Want to be a Christian, have I gone full retard?

[Hesher]

"If there is a God he will have to beg my forgiveness"-carved into a wall at Auschwitz

And anyway, if there really is a all powerful creator, do you really think he gives a sh*t what you do or don't believe or subscribe to? All religion is of human origin, the Bible was written by humans. The biggest giveaway that religion is a method of controlling populations is all the fear based teaching. You know, the whole "if you step out of line you'll spend eternity burning in hell" thing.

Thankfully that's not what Christianity is about.

Christianity is about this:

- we are all ultimately going to separate ourselves from God, due to the fact that we make decisions that drive a wedge between us and God.

- in times past, we were constantly engaging in sacrifices in an attempt to atone for our various failings.

- God wants to put an end to that cycle, send his only son.

- Jesus walks the earth, preaching God's word and building his Kingdom.

- Jesus goes to the cross as the sacrifice that atones for everything. Conquers death, and is resurrected to demonstrate his power and authority.

- All we have to do is accept Christ's sacrifice and place our faith in him. You will still sin, but you will also receive forgiveness.

[Hesher]

Didn't know there were so much religious people on the misc. As long as it is about love and compassion, I support you guys and your message. When you start running around cutting heads off and flying planes into buildings, then we have a problem.

Christianity is about love and compassion. Jesus even says so.

Islam is about something else altogether different.

[LowInTheSky]

It's not worth the false sense of security. One day you'll realise all over again that it's disgusting bs and feel chitty.

Hi everyone, So I've been a Christian my whole life. I went to bible study and Sunday school. I recall the stories of Noah and Jonah vaguely. I haven't read the bible since I was, I don't know, 10 or 11

I'm 22 now and I've had a rough past couple of weeks - basically I'm questioning everything. I had no idea of the atrocities committed in the bible as everything that was taught to me when I was younger must have been diluted and/or left out completely. I feel lied to.
I feel betrayed.

Right after New Years, I watched 'The Prince of Egypt' on Netflix. So I remember this story form when I was younger - the plagues and whatnot. I even remember God commanding the death of egyptian firstborns. But I never realized how ****ed up it is. How could a loving God kill innocent newborns to take revenge on their stubborn king?! So of course I looked the story up in my bible to make sure it was accurate... and it was. A pit formed in my stomach.

Over the last three weeks I've found more and more that is just infinitely ****ed up. Do you guys all know these stories? Are you all ok with them? Does none of this bother anyone?!?!

God helps the Israelites destroy Jericho, killing “men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.”

God has the Israelites kill everyone in Heshbon, including children.
Israelites kill all the Midianites except for the virgins, whom they take as spoils of war.

God kills everyone in Sodom and Gomorrah with fire from the sky. Then God kills Lot’s wife for looking back at her burning home.

Speaking of Lot, he offered his virgin daughters to be raped so that the two strangers would be left alone.
IS ANYONE OK WITH THIS???

I've believed that atheists were generally bad up until the last couple weeks, but now I'm beginning to think that they're the ones who are sane and those who are ok with what God does are crazy!

I'm not ok with genocide and rape. I cant believe the God I've been praying to and worshipping is ... evil.

I'm not crazy for thinking that, am I?

I've never felt so alone in my life.

[iifymbro]

Thankfully that's not what Christianity is about.

Christianity is about this:

- we are all ultimately going to separate ourselves from God, due to the fact that we make decisions that drive a wedge between us and God.

- in times past, we were constantly engaging in sacrifices in an attempt to atone for our various failings.

- God wants to put an end to that cycle, send his only son.

- Jesus walks the earth, preaching God's word and building his Kingdom.

- Jesus goes to the cross as the sacrifice that atones for everything. Conquers death, and is resurrected to demonstrate his power and authority.

- All we have to do is accept Christ's sacrifice and place our faith in him. You will still sin, but you will also receive forgiveness.

