Why do you believe in God?

[SRC]

I don't think the reasoning behind it is to be vain .. I'm not a "religious" nut .. so I can't explain everything to you .. but I don't see it as a vain act at all.

Are you saying parents are vain, by wanting their children to follow a set of given rules? Our parents created us, brought us into the world, nurtured us, and gave us a set of guidelines they'd like for us to follow .. and when we do .. we usually gt some sort of retribution for it, and if we disobeyed, we were punished.

I don't see it as any different.

 

[Peter Parka]

I just find it interesting that you thing JWs are nuts because they believe God will kill the unrighteous while you believe the unrighteous will burn for eternity! But you're right, I'm not worried because I dont believe this stuff that has no evidence to back it up.

 

[SRC]

I just find it interesting that you thing JWs are nuts because they believe God will kill the unrighteous while you believe the unrighteous will burn for eternity! But you're right, I'm not worried because I dont believe this stuff that has no evidence to back it up.

JW's are just weird .. I've heard 1st hand how they treat their members and own relatives and how they believe .. it's insane.

 

[All Else Failed]

I don't think the reasoning behind it is to be vain .. I'm not a "religious" nut .. so I can't explain everything to you .. but I don't see it as a vain act at all.

Are you saying parents are vain, by wanting their children to follow a set of given rules? Our parents created us, brought us into the world, nurtured us, and gave us a set of guidelines they'd like for us to follow .. and when we do .. we usually gt some sort of retribution for it, and if we disobeyed, we were punished.

I don't see it as any different.

I never liked the "parent-child" analogy, since grown ups are much more developed than a child.

But, if you want to use it, would you let your child slip into eternal damnation if you truly loved them? Even if they didn't do everything you said? Probably not.

 

[Peter Parka]

Believing someone will burn for eternity because they dont believe the same as you sounds just as insane, if not more so to me.

 

[SRC]

I never liked the "parent-child" analogy, since grown ups are much more developed than a child.

But, if you want to use it, would you let your child slip into eternal damnation if you truly loved them? Even if they didn't do everything you said? Probably not.

If my child acted the way his daddy has towards his mother .. then yes I would.

A child can only be allowed to go so far .. and if they turn their back on you and refuse to ackowledge your presence even after you try over and over to love and accept them .. I'm not going to grovel or reward my (or any) child for that behaivor.

It might pain me greatly .. but I wouldn't just allow it keep going on over a period of time.

 

[All Else Failed]

If my child acted the way his daddy has towards his mother .. then yes I would.

A child can only be allowed to go so far .. and if they turn their back on you and refuse to ackowledge your presence even after you try over and over to love and accept them .. I'm not going to grovel or reward my (or any) child for that behaivor.

It might pain me greatly .. but I wouldn't just allow it keep going on over a period of time.

wait so you would let your child be tortured for all eternity because he's a brat? Ummm

 

[SRC]

um .. a brat? A brat is crying and yelling for a toy.

When you turn your back on someone, steal from them, curse them, spit on them, and various other vile things .. that is cause to turn your back on them as well.

You can only expect so much to be taken .. even from children (who aren't usually children at the time this occurs .. they will always be your "children" but when they turn their back they are generally adults).

 

[All Else Failed]

um .. a brat? A brat is crying and yelling for a toy.

When you turn your back on someone, steal from them, curse them, spit on them, and various other vile things ..that is cause to turn your back on them as well.

You can only expect so much to be taken .. even from children (who aren't usually children at the time this occurs .. they will always be your "children" but when they turn their back they are generally adults).

Oh please, most kids go through a point in their lives when they do most of that. That doesn't mean you should let them burn and be tortured forEVER.

I wouldn't even let the people I hate the most be subjugated to that.

 

[Peter Parka]

This thread has done a better job that I ever could to prove that religion is about hate.:eek

 

[All Else Failed]

I wouldn't go that far. I don't think religion is so much about hate than it is about people misinterpreting it to fit inside their already existing hatred.

There is some vile stuff in most religions, but for the most part its mostly good stuff.

 

[Peter Parka]

Oh, I agree, but when you have a media witch hunt about jihads ect, a certain person in this thread dosen't exactly help matters with her views! The same goes for certain Christians here too.

