The Official God Thread - To Discuss God and Seek Answers

[marieelissa]

The #1 greatest harm of being just a "moderate" Christian is: you're still a member of a club where some people do horrible things under the cover of the same beliefs that you share.  The more people that are in the club, the more encouragement is given to the mindset that makes some people feel justified murdering gays, tormenting a woman who got an abortion to the point of suicide, voting against civil rights, miring our children's educational system, etc.

Who cares?!? I am responsible for myself and what I do. Just because someone does something bad in God's name doesn't mean anything to me. I won't get in trouble for what others do.

It's like saying since a few blond hair blue eyed people killed then all blond hair blued eyed people are bad and they need to dye their hair or something. I don't choose to believe in God, I always believed in a creator.

[marieelissa]

The #2 greatest harm even for a "moderate" believer is: once they've allowed magical, impossible, woo-woo thinking to infiltrate their brain, they're going to be more susceptible to other B.S. throughout their life.  This includes - on the small-scale - of falling for scams, to the greater dangers of putting too much trust in a pastor that says donate $100 and god will fix all of their debt problems.

that's the biggest crap I have heard. God is on another level girl.
I thought Fusion cash was bs but I was curious and when I got paid I was like hmm

Another example is let's say a believer is held up in an alley and a voice inside their head - that they think is god - says, "You don't have to give him the money.  Tell him about Christ, and you'll be okay."  And so you say that and guess what happens?  Your husband beside you gets shot directly because you thought "god" was going to get you out of this mess.  Don't tell me that something like this couldn't happen, because I've been a Christian and I know the mindset, and it most certainly does!

Wow, well the voice of God when followed by me always prevents bad things from happening. You need to be careful and learn the difference between God and the Devil.

[marieelissa]

The #3 greatest harm deals with this.  Has life after death been proven?  No, not even in the slightest.

It hasn't been disproved either BECAUSE you don't have the resources and only limited minds.  

When y'all think of a "soul", most of the time you're referring to your personality, but guess what?  Personality is located 100% in the brain.

Your soul is your energy, your heart in a way.  

But anyway, back to the harm...so you are having people convince themselves of a lie just because they're sad about death.  They may, in turn, take their one and only life for granted if they think the "real" life starts after they die.  It is a death cult: don't worry too much about living *this* life to the fullest, because it is just the doormat you wipe your feet on before entering eternity (of which we have no proof of).  If someone dies in a car wreck and has their soul - er, brain - splattered all over the highway, instead of remembering them and actually grieving, we can forget about them over a weekend simply because we say they're in magical Happy Land.

They may but not all people, I live my life like there is no tomorrow and I have had a nice life.

The only harm then, is to the one who does not accept the "message" and goes to hell.

The only ones scared of hell are the ones that know they will go.

[marieelissa]

Queen has posted this video before, and I agree with it.  http://www.youtube.com/user/gogreen18?blend=4&ob=4

The reason why many atheists (and some believers) care about religion so much is because many followers use it when it comes to government.  The mirror can be flipped.  If a believer is so staunchly in support of their religion, why do they feel the need to use it to legislate?  Gay rights, reproductive and sexual rights (Sarah Palin comes to mind here, esp when looking at her daughter and how birth control could have come in handy), and so many other progressive issues are being pushed down by conservative believers that feel their morals should be utilized hand in hand with legislation.  Think homosexuality is a sin?  Fine...keep it personal for you, and don't try to push that belief upon those who don't agree, and are living their lives.  I'm not targeting anyone on this forum personally...I'm just giving an explanation here.  I have 613 commandments that I try to follow personally...but I am not expecting anyone else to follow those commandments.  I think that religion will not be as heated a topic when someday people stop making it that way...all people.

Well blame the system, if you want something to change then vote.

[marieelissa]

You're missing the point.  It's like being a member of the *bleep* party and saying, "Well, I'm not a 'bad' *bleep*.  I'm not the one gassing Jews and stuff."  Do you see the problem here??

Kind of like being part of the human race, huh! I'm not a bad human. I don't spank my kids or eat animals and hurt people or steal and kill.

Oh really?  In America, only 16% of the population is atheist and/or non-religious.  72% is Christian.  So where are all of these "atheists doing bad things" that you speak of?

You think Christians or believers are the only ones doing anything wrong in this world? haha

While it's true there are some atheists who hate gays, are pro-life, and whatever else is in common with a god believer, we rarely hear about it because compared to the religious, there are FAR fewer non-believers that hold these "values".

LOOK, like you said there are more believers and people are people, we are not perfect. Why is it all you atheists expect so much out of believers but nothing out of yourselves?

[marieelissa]

these kinds of things also happen to atheist and non-christian groups who all of a sudden called "by God" to do these things.

This sentence doesn't make sense.  How can an atheist be called "by god" to do something bad?

Those are highly publicized cases you are speaking of

What does it matter if it was on the news or not?  Plenty of atrocities as the result of religion never make the news.  I think the fact that something like raping little boys is going on AT ALL because of religion is cause for concern.  Don't brush it off as, "Oh, I'm a civilzed Christian.  The believers that do bad things aren't really believers."  You have to take a look at how your religious ideas are affecting the world at large.

