eventually found peace. Im not an atheist (that requires a certain kind of faith), just don't subscribe to any formal religion. They (religions) all have good intentions but get messed up by the followers. When my kids ask about god and if I believe I just tell them them I believe the universe is God and vice versa.
Posted on 10/23/15 at 7:41 pm to PortlyDawg
quote:
I grew up Christian and remember being scared shitless when I first second-guessed it. It was like falling out of love for the first time. Eventually found peace. Im not an atheist (that requires a certain kind of faith), just don't subscribe to any formal religion. They (religions) all have good intentions but get messed up by the followers. When my kids ask about god and if I believe I just tell them them I believe the universe is God and vice versa.
It's hard to openly say you're not a Christian any more. I don't know how I'd tell me kids about it. I'd hope they'd just arrive to the same conclusions I did on their own.
Posted on 10/23/15 at 7:45 pm to PortlyDawg
That's my belief too, God is the universe. The universe itself is an intelligent mind. I have a very hard time believing all of time and space happened by "chance". I mean seriously, just look around the room you're in. You can't tell me all those things just happened by random luck
This post was edited on 10/23/15 at 7:47 pm
Posted on 10/24/15 at 4:45 pm to Roger Klarvin
Depends on what you read, I just did a 12 page report with about 50 non Christian sources stating that they believe there was a global flood.
Posted on 10/24/15 at 4:52 pm to lwlsu96
I have questioned my faith pretty drastically. But in regards to what's going on in the world today, sooo many things that the Bible talks about happening are starting to happen. Such as people will begin to claim things that are bad are now acceptable. Doctrine will not be accurate (see Joel Osteen,the Catholic Church), and people will lean on their own understanding. The people I can most understand, other than Christians are agnostic. Something created all of this, I just happen to believe Jesus is who he says he was. I also can somewhat understand atheist and their science, even though some of the big bang and beginning of evolution doesn't make sense(something coming from nothing and lightning in water starting life) to me.
Check out Jesus>Religion if you're open minded.
Check out Jesus>Religion if you're open minded.
Posted on 10/24/15 at 10:21 pm to dallastiger55
Dallastiger55
D&C 137:7-10
To All, So many questions and so many answers. They can all be answered.
LDS.org
Carolina girl I'm so sorry for your loss. I can only imagine your pain. I pray for your comfort.
quote:
7 Thus came the voice of the Lord unto me, saying: All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God;
8 Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom;
9 For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.
10 And I also beheld that all children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven.
D&C 137:7-10
To All, So many questions and so many answers. They can all be answered.
LDS.org
Carolina girl I'm so sorry for your loss. I can only imagine your pain. I pray for your comfort.
This post was edited on 10/24/15 at 10:52 pm
Posted on 10/25/15 at 1:21 pm to dallastiger55
My take on religion is pretty simple.
Something pretty awesome happened a long, long time ago or hundreds of cultures wouldn't have a similar story to tell. However, the whisper chain really messed things up and the ambiguity allowed evil people to twist things and religion has been used to keep people down and control the masses.
Churches shouldn't act as business entities and not get taxed as such.
Something pretty awesome happened a long, long time ago or hundreds of cultures wouldn't have a similar story to tell. However, the whisper chain really messed things up and the ambiguity allowed evil people to twist things and religion has been used to keep people down and control the masses.
Churches shouldn't act as business entities and not get taxed as such.
Posted on 10/25/15 at 1:36 pm to dallastiger55
I question everything.
People believe what works for them and I think that's a good thing. Whatever it takes to get through life, go for it.
People believe what works for them and I think that's a good thing. Whatever it takes to get through life, go for it.
Posted on 10/26/15 at 2:27 pm to Roger Klarvin
quote:
This is true of all religions. My issue is not necessarily with taking things on faith, it's taking things on faith which contradict known physical realities. For instance, Christians and Muslims believe in certain events from the Bible and Koran respectively which by all measures of science and history never happened. I can show with a reasonable degree of certainty that things like Noah's Flood never happened and the Koran's claims about Alexander the Great are just historically wrong. Once you are able to discount such things in supposed holy texts the house of cards begins to crumble.
