What's your Religion?

[Mighty Thor]

Re: What's your Religion?

:bs:
I don't want to get into a heated debate here. But this smacks of radicalism. First and foremost, many theologists will tell you not to take anything in the bible as fact because facts have been altered through time. The best example, told to me by a priest, is the story of Eve and the apple. In truth, it was some other fruit (a fig or something). But it was altered because nobody knew what a fig was. Many many instances of such "facts" were changed over hundreds of generations and translations. Taking anything as fact is just plain wrong - not my opinion, what I have been told.

The bible is a book. Just a book. Written by man - wrougt with man's flaws. I am not belittling the significance of the book - just the "scientifically accurate" statement.

Science books can be believed because the facts have been proven by reproducable experiments. I am a scientist. I publish nothing until the data I have is rock solid. I believe anything from a science book long before I would anything from the bible.

*No offense meant to anyone. I know this is a hot topic, but those radical statements were way out there. I push my beliefs on no-one and expect the same treatment. :)

The Bible is looked upon as a Testament and not as an accurate scientific book. The testament is about God revealing himself to the people. That's all there is. The Bible is not was meant to be written as a historical document either.

Take for example the story of Adam and Eve. This story was written by Moses through the tradition that he has always heard off (the whole book of Genesis was written by him). Moses was more Egyptian than a Hebrew and he notice that the Hebrews have no text or scripture. They all basically go by tradition of their belief of a one God. He wrote this for the Hebrew people on a papyrus so that they would have a text to their tradition.

Now problem with tradition that is not perform dogmatically is that gets corrupted or changed. So over time things have changed.

Take the story of Cain and Able. When Cain killed Able, Cain was banished was forced to join a group of people that is outside from their own. So this show that Adam and Eve were not the first. There were already a group of people existing during their time, perhaps they were Neatherthal. God claimed Adam and Eve created in His image so therefore they were his first to be so-called people.

If you want to look at it in a scientific perspective. Scientist did confirm a whole wide flood that might have been associated to Noah. And Noah deterioted ship has been spotted up in the mountains in Russia and still is there.

Mayans recorded a long period of darkness that roam aross the country and into the far reaches of the sea. A dark period was mentioned in the Bible too.

The aligning of Jupiter of Mars over the middle east happened 2000 years ago. This would have formed a secondary sun or a bright light. This could have been the star of Bethlehem.

There are over 3000 references that mentioned Jesus name on a Papyrus and in Roman records. This happened within 50 years after the death & resurrection of Jesus. Josephus a non-jew but a roman wrote about a peaceful miracle worker from Palestine.

The Shroud of Turin is the most convincing piece of artifact. It has everything that Jesus went through during his passion.

[SpeedingFirebird]

Re: What's your Religion?

The Bible is looked upon as a Testament and not as an accurate scientific book. The testament is about God revealing himself to the people. That's all there is. The Bible is not was meant to be written as a historical document either.

I agree with you 100%. I certainly would not say that some things in the bible did, in fact, happen. There is proof that Jesus did exist. I am not debating that at all. What I was disagreeing with was the claim that the bible is a "historically, scientifically, and morally accurate book".

[BLLDOGG]

Re: What's your Religion?

my belief that the bible is pretty worthless is why i do not attach myself to a religion and I am shocked to know there are many others like me. You can in no way, IMO, believe the STORIES of the bible such as Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, etc. Ever sense the beginning of time, humans have been telling factual events in a more story tale form to make it more entertaining. Did a great flood happen? most likely and like Thor mentioned, scientists have found evidence of a large flood. Does the place described in the Adam and Eve story exist, most likely. I have watched a program where they more accurately, IMO, translated the story and they take each clue and play it out to give you a really good idea of where it could be, Saudi Arabia i believe. The ten plagues is another one of my favorites and I saw a program months ago describing why and how these plagues happened and how Moses supposedly parted the Red sea.

