Leslie

Well I keep saying it, and I don't apologise for saying it again.

The problems which are associated in a general manner with religion by so many are not so much caused by the religion concerned as by people who either have gone OTT and/or wish to to use the religion for their own selfish requirements in a way that the religion would never advocate.

These evil actions cannot be blamed on the basic teachings of the religion concerned.

When this used to be a predominately religious country, the people used to be considerably less selfish and were far more law abiding. People also used to have more respect for others and were much more willing to help those in trouble. This was also a more tolerant society for its own sake, rather than having to be shouted at by PC Plonkers all the time.

Les

hodgy0_2

if God exists - why Dinosaurs?, I'd love to know

Trout

iTrader: (1)

I think that argument only works with Creationists


Leslie - I would agree with everything you say except for the bit about it being a more tolerant society. That I am less convinced of and history would question that premise.

Trout

Scooby Hoo?

iTrader: (3)

A good question that, and if I was privy to God's mind then I would be able to help with an answer. Planet earth is constantly changing, life forms, the earths surfaces, atmosphere, temperature and so on. This will continue and will not stop.
On a lighter note I can only assume that the Planet needed a lot of manure

I personally believe that God gave us the rules to living a good life and if I live them out to the best of my ability (as we all make mistakes) it would please me to think that I might bring a little happiness into the lives of people I meet.

I read an article in a Greek newspaper some years ago about a school bus driver who drove the same route for twenty years. The bus was an old diesel bus and for many years the parents had petitioned the local council to supply a new bus.
One day after picking up the children from school to take them home, the bus driver was driving down a long twisting mountain road when he realized that the brakes on the bus where failing. The bus was increasing in speed and so he used the handbrake to slow the bus down, but as the road was so steep the handbrake only held up for a little time and the brakes finally gave up. He managed to get the bus into first gear but being an old diesel engine he was unable to switch it off. Even in first gear the bus's speed continued to increase.
Now the driver knew the road very well and he also knew that further down the road just before the next bend was a gate that lead into a field. If he could just get the bus into the field he would be able to stop it.
As he came around the bend he could see the field gate 400metres in front of him, sitting on the gate was the little boy that every day waved to the bus driver and the children. Now the driver knew that if he didn't drive through that gate he wouldn't be able to steer the bus around the next bend and he would kill all the children on the bus.
So the driver chose to drive the bus, sounding his horn to which the little boy just kept on waving, through the gate killing the little boy instantly.

The bus driver was taken to Court and at the trial it was revealed that the little boy that sat on the gate and waved at the bus each day was the bus drivers only son.

That's love for your fellow man.

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Anyway - so taking your advice I was reading the Bible and this popped-up

Doesn't sound like something coming from a source of love

Also to help with my education can you point me to the Qu'ran where it states convert or kill?

Here is my suspicion - I am sure there are plenty of Muslims who look at the Old Testament and find references of convert or kill.

Strange old thing 'religion'.

hodgy0_2

ah ok we are talking about "religion light" then

Trout

iTrader: (1)

I thought 'religion light' was the aura that angels gave off...

...you mean religion lite

SRSport

I was talking about about how Christians should be living. But as we now now moving on, it is very true he is a jealous and avenging God. It states that we are all deserving of harsh judgement and Gods wrath but this is where his love comes in to it.

God loves us so much that he sent his son to earth to teach and then to endure an agonising death on the cross so that if we believe in the resurrection his anger may be put towards the cross as Jesus bore our punishment. He still gives us a way out, even though we are not deserving...Id say that was a pretty loving God.

hodgy0_2

i did indeed, I blame it on the drugs

Scooby Hoo?

iTrader: (3)

O death where is your sting now.

Interesting piont.
God loves us so much that he gave us the ability to chose to believe his existence or reject it as we see fit.
If we chose to believe in God have we chosen him or has he already chosen us?

Bubba po

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

But this is the problem with religion. It all comes down to what parts a person/group want to pick out of a book, to suit their own ends. Some look at the good stuff, and therefore lead a life of peace and love, so to speak. Others pick out the vengeful, not so nice bits, and live by them. It happens, fact. But they are all following the same thing, just picking out the bits they want to.

By the way, I'm far from anti religion, I can just see its flaws, as much as I can see good points.

SRSport

If there was solid evidence that was unquestionable by even the hardest hearted that the Bible was true people would follow what it says through fear of the consequences rather than our choice to love.

