Religion: What it means to you

I'm an atheist. I attempt being religious when I was little, but I prettymuch gave it up around the time I was twelve, when I realized that the idea of God was prettymuch made up.

Originally Posted by Fyodor D.

Can you give any such examples of nice, peaceful groups who were "destroyed" by Christian evangelism?

If you want hear about attemps at destroying, how about the Jews?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Duo Maxwell

Umm, yeah, but if I'm not mistaken, they were worshipping the godlen calf, making sacrifices to it and such.

I can't help but clarify here.

When the Hebrews constructed the golden calf, they didn't believe it was a seperate god - despite common belief today, people by that point were far past crudely worshipping idols as if they were capable of doing anything, but that they were avatars that drew gods toward themselves. The Hebrews were building an avatar of YHVH. This makes sense, because it would be absolutely nuts to worship another god right after you witness the power of the god before that. The calf symbolism isn't too strange, either - El Shaddai (lit. "God of the Mountain") was the deity of Abraham and his descendents, whom - the Hebrews were told - was the same God as YHVH.

They weren't guilty of worshipping other gods, but of making idols. Idolatry is a big deal in Torah precepts, and is considered sinful even if these graven images are meant to reflect YHVH.

So yeah.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Sassafrass

Maybe it's me, but it doesn't sound like anyone was worshiping the snake there. =/

No, but it is rather puzzling why God would make that a necessary requirement if he could just will it away. I mean, I know that's a slippery slope - because any and all of God's ritualistic actions are then unnecessary - but this one is a little more ridiculous - the magical nature of the "snake viewing" is pretty strange.

Oh, that's our YHVH.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Hell, even within the Old Testament, there seems to be multiple Gods. I've already mentioned that the mild-mannered deity that speaks with Abraham, Issac, and Jacob - named "El Shaddai" - seems to be different than the war-god YHVH. But the God of the prophets says such lines as, "I desire not sacrifice, but lovingkindness" (Hosea 6:6). Kind of strange that God says that and gives very detailed accounts in the book of Leviticus just how to go about sacrificing for Him in His new temple.

And once we throw in Jesus, we're so off the beaten path that it's almost hard to understand the Christian mindset.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Capo

Ezekiel 25:17
The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you.

You know, when read as God being the source of reality and not as YHWH in the sky, this is actually quite a beautiful passage, I think. Reality favors the benevolent and strikes down those who are malevolent. What's wrong with that?

And as for you, LordsSword, declaring your freedom "through Christ" does not mean annoying the hell out of people around you. Your actions speak louder than your words. Meekly explain to people who ask you, "Why are you such a nice guy?" that your faith sustains you. That's enough to save those who would be saved.

Incidentally, I'm almost finished with the first five books (Genesis-Deuteronomy). Off to the prophets, next.

I was speaking idiomatically.

We all know the New Covenant ridiculousness was made up by that blasphemer, Saul of Tarsis, anyway.

Yahweh was talking to Jews. Let's please remember that gentiles have to make up gods out of men in order to feel included.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

There are multiple definitions of "faith", and each slightly different.

Quote:

1. confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another's ability.
2. belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.
3. belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion: the firm faith of the Pilgrims.

Atheists should be quick to stop damning the word "faith", or, at the very least, specify which "faith" they mean.

FELIPE NO

I've read similar concepts. Regardless, even if free will is beginning to seem more defunct, in our practical lives we can still go around saying, "This choice was made freely". Some people I meet somehow think that news like this implies that they can't be held accountable for their actions.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by LordsSword

I wish I had the time to name my sources but I dont sorry. I've read books in the field of archeology and this is a claim from the field.

You have the time to prattle off ridiculous statements about the Bible. Please find these sources and tell us, because that MIGHT actually help your position.

If you're preaching in the highways, here, you really aren't good at it.

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Originally Posted by LordsSword

We can argue all day on the fine points of information, but its how we live out what we say that tells others what we believe.

My religion means calling people to a higher standard and stopping to take the time to consider how your neighbor feels. Have my statements ever been an attack on the person of my fellow members?

No, but I think you aren't being empathetic enough. I'm not saying that insulting you needlessly is justified, but you might consider that, oh, your beliefs and our beliefs (the majority of the people here adhere to some sort of secular humanism) might be similar or different, but regardless, it's the human condition to have a tendency to preach, rather than act.

Christianity, in its lifetime, has stressed SO much the primacy of faith over works that Christians have a tendency to do likewise in their life. Rather than turning the other cheek, you've been asserting your position using "evidence" we don't believe in, and reprimanding us for being "mean". "Have my attacks ever been an attack on the person of my fellow members?" No, but you're passive-aggressively assuring us we're hellbound and - worse - we're being "bad people". If you'd stop to think that Christianity, while hardly persecuted (it's a majority) is certainly DISLIKED by non-Christians for its perceived hypocrisy, you might come at us in a more pleasant, less demeaning, tone.

There's nowhere I can't reach.