So uh, why wouldn't this God just show up himself? Cut out the middleman and make it known beyond a shadow of a doubt that he exists? Why the run around? Why leave it to imperfect and power hungry humans? And if not that, why not keep sending special humans all throughout history so that us lowly sinning humans have fresh examples and don't have to rely on age old texts written by humans with dubious intentions? It just doesn't add up dude, it's a ruse.

And sorry, but considering all of the falsities in the bible, I ain't believing Jesus resurrected. Not for one second. There's enough evidence that he existed that I'll buy that notion, but the resurrection is way too convenient when looking at the religion as a whole (who's main goal is quite clearly to convert and control as many people as possible).

Lets not also forget that this supposedly omnipotent,loving and forgiving God is extremely violent and human-esque in the Bible. Sh*t is full of holes bro, if it was ironclad and legit there wouldn't be such a thing as atheists. Everyone would love the idea that they are immortal and that there is a God watching over them. It's a nice sentiment, but if it were legit I have to believe it would be obvious by now.

To be clear, I am not saying that there isn't a all powerful being or intelligence out there. For all we know there is, and in my mind it's a legit possibility for explaining why this universe exists at all, why gross physical matter even exists (don't forget it only makes up like 5% of the universe). I'm saying that organized religion is not only unnecessary and flawed but is actually detrimental to the human race.

[Short_of_aus]

Ex church attending christian checking in.

Edit
I started at Luke in the new testament.
Great recap and key introduction to Jesus the son of god

[ItsBrettFavre]

more agnostic TBH

just want to be one..

That's a chitty reason to be one. Either you believe in it as truth, or you do not. It's not like you need to be religious to be a good person, so that concept shouldn't make you get into it.

Honestly, having a thorough knowledge of the history of various religions and how they evolved over time is the death of any logical person's attempts to take one as fact. Christianity, much like every other religion that has ever existed, has evolved from religions of old. Then again, I'm a pretty straight shooter and am pretty unwilling to base my thoughts on matters in what would be clearly 100% emotionally based concepts that stem from fearing a possible chitty afterlife and hoping to be bailed out into a nice one.

[Short_of_aus]

Ps if you like debates science vs religion etc check out proffessor john lennox vs richard dawkins.
In terms of ideologies for me:
Science and religion work harmoniously together is GOAT

[Short_of_aus]

Pps so many agro ****witts itt come at me, i pray for you

[ItsBrettFavre]

Thankfully that's not what Christianity is about.

Christianity is about this:

- we are all ultimately going to separate ourselves from God, due to the fact that we make decisions that drive a wedge between us and God.

- in times past, we were constantly engaging in sacrifices in an attempt to atone for our various failings.

- God wants to put an end to that cycle, send his only son.

- Jesus walks the earth, preaching God's word and building his Kingdom.

- Jesus goes to the cross as the sacrifice that atones for everything. Conquers death, and is resurrected to demonstrate his power and authority.

- All we have to do is accept Christ's sacrifice and place our faith in him. You will still sin, but you will also receive forgiveness.

Makes a lot of sense.

But seriously, how could you write off stories of say, ancient Greek religions as pure horse chit, yet take what you just posted as infallible, uncontested truth? That is what I want to know. One is no less absurd than the other. Thus, I think it's retarded when religious people fight over religion.

[ItsBrettFavre]

Pps so many agro ****witts itt come at me, i pray for you

The "I'll pray for you" line is the well-known Christian's method of saying a snobby "phuck you" when they have nothing else to add to a debate about religion. It's not a very Christlike thing of you to do.

[BrocepCurls]

Of course you've gone full retard. Religion is just about as full retard as you can go as a grown adult.

[ItsBrettFavre]

Ps if you like debates science vs religion etc check out proffessor john lennox vs richard dawkins.
In terms of ideologies for me:
Science and religion work harmoniously together is GOAT

That is laughable. Believe in ancient myths based on faith if you will, but science in no way backs up Christianity as factual. There is no particularly solid evidence, aside from the bible, that a Jesus Christ even existed.

