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Religions And Creeds
#1
Posted 01 April 2006 - 10:30 AM
This is not a reply, but it is an initiative to start an intelligent discussion of religion or creeds.
This is a question to each person who reads this to tell the world what it is they believe and why.
What experiences in your life led you to these creeds? What group or people do you tend to disagree with most?
Note: Please distinguish between Atheist and Agnostic. I have talked to many people who call themselves atheists but just spend all their time trying to disprove other religions while not having a single conclusive reason for calling themselves Atheists. An atheist is a person who finds it so unlikely for a higher power to exist that they refuse to believe one exists or that they feel they have evidence to prove one doesnt exist. An agnostic is a person who doesnt believe there is any or enough proof to establish a higher being.
My response to my own question:
Now I am a Christian. I hope I dont say anything as mindless as that my religion or myself because of my religion is superior. In fact, I dont really believe that it is beneficial to me at all. That isnt the job of religion. I am a Christian because I believe it is true. If you want to know why read The Third Day by Sir Arnold Lunn (its been a while) and Mere Christianity. But also what was more important to my conversion actually happening is that really messed up stuff happened to me and my family that made me really look at what is right and what is wrong. I do not think we evolved a conscience; Otherwise it would be different... or maybe look at it this way. If we were to continue evolving, men are going to turn into people who just try to have sex with as many different women as possible. Our society supports fatherless children, and so we will either have that OR individuals will decide for themselves. I learned from the father roles in my life, not by their example, but by their counter example. I know what is right and wrong, its not something that my father passed on to me or something culture instilled in me. It isnt what church taught me... It is what I know I need to do to live my whole life infront of the world and not be ashamed.
Ok so if I look at the Bible and what Jesus said; I find that what I believe to be right or wrong is verified by what I read. Take lust for example. It is easy to think that its impossible not to and as it is unavoidable it must be ok to do. But it is equally easy to not want your girly to want other guys. And so there is a disconnect. We know what is right but we cannot do it. It is this disconnect that I believe a perfect man, a humiliated God died for. I am not trying to convert anyone.
I believe in what is steady and unchanging in Christianity. Not the fads. For example in the 70s and early 80s it was popular to try to convert people by saying that God had a plan and purpose for their lives. It is just retarded to say that to someone. Or Jesus wants a personal relationship with you. It is like saying 'Billy has a plan and purpose for your life.' I think I would slap the person that said that to me. Its like just some trick that you would pull on a monkey to take advantage of their curiosity.
Oooo.. Here is another one of those I really hate. 'Jesus will fill the void inside of you.' For me it is more like Jesus taught me to not think like a hedonist and know that a void inside of me is something deficient with my personality not something I need to encounter and consume. Lots of Christians are fat. If they really trusted God to fill the void they would stop stuffing their faces. Do you know what would hit the spot right now??? A cold beer, a T-Bone steak, and my girly having sex with me right now. If God's purpose was to fill the void then Ronald McDonald would be a holy prophet.
So as for the Christian conservative majority, I disagree. For beliefs and morality based on rationality, personal responsibility, and a care for other people, I agree.
#2
Posted 01 April 2006 - 04:07 PM
#3
Posted 02 April 2006 - 07:48 PM
It turns out that many times some of these Penecostal people are so focused on their 'God' that they forget his purpose's. I am not sure, but it seems to me that many of them talk much more about helping people than they actually do. I am on the Penecostal side of things kinda and this is part of what I see wrong with things.
#4
Posted 03 April 2006 - 07:35 PM
As a Christian, I know the only difference between me and the unsaved is God's grace. Being a Christian doesn't mean I'm better, it just means I found mercy. I don't claim to be flawless, I claim to have admitted I'm not, and in so repenting to have found mercy through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I don't claim to have the answers, I claim to know the One who does have them, Jesus Christ. What true answers I've found have been given by Him and the way I've learned is by listening as objectively as I can to all questions and questioners, looking into things for myself, and most of all, admitting when I'm wrong even if I don't like it. Without humility, the learning of anything meaningful (which is often controversial) is nearly impossible. I have learned that giving a person the right answer doesn't mean as much as how you give it. Better to live the truths you have found and not speak them then to speak them and not live them.
