If you believe in the teachings of the bible you must accept the exsistance of the antichrist otherwise its all bull!

Well!

I doubt the devil is the anti-christ though

OMG teh anti-christ is BUSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111111111111

Religious people routinely blame the devilfor their own shortcommings.

quote:Originally posted by SurahAhriman:

Religious people routinely blame the devilfor their own shortcommings.

The unreligious blame the religious for theirs. This forum proves my theory.

[This message has been edited by Samuel Weil (edited 02-20-2006).]

If you believe in god you'd naturally have to believe in a devil/anti-christ/bad guy. Nobodies gonna follow a god if he doesn't protect you from evil and what-not. But still, it seems alot healthier to accept your shortcomings and failures than to blame a goat living in a lake of fire.

quote:Originally posted by Samuel Weil:

The unreligious blame the religious for theirs. This forum proves my theory.



I don't place unwarranted blame, jackass. Brutal honestly, especially with myself, won't let me. Frankly, the only problem religion gives me if the conversion attempts my sister makes, and the fact that stupidity in general pisses me off.

Oh save me Jeebus!

quote:Originally posted by SurahAhriman:

I don't place unwarranted blame, jackass. Brutal honestly, especially with myself, won't let me. Frankly, the only problem religion gives me if the conversion attempts my sister makes, and the fact that stupidity in general pisses me off.

Why is religion classified as stupidity? No matter your beliefs, we can all at least agree that the origins of the universe are unknown. It seems, to me at least, that an attempt to uncover the origins of our very universe is quite the opposite of stupidity. Wouldn't you say? And, if my prediction is correct in that you've run across a few bad apples affiliated with Christianity in your day, please don't lobby all Christians into one category simply because you've been unfortunate.

quote:Originally posted by Samuel Weil:

Why is religion classified as stupidity? No matter your beliefs, we can all at least agree that the origins of the universe are unknown. It seems, to me at least, that an attempt to uncover the origins of our very universe is quite the opposite of stupidity. Wouldn't you say? And, if my prediction is correct in that you've run across a few bad apples affiliated with Christianity in your day, please don't lobby all Christians into one category simply because you've been unfortunate.

If you want to know the origin of the universe, go pick up a book on arm-chair physics. I recommend The First Three Minutes.

My opinion (yes, opinion. I havn't seen anything to prove otherwise, but it's hardly empirical) is that to buy most religions even semi-literally, one must be either too stupid to realize the problems with a literal interpretation, or to afraid of death to question something offering you a hope of salation. Face it, most people are Christians because they are afraid of what happens when we die. Or maybe they like the idea that humans are special. That God made us in His likness. Essentially, one must be either stupid, or a coward to be a Christian, or a member of several other religions.

I have no problem with people who like a religion philosophically. People who like the message, but understand that in all liklihood, there is no invisable father figure in the sky. I don't even mind people who wish there were an invisable father figure in the sky. But no Christian can honestly evaluate their religion and believe literally. The only exceptions I can think of are being to stupid to understand how it fails when put to logical rigor, or being so afraid, of death or something else, that they lie to themselves. Or, I suppose that they'e never actually put their faith to an honest test of logic.

For example, my sister only became very devout when our parents began having trouble. It's her way of dealing with it. But for someone as smart as my sister to believe, she has to shut off that intelligence and honesty. And that self ignorance is what allows her to believe her Christisan University professor's when they tell her things like "Evolution violates the Second Law of Thermodynamics, therefor it must be false."

in theory, it should be acceptable in the modern world. no matter the era, humans still need a figure to blame evils upon. however, with all of the politically correct assholes running about, it isnt really allowed.

All "explanations" of the universe are theories, having as little or as much credit as religion, in my opinion. I'm not a Christian, but if I was, nearly every statement you just said could easily be refuted by C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. Since you've recommended a book to me, I recommend that book to you. Don't read it, though, if you're hellbent on the "Christians are sheeple!!11" stereotype, but if you're genuinely curious about it, do so please.

Let's stay on topic for once

quote:Originally posted by Samuel Weil:

All "explanations" of the universe are theories, having as little or as much credit as religion, in my opinion. I'm not a Christian, but if I was, nearly every statement you just said could easily be refuted by C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. Since you've recommended a book to me, I recommend that book to you. Don't read it, though, if you're hellbent on the "Christians are sheeple!!11" stereotype, but if you're genuinely curious about it, do so please.

Right. Scientific theory based on measurable quantities is totally on the same plane as "The sun is a chariot of fire driven by Helios" religious explainations.

Both theories are made from logical explanations pointing to them, based on the person asking questions. If you're not a religious person, then why should Christianity or The Bible mean anything to you?

quote:Originally posted by Samuel Weil:

Both theories are made from logical explanations pointing to them, based on the person asking questions. If you're not a religious person, then why should Christianity or The Bible mean anything to you?

Judeo-Christian religions have nothing to do with logic. Absolutely nothing.

lately im starting to wonder what the message of the bible is

quote:Originally posted by SurahAhriman:

Religious people routinely blame the devilfor their own shortcommings.

We'll just elect you to be our scapegoat instead.

quote:Originally posted by SurahAhriman:

Religious people routinely blame the devilfor their own shortcommings.

I don't know about other Christians, but I definitely don't blame the devil for my mistakes.

quote:Originally posted by chubbyman25:

Originally posted by SurahAhriman:

Religious people routinely blame the devilfor their own shortcommings.

I don't know about other Christians, but I definitely don't blame the devil for my mistakes.

You've neer mentioned the Devil tempting you to sin? If not, then good for you. I see it all the time, and it pisses me off.

I believe that almost all of that "the devil made me do it" talk is completely tongue-in-cheek.

quote:Originally posted by The_Rabbi:

I believe that almost all of that "the devil made me do it" talk is completely tongue-in-cheek.

I don't. I know many, and have for short periods lived with, extremely fundamental Christians, who as a matter of course, would, when anything happened that they disliked, blame it on the Devil. As in, "Jesus, we pray against the Devil and his influence on this Muslim man who won't let us into his country because we're screaming out that we're missionaries and we have suitcases full of Bibles that we want to pass out in order to convert these heathen Muslims", or the almost instinctive "The Devil's really fighting" that dribbles out of most Christians' mouths when they have a run of bad luck. It's irresponsible.

A few things I don't get in relation to this thread:

A) How can Christians justify their belief in free will and still believe that the devil influences their behavior to such a degree? Or that THE HOLY SPIRIT(GASP!) can influence them as well?

B) How can there be a Spenta Mainyu without an Angru Mainyu?

C) It is true, some people just want to believe in god and devil so they will have somewhere to turn to understand why they do bad things. Because if there is no god, then we do bad things because we want to or because we can.