But let's go further than that. Christianity claims that an old guy and his family rounded up one huge boat that fit two animals of every species on the planet in it, and somehow, they all survived a well over a month together on it while the entire world flooded, and magically, all the water dried up pretty quickly and all plant life on Earth survived enough to maintain all of the species. Supposedly, god created Adam and Eve as two "first humans". In both cases, lack of genetic diversity would have doomed the humans/animals to extinction. This chit is literally basic Bio 101 type stuff.

[STLmisc]

Wow people are really stupid today,going to chrurch because its cool? Are you under some movie impression?

You post hate in every thread about Christianity. Your posts never have relevancy; you never contribute anything positive to the threads. Please tell us all about how "enlightened" you are

[ItsBrettFavre]

Ex church attending christian checking in.

Edit
I started at Luke in the new testament.
Great recap and key introduction to Jesus the son of god

The stories of Luke Skywalker fighting Darth Vader and overthrowing the Empire have as much logic to them. The only reason you are willing to buy into the claims of the bible as fact (ignoring the parts you don't like, of course) while understanding that Star Wars stories are fantasy, is because the bible is based on chit that supposedly went down so long ago that it's lot easier for you to think of it as truth in the abstract.

[STLmisc]

That is laughable. Believe in ancient myths based on faith if you will, but science in no way backs up Christianity as factual. There is no particularly solid evidence, aside from the bible, that a Jesus Christ even existed.

But let's go further than that. Christianity claims that an old guy and his family rounded up one huge boat that fit two animals of every species on the planet in it, and somehow, they all survived a well over a month together on it while the entire world flooded, and magically, all the water dried up pretty quickly and all plant life on Earth survived enough to maintain all of the species. Supposedly, god created Adam and Eve as two "first humans". In both cases, lack of genetic diversity would have doomed the humans/animals to extinction. This chit is literally basic Bio 101 type stuff.

I'm glad you arrived at this very basic principle. It also shows your lack of biblical research and probably research in general on the subject.

[chlaxman]

Half-atheist? LOL wot

[WillBrink]

ty sis how do you know god exists?

You don't, nor does he. That's why it's called "faith."

Faith = absence of proof.

Me, I can't go on faith of anything, much less faith some all knowing super hero that created everything. If that
works for you, enjoy.

[Short_of_aus]

Im stumped Brettfavre!
You really managed to cover no bases at all from the very begining. Miss quoted and missed the point to the ideology completley. Are you a little tempted to believe?
Its not hard, science and religion = harmony, do you insist on there being a supreme of the 2 and why?? no offence when i mention cognitive disorders man.

[buyerofmtg]

Makes a lot of sense.

But seriously, how could you write off stories of say, ancient Greek religions as pure horse chit, yet take what you just posted as infallible, uncontested truth? That is what I want to know. One is no less absurd than the other. Thus, I think it's retarded when religious people fight over religion.

PM me sometime if you want a rep. On recharge

I was raised in a norwegian Lutheran church. I have respect for it and the lovely people I knew there. To most of the people in this thread I'm probably not a real Christian because I don't believe every word in the Bible should be taken literally.

That being said, this whole thread... wow. The Muslims trying to pretend like Islam is somehow not as ridiculous as Christianity was pretty laughable too.

OP, believe whatever you want as long as you don't hurt people or hold society back based on religious beliefs from very old books, both of which will seem laughable to anyone in modern society with a bit of common sense and who wasn't raised on them.

[IB0xKangr00s]

Yes you have. How fitting that while reading this thread and clicking on youtube that a video on the frontpage basically kills the existence of an all loving god. Since I cant link cause posts, just search "Stephen Fry on God"

[anonymous]

At this point, there is nothing that would make me change my mind about the Christian faith. The Bible reveals scientific facts before we had the technology to verify these facts, not to mention prophesies that have been fulfilled.

http://www.evidencebible.com/witness...theBible.shtml
*****://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFQ-Su7wTtA

These things have solidified my faith and I'm convinced the Bible is truly the Word of God. Which parts of the Bible seem contradicting to you? Here are some contradictions found in the Quran:

http://www.compellingtruth.org/errors-quran.html

Then there's nothing to talk about. You are basically saying that you can NEVER leave Christianity; no matter how much evidence of contradiction is given to you. People a lot more educated than you in Christianity have left it for Islam.