I don't claim a philosophy saved me, or a religion, or a doctrine, or a church, or a special prayer. I was saved by Jesus. My faith is in a man, a man who is God, a man who is different in that He loved unconditionally, was kind to all in need. He worked miracles and awed others with His power over nature, and was witnessed by many that He never died, but ascended into Heaven where He even now is, and His power over all the elements of nature is as absolute as it ever was.
Furthermore, I have held up the Bible and Jesus for the past 5 years to the questions of all. I have seen my faith in its reliability and validity grow by leaps and bounds even though I'd made an eternal commitment to trusting them rather then anyone or anything else. Even though I consider Jesus and the Bible's reality and authority unquestionable, having placed my trust in them eternally, I listen to the questions of others that I may help them realize that trust in God does not mean intellectual suicide, as Josh McDowell says. Sooner or later one has to take a leap of faith upon seeing enough evidence to persuade them eternally, but that evidence may have been as great as the physical proof given to Thomas or the intellectual legal arguments of Paul.
I have seen some of the greatest objections to the Bible answered like the atheist's "Problem of Evil" and "Free Will" arguments, as well as questions about why supposed "Christians" have done evils in the name of Christianity. I have seen supposed contradictions in the Bible's logic fall apart upon examination. I have seen scientific evidences like the bombardier beetle and examination of what singularities are make alternate theories to Biblical truths look foolish and unlearned. I have seen the Bible held up to the same standards of historical reliability (internal evidence, external evidence, and bibliography) as other historical documents, only to see it has so great a weight of evidence to back up its validity and reliability as to be embarrassing in contrast with all other historical documents in history. I have seen and personally examined the hundreds of Messianic prophecies, written thousands of years before Jesus was even born (physically), that foretold where He would be born, what others would say about Him, how much He'd be betrayed for, and even the exact manner of death for Him foretold long before the Roman empire even existed to invent it!
I don't have all the answers but if I ever run into one I can't answer, I have already long ago seen so much truth and proof for the Bible and Jesus that I will simply side with the Bible and Jesus because of the "track record" you could say. For example, if you find a book that has 999 truths to it and then see that 1 you can't figure out and could possibly be wrong, does that mean you decide it is wrong and the book is faulty? No, it means you simply may not be smart enough to figure it out, there is not evidence enough to realize its truth, or that you may have misread what it was saying. Also, I may see how it COULD still be truth or how it could be true even though I don't know all the details, meaning I can't absolutely say it's a lie.
#5
Posted 04 April 2006 - 05:01 PM
Link to the text.
But others who run across, I did not mean this topic to be Christian at all. So please post.
#6
Posted 21 April 2006 - 10:57 PM
ATMcGuire, on Apr 4 2006, 12:01 PM, said:
Link to the text.
But others who run across, I did not mean this topic to be Christian at all. So please post.
I would recommend "More Than A Carpenter" by Josh McDowell. It's recent, a short and easy read, inexpensive, concise, and very, very good.
#7
Posted 29 April 2006 - 02:58 AM
When i went to school (a private catholic one) i found out how little evidence and how much lies are being spewed into little children. Some of the lies they told us were these things:
- If you believe in God with all your heart you can levitate
- If you say bloody mary 3 times in a dark room looking in the mirror youll see mary
- santa is real (haha don't want to make this do depressing)
- If you do not believe in Jesus you wont be accepted into heaven
Another thing is they don't do as they say EVER. Do not kill? I could come up with over a million times christians have killed. A TRUE chrisian would never kill. Even in war they should not kill. They should not join the army then. This is one thing that people never have a good argument for. Because there is none. And also our divorce rate will exceed people who stay together in 3 years (in the USA) and it just so happens that Christians are the majority here.
If christians, jews, muslims, all follow there beliefs this world would be a great place. And i think there was a Jesus at sometime. I also think there was a Buddha. Because of these lies i have been told it makes me hard to believe in any religion.
Now before people get mad at me i got to say I have no problem with people believing in whatever they want to, but i HATE it when they try to get others to think the same way. Keep it to your self.
And with that thought i let you go lol.
