Okay, I've literally tried to post this about 7 times now, so now I'll put in my answers without direct quotation. I address the OP's post in order, so based on what I've stated, you'll probably know what I'm referring to.
No one said we couldn't enjoy our lives. There are certain things that we’re told not to do for specific reasons; for the consequences. Christians may have doctrinal differences but that doesn't mean that the "wrong ones" will go to Hell.
John 3:16
Catholics pray to Saints. And Mother Mary. This is a sin. It says in the Bible only to pray to God and no one but God.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
I think that whole premise is messed up. Why would death ever be the answer? Is it not better to live? I have the same problem with Martrydom. I think it's silly. When I grew up in Catholic school, I remember being taught repeatedly that if I were to be in some situation where a gun was held to my head and the only way to live was to reject God to not do it and die for the faith. It seems like very little can get done this way. I should state that very little, other than of course people who live later on that think that "oh, it MUST be true if they actually died for it". No, I think it's better to do what you have to do to live and then just continue teaching Christianity or whatever it is that you live for. If you believe in it that strongly, live to continue helping others!
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(On whether Christianity is the "true religion") Good question. Some would state that since they grew up in Christian homes, they’re more inclined to be Christians but what about those who didn’t grow up in Christian homes or, perhaps, were atheists?
Every religion has convertee's. Be it Muslim to Christian, Christian to Jew, Jew to Wicca....You will find people everywhere that have switched faith for who knows what reason. Are you trying to attest that those of which grew up in atheist homes that became Christian prove Christianity so? If that's not what you meant, I don't understand the purpose of that statement
And again, this is a Christian site.
____
Okay, let’s get one thing straight. Christianity is more than a religion with rules, books and conferences. It’s about having a personal relationship with God/Christ. I’ve noticed that people who truly don’t “get” Christianity don’t understand this point.
Perhaps I don't get it. But it most certainly is about rules to some degree. And it's a pretty serious problem if you don't obey said rules. Hell is not a happy place. It should be taken seriously.
And yes, “religion” makes people do crazy things because we obviously have no control over what we do. If people actually read the Bible, they’d see that such things are directly advised against.
The Bible is loaded with crazy things. Contradictions. Among only a few there are:
Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdict of the judge or of the priest who represents the LORD your God must be put to death. Such evil must be purged from Israel. (Deuteronomy 17:12 NLT)
Kill Witches
You should not let a sorceress live. (Exodus 22:17 NAB)
Kill Homosexuals
"If a man lies with a male as with a women, both of them shall be put to death for their abominable deed; they have forfeited their lives." (Leviticus 20:13 NAB)
Kill Fortunetellers
A man or a woman who acts as a medium or fortuneteller shall be put to death by stoning; they have no one but themselves to blame for their death. (Leviticus 20:27 NAB)
Death for Hitting Dad
Whoever strikes his father or mother shall be put to death. (Exodus 21:15 NAB)
Death for Cursing Parents
1) If one curses his father or mother, his lamp will go out at the coming of darkness. (Proverbs 20:20 NAB)
2) All who curse their father or mother must be put to death. They are guilty of a capital offense. (Leviticus 20:9 NLT)
Death for Adultery
If a man commits adultery with another man's wife, both the man and the woman must be put to death. (Leviticus 20:10 NLT)
____
I find it weird that when trying to disprove God, some people always bring science into the equation.
It's not like anyone could use english to disprove God. People use what they know. The world is largely defined by Science. Medicines were made, we know more about the human body. We know about dinosaur fossils. But let's forget that form of science and just talk about psychology. And let's forget the notion of disproving God too. It won't happen. No one will ever prove or disprove it. How can you disprove something that gives no signs of existance anyway? You can't disprove Santa either. You could send archeologists over to dig and look and search and come up with nothing, but the arguement would still remain "oh, you just didnt look in the right places, or since you don't believe, you can't see anyway." But if belief is the only way to see, that's another thing that psychology could deem insanity.
I don’t know about you but I don’t view God as my invisible friend. This thing called Christianity is largely based on faith. I can say that I’ve felt God on many occasions.
I really don't mean any disrespect, but in this case, how am I to fully make my point with out making you sound crazy? Even if it's not intentional, how am I to discuss this rationally without doing so? People feel a "presence" a lot. This presence is interchangable with whatever they might believe in. Random feelings that we all have at different points in our lives is not based on fact. The human brain is complex. Have you heard of the Chaos Theory? Slight changes in the sub-conscious can alter reality in ways we don't understand. You don't need drugs to hallucinate. People have mild psychotic break downs. (I've actually had one I'd be happy to share....I to this day don't know what it was. Some have told me it was demons, others said I was schizophrenic...I've never had something like this happened since, but it was crazy!)
