Example of how Bibllical History is contrived (made up)

[krishna]

Religion, mysticism, Ouji boards, astrology, etc are all part of the Astral Carnival.
They are a bastardization of spirituality. The reason being is that they promote DEPENDANCY. Spiritual enlightenment is becoming free from these things and gaining clairity by removing the sheaths of identity that entrap us all.

I think we've come to similar points in our understanding of life.

 

[biteme]

Hi just thought i'd pop in cause this is a very popular thread and always is and I'm bored while waiting to go out.

 

[AAP]

I believe that those who believe in the Bible don't necessarily arrive at their beliefs in the same way. Some may have been taught it at an early age, and just carry their "religion" into adulthood. Others, however, have fallen down in their lives due to some cause such as drugs, booze, a life of crime, or whatever. Many of these people have turned their lives around only because they found salvation with God. For them, being "saved" was their only way out of their despair. Many of them have tried everything else, even other religions. It is with these people that you will NEVER convince that God doesn't exist.
Sure, anyone can "experience the moment" at a ceremony, or get engrossed in the intensity during services. But there are those people who have hit rock bottom and felt despair and hopeless, and felt God touch their heart and change them from the inside out. Many of these people forgot how to love someone else, many have been obsessed with anger or hatred, or have lived a live of debauchery for so long that they felt that they no longer had any value as a person. The power of God filled a void in their hearts where nothing else (drugs, money, women, fame, power, other religions, booze, etc...) could. Its these people who believe when the Bible says, "Jesus died for the ungodly", it was meant for them.
Its these people who will say, "I KNOW that God exists, because He touched my heart and turned my life around". Then you will have the others who will say, "I know he DOESN'T exist, because he hasn't done shit for me and the world is in turmoil". And then you will get those who will say, "I'm a religious person. Its all about following the rules of my religion".
Well, when it comes to the Bible, who was against organized religion? Jesus was. The mormons coming to your door and trying to predict prophecys. The catholics confessing sins to a priest. The jehovahs witnesses, and the rest of them that proclaim that its THEIR way or no way, Jesus was against ALL of that! Despite what the religious zealots want you and their followers to believe, here's what Jesus said about the subject:

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

He replied, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?"

He answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." (Luke 10:25-28)

It doesn't say a thing about persecuting others, hating those who don't share your beliefs, telling others that they are "wrong", feeling superior over others because your "saved" and they are not, killing in the name of "God", forcing your beliefs on others, oppressing, or all the other bullshit that people have done throughout history in the name of religion or "God".
So what does the Bible say about "religion"? "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” In other words, as I see it, "provide for others who cannot provide for themselves, and don't get caught up in things like booze, drugs, debauchery, perversions, crime, etc..."

So when you get on a forum such as this one and question people's sanity in having the same beliefs as the woman who went on CNN and talked about hating and killing homosexuals, the same beliefs as a president who believes that "God" told him to go to war, the same beliefs that a priest who molests children has, the same beliefs as someone who comes to your door to tell you that your going to hell if you don't practice the same religion he does, the same beliefs as someone who doesn't give their kid medical attention because its against their "religion", the same beliefs as an evangelist who rakes in millions a year in donations from preaching the "gospel", maybe you should instead question whats in that person's heart.

Because when it comes right down to it, despite the people's actions in the name of "God" throughout history, all the Bible says is to be good in your heart. I don't care if someone is muslim, christian, jewish, athiest, buddist, or worships a statue of Joe Pesci, if he's genuinly kindhearted, he's OK in my book.

^^

Undefensible post. To try to argue otherwise is completely futile. If you can't read this and comprehend the shortcomings and hypocrisy of organized religion, then you are just too brainwashed.

This post sums it up EXACTLY how educated minds see it.

 

[Lestat]

I never understood what people meant by saying "I hit rock bottom"

what the fuck is that? death?

I've had low moments, but rock bottom for me would probably involve being paralyzed, bankrupt, and without any friends or family in my life.

Even then I bet you there is something else that could be done to make my life worse, maybe blind and in constant pain?

"rock bottom" is simply another subjective state of being. My rock bottom could be another person's high point of their fucking life.

 

[theprofessor]

^^

Undefensible post. To try to argue otherwise is completely futile. If you can't read this and comprehend the shortcomings and hypocrisy of organized religion, then you are just too brainwashed.

This post sums it up EXACTLY how educated minds see it.

yes... there are hypocrites...
...and people find God in different ways...
so what...

 

[krishna]

Can anyone advocating christianity come up with a strictly logical argument in favor of their religion? By logic, I don't mean opinion or faith or heated nonsense. If anyone can do this, I will first of all give a counter-argument to it, but also most certainly give that person credit for grasping the realm of LOGIC!

 

[bignate73]

I never understood what people meant by saying "I hit rock bottom"

what the fuck is that? death?

I've had low moments, but rock bottom for me would probably involve being paralyzed, bankrupt, and without any friends or family in my life.

Even then I bet you there is something else that could be done to make my life worse, maybe blind and in constant pain?

"rock bottom" is simply another subjective state of being. My rock bottom could be another person's high point of their fucking life.

rock bottom is the point where you finally make a concious choice to turn things around. all too often people say or have intentions of doing something, rock bottom is the "straw that broke the camel's back" so to speak. it means a many things to many people. the point before death, the point before insanity, the point before the ultimate price paid for something. generally its used as a term that defines the lowest point a person can physically or mentally, go or will allow themselves to go and they acknowledge that is the limit. rock bottom and someone else doing everything to help you back up, is not rock bottom unless it is acknowledged and conciously vowed not to return there again. it creates motivation and drive.

 

[biteme]

rock bottom is the point where you finally make a concious choice to turn things around. all too often people say or have intentions of doing something, rock bottom is the "straw that broke the camel's back" so to speak. it means a many things to many people. the point before death, the point before insanity, the point before the ultimate price paid for something. generally its used as a term that defines the lowest point a person can physically or mentally, go or will allow themselves to go and they acknowledge that is the limit. rock bottom and someone else doing everything to help you back up, is not rock bottom unless it is acknowledged and conciously vowed not to return there again. it creates motivation and drive.

Rockbottom was the name of the villain in Felix the Cat.

 

[bignate73]

its also the name of The Rock's finishing move.

 

[Lestat]

I apologize to any I have offended personally. I appreciate everyone's input here, life is all about learning. Thank you to everyone for keeping this thread on topic and mostly civil