Does anyone here see religious books as actual proof of said religion?
The thing that always bothers me is that it was thought of and written by humans.

Like, what if a random stranger starts preaching about something and people agree with it, will he be remembered as being of a similar position as jesus after thousands of years and will that lead to a new religion?
For all we know that stranger might just be making stuff up yet still obtain people to follow his believes.

I know this is a sensitive topic for a lot of people and I don't mean to offend anyone but it's just something I wonder. Like how can people believe what a human said is the actual truth?  

Posted by ReD s.

Why do people argue over Religion, it is dumb and so is Religion.

Why do people argue over Sparring, it is dumb and so is Sparring.  

Posted by CM

Why do people argue over Sparring, it is dumb and so is Sparring.

 

No matter how big the Christian population is, it's going to die eventually. Ancient Greeks for example took their religion very seriously. They want as far as to name cities and build statues of their Gods. Now look. Today people say those God's are just myths. Years from now our religion will just be another lie  

Posted by 5hift

The idea that God controls our actions or whatever is really unsettling considering we've done some ****ed up things in the past.

This belief seems a lot easier to get behind.

He doesn't.

Posted by 5hift

The idea that God controls our actions or whatever is really unsettling considering we've done some ****ed up things in the past.

This belief seems a lot easier to get behind.

He doesn't.

Posted by Jent

Now matter how big the Christian population is, it's going to die eventually. Ancient Greeks for example took their religion very seriously. They want as far as to name cities and build statues of their Gods. Now look. Today people say those God's are just myths. Years from now our religion will just be another lie

That sounds deceiving.  

Posted by Fulgore

It becomes hard to understand because everything we have ever known has had a beginning and an end (or will end). Having experienced that our entire lives it becomes hard to imagine something that always was, as opposed to something that just started. Lots of mystery still left out there, regardless of religion.

For atheists, what happened before the big bang? Logic would tell us that something can't come of nothing.

For Christians / other religions, if God created everything, who created God?

That entire concept from both ends is interesting.

That's like asking how magnets work, they just do. Same goes for the big bang, it just happened.  

Posted by SomeGuy

That's like asking how magnets work, they just do. Same goes for the big bang, it just happened.

"They just do" doesn't explain how magnets work. Humans studied it and found out for themselves how and why magnets do what they do. The same can't be said for the Big Bang. Fulgore is referring to questions that have yet to be answered, so no, that's not like asking how magnets work.

http://www.howmagnetswork.com/  

Posted by Fulgore

It becomes hard to understand because everything we have ever known has had a beginning and an end (or will end). Having experienced that our entire lives it becomes hard to imagine something that always was, as opposed to something that just started. Lots of mystery still left out there, regardless of religion.

For atheists, what happened before the big bang? Logic would tell us that something can't come of nothing.

For Christians / other religions, if God created everything, who created God?

That entire concept from both ends is interesting.

God always was. No one created him, he never even was created. He just is. I don't understand how that's possible either, but I also believe that humans cannot possibly understand many things. We don't know what it's like for anything to be perfect, to be forever, or anything like that.

Posted by Anakin_Graal

"They just do" doesn't explain how magnets work. Humans studied it and found out for themselves how and why magnets do what they do. The same can't be said for the Big Bang. Fulgore is referring to questions that have yet to be answered, so no, that's not like asking how magnets work.

http://www.howmagnetswork.com/

I think his actual thought process was deeper than simply the magnet itself. Why do elements react the way they do? Why do they actually attrack or repel each other? If you break everything down to the smallest possible piece, there's an infinite amount of unknown questions that no one on Earth will ever know the answer to.

As for the existence of religion... I am a Christian, and I believe it's the only correct religion. Even if it's not, I use religion to try to better myself and to potentially serve others. It's a fascinating concept in itself that changes people's behaviors for the good of the world. The idea of religion at the very least is something great for everyone. It doesn't even matter if you believe it's real or not, it is real because we (humans) make it real, and allow it to change our lives to better ourselves and others. I honestly wish athesists would believe in a religion - any religion. It's pretty humbling to believe in someone infinitely more powerful than you. I personally think religion causes a great outlook on life, and it also helps tremendously at death to believe that you or someone else is not actually dying, but rather just leaving the human world and going to Heaven.  

I don't like limiting myself to a certain idea and grasping to it like it is the absolute truth because that might actually prevent you from reaching what you want (the absolute truth). As for Deism, how is this god different from an imaginary entity? You can't test or observe its effects if any, it's like saying "There is a a magical unicorn with 6 limbs that governs the universe but has no real effect on it whatsoever". Look up the parable of the invisible farmer.  

Posted by PigParty

God always was. No one created him, he never even was created. He just is. I don't understand how that's possible either, but I also believe that humans cannot possibly understand many things. We don't know what it's like for anything to be perfect, to be forever, or anything like that.



I think his actual thought process was deeper than simply the magnet itself. Why do elements react the way they do? Why do they actually attrack or repel each other? If you break everything down to the smallest possible piece, there's an infinite amount of unknown questions that no one on Earth will ever know the answer to.

As for the existence of religion... I am a Christian, and I believe it's the only correct religion. Even if it's not, I use religion to try to better myself and to potentially serve others. It's a fascinating concept in itself that changes people's behaviors for the good of the world. The idea of religion at the very least is something great for everyone. It doesn't even matter if you believe it's real or not, it is real because we (humans) make it real, and allow it to change our lives to better ourselves and others. I honestly wish athesists would believe in a religion - any religion. It's pretty humbling to believe in someone infinitely more powerful than you. I personally think religion causes a great outlook on life, and it also helps tremendously at death to believe that you or someone else is not actually dying, but rather just leaving the human world and going to Heaven.

