The bible

[RichieMcD]

 

That's why when ever one of them comes to my house I tell them politely I'm not interested and close the door. I'm at home to relax, I don't want to be converted :wall:

 

They tried talking through my closed window when I said no at the door. :x They wouldn't leave until I said I would call the police. Thats aggravating :wall:

 

 

 

That happened before to my brother, he warned them twice to leave the property and they wouldn't, they kept talking so he grabbed my dads gun and warned them again, that sure helped make them leave :lol:

[mark63534]

Bumping again...

[reaper88888]

Regarding the ten commandments, shouldn't there be an 11th? Something along the lines of 'Thou shalt not force thy religion on others'?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Offtopic: Best religion ever? Jim Jones Cult.

[EarthySun]

No offense, but I believe that religion is used to explain the unexplainable. Nowadays, of course, we can explain it. I call to example multiple tribes in Ethiopia, who kill twins, deformed children, albinos, and (haha) TV news crews because they believe that it will stop bad things from happening.

 

 

 

No more comments. :roll:

[Lenticular_J]

Yes, that is what religion is used to do. That's a pretty well-known thing.

[BlueLancer]

No offense, but I believe that religion is used to explain the unexplainable. Nowadays, of course, we can explain it. I call to example multiple tribes in Ethiopia, who kill twins, deformed children, albinos, and (haha) TV news crews because they believe that it will stop bad things from happening.

 

 

 

No more comments. :roll:

 

 

 

You pretty much forgot the worst belief that still sadly exists in poor African countries (as a part of a tribal spiritual belief):

 

 

 

To cure AIDS, which is a "curse", you need to have sex with a virgin.

 

 

 

Really, what kind of sick person thought that up, even as a joke? And people actually believe it. Ignorance is pitless.

 

 

 

Maybe it's time to wake up and see some cultures/beliefs are not o.k. in the modern world. Beliefs like the one above just serve to destroy even more lives thanks to clueless people following them blindly.

 

 

 

Or is there actually even a single valid reason why those people should be entitled to this belief? I find it equally disturbing as Adolf Hitler claiming killing jews would 'cleanse' his country of unemployment and inequality. Following either belief just causes further deaths of innocent people without solving the problem.

[The Dark Lord]

The only religion I've found myself agreeing with is Unitarian Universalism. Many people in the congregations are Deists (believing in god