I have always had a more scientific belief in things but I still believe in God. Why you ask? maybe its fear in being wrong or just that I'm comfortable letting myself believe in something that calms me when things go wrong. Who cares.

[Mighty Thor]

Re: What's your Religion?

[QUOTE=BLLDOGG]Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, etc. Ever sense the beginning of time, humans have been telling factual events in a more story tale form to make it more entertaining. Did a great flood happen? most likely and like Thor mentioned, scientists have found evidence of a large flood. Does the place described in the Adam and Eve story exist, most likely. I have watched a program where they more accurately, IMO, translated the story and they take each clue and play it out to give you a really good idea of where it could be, Saudi Arabia i believe. The ten plagues is another one of my favorites and I saw a program months ago describing why and how these plagues happened and how Moses supposedly parted the Red sea.

QUOTE]
You know Newsweek in 1989 revealed that deep down within the Red Sea's sediments that it moved in a line. This might be associated with parting of the Red Sea. Noah's ship can still be found in the mountains of Russia. It's petrified now with lots of animal droppings that got petrified along with it.

No doubt that Moses did exist because he's the author of the 5 books in the Bible.

Also all this thing may not have taken place in the middle east but Africa. There are proof that Adam and Eve were Africans. How, because of the Mitochondria that's in our cell is a pass on from our only one female decendant, perhaps Eve, and a woman that originated from Africa. There's a big scientific dicussion on this even today. Homoerectus, and from that mitochondria state that we are different from so-called caveman or monkies evolving to people which some scientist say.

[BLLDOGG]

Re: What's your Religion?

I wasn't saying that Moses or Noah doesn't exist, Just that I don't believe every single detail the bibles say existed. as for Moses, I believe the theory that Moses crossed the Reed Sea and not the Rea sea. There is more detail in the theory but i don't care to explain :\

[FirebirdGT]

Re: What's your Religion?

I once considered myself to be an Atheist. I now consider myself to be Agnostic. It makes no more sense to me to profess to believe in a God than it does to profess that no God exists --

As I grow older, and perhaps more wise (one can only hope), I am beginning to realize that there is an absurdly gigantic gap between what we as mankind believe we know and what we actually do. I now realize that the sum total of what we as humans actually know amounts to absolutely nothing, and I have little faith in what our "mightiest minds" mandate as truth.

I'm not sure when it happened. Maybe it was in my late 20s. I just woke up one morning and realized how incredibly naive we are as a species and as individuals.

And as a result of this change in perception, I've denounced my former Atheism and admitted that I just don't know. I see things in nature that astound me. Everywhere I look, I see evidence of order and purpose that mocks any attempt I may make to deny what I see, but what the source of that order and purpose is, I don't know. I also believe that I never will. I also wish that I did.

You need to read:

Emerson "Self-Reliance"

Thomas Troward "The Edinburgh Lectures"


You won't be able to put them down.

[ahank1]

Re: What's your Religion?

Atheist or Agnostic. to many un Answered questions in all the others....

[FirebirdGT]

Re: What's your Religion?

There is a BIG difference between spirituality and religion. Many are religous, but not spiritual. The Bible was written by mystics, and therefore must be read as such. This means that it is not to be read literally, but for the deeper spititual meanings. I was an agnostic until I was enlightened to this fact. The Bible has a whole deeper meaning to me now.

Start being spiritual, and stop being religous. Religion separates, spirituality brings together. Jesus was spiritual, not religous.

http://www.frimmin.com/faith/godinall.html

[RicE-ter]

Re: What's your Religion?

oops, dude I am sorry, i ment to hit quote and i hit edit by mistake, and then i typed up my whole post, and lost this one :( - 95fbirdkid

no worries bud:P
- <----

[noride77]

Re: What's your Religion?

I am shocked to know there is so many people on this site that dont believe in God.Thats scary!!!!
I am also shocked to here "christians" say well i dont want to step on anyones toes but i think God is good ...well kinda ....maybe if it does'nt hurt anyones feelings.WAKE UP PEOPLE !!!Jesus Christ died on the cross for all of our sins and through him and only him can we have eternal life and that is the bottom line.if i step on peoples toes so be it ,but i speak the truth and this is my job as a christian and a servant of our Lord to spread the good word.
I will pray for you all my friends.:wavey:

[95fbirdkid]

Re: What's your Religion?

