Questions about the bible/Christianity

[Lag]

Uh... I'm confused about my religion right now, and I figured this would be the best place to ask for things about the bible etc. and all that since many people stop by every now and then. Any Christians here, if you have alot of spare time, could you give me some things to think about here? Because... I don't know, I think you get what I mean, maybe. You'd not only be helping me, but any other people questioning stuff like this too.

[brit]

Well, even though I'm not a Christian or one who subscribes to the supernatural at all, I think I may be able to point in the right direction depending on the question, so go ahead and shoot.

[Lag]

Why are so many people Christians? And what's the main purpose?

[pkt-zer0]

Why are so many people Christians? And what's the main purpose?

Heh. I've been wondering about that myself.

[crusher]

The main purpose is most likely to force their own relgion down others throat. I'm part of the said religion myself... atleast according to the papers. But I'm no beliver. At all.

Random story: Two weeks ago some fuckers from Jehovah's Witnesses knocked on the door and I openend. As the nice guy I am I couldn't tell them to fuck off. So I nicely listened to everything. When they were about to leave one of them gave me a paper and said something like "read through that and we will come back and discuss this with you bla bla". I said maybe and then bye.

Guess what happened yesterday? THE IDIOTS CAME BACK! My mother opened the door and guess what!? THEY WANTED TO TALK TO ME AGAIN! She told them I was sick, and they left. How the hell am I gonna get away from them now!? ARGH!!!

[MasJ]

Christianity is a religion that tries to propagate itself through missionaries and other people. Most other religions didn't even have a way to convert into that religion until recent times, Christianity on the other hand propagates through converting people. Infact, in India Hindu religion had a kind of thing in the 1800's where people who had been converted from Hindu to Christian could convert back, it's like the anti-Christianity, lol =D.

So those could be the reasons why there are so many christians all over the place. We did have a thread about this earlier so I think Xena would be in a position to answer all your questions..

[brit]

I guess the answer to your question in a more straightforward is way is simply because people need SOMETHING to believe in. Something they can truly put faith and work into. it's not so much the same deal in our times, but back in the beginning of it all, people, I guess, could not just see coincidences happening on their own.

Nowadays, many of the youth are born and raised into a religion, just some of us decide that it simply isn't for us. As I said, I'm not one to dig too deeply into the supernatural or anything like that, but I have my ideas.

[Darkened Samurai]

I dont believe there is a god. i think there's just a higher force that we cannot interact with.

[pkt-zer0]

And what's the main purpose? (of Christianity)

Well, that's my question. What's its main purpose, outside of teaching people not to inflict pain and try to help others, since that's pretty much just common sense.

[pkt-zer0]

Hmm, interesting. It seems to me that people were always selfish and imperfect, so those last days should've come a lot earlier. Natural disasters can be attributed to people's lack of foresight, in part, at least.
About that final war, Mankind returning to Paradise, etc. etc. stuff. I take it you're trying to say that all things will return to the pure, sinless world it originally was, and we'll be living there in eternal happiness (presumably). With Satan being destroyed, there's no more evil in the world to corrupt Man.

And that's the point I can't agree with it.

There is nothing that corrupts a man's heart to do evil. It is part of his very nature. So, you can't have eternal happiness, no matter what. People NEED pain and suffering just as much as joy and happiness. So, even after Armageddon, it would all just start again, hate, envy, greed, exodus, whatever you will, it's just a start of a new cycle.

[Lag]

I dont believe there is a god. i think there's just a higher force that we cannot interact with.

I agree with you on that, to a certain extent... I think...

Here's my view on religion. But I'm still open to suggestions after, too.
I'm not an Atheist or anything really. I'm a nothing, or, me and my friend say we are into the 'Don't Give A Shit' religion. Heh... Well... yeh.

