Religious Tolerance & Religious Moderation Are a Joke

[chaosrage 0]

The basic idea is that since the Lord of the Rings was written by a Christian with the intent of allegory

 

Why do people still believe this lie, when in the foreward of LOTR, Tolkien not only flat out says LOTR isn't allegory, he then proceeds to talk about how much he despises allegory?

[Jingus 0]

Yeah, although I think he was talking more about people reading it as an allegory for World War II than anything else. (Personally, I think it HAS to be at least partly inspired/influenced by WW2, the parallels are pretty obvious.)

 

LOTR has magic, nonhuman races, and a decidedly polytheistic outlook on the world. Any parent who gives their kids those books to read while forbidding Harry Potter is an ignorant hypocrit. Good taste in literature, but still, ignorant hypocrit.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Eh...when I was a kid, Chronicles of Narnia was always presented as a Christian alternative to Lord of the Rings and the various D&D books.

[Guest George's Box]

Hypocrite, with an e, guys, hypocrite. Possibly one of the most frequently misspelled words on the Internet, which also serves to undermine the user's attempt to sound smart more than most words. h-y-p-o-c-r-i-t-e. Not hypocrit, nor hypocrate, nor hippocrat, which is my favorite blunder of all because it suggests that one is an advocate of horse government.

[Gary Floyd 0]

It's like somebody hacked into lovecraft's account to make fun of his "I agree!" posts. Maybe the devil did it.

Well, I'll add to it:

 

I know several religious people. I also know several Athiests. One of the things both groups have in common is that they don't think the devil is to blame for what you do. You fuck up, it's your own fault, not Beezlebub.

 

I never understood how anybody who fucks up would go and say "it's SATAN!", especially when not that many people think like that anymore. Athiests don't think that way, and most Chritians, Catholics, etc. don't think like that anymore.

 

There, sorry I forgot to clarify.

[TheBigSwigg 0]

If God knows the future, why'd he create lucifer knowing he'd turn on him?

 

If God's all powerful, why doesn't he just destroy lucifer? (Could it be that evil actually isn't a bad thing, and the world needs a balance of good and evil?)

 

I don't think it's so much that the world needs a balance of good and evil. God allows Lucifer to exist (or the idea of Lucifer) because God wants us to choose Him over anything else. The idea being that Lucifer tries to distract you and make you choose other things over God. If there was nothing to distract us, then there's really no choice to be made.

 

Why must we worship(believe in) Jesus in order to enter heaven? Is God so full of himself that he needs people stroking his ego? (Shouldn't it be you just have to treat fellow creatures with love in order to enter heaven?)

 

Again, it's about choice. You don't have to worship Jesus, just accept and believe that he sacrificed his life so that you could go to heaven and live happily ever after. Also, it's not that God is so full of Himself. As I explained earlier, God created humanity because he wanted to love and be loved. He created angels, and they did it without choice. Lucifer's fall could be seen as his first experiment in Free Will. So he created man so that man could choose to love Him.

 

Why would God care who we're boning?(As long as someone's happy, why would he really care if he goes home to his man and takes it in the ass?)

 

The idea of husband and wife is symbolic towards the relationship between God and man. In the Old Testament, there are lots of examples of God calling the Hebrews harlot, whore, etc because the Hebrews worshipped other Gods or did something knowing it would displease God. He even told one of the prophets (Ezekiel, maybe?) to marry a prostitute so that he could understand the pain God felt. The idea of marriage being symbolic is continued in the New Testament when husbands are told to love their wives like Christ loved the Church. With this in mind, the Bible tells us to flee fornication, and to not dirty our marriage beds because to do so would inflict emotional pain on our significant other, and on God Himself.

 

Anything else?

[Guest George's Box]

I love that Mr. Christian's board subtitle is Ari Gold.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Why don't you nit pick a little bit more "George's Box?"

[TheBigSwigg 0]

I love that of all the things I've said, all he can see to ridicule is my member's title

[Dobbs 3K 0]

I give you credit, BigSwigg, you have a lot more patience and eloquence than I ever could.

[Guest George's Box]

It's not a personal attack, you fucking dumbass. There, that's a personal attack.

[TheBigSwigg 0]

It's not a personal attack, you fucking dumbass. There, that's a personal attack.

 

Thanks, I feel things are actually back to normal now

[Twisted Intestine 0]

Again, it's about choice. You don't have to worship Jesus, just accept and believe that he sacrificed his life so that you could go to heaven and live happily ever after.

 

...

 

Anything else?

