The Big Questions of the Universe

[Meganerdbomb]

Heh, I knew a discussion about religion would bring frezal out of hiding.

By the way, God never actually said he hates gay people; he just reeeally doesn't like them having sex.

[kill343gs]

Heh, I knew a discussion about religion would bring frezal out of hiding.

By the way, God never actually said he hates gay people; he just reeeally doesn't like them having sex.

God doesn't like anyone having sex for anything other than making kids. So there goes that.

[Meganerdbomb]

That is also false and basically just made up by the Catholics. God is just fine with heterosexual intercourse for recreational purposes; go read ****ing Song of Solomon. You still gotta be married to do it though.

[frezal]

Heh, I knew a discussion about religion would bring frezal out of hiding.

By the way, God never actually said he hates gay people; he just reeeally doesn't like them having sex.

Yeah, because he can't get any.

[Meganerdbomb]

Heh, I knew a discussion about religion would bring frezal out of hiding.

By the way, God never actually said he hates gay people; he just reeeally doesn't like them having sex.

Yeah, because he can't get any.

You have a point. He hasn't fathered any children for at least 2000 years.

[frezal]

Heh, I knew a discussion about religion would bring frezal out of hiding.

By the way, God never actually said he hates gay people; he just reeeally doesn't like them having sex.

Yeah, because he can't get any.

You have a point. He hasn't fathered any children for at least 2000 years.

Even then, it was just him in disguise.

[Scourge of teh Galaxy]

Heh, I knew a discussion about religion would bring frezal out of hiding.

By the way, God never actually said he hates gay people; he just reeeally doesn't like them having sex.

Yeah, because he can't get any.

You have a point. He hasn't fathered any children for at least 2000 years.

Even then, it was just him in disguise.

Born to a virgin

[kill343gs]

God and Mary played "just the tip"

[Clickbeetle]

Now why is MNB defending the Bible; I wouldn't have pegged him for a Christian.  Just playing devil's advocate?  (Or God's advocate, as I suppose it would be in this case.)
 
Also arguing about religion is pointless.  We're all too set in our beliefs to be convinced one way or the other from posts on an internet forum.
 
I will say I am Christian because there is plenty of evidence for God's love if you look with an open mind, and because existence without God or heaven seems to me rather short, brutal, and utterly meaningless, and I'll leave it at that.  Further elaboration would only turn into another pointless argument.

[123savethewhales]

Now why is MNB defending the Bible; I wouldn't have pegged him for a Christian.  Just playing devil's advocate?  (Or God's advocate, as I suppose it would be in this case.)
 
Also arguing about religion is pointless.  We're all too set in our beliefs to be convinced one way or the other from posts on an internet forum.
 
I will say I am Christian because there is plenty of evidence for God's love if you look with an open mind, and because existence without God or heaven seems to me rather short, brutal, and utterly meaningless, and I'll leave it at that.  Further elaboration would only turn into another pointless argument.

Most people argue about religion not to convince others to believe, but just to erase contradictory evidences such that they can continue believing in it themselves.

Argument never works in convince the opposing side anything.

[frezal]

existence without God or heaven seems to me rather short, brutal, and utterly meaningless, and I'll leave it at that.

Exactly. Life is short and meaningless (brutal doesn't have to apply to all), which is why you should spend what little time you have enjoying yourself. Why wait for an afterlife when you could be out living it up with this one?

[Scourge of teh Galaxy]

existence without God or heaven seems to me rather short, brutal, and utterly meaningless

Precisely why I'm a theist. But all religions have those restraints on them that makes them all look really rather stupid if you take a step back from them. Which is why I don't really follow a proper religion, though me and Suzume used to have fun with his made up Pseudoshintotheism and he'd make up some really silly rule that we'd follow for a day and then ditch

[123savethewhales]

existence without God or heaven seems to me rather short, brutal, and utterly meaningless

Precisely why I'm a theist. But all religions have those restraints on them that makes them all look really rather stupid if you take a step back from them. Which is why I don't really follow a proper religion, though me and Suzume used to have fun with his made up Pseudoshintotheism and he'd make up some really silly rule that we'd follow for a day and then ditch

Maybe you can try this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discordianism

Despite what the name might imply, it is not MLP related.

[Scourge of teh Galaxy]

I could certainly give it a try

[Meganerdbomb]

I am, in fact, a Christian although not a very good one. I do know quite a bit about the Bible, having read it all at some point or another, and I like correcting common misconceptions about the Bible and Christianity. Also, debating with Athiests is a great trolling opportunity.

