B Dog's Holy Thread - Bash Away

[Charl91]

I have no problem with people believing what they like, but I find it difficult to understand how people can believe in a religion. There's just so much absurdity to it that is often just taken at face value. I meet people who seem perfectly sane, but then tell me they believe in a higher being who impregnated a woman on earth 2,000 years ago, let him die because that's how it gets rid of our "sins" and then brought him back to life a couple of days later. I just don't understand how rational people can believe things like that, and yet if I told them I believed in the Loch Ness Monster, they'd say I was an idiot.

 

 

Now a belief in a higher power/god? I can understand why people would believe in such things, even if I don't myself. But religions in themselves just border on the ridiculous.

[Rincewind]

My take on it.

 

A child of a religious man asks their father where thunder comes from and gets the reply 'God did it'

A child of a non religious man asks the same question of their father and gets the reply 'Lets sit down and research it.

 

I would rather be the second child.

 

Thousands of years ago it was believed a giant God  moved the sun each day. At the time people saw things according to their own environment. The distance they traveled may have only been a few miles. They saw a dung beetle roll a ball of mud looked up to the sky and saw the moon move so it was natural to think hat some creature was moving it.

As years passed Man quest for knowledge and answers did away with myths. So why does the myth about an all powerful God still exist? Is it because as said in one of Terry Pratchetts Science of Discworld books 'stories to children'

A child asks a question of their elder about what happens after death. Are they told that the body decomposes and rots and give the child nightmares or will they be told that if they are good they will go to a wonderful place where they can play and have fun all day? Does the parent have the knowledge to answer questions about thunderstorms earthquakes etc? Even experts in a certain field would not know the answers relating to another field.

[Guest Sharpe's Fox]

I have two Gods in my life; tequila and prostitutes, baby.

[Benguin]

I have no problem with people believing what they like, but I find it difficult to understand how people can believe in a religion. There's just so much absurdity to it that is often just taken at face value. I meet people who seem perfectly sane, but then tell me they believe in a higher being who impregnated a woman on earth 2,000 years ago, let him die because that's how it gets rid of our "sins" and then brought him back to life a couple of days later. I just don't understand how rational people can believe things like that, and yet if I told them I believed in the Loch Ness Monster, they'd say I was an idiot.

 

 

Now a belief in a higher power/god? I can understand why people would believe in such things, even if I don't myself. But religions in themselves just border on the ridiculous.

 

 

Not sure it was your intention with the post but Finally! someone who understands my sentiments!

[Mark_w]

My take on it.

 

A child of a religious man asks their father where thunder comes from and gets the reply 'God did it'

A child of a non religious man asks the same question of their father and gets the reply 'Lets sit down and research it.

 

I would rather be the second child.

 

I think after I'd spent two minutes googling it and finding out that it's really dull, I'd decide I would have been better off going 'f*** it lets say it was God'.

 

I doubt there is a higher power, but I don't think it really matters to be honest. There's absolutely f*** all chance of me abiding by all of the rules in the Bible, Torah, Qur'an etc. and given the content of those texts I'm not sure why you'd want to. If there's a higher power, that wants men to treat women like shit, that will condemn people for having sexual relationships with people of the same gender, that wants people who don't believe in them to be punished to varying degrees depending on the religion, then I don't want to exercise their will, I'd rather burn in hell and feel righteous. If what I see as the 'ideal' God exists then I don't need to believe in it, I just need to do what I think is right and see what happens and if God doesn't exist then I would have done it all for no reason. It's great that belief makes people happy, but I've got no time for people who condemn others (or worse) because of what it says in a religious text. The Bible is not the place to go to in order to decide what is right and what is wrong. It's just not.

[Benguin]

My take on it.

 

A child of a religious man asks their father where thunder comes from and gets the reply 'God did it'

A child of a non religious man asks the same question of their father and gets the reply 'Lets sit down and research it.

 

I would rather be the second child.

 

Thousands of years ago it was believed a giant God  moved the sun each day. At the time people saw things according to their own environment. The distance they traveled may have only been a few miles. They saw a dung beetle roll a ball of mud looked up to the sky and saw the moon move so it was natural to think hat some creature was moving it.

