The Trouble With Christianity
I can't agree with you about what the Bible teaches.
Two things. First, I don't hate Christians. I really don't. It's just that there is such a seemingly large group of Christians out there who think science is out to get them, who think that allowing people they don't approve of to get married somehow threatens their marriage, who think that teaching children evolution in school is a threat to their religious freedom, who think that the wall of separation between Church and State.
Second, I have tried, but I can't figure out how a religion that professes love and tolerance uses as it's inspiration and the place where all of it's ideals come from a book which is full of intolerance, ethnic cleansing, discrimination, rape, torture, death and has been used as the justification for more human atrocities than any other book in history. The only explanation that makes any sense is that hardly any Christian ever really reads the Bible.
I do not believe that the Bible teaches love and tolerance, even the New Testament. I don't believe that being a fundamentalist is corrupting the religion. Christianity changes to suit the times. It fights this change tooth and nail. It was late in accepting equality for blacks, for women. It is late in accepting homosexuality, but it is.
I respect the fundamental literalists more sometimes than more tolerant Christians. They may be almost everything I despise about religion, but they are uncompromising and abide by the Bible more faithfully than most. However, I much prefer to be around the more tolerant ones, seeing as how I'm an Atheist.
1 - Science isn't out to get me, so you can scratch that off the list under my name. I love science with a passion.
2 - Marriage is a religious institution and action. The secular world doesn't even consider fornication wrong so what is the need to be "married"? Wouldn't a civil union for legal rights serve it better? And I personally don't care what they do as I don't balance the cosmos, God does. Although that sounds harsh I mean it kindly and sincerely.
3 - Teaching darwinism in schools is not a threat to religous freedom itself but to the fabric of honesty in science. Though I will state my stance here briefly, the full elaboration isn't appropriate in this context so we'll save it for another heading. There are no full transitionary findings for any species. Breeders for over the past five hundred years have proven there are definitive limits which will revert the species to original or simply go no further in the direction of change(Ernst Mayr - genetic homeostasis). The geologic column is a collection of speculatory imaginative writings that pick random numbers for the layers' age even when contridictions are found. Dinosaurs have been found less decayed than the corpses meant to be preserved by the egyptians meaning the billions idea is a child's tale. Natural selection moves in a loss of information and results in less information rather than any gains whatsoever. Just to touch on the idea.
4 - The human attrocities are just that, "human" attrocities so I don't see your connection with them "claiming" God told them to kill for Jesus. As for Old Testament, the world was a war state created of it's own accord before God ever began killing off people who thought sacrificing children was ok. But none of us know the nitty gritty details so I'm unsure why people bring it up as if it justifies any belief or lack of belief. People kill people, and people can do no more. God may kill a person, and take them to a place He made before He made the earth so I guess He's evil for changing their location? lol We have no clue where those people are, they could be in Hell, Heaven, on another adventure in time... He knows all their thoughts and can send them all specifically one by one based on their choices. We don't know much of anything beyond face value, and anyone with wits about him knows face value isn't worth spitting at.
5 - The Bible doesn't teach tolerance. It teaches love, patience, mercy, and forgiveness. The Bible never said that God tolerates anything, but rather said He is patient, loving, merciful, and forgiving to those who will listen to instruction, seek to do good, and ask forgiveness for doing things that are evil or destructive. It also says God is just, so why anyone assumes He is suppose to be tolerant escapes me completely. People who refuse not to destroy, kill, steal, inflict pain.. they intend to keep doing these things and God will not let pain continue but so far. That is what the Bible says happens is "unrepentant" people are punished because they refuse to care that they are doing harm to others and will continue.
6 - What need is there for a Christian to be tolerant? If you are doing things I'm not allowed by serving God (my choice) and they influence me, I may choose to be around those who agree but it doesn't mean I'm here to judge you for what you are doing. All I'm told to do, is to tell you what God has done for me, and shown me, and what I know in my heart, mind, and soul as a man like every other man under God ( yes I know you don't believe ). I'm not going to chase you around, but I'm not going to hide who I am or what I believe and know in my mind. That would make me a coward now wouldn't it. That doesn't mean that because you see things another way I'm somehow an enemy of you... I'm just a man, and so is every other man on the globe.
7 - Classifying everyone literalist or who knows what else might be pushing the bill I think. There are literal writings, and symbolic ones (which have literal meanings obviously) but if someone says the entirety of the text in the Bible is written one way or the other or it "depends on you" then they have failed to accept reality. If a man jumps off a 7 story building, whether to him in his mind the concrete is real does not matter.. The truth is going to hit him as hard as concrete. The truth is there is concrete and gravity and the combination of the two with a man and distance equals death no matter what "his interpretation" is. There is only ONE truth and reality, and that is that death is non-negotiable for a man that takes such an action.
