GPchristan?

[Bobsonsirjonny]

I believe and trust only in me and my own abbilities,

Christians are also expected to belive and trust in their own abilities - the idea being that we are custodians of this world. Films which kinda help to explaion this are:

Bruce Almighty & The Man Who Sued God.

 

[ardnut]

Ok correct me if i'm wrong but most people believe in a religon as they need a purpose in their life and/or they need to be able to explain why we all exist.

Now the thing i don't get is that if you believe in the teachings of your religon then how do you explain all the othr completely different religons around, teaching different things? how do you know your religon is the correct/real one? I would guess that most religous ppl only follow one particular faith as thats what their parents have told them to believe in.

The human mind cant comprehend a lot of things, such as, we are here because we are!!! simple as that.

I dont believe that we are here because of some alien species "god(s)" that created the universe. I'm not an expert on the subject but I'd say that most religons were "created" hundreds of years ago. when we as human beings had a lot less knowledge of the world around us. When we didnt have an answer for something then one would be created, and thus a religon is born - not from fact, just from a general guess, any thing simple that would answer that question we as humans can't comprehend - "why are we here". I mean the whole "jesus turned water in to wine" thing, "oh he must be the son of god" - NO, he was probably just a good magician - lol.

Please could any of the religious ppl out there explain to me how religion could even be remotely true:
1) Why believe in something you have no facts to back up with?
2) Why believe in one religion and how do you explain all the others, how do you know your faith is correct? Because you read it in a book???? because you believe your parents or general word of mouth???
3) Why believe in a religon at all? Whats your reason?

 

[coolgpguy]

i think what anyone believes in no matter what questions themselves in why they want to believe in it. I really want to know what happens when you die but it makes me feel 2 sad so u gotta just forget about it untill its time. Like i feel im christian but i still wonder if theres anything to live for? <_< or is this(life) just a dream? i dunno i guess you just have to be a person with really strong faith

 

[vic20-ian]

Born in the UK and Christened Church of England.

I tried Sunday School - didn't like it. I still don't go to church but I hold broadly 'Christian' values and have a strong moral sense of good and bad.

I do not follow organised churches (for some of the reasons outlined above). Who is to say that one faith is better than another and go to war over it ?

I prefer to think of myself as an Agnostic - who is man to define the nature of God?

As an Engineer I am continually amazed by the world and the variety of life within it and consider the probabilities of the world coming about randomly to be very small. Therefore I believe there must be in some sense something greater out there that put all this together including the laws of Physics but I am not prepared to say it is God, Allah or anyone else. As no proof exists *

I voted Christian as the values I hold are broadly Christian but I have not had the time or inclination to research all the other religions to be able to say which religion I really am. Does it really matter as long as we all get along ?

Happy New year


* p.s. I do think that Douglas Adams had a very good view of it all.

"Now it is such a bizarrely improbable coincidence that anything so mindboggingly useful could have evolved purely by chance that some thinkers have chosen to see it as the final and clinching proof of the non-existence of God.
"The argument goes something like this: `I refuse to prove that I exist,' says God, `for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing.'
"`But,' says Man, `The Babel fish is a dead giveaway, isn't it? It could not have evolved by chance. It proves you exist, and so therefore, by your own arguments, you don't. QED.' (s.42)

 

[kokonik]

sleepless, thats my opinion too.
Its like satanism, every woman is her own god and every man is his own god.
Thats a good theory, but I´m not a satanic, though
And I respect everyone who believes in something. I think its good that people have something to trust and believe in, and put all their hopes in it.
And give it the fault for bad things. And thank it when good things happen to them

 

[dad]

a simple yes or no is all that is expected, not a discussion on your reason for your answers.

yep, me too...

 

[Bobsonsirjonny]

Please could any of the religious ppl out there explain to me how religion could even be remotely true:
1) Why believe in something you have no facts to back up with?
2) Why believe in one religion and how do you explain all the others, how do you know your faith is correct? Because you read it in a book???? because you believe your parents or general word of mouth???
3) Why believe in a religon at all? Whats your reason?

1) Why believe in something you have no facts to back up with?
Faith which is oftenderived from how a faith positivly effects your life. If it has a bad effect - you have no joy, then their os no point. People belive in stuff by nature - and its a bleak world without imagination and wonder.

You are correct to say that there are ultimately no facts to back things up - but what evidence do you require. For example when dealing with historical evidence, you do rely on interpretation - when looking at scientific evidence you require a firmer basis in fact. The Bible - Torah and Qu-ran are largely factuall historical documents - along with stories designed to illustrate the world in which we live.
But I would like to say that there is fact in so far as we are on a rock spinning silently in space.


2) Why believe in one religion and how do you explain all the others, how do you know your faith is correct? Because you read it in a book???? because you believe your parents or general word of mouth???

Again Faith - as for the others: Perhaps it is God appearing to others in a different way. Most monothatheistic faiths recognise the same God - but disagree on the path to him. For example: Muslims think of Jesus as a prophet, and not God's Son. As for the Polytheistic faiths - they recognise more than one god, and often take the attitude the more the merrier. The messgae is ultimatly the same one.

What would be interesting is to see how God's message has reached other worlds - orther inhabiteted planets.



3) Why believe in a religon at all? Whats your reason?

I cant belive nor am I willing to acdept that this is it. Look around you at the wonder of creation - can you possible begin to comprehend how any of this stuff works. The equation is too great, there must be some kinda of divine design. That is to say the world is your proof of God. So once I came to the conclusion that their is a God - it is simply a matter of faith, you study and choose your flavour.

A mate of mine who was an Athiest for 20 yrs (hes an astophysicyst) came to this conclusion after years of looking at space, time - everything. He later settled on Islam.

 

[vic20-ian]

More from Douglas.....

There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened.
Douglas Adams

 

[Max]

1) Why believe in something you have no facts to back up with?

I'm also very excited about this answer... most people I have met and told them this question they replied something like: "We need no facts because we KNOW that there's out god!". I mean... we're living in the society of the 21th century, we don't practice any spiritual stuff anymore, because in this "1st world" century we realized that we can prove almost everything and also we HAVE to prove almost everything, else there would be another million wrong decisions at the courts of justice... That's the same with the Eskimo who MUST eat fish. Wrong. There aren't any Eskimos left who has to eat fish every day. In today's society we don't have to eat meat and fish to survive, that's the hangover of the past.

 

[Bobsonsirjonny]

More from Douglas.....

There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened.
Douglas Adams

Im an animator by profeesion - and my mate Simon is working on the new film of Hitchhikers guide.. though it looks to be beset by problems due to Disney....



Simon is a modlemaker - and from what he has told me - and I cant repeat it here - we are in for a treat

 

[Bobsonsirjonny]

1) Why believe in something you have no facts to back up with?

I'm also very excited about this answer... most people I have met and told them this question they replied something like: "We need no facts because we KNOW that there's out god!". I mean... we're living in the society of the 21th century, we don't practice any spiritual stuff anymore, because in this "1st world" century we realized that we can prove almost everything and also we HAVE to prove almost everything, else there would be another million wrong decisions at the courts of justice... That's the same with the Eskimo who MUST eat fish. Wrong. There aren't any Eskimos left who has to eat fish every day. In today's society we don't have to eat meat and fish to survive, that's the hangover of the past.

Maybe you dont - but that does not mean that others dont. If you didnt have relegion it would be surplanted with politics.

 

[CABBAGES]

i dont have any religion but i believe in god oh and my mums a jehovahs wittnes :blink:

 

[GGfire]

I think topics like this one should be illegalized...

 

[Mark]

I think it takes a hell of alot of guts to be a non-Christian. Everyone wants to think that this isn't the end; that there is something ahead of this life, the REAL reason we live. Athesists, New Satanists etc. accept there is no afterlife, which like I say, is a hard thing to do. Stop me if I'm not making much sense.

The Bible is full of things that just don't add up. For example...

Crusades, Holy Wars. Doesn't it tottaly contridict "Thou shalt not kill"?

Most Christians eat animals. The Bible states that the "Fish and the Grain" are for eating, not a cow. (I feel it is okay to say this, as I am a vegetarian and not a Christian)

You point me to one place in the Bible where it says Homosexuality is a sin. I dare you.

Did you know masterbation is a sin? Letting the seed spill on the ground? All Sodomy is a sin. Using a Condom is a sin.

And I'd finally like to point out the Bible is the most LIBERAL book ever. I am not sure of the passage, but it reads something like "If God made it, it cannot be unclean." And God created everything, right? So....Paedophilia, rape, incest, abortion, murder, homosexuality*...it's all okay?


* I would like to apologuise for this grouping, it seems Homosexuality always seems to get thrown in with other cultural 'taboos". I do not mean to cause any offense to anyone, nor anyone who has been a victim of any other thing I mentioned.

Rant Over

 

[crazeeplaya]

I don't beleive in God or anything, but that doesn't make me a bad person.

A lot of the Cristians that I know are horrible people, who just go to Church each week so that they can be forgiven by 'God' for being total arseholes for the rest of the week

 

[Hazuki2K4]

stinky cheese man over here is a weird o <_<

 

[Max]

Most Christians eat animals. The Bible states that the "Fish and the Grain" are for eating, not a cow. (I feel it is okay to say this, as I am a vegetarian and not a Christian)

Ehm... but you're not a Veggie if you're eating fish what is an animal.

 

[papapopalung]

has anyone here heard of gnostic christianity? it's a whole different flavour...

gnostic agnostic myself...

 

[Twimfy]

I believe that religion has it's uses in making life better for some people..stronger communites etc. But I also believe that it has a lot of downfalls, personal experiences have shown me that it can create snobbery and ill behaviour between parties where the religious group place themselves above others because they have 'faith'. Of course this is just one experience and I'm certain that this is not a running trend but nevertheless it has made me think alot about religion over time.

Basically I have no faith or belief but I am not an atheist, I am agnostic.

To be atheist you don't not believe in god, you are certain of his non existence, to not believe in someone is to acknowledge that they exist in the first place. I do believe in a higher power but I do not who or what it is, despite being highly confident in scientific explanations, I find it sad to rule out the possibility of the unknown.

 

[Bobsonsirjonny]

I don't beleive in God or anything, but that doesn't make me a bad person.

A lot of the Cristians that I know are horrible people, who just go to Church each week so that they can be forgiven by 'God' for being total arseholes for the rest of the week

Agreed.


Christ also said that not everyone who cries "Lord, Lord" will get into Heaven, and to be weary of people who are wolves in sheeps clothing. These folk are not Cristians - they are like the football hooligan who wears the shirt.