Romans 10:17
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
____
Again, it’s about faith.
(On the sun) No, actually Christianity didn’t state that. People did.
____
Okay, Christianity is representative of Christ. So my question to you is, was it really “Christianity” or those that stated that they followed it? Since you stated that your family life was hard, I can’t say your suffering was because of Christ. It sucks that we tend to base concepts on those that have seemly falsified it by how they live.
____
I completely agree and I know exactly what you mean. The notion that, people are people and people make mistakes and peoples actions should not judge a religion. The person should be dealt with individually, and not taint the reputation of an entire religion. I have mixed feelings on this. On one hand, if people of a certain religion is the cause of much harm and problems in the world, even if it is not in direct correlation with the fundamentals of the religion itself, should it not be blamed on the religion, and perhaps the religion is too dangerous for us simple minded humans? On the other hand, people are stupid, and I wouldnt want the actions of one idiot to corrupt what I believe or how I feel. So...this is hard to answer.
So you’re a Satanist? Or do you simply agree with this?
I can't say I'm a Satanist. I only recently found some of it's literature, but there is a lot that I definately agree with thus far. But they would never accept me anyway. They are a very elitist group. And I think they are against drug use and I am for it. So they woudlnt like that. I think drugs should be legal. And prostitution. Not sure how they would feel about that.
Actually the Bible never states these things as the seven deadly sins. The Bible states that the seven abominations are as follows:
Proverbs 6:16-19
These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.
____
Where did the 7 deadly sins come from? Thank you for telling me this. I hate false information.
You know, there are people in the Middle East that are killed because they follow Christ. I doubt they’d truly commit if it weren’t real, especially knowing that they’d be killed for what they believe.
Again, you can't say something is real just because people died for it. Maybe those people were lost. I'm sure THEY really believed what they died for, but that doest make it true. Again, think about Jim Jones or The Heavens Gate cult.
The Bible isn’t to deceive, it’s to encourage, inspire, and inform.
I don't have a problem with The Bible. I love a lot of it's teachings. It's people that really corrupt it. Or they take it too literally. They believe these stories as fact instead of allegorical literature to inspire. I think a lot of the Bible may have been inspired by drugs, actually. I have a theory about it-- It has been proven that the "witches" put to death during The Salem Witch Trials were infact not witches at all. In those days, Men were given the best food. Women were second. Children were last. They would get the scraps and the leftovers and the food with mold on it. There is a hallucinogenic property in moldy rye bread not unlike that of LSD. This was one of their most common crops of the day. These poor kids who were seen dancing naked around fires in a ritualistic way were just tripping! What is one of the most common foods in the Bible? Bread. They didnt have the knowledge on refridgeration just 400 years ago, what about 2000 years and beyond? Their knowledge was even more limited. So their eating this stuff and what is the main beverage? Wine. Their drunk too. And they are in the desert. What happens in the desert? You see mirages. How do you rehydrate yourself? It's popularly thought to look in cactuses for water. What grows in the desert? Peyote. So you got this drunk dehydrated guys wandering around with moldy bread and peyote. That will get you some talking bushes!
____
Young children, if you’re referring to those on this site, then they’re at the age where they can understand things for themselves.
No one can understand anything. There are 15 year olds that are more mature than 30 year olds. And there are some people who never learn anything. I hate atheists. I hate ANYONE who does not KNOW why they believe something. All too often are they just rehearsed (like we were in Catholic school). Rehearsed in prayers at a young age they cant begin to understand the meaning of. It's brainwash from an early age. I'm attacking ALL religion, and also the absence of religion. There's plenty of idiot atheists out there. I don't know anyone you guys know, but from where I come from, everyone is soooo confused. They have no idea why they believe what they believe. It's sad. I am the only one who actually bothers to try and look into things as best as I can. I respect people who care enough to do so. Most do not. And I just see a lot of people here who seem like they really don't know why they believe this. They ask questions on whether something is wrong or not without just deciding for themselves. They need someone to TELL them. They can't think for themselves or figure things out logically. This is probably sounding like an attack and I really am not trying to be mean (especially to the people who bothered to comment here! I thank you for your responses!!)
Dionysus? So he’s the son of a higher “god.” And they were both accused of stating their divinity? Dionysus is a myth. If you’ve actually read the Bible, you'd understand that they don't have much in common.