[Chaosmancer]

I just stand by a viewpoint of each to their own. If people want to believe in something to make life seem less crap, or to try to make them better people, then they should go for it. If they persistently try to push their beliefs onto other people, they should **** off, in my opinion at least.

[Naryar]

I will say I am Christian because there is plenty of evidence for God's love if you look with an open mind, and because existence without God or heaven seems to me rather short, brutal, and utterly meaningless, and I'll leave it at that.  Further elaboration would only turn into another pointless argument.

Personally I have seen things that could lead to the BELIEF there is an all-powerful entity guarding us, but this doesn't mean I should accept it as empirical truth, because most of these aren't examined enough under the critical eye of reason, and there are also many things that can make you believe there is no such thing as a god as the Bible presents it.

Besides, that god you claim to exist should know that he should present itself unambiguously to humanity, if he is well-intentioned. I have not seen any irrefutable proof of God existing.

And you do not think that with an open mind, you can see existence without god or heaven as something different from being short, brutal and meaningless ?

Short ? We're improving on that. Besides, biological immortality exists. Though it is certainly for very simple organisms, and it's sure going to be VERY HARD to reach, maybe we can reach that one day.

Brutal, not necessarily, as frezal said.

And meaningless... you deny the right of godless or heavenless human beings to give meaning to their life ? Or you do not accept an individual's right to give an individual meaning to it's life, accepting only the notion of meaning of life if they are shared by a large community, such as the whole of a religion ? That seems pretty gloomy and even tyrannical to me.

Also, this is not a pointless argument. This is about the nature of existence itself ! As you say that it is a pointless argument, you sound like you want to avoid a religion argument.

[Meganerdbomb]

It's pointless in that you are not going to change anyone's mind by arguing on the Internet.

[Badnik96]

lol religion

[123savethewhales]

I will say I am Christian because there is plenty of evidence for God's love if you look with an open mind, and because existence without God or heaven seems to me rather short, brutal, and utterly meaningless, and I'll leave it at that.  Further elaboration would only turn into another pointless argument.

Personally I have seen things that could lead to the BELIEF there is an all-powerful entity guarding us, but this doesn't mean I should accept it as empirical truth, because most of these aren't examined enough under the critical eye of reason, and there are also many things that can make MYSELF believe there is no such thing as a god as the Bible presents it.

FIFY

Besides, that god you claim to exist should know that he should present itself unambiguously to humanity, if he is well-intentioned. I have not seen any irrefutable proof of God existing.

Free will unfortunately must come with this ambiguity, to present himself to humanity further than through his book will eliminate free will.

And you do not think that with an open mind, you can see existence without god or heaven as something different from being short, brutal and meaningless ?

Short ? We're improving on that. Besides, biological immortality exists. Though it is certainly for very simple organisms, and it's sure going to be VERY HARD to reach, maybe we can reach that one day.

You can prevent aging, but you cannot be immortal.  A risk of dying for reasons outside of aging will always exist.

Brutal, not necessarily, as frezal said.

Maybe we just happen to live a very sheltered life.  Even then, none of us can avoid death eventually.

And meaningless... you deny the right of godless or heavenless human beings to give meaning to their life ? Or you do not accept an individual's right to give an individual meaning to it's life, accepting only the notion of meaning of life if they are shared by a large community, such as the whole of a religion ? That seems pretty gloomy and even tyrannical to me.

Actually without an external authority life itself cannot have a meaning because meaning requires interpretation, which requires life.  Meaning happens during each episode in life where sentient being reflects on itself subjectively.

Also, to claim individual has "rights" requires external authority.  Without relying on God such "rights" will deteriorate into the law of each solvent states and it's culture.  We just happen to live in one where individualism is popularized, and encouraged by consumerism.  Plenty of regime in this world today still do not offer their citizens the kind of "rights" westerners come to expect.  Their meaning and purpose are forced and any deviants will be lock up or killed.

Also, this is not a pointless argument. This is about the nature of existence itself ! As you say that it is a pointless argument, you sound like you want to avoid a religion argument.

I find arguing over this topic quite pointless, since I don't have the arrogance to claim that I know about the nature of existence itself.  However the method of "faith" consistently fails in finding truth for just about everything thus far, so I am comfortable with calling bogus for all things determined with such method.