Christians on arbtalk?

[Sam Thompson]

That's not true

 

But a virgin giving birth and a bloke dying and then turning up again are perfectly believable.

 

 

I don't very much like the Christian god, he was a sexist bully who liked slavery.

[butler]

But a virgin giving birth and a bloke dying and then turning up again are perfectly believable.

 

 

I don't very much like the Christian god, he was a sexist bully who liked slavery.

 

Good job he likes you

[treemeup]

since my last post over 1700 africans have contracted hiv and over 1100 have died from aids, they are now with god, good job they like him.

[Fungus]

One thing which crops up again and again from believers is their conclusion that those who do not believe lack a central pillar around which we can build our lives, something which keeps us grounded, gets us up every morning, urges us to be good people and put others first, to keep us strong in challenging times. That seems quite a misguided view to me, as a father. I'm sorry but no made up deity or even some dude claiming to be his son would ever have any chance of coming close to my children in performing that role. It actually quite offends me that anyone would suggest to me that my kids can't fulfill that role as well as something which, to me, genuinely is a work of pure fiction.

And the thing which baffles me the most is that there are people of any faith who feel that the only good which can be done is in a god's name. Why can't people just do these things for the sake of human kindness. Why do they need some sort of carrot and stick...?

I can safely say that I wouldn't be a better person if I followed a religion or had a faith. Which means, because I don't believe any of it, that I have the utmost respect for anyone of any creed. I cannot get my head round the fact that anyone who believes in god can be doing anything but disputing anyone else's belief system.

To not believe means one treats all religions the same, as nothing more dangerous that a quaint personal choice.

But a believer must surely treat their own religion as the only truth and everything else as fabrication or abomination. Just seems utterly bizarre, I cannot see how any religion can preach tolerance when defining themselves by their beliefs is at odds with treating everyone as equals....

Which takes me to the conclusion that ORIGINALLY, religion was not about a genuine god but instead about taking sides....

I couldn't agree more

[Sam Thompson]

Good job he likes you

 

Why didn't he buy me a pint on my birthday then?

 

over 45,000,000 deaths from aids in africa, one more every 13 sec. over 64,000,000 hiv positive. most from southern africa (predominantly christian) so chances are they're with god now...

 

strictly agnostic

 

Good job the pope doesn't let them use condoms isn't it... we all know they actually spread AIDS...

[Paul Barton]

since my last post over 1700 africans have contracted hiv and over 1100 have died from aids, they are now with god, good job they like him.

 

Very very sad.

 

Christianity actually teaches monogamy and sex within marriage only. If these principles were actually practised AIDS wouldn't be spreading!

[WorcsWuss]

That's not true

 

Which bit old man...?

Surely not ALL of it...?! Because some of it is personal to me so no one can tell me that's wrong....

 

Is it the bit about some people of faith insisting that good can only be done in the name of a god? Because I've met people of that delusion. And in the same way I'm fairly sure that many people who do believe would find that, actually they were just as inclined to look out for others even if they didn't have faith. So we don't need any god to do good, and for believers to suggest that non believers who do good are, without realising or understanding, doing it because of a god they know does not exist, is nonsense [and I use that phrase carefully, and in the same way I would to suggest that believers know god DOES exist].

 

Or is it the bit about Christians not respecting the faiths of others? Because capitalising the words god & him and insisting that the gods of other faiths are lower case seems pretty arrogant to me.... The Christian 'tolerance' & 'acceptance' of other faiths is a bit like a patronising pat on the head for a child who believes in the tooth fairy...

 

I could of course be wrong!

[WorcsWuss]

Don't get me wrong though, I like Christianity! I've said it before & I'll reiterate it again, I live in a rural parish and support our church. I just don't believe in god or Jesus. I can be a good Christian without having faith can't I...? Or am I not allowed to? Or worse still, am I like that because deep down I know god exists or I'm scared he might?

Honestly, I'm not, I'm just a nice bloke!

[Treecreeper1961]

Don't get me wrong though, I like Christianity! I've said it before & I'll reiterate it again, I live in a rural parish and support our church. I just don't believe in god or Jesus. I can be a good Christian without having faith can't I...? Or am I not allowed to? Or worse still, am I like that because deep down I know god exists or I'm scared he might?

Honestly, I'm not, I'm just a nice bloke!

 

Like I said before, you don't have to be religious to be a hypocrite, even nice blokes can do it.

There is truth and good in all religions, it's individuals interpretation of it all that creates fanatics that leads to intolerance.

[TRADITIONAL LOGGERS]

Interested to know the reason the original person wanted to know?