The Bible says to honor your parents. But if your parents raised you to be Muslim, you are doing the opposite of honoring them converting to Christianity. You are definitely a product of your upbringing. We all are. Everyone thinks their religion is the one true one; religion by its very nature is exclusionary. Just some random thoughts lol, not sure where I'm going with this.
POLL: Is there a God ??
- Thread starter megablue
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Completely appreciate the honesty. Something to ask yourself ... what level of evidence is it going to take? (You don't need to respond to me ... it is a personal decision. Wish you the best in your search.)
Definitely. Not one poster in this thread has exhibited the intelligence of the writers of scripture. The pompous audacity of that suggestion is incredible.
I appreciate your thoughts too (just like desi's a minute ago). My first thought is Matthew 12:48, but I would like to ensure I'm not taking out of context. A thought exercise to keep you moving in your journey (and this MAY NOT be a perfect example, but is off the top of my head and I'm heading out to enjoy this weather God has given us!
)... if your parents thought they were birds and were going to jump off the side of a cliff to fly, would you let them? Because in your example, you would have to not only let them jump off the cliff, but to honor them, you would have to go with them. I do not think that is what the commandment meant.I can honor my mother and father and still be my own unique person. So can you, and so can any other religion.
Edit ... there are many ppl on here, even in this thread that can describe it better.
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We have people these days that don't know which bathroom to use ... (I'm sorry ... I'll keep the conversation related to God. Sorry!!)
I think we are composed of physical matter, but that we do have consciousness, which distinguishes us from a rock, which is also composed of physical matter.
It’s not a question that can be answered with physical evidence. Therefore, belief is relevant. To believe is to accept without evidence.
A question that I like to ponder is: Does intelligence correlate to belief in a higher power, or is this something unique to humans?
For example, if an intelligent civilization is contacted, will their social norms include philosophy and religion or will they accept only what is scientifically feasible?
Another example: If we learn to speak with dolphins, elephants or other intelligent species on earth, will they know of and understand the concepts of philosophy and religion?
It’s my conclusion, after living a long human life, that philosophy and religion are unique to humans.
Those are interesting questions, for sure, and time will tell.
Regards conversations with intelligent species, that would seem far in the future, but it is interesting to note that we are already communicating (to a certain extent) with machines and artificial intelligence appears to be on the horizon. Whether philosophy and religion will be part of the AI evolution … ?????
People already talk to AI daily.
How it goes from here, no idea. Probably not well for us in the long run.
How it goes from here, no idea. Probably not well for us in the long run.
Agreed, that AI may be a curse, rather than a blessing. Many debates and discussions already being had on the issue, for sure. much like whether social media has been a good and productive thing for society, or not. Here is a recent presentation, if interested ... there are many others, of course.
Also, in this regard, if you have not seen it and are interested, you might enjoy THE SOCIAL DILEMMA.
I thought it was interesting and a bit alarming ... here is the trailer:
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I think social media, used properly, is amazing. The problem is it’s used for porn and influencers that do nothing positive for children and I don’t even have them, it’s used to “influence” people that are likely the last people that need influencing outside their parents and hometown.
The term “social influencer” sounds sleazy. On the same level as “groomer” to me.
Intelligence as in believing an ark can hold every animal?
I lived in Hardin County, Kentucky, for about 15 years. My wife and I jokingly referred to it as the holy land of Kentucky.
In the time I lived there I was:
1. Accosted in Kroger and offered condescending prayers by a random woman for wearing a Slayer shirt that displayed an album cover from 1983.
2. Had a male coworker leave a religious book on my desk with a handwritten note damning me to hell because I didn’t go to church.
3. Had a former neighbor yell at me to turn down my “evil” music while I was grilling one summer afternoon. I was listening to 90s Metallica, not exactly extreme metal by any stretch.
4. Had a former colleague who repeatedly invited us to her church when we first moved to the area. I always respectfully declined without giving a reason. When she found out I didn’t buy into the story she never spoke to me again the rest of the time we worked together and used to talk **** about me behind my back. I never did a thing to this person outside of not being a southern Baptist.
5. Wife was called a “Devil worshiper” by a teenage coworker for wearing a Guns N’ Roses shirt.
6. Had a boss who used to schedule me every Sunday because I didn’t “worship” as if I also didn’t enjoy a Sunday off.
When I moved there, I was a quiet agnostic. By the time I left, I was fiercely anti religion because the “believers” routinely disrespected my non-belief while expecting me to respect their belief. Respect is a two-way street.
You have an apparent misunderstanding of many words commonly used in the English language.
Now, imagine spending an eternity with those folks in their imaginary afterlife?
Hard pass!
I’ve always said if heaven was filled with the judgmental Christians here on earth, I’d rather burn in eternal fire than spend an eternity with them. This statement doesn’t include all Christians. Just the super pushy ones who expect me to live like them or think there’s only one true sect of a religion divided into dozens of sects and offshoots.
Like I said, believing an ark can hold every animal? It certainly didn't happen. There is no record of a massive flood that wiped out humanity, so these primitive people made up a story that doesn't make sense.
You could have added to your list the dude in this very thread that claims he has a duty to admonish anyone he sees committing a sin. On behalf of his imaginary friend, of course.