Want to argue that it's not religion that's the problem?  In the case of priests raping little boys, consider that they are in a religion that expects them to be celibate, says sex is a disgrace except within the confines of marriage, abhors homosexuality, etc.  Think about all of that repressed sexual tension...

Don't forget the devil is very active in this world.

[marieelissa]

Priests don't rape those children because of their religion...if that was the case all rapists would be that religion.

Exactly!

[marieelissa]

Priests don't rape those children because of their religion...

Why is there such a high concentration of pedophiles in that position then?

Remember him? Yeah, it's him and he tempts and could practically force you. why you ask, look at what you are doing, he tempts them and then you use it against God and Look at who you are trying to bring forth and steal God's children.

[marieelissa]

You know if only black people believed in God, what you are doing would be considered racist and predjudice! Shoot, just for me saying this will be considered racist and predjudice...  

There you go again, bringing up black people because no one has paid attention to you in awhile.    Psst...it only makes you look like the racist bringing them up so often and for no reason, marie!

Did you just pull that one right out of your butt?

[marieelissa]

To me, you simply sound as if you are totally against Christians, no matter how many law-abiding, good moral ones that there are.

And this is a typical response.  I'm not against the "good" Christians like you think...I still think it's unfortunate that their one and only life is based on something that's not true, for sure, but if they can keep their beliefs within the confines of their church and homes, it's cool.  Christianity at large CAN'T seem to do this, however, and that's where the problem lies.

Why should we have to? We have the freedom to bring God wherever we want.

[marieelissa]

Do you still think those men would have flown planes into buildings on 9/11 (or blow themselves up on a daily basis) had they not thought they were getting 72 virgins in heaven?  It's possible, but a LOT less likely.  People only kill themselves in this way if #1 - they're nuts or #2 - they believe they'll receive an eternal reward.

this is a different religion. Besides it is a war against countries, they would of done it a different way with a different belief system.

How about the parents that let their kids die because they PRAY for them rather than taking them to the doctor?  Again, they MEAN well by trying to serve their god, but reality gets the best of them because prayer doesn't work.  There is no god there to cure a disease that needs attention from medical professionals.  If they knew this, you can bet most would not neglect their children!

Let me ask you this, how many people do you think would be alive today without the belief in God from the beginning? Do you really think people would be better off or would the world be hell. I think it would be hell and there wouldn't be many people on Earth.


I have heard lots of people say if they knew for a fact there was no God they would kill themselves and also Suicide rates would go up because people know they won't go to hell.

Crime rates would sky rocket because now they know they only have to watch out for cops.

[teflonfanatic]

Is this topic about hell or re****** people? 

[marieelissa]

Is this topic about hell or re****** people? 

I changed the topic title since people couldn't understand I was saying atheists call believers retarded for believing in God. It is just a topic to discuss God.

[amyrouse]

Queen has posted this video before, and I agree with it.  http://www.youtube.com/user/gogreen18?blend=4&ob=4

The reason why many atheists (and some believers) care about religion so much is because many followers use it when it comes to government.  The mirror can be flipped.  If a believer is so staunchly in support of their religion, why do they feel the need to use it to legislate?  Gay rights, reproductive and sexual rights (Sarah Palin comes to mind here, esp when looking at her daughter and how birth control could have come in handy), and so many other progressive issues are being pushed down by conservative believers that feel their morals should be utilized hand in hand with legislation.  Think homosexuality is a sin?  Fine...keep it personal for you, and don't try to push that belief upon those who don't agree, and are living their lives.  I'm not targeting anyone on this forum personally...I'm just giving an explanation here.  I have 613 commandments that I try to follow personally...but I am not expecting anyone else to follow those commandments.  I think that religion will not be as heated a topic when someday people stop making it that way...all people.

Well blame the system, if you want something to change then vote.

I have voted in every single election since I was old enough to vote in November of 1999 with the exception of a single primary election.  I have the right to complain, because I participate.  I study politics.  I study religion.  Do you?

Quite honestly, Marie, you have been acting the way I would expect a spoiled brat to act in the last few days.  You just turned 29... start acting like it.

[marieelissa]

Quite honestly, Marie, you have been acting the way I would expect a spoiled brat to act in the last few days.  You just turned 29... start acting like it.

Well I am spoiled   I also act like a child because I am a child at heart. My mind is still very innocent. It  isn't a bad thing either because I do study religion and Jesus says come to me as children. I'm comin' Jesus, I'm here  

And how do you act 29? Is there a certain requirement? If you knew that my illness which is something out of my control makes me act like I am 2 sometimes then realize I am the exception to the rule.

Also realize alot of my post are very playful and silly and just how I communicate. I joke a lot and I'm not very serious. I mean I could say oh yeah bitc* with a smile on my face and laugh and people who know me in real life, know I am just playin'

I'm not going to change because I love who I am.