OK, but seriously no hate mail
#8
Posted 30 April 2006 - 01:40 PM
BooZker, on Apr 29 2006, 12:58 PM, said:
- If you believe in God with all your heart you can levitate
- If you say bloody mary 3 times in a dark room looking in the mirror youll see mary
- santa is real (haha don't want to make this do depressing)
- If you do not believe in Jesus you wont be accepted into heaven
The third point was misunderstanding of you. When they said that Santa is Real they mean that St Nicholas , the Bishop in Turkey but not the American fair tales of Santa. The same I spoke about real Santa in this two posting to this forum:
St Nicolas: http://www.trap17.com/forums/index.php?sho...c=31564&hl=kasm
Evolution of santa http://www.trap17.com/forums/index.php?sho...c=31566&hl=kasm
The second point is fantasy, nobody say that of sure. When I saw St Mary in 1968 in Cairo with million, the Vatican sent delegation to investigate the matter: see my part of posting in:
http://www.trap17.com/forums/index.php?sho...c=33658&hl=Mary
http://www.sedrak.tr...com/st-mary.htm
By the way you asked no hate post and in the same time you come to threat and named St Mary as Bloody mary!!!!
You could if you don't want say St Mary , to refer to her as Jesus'mother Mary instead of these street language.
BooZker, on Apr 29 2006, 12:58 PM, said:
BooZker, on Apr 29 2006, 12:58 PM, said:
If christians, jews, muslims, all follow there beliefs this world would be a great place. And i think there was a Jesus at sometime. I also think there was a Buddha. Because of these lies i have been told it makes me hard to believe in any religion....
See how the Christian World helped in Crisis as Tsunami or Earthquakes in non-christian countries. Think how Christian went to help Muslims in Bosnia and Cosove against Yugoslavia...
#9
Posted 30 April 2006 - 03:11 PM
Honestly though, back then I didn't really have a choice as to where I went. I've been Jewish now since I was about 9 (I'm 14 now). It's done its thing for me. The reason for my being at ease and accepting of this religion has to do with who leads the religion. I participate in two, I'm not sure what to call them, lets call them "sub_faiths."
My actual synagouge is a renewal synagouge (the most "liberal" kind of Jewdaism). I still belong here, and I have belonged here for a long time. It is because of this place that I enjoy Jewdaism, and got into Jewdaism. The Rabbi is probably what did it for me first, though. Rabbi Michael Lerner has an interesting history, and a PhD in Psychology (and a doctorate in something else that I can't remember, but its not that important to this). When he lead services, he's pause after a while and do a spiritual [almost] medititation. If it was a special holiday, he'd adjust the meditation for something specific, if it wasn't, he would simply have us think about things. Now I don't know what did this for me, but whatever happened happened, and I was stuck. But this wasn't even it! This Rabbi went one and one with almost ALL of my political beliefs, except there was a difference. He's a co-chair of a big community/organization that focuses on changing the world, while I'm just a 14 year old kid. Wowcoool =D
And then there was another thing that made me enjoy Jewdaism. After starting to enjoy it at the synagouge I mentioned above, I started to want to reach out to other Jewish kids like myself. You see, the _one_ (well, maybe there are more [there are]) problem with the synagouge I belong to is that there are hardly any kids. So, I knew that two of my friends from school were Jewish, so I talked to them and got to know them better. I started going to the religious/hebrew school there, and we became best friends. And then, on top of being able to learn about Jewdaism and stuff with my new best friends, we joined Kadima (a Jewish Youth Group for preteens), and then after 8th grade we got upgraded to USY (which is THE BOMB. It's a Jewish youth group for teens. We party so hard.)
So while my synagouge makes Jewdaism very meaningful and spiritual, my friends' synagouge makes it hella fun.
And now, to further question my beliefs, why do I believe in Jewdaism? You know what, there are some things in the religion that I do not believe in. But that is allowed. Jewdaism promotes questioning The Torah, and studying it, and ARGUING about it. Jewdaism has lots of beliefs and/or laws that are disputed every day. It's dynamic! Lots of laws have been modified from the uber panel of Rabbis in Israel to accomodate changes that have been made in the real world. So I enjoy Jewdaism because it is different for every person.
Another thing that just popped into my head is that I believe in science. I read Stephen Hawking's work and respect it, but I also believe it. I learn about evolution, and since it makes sense to me (and I can think of no way to disprove it), I believe it. And I'm allowed to believe it.