 

[Godsloveapples]

Are you talking about me?

 

[Peter Parka]

It's really sad and worrying that you had to ask.

 

[Godsloveapples]

um...

 

[SRC]

I wouldn't even let the people I hate the most be subjugated to that.

I'm not letting them .. they are choosing it for themselves. Just like if they chose to jump off a building .. I can try to stop them but I can't make them not do it.

God doesn't make people go to hell .. he can keep them from it .. but he isn't going to just give them a free pass either.

 

[GraceAbounds]

Who said religion was peaceful? The world is not peaceful .. why would religion be? Heaven is supposed to be peaceful .. a retreat/reward for those who followed and believed in God .. why would he allow the people who denied his existance .. the same benefits as those who loved and believed in him?

What sense does that make? That's like a parent rewarding a child for doing exactly the opposite of what they want them to do .. or the correctional system rewarding prisoners for selling drugs instead of not selling them.

God won't be sending anyone to Hell or punishing anyone .. they will bring whatever happens to them upon themselves, we all have a choice to make .. and no one is forcing anyone to make it.

Plus, if you don't believe in Hell .. then you won't have any problems .. right?

Great post SRC.

 

[All Else Failed]

I'm not letting them .. they are choosing it for themselves. Just like if they chose to jump off a building .. I can try to stop them but I can't make them not do it.

God doesn't make people go to hell .. he can keep them from it .. but he isn't going to just give them a free pass either.

thats debatable if you consider many things.


Let me ask you something, do you think hell is a bit of an overkill? A good person can go to hell just because they haven't "accepted" Christ in their hearts, and they will be in terror and agony for the rest of eternity. A little heavy handed just because you were a skeptic, no? What kind of loving god creates that sort of thing and lets that go on for GOOD PEOPLE?

 

[Tim]

Overkill? What makes you say that? It's only an eternity.... sheesh


The funny thing is, the word eternity is thrown around like people can even grasp the concept. Because just when you think you can wrap your mind around how long that actually is, you're not even close.... This is why it is perfectly clear that to tell someone they can burn in a lake of fire for all of eternity, for any reason, is nothing more than a form of control, not a reality.

 

[SRC]

thats debatable if you consider many things.


Let me ask you something, do you think hell is a bit of an overkill? A good person can go to hell just because they haven't "accepted" Christ in their hearts, and they will be in terror and agony for the rest of eternity. A little heavy handed just because you were a skeptic, no? What kind of loving god creates that sort of thing and lets that go on for GOOD PEOPLE?

everything is debatable if you consider many things

No, I don't think that. I believe that God created the world, he designed it and everything in it .. if you refuse to believe that .. I think there are consequences.

I know that if I go around telling my mother to STFU, and dogging her, and saying things I shouldn't to her .. that she is going to slap my face.

I know that if I break the laws set up for me by the judcial system .. that I will pay the price. Sometimes if the offence is great enough, I will pay with my life .. other times .. I will pay with the rest of my life.

It is my opinion that it works the same way with religion and God.

Just the way things work for you when you beleive in God, or in religion. If you don't believe in it .. it's not going to make much sense to you .. and no amount of explaining on my part will ever make it make sense to you .. when you are adement that it doens't make sense.

And I'm not the christian that is going to harp it to you or try to convince you .. y'all asked aquestion .. and I've answered it .. many times, in many different ways, and tried to break it down in many different examples .. all of which you've tried to dissolve .. and it won't work .. no matte rhow many times you try to refute what I've said.

Now y'all are just debating my opinion and beliefs .. which is rather assinine .. because I can only explain what I know/believe so many ways .. before I start repeating myself. I'm not bible expert .. nor do I claim or want to be.

I believe in what I have read .. and that's that. I don't need a reason, or an example, or anything else .. to believe in something .. I just believe in it. I don't need to prove it to believe in it .. it's just not the way a belief works.

Belief:

1.something believed; an opinion or conviction: a belief that the earth is flat.

2.confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof: a statement unworthy of belief.

3.confidence; faith; trust: a child's belief in his parents.