 

Okay, so why do you have to believe he existed? There's no proof that he was our saviour, so believing he was is just a test of faith, I get that. But having faith in him is just as good as having faith in anything else... The only way people know about Jesus is through the church. So because christianity teaches of Jesus, God expects us to believe them in order to enter heaven? They're only human too, so why do we have to make a choice to believe what other humans have said? It's one thing if it was a proven fact that Jesus saved us, and God wanted us to thank him for it to enter heaven. It's another thing to ask us to believe what a group of people tell us.

 

My point is, why should it matter if we choose to believe Jesus was real or not? I think the only thing that should(does) matter in God's eyes is how we treat each other. If you're full of love, and only did good in your life, God's going to say, "Sorry buddy, but you didn't believe my son existed, have fun in hell." ? On the same token someone else can be cruel and do only bad in their life but believe in Jesus and God would say, "Well, you weren't a very nice person, but you believe in my son and he took punishment for your sins so have fun in heaven" ?

 

I just think that Jesus = Heaven is a twisted view that christians have developed over time.

[TheBigSwigg 0]

Again, it's about choice. You don't have to worship Jesus, just accept and believe that he sacrificed his life so that you could go to heaven and live happily ever after.

 

...

 

Anything else?

 

Okay, so why do you have to believe he existed? There's no proof that he was our saviour, so believing he was is just a test of faith, I get that. But having faith in him is just as good as having faith in anything else... The only way people know about Jesus is through the church. So because christianity teaches of Jesus, God expects us to believe them in order to enter heaven? They're only human too, so why do we have to make a choice to believe what other humans have said? It's one thing if it was a proven fact that Jesus saved us, and God wanted us to thank him for it to enter heaven. It's another thing to ask us to believe what a group of people tell us.

 

My point is, why should it matter if we choose to believe Jesus was real or not? I think the only thing that should(does) matter in God's eyes is how we treat each other. If you're full of love, and only did good in your life, God's going to say, "Sorry buddy, but you didn't believe my son existed, have fun in hell." ? On the same token someone else can be cruel and do only bad in their life but believe in Jesus and God would say, "Well, you weren't a very nice person, but you believe in my son and he took punishment for your sins so have fun in heaven" ?

 

I just think that Jesus = Heaven is a twisted view that christians have developed over time.

 

The idea of Jesus=Heaven didn't develop over time. He says Himself "I am the way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by me." Paul later says that basically it's only by Jesus that man can be saved from eternal damnation. Christians have thought that believing in Jesus is the only way to heaven since Christ.

 

According to the Bible what you say is good. Love each other and only do good in life. But Paul tells us that works alone do not save a man. It's the belief in Jesus. The works are great, because they strengthen the faith, but just being a good person does not lead you to salvation.

 

As far as the Judgment goes, the Bible tells us that Jesus is the judge, not God. There are people who will claim to know Jesus, but don't live, as you say, "full of love, and only (do) good in your life" that will be rejected. It's not just believing in Jesus, it's believing that he died for your sins, confess your wrongdoing, and then accept that he forgives you. Following that, it's living a lifestyle that tries as best you can to follow the sinless example of Christ. If you just say "hey, I'm a Christian" and then not live like one, you'll be rejected as well.

[TheBigSwigg 0]

So because christianity teaches of Jesus, God expects us to believe them in order to enter heaven? They're only human too, so why do we have to make a choice to believe what other humans have said? It's one thing if it was a proven fact that Jesus saved us, and God wanted us to thank him for it to enter heaven. It's another thing to ask us to believe what a group of people tell us.

 

Okay, here's something I missed that I want to hit as well.

 

The idea behind God expecting us to do what Christianity teaches is that the Bible is the message of how to live our life inspired by God through the Holy Spirit. Christianity isn't just one religion, it's the only one. Just like Judaism before it. The Bible was written by man, there's no doubt. But Christianity asks that you see the Bible as the work of God through man. That God in some way shape or form inspired and allowed every word in the book to be there. If you think about it, that's really gutsy on God's part, even though he knew how it would turn out.

 

Also, there will never be absolute solid proof of Jesus, or His divinity. That's the nature of faith. If we could scientifically prove God, there would be no need for faith, as we'd all know for a fact that He was there. As it is, we have to humble ourselves enough to believe in a possibly ridiculous, possibly wrong idea. There's no way to absolutely know if there is a God, and there never will be.

[Twisted Intestine 0]

The idea behind God expecting us to do what Christianity teaches is that the Bible is the message of how to live our life inspired by God through the Holy Spirit. Christianity isn't just one religion, it's the only one.

 

It's still a matter of believing what one group of people say over another. I guess you're just lucky if you pick the correct one. Most Christians would follow a different religion if they grew up in a different part of the world and were taught that religion all their lives. So because of that, if they were the exact same person, when they died they'd be fucked?