Proof is there but it will come on a personal level. e.g. prayer that is answered in a way that confirms it for them. This will not prove to the world that God exists but to an individual it will. God looks for a relationship with you not with the world.

But of course you will never find evidence to prove God exists to someone who just sits there wanting the answer to fall in to their lap or waiting for someone to convince them otherwise as this needs to be a relationship between them and God. They can only point them in the right direction.

Trout

iTrader: (1)

PMSL

Absolute quality!

SRSport

A Christian would look at the Bible and follow the Bible. There is no vengfulness, not so nice bits for them to pick out to do. The first commandment is love God the second is to love one another, all other commandments come under these.

I agree many twist what it says for their own ends but this is not of God and how he says we should live. This may be one example of how you get variations and differing religions that confuse people.

Will

I am not religious what so ever, i dont believe in God! But if there is a God,

he is a c*nt, and i hope i see him up above when i die so i can smack him in

the mouth, and to bumm jesus

Scooby Hoo?

iTrader: (3)

The answer is through prayer with Jesus as our interceder but God can also bestow gifts of the Holy Spirit upon his people, again proving on a personal level of his existence.

I think that a lot of, none Christian people "Fear" that God wishes to take control of there lives and it's this fear that stops them reaching out to God.(and possible pear pressure)
If a blind person can tell whether it's day or night, how come some people are so blind that they don't even see God when he's standing right next to them.

Will

Trout

iTrader: (1)

You are correct there are a lot of Christians that follow the bible and believe that the World was made in six days (back to the Dinosaur question!); you should not lie with a man and that you should not wear mixed fibres (although how they had polycotton in those ancient times is indeed a bluddy miracle!), etc, etc.

The Old Testament is packed with good stuff that would embarrass a priest if he hadn't already read it a million times in the Seminary.

Should we believe all the Bible? If so, how does that make us different from Jews? They have the same Old Testament and Jesus was a Jew even with that Hispanic name!

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

D, do you not follow religion at all? Just curious.

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Was that to me?

I don't believe in God as it is illogical. My father was a devout Anglican (now there is an oxymoron) and I have studied Eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. The latter is the most interesting to me and the least relgious in the Western sense - not least of which there is no God and so technically not a religion at all!

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

Yes, was to you trout.

Was just curious as I said.

jods

All the negative connotations associated with Muslims is a little over the top if you ask me.



















You can't judge a book by 800 million bad apples!

SRSport

Is the idea of God really illogical? Can any one understand how the world was created? From the big bang? What created the big bang? A large chemical reaction in space? How long has space existed? For ever? How can we understand that? We are bound by understanding time. It states that God is not from time. Heaven is an eternity. It’s the only explanation we are given and it is the only one that is logical.

Our ability is to only understand things that are created but there always has to be something to create something right? Well it has to start somewhere. We can not possibly work it out. The only explanation leads us to submit to the fact that there is something greater…a God for example.

The other age old question: What’s the meaning of life? If you believe in God it is very obvious. If you don’t you’ll be wondering what the answer is for years.

How is it illogical?

boxst

I like that. I'm suprised someone doesn't sell a kit to convert the originals and go around and 'correct' all the ones on the back of cars.

Steve

boxst

If you believe in God (in whatever form) then your path through life is more peaceful as you feel as though there is 'meaning'. My wife is religious (which has caused no end of problems, but that is another story) and she accepts the fact that we all die much more peacefully than I do.

hodgy0_2

why does life have to have a meaning?

one things for sure, whatever civilisation exists in 50, thousand years will look back on this age and just see one monotheist religion encompassing the three Abrahamic religions consisting of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, just differentiating them as slightly separate sects.

religion, takes belief and makes it seem real - i.e. i believe the moon is made of cheese -- to me true and nobody can disprove it but to most people it seems a bit far fetched, a fairy tale if you will.

because you believe it does not make it true, ask Tony Blair

Trout

iTrader: (1)

I see your understanding of the physical world is somewhat challenged as the Big Bang was unlikely to have been a chemical reaction it was at best a physical event.

For reference a chemical reaction is one where atoms and molecules interact and exchange electrons, forming and breaking bonds based on their relative valencies.


Hodgy - for God's sake don't ask Tony Blair he is a Catholic!

Mad Monty

SRSport - what denomination do you practise?

hodgy0_2

yes -- religion lite