This is so well said. I have been arguing this point for ten years. If you grew up in the age before the internet, cable TV, or radio, you took what your preacher or teacher taught you as FACT. They took what their teachers and parents taught them as FACT, and on and on we go. Now we have all this information at our fingertips, we see the entire globe in one picture. We now realize that the kid in Iran grew up a Muslim and believes in his god just as strongly as the kid that grew up in Kansas in the 50s in his god. Its all a sham, and religions were started to control the masses. The biggest one of all, the catholic church has even changed their views to adapt to progressive ways of thinking. Countries with advanced IQ populations are moving away from religion, others will follow suite. It may take a few more centuries.
Humans fear death, and that is the only reason religion has survived.
I was raised a Jehovah's Witness, but I have been removed from that for 15 years. They are extremely different from any other type of church I've ever attended. There is no tithing, their preachers don't have a salary, they work like everybody else, and all their publications are done with free in-house labor. The JoHos are in well over 200 nations around the globe. They were to strict for me, no cussing, no slander, no sex before marriage, no excessive drinking, basically what it says in the bible that every other southern Baptist does anyways.
This post was edited on 10/26/15 at 2:33 pm
Posted on 10/26/15 at 3:02 pm to TeLeFaWx
quote:
It's hard to openly say you're not a Christian any more
Why is that?
Posted on 10/26/15 at 4:59 pm to BluegrassBelle
quote:
I've met some really exceptional people in my life who truly believe and practice their religion in a really righteous way. But I feel like the older I get, the fewer in number those people become. And it leaves a really bad taste in my mouth for organized religion.
This is a huge one for me, especially as someone who grew up in a Southern Baptist deacon's household. Baptists are entirely too busy telling me whether I am or am not a Christian instead of how to be a better one.
Furthermore, as I get older it's fascinating and depressing learning that shiny facade of the congregation is just a bunch of swingers, alcoholics, porn addicts, etc... just all around huge hypocrites. I don't fault any specific sin/vice in particular, but don't lecture me on my walk with God when we'lre all screwed up in the end. Don't talk about gay marriage all the time when half the people there are straight married swingers.
Also I'm amazed at hoe black and white so many "devout" Christians are when it comes to certain topics. The rationale for divorce really stands out when other sins are perceived much worse. Then they'll turn right back around with "All sins are equal" and the condescending (Luuvvvv the sinner, hayte the sinn!!" crap.
At this point I have to maintain faith there's much more and better to our lives than this. To think this is the peak of humanity with world hunger being slashed in half, no world wars, longer life spans, better quality of living, etc...
Posted on 10/26/15 at 5:06 pm to DynastyDawg
quote:
It says there will be no pain and suffering, etc. etc. What if someone was to get there and a loved one didn't make it? Are we assuming we just completely forget those people ever existed? Are we allowed to ask questions that may bring upon pain and suffering or are the memories completely wiped away?
As a former Southern Baptist I'm pretty sure many believe you're not going to remember those left on Earth. I would think that'd have to be the case in the event there won't be any pain or sorrow in heaven.
I'll never forget a sermon about how our pastor described what heaven was going to be like. Like dimensions, amenities, etc. Good grief
Posted on 10/26/15 at 5:22 pm to DynastyDawg
quote:
It says there will be no pain and suffering, etc. etc. What if someone was to get there and a loved one didn't make it? Are we assuming we just completely forget those people ever existed? Are we allowed to ask questions that may bring upon pain and suffering or are the memories completely wiped away?
Study the second It says there will be no pain and suffering, etc. etc. What if someone was to get there and a loved one didn't make it? Are we assuming we just completely forget those people ever existed? Are we allowed to ask questions that may bring upon pain and suffering or are the memories completely wiped away?
Second (Final)judgement.
We will know why they didn't make the cut.
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