 

But, that's what Christians believe, so, so be it. I'm just saying that belief is sketchy in my eyes. I know it isn't in yours(If you are Christian, you might just be someone who knows about the religion, your posts haven't made it clear), or other Christians.

 

To each his own

[TheBigSwigg 0]

I understand, man. Part of the reason I know as much as I do is because I've sought to better understand what I see as sketchy in my own belief.

 

I also agree that there are a large amount of people would believe differently if they were raised elsewhere. but I also know a lot of people who were raised away from Christianity that found it and have converted.

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

Okay, so why do you have to believe he existed?

My point is, why should it matter if we choose to believe Jesus was real or not?

Also, there will never be absolute solid proof of Jesus,

Um, Jesus was a real person. Tax records & what-not of the period. Go ahead & continue to discuss the theological/divinical aspect of the guy, but historical Jesus isn't up for debate.

[Mike wanna be 0]

I never thought I'd see tax records used in a religious debate.

[justsoyouknow 0]

Okay, so why do you have to believe he existed?

My point is, why should it matter if we choose to believe Jesus was real or not?

Also, there will never be absolute solid proof of Jesus,

Um, Jesus was a real person. Tax records & what-not of the period. Go ahead & continue to discuss the theological/divinical aspect of the guy, but historical Jesus isn't up for debate.

 

 

yeah, he was just some dude.

[TheBigSwigg 0]

Okay, so why do you have to believe he existed?

My point is, why should it matter if we choose to believe Jesus was real or not?

Also, there will never be absolute solid proof of Jesus,

Um, Jesus was a real person. Tax records & what-not of the period. Go ahead & continue to discuss the theological/divinical aspect of the guy, but historical Jesus isn't up for debate.

 

As a dude with a degree in Ancient History, I can assure you there is no definitive proof of Jesus. We know about him through things people have said, but there is NOTHING that says that there was a man named Jesus(actually Yeshua), son of Joseph and Mary who was crucified. The closest thing that we have, outside of the many gospels, is Josephus' accounts that say there was a guy named Jesus who lived in Israel and claimed to be the Messiah.

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

That's not what my research shows, and I've got more posts than you.

[TheBigSwigg 0]

[justsoyouknow 0]

Wasn't there something along the lines of some Christian author named Origen who claimed that Josephus didn't view Jesus as the Christ, just as some guy named Jesus? But I seem to recall there being mention of Jesus.

[Mike wanna be 0]

It was really pronounced "hey-zeus", but they didn't like the Greek god reference and tweaked the pronunciation accordingly.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Okay, so why do you have to believe he existed?

My point is, why should it matter if we choose to believe Jesus was real or not?

Also, there will never be absolute solid proof of Jesus,

Um, Jesus was a real person. Tax records & what-not of the period. Go ahead & continue to discuss the theological/divinical aspect of the guy, but historical Jesus isn't up for debate.

 

As a dude with a degree in Ancient History, I can assure you there is no definitive proof of Jesus. We know about him through things people have said, but there is NOTHING that says that there was a man named Jesus(actually Yeshua), son of Joseph and Mary who was crucified. The closest thing that we have, outside of the many gospels, is Josephus' accounts that say there was a guy named Jesus who lived in Israel and claimed to be the Messiah.

 

I know there's some guy who lives in front of the Safeway by my house and claims to be the Messiah as well. Should I crucify his ass too?

[TheBigSwigg 0]

Okay, so why do you have to believe he existed?

My point is, why should it matter if we choose to believe Jesus was real or not?

Also, there will never be absolute solid proof of Jesus,

Um, Jesus was a real person. Tax records & what-not of the period. Go ahead & continue to discuss the theological/divinical aspect of the guy, but historical Jesus isn't up for debate.

 

As a dude with a degree in Ancient History, I can assure you there is no definitive proof of Jesus. We know about him through things people have said, but there is NOTHING that says that there was a man named Jesus(actually Yeshua), son of Joseph and Mary who was crucified. The closest thing that we have, outside of the many gospels, is Josephus' accounts that say there was a guy named Jesus who lived in Israel and claimed to be the Messiah.

 

I know there's some guy who lives in front of the Safeway by my house and claims to be the Messiah as well. Should I crucify his ass too?

 

Can he forgive sins, heal the sick and perform miracles? Has God claimed the man as His son? If yes, then crucify him. If no, then stop the man from drinking anymore

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Yeah but there's this book that claims everything he's saying to be true, and that outlines his beliefs and miracles.

 

How about now?

[TheBigSwigg 0]

Yeah but there's this book that claims everything he's saying to be true, and that outlines his beliefs and miracles.

 

How about now?

 

Did he write it himself?

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

So, a California pastor summoned a curse on Americans United for Separation of Church & State.