[anonymous]

The negation is not about what you believe to be true between science and religion…it is about 'how' you believe it to be true…you believe science on the basis of verifiable evidence and you believe religious doctrine on the basis of faith (in the absence of evidence).

I agree with you that you really can't use the scientific method to determine which religion is true. But I also believe that there is something that Science cannot explain; as there is limitation of Science. Basically, the approach that if Science can't explain it or test it, then it doesn't exists is wrong. If Science proves the negation of God, then I will look into it. Also, Science nowadays is a faith in itself, to us laymen. One of the basis of the Scientific method is to conduct the experiment yourself. None of us has the time nor the money to do so, so we put faith on their methods of conducting the experiment.

[lalanaomi]

That is laughable. Believe in ancient myths based on faith if you will, but science in no way backs up Christianity as factual. There is no particularly solid evidence that a Jesus Christ existed .

Apart from the four gospel accounts that describe him in similar situations? If we don't believe his existence, then we should start questioning Chaucer's existence (or the existence of another historical writer/figure) as well, because there's even less evidence fur that, and yet, no one questions it.

[iifymbro]

Then there's nothing to talk about. You are basically saying that you can NEVER leave Christianity; no matter how much evidence of contradiction is given to you. People a lot more educated than you in Christianity have left it for Islam.

And many many more have dropped organized religion entirely because it's all bullsh*t. Islam isn't exactly held in high regards globally at the moment, the so called religion of peace causing all kinds of mayhem. "Die infidels! If you don't believe as we do and accept our crazy ass laws we will kill you!!!". Real evolved.

[SkepticalOne]

Apart from the four gospel accounts that describe him in similar situations? If we don't believe his existence, then we should start questioning Chaucer's existence (or the existence of another historical writer/figure) as well, because there's even less evidence fur that, and yet, no one questions it.

We should question everything…

But the more extraordinary the claims being made, the more extraordinary the corresponding evidence should be before accepting claims as true.

Religions make the most extraordinarily lofty claims, and followers of religions are asked to accept them as true in a virtual absence of any verifiable evidence.

The hypocrisy and obscenity should be self evident.

[Shirohige]

If you want to go backwards as a human being, and follow a guide to life written by someone 2000 years ago who didn't know chit about anything then yes be a Christian.

[HipsterBrahh]

Yes you have. How fitting that while reading this thread and clicking on youtube that a video on the frontpage basically kills the existence of an all loving god. Since I cant link cause posts, just search "Stephen Fry on God"

already saw that, srs

[Keseff]

Just stop opening threads.

[HipsterBrahh]

Read the Bible, talk to pastors/Bible believing Christians, etc. I also do research online. Here are a couple of websites I go to:

http://www.Jesus-is-savior.com
http://www.gotquestions.org

thanks

any particular denominations i should talk to christians from? in the UK the main one is Anglican

[HipsterBrahh]

Either this is a roll bread or op you are a srs dumb kent, you probably dont even know ass about buddhism either.

Seriously study the religion then decide, from your posts you went to church and think OH jolly now should convert. Like wtf?

btw I believe in god and have studied a lot of religions growing up. I prefer to use philosophies from eastern belief systems/religions

However, Abrahamic religions were meant for the avg person in terms of intellect that was dumb. Throughout history you see that as soon as more information has begun to come out that contradicted christianity heavily, (not that some contradictions IRL aren't just obvious e.g. Humans are some really superior species, other animals have no souls and therefore are dumb/unintelligent. I mean you dont even need to have research to prove how stupid that is ), the truely smart people became agnostic or atheist. I believe in God but I find it a joke that people think these guys 2000 years ago, who were much less advanced got God revealed to them or w/e and could understand him by reading a dumb book that gives God human traits such as arrogance, wrath, anger etc. God is beyond humans and not understandable if God exists. Also how can you support a God so hard that is as narcissistic as the Abrahamic one? He basically asks to be praised every day like a child

what nature do you believe god has? are you a deist? ty