Even if you believe that, it’s simply not a comment about the author’s intelligence. What book have you written that millions upon millions over history have read or even can cite?
Just because millions of people can cite a book doesn't mean it's based in intelligent thought.
What doesn't make sense about it? You believe it when you are told that man has stepped foot on the moon?....but you have never seen it happen. You believe it when you were told Columbus sailed 530 years ago?
I understand your repeated position and, yet, that has nothing to do with the claim I made to which you responded.
Tweak is probably in camp 2 of the nons.
Never cites a reliable source, takes everything he has been spoon fed his entire life as ... well, ... "gospel". Never adds to a convo. And because he has never questioned what he has been told, or his own beliefs, he comes across as a condescending snarky know-it-all. JMO
E.g. in this instance, he doesnt discuss why nearly every ancient culture has traditions of a flood. Would be an interesting thing to discuss. He doesnt discuss why only "types" of animals would have been carried, not every species. That would have been interesting too. Instead he goes w childish, snarky comment. Pretty compelling imo.
If i sang, idk, stairway to heaven, and that was your only exposure to the song, believe me you would think that song sucks (you might anyway, idk). Is that Plant's fault? Or mine? Just because someone was misguided and did something that was very ineffective, that doesnt apply to everyone.
When Mumme was coach, he didnt let the players tackle in practice. It showed. Doesnt mean ALL coaches are wrong about football being the greatest team sport ever. (Fact check ... true.)
On behalf of true Christians, I am sorry you have had those experiences. To be honest, if those experiences are true that you encountered, I probably wouldn't pay those people a second thought.
At the same time, I wouldn't let people who claim to be Christians whom grossly misrepresent Christ be your barometer for genuine believers as a whole...nor would I abandon my faith just because of these idiots.
Just my two cents.
Metallica and Gun N Roses are not evil. Barry Manilow maybe. (I actually like Barry)
Sigh, there is no evidence of a flood that wiped out humanity. Bring me sources, please.
I never said these things applied to all Christians.
I was responding to a question about anyone being accosted for their lack of belief. I have been, and even though it was somewhat rare, it still happened way more often than it should have.
I’ve never once said anything to anyone wearing religious apparel, offered a book about atheism to Christian colleagues, yelled at my neighbors to turn down their gospel music, never hated someone solely because they DID go to church or believe in God.
I can respect this. I don’t have an issue with believers. I’m related to and friends with quite a few. I only have a problem with believers who treat nonbelievers as less than or attempt to force said belief on others.
I was raised Catholic (confession, communion, confirmation), but knew around age 12 I was done when I moved out of my parents’ house. Even then, several Protestants I knew used to tell me I was going to hell for being Catholic. A few Catholics I knew said the same about Protestants. This was actually a reason why I became skeptical of religion in the first place - one group swears they’re right and everyone else is wrong, but another group says they’re correct and everyone else is wrong, which led me to believe that in the end there will be a lot of disappointed people who were wrong in the end OR maybe it’s all folklore.
Furthermore, I’ve always been of the opinion that while religion isn’t my thing, if it brings meaning, happiness or fulfillment to someone else, who am I to judge? I completely support everyone’s right to worship as they see fit or not worship at all. Having a debate such as this one doesn’t mean I dislike believers and I don’t usually bring up my beliefs in a regular setting unless I’m asked.
There’s a bunch of them. Thousands. No difference in the God you may worship and the God that someone else worships.
There's a reason why Christianity is so divided in ways other religions simply aren't.
Man made gods say nothing about God. "Your" god is idolatry... the first commandment.
Could it be dozens of different sects/offshoots all interpret an ancient text much differently, but with that interpretation usually including a stipulation that they’re the only ones going to heaven and everyone else is not?
Or just as likely, borrowed it from earlier flood myths that existed in Mesopotamia at the time.
Even if you buy the story of a giant boat that housed two of every species on earth and their feed, (apologists like to say the word "kind" to make the number a little smaller-which of course would beg an entire new set of evolutionary questions) how we got to that point sounds a lot more like invented mythology than the workings of a divine omniscient and omnipotent being. The book of Genesis skips the goriest details, but you can find them relatively easily from other texts-the story of the flood has to do with Angels being assigned to earth, being overcome with lust for earth women (after all, spiritual, a-physical beings are all about the lust) breeding with them, and then spawning a race of Giants who behave very, very badly. The book of Genesis resumes at the story of the giants without explaining how they got here. The Giants corrupt mankind, except for Noah and his family. Yahweh looks down with disgust and decides to wipe out the whole darn thing and start from scratch.
This of course begs an entirely new set of questions, the chief one for me being how does an omniscient intelligence regret anything? This story, and dozens of others in the Old Testament, sounds like something a mortal man with superpowers would do, as opposed to a loving, omnipotent, omniscient, spiritual entity.
I've brought evidence of a Creator, which you didn't believe.
I've brought evidence of a Christ, which you didn't believe.
I've brought evidence of a Resurrection, which you didn't believe.
Since you have yet to provide any evidence to refute any of these being true, we'll start here: Genesis 6-8.
Now ... you provide evidence that is not true. Bring sources. This is how an adult discussion works.
You didn't bring evidence for any of those things. I'm not going to use the Bible for evidence because that isn't evidence. Because some primitive human claims to have seen something happen doesn't make it so.