Not sure how many conclusions you have that are based on humanity, but considering their record I've personally never been a fan of following the majority or large actions on the part of humanity period. They seem to play dice quite a lot and fool themselves in the act.Well no need for the formalities. Vector will do fine.
Since my time is closing for today, we'll try to keep it short and elaborate later hopefully. I also see some filler food in there I think, but we'll get to it later in depth, lol.
As for now:
For 2 - You are making claims without substantial backing, self-admittedly. "I don't think..."
For 4 - You are basing your conclusions on selfish actions of people? The records in the Bible are nothing in comparison to the things I've glanced at walking by the television. The world is full of war at this very instant and God clearing people out for murdering their own children is judged by us? There isn't even enough information recorded to make a fair judgement, let alone base our eternal destiny and finalize our conclusion on such things. Pardon, but I see see your words pertaining to this issue a little biased. (Just being honest)
For 5 - Please note I've already stated it does NOT teach tolerance but justice, which you seem to be alluding to as vengence. And If Jesus Christ is God then the "conversion" idea isn't reality as there is only one God and one Law (Matthew 22:37-40). This means that if you aren't giving credit where it's due, or loving your neighbor as yourself you're rebellious and causing pain in some way or another. To "convert" from that would be to stop causing pain and destruction.
To forgive a debt such as a murder to a man who in his heart feels he wishes he had never done such a deed to to gain a new man from an old destructive one in God's eyes. A man that does not wish to cause harm when at one time he (being a free-will being) wished to do so. And fidelity is not opposite of love. Unsure where you got such notion. A man who loves a friend and will die in his friends place is loyal and loving. Jesus Christ paid the fine in the spiritual world that would have been so high a price that the very soul of the person would be required. (money is worthless in spirit, only assets and actions will do for payment) To top all this off, you're simplifying a very complex subject and you can't put four 2 inch buttons on a 3 inch panel no matter how bad you want to fit it in your pocket and carry it around.
For the rest, you seem threatened by the very presence of a person who believes in something you don't. You are also putting descriptions of the worst of the worst in your writing and that seems somewhat over the top.
If you tolerate to a "point" and then no more then there isn't much "tolerance" is there? lol
No one can prove God is real to anyone be it by science or otherwise. Only God is able to answer a man on whther He is there or not and I know this from experience. I despise heresay"Those are the things that keep me away from religion. I do not wish to have an argument about whether I should believe or not."
Then what in the world have you been doing all this time and why you think I should read any further when such a subject is nullified by your stark bias is beyond me. Respectfully, these are notions that are to be presented at the beginning of things as your actions (your many posts) declare otherwise (or to be plain, opposite of your statement quoted above).
I find such a presence of a person with his heels dug into the dirt of the earth a bitter one when he is in a place where the conversation is obviously in contrast to what he claims he wishes. I think in such a case it would be best not to waste people's time.
It's not so much your stance that bothers me, but that you come here and declare it to all and then say you are not here to argue. An argument is your point of view, and you have bodly proclaimed yours so I think I'm done here seeing as confusion lay scattered about me.
If you are out to make friends and just talk without hearing others' point of view, well I hate to break it to ya... You're in the wrong place friend.You still around...
Oh I noticed Mr bane... But what you don't know is I was trying to tell you kindly I won't be responding to randomly placed responses. Since nice wouldn't work though.. lol
And the bitterness flows more freely. Look, this is why me and you won't be discussing anything
" Definition of Darwinism (n) bing.com · Bing Dictionary
1. support for Darwin's theory: belief in or advocacy of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution "
Now, since that covers the subject for me I'll leave my opinion out of it. Anyone reading may also search numerous places across the globe and find the same conclusion.
Good day Mr swordsbane. I wish you the very best.
Enjoy.
Ah - sorry. Didn't recognize your new persona. This one is to wind up the Xtians huh?
Happy fishing.
lol
He's calling you a troll Ladymudd. You'll have to ignore Mark. He is a troll himself, albeit a good one I'll admit.
He got your goat there killa. Don't mind his poking. He'll squeeze the patience right out of you like a 4 year old with a car horn if you let him. Yeah, ol' Mark is trip. He's like my best buddy on here. You should check out the Hub he done specifally for me in my youthful days when I posted something including my beliefs he didn't like! lolol
I hope he still has it up, at first I didn't like it - but now... now that I know Mark better it makes me feel much more special.
Just remember to watch out for his snares and pit falls and you'll have fun around him.
Is it because that Christianity, like many other religions, is something people have been indoctrinated to believe as opposed to what they are supposed to believe?
Why? I guess you just demonstrated why.
Scratch the surface and there it is.Sorry but umm.
"I'm NOT one of THOSE Christians...and proud of it."
"Quit being so proud...I believe God said he didn't like that..."
Just struck my funny bone is all. lol
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