Where is God?

[Avatar]

Oh, and I think "Satan" is our difficultly in rectifying our fairly new human intelligence with our ancestral instinct. Greed, anger, and lust are necessary for survival in the animal kingdom

Well said Kins.

Sometimes I wonder if "free will" is the cop-out for why everything isn't kept wonderful by god. It's a dodgy concept really. Do the famine-stricken choose it? Have they lived such terrible lives that they deserve it? I doubt it.

--A

[sgt.null]

maybe we should end hunger? that would be our free will.

[Avatar]

Well, that's sort of my point. (That's a huge sig you've got there man )

Millions want to end world hunger, but it doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon. They're excercising their will to end it, but nothing is really happening.

--A

[sgt.null]

all the girl's like my sig, and it makes the guys jealous.

we don't end world hunger because we are sheep and will believe any reason given for not changing the world. the politicians lie to us and we simply demand cheaper cable tv...

[ChoChiyo]

And yet he had people put to death when they didn't kill everything in sight. Perhaps you're just imposing your own love of compassion and hatred of needless violence on this god, Cho.

Pretty insensitive of you, if you ask me.

Ha ha!!

Maybe so!



my bad

[Revan]

www.infidels.org/library/historical/rob ... bible.html

What a great piece of writing.

Now here is the things, all big believers seemed to have this uncanny ability to turn a blind eye to such things. they justify the killing, vengeful and horrid acts by saying "I don't believe god did them, it was satan." or "it was humans, because god gave us the free will to do those things". once *again* denying the truth laid out in front of them. (I don't consider any of the bible to contain facts) Like saying "I believe in god, but not in hell." And sometimes when having a different argument, saying, "I believe satan is responisble for all the evil acts in the bible".

What? That doesn't make sense.

These people who are only selectively choosing what aspects they want to believe in with their religions sicken me. To me, it's nothing but cowardice. Because they know there are too many flaws and mistakes in their religion, therefore these self-righteous people seek only to believe in the parts which are "good" to them. Which backs up their image of a perfect and just god; ignoring the truth. This is why I despise religion.

[Avatar]

Well, I certainly see what you're saying, but I don't think that it necessarily means that such "selective" belief is a bad thing. Sure, one way of looking at it could well be as a denial of the "facts" as they're presented, but why should we deny people the right to reinterpret their religion?

Maybe if enough people only believed in the "good", it would reinvent christianity in a more tolerant form? That at least can't be bad, can it?

--A

[Revan]

Sure, on the surface of things, it's not bad at all. But if they do what exactly they're doing, then it's not really the religion they started to believe in any more. It's there own personally religion.

In essence, they're doing exactly what those who wrote the bible are doing, changing it so it suits them.

[Avatar]

Well, since I think that religion should be a fundamentally personal thing, I think that its a good thing. These people are recognising the shortcomings of religion, (and I'll refer to Furls' post where she talks about the difference between religion and god), and redesigning it to be more acceptable to themselves.

Religion, like society, like pretty much everything, must evolve over time, or become outmoded, and eventually extinct. That's what's happening. Sure, maybe we can say that it's then not the same religion, but again, why is that bad?

--A

[Revan]

Well, since I think that religion should be a fundamentally personal thing, I think that its a good thing. These people are recognising the shortcomings of religion, (and I'll refer to Furls' post where she talks about the difference between religion and god), and redesigning it to be more acceptable to themselves.

Religion, like society, like pretty much everything, must evolve over time, or become outmoded, and eventually extinct. That's what's happening. Sure, maybe we can say that it's then not the same religion, but again, why is that bad?

--A

I can't honestly see why religion becoming extinct could be a bad thing.

But I don't think it ever will. Religion, i've deemed a long time now, is man's answer to their fear of death; as long as death exists, the need and fear which compels us to belief that there is some kind of after-life also exists.

[Avatar]

I pretty much agree with you on that score, but in the same vein, if we have to have some kind of religion, don't you think that the more open and tolerant it is, the better for the rest of us?

--A

[Revan]

No, because we're just sugar coating our fear of death. We're lying to ourselves.

Mind you, since we've (Man) existed, we have always been doing just that. A shame.

[[Syl]]

Darth, I could almost swear you're the next thing in converting: you're almost making me want to be a Christian, disagreeing with you seems so appealing.

[Avatar]

--A

[Revan]

Damn it! I've been uncovered! yes... indeed, I am the newest method of conversion in religion today. As the method "Come as you are" didn't work, the Pope has given me authority to use my habit of making people disagree with whatever I say as a method to lure people to believing in God.

I am a proud member of the church, and believe that God is our only hope. So join the church now! You get free snacks.

[wayfriend]

You get free snacks.

Homer Simpson: Mmm .... Body of Christ ... <drool>

[High Lord Tolkien]

I can't honestly see why religion becoming extinct could be a bad thing.

I agree.
This song always made sense to me too:

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

[Revan]

That rules.

[Plissken]

Sure, on the surface of things, it's not bad at all. But if they do what exactly they're doing, then it's not really the religion they started to believe in any more. It's there own personal[sic] religion.

I'm my own personal Jesus. My snacks are better.

[Lord Mhoram]

Your own personal Jesus
Someone to hear your prayers
Someone who cares
Your own personal Jesus
Someone to hear your prayers
Someone who's there

Feeling unknown
And you're all alone
Flesh and bone
By the telephone
Lift up the receiver
I'll make you a believer

Take second best
Put me to the test
Things on your chest
You need to confess
I will deliver
You know I'm a forgiver

Reach out and touch faith
Reach out and touch faith

Your own personal Jesus

Feeling unknown
And you're all alone
Flesh and bone
By the telephone
Lift up the receiver
I'll make you a believer

I will deliver
You know I'm a forgiver

Reach out and touch faith
Your own personal Jesus

-Depeche Mode