All of these reasons listed above are why I am a Jew, and why I am proud of my Jewdaism.
P.S. I found it interesting to read all of the posts above mine, thanks for taking the time to post them =D
#10
Posted 08 May 2006 - 05:09 PM
#11
Posted 08 May 2006 - 05:52 PM
#12
Posted 08 May 2006 - 06:03 PM
what hinduism teaches is that you must love your fellow beings whether they are hindu or of any religion and also that all people are equal for god whether of any religion. i think that is one of the reasons why there are so few people who are in the work of converting people to hinduism because hinduism doesnt teaches one to bias people on the basis of religion.
i think thats why you will never find any person starting a topic like this, Is hinduism the best religion, like one of the person on this forum did. he started the topic that is christianity the best religion. we will not start these kind of topics because hinduism teaches us to believe in the equality of god.
Jai Shri Krishna.
#13
Posted 08 May 2006 - 09:05 PM
Quote
I'm going to try not to be to harsh about this, but have you heard of the Spanish Inquisition? Probably not or else you would have mentioned it.
Or do you remember when they were burning witches? They were christians.
Hmm i don't know how what you said is true. It is a very ignorant thing to say.
#14
Posted 08 May 2006 - 10:51 PM
#15
Posted 09 May 2006 - 01:25 AM
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#16
Posted 09 May 2006 - 02:52 AM
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As i said before in another post if someone came to me and was trying to get me to convert i would be very angry. I would be angry in many ways.
1. Your telling my belief is BS
2. Your telling me to believe something other then what i have been brought up with for many years.
3. You came into my country uninvited!
4. They never asked you to come, but only for help to survive with food and water and you bring this with you?
There are more reasons, but i wont go into them.
I want to ask you a question about this too. If someone came to you and tried to get you to believe in scientology for example what would you say? Would you ever convert? Probably not so why do you expect them to change?
And what do you mean responsible? You know this is exactly what pisses me off. Your saying, which is true, that if you don't like me (Jesus) burn in hell. I thought Jesus was caring. If i was right i thought he loved people no matter what they were like? Obviously not, that's for sure. See it's this say one thing, but it means something totaly different.
Also i never said Bloody Mary in a way such as "I wish that bloody mary would go away" I said it the exact way the PRIEST said that if you ever said that Mary would come and haunt you.
#17
Posted 09 May 2006 - 07:31 AM
#18
Posted 09 May 2006 - 05:41 PM
At times though I am irritated at those who do not believe in God, but believe in a total random selection of situations to put us where we are today. I can't agree with that.
I was raised Catholic. I didn't stay in it, because it was so boring, and I didn't think I had to answer to a priest for my sins. What connection to God does he have that I don't? Then I started hating everything and was agnostic for a while. But then all of a sudden, in my twenties, my eyes were opened, by a song. "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus". When I heard it and looked around the yard, I realized that there was more to life than I could see. God is all around us, and he created everything.
The big bang theory? Pancakes compared to God
Evolution? Died with Darwin (And he believed in God)
Other Gods? There is only ONE true God.
Science? One says the world is billions of years old, the other says billions upon billions...
I believe in God, because it is a better explaination then all of those other theories. And I have seen how his work is done in my life and others.
#19
Posted 09 May 2006 - 07:57 PM
#20
Posted 09 May 2006 - 08:44 PM
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Yep just like back in he Rain God and the Sun God ages. For stuff that can not be explained you make a god for it. It is true through out history. Remember when they thought the Earth was the center of the universe because God put it there? Well they have know shown that to be false. There IS stuff that is unexplained, but we shouldnt be making up Gods for it. Listen how stupid it sounds. I support you in believing in Gods and Jesus, but by no means should you NOT look into things and come to a conclusion until it is PROVED. You have no proof that God made the Earth so your actually behind the scientists. Same with Evolution. They have more theories that support it then Christians (Catholic church has accepted the belief in evolution because of all the strong findings.) have to NOT support it. If i went today and said, "you murdered someone" I would have to show SOME evidence wouldnt I?
Guess not.
And at least truefusion has looked into it and found what does not support that theory. You just hear something and go along with it.
Edited by BooZker, 09 May 2006 - 08:48 PM.
