What all religion are really saying is..

[dingdong]

Shouldn't you be setting a higher standard?

What good would that do?

 

[Eudaimonist]

What good would that do?

If you don't set a higher standard, you have nothing better to offer anyone.

They can simply say: you accuse us of broadbrushing and of believing on nothing more than feelings, but you admit that you do this yourself!

You cannot fight what is wrong by adopting its methods and practicing them. You will fail for the same reason they fail.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[dingdong]

I'm wondering what you understand "religion" to be. Could you clarify your definition?

I'll try, religion as I see it is a belief in a God, not just any God but the God ordained by the particular religion you believe in, along with the God comes a set of rules which you must follow in order to make that particular God accept that you really do believe in him/her.

Different religions require you to do or perform certain rituals in order to show other people of that faith that you really do believe in that God.
For one of them you must also read and speak in 17th century English, why that is I don't know.

There are lots and lots of different religions with lots of different rules and rituals, far too many to go into here.

 

[dingdong]

If you don't set a higher standard, you have nothing better to offer anyone.

They can simply say: you accuse us of broadbrushing and of believing on nothing more than feelings, but you admit that you do this yourself!

You cannot fight what is wrong by adopting its methods and practicing them. You will fail for the same reason they fail.

You have got me completely wrong, I do not want to change anyones mind (not that I could) I really believe in live and let live, all I am trying to do is get people to think about things in a different way, religions are a bit like this forum, if you don't stick to the subject they move you to a different category, if a religious person deviates from the way things are done in a certain religion they might be better off changing to become a Baptist or an Anglican or a whatever,
I am just trying to get people to think outside of their religion.

I don't think they could ever accuse any of us of believing in nothing more than feelings when religion IS nothing more than feelings.

 

[Eudaimonist]

I don't think they could ever accuse any of us of believing in nothing more than feelings when religion IS nothing more than feelings.

Of course they can accuse us of this, if we stoop to that level in our discussions with them. I have met plenty of Christians online who were eager to accuse atheists of having faith in atheism, moreso than Christians have in God, even though you'd think that faith would be something good to them.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[sidhe]

I'll try, religion as I see it is a belief in a God, not just any God but the God ordained by the particular religion you believe in, along with the God comes a set of rules which you must follow in order to make that particular God accept that you really do believe in him/her.

Really? So...that's what every religion is? Have you actually looked outside of the Abrahamic faiths?

Different religions require you to do or perform certain rituals in order to show other people of that faith that you really do believe in that God.

Really?

For one of them you must also read and speak in 17th century English, why that is I don't know.

...I've never heard of that. Not really that difficult a requirement. Shakespeare is pretty easy.

There are lots and lots of different religions with lots of different rules and rituals, far too many to go into here.

So, I assume you know all about all of them and aren't just broadbrushing?

 

[TLSF]

You're original statement makes no sense at all. I'm Afrikaans and even I know that you made a spelling error. So bad start.

I am really perplexed why you are even posting in Christian forums. Again this makes no sense.

You even compromised yourself by saying that there may be a God and then you go on and state that in Atheism, love exists. Again this makes no sense. Why? You are just a computer are you not? I have no knowledge of any computer capable of love. No God, no love.

So let's make sense of your senselessness.

You believe God doesn't exist, but you have made it possible to prove that God exists. If the Devil exists then we can assume God exists, can we not?

You are in essence sent by the Devil, seems it bit crazy and harsh, doesn't it? But yet here you are trying to do damage to Christianity (God), you have no other reason to be here, you're an Atheist. You show no respect and think it appropriate to make these statements. By your ignorance you have proven that the Devil is active and trying to do damage to Christianity.

Your probably thinking this is absurd, but is it?

I have yet to find scientfic evidence to disprove God. And I know my science.

If the Devil exists God exists.

Oh and I nearly forgot, you believe in love. Love comes from God.

Julle mense dink julle is so slim, maar ek is slimmer. Ek kan maar net hoop jy verstaan en begin glo, ek gee nie eintlik om nie. Ek kry jou jammer, dat jy niks beter het om te doen as om hier vir mense wat wil help te kom selg sê nie. Ek gaan nie weer reply nie!

 

[Eudaimonist]

You even compromised yourself by saying that there may be a God and then you go on and state that in Atheism, love exists. Again this makes no sense. Why? You are just a computer are you not?

I have never heard an atheist take the view that love does not exist, or that human beings are not different in any way from computers.

You believe God doesn't exist, but you have made it possible to prove that God exists. If the Devil exists then we can assume God exists, can we not?

You are in essence sent by the Devil, seems it bit crazy and harsh, doesn't it? But yet here you are trying to do damage to Christianity (God), you have no other reason to be here, you're an Atheist. You show no respect and think it appropriate to make these statements. By your ignorance you have proven that the Devil is active and trying to do damage to Christianity.

Your probably thinking this is absurd, but is it?

Yes, it is absurd. It is no more reasonable than the proposition that if you were to do damage to belief in some other religion, that you must be sent by demons or other supernatural trickster spirits from that religious belief system.

I have yet to find scientfic evidence to disprove God.

Me too, but the burden of evidence is on believers in God.

Oh and I nearly forgot, you believe in love. Love comes from God.

It seems clear enough that love comes from human beings.



eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[dingdong]

So let's make sense of your senselessness.

You believe God doesn't exist, but you have made it possible to prove that God exists. If the Devil exists then we can assume God exists, can we not?

You are in essence sent by the Devil, seems it bit crazy and harsh, doesn't it? But yet here you are trying to do damage to Christianity (God), you have no other reason to be here, you're an Atheist. You show no respect and think it appropriate to make these statements. By your ignorance you have proven that the Devil is active and trying to do damage to Christianity.