Basically all religion does is give people something to just Believe(not real) in. If there is a god why would he allow us all to have sickness and cancer and... Nevermind just pointless to text out. I wouldn't want to believe in a religion basically, it's a waste of time.  

Posted by Kosiris

I don't like limiting myself to a certain idea and grasping to it like it is the absolute truth because that might actually prevent you from reaching what you want (the absolute truth). As for Deism, how is this god different from an imaginary entity? You can't test or observe its effects if any, it's like saying "There is a a magical unicorn with 6 limbs that governs the universe but has no real effect on it whatsoever". Look up the parable of the invisible farmer.

Heard of the Flying Spaghetti Monster? It's basically what you said.
Last Thursdayism is another interesting one.  

Posted by PigParty

God always was. No one created him, he never even was created. He just is. I don't understand how that's possible either, but I also believe that humans cannot possibly understand many things. We don't know what it's like for anything to be perfect, to be forever, or anything like that.



I think his actual thought process was deeper than simply the magnet itself. Why do elements react the way they do? Why do they actually attrack or repel each other? If you break everything down to the smallest possible piece, there's an infinite amount of unknown questions that no one on Earth will ever know the answer to.

As for the existence of religion... I am a Christian, and I believe it's the only correct religion. Even if it's not, I use religion to try to better myself and to potentially serve others. It's a fascinating concept in itself that changes people's behaviors for the good of the world. The idea of religion at the very least is something great for everyone. It doesn't even matter if you believe it's real or not, it is real because we (humans) make it real, and allow it to change our lives to better ourselves and others. I honestly wish athesists would believe in a religion - any religion. It's pretty humbling to believe in someone infinitely more powerful than you. I personally think religion causes a great outlook on life, and it also helps tremendously at death to believe that you or someone else is not actually dying, but rather just leaving the human world and going to Heaven.

Before I was a Satanist, I was Atheist, and before that, Christian. I've bounced around religions before, but while I was atheist I felt like a better person, because I didn't have to worry about a God judging my every move, and asking for forgiveness everytime I broke one of his/her many, many rules. When I followed God, and the Christian religion, I felt a tremendous amount of pressure to follow rules that made no sense to me, and to follow a God that I never really believed in, in the first place. I understand where you're coming from, wanting people to believe in something, but sometimes it's nice to just live life by the day, and not worry about the afterlife or someone watching over you.  

Posted by Mangsi

Before I was a Satanist, I was Atheist, and before that, Christian. I've bounced around religions before, but while I was atheist I felt like a better person, because I didn't have to worry about a God judging my every move, and asking for forgiveness everytime I broke one of his/her many, many rules. When I followed God, and the Christian religion, I felt a tremendous amount of pressure to follow rules that made no sense to me, and to follow a God that I never really believed in, in the first place. I understand where you're coming from, wanting people to believe in something, but sometimes it's nice to just live life by the day, and not worry about the afterlife or someone watching over you.

Granted, it all comes down to your true beliefs, but my pastor gave a pretty good sermon not too long ago. He described how some people want to create their own religion, and pick parts of it that they like, and leave the rest out. He said that you can't do that, otherwise you're just fooling yourself. If you believe in that religion, you can't pick which rules you want to follow. Nothing is ever easy, and following the rules of each religion applies to that. I'm a Lutheran, which doesn't have many of the weird rituals that many religions have. We basically just read the Bible straight up and don't try to interpret it too deeply, or read into something that has nothing to read in to. For me (and Lutheranism as a whole), God doesn't judge us. In fact, they stress constantly how he forgives you for everything you do, hence Jesus dying on the cross. We also believe that in God's eyes, all sin is equal. Murder is no worse than thinking bad thoughts about someone, or stealing, or cheating, etc. Most of the "rules" honestly are simple moral rules, that most people (inside or outside of that religion) believe themselves. Such as murder is wrong, adultering is wrong, etc. Christianity doesn't care much about what you do, but rather that you ask for forgiveness and attempt to change (which really is what people should do, regardless of religion). Religion is a strong motivator for many (and myself) to fulfill that change that we want. It does come down to your actual beliefs, but if you would believe in a God, or a religion, I truly believed what I heard in the sermon that you can't take what you like and leave out the rest.  

I've said this numerous of times on other religious thread, and there a lot of them. The way I see things, I believe in religion soley for my well being in the afterlife. Some believe that when you pass away, you become one with the earth and reincarnate as a cow or tree or something, and that's it. But that just doesn't do it for me. I believe that there is an afterlife, a heaven and a hell, and that if I follow this certain religion, I will spend an eternity in either heaven or hell.

Dying a pointless life just doesn't do it for me either. Living my carefree life on earth, with no rules to listen to whatsoever (SIKE! That's what laws are for). Once I'm dead, I want more, I don't just want to live for perhaps a couple of years and die and reincarnate as a cow or something, I want more. Believing in Christianity gave me hope for my future, that maybe I might be able to live with the ones I love for an eternity in paradise. Utopia really. That's why I chose to believe in Christianity. And even if my religion may prove to be wrong, and it's all just one big fairy tale. My death still won't be in vain because it's what I wanted.

No this doesn't mean anything pertaining to the thread. I just wanted to clarify why I believe in Christianity for those of you whom don't know.  

I don't think there's such thing as a "pointless life".

Everyone's lives are so filled with events and stuff, considering your mortal life as pointless is pretty sad.

It's like saying your parents might as well smother you to death the moment you're born to save you the trip of about 80+ years.

Life isn't just about what happens in the future it's about what you leave behind and the past you create.

And "wanting more" after life, to me, is kind of a selfish thing to believe in a religion. Your life is precious so value it but don't forget about the lives around you as well.

I'm sure you'll make more out of your life if you don't always look to the future but remember the past and live the present.

TL;DR: Just ****ing live your life. It's not pointless.