They have a lot in common, actually. A lot of gods in the past share plenty of traits and characteristics of Jesus. Do your homework!
____
You know, not all people have had bad experiences with “religion” nor were their lives ruined by it. It depends on how you see it and whether you base it on those around you or on the actual text that the religion is based on.
Your right. It is all about perspective. I'd like to change a few peoples perspectives though because some might not realize if they're being had.
____
Christians don’t fear Hell because Christ paid the price for our sins; we won’t be going there.
What a great fear tactic to get more people in church. Terrorism is defined as:
the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes.
2. the state of fear and submission produced by terrorism or terrorization.
What’s your definition of “a good, happy life”? Being a good natured person? Or living however you see fit as long as you don’t harm anyone?
I suppose both. Someone who does not harm anyone who does not wish to be harmed. Someone who is kind. They don't have to go out of there way to help a stranger or anything, but just I guess a generally good natured person. Morals have nothing to do with it. I don't have very many morals. But I can be very nice and obey the Law. But I also don't agree with some of the laws either. But I don't want to get into politics.
I seriously doubt Hell takes music and film requests. You may think Heaven is “a boring place” but I think that based on your post, you haven’t fully comprehended all the bases of Christianity, God, Christ, and the Bible.
No, I know! lol. I was just sort of being metaphorical. I really hate the idea of Heaven and Hell. Nothing I enjoy would be allowed in Heaven. I get much more peace in thinking that there is nothing after death. I know thats scary to a lot of people. Most people would like to believe there is something. I hope there is nothing. I don't like the idea of being trapped as a ghost or in Heaven or anything of the sort. I just want to go gracefully with no worries. I recently lost my grandparents and I don't want them to suffer or be floating around or anything. Just eternal sleep is fine with me.
____
1 John 4:1-6
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
　
No one said we couldn't enjoy our lives. There are certain things that we’re told not to do for specific reasons; for the consequences. Christians may have doctrinal differences but that doesn't mean that the "wrong ones" will go to Hell.
John 3:16
Catholics pray to Saints. And Mother Mary. This is a sin. It says in the Bible only to pray to God and no one but God.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
I think that whole premise is messed up. Why would death ever be the answer? Is it not better to live? I have the same problem with Martrydom. I think it's silly. When I grew up in Catholic school, I remember being taught repeatedly that if I were to be in some situation where a gun was held to my head and the only way to live was to reject God to not do it and die for the faith. It seems like very little can get done this way. I should state that very little, other than of course people who live later on that think that "oh, it MUST be true if they actually died for it". No, I think it's better to do what you have to do to live and then just continue teaching Christianity or whatever it is that you live for. If you believe in it that strongly, live to continue helping others!
____
(On whether Christianity is the "true religion") Good question. Some would state that since they grew up in Christian homes, they’re more inclined to be Christians but what about those who didn’t grow up in Christian homes or, perhaps, were atheists?
Every religion has convertee's. Be it Muslim to Christian, Christian to Jew, Jew to Wicca....You will find people everywhere that have switched faith for who knows what reason. Are you trying to attest that those of which grew up in atheist homes that became Christian prove Christianity so? If that's not what you meant, I don't understand the purpose of that statement
And again, this is a Christian site.
____
Okay, let’s get one thing straight. Christianity is more than a religion with rules, books and conferences. It’s about having a personal relationship with God/Christ. I’ve noticed that people who truly don’t “get” Christianity don’t understand this point.
Perhaps I don't get it. But it most certainly is about rules to some degree. And it's a pretty serious problem if you don't obey said rules. Hell is not a happy place. It should be taken seriously.
And yes, “religion” makes people do crazy things because we obviously have no control over what we do. If people actually read the Bible, they’d see that such things are directly advised against.
The Bible is loaded with crazy things. Contradictions. Among only a few there are:
Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdict of the judge or of the priest who represents the LORD your God must be put to death. Such evil must be purged from Israel. (Deuteronomy 17:12 NLT)
Kill Witches
You should not let a sorceress live. (Exodus 22:17 NAB)
Kill Homosexuals
"If a man lies with a male as with a women, both of them shall be put to death for their abominable deed; they have forfeited their lives." (Leviticus 20:13 NAB)
Kill Fortunetellers
A man or a woman who acts as a medium or fortuneteller shall be put to death by stoning; they have no one but themselves to blame for their death. (Leviticus 20:27 NAB)
Death for Hitting Dad
Whoever strikes his father or mother shall be put to death. (Exodus 21:15 NAB)
Death for Cursing Parents
1) If one curses his father or mother, his lamp will go out at the coming of darkness. (Proverbs 20:20 NAB)
2) All who curse their father or mother must be put to death. They are guilty of a capital offense. (Leviticus 20:9 NLT)
Death for Adultery
If a man commits adultery with another man's wife, both the man and the woman must be put to death. (Leviticus 20:10 NLT)
____
I find it weird that when trying to disprove God, some people always bring science into the equation.
