Another Religious Thread: If God is All-good, All-powerful, and All-knowing...

[westcoastsfinest]

everything happens for a reason

 

[getthismoney]

Originally Posted by Its That Dude

So you guys still say that god is ALL-GOOD, even thought he lets innocent people die when HE HAS THE POWER to save them.

Save them from what? Isn't heaven way more fun than earth?

Idon't full understand

 

[galvelocity]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Blanco1983

Originally Posted by Galvelocity

Originally Posted by 23ska909red02

Galvelocity:

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23ska909red02:

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These arguments go nowhere because of two things: stubbornness and narrow-mindedness.

For the record, I mean from any and all sides.

People ask questions already believing what they want to believe, and people answer questions with no intention of learning anything new from the person they're trying to 'fix' or 'convert'.

Go to a math tutor thoroughly convinced that 2+ 2 = filet mignon and carry with you a complete unwillingness to understand how that perspective is wrong, and you'll get as far with him as you would anyone else asking questions about God with an already established, thorough conviction that they are completely unwilling to have shaken or compromised.

What if you're like me and went from devoutly religious to devoutly atheist after taking the time to educate yourself the best way you knew how? Obviously I was open-minded or I would still be religious. And obviously I wouldn't still be reading about religion to learn about it if I was just going to say it was stupid in a blanket statement.

My closest friend right now fits that description. Got a ton of respect for dude.

I don't call myself a Christian, because I don't want the negative stigma associated with today's Christians attached to me, but I do believe there is a God, and I try to live according to that belief. I wasn't raised according to the way I believe, and I can definitely respect anyone who has developed their own belief system, even if the belief system they subscribe to is completely different than mine.

Yeah I like the idea of customized religion. Take the aspects of religion you like and apply them to your life as you choose instead of being mandated to do a thousand different things. You do what you think makes you a better person who is happier in this life.

Although by doing so, you are worsening everyone's odds of choosing the correct religion to get you into heaven by adding a new one into the betting pool

....jk haha


Customized religion? This is very confusing to me. I don't know your beliefs, but let me give you a scenario. Let's say you take many of your customized religious beliefs from the Bible. The Bible is the Word of God and it is the guide to life. God is All-knowing. So if you are taking your beliefs from the Bible, how can you not omit certain things that you don't like or feel that apply to your life? To me that says that you have a better understanding of what is best for your life rather than God. The Bible is not a buffet to where you can get helpings of things you like and disregard the things you don't. Everything in the Bible was placed there with a purpose and we must take all of Gods commands to heart. Now this is assuming that your take your customized religion from the Bible, but I think it can apply to any other religious book.


I totally get where you got that interpretation of what I'm saying haha it's a hard thing to phrase correctly. I'm not saying youshould just choose what you feel like doing out of one religion, and then just reject other aspects of it because they're too much of a hassle orsomething. I'm saying if you wanna believe in the Christian God but not follow their more obscure rules, more power to you.

Like when I was still religious I was pretty young, but I was already calling BS on the whole "Birth control is a sin" thing. How are we gonna haveso many people dying from aids and so many unwanted children and then have the people taking preventative steps being called the bad guys? So I disregardedthat pretty early as being a little ridiculous and something that I didn't want to subscribe to. Like "Harry Potter is clearly Satanic"....like Iwas gonna be a 9 year old not reading an awesome book just because someone tells me God says I can't.

Same with the whole "take the Old Testament at face value" idea. Most religious people I know just do what I did and take the story for what itmeant, and not for what it was, but when I came to Uni and took a course on the Bible there were kids RIGHT up in my face insisting that dude survived in awhale for three days. No he didn't. It's a story meant to teach you something, not something to all-outbelieve.

Anyway I'm just saying that you can construct your own belief system out of aspects of all the world's religions. Like my dad for example, believes inthe idea of the Christan God, but follows the Buddhist rules to enlightenment because he that's how he wants to live his life. I think that's cool.Shows you aren't just mindlessly following whatever a dude in a tall hat tells you to do. I think religion and people's interpretation of it isfascinating and cool to talk about, but stuff like this bothers me:

I pray that you can be led to the Truth.
I'm not saying "whatever you believe is stupid and what I believe is obviously the right thing", so why do you have to take thatroad? I can't stand people forcing their beliefs down my throat. You do you, don't worry about me.