#22
Posted 10 May 2006 - 08:51 PM
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Same thing
No it's not the same thing at all. Gravity can be proven and there are not millions of different types of gravity. People don't go to door trying to sell gravity. Gravity is a horrible example. Plus gravity has results that happen instantly and can be guessed based on hypothesis. Name 1 way you can see instant findings that there is God? You can't so therefore it's nothing like gravity.
#23
Posted 12 May 2006 - 07:25 AM
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#24
Posted 12 May 2006 - 07:41 AM
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Huh? That makes no sence. I said tell me how you know there is a God. The sky could have been created from some kind of star exploding or something. You have no idea how it was created. That whole reply i typed was about how he said its like gravity. And you drug his stupidty down with you. Gravity can be explained, God cannot. The sky shows no proof of God. But an apple falling down because of the gravitational pull between the moon and earth show proof of gravity. Whats your proof? Wait let me guess. Just faith?
Then there is no proof just faith. Faith should be kept seperate from proof because with just faith nothing becomes explained. If it werent for science and finding a damn thing out we would still think the Earth is flat and in the middle of the universe.
Edited by BooZker, 12 May 2006 - 07:42 AM.
#25
Posted 16 May 2006 - 09:34 PM
BooZker, on May 12 2006, 05:41 PM, said:
Then there is no proof just faith. Faith should be kept seperate from proof because with just faith nothing becomes explained. If it werent for science and finding a damn thing out we would still think the Earth is flat and in the middle of the universe.
I. I am scientist and researcher for 45 years and thousands has graduated under me in many countries. I tell you all what we in science do is to study, explore, put models and suggest hypothesis to what is going on. You talked lot about the gravity and why it is but you didn't explain why it the way is it. Why the gravity constant is what is equal. I have studied Newton Mechanics and Einstein General and Special Relativity. You said in other place that "Gravity can be proven and there are not millions of different types of gravity." but in fact there are because every planets in every system and every galaxy has its different gravity. The big bang theory is one of hypothesis to explain the universe. Do you know that there are many other competing hypotheses. Do you know how many previous hypothesis to explain optics until currently the Electromagnetic" theory .
II. Who believe in God doesn't need exact proof. That why it called belief or faith. But any belief has bases. You by yourself said "The sky could have been created from some kind of star exploding or something. " that is your belief without any proof. You used "could " for uncertainty. The same who believe in big bang haven't exact proof but it is their belief. Expanding the universe is not a proof but a phenomena needs to be accomedated one way or another.
III. As the existence of the electricity, magnetism and gravity, depend on their sign and effects, the believer in God are do that because the SIGNS OF GOD DESIGN IN NATURE . Believers in God do that because they think deeply and put in consideration:
1- Until now we couldn't create a tiny cell from scratch.
2- Until now and after about 50 years in space , we didn't visit in the universe except Earth's Sputnik, the moon. There are 7 and now 9 planets in our Sun System. Every star is similar to the Sun has its planets, and every planet has its moon or moons. Moreover group of star constitute Galaxy and Galaxies constitute,... etc etc....
3- Why our planet the earth has all facilities to survive, the atmosphere protect it, the oxygen and Carbon balances, the gravity, The Sun and the moon to give it light and warm and stability, etc etc
4- Our body systems why they are the way they are. The miracles of Heart, the miracles of the blood, the respiratory system, Nerve system, the defense imune system, the hormones, our eyes, ears, kidneys, livers, stomach, tongue ...and our reproduction system. How the pregnancy happen and how the body works when pregnancy happen. How the mother start to produce milk before giving birth etc etc.. Why these months in womb.etc etc..
5- Why we die if we in water without support while the fish and other water creation die if they left the water.
6- the cycle of reproductions in plants or some animal creations as the butterflies,...
7- there is another pressure in plant than animal.
8- Ants and Bees kingdom.
9- The system and characteristic of Camel to make him to survive and walk in deserts and walks on sands.
10- The immigration of birds and fish by thousands of miles.
11- We breath Oxygen and produce Carbon Oxide and the Plants use Carbon Oxide to produce to us Oxygen
12- The cycle of water , clouds, rain, fall on mountains to make rivers, evaporation of sea and oceans water to make clouds,
etc etc... there are million not one sign
Soon I will finalize this topic and post some in the Forum and put all in my site.
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