It's not like anyone could use english to disprove God. People use what they know. The world is largely defined by Science. Medicines were made, we know more about the human body. We know about dinosaur fossils. But let's forget that form of science and just talk about psychology. And let's forget the notion of disproving God too. It won't happen. No one will ever prove or disprove it. How can you disprove something that gives no signs of existance anyway? You can't disprove Santa either. You could send archeologists over to dig and look and search and come up with nothing, but the arguement would still remain "oh, you just didnt look in the right places, or since you don't believe, you can't see anyway." But if belief is the only way to see, that's another thing that psychology could deem insanity.
I don’t know about you but I don’t view God as my invisible friend. This thing called Christianity is largely based on faith. I can say that I’ve felt God on many occasions.
I really don't mean any disrespect, but in this case, how am I to fully make my point with out making you sound crazy? Even if it's not intentional, how am I to discuss this rationally without doing so? People feel a "presence" a lot. This presence is interchangable with whatever they might believe in. Random feelings that we all have at different points in our lives is not based on fact. The human brain is complex. Have you heard of the Chaos Theory? Slight changes in the sub-conscious can alter reality in ways we don't understand. You don't need drugs to hallucinate. People have mild psychotic break downs. (I've actually had one I'd be happy to share....I to this day don't know what it was. Some have told me it was demons, others said I was schizophrenic...I've never had something like this happened since, but it was crazy!)
Romans 10:17
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
____
Again, it’s about faith.
(On the sun) No, actually Christianity didn’t state that. People did.
____
Okay, Christianity is representative of Christ. So my question to you is, was it really “Christianity” or those that stated that they followed it? Since you stated that your family life was hard, I can’t say your suffering was because of Christ. It sucks that we tend to base concepts on those that have seemly falsified it by how they live.
____
I completely agree and I know exactly what you mean. The notion that, people are people and people make mistakes and peoples actions should not judge a religion. The person should be dealt with individually, and not taint the reputation of an entire religion. I have mixed feelings on this. On one hand, if people of a certain religion is the cause of much harm and problems in the world, even if it is not in direct correlation with the fundamentals of the religion itself, should it not be blamed on the religion, and perhaps the religion is too dangerous for us simple minded humans? On the other hand, people are stupid, and I wouldnt want the actions of one idiot to corrupt what I believe or how I feel. So...this is hard to answer.
So you’re a Satanist? Or do you simply agree with this?
I can't say I'm a Satanist. I only recently found some of it's literature, but there is a lot that I definately agree with thus far. But they would never accept me anyway. They are a very elitist group. And I think they are against drug use and I am for it. So they woudlnt like that. I think drugs should be legal. And prostitution. Not sure how they would feel about that.
Actually the Bible never states these things as the seven deadly sins. The Bible states that the seven abominations are as follows:
Proverbs 6:16-19
These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.
____
Where did the 7 deadly sins come from? Thank you for telling me this. I hate false information.
You know, there are people in the Middle East that are killed because they follow Christ. I doubt they’d truly commit if it weren’t real, especially knowing that they’d be killed for what they believe.
Again, you can't say something is real just because people died for it. Maybe those people were lost. I'm sure THEY really believed what they died for, but that doest make it true. Again, think about Jim Jones or The Heavens Gate cult.
The Bible isn’t to deceive, it’s to encourage, inspire, and inform.
I don't have a problem with The Bible. I love a lot of it's teachings. It's people that really corrupt it. Or they take it too literally. They believe these stories as fact instead of allegorical literature to inspire. I think a lot of the Bible may have been inspired by drugs, actually. I have a theory about it-- It has been proven that the "witches" put to death during The Salem Witch Trials were infact not witches at all. In those days, Men were given the best food. Women were second. Children were last. They would get the scraps and the leftovers and the food with mold on it. There is a hallucinogenic property in moldy rye bread not unlike that of LSD. This was one of their most common crops of the day. These poor kids who were seen dancing naked around fires in a ritualistic way were just tripping! What is one of the most common foods in the Bible? Bread. They didnt have the knowledge on refridgeration just 400 years ago, what about 2000 years and beyond? Their knowledge was even more limited. So their eating this stuff and what is the main beverage? Wine. Their drunk too. And they are in the desert. What happens in the desert? You see mirages. How do you rehydrate yourself? It's popularly thought to look in cactuses for water. What grows in the desert? Peyote. So you got this drunk dehydrated guys wandering around with moldy bread and peyote. That will get you some talking bushes!
