Quote:
Originally Posted by Bagge
You are entering a difficult territory when you try to explain the existence of God through logic or facts. The bible is very inconsistent, and an enormous amount of claims made in the book are obviously historically erroneous. The earth was not created in six days, nor was it created 6000 years (or so) ago, there was no mass extinction through floods four thousand years ago, and there is not a shred of proof that thousands of jews wandered through the desert for 40 years - it's even highly unlikely that Egypt ever had a sizeable population of jewish slaves.
The fact that christianity has had a huge cultural impact on the western civilizations is not proof of anything. An Indian hindu or a Saudi-Arabian muslim could use this very same logic to prove the validity of their gods and myths. Other religions are extremely influential in other parts of the world - perhaps even more than christianity in people's day-to-day life.
Anecdotes about how people suddenly recover from a seemingly terminal illness can be attributed to any number of causes. It is wonderful that you made a full recovery, but ask yourself why God would intervene and heal just you. Millions of children die every year from various diseases and ailments. Why would God ignore so many, yet help a tiny, miniscule fraction seemingly at random (and also, seemingly, without regard for the religion of the parents). And, of course, "God exists" does in no way follow logically from "science does not know everything".
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I like your reply toward my my point of view. I agree it's a difficult territory to enter, but yet i feel that is one that must be discussed since it's one of the reasons people have contended why the hold such beliefs. However some people's point of view rely on science, or other on spiritual experience that comes from other backgrounds, and others for life experience. I'd like to reply towar 3 points you touch just so there isn't any missunderstanding.
1. The Bible was written thousands of years ago, it hold historic accounts toward the beginnings of Israel. As a matter of fact the most concrete fact of egiptian influence is the most revered object in Christianity which is the Ark of Covenant. [SIZE="2"]http://alex.alexmayers.com/?p=121/SIZE] The beginnings of the Israel nation is an historical account and it's widely considered as a fact.
However i'll give you a point on the important aspect of the origins of Earth, theres too much mistery for me to be able to consider this aspect. And so i remain distant toward it. I believe that every mistery will be explained eventually through God. And thats why i don't bother to question it, or to find a logical answer.
2. I believe the influences of other religions in other countries is duly noted. But then again the most practiced religion in the world is Christianity by a 33%, followed by the Islam 21%.
http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html It is important to notice there is an estimate, but what provides more validity toward this results it's the consistency in the order of most practiced religions. I concede to you that other religions has influenced our cultures, like indians and other localized religions in Europe that influenced the christian practices. My point in this topic is the influence in the cultural practice of Christianity is one of the most evident in our culture and especially in Europe, Africa and the Continental America's and Caribbean [where i come from].
I will however accept that this map is not a 100% accurate and so are the estimates.
3. This 3rd point of view has more to do with my personal experience. Your questions are the questions that everybody has that sum up to "why things aren't as perfect as they should be? " Well those are the questions that i say are extremely hard to answer and to sustain. I pass those questions to God, it's not for me to answer those, it's questions that are made for a God to answer. I know you will not agree with me a 100%, since we all believe to hold the complete truth but the reality is all of us posting our own reasons are wrong. But when death comes we will have to face our existential questions that hunts us through our lives, and we must be ready to die believing by faith. I decided to believe those articles i linked by faith, but theres no true reality to them. I think the problem is we humans want to see, touch and have a more interactive relationship with God. But the will of the creatures can't be imposed on the creator.
I once heard a saying that goes as followed "If you knew what God is doing for you, you would allow God to remain silent" I once heard a preacher say God has the tendency to things in the last moment, i dont know why he does that but maybe it has to do with faith.