Your probably thinking this is absurd, but is it?

I have yet to find scientfic evidence to disprove God. And I know my science.

If the Devil exists God exists.

Oh and I nearly forgot, you believe in love. Love comes from God.

So anyone who does not agree with you was sent by the devil?

 

[hikersong]

Julle mense dink julle is so slim, maar ek is slimmer. Ek kan maar net hoop jy verstaan en begin glo, ek gee nie eintlik om nie. Ek kry jou jammer, dat jy niks beter het om te doen as om hier vir mense wat wil help te kom selg sê nie. Ek gaan nie weer reply nie![/FONT]

I'll try a bit of translation as Afrikaans comes from Dutch and I speak a little dutch. I need the practise. Perhaps you can fill in the gaps and correct any mistakes.

"You people think you're so clever, but I'm cleverer. I can only hope that you understand and ????, ??????. I find it a shame (?) that you have nothing better to do than something something to people who are looking for help. I'm not going to respond here again (?)"

A very rough translation as you can tell.

I suspect this is going to be a short relationship. Anyway, hello, and...well, hello. Tot ziens?

 

[RedRaven]

I'll try, religion as I see it is a belief in a God, not just any God but the God ordained by the particular religion you believe in, along with the God comes a set of rules which you must follow in order to make that particular God accept that you really do believe in him/her.

Different religions require you to do or perform certain rituals in order to show other people of that faith that you really do believe in that God.
For one of them you must also read and speak in 17th century English, why that is I don't know.

There are lots and lots of different religions with lots of different rules and rituals, far too many to go into here.

I'm really glad Sidhe asked you to clarify. If you are going to paint with such a broad brush you really should do some research. I initially thought that when you said people believed what was passed down and are in it for the afterlife reward (my paraphrasing) but you most certainly confirmed it here.

Why not educate yourself? What you are spouting most certainly comes from what you've heard rather than what you've read. You haven't bothered to try and read up on some of the doctrine of more popular faiths, nor have you tried to explore those without doctrine or dogma.

Painting with a broadbrush doesn't work. I don't follow a religion that was passed down (the majority of my family on both sides are Catholic), I'm not in it for the afterlife reward nor does my faith have any real focus on the afterlife, I don't have rules to follow to show the God(s) that I'm really a believer, I don't do anything to show anyone else who or what I believe in nor is it required that I do so, there are no "wages of sin", ect.

 

[dingdong]

I would be very happy to read what other people think religion is, more than happy,
it seems it's not as simple as just believing in a God it's a lot more complicated than that.

 

[Wicked Willow]

That part about "Religion" requiring people to talk and write 17th century English really cracked me up.

dingdong, what religions *do* you know, actually? It seems like the only thing you've ever come into contact with is "King James Only"-Christianity, or something similar.

And no, "believing in god(s)" alone does not a religion make. That'd be a definition of theism, but not religion.

Actually, you may find that it's hard to find a definition that doesn't lead to some major group fall through the gaps. Define religion via theism, and lo and behold, all of a sudden Buddhism doesn't qualify as a religion any more. Define religion as a coherent world view including metaphysics, morality, and possibly rituals, and you end up with diverse secular movements being added to the mix.

 

[SmileAndAHandshake]

We believe in nothing.

Which makes sense, since you are an atheist.

What all religions are really saying to me.. is that we believe in something.

But to secularize it, religion says to me that people are searching for the meaning of their existence. *shrugs* Nothing wrong with that.

Nothing wrong with being an atheist though either

 

[brinny]

What all religion are really saying is..

We believe in nothing.

Indeed? Have you read my mind? Is your intention to be insulting, as if you have decided for me that my belief in the living God is nothing? Why did you come onto a Christian site and feel compelled to post such a thing?

 

[Supreme]

Just wanted to point out the obvious.

Atheists are the ones who believe in nothing.
Theists are the ones who do believe in something.

Now, no offense, I'm more than certain your schoolboy (or rather, schoolgirl) error was not deliberate, although this requires no more training than a single Key Stage 3 religious education lesson to grasp.

 

[durangodawood]

Just wanted to point out the obvious.

Atheists are the ones who believe in nothing.
Theists are the ones who do believe in something.
.

Atheists might believe in any number things, but not gods.
.

 

[Zstar]

"I would be very happy to read what other people think religion is, more than happy, it seems it's not as simple as just believing in a God it's a lot more complicated than that."

I think it done you good to post this and voice how you feel. Religion is of the devil and or created by us to pacify ourselves or control others and give an advantage.

C'mon people, Jesus went into the temple of these religious freaks and turned thier tables over, give her break.

Hey D, the Magi once said

"Be it known that of the many evidences of the Mazdayasnian faith being the word of God these three are the chief: First that it contains perfect wisdom. Second, that it contains more of the truth than other faiths. Third, that to him who is anxious about religion it gives a complete knowledge about the existence of God."

So it's kinda more about faith than religion anyway, at least from my referance point of what I've learned. Do what you would with it, you got me thinking and I like having you posting around here.

 

[Supreme]

Atheists might believe in any number things, but not gods.
.

I don't doubt that, but I think dingdong meant God specifically. Nevertheless, she's wrong on both charges. Theists do believe in a God and they do believe in other things.

 

[dingdong]

That part about "Religion" requiring people to talk and write 17th century English really cracked me up.

You like the thee's and thou's do you? they crack me up as well, but they are absolutely necessary for the verses to swing along, plus without them they wouldn't carry the same weight, would they?
If they rewrote the bible using modern language I think Christians would file out of churches and never go back,
they like the idea of age and permanency in their bible, the thee's and thou's somehow instill a sense of comfort.