What religion are you and why?

[⊕ Owen Pearson]

I am saying that the way you are phrasing it shows that you don't care to look at other ideas.

[☤Theodorijk Wijzemens]

Those are some really well thought-out philosophies, Owen. Being an atheist, I don't really agree with your adjudication, but I can certainly see where you get the description. Many atheists can be just as defiant and ridiculous as religious fanatics of any stripe. I haven't stopped my search for spiritual fulfilment ever. I was a believer for some time, before being a universalist, a deist, a unitarian, and an agnostic. To be honest I still am agnostic, but everyone doubts the existence of a god at some point--everyone is an agnostic. So, I have not stopped the search.

I would also agree with you about scripture. They way scripture is described is that god told man through the bible, which was written by man, that god had written the bible. Do your trust all the people they claim to be Jesus reincarnated? It's madness. If I wrote a book and claimed that god had told me to write it and that it was all in his words, would you believe me? That's exactly the way the bible is written.

Also, scripture was ruined with the Council of Nicaea when they edited the Bible to make Jesus look like a deity. They also completely removed the books of Apocrypha, which were discovered in the 20th century and are still not accepted by any Christian denomination. Some examples are the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Judas.

I don't need to discuss your belief that religion was created to answer unanswerable questions. You're right.

As for John, it really goes back to taking the bible literally. You shouldn't do that. If the bible was taken literally, Christian law would be just as morally reprehensible as Sharia law. Women can't wear clothing of more than one thread (type of cloth). Working on the Sabbath gets you automatic stoning. Taking God's name in vain gets you stoning to death. Breaking any of the ten commandments will have you put to death and sent to eternal damnation in the fiery pits of hell. (Hell is a metaphor. Hell was a garbage dump next to Jerusalem. Jesus meant that your 'sins' would bring burning guilt.)
www.crossleft.org/node/6051 - written by a minister

I suppose the final thing I have to say is that spirituality and religion should not be confused. Spirituality is the connection with the supernatural, incorporeal, or immaterial nature. Religion is a human establishment designed to standardise spirituality. To put simply, I am spiritual without being religious. This is what Owen appears to be saying.

I would like to thank everyone for keeping a close-to-civil tongue during this discussion. It's been interesting. I especially enjoyed reading Owen's post, very well thought out, concise, and right.

[rspeirs]

You know, Roman Catholics use the Apocrypha, right? We just don't lector from it often.


And if what you proclaim is true about the Council Of Nicaea, then we aren't Christians; We are Albagensians. Albagensians were one of many heresies that believed that Jesus was fully divine, but in a human shell. This heresy conflicted the Christian notion that Jesus is fully man, but fully human at the same time, a ideal which is better known as Incarnation.

[Mac Bargett]

Jun 20, 2009 13:32:29 GMT ⊕ Owen Pearson said:

I am saying that the way you are phrasing it shows that you don't care to look at other ideas.

If you mean completely other religions, why should pay attention to them when they're wrong?

If you mean other Christian versions, they seem like alot of work to do the same thing. Like, look at all that stuff Ryan wrote, I'm too lazy to read it, (And he's got alot of big words I don't understand) let alone explain why I think he's wrong/right.
Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so, and before I decide on anything I should really read more then just the sexy bits of the Bible.

[Deleted]

Mr. Wijzemens, I believe that when you say that Mr. Pearson's post is 'right, you reflect your personal views, rather than defying what anyone before us have said, yes?

Saying one person is right is basically saying that another person is wrong, which is not a good excercise of free, equal ideas.

[Stabsgefreiter F. Blutstein]

(Christians) What I'm saying is that it's not really "religion" that get's you saved. It's your own relationship with God. All you need to do is read the Book of Romans to know that you can truly go to Heaven.

The only thing "religion" has brought humanity is death and destruction. That's why God inspired man to write the Bible. Without the Bible the world wouldn't be like it is. As John states in Revalation the world is going to fall to pieces in the end times. Without true believers the world will only have evil in it.

Mac: If you want to read about, "How God loved you" read Matthew, Mark, or Luke. God sent his son to earth to endure torture until he finally died while bearing the burden of humanity's sin.

Friedrich: The world was began with right and wrong. Take Adam and Eve in Genesis. Eve sinned and Adam followed. They had a choice but, they blew it. There's always two choices: right or wrong.

[rspeirs]

Freidrich, don't mistake religion for human nature. Your statement that all religion has brought is death and destruction has no continuity as, by itself, religion can't harm, kill, or influence people in a negative way. It's when some fanatic gets a hold of it that it becomes a vice for death and destruction. That example can be held to anything: alcohol, guns, power. Without humans, they are incapable of corrupting.

[Hosp. Aid Patrick O'Connors]

I'm a Protestant because that is the way my parents brought me up. Ever swince i was like 5 i went to church on most Sundays

[Charles Norris]

Jun 22, 2009 20:29:05 GMT Stabsgefreiter F. Blutstein said:

The only thing "religion" has brought humanity is death and destruction.

Replace religion with people and you are completely right.

[Stabsgefreiter F. Blutstein]

As much as I agree with both of you I agree with Speirs more. He's right about the thought of the fanatic theory. But do you really believe that religion is your salvation?

[rspeirs]

Of course I don't. Religion is just man's attempt to acheive a sense of being one with God. It is ultimately the person's faith and works in life that decide his after life, not the religion he was apart of.

[Mac Bargett]

This thread is confusing me and I won't be posting it in any more, until I read the Bible.


And hey! Religionists/Hellists are tied in the poll!

[1st Sgt. Michael Hobbar]

I'm atheist. I just never believed in any religions. Nor do i really want to believe in a religion. I trust science.

[Demetri Ivanov]

I`m Roman Catholic. I belive in God and Jesus and all those other good guys.

[Heiko Alkema]

Please don't bump threads more than a month or so old... this one's almost a year old.