____
Young children, if you’re referring to those on this site, then they’re at the age where they can understand things for themselves.
No one can understand anything. There are 15 year olds that are more mature than 30 year olds. And there are some people who never learn anything. I hate atheists. I hate ANYONE who does not KNOW why they believe something. All too often are they just rehearsed (like we were in Catholic school). Rehearsed in prayers at a young age they cant begin to understand the meaning of. It's brainwash from an early age. I'm attacking ALL religion, and also the absence of religion. There's plenty of idiot atheists out there. I don't know anyone you guys know, but from where I come from, everyone is soooo confused. They have no idea why they believe what they believe. It's sad. I am the only one who actually bothers to try and look into things as best as I can. I respect people who care enough to do so. Most do not. And I just see a lot of people here who seem like they really don't know why they believe this. They ask questions on whether something is wrong or not without just deciding for themselves. They need someone to TELL them. They can't think for themselves or figure things out logically. This is probably sounding like an attack and I really am not trying to be mean (especially to the people who bothered to comment here! I thank you for your responses!!)
Dionysus? So he’s the son of a higher “god.” And they were both accused of stating their divinity? Dionysus is a myth. If you’ve actually read the Bible, you'd understand that they don't have much in common.
They have a lot in common, actually. A lot of gods in the past share plenty of traits and characteristics of Jesus. Do your homework!
____
You know, not all people have had bad experiences with “religion” nor were their lives ruined by it. It depends on how you see it and whether you base it on those around you or on the actual text that the religion is based on.
Your right. It is all about perspective. I'd like to change a few peoples perspectives though because some might not realize if they're being had.
____
Christians don’t fear Hell because Christ paid the price for our sins; we won’t be going there.
What a great fear tactic to get more people in church. Terrorism is defined as:
the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes.
2. the state of fear and submission produced by terrorism or terrorization.
What’s your definition of “a good, happy life”? Being a good natured person? Or living however you see fit as long as you don’t harm anyone?
I suppose both. Someone who does not harm anyone who does not wish to be harmed. Someone who is kind. They don't have to go out of there way to help a stranger or anything, but just I guess a generally good natured person. Morals have nothing to do with it. I don't have very many morals. But I can be very nice and obey the Law. But I also don't agree with some of the laws either. But I don't want to get into politics.
I seriously doubt Hell takes music and film requests. You may think Heaven is “a boring place” but I think that based on your post, you haven’t fully comprehended all the bases of Christianity, God, Christ, and the Bible.
No, I know! lol. I was just sort of being metaphorical. I really hate the idea of Heaven and Hell. Nothing I enjoy would be allowed in Heaven. I get much more peace in thinking that there is nothing after death. I know thats scary to a lot of people. Most people would like to believe there is something. I hope there is nothing. I don't like the idea of being trapped as a ghost or in Heaven or anything of the sort. I just want to go gracefully with no worries. I recently lost my grandparents and I don't want them to suffer or be floating around or anything. Just eternal sleep is fine with me.
____
1 John 4:1-6
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
　
A lot of people are trying to say that I'm just being blasphemous or disrespectful. Really, in a case like this, dealing with a subject matter that is very dear to some people, how is one to truely analyze it and give their opinions in a respectful way? I really don't mean to offend anyone. Perhaps this message doesnt pertain to any of you. I just felt the need to make some information available. Give people a chance to hear a different thought. I wanted a healthy conversation/debate. I mean no harm. Even if that sounds fake. I really enjoy talking with people that disagree. It helps me mature and learn more. It's good to hear all sides of things. Nothing harmful can come from knowledge. I hate people who burn Bibles. And those christians in Florida who burned the Quran. That's just as bad. Destroying information is what someone would do as a last resort to get rid of it. They can't handle the words within the text, they just want to set it ablaze rather than deal with it in a mature way. It's a very immature statement. Theres nothing to fear from mere words. Should we burn every copy of Mein Kaumpf? No. Having it as a historical reference is good. Thats how we learn from our mistakes.
, most of us have reason for our actions even if we don't understand from others what they are 