As years passed Man quest for knowledge and answers did away with myths. So why does the myth about an all powerful God still exist? Is it because as said in one of Terry Pratchetts Science of Discworld books 'stories to children'

A child asks a question of their elder about what happens after death. Are they told that the body decomposes and rots and give the child nightmares or will they be told that if they are good they will go to a wonderful place where they can play and have fun all day? Does the parent have the knowledge to answer questions about thunderstorms earthquakes etc? Even experts in a certain field would not know the answers relating to another field.

 

 

I agree with a lot of what you say apart from the fact you make the Parent who uses God to give the child a nicer image of life after death sound gracious. The amount of children that are scared out of their minds about Hell as apposed to death being the end of everything is ridiculous.

[Rincewind]

Yes but I meant it as an easy answer to give than to preach about a god.

[Merging Cultures]

My take on it.

A child of a religious man asks their father where thunder comes from and gets the reply 'God did it'

A child of a non religious man asks the same question of their father and gets the reply 'Lets sit down and research it.

I would rather be the second child.

Thousands of years ago it was believed a giant God moved the sun each day. At the time people saw things according to their own environment. The distance they traveled may have only been a few miles. They saw a dung beetle roll a ball of mud looked up to the sky and saw the moon move so it was natural to think hat some creature was moving it.

As years passed Man quest for knowledge and answers did away with myths. So why does the myth about an all powerful God still exist? Is it because as said in one of Terry Pratchetts Science of Discworld books 'stories to children'

A child asks a question of their elder about what happens after death. Are they told that the body decomposes and rots and give the child nightmares or will they be told that if they are good they will go to a wonderful place where they can play and have fun all day? Does the parent have the knowledge to answer questions about thunderstorms earthquakes etc? Even experts in a certain field would not know the answers relating to another field.

That's a rather black and white view. We explain to our kids how things work. Believing in God doesn't make things work by magic.

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

I don't go to church, but I do believe in God. That is all I am saying on the subject, because I find religious arguments can get very nasty.

 

Either you believe, or do not believe. That is the choice of the individual.

[theessexfox]

Is it offensive to say the following?
 

I live my life by logic, and to me religion goes against all logic, therefore I am an atheist.

 

My computer froze as I was typing it, so maybe 

[bovril]

Is it offensive to say the following?

 

I live my life by logic, and to me religion goes against all logic, therefore I am an atheist.

 

My computer froze as I was typing it, so maybe 

 

Following a football team is not logical.

[Carl the Llama]

Christianity alone has a lot of explaining to do.

 

https://youtu.be/OFkeKKszXTw

[Crinklyfox]

I believe that there is a natural order of things; some argue that this has been created by a deity and others that it is the result of chance. Either way I have a fatalistic view that what will happen after death will happen regardless of any particular teachings. Individual religions may wish to have you believe that only by following their doctrines can you hope to effect the outcome of your demise, I find this hard to believe.

Religion is a great comfort to many and I would not try to deny another person their faith; to do so may be cruel and arrogant, after all I have no more knowledge than they do, the only difference is their faith.

Things start to go wrong when religion dominates the life of an individual to the extent that they lose their humanity by trying to force their views on others. In that respect the moderates in all religious communities should set an example to their fellow believers.

Whether you are religious or not, tolerance towards the views of others can promote a more peaceful world.

[Benguin]

I don't go to church, but I do believe in God. That is all I am saying on the subject, because I find religious arguments can get very nasty.

 

Either you believe, or do not believe. That is the choice of the individual.

 

 

This is my BIGGEST problem with Christianity. You can not CHOOSE to believe something. Belief is similar to things like love, you can put yourself in a position to have an advantage of gaining love or faith in a particular religion or person but you can not CHOOSE it. This is the single most annoying thing Christians say, and it grinds my ears something rotten.

[theessexfox]

Following a football team is not logical.

That's a hobby of mine, not a belief. 

[Merging Cultures]

This is my BIGGEST problem with Christianity. You can not CHOOSE to believe something. Belief is similar to things like love, you can put yourself in a position to have an advantage of gaining love or faith in a particular religion or person but you can not CHOOSE it. This is the single most annoying thing Christians say, and it grinds my ears something rotten.

