Religion

[dejkirkby]

SP has been my favourite member for a long damn time. My wife thinks he's great too. He's such a great person to have a discussion with and he seems to be willing to look at both sides of the coin, unlike a lot of "this is my way and I'm sticking to it" attitudes out there.
Keep the thoughts flowing out of your head SP, because it gives us all something to think about.

[Stump]

he doesn't make Jesus unto a lion.

that's not the same??

[ICE]

yep thats what i try to do.. i mean be non-dogmatic and such. i will calmly and nicely disagree with other's but i wont force what i think down there throat... no matter how right i am.....

stump i have no clue what you mean but in the cs lewis books jesus is represented by a lion. a verse LITERALLY says DO NOT MAKE AN IMAGE OF YOU LORD JESUS CHRIST!!! or anything in heaven.... so what would you call what lewis did????

[jman420]

Jman, Thats why, no one should ever depend on someone else for there information about God, No simple mortal man, is qualified to judge or guide ( your soul) Thats the most precious thing anyone has. And no other person has the wisdom or knowlage to guide you, especally not me.

Some of the questions you ask, are questions that no man can answer, and the only way to find those answers is to seek them out for yourself,

yeah, I'm accualy not asking for help here, I already know much more about religion then most people do.. but, I am simply adding to the arguement by posing my own questions, that at the same time put across the arguement for my side.. ie. dont you suppose that its possible that God doesent exist? because the main thing that he would do would be create humanity, throw us on this rock to test us, and hide from all of us...

but of course thats not how I asked it..

but the questiions that I ask, that no man can answer, is exactly the point... these are the things that I must know in order to be at peace with a God existing... without these questions answered, there is no God, there is not all powerful being that loves me, because of this issue of answering these important questions...


@Accordian boy

I think on a variety of ethics theories, all depends on the subject... but when your ethics theory is What Would Jesus Do?, your going to have some problems...

most of the time my theory of ethics consists of choosing the thing that is right, on a system of if it hurts noone, and brings yourself pleasure.. it is ethical.. if it hurts anyone, it is now unethical...

or sometimes, I will consider the pro's and con's so to speak...

and why am I still alive??? because I havent died yet....

[Accordion]

@Accordian boy

I think on a variety of ethics theories, all depends on the subject... but when your ethics theory is What Would Jesus Do?, your going to have some problems...

most of the time my theory of ethics consists of choosing the thing that is right, on a system of if it hurts noone, and brings yourself pleasure.. it is ethical.. if it hurts anyone, it is now unethical...

or sometimes, I will consider the pro's and con's so to speak...

and why am I still alive??? because I havent died yet....

i dont think you understood...

where do ethics come from...originally?
and
what is your reason for existing?

like i said, i dont constrain my beliefs by cornering myself intentionaly, but i understand that i can never be pure and free of influence...so i no longer aspire to be.
my point is that: being controlled is not the problem, because it is impossible not to be. but believing you are unrestrained; is.
such a way of life is truly very green!
——————————
by the way did you get my P.M. Jman?

[jman420]

i dont think you understood...

where do ethics come from...originally?
and
what is your reason for existing?

like i said, i dont constrain my beliefs by cornering myself intentionaly, but i understand that i can never be pure and free of influence...so i no longer aspire to be.
my point is that: being controlled is not the problem, because it is impossible not to be. but believing you are unrestrained; is.
such a way of life is truly very green!
——————————
by the way did you get my P.M. Jman?

no, I fully understand, I think that you need to either take a philosophy class, or deal with not understanding ethics, or the so-called reason for existing..

one of my favorite theories of ethics is the utilitarianism theory, by Jeremy Bentham. It consists of the rules of the priciple of utility. which says: act so that the concequnces maximize pleasure, and minimize pain for all affected. which basicly means you can do anything, aslong as the pleasure outweighs the pain's for all affected.... this is the theory I mentioned earlier...

but I guess in general, the philosophy of ethics is very broad, there is quite a few different theories... but still, they all answer to the best plan for humanity. all the theories come to an end where there is balance...

when you go into the divine command theory, you loose whats best for humanity, and tip the balance of the scales, to improve the life of christians only... you think that you will go to hell if you dont put money in the collection tray, because someone added that into the bible 500 years ago... so your scared, and of course give your money to the church.. then they get free money for lying to the crowd of people there for church, and then at the end of the day, pocket your hard earned cash...

this gives christiananity and all other religions, an upper hand when you consider divine command as your theory of ethics... you loose all ability to make your own choices.... and give up your ideas, to live for a figment, so that one day, you can die and go to heaven... it just doesent make any more sence then the priciple of utility...