About all that Jahovo Witness stuff, I truly hate them all. Me and my entire family shut off all our lights and hide behind whatever we can so that they won't see us inside our home, if you can believe that. I think it's funny... Well, anyway... I just don't get why there are so many Christians. To me, they've all just been brainwashed. And I feel sorry for little kids that grow up in Christian families, because their parents are most likely going to have them go to church their whole lives, starting very young, and so they get brainwashed too.
I don't believe in God, or really Jesus for that matter. I don't believe anything that people wrote 2000 years ago... I mean, this isn't the sole reason why I don't believe in the bible, but, people were dumb as fuck back then. I get the phrase 'Love thy neighbor' etc to me all the time. It's just a fact of life, that you're going to hate alot of the people you meet in your life... but that was one example. I don't know many of the commandments etc. btw.
And I also know, or at least think, that when you die, you just rot in the ground, casket, or in separate parts inside some wacko's body part jars (this is rare, however).
I also despise those Texan priests on tv that try to convince millions of others that God is real etc. And I go nuts whenever I see it. They're talking jibberish and they're actually convincing people. This might be out of place, and I know lots of Christians would think it's ridiculous if they saw it, but I saw a commercial before for 'Holy Spring Water'. This Texan priest was trying to sell this bottled water and said it would make your wishes come true etc. And he got a bunch of people to tell stories of how they found a 20 dollar bill within the very week that they drank the 'Holy Water', or like, got out of debt too... Umm, yeh.
Another thing (sorry, this is probably too long a post) I don't get is why do Christians still go to church after all those years of believing? I say if you believe, no use wasting even more of your life by going to church and reading religious articles etc.
Oh! This REALLY got on my nerves aswell. A long while ago I was minding my own business, when I overheard my brother watching the Oprah show on tv (yes, I actually watched Oprah...), so I went over and started watching it too. And on that particular episode, there was a guy who..ok, he had just KILLED his wife, and his three dogs. He killed them accidently. And throughout the few minutes he was on, he started to feel ALOT better about the situation because he said that it was God's plan and that he works in mysterious ways. After that tragedy happened to his wife and three dogs, that's what he had to say, and to me, that made me angry. At Christianity mostly. Like someone tonight could rob your home or kill you etc. But I think alot of Christians would just say that it was God's plan etc. again.
Another example of why I don't believe in God is cancer. So many people around the world die of cancer, even the ones who believe strongly in God. I'm not doctor or anything, so I don't know the exact cause of cancer, but I'm pretty sure it can happen to anybody at anytime, so... God's plan?

I think that was alot, and took me a long few minutes to write, but I hope somebody tries to answer something from it aswell.
And one last thing (this might sound lame though, I don't know)... You only live once. Stop wasting your only time on this planet by believing in something that might not even exist. If he doesn't exist, then you will have wasted alot of your life on nothing. There might not be a Heaven or Hell or all that, and if there isn't, you will just die. If there is, then I guess I will only die and you'll go to Heaven and all that. So... yeh, I watched the film 'Blade Runner' and it made me realise how precious life is. That meant alot to me, and if you haven't seen it, I think you should.

Well, that's enough for now. I might post back later. And remember, these were just my opinions.

[pkt-zer0]

Yeah, but I believe one should take responsibility for one's own actions.
Meh, I don't really believe that what I see, hear, or feel, is the reality. One's soul and senses can interpret things in different ways. Yes, I like to question everything, it is the way of learning. I would feel limited if I accepted someone's teachings and would be looking for my own answers as well. Man needs faith to go on, and seek enlightment.

Okay, I'm ending this post before it gets too off-topic.

[Xena]

All my post's deleted.

This will just be a uncontroled flame war (Again)

and I do not wish to fuel it.

[Lag]

Hmm, interesting. It seems to me that people were always selfish and imperfect, so those last days should've come a lot earlier. Natural disasters can be attributed to people's lack of foresight, in part, at least.
About that final war, Mankind returning to Paradise, etc. etc. stuff. I take it you're trying to say that all things will return to the pure, sinless world it originally was, and we'll be living there in eternal happiness (presumably). With Satan being destroyed, there's no more evil in the world to corrupt Man.

And that's the point I can't agree with it.

There is nothing that corrupts a man's heart to do evil. It is part of his very nature. So, you can't have eternal happiness, no matter what. People NEED pain and suffering just as much as joy and happiness. So, even after Armageddon, it would all just start again, hate, envy, greed, exodus, whatever you will, it's just a start of a new cycle.

Very well said. Even though I don't believe in the whole Mythological battles in the Revelations part of the bible.

[pkt-zer0]

First, you should've said a few things in less offensive ways, I don't think some of that stuff is 'just' indirectly offensive to Xena.

And one last thing (this might sound lame though, I don't know)... You only live once. Stop wasting your only time on this planet by believing in something that might not even exist. If he doesn't exist, then you will have wasted alot of your life on nothing. There might not be a Heaven or Hell or all that, and if there isn't, you will just die. If there is, then I guess I will only die and you'll go to Heaven and all that. So... yeh, I watched the film 'Blade Runner' and it made me realise how precious life is. That meant alot to me, and if you haven't seen it, I think you should.

Anyway, on to this quoted part. If faith makes one's life worth living, I mean he is completely happy because of a direct result of that, then what's the harm in that? If there is truly no Hell and Heaven, and someone would 'just die', believing the opposite, what would it matter to him then? Dead people don't think anymore, according to the scientific approach. And if it's the believer who's right, that you're wrong, but you won't care, since you don't believe in that unscientific stuff. So?
That's why I don't understand atheist arguing with believers that there is no Hell/Heaven/God/supernatural.The point of supernatural is that it's beyond our reach through conventional means. So you can't prove of disprove that either of those exists, through any methods.
Well, technically you can't prove ANYTHING at all, but that would be taking the discussion too far.

Very well said. Even though I don't believe in the whole Mythological battles in the Revelations part of the bible.

Me neither, but the concept of it is what matters in my opinion.