Also:

i'd rather die believing in god and finding out he doesn't exist instead of choosing not to believe in him only to find out i'm wrong when i meet him.
With all the religions you have as options, your chances are PRETTY slim that the one you chose is the right one. Your odds are barely better thanthose of an atheist. One might even argue that a rival God would be more pleased with us for choosing to believe in nothing instead of one of his imitators.

 

[ljlukelj]

When I was little and used to say my prayers at night, I would pray for all people less fortunate in the world and then maybe say a prayer for something Ineeded or desired, but I always let God know that I realized he may be too busy or preoccupied to come my way.

 

[josebronx]

Originally Posted by ACE BOMBER

I wasn't gonna add anything when I first clicked this thread but there are some seriously piss poor arguments against religion in here... (I don't "believe" btw)

The whole story that this thread was based on is a HORRIFIC example

A couple of yall are making some solid points though (Joe Camel and Galvelocity) I like to see/hear a good religious discussion where both sides can keep their cool and not start making personal attacks on the other side. It just really baffles me how many people believe in god. Not that it is a bad thing, I just personally could never do it. There is so much unknown that I can never look past... I'm gonna throw something out there that most of you, I would imagine, have already seen.� If you have not, I would appreciate responses from people who are christian to please tell me what goes through your mind when you see information like this... This movie has plenty of bs in different parts so I am just posting the first segment of the religion topic. Feel free to watch the second and third parts if you wish

http://www.youtube.com/v/BNf-P_5u_Hw&fs=1&source=uds&autoplay=0http://www.youtube.com/v/BNf-P_5u_Hw&fs=1&source=uds&autoplay=0

Also, if anybody can disprove these claims I would love to hear it... (I'm really not trying to be sarcastic even though it may be coming across that way)

you just posted a video that talked about egyptian gods tho. The greek and the romans also believed in higher beings, how does that baffle you if people havebeen worshiping higher being forever?
Could it be that human are natural inclined to believe in a "god" (not talking about which religion is right)


Jesus wasnt born in dec 25th tho

 

[blackxme]

Originally Posted by Prostaffer

correct.

i'd rather die believing in god and finding out he doesn't exist instead of choosing not to believe in him only to find out i'm wrong when i meet him.

Playing the odds

This is such a cowardly thing to do

"The great French mathematician Blaise Pascal reckoned that, however long the odds against God's existence might be, there is even larger asymmetry inthe penalty for guessing wrong. You'd better believe in God, because if you are right you stand to gain eternal bliss and if you are wrong it won'tmake any difference anyway. On the other hand, if you don't believe in God and you turn out to be wrong you get eternal damnation, whereas if you are rightit makes no difference. On the face of it the decision is a no-brainier. Believe in God. There is something distinctly odd about the argument, however.Believing is not something you can decide to do as a matter of policy. At least, it is not something I can decide to do as an act of will. I can decide to goto church and I can decide to recite the Nicene Creed, and I can decide to swear on a stack of bibles that I believe every word inside them. But none of thatcan make me actually believe it if I don't. Pascal's Wager could only ever be an argument for feigning beliefin God. And the God that you claim to believe in better not be of the omniscient kind or he'd see right through the deception."- Richard Dawkins

 

[devildog1776]

The god that most humans pray to doesn't exist.... There is a creator but that origin is unknown to the masses.... The bible is a metaphor .... The Koranand Torah are also metaphors... They serve a good purpose but that purpose has been institutionalized by the elite to keep a spiritual hold on our lives.... Ifthey lie to us about war , bailouts and global warming.... What do u think they would do to keep us somewhat obedient

 

[onhollowedground821]

Originally Posted by devildog1776

The god that most humans pray to doesn't exist.... There is a creator but that origin is unknown to the masses.... The bible is a metaphor .... The Koran and Torah are also metaphors... They serve a good purpose but that purpose has been institutionalized by the elite to keep a spiritual hold on our lives.... If they lie to us about war , bailouts and global warming.... What do u think they would do to keep us somewhat obedient