now, onto reason for existing...

this is a question that I have pondered for many years.. and not yet found an answer for.. but at the same time, I think that is the reason that God has existed for 3000 years in the minds of humans... we are a very lost, confused group of animals, and we require things that will clarify these questions that there are no answers for.. that is why religion, and God were created... so we had the answer, for the question: why do we exist?

at the same time, religion can also answer many other questions that there may not be genuine answers for... such as, freak accedents, usualy blamed on God... people being sick, and getting better quickly, usualy blamed on God... the intire universe being so vast, usualy blamed on God... Earth circling Sol, was blamed on God... Luna circling Earth, was blamed on God... Sol rising in the east, and setting in the west, making the sky blue, and black depending, blamed on God at the time...

religion was created so long ago, to lie to us about the reality of the universre, and the way it works....

and thats just another thing that I would like to point out.. this was another thing I nonticed about religion...
God, is always favored over science... I have never seen any religious person say that science made more sence then their God's so-called creation... as I exampled above, Earth going around Sol once a year was blamed on God for a long ass time... untill it was discovered that it in fact was because of gravity, and of course, when they discovered that Sol was not going across the planar Earth..

but at the time, science was tossed aside, to make room for God to be master... and not just a bystander to this happening... it was not for a long time that anyone recognised the scientific applications of the universe... before they could honestly proove somthing, God was the answer for all phenomenon...

I look at our galaxy, and the millions of other galaxies in our universe.. and dont understand why I am the only one looking out, but I still find comfort knowing that there is other planets like ours, probobly with animals on them... but I still find it confusing that this is the planet with me on it, and how I exist only to do this... so I will always be confused about why I exist, but the answer to that question will never be answered (unless I take the lazy way, and go with God)

but there have been other theories, that I have rejected... ie. The Big Bang theory, it realy makes no sence how all this mass, and matter was created from nothing, doesent realy work out... granted, its better then creationism, its still flawed, there needs to be a better explaination...

another would be the theory of evolution, another very flawed theory, that never realy made sence... granted, all organisms can evolve, it doesent seem to make sence that humans evolved from mico-organisms, after the dinosaurs were distroyed...

maybe monkeys came to this planet from another, and started existing, and evolving from there, who knows...

but I guess in a generalization, I want to live in the now, in the 21st century, on the rock I call Earth, going around a ball of flaming gas called Sol, only accompanied by my fellow humans... without caring about this maniacal judging figment we all call God.. without worring about when I die, where will I go... I live in the now, and the now only...

__________________
ya, I got your PM, dont wana change my sig, I like it being freakishly long lol...

[keefurxxcore]

And no this is not aimed at athiests, ( for the record ) even athiests have been proven to be of strong mind and moral.. I suppose im aiming this as a specific type of person, rather..

im athiest and i have a strong mind and moral

[Accordion]

no, I fully understand, I think that you need to either take a philosophy class, or deal with not understanding ethics, or the so-called reason for existing... more elitist crap...

such irony is indiginous to the green men who aspire to purple!

stop your half reading and open you eyes! "What" and "Why" are very different things.

surely you cannot be so blind to your directly mirrored fundamentalism...
also the use of "your " is most unwelcome to an [mostly] unsmudged figure!

you must not act so like a sponge if you are to grow strong!
a plant must be conservative and never greedy if it is to maintain structure!

[shadowprophet]

I have to say. This thread has turned into a panicle of tolerance and understanding,

When I started this thread I never suspected it would last. Most usually a controversial topic such as religion ends in strife and and conflict.

Each and every one of you have practiced tolerance and reserve in your calm judgments,
it makes me proud to be a member of a place with such great people,

Just wanted to take the time to thank everyone for allowing me to learn something new. and even restoring some faith that I had lost in group discussions about serious topics.
Thank you everyone:thumbup:

[jman420]

such irony is indiginous to the green men who aspire to purple!

stop your half reading and open you eyes! "What" and "Why" are very different things.

surely you cannot be so blind to your directly mirrored fundamentalism...
also the use of "your " is most unwelcome to an [mostly] unsmudged figure!

you must not act so like a sponge if you are to grow strong!
a plant must be conservative and never greedy if it is to maintain structure!

wow, thats so negitive lol... thanks

lol but seriously, my eye's are open, your eye's may be too, but the wool over them is imepeading your sight...

unsmudged face?! that doesent even make sence..

I will give ya props for the great metephor, nice...


an hey shadowprophet, I'm glad you dont think I'ma one sided fool lol,

kick ass thread, hands down!:thumbup: