A very simple question.

[FishFace]

Zero.

So given that you didn't even give other religions a chance, how come you think it's so certain that you've hit on the One True Religion?

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.

You should know that's irrelevant. The point is that religion is transmitted, not by rational wrangling, but by cultural indoctrination - by and large. There is a miniscule chance you could have ended up Muslim, for example (a larger chance of ending up atheist, if the census results 'round here are indicative) but almost certainly not.

 

[AV1611VET]

Beastt, et.al.

Without going into our testimonies, let me put it this way:

[bible]Matthew 7:7[/bible]
[bible]Matthew 18:11-14[/bible]
[bible]Acts 17:27[/bible]
[bible]Revelation 3:20[/bible]

There came a time when we honestly sought the Lord, and He made our search short and sweet!

Praise His name!

And as for you guys --- get the door --- Jesus is knocking.

 

[thaumaturgy]

Beastt, et.al.
There came a time when we honestly sought the Lord, and he made our search short and sweet!

Praise His name!

Ironically, when I truly honestly needed God most I found no one was answering. The most earnest prayers I had in me during a really rough time of life left me with....well, nothing.

I'm glad that it worked out for you. It looked like there wasn't anyone on the other end of the phoneline for me.

Strangely enough that wasn't when I became an atheist. I just moved on and 20 years later finally started putting it altogether.

God answers all prayers, just sometimes with deafening silence.

And as for you guys --- get the door --- Jesus is knocking.

Is that why my dog is barking? I thought it was the Dominos pizza commercial.

 

[Jase]

Since it has been shown that most people subscribe to the religion they grew up with and/or that which is most common in their geographic area, is the point not readily apparent?

It may be the norm, but it's hardly something we should generalize. There are Christians in every part of the world, even those dominated by another religion ( i.e. Middle East and China).

 

[TehWD]

Well. I am (lack of a better word) 'forced' to be Roman Catholic. I do not like this, and I choose to lean fully towards science, but, I am not aginist religion in school etc.

 

[Jase]

Well. I am (lack of a better word) 'forced' to be Roman Catholic. I do not like this, and I choose to lean fully towards science, but, I am not aginist religion in school etc.

You can lean fully towards science and still be Christian

 

[Shemjaza]

I was raised as a liberal Christian; then I became an agnostic theist as a teenager and finally an atheist in my late twenties.

While my parents didn't really put much effort into my Christianity (they are unbelievers too), it was my own thoughts and attitude that led me further and further into agnosticism and to atheism.

 

[AV1611VET]

Ironically, when I truly honestly needed God most I found no one was answering.

Thaumaturgy, I am, of course, sorry you went through such hard times.

I am, however, very happy to see you alive and posting.

Go ahead and get mad at God and shake your fist at Him - (He can take it).

As long as you get over it, repent, and move on.

Like the song says: He was there all the time.

 

[timeout]

My family has been Lutheran since the time of Martin Luther -- we are German. I will always consider myself a Lutheran as I see it as part of my heritage. I'm not much of a church-goer, but I know more about the Bible that most--I also feel it is imperative to gain knowledge of all religions to understand all of humanity.

If you ask me where my passion lies, it's with the Evangelistic Evolutionists. I fear YEC are destroying science and we could end up in another dark age if they keep spouting their propaganda.

 

[RichardT]

my parents are agnostic, my extended family is pretty much agnostic / atheist (alot of atheists), canada is pretty much secular.

 

[Nitron]

^How did you become a Creationist if your parents are agnostic? Just curious.

My mother is pretty much agnostic, while my father was a strong catholic.

 

[RichardT]

^How did you become a Creationist if your parents are agnostic? Just curious.

My mother is pretty much agnostic, while my father was a strong catholic.

I got introduced to YEC through the internets

 

[Beastt]

Beastt, et.al.

Without going into our testimonies, let me put it this way:

[bible]Matthew 7:7[/bible]
[bible]Matthew 18:11-14[/bible]
[bible]Acts 17:27[/bible]
[bible]Revelation 3:20[/bible]

There came a time when we honestly sought the Lord, and He made our search short and sweet!

Praise His name!

And as for you guys --- get the door --- Jesus is knocking.

The problem is, it doesn't seem to matter what "Lord" you seek; people seeking every god ever imagined have found him -- even the ones you insist don't exist.

You can't present a few quick verses from the Bible and expect that your comments will hae any merit. The book is so demonstrably flawed that I can see it as nothing other than the superstitions, stories and social standards of people from 2,000 years ago.

So you yourself have stated that you've sampled only one religion, and now you tell us that it represents the words of the one and only true God. And followers of other bibles and other gods proclaim exactly the same thing, many of them having not examined anything outside of the beliefs they've adopted. The problem is clear and isn't solved no matter how many verses you want to present from the Bible. Followers of other religions can do exactly the same thing and get their scripture from other books.

 

[Beastt]

It may be the norm, but it's hardly something we should generalize. There are Christians in every part of the world, even those dominated by another religion ( i.e. Middle East and China).

And there are Muslims, Jews, Mormons, Faithists and followers of just about every other religion even where Christianity is dominant. All that demonstrates is that a small percentage of people select their religious beliefs on other than geography and sometimes, other than the belief of their peers. But the vast majority of the time, religion is selected based on peer belief and geographical location. And that simply doesn't fit with the assertion that people are brought to God by God's word, God's works or anything else of God. As far as the vast majority is concerned, they're brought to a religious belief by the influence of the people around them -- regardless of the belief itself.

 

[Beastt]

You can lean fully towards science and still be Christian

Unless you happen to live on a planet which circles a star rather than one circled by a star; unless you live where plants require light for photosynthesis and warmth to keep the water in their cells from freezing. There are dozens of areas where science and Christianity are diametrically opposed. But to be fair, some Christians are well versed and quite knowledgeable about science. They simply have to suspend one belief or the other depending upon which one they're focused upon at the moment. The only other option (and this is one often taken), is to ignore what the Bible says and replace its words with your own.

 

[Jenniferloveschrist]

I was not taught, I was not told what to believe. Both of my parents are not Christians and I chose what to believe on my own. Though there were many times where I followed the beliefs of a church , I chose to turn away from a specific church belief and seek what God really wants me to believe and follow. No one should tell you what you believe but God himself and I believe that many people don't remember that or dont' understand that.

 

[Beastt]

Go ahead and get mad at God and shake your fist at Him - (He can take it).

One more time, AV1611; atheism is not about being angry with God. It is about the recognition that God doesn't exist. Now unless you believe that Leprechauns exist but you're mad at them for not sharing their gold with you, you should be able to grasp the concept.

The evidence for God and the evidence for Leprechauns is very much the same. I choose to see this as an indication that neither exist. You choose to take the evidence one way for Leprechauns and entirely the opposite for God. All that means it that you're appealing to your subjective desires rather than your objective analysis.

 

[Beastt]

I was not taught, I was not told what to believe. Both of my parents are not Christians and I chose what to believe on my own. Though there were many times where I followed the beliefs of a church , I chose to turn away from a specific church belief and seek what God really wants me to believe and follow. No one should tell you what you believe but God himself and I believe that many people don't remember that or dont' understand that.

It would seem that a lot of people do understand that. Otherwise we wouldn't be seeing thousands of different Christian denominations. And yet, there is only one book said to be the "word of God", and all of these people following different versions of what God wants them to believe are reading the same book. How do you know your beliefs are directed by God rather than by your own wants, desires and ethics?

 

[rain292]

Both my parents are Episcopalian, and they raised me to be more-or-less one as well. We used to go to church a lot more than they do now, and I haven't gone in about three and a half years. Ironically, I think it's because of how long I've been in a Christian school that i became agnostic. My mom's parents are Baptists, and my dad's are Catholic.

 

[Jenniferloveschrist]

Many people are following what they desire and want. And it is extremely unfortunate. However, there are few out there that really do follow God and only God. For instance, there are things that my roommate and I are doing that we really do not desire to do at all. In fact, we keep telling God that we don't want to do it and he tells us to anyway. I was following a specific church and belief for a long time and stopped. I stopped following it because I didn't want to be following a system made by humans. I wanted to follow the divine, God himself.