A
automan
Guest
Ask yourself this,
who decided what you should believe?
because more often than not it was not you.
who decided what you should believe?
because more often than not it was not you.
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CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.
Yes. Why are so many people the same religion as that of their parents or the prevailing religion in their geographical area?
If there was one true religion, wouldn't people be converting, without external social influence, all over the place?
Socio-geographic patterns in religion show very clearly that what religious followers believe in is far more influenced by what their neighbours believe and what helps them fit in, than any kind of supernatural influence or communication.
If there was one true religion, wouldn't people be converting, without external social influence, all over the place?
Socio-geographic patterns in religion show very clearly that what religious followers believe in is far more influenced by what their neighbours believe and what helps them fit in, than any kind of supernatural influence or communication.
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T
TurtleTamer
Guest
Certainly, what you believe is colored by what beleif systems you have been exposed to. However, with self reflection and honesty, one can minimize socialization pressures and come to their own conclusions.
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- Jun 18, 2006
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[bible]Mark 11:22[/bible]
My dad took me to an American Baptist church when I was young. Later, when I turned 16, I chose to quit going to church altogether.
In the Navy, I married a Catholic girl.
Later, while contemplating becoming a Hare Krishna, my wife and I were led to the Lord, got saved, and have been serving Him ever since.
We are now both Independent Fundamental Baptists.
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A quick look at census data in the UK shows that for most religions with the notable exception of Buddhism, over 90% of people reported having the same religion as that with which they were brought up, but less then half of Buddhists, and less than 60% of atheists were brought up with those respective views.
Whichever way you analyse it, it's interesting.
Whichever way you analyse it, it's interesting.
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Nithavela
you're in charge you can do it just get louis
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I was raised loosely christian (my parents believing in a God, but not doing anything else about that), and some day I just noticed I didn't think of God anymore. I then asked myself why, put thought into all of that and finally came to the conclusion that there seems to be no god. So I quit believing conciously (I was not really a christian in my life, anyway) and started believing in humans instead.
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I was casually raised Jewish, went to Hebrew school as a kid - knew basically nothing about Christianity as my mom is Jewish, dad is Christian, but neither of them were religious. Dropped out of Hebrew school and eventually came to Christianity on my own.
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Surely you can only speak for yourself since nobody can know what goes on in another person's mind - that's usually the "subjective evidence" defense, believers fall back on, no?
So, insofar as you can only speak for yourself...
...Yep: exactly what I thought.
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Phred
Junior Mint
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When some aborigine or native walks out of the rain forest and tells us about Jesus without ever having been told about Jesus then I'll believe that maybe Jesus is more than just a story we keep passing down to each other. Until that happens the One True God isn't.
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- Jun 18, 2006
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So you want my wife to give her testimony in her own words? Will that convince you?
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I spent 16 years knowing hardly anything about Christianity, and wanting nothing to do with it in a geography of predominately Christians - what's your point?
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Beastt
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Perhaps you can tell us how much time you spent reading and studying the Book of Mormon, Oahspe, the Qur'an or any other non-Christian bible before settling back on the same basic Christian religion your father first introduced you to. What religion is the most predominant where you live, where you were raised and where your wife grew up?
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Zero.
Baptist for me --- Catholic for my wife.
What you guys are overlooking though is what John said:
[bible]John 1:13[/bible]
In addition, I have to go with what Moses did:
[bible]Hebrews 11:24[/bible]
Geography and genealogy may determine the odds of what a person is going to choose, but it certainly isn't a matter of cause-and-effect.
If I live in Pittsburgh, the chances that I'll work in a factory are high, but it certainly doesn't mean I won't become a dentist.
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Beastt
Legend
So when you consider all of the world's religions, past and present, and all of the proposed gods, past and present, what are the odds that you sampled just one and found the "one and only true god"?
What I would suggest you're over-looking is that if you don't already believe that Christianity and the Bible represent truth, it doesn't much matter what these people did or didn't say. People can point to comments and statements in the Qur'an, Oahspe, The Book of Mormon and dozens of other bibles and find specific verses which fit specific circumstances. But unless you first assume that they represent truth, it doesn't mean anything. Your belief had to come first and it would appear that there is evidence to suggest that your belief came from your father, your wife and your location -- not from the Bible.
What can you present to support such an assertion?
Nor would it mean that you wouldn't become a historian. But the odds are certainly higher that you'll become a factory worker, as you say. But we're not talking about trying to find the "one true" occupation. We ARE talking about the supposed "one true" religion. When it can be clearly shown that peers and geographic location are the greatest determining factors in what people choose, there is left zero credibility for the idea that they have chosen the "one true" religion. They've simply chosen what others among their peers and immediate population have chosen.
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