As I have said, I've had doubts, but I chose to search for God and in doing so I drew close to Him and he has done great things in my life. I could have continued to have doubted, not bothered to look for Him and gone on a different path. It worked for me, YMMV.

[Benguin]

As I have said, I've had doubts, but I chose to search for God and in doing so I drew close to Him and he has done great things in my life. I could have continued to have doubted, not bothered to look for Him and gone on a different path. It worked for me, YMMV.

 

Yes, well done etc etc

 

BUT

 

I have also read the bible, looked at the evidence for Jesus and the resurrection and all the other stuff but I do not believe. For someone to say I have chosen to not believe is infuriating. I would love to go to eternal joy and happiness and if Hell is real of course I don't want to go there BUT I cant just choose to believe it is impossible! Just like you cant choose not to believe!

There is NO choice end of....

[Mike Oxlong]

"Bash Away" !!!

To a thread about religion???

Sorry , I'm not religious but that would be wrong.

[Webbo]

Yes, well done etc etc

 

BUT

 

I have also read the bible, looked at the evidence for Jesus and the resurrection and all the other stuff but I do not believe. For someone to say I have chosen to not believe is infuriating. I would love to go to eternal joy and happiness and if Hell is real of course I don't want to go there BUT I cant just choose to believe it is impossible! Just like you cant choose not to believe!There is NO choice end of....

You say you don't like religion but only seem to complain about Christianity. What's your opinion about other religions?

[Merging Cultures]

Yes, well done etc etc

BUT

I have also read the bible, looked at the evidence for Jesus and the resurrection and all the other stuff but I do not believe. For someone to say I have chosen to not believe is infuriating. I would love to go to eternal joy and happiness and if Hell is real of course I don't want to go there BUT I cant just choose to believe it is impossible! Just like you cant choose not to believe!

There is NO choice end of....

So, I assume you are continuing to go to church, read your bible and pray? Or did you choose not to? If you don't believe, then I assume you do not. Which is fine, that is your choice.

However, Church is an important part of learning about and listening to God. It would be very difficult to believe in something just straight from the bible, just as it would be very difficult to run a marathon without training.

[Benguin]

So, I assume you are continuing to go to church, read your bible and pray? Or did you choose not to? If you don't believe, then I assume you do not. Which is fine, that is your choice.

However, Church is an important part of learning about and listening to God. It would be very difficult to believe in something just straight from the bible, just as it would be very difficult to run a marathon without training.

 

 

WOW Yes I went to church for several years, but the whole time I didn't believe. I did not choose to not believe!

 

What you said there would be the same as continuing to sleep with and spend the rest of your life with your wife if you realised you didn't like her and hated everything about her etc etc

[Benguin]

You say you don't like religion but only seem to complain about Christianity. What's your opinion about other religions?

 

I'm not educated enough with other religions to mock them, as I was a Christian I find it the best one to debate.

[Merging Cultures]

WOW Yes I went to church for several years, but the whole time I didn't believe. I did not choose to not believe!

What you said there would be the same as continuing to sleep with and spend the rest of your life with your wife if you realised you didn't like her and hated everything about her etc etc

Not quite, it is either infinitely important therefore a life and death matter, or it doesn't matter at all. Sleeping and spending the rest of your life with some one you don't like is just an annoyance and something you can change. You'd be stupid not to.

For me, trusting in God is infinitely important. But, if you don't believe, then you don't have anything to worry about. Except perhaps the sanity of anyone professing a religion.

However, you seem to want to continue to explore the discussion. So perhaps there is some doubt in your disbelief?!

[Merging Cultures]

I'm not educated enough with other religions to mock them, as I was a Christian I find it the best one to debate.

But you said you didn't believe? It would be difficult to be a Christian, experience Christ and then become a non-believer.

Perhaps you went to Church, but it doesn't sound like you have experienced Christ for yourself yet.

[Benguin]

But you said you didn't believe? It would be difficult to be a Christian, experience Christ and then become a non-believer.

Perhaps you went to Church, but it doesn't sound like you have experienced Christ for yourself yet.

 

 

I believe there is a God. This is not a choice, I just believe, I don't know why. I can't however CHOOSE to believe the Christian Deity because I find it absurd. I do not have a choice, there is no choice where belief is concerned.

 

Can I ask you a question, Give me something you do not believe in i.e ghosts etc