Im bored. No sports for me to bet on. How about a religion thread?

my parents are born again Christians and they think im going to hell if im not saved.

Im not worried because i'll be dead.

an after life are you kidding me? how can anyone believe that?

we developed the ability to think over time? how would one survive without the ability to think?

We have another one who has died and come back to tell us i see.

and how do you know this? because man said so?

the relationship is civil, I respect my parents very much they did a great job raising me, i have nothing against their beliefs if it makes them feel healthy and happy thats fine by me...they never said this to my face but i over heard them talking saying me and bro need to be saved by the light so we dont go to hell...they say a certain prayer every night to release the devil from me....its crazy shit because they were never religious, but deaths in the family and next thing you know they are avid Christians. The fact they believe I'm going to hell shows how crooked religion is and what a brainwash system it is.

I believe god is within us. A human who decides to do the right thing because its common sense, that is god imo, making your own choices and improve yourself as a person everyday ...all religion has done is cause a divide in civilization...we are all equal and should be working together to make the future a success.

Even if Religion is a business, still doesnt disprove God and the afterlife.

Quote Originally Posted by lbcake:



When you can prove there is ONE, I'll buy you lunch.

When u disprove this one, i will shout u dinner at any resteraunt in the world.

Einstein, Isaac Newton, Galileo and co are all irrational yet Stalin and Hitler are rational

How can you just believe in God to get you through life? If anything it should be the opposite meaning. If you are a practicing christian, one makes sacrificing and changes to behavoiour to avoid the evils of of this life. Being an atheist is the easier way out.

Quote Originally Posted by Hirschfelder:

god exists, prove me wrong



the onus is on one to prove something exists, not the opposite

ahh

U dont believe in luck, so how does an explosion at the print factory result in a dictionary being formed?

ClubDirt - the religious right tend to focus on just a few issues, including homosexuality, immigration, abortion, + stem cell research. these moral issues are often coupled with fiscal conservatism. so, the religious right comes across as being anti-people + pro-business, seemingly with more regard for their pocketbooks than with the lives of people.

as in virtually all political movements, opponents of the religious right tend to portray the enemy in the worst light possible. extremists are quoted liberally + presented as being representative of every conservative christian.

the "new atheism" has gone on a rabid attack against all religious people with an extra emphasis on christians. here is what chris hedges claims in his book, "american fascists:"

"the radical christian right calls for exclusion, cruelty + intolerance in the name of god. its members do not commit evil for evil's sake. they commit evil to make a better world. to attain this better world, they believe, some must suffer + be silenced + destroyed. the worst suffering in human history has been carried out by those who preach such grand, utopian visions, those who seek to implant by force their narrow, particular version of goodness. this is true for all doctrines of personal salvation, from christianity to ethnic nationalism to communism to fascism. dreams of a universal good create hells of persecution, suffering + slaughter."

while it is true that great suffering has been perpetrated by those in absolute power, it is not true that the majority of this suffering has come at the hands of christians. the number of atrocities committed by those claiming to be christians pales in comparison to those of atheists, who have only become a political force within the last one hundred years. the problem is, and always has been, the inherent evil present in each human being, when given the absolute power do as they please.

whatever christians do or do not do regarding politics, the bible does give limited advice to christians. both the apostles paul + peter advised that christians should be obedient to governing authorities + submit to their rule. the bible specifically addresses the issue of paying taxes, + commands christians to do so. the only exception to submit to authority would be if the governing authorities commanded christians to disobey god's laws, in which case christians are told to obey god rather than men. christians are advised to pray for all who are in authority.

the advice given by paul + peter was given at a time when the governing authorities were part of a totalitarian state. so, any rebellion would have been met with serious consequences. in fact, the historical record reveals that christians were executed just for being christians so, in today's democracies, christians would be expected to participate in a godly manner in the political process.

christians are involved in politics because they want their interests represented whenever new legislation is considered. their primary concern is that they don't want to be forced to compromise their moral values due to politically-correct legislation.

the secular left is concerned that christians want to hijack the political system altogether, + institute some kind of religious theocracy. of course, theocracies have failed miserably in the past (and in the present). in fact, the bible describes how a theocratic monarchy would be bad for the people of israel. still, the hebrews chose to be governed in that way, + suffered through a succession of bad kings. the reason that theocracies fail is not due to the religious component, but due to their totalitarian component.

secular totalitarian regimes have committed similar, if not greater atrocities than religious regimes. history has proven that evil people will use religious or secular reasons to obtain power to perpetrate their own agenda.

the bible describes how it says the world will end, and it doesn't involve a christian theocracy. instead, it involves an anti-christian theocracy, in which christians + person are persecuted + executed.

the solution to the christian problem is now being implemented on several fronts. the goal of the new atheism is to marginalize christians by claiming that all christians are stupid or deluded. the primary technique is accomplished through generalizations involving a few, well-chosen examples of christian through or actions, none of which represent mainstream christianity. the goal of the secular left is to limit the free speech of christians through campaign reform laws that primarily target conservative-run organizations .

yes, christians are involved in the political process in the u.s'. no, christians don't want to initiate any kind of religious theocracy. they just want their rights protected so that they are not required to participate in the godless decadence that our society seems to be heading into.

the u.s.a was founded as a constitutional republic under a mostly democratic form of government. for this reason, all people are encouraged to become involved in the election process. many in the secular left feel threatened when christians get involved in politics, as if christians should be disenfranchised for some reason. the reality is that the democratic process works best when people from diverse backgrounds + worldviews compete in the political arena. though, the honest christians are never seen or represented. seen instead with its wealth + influence is the church who have their own agenda.

evidence can convict without a witness. physics alone points to design, so dont christians have a foundation to base their model of faith on. where as those in atheism who believe in evolution, do so towards a theory without any fact to support it. on evidence alone, faith in god is nothing to the faith needed to swallow evolution.

as for hell, thats an interesting topic for discussion.

what do you believe to be the origin of advanced life?

btw... i'm down with the spork.