Sorry bro but this is full of holes, How do you know the god "people" pray to doessnt exist? yet im sure youd say "you cant proove he does"yet you fallow that by saying "there is a creator but unknown" you say that as truth, but yet say the other god cant be truth, what the??? How canyou say it's made by the Elite to have us in a "spiritul hold" yet Ive felt more bondage by the world's "what I should be and do"then anything I apply in my life that's in the Bible, it's freedom if anything and second ru kidding? to keep us "somewhat obedient" what is"obedient"? to who and what? not only that but do you know what going on around you? this world is farrrrrr from obedient lol

 

[mr kuter]

This world is quite obedient. Almost everyone plays a role.

 

[ljlukelj]

I hate when people state their opinions like it's a matter-of-fact truth. The bottom line is, no one really knows the truth. Religion is all based on faithand faith alone. If you believe there is a God up there looking down, then there is and visa-versa.

 

[ooickusoo]

Religion is a way to keep life on earth in order. Governments alone can't see to it that everyone is in line, or civil all of the time. Religions are a wayto govern the world through the fear of "God". He's everyone's Santa Claus... Crated so the mindless have divine consequences to consider ineveryday life. The religious strive to make the nice list, therefore minimizing corruption, chaos, evil, etc.

 

[onhollowedground821]

Originally Posted by Mr Kuter

This world is quite obedient. Almost everyone plays a role.

How? somebody playing the "role" of terrorist is obedient because he's playing his role? or a rapist is being obedient by doing "what hedoes"...........

 

[onhollowedground821]

Originally Posted by ljlukelj

I hate when people state their opinions like it's a matter-of-fact truth. The bottom line is, no one really knows the truth. Religion is all based on faith and faith alone. If you believe there is a God up there looking down, then there is and visa-versa.

Or even if you feel like yours is "truth" dont force it on anybody, beating somebody over the head is not gonna get them to changeanything........how stupid is that? Christians do this a lot and it makes me shake my head

 

[antonlavey]

God is playing the SIMS with us, he chooses when to interfere when not to interfere.

 

[ljlukelj]

Originally Posted by ONHOLLOWEDGROUND821

Originally Posted by ljlukelj

I hate when people state their opinions like it's a matter-of-fact truth. The bottom line is, no one really knows the truth. Religion is all based on faith and faith alone. If you believe there is a God up there looking down, then there is and visa-versa.

Or even if you feel like yours is "truth" dont force it on anybody, beating somebody over the head is not gonna get them to change anything........how stupid is that? Christians do this a lot and it makes me shake my head

exactly, but a lot of christians feel the need to spread the word. Like a buddy of mine constantly drills us on christ. Like we get it, some of usbelieve, some don't. There is no argument. You either believe or don't.

When people say things like "they do or do not exist" like how the hell do you know?

 

[m1dnightmobster]

There is evil in this world because we have free will to do what we want.
What good would it be if God created humans to do what he wanted us to do?
How would we honestly love God? We have a choice, either we do real good in the world
or real bad, instead of being orchestrated by God because he doesn't want "evil."

 

[onhollowedground821]

Originally Posted by oOickusOo

Religion is a way to keep life on earth in order. Governments alone can't see to it that everyone is in line, or civil all of the time. Religions are a way to govern the world through the fear of "God". He's everyone's Santa Claus... Crated so the mindless have divine consequences to consider in everyday life. The religious strive to make the nice list, therefore minimizing corruption, chaos, evil, etc.

Bull if the Government wanted to see everybody in line they wouldnt need a "God" to do it.......wanna know why? nobody even fallows what thierreligion says! a study done only a few month ago said that less then 5% of religious people fallow and believe everything that is taught in thier saidreligion.........You cant minimize Evil by doing that, it's a joke.......people say "God did not make the moral standard" or that humans made itup (code of hammurabi) and that we know right from wrong anyways, so with the same breath you cant credit God for keeping people inline......it's one orthe other you cant pick both

 

[8tothe24]

Originally Posted by Oh YoU MaD

 

[onhollowedground821]

Originally Posted by AntonLaVey

God is playing the SIMS with us, he chooses when to interfere when not to interfere.

