Theology

[Giant Tope]

I'd prefer a personal statement, if you would please.

[taumel]

I'm atheist/agnostic. Regarding the content all the religions don't make sense at all as soon as you involve some common sense but it's understandable that some people came up with these if you're looking at the history, the fears, needs and hopes humans share(d). On the other side religions cause(d) so much pain, definately a bad invention. There is some truth in that religion is opium for the public and of course it is a handy tool for manipulating people.

Some believe in somekind of god, some in the hidden people, no problem if it makes you feel comfy personally but as history with all the wars based on religious differences and all the madness beeing involved have shown, it often just doesn't work out.

[Alcoremortis]

Originally Posted by Giant Tope

This was always kinda weird to me.

When I asked my teachers, there would always be this hilarious awkward pause before they would mumble something about people measuring time differently back then. All I have to say is that if that was the case their years must have been about two weeks long.

[The Highway]

Originally Posted by Giant Tope

I'd prefer a personal statement, if you would please.

Alllriiiiiiiiiiight...

I believe in the Catholic God, and that Jesus was born, died and rose again. I also believe in Heaven and Hell. I do not believe that Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, eg. the Pentateuch actually happened, I believe they were stories meant to convey God's word and I believe in evolution.

[Giant Tope]

=D That's a much better answer! But I am even more curious as to why you don't accept those certain books.

...

perhaps a further explanation?

[The Highway]

Originally Posted by Giant Tope

=D That's a much better answer! But I am even more curious as to why you don't accept those certain books.

...

perhaps a further explanation?

Basically, I don't believe it happened in 7 days, etc. I think it was a lot of divine stories, that are still important to our lives but should not be taken literally.

[Giant Tope]

Intresting. In your opinion, what draws the line between segments that could be taken literally and segments that shouldn't?

[Avistew]

Originally Posted by Giant Tope

I... what?

I just meant that if the universe or Earth didn't exist, we wouldn't be having this conversation, because we wouldn't exist, so I guess it's kind of important to us, personally, that it does exist?
But it was just a joke.

[The Highway]

Originally Posted by Giant Tope

Intresting. In your opinion, what draws the line between segments that could be taken literally and segments that shouldn't?

The end of the pentateuch

[Giant Tope]

But why just at the end of Deuteronomy? Joshua picks up right where Deuteronomy ends.

[The Highway]

Originally Posted by Giant Tope

But why just at the end of Deuteronomy? Joshua picks up right where Deuteronomy ends.

it's like a blur tool in photoshop used on the bible... it extends past the pixel you want to blur, in this case the transition from the pentateuch to the more believable stuff, meaning some of the old testament after these 5 books get caught too. personally, i don't believe every fact in the whole old testament, just the more believable ones.

[Giant Tope]

And what makes the more believable ones believable?

if you would like we can do this in a pm thing. im just a curious fellow, is all.

[The Highway]

i don't know. its just that some of the old testament ones just FEEL "iffy", y'know?

Also, I'm fine here. I don't physically know any of these people. Why have a thread if we can't discuss it?

[Giant Tope]

Well what about the new testament then?

[The Highway]

Originally Posted by Giant Tope

Well what about the new testament then?

that's all good

[doodinthemood]

Originally Posted by Lena_P

If you are offended that people believe in Christianity, that's your problem. People have the right to believe in what they believe. Just as the forums agnostics, atheists, Buddhists, Jews and Hindus have the right to believe what they like, so do the forum's Christians.

This is meant to be a discussion. No one has the right to tell any one else they're wrong for believing what they believe. No one has the right to make fun of someone's beliefs. No one has the right to attack any other forum user personally.

I still don't understand this. If I am offended when someone says I am going to die and then burn in a tortuous setting for eternity, it is my fault. If they are offended when I say they're wrong, it is also my fault?

(for the record, I don't say they're wrong, because they may be correct. I'm just assuming a role there.)

[taumel]

Actually you're only going to burn if you're a vampyre and getting into the sunlight. It also sounds more likely to me but i wouldn't mind getting a free ticket straight into a sun, woohooo! :O)

[SHODANFreeman]

I like how anything in the bible that makes no sense whatsoever or blatantly contradicts itself or shows that god is a violent psychotic, is "just a story" but everything else is "totally true".

[thesporkman]

I think my favorite religious stories are ones where abstract concepts behave like physical substances. According to some Inuit traditions, bad things happen in the world because the sea goddess Sedna has no fingers with which to comb her hair, and so the evils of man often get caught and tangled up in it. It is among a traditional shaman's duties to astral project to the bottom the the ocean to help her comb out these tangled up evils so that they don't linger in the world.

I also like stories where inanimate objects behave like sentient entities. In Norse mythology, when Frigg learns the prophesy that her son Baldr will die, she makes every object in the universe promise not to harm him, and every object agrees, except for mistletoe, of course.

There's just something I find really intriguing and beautiful about the dream-like absurdity and simplicity of stories like this.

[Giant Tope]

Originally Posted by The Highway

that's all good

Even things like 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, 1 Timothy 2:11-17 , 1 Peter 3:7, 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12, Ephesians 5:2, and Mark 9:43-48?

To be fair, the new testament does say a lot of good things to say as well (and so does the old testament, for that matter), however to truly believe (which I'm not accusing you of) that the New Testament is all good seems a bit... well... unsettling. You know what I'm saying?