I'm OP. To answer people: yes, Christianity is true. To the skeptical, I urge you to try on this hypothesis with an open mind; see how it hits you. Bless you all.

Anonymous wrote:If it weren't all true, I'm not sure how I could face each day. I'm so very glad there is a good God in charge of even the hardest things, working all things for the good of people he loves so much that he was willing to die and suffer infinite torment for us.

So pp believes in the Christian God. Other readers should know that there are other gods besides the Christian one and that there are differences even among Christians about the characteristics of God and his son (who supposedly took human form and died on the cross)

There also are atheists who don't believe in any God and who don't have any trouble facing each day. It varies from person to person.

If it weren't all true, I'm not sure how I could face each day. I'm so very glad there is a good God in charge of even the hardest things, working all things for the good of people he loves so much that he was willing to die and suffer infinite torment for us.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s a lie embellished over the centuries by those in power to control the masses. It discourages curiosity and personal growth in favor of blind faith. Eg., all the simpleton bible thumpers in America.

Religion has been mostly detrimental to humankind: in addition to keeping the masses dumb and delusional, it’s caused too many wars. Just look at Gaza.

+1. It’s like, “don’t worry that you’re poor, miserable, destitute and pay a lot of what you earn in taxes to us; a better life awaits you after death.” No, it does not.

You seem so very certain of that. I guess you’d better hope you’re right.

Every other living thing dies, but humans don't?? because we are smart enough to make up stuff and right it down?

We're also smart enough for some of us to become doctors and scientists and to be able to extend our lifespan through better knowledge, medical procedures and equipment. Centuries ago they bled people to help them live. Can you imagine?? draining the Blood out of you to help you live??

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s a lie embellished over the centuries by those in power to control the masses. It discourages curiosity and personal growth in favor of blind faith. Eg., all the simpleton bible thumpers in America.

Religion has been mostly detrimental to humankind: in addition to keeping the masses dumb and delusional, it’s caused too many wars. Just look at Gaza.

+1. It’s like, “don’t worry that you’re poor, miserable, destitute and pay a lot of what you earn in taxes to us; a better life awaits you after death.” No, it does not.

You seem so very certain of that. I guess you’d better hope you’re right.

Anonymous wrote:Hm the older I’ve gotten the more obvious it is to me how absurd the idea of religion is.

this....organized religions cause many issues in our world.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hm the older I’ve gotten the more obvious it is to me how absurd the idea of religion is.

Same. I can’t believe how brainwashed I was as a kid.

+1, except I CAN believe how brainwashed I was as a child. I believed in the tooth fairy and Santa Claus too. Those became silly after a while, as did religion. I think the only reason that I continued to believe in religion is that it was encouraged. A lot of adults believed in religion. Some people even made a career out of it.

Thinking that I would live forever helped too.

The older I get the more I realize that religion is man made.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hm the older I’ve gotten the more obvious it is to me how absurd the idea of religion is.

Same

Same.

I've moved from religious to areligious to agnostic to atheist.

PP here, 64yo.

Me too.

Anonymous wrote:PP here. I’m Catholic and hold to Catholic teaching. Convert of over 30 years who has studied and practiced other religions, including Buddhism and Taoism.

Just to make it clear, I do not practice Buddhism and/or Taoism alongside Catholicism. I accept and believe in the Teachings of the Catholic Church as the fullness of what God intended His Church to be.

PP here. I’m Catholic and hold to Catholic teaching. Convert of over 30 years who has studied and practiced other religions, including Buddhism and Taoism.

Anonymous wrote:It’s a lie embellished over the centuries by those in power to control the masses. It discourages curiosity and personal growth in favor of blind faith. Eg., all the simpleton bible thumpers in America.

Religion has been mostly detrimental to humankind: in addition to keeping the masses dumb and delusional, it’s caused too many wars. Just look at Gaza.

+1. It’s like, “don’t worry that you’re poor, miserable, destitute and pay a lot of what you earn in taxes to us; a better life awaits you after death.” No, it does not.

Anonymous wrote:It’s a lie embellished over the centuries by those in power to control the masses. It discourages curiosity and personal growth in favor of blind faith. Eg., all the simpleton bible thumpers in America.

Religion has been mostly detrimental to humankind: in addition to keeping the masses dumb and delusional, it’s caused too many wars. Just look at Gaza.

Do you believe in transcendence at all?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hm the older I’ve gotten the more obvious it is to me how absurd the idea of religion is.

Same

Same.

I've moved from religious to areligious to agnostic to atheist.

PP here, 64yo.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rather sweeping statement, OP and PPs. What's true? Do you believe every word in the Bible? Or have you interpreted it and believe your interpretation? Or do you just believe that God exists, but that various churches and denominations each have their own freedom to live their faith, and that churches don't have the last word on God?

A PP. Yes the Bible is the inspired word of God. The story of man’s separation from God and ultimate redemption through the sacrifice of Jesus.

Various denominations squabble over semantics.

So you believe in a very macro interpretation. Good.

I just want to point out that we can only use our human opinion and understanding of the human text we possess. It's a compendium of narratives written within a time span of over a thousand years, in at least 3 original languages. Scholars have pointed out various ways that the original meaning of certain key words may have been distorted over time, to suit the worldview of each time period. In my (human, fallible) opinion, we can only appreciate the religious meaning of the Bible in the broadest and most general of terms. It's no use harping over individual words - specific detail has been lost to time.