I am shocked to know there is so many people on this site that dont believe in God.Thats scary!!!!
I am also shocked to here "christians" say well i dont want to step on anyones toes but i think God is good ...well kinda ....maybe if it does'nt hurt anyones feelings.WAKE UP PEOPLE !!!Jesus Christ died on the cross for all of our sins and through him and only him can we have eternal life and that is the bottom line.if i step on peoples toes so be it ,but i speak the truth and this is my job as a christian and a servant of our Lord to spread the good word.
I will pray for you all my friends.:wavey:

:rolleyes:

[Camarorulz]

Re: What's your Religion?

Someone on the first page mentioned Karl Marx. I'll say his opinion on religion: religion is the 'opium of the masses.' Whether or not you agree with it, that's what he said.

I grew up Christian (Episcopalian.) To tell the truth, I'm not really certain about my belief in God. I don't think I agree with Christianity as a whole because of the contradictions between the Bible and Christian teachings as well as some outright falsehoods. I'm not someone who accepts that I just have to "have faith" to believe in something. I need to at least be able to rationally justify it.

To tell the truth, my problem with religion is the influence of man. The Bible may have at one point represented something resembling the word of "God" however one may perceive "God" to be, but now it's been twisted by centuries of lies and politics.

Truthfully, I sometimes wish I believed in religion completely, I might get some fulfillment out of it, but I just can't let go of the fact that religious teachings can't be scientifically or rationally proven. To a certain extent I envy those of you who CAN get past that.

BTW: those of you that think I (or anyone else) will go to hell because I don't believe what YOU believe are not really acting in good Christian faith. That's an arrogant, condescending attitude. I'm not talking down to you because you believe what you do, I merely try to explain why I believe the way I do. Spreading fear of eternal damnation isn't a moral way to recruit people into your religion, it's MANIPULATIVE, and it's WRONG. One of Jesus' most important teachings was that one should do unto others as he would have done unto himself....do you want to be condescended to? Do you want to be manipulated through fear?

Here's a philosophical question for anyone willing to consider it...do you believe in a morality independent of God? In other words, does God create what is moral or does morality exist with or without God? I believe the latter, and I'll elaborate on my postition if anyone wants to go into it.

Whatever religion you are: peace.

[DAS BOOT]

Re: What's your Religion?

I don't really practice an organized religion...

I was baptized methodist. attended a Catholic highschool(great school, not because of religion, lots of non-catholics there)


I guess I sort of have a christian/catholic take on life.... but I am not a huge fan of organized religion.


IMO, organized religion is a institution of man, and just about every institution of man is corrupt, imo.



though... I do believe the bible has a ton of great lessons.

[Tradition_F]

Re: What's your Religion?

The Bible is looked upon as a Testament and not as an accurate scientific book. The testament is about God revealing himself to the people. That's all there is. The Bible is not was meant to be written as a historical document either.

I agree, but god knew that people needed some factual backing in order to even take this testament seriously...or else its like having a religion based off harry potter books.

Oh, and as for men changing it over the centuries...consider this, men throughout history have tried to keep people from having a copy of scripture, as a result, many men have died to keep this book in circulation, why would they, in logic, give their lives to keep an altered testament around...the bible has gone through many periods in history where people have tried to completely destroy it...guess what, its still here, and i can guarantee it always will be ;)

P.S. it doesnt say anywhere in the bible what the "forbidden fruit" was...nobody actually knows

[Camarorulz]

Re: What's your Religion?

^^^^ Not really, people just need a PLAUSIBLE backing to believe something that's written..if they consider something impossible, people won't believe it, but if it's plausible, but still a lie, they will believe it, especially if it's repeated over and over. One word: propaganda.