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Post by TheNeanderthal on Dec 5, 2002 20:21:46 GMT -5
Hmm? evidence? explanation? I was just thinking.. maybe it's because of that and that... it's not what I believe. It's just a thought that came through my mind. No reason to get so serious over it .
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Post by MajorCurt RE on Dec 7, 2002 16:18:48 GMT -5
GOD ROX0RZ K?
k
That said, unfortunatly, I don't have the time to read nor do I have the will, but luckily, I'll pick up from what I have read.
Think of God (the Christian god, to clarify for good Sleepy) as a passer-by with gold. If you let him in, he will reward you with many blessings. If you don't, you don't get anything. He is still there, waiting for you to accept him in, but if you don't let him in, you don't get to reap the rewards.
Now, I do have to contradict with Jacket's theory of what happens to the rest of the unsaved people. It is not because of guilt, but infact because of unknowing. Unfortunatly, yes, the people of the remote Africa tribes sometimes do not get saved, for there is just not enough of god's servants on earth, or missionaries.
There, that should be enough to trigger a small debate.
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Post by SleepyTemplar on Dec 9, 2002 23:27:12 GMT -5
You're only making the matter more confusing. Are you trying to say this god is human? If not, kindly say what god is.
I should also point out that this isn't what Christianity is. Perhaps you might wish to read the Bible sometime, as Jacket's belief, despite its repulsive nature, is what Christianity is.
Read Romans 1:18-30. According to the Bible, everyone, even those isolated African tribes, know the Christian god exists, so they're without excuse. Also, try reading John 14:6, especially the key words "NO ONE comes unto the Father except through me". Unless a Christian wishes to reject the Bible itself, they must believe such to be true, which then follows that those African tribes not being Christians are now writhing in hell.
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Post by Grunthor on Dec 16, 2002 23:25:11 GMT -5
I have a theory or two about the begining of this whole god myth. Theory 1) God was an alien. He/she/it, ended up on earth, and decided to have a little fun with the inhabitants. Theory 2) God was made to differentiate one group of people for another. That group later conquered another one, and forced their religion upon them. Thus spreading their religion to more people, and setting up a precedent for future generations. (By that, I mean, kill the non beleivers, and convert the rest). Either way, the Christians are still trying to force thier religion on people who really don't want it. Their mercenaries, oops, I mean missionaries are still at it.
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Post by SleepyTemplar on Dec 17, 2002 21:21:59 GMT -5
Theory 1 is fatally flawed because if you define god as "something higher than in relation to ourselves", than by definition human beings are gods from the viewpoint of dogs, and so on in an absurd chain.
Theory 2 does explain a bit about how religion, in general works, yet this method is far better (and easier) explained through naturalistic social forces.
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Post by Grunthor on Dec 17, 2002 22:22:15 GMT -5
True, but both theories make more sense than some of the one's I've heard Christians use. The most common one I've heard from them, is that there has to be a god, because life exists on this planet. I don't think they could come to accept, that maybe life came about on this planet, purely by chance.
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Post by SleepyTemplar on Dec 18, 2002 16:25:31 GMT -5
Leave it to the Christians to invoke the god of the gaps.
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Post by Nyarlathotep on Dec 23, 2002 13:11:16 GMT -5
Here's some of my opinions.
No, I don't follow any God.
"But, why, Nyar?"
Well, a few reasons. First, I don't need a "omnipotent" figure to lead my life. Until I have gratuitous proof, I'm not going to trust the churches or other shrines of worship.
Another reason is that religion is the basis of most conflict. The terrorists bombed us because of their religion, they're following Radicalist Islam. Israelis and Palenstians are blowing each other up because of their beliefs. The Christian Church used to burn people because they supposedly thought they were Satan's Followers. Once I look at all the terrible things faith has done to people, the more it disgusts me.
Third, Karl Marx once said that religion is the drug of the masses (something to that effect, it is not an exact quote). That brings up a good point. I think religion was created to control the people and justify laws. A good reason to have religion but worshipping some mysterious figure is not a good result. I don't follow a religion, yet I'm doing perfectly fine.
An afterlife doesn't make sense either, it's just to scare people. Have you ever been to Hell before? Who told you that Hell existed? Have they ever gone to Hell? And Heaven is a great incentive to get people following an ethical world view. It's no more than a superstition that distinguishes a ideal for black and white. I haven't done anything bad...I've led a crime-free life but that's because I've been taught compassion for other people, not because of religion.
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Matkau
RPG Townie
Got an opinion? Thats nice, tell someone who cares
Posts: 494
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Post by Matkau on Dec 29, 2002 16:58:44 GMT -5
Christians KNOW God exists and they're either going to thell of heaven after they die
Jewish KNOW that God exists, led them out of Egypt, gave them specefic rules to live by, and the Maccabes survived eight days with a days' worth of oil
Muslims KNOW Muhammad spoke to Allah, and is the holy messenger, and going to a big black cube once in their lives will help them reach salvation
Hindu KNOW that after they bite it, they'll be reincarnated, and eventually big bad Shiva's gonna come down, destroy the world, and it will be created anew out of Vishnu's navel
Zorastoriasms (Sorry if I spelled it wrong) KNOW that fire is truly a sacred power, and the only way to get rid of the dead is to have birds feast on the corpses
Greeks and Romans KNEW that if the day was bad, it meant Zeus or Poseidan or Mars or Jupiter or some crap was pissed at them
Imagine what people'll KNOW next. Personally, I'm agnostic, so I don't KNOW, I THINK about it rather than just accepting what I've been told.
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