God exist to you now? see you cant say he doessnt then comment about what he does and does not do.........."i dont believe in water, but man do i hatewhen it rains"

 

[mr kuter]

Originally Posted by ONHOLLOWEDGROUND821

Originally Posted by Mr Kuter

This world is quite obedient. Almost everyone plays a role.

How? somebody playing the "role" of terrorist is obedient because he's playing his role? or a rapist is being obedient by doing "what he does"...........

Small people out of the masses. Most people go to work. Have babies. Go to their religious center, tithe. Vote when its time. Have holidays around theirreligious faiths. Go to school. Watch tv and movies. Listen to pop music. Most people are obedient. Most people aren't rapists.

 

[onhollowedground821]

Originally Posted by ljlukelj

Originally Posted by ONHOLLOWEDGROUND821

Originally Posted by ljlukelj

I hate when people state their opinions like it's a matter-of-fact truth. The bottom line is, no one really knows the truth. Religion is all based on faith and faith alone. If you believe there is a God up there looking down, then there is and visa-versa.

Or even if you feel like yours is "truth" dont force it on anybody, beating somebody over the head is not gonna get them to change anything........how stupid is that? Christians do this a lot and it makes me shake my head

exactly, but a lot of christians feel the need to spread the word. Like a buddy of mine constantly drills us on christ. Like we get it, some of us believe, some don't. There is no argument. You either believe or don't.

When people say things like "they do or do not exist" like how the hell do you know?

I feel you bro, it's a trun off, if anything he's hurting his cause.........problem is "pastors" drill in the fact they need to get the wordout and that's fine, but it's jumping somebody with a Bible that will make somebody never want to hear what you have to say

 

[antonlavey]

Originally Posted by ONHOLLOWEDGROUND821

Originally Posted by AntonLaVey

God is playing the SIMS with us, he chooses when to interfere when not to interfere.

God exist to you now? see you cant say he doessnt then comment about what he does and does not do.........."i dont believe in water, but man do i hate when it rains"

I was being SARCASTIC fam.....

 

[mo matik]

Originally Posted by devildog1776

The god that most humans pray to doesn't exist.... There is a creator but that origin is unknown to the masses.... The bible is a metaphor .... The Koran and Torah are also metaphors... They serve a good purpose but that purpose has been institutionalized by the elite to keep a spiritual hold on our lives.... If they lie to us about war , bailouts and global warming.... What do u think they would do to keep us somewhat obedient

Muhammad (pbuh) was a poor illiterate merchant. The Quraysh tribe were respected, but not elite by any standard. They were not rich, they did not have muchat all. They were known for their character, because they had little power.

Muslims believe that the three "Abrahamic" religions are all "Islam" and Moses (pbuh), Jesus (pbuh), and Muhammad (pbuh) are all Prophetsof the same religion, and Islam as we know was the last and final revelation to perfect the religion. Moses spoke of 2 after him, and Jesus spoke of 1 afterhim to complete the message.

 

[its that dude]

only a handful of people answered my question of whether they thought they were still good or not.

 

[onhollowedground821]

Originally Posted by Mr Kuter

Originally Posted by ONHOLLOWEDGROUND821

Originally Posted by Mr Kuter

This world is quite obedient. Almost everyone plays a role.

How? somebody playing the "role" of terrorist is obedient because he's playing his role? or a rapist is being obedient by doing "what he does"...........

Small people out of the masses. Most people go to work. Have babies. Go to their religious center, tithe. Vote when its time. Have holidays around their religious faiths. Go to school. Watch tv and movies. Listen to pop music. Most people are obedient. Most people aren't rapists.

so the small % dont count? and for the record it is far from a small ammount are prisons are packed and "evil" happends all over theplace........what you call "obedient" is people just living thier lives and that was nothing to do with the fear of God, watch a man starve and seeif he doessnt kill the next man for the last piece of bread......."god" isnt gonna keep him inline when that time comes