Maybe its cause I was raised to make my own Decisions. No where is it said that I have to folow a certain belief/religion....I have been to different churches. Catholic, Baptist, and even dated a Mormon girl for 10 years and went to her church a few times...oh and even the great Feel good church Lakewood Church.......If you dont know of Lake Wood...Please google it and prepare yourself Dave... Like you said about church lying...but I believe the basic beliefs of God and Jesus. I dont think That I have to dedicate myself to any specific religion or follow a certain churches 12 step progam to Heaven to live up to Gods Standards...

 

Actually it is stated that you must follow a certain belief/religion... In the bible, koran, torah, book of mormon, etc...

 

yeah but the problem with this is that all the info we have on these 2 people are based on the point of view and perspective of someone else we will never know.

 

come on guys, we all know the devil was the good guy.

He wanted us to think for ourselves.

he wanted us to give in to temptation (do what WE want)

plus he invented iPods

 

For Some reason...what you said reminds me of a Pator Troy song

 

ok, tc and everyone else who does the take a religion and strip it down to what you want.

Ok, say I believe in pink unicorns as creators of the universe.

Let's say the idea of pink unicorns creating the universe was written in John smith in the 1901, book, "the pink unicorn".

The book "the pink unicorn" is the only book to claim pink unicorns created the universe.

But I think the book "the pink unicorn" is rubbish, and it has many rules that I am supposed to follow to be part of that religion, that I want nothing to do with.

So why would I still believe pink unicorns as creators of the universe? I mean don't believe in the source material, nor do i follow the religious guidelines.

make sense? Believeing in something that holds no merit even to me, is ridiculous, isn't it?

 

I'm off work finally! Till tomorrow everyone.

For tctaco: Hasta manana.

 

Dave...I think you have helped me stumble across something...
I think im Agnostic.....???.....

 

tcTaco, I know what you mean. I was an Agnostic for quite a few years mainly because I followed your line of thinking.
I was raised Catholic (ie TOLD what to believe) and then rebelled against that when I got old enough to realize what I was doing. I couldn't understand how some people thought one BOOK was better then someone elses.
So I spent a few years as an agnostic, then I found out about some eastern religions that believed that all religions were right, and no one person had a monopoly on the Truth. So I was a New Age-ish "free thinking" spiritual person for the next few years.
Then I came to realize I was making a religion up in my head that makes me feel good and that I could use to make the world easier for me. Of course I had to smack myself after that, I was being no better then the people that say there is no God just so they could do whatever they want without feeling any form of guilt.
Which pretty much brought me to the point that I am at today.

 

Which is....? (Just curious)

 

HAHA wow,
Guess that would have been nice if I actually said it huh?
Haha
I've been a Christian now for 2 years.

 

So you said:

what made you change your mind 2 years ago? some new evidence?

 

I think budists are taught not to degrade anyone elses religion...which I think is great and polite. I was never brought up believing anything, so I think that's why I don't have a religion that I truly believe in. I'm open to anyone's religion and I don't discriminate.

I'm kind of at the point where I think if you believe in something hard enough...it will become true. I think that can be applied to pretty much everday life, with reason. Therefore, I believe whatever culture believes in their religion enough...it is true.

...Don't anyone take offense to this now...

oh, and what taco was saying about no believing in one denomination over the other...I kinda feel the same. Who's to say their right and everyone else is wrong when the bible is merely based on faith? Wars were carried out in god's name over who's denomination what right or wrong...would god really want that?

 

I think atheists are one of the few that can't escape guilt when they do bad deeds.
I know I can't get some magic resolve that repenting/praying does.

 

I don't want to be offensive myself, but there is no way this could be true. The way the world works, no matter if you believe in God or not, you can't make something true just because you want it to be. If that was the case I'd be a guy that could fly and stop a train with my fist of iron fury.

War's have been carried out in the name of MANY things. God is just one of them.

 

God, women, land, or oil are the main reasons for most wars.

 

Have you ever met a true hardcore Catholic? Or been to there services? Man they make you feel guilty for just breathing!

That being said, if you were to talk to someone that was a true Christian and not just a stupid bible qouting parrot, I'd think you'd be suprised to see that we don't get to escape guilt. We just have another "Person" to answer to besides ourselves when we do something wrong.

 

Exactly my point. So land, women and oil are evil things that shouldn't exist?

 

War is evil. Not the reasons for wars.

 

again
what made you change your mind 2 years ago? some new evidence?