Religion!

OK, so in another topic, religion came up.  So what are your beliefs, opinions, thoughts, confusions, questions? And of course keep it civil, don't judge or bash, if you think something is offensive, stick "in my opinion" in front, so you can't get in poo.

in my opinion all religions have there downfall... me i dont believe anything... i look at in the way  of science.. nothing more nothing less..

I believe that God created the universe.

I believe it took him 7 actual days

I believe that God created man in his image

I believe in the Biblical flood

I believe that God created everything in existence

I believe that Jesus Christ is the true son of God

I believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins

I believe that I am forgiven for my sins present, past and future

I believe that anyone who seeks God will find him

I believe that every word of the Bible is God breathed and true

I believe that Jesus Christ is coming again

I believe in a perfect Heaven

I believe in a burning hell

I have been a Christian since I was 11, I am now 53 years old and I have had my times of doubt but God has always proven himself over and over again. When  those times of doubt are present I do exactly what the Bible says to do. "Seek and you will find, ask and the door will be open to you" I have asked and God has answered. If you want to know that God is God, ask and truely seek him and he will prove himself to you. If you like to read try " A Case For Christ"

I was raised Catholic and consider myself catholic, but that's more of an identity thing than a true belief. I'm really not religious at all apart from the fact that I believe there is a god, but more in the sense of energy/reason for existing. We had to materialize from something, yes? That's what I think of as god. I don't think there's something around judging us because I see people of all different lifestyles living happily and that's what matters.

It has been a subject that always interested me. I've taken 2 religious studies courses this semester and thought they were really fun, but at the same time, I thought I'd gain some sort of new belief, yet was really left with nothing but more confusion. I feel if you juxtapose all religions together, it all starts to seem almost borderline silly because you have to break it down so much. I mean, we have this history that tells us what may or may not have happened, but it's so old that so much gets lost in time and the winners' stories are the only ones that get told. Since we weren't there, there's no way of truly knowing the cultures/context in which these religions developed.

Anyway.. that's my 2 cents

I was baptized Catholic, but have only ever been to one church service and it was when I was too young to remember, in all honesty, I'm not sure why I was baptized.

Inorris55- You mentioned that your children both met their spouses' in church, do think that your beliefs have too greatly influenced their beliefs?  I think it's good for children to have that guidance and those morals instilled on them, but do you think some people take it too far?  Do you feel that you were "scared" into believing that you will burn in hell if you don't ask for forgiveness and live your life in a biblical sense? 

I find it really mind-boggling that people can so blindly follow God,  with all the stories from so long ago, how do you know which is true, what evidence other than what you've been taught, do you have to go on. 

I belive that Jesus existed, I believe he was crusified, as far as him dying for our sins and coming back, what proof is there?  If God made man in his image, why is there so much war, distruction and corruption in the world. I don't think turning to the bible for every bump life throughs me is something I could do, (it's an aufully long book to memorize).  I don't think I could ever chose just one religion, I would too curious what others are like.  And what if someone else religion is true, there is no God, and for not following the "right" religion you end up having a horrible "after-life".  

Let me start by saying I try and respect everyone's religious views, so hopefully no one takes anything I say offensively.

I find religion interesting to learn about, but I also think people should take into consideration how long ago most of these religions were created, and how much less we knew about our surroundings then.

I definitely feel that scientific fact and logic should be a priority over what (I feel ) is more of a myth. This is why I think that the theory of evolution should be taken more seriously, intelligence shouldn't be hindered because of religion (that's one of my pet peeves!). I think people's religions should evolve with the times and take into consideration new knowledge that we have obtained.

BUT science doesn't answer everything, and where science begins to unfold I think that's where people should by every right believe whatever makes them happy. For me it's theories in science, for others it's god.
There's no way of knowing everything, and I think it's human nature to want to. Some people are only satisfied with a definite answer, and religion gives them that.

I'm about logic and proof. If something has absolutely no proof to back it up, and something else has over 200 years of proof to back it up, I'm going to at least lean towards the second.

I don't think anyone knows the whole story, and I highly doubt anyone ever will. It's probably too big for our minds to even comprehend.

So I'm pretty much agnostic.

Very well said jblarghp.

I believe in a higher power, but I don't do well with organized religions.  There is a lot of judgement in religions that come from men and they pass it off as God's words.

I like the words less and the deeds more.  talk is cheap even in religion.  I grew up in the Catholic church and yes I am recovering Catholic.  I can remember all the piety inside the church and all the nastiness trying to be first out the parking lot.

I often find my higher power in people and in a crowd.

That's what I think and to me God, is people the blue sky, a beautiful day and love.

You think there is proof in evolution? If a reptile becomes a bird then where are the transition animals. Read what Darwin said about his own Theory. He said that his THEORY had a flaw: there are no transition animals and there would be more transition animals in the fossil record than actual species. The fossil record indicates that all species are true species and not one from another. If you look for proof then I think you have found it. The Bible says that all species shall reproduce each his own kind. You see the Bible is acurate and the fossil record is the proof.  

As for the theory that the Bible is a myth. Everything predicted in the Bible has come true. Read the 22 Psalms. This was written 6-8 hundred years before Christ died on the cross and it is an acurate depiction of his death, these facts are ignored. The Bible is proving itself daily in the newspaper. All of the proficies leading up to Christs return have happened but they are ignored. It says in the last days men will turn from God and believe false teachings and they will not be ready for his return. I myself are looking to the East for the clouds could part at any time. The Bible says that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. I will gtladly confess him now.

I am not a religious Zealot who is blindly following  God so I will not go to Hell. I am college educated and have always been taught to test everything for proof before you believe or follow it. The Bible has been the only thing I have found in my 53 years that proves itself more and more the deeper I search.

Evolution is not a linear process. There are tons of different branches. It's not like: micro-organism, fish, lizard, bird, monkey, human. You say you're educated, but that's a very uneducated view of evolution. Maybe you went to a catholic school who's teachings were bias? I know my friend went to a private (catholic) college for one semester, and her biology professor (who was a priest) didn't teach evolution.

I'm not saying it's written in stone, but there is over 200 years of scientific evidence to back it up. Like I said, I'm definitely going to lean towards something that has more proof..and yes evolution has far more proof than creationism does.

A bunch of coincidences, and reading between the lines...that doesn't qualify as proof to me.

To each his/her own.

If the death of Jesus was written 6-800 years before they happened, maybe they read it and got the idea from there? Just saying.  Evolution has far less flaws then things magically appearing in 7 days.  I may not have taken very any courses in religion studies and I am not saying my opinion has any strong stand hold because I don't know all that much about Christianity, I have tried to read the bible, but, well it didn't go well.  Like I said before, I wish I could have faith, but I just find too many gaps and things that just don't make sense.  If god created the world in 7days, then where did man come from, man wasn't around with the dino's so after they got killed off did God decide that maybe adam and eve would be a nice change, a little more drama?  And how did women end up being the gateway to hell?  We're just a little more...lets say adventurous.  Maybe this is all explained in the bible, I dunno.

Another thing that bothers me about Christianity is the "thou shall love no other God" rule.  God sounds like a bit of a tyrant here.  A lot of other religions, don't have a rule that you can only believe in the or you will burn in hell or be turned into some undesirable thing in your afterlife. 

Just seems that with all the options, why follow only one God and do everything he "commands"? It would be like having a big bowl of m&m's and only being allowed to eat the green ones...maybe that's a little too simplified...

I think it makes people happy and comforted to live in denial of certain things like mortality. Religion provides a welcomed bubble from reality and provides a "life purpose" to people who havent found one. I think religion can be a really helpful coping mechanism in times of crisis.

I am an atheist and comfortable with the idea of no heaven or hell. 

 I don't believe any god (of any religion) would send a soul to hell just for not believing in <god>.  I.e., if jesus was real, and all-loving, he wouldn't send people to hell just for not 'accepting' him.

I trust that the theory of evolution, nearly a law in all but name,  is currently the best idea of how we got where we are today.

Which transition fossils are missing? The fossil record is pretty complete.

Humans

Early reptiles-to-birds

Fish developing fingerlike appendages   another one

Specifically what kind of transition animal would convince you? A quick google image search should find it, whatever it is.

Original Post by azirra:

Which transition fossils are missing? The fossil record is pretty complete.

Humans

Early reptiles-to-birds

Fish developing fingerlike appendages   another one

Specifically what kind of transition animal would convince you? A quick wikipedia image search should find it.

 

You beat me to it! Nice links.

Considering the earth is only about 6,000-4,000 years old, I would say these so-called fossils are FAKE!

Dinosaurs became extinct because Noah didn't have any room on his ark! And Carbon Dating or any form of dating is BS, fake, inaccurate...

In all my education I have learned that you do believe something just because you want to believe it. There is absolutely no proof for evolution, it is all a theory. Please do not judge my level of education or understanding because you disagree with what I believe. If you will provide me with one transitional animal fossil then you might get my attention. I hear many speculations on animal evolution but no concrete proof.

The fossil record has no transitional species. It is purely a guess.

I am Atheist. If no one can provide me with physical proof that a man in "heaven" exists I will not believe it. I do not believe in an afterlife and I am secure with this. I believe that the Bible is full of good stories that can be used as teaching mechanisms but I don't believe that any of it happened. Just as evolution is a theory (that I myself believe is true), God is really a theory as well. I do not believe that there is any solid proof of the events in the Bible happening nor that God exists today or ever has. No one will ever change my ideals or feelings on this topic, and I respect those who are religious just as I respect my fellow Atheists.

The dinosaur fossils are not fake. It would be hard to fake such a thing. I believe the dinosaurs existed. The Bible speaks of dinosaurs in the book of Job. It talks about the Behemoth and the Levithian. In the days before the flood the earth was covered with a blanket of water (the Bible calls it a fermament) and there was a blanket of water beneath the earth. With this blanket of water man (acording to the Bible) lived 900+ years. Since reptiles grow until they die and they too lived longer they would have grown to gigantic size. They were probably carried on the ark with Noah (my speculation). Whe the flood came the water was released both above and below the earth. All was destroyed by the flood. After the flood man lived 70+ years and so would the dinosaurs lives be shorter.

If you are going to disagree with the Bible please at least know what it says instead of just discounting it without study. I do not believe in evolution but I watch all I can and read up on the subject all the time.

Many people who have set out to disprove the Bible end up devout Christians. Read the book "A Case for Christ".

If you read the Bible you would understand the reasons for Gods actions that you do not understand. He is not a cruel God but according to his word he is a jealous God. When we try to put our own understanding before his it does not make him happy. With a full understanding of his word there are just some things we have to believe by faith. And speaking of faith it would take a lot more faith to believe in evolution that it would to believe in God.

God does not chose that anyone would perish. He offers the opportunity for everyone to accept him. He does not need your approval. He created the ground that we walk on, he gives breath and life, He counts the hairs on our head and even notices when a sparrow falls. He has provided a way for us and we think we can just refuse it. In truth we have the right not to believe, He gave us free will. He would rather us decide to follow him rather than him make us follow him, He wants us to love him on our own. He owes us nothing, We owe him everything.

haylea- we all have the right to do as we choose. As an adult I have the right to stick a screwdriver in an electrical socket, but I must also live with the consequences

But in my belief system, there are no consequences for not believing in God. Therefore, I will not have to face any consequences.

I believe that god is make believe.

Like Santa Claus.