PP should tread carefully. He or she quarrels not only with me, for my non-Christian views, but with the creator who made me this way. If PP is right about there being a Judgment Day, I'm far more worried for him or her than for me. |
Good, thoughtful questions you have asked. (1) We coexist, as we have done for centuries, until the Man of Sin comes along and hands out the death penalty for refusing to worship as God this great leader, whoever that is going to be: the pope, the caliph, a combo of the two or someone else demanding worship "or else". Even if you are an atheist you *will* worship this great leader or, just like you aren't going to remain employed without a vaccine, you won't be able to buy or sell. I think the Covid event is a precedent, opening the way for totalitarianism in the name of "peace and safety". For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape --1 Thessalonians 5:2 (2) There are laws already on the books to handle evil behavior. To use the law to imprison or make you less than a full citizen for not believing the way I do is very Medieval Catholic or Islamic and totally wrong: you should be free to choose without coercion. I support your rights to freedom of speech, to keep and bear arms, and other rights under the US Constitution. I will never support a political party that would attempt to deny you your rights. I am just as against a Christian theocracy as any other theocracy. Why? Because politicians do not act out of love but out of gaining money and power for themselves. If putting you in jail for not wearing a skirt long enough gets votes, well, they're going to pass laws to beat you up and put you in jail for not having a skirt long enough. You are a person made in the image of God. Therefore, no matter who or what you are, you shall be loved, respected, and treated with dignity regardless of my opinion. It doesn't mean I approve or condone evil acts or your unbelief, nor will I refuse to reprove your acts of sin, but I support your right to worship/believe or not worship/believe as your conscience dictates, and even to ridicule what I believe or curse me to the ground for all that I stand for. |
This belief system is truly terrifying, and a prime example of why I no longer identify as a Christian. PP, have you actually ever met someone of another faith? |
I agree. I was brought up Christian and now believe Christianity is evil. I admire the Jews who say there’s no requirement to agree with them in order to be saved. The only requirement is to be a good person. |
I am actually friends with a Muslim but I have not expressed my views because I know he would be offended. He knows I am a Christian, I know he is a Muslim; we leave it at that and we get along quite well but we know not to do discuss religion as we are both devout. His family has been Muslim for centuries, his father, grandfathers and all his family. He would be put to death or disowned if he left Islam so he would never do so. Likewise, my family has been Christian for centuries although my belief is not based on this nor am I a Christian out of loyalty to family history, However, I know had I been born in Arabia I would be a Muslim. Whether I would have the courage to leave Islam for Jesus, I do not know. Had I been born into a Mormon family, I'd probably be Mormon but I would hope that I would love the truth enough to compare the Mormon Jesus to the Jesus of the bible. Maybe I would, maybe I wouldn't I once invited a Muslim (a different one than the one above) to a bible study we had each week in an unused conference room at work. Her face blanched and shrunk into her burka, like a caterpillar does withdrawing into itself. She recovered and invited me to an Arabic class at her home. I accepted her invitation. I went, and the Imam, a former Catholic who was confused by all the saints who are worshiped as gods, had converted to Islam which correctly believes there is but one God. I respectfully and thoughtfully considered all that the Imam said but after presented with Islam I could see it is an obsessive/compulsive religion having to worship so many times a day and do all these things hoping your good deeds outweigh your bad. It is a religion of works, not grace. I came away thinking Mohammad the Prophet suffered from obsessive/compulsion disorder. Also, I am good friends with a Mormon but after a brief exchange we do not discuss religion any more. He blindly accepts all that the Mormon church says and will not question it under any circumstance. His mind is shut. I have examined Mormonism and I see that it is what is called "another Gospel". Their Jesus is “Lucifer’s older brother.” which just ain't so. But though we, or an angel from heaven [Moroni in the Mormon case], preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. --Galatians 1:8 Mormons never do have an answer as to why Joseph Smith wrote his bible in KJV English when that language was only found in the KJV Bible and was not spoken among the population. The only answer I've gotten is, "King James English is the language of God." Nope, it's not. That would be the supposed hieroglyphs or whatever Lyin' Joe "translated" from. It is my opinion Joseph Smith was so audacious, he named his angel Moroni as a play on the word "moron" to display just how gullible people can be. |
how can I be evil if I am a person made in the image of god? |
God allows you to choose: See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil...I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live --Deuteronomy 30:15 My opinion (and it's just an opinion): Even though all-powerful, the one thing God cannot do is make you love him. If he did, like in that 2004 movie "The Stepford Wives", it would not be love. You can't make somebody love you against their will. |
So your god made me in their image, says it’s my choice to love them or not , but requires me to love them if I want to have a life after death- how is that a choice? That makes no sense to me. I also don’t know how to tell which religion is the true religion. Quoting from a religion’s holy book does not provide evidence to me that it is the religion I should follow. Every religion’s holy texts slant towards that religion’s belief systems. |
They compassed me about like bees: they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them -----Psalm 118:12 --Become a Christian and you can smite your enemies in the name of God. Who wouldn't want to be able to do that? C'mon man, you can start smitin' today! Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. ----Psalm 118:25 --And God's can make you rich if you beg and bother him enough. Rich! Don't you really want to be a Christian now? C'mon man, fill your pockets with cash! I use these verses to show that people can use religion to justify all kinds of behavior. Many people use this to say "Aha! Your religion is false, it's made up junk: count me out." ...thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment ----Mark 12:30 If you love God, you will obey God. If you obey God's laws, you are doing that which is right and you avoid all manner of despicable behaviors and their negative consequences such as STDs, broken homes from adultery, and so on. When you love God, you become humble and acknowledge that YOU are not #1 in the universe. It opens the door to the 2nd commandment: thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these Despite God giving people a choice to choose to love God, many people refuse. They just won't do it for whatever reason. As for how do you know which is the right God, you have to examine each one. This is something you have to want to do in order to find the truth. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. --Matthew 7:13 Most people are not going to do this. They will just stick with what they know or born into without question like my Mormon friend. This article is helpful: https://www.gotquestions.org/correct-religion.html |
Did you know that many people who examine their religion become atheist as a result? Atheists have been shown to be more informed about religion than most religious people. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/08/21/among-religious-nones-atheists-and-agnostics-know-the-most-about-religion/ |
True. Most Christians know nothing about Christianity. If they read the Bible at all, it is in translations full of mistakes. The Jews read the original. |
This is true. I studied Latin and Ancient Greek in college and have read large portions of the New Testament in the "originals." Idiots like the hateful poster here has no idea what her Bible actually says. |
+ 1,000,000 |
The original? A perfect translation from centuries ago? Sorry -- not accurate. The Jewish bible is "full of mistakes" too. But all those ancient stories are -- accuracy is not an issue. They are stories. |
But we somehow accept what biology tells us about other living things - plants and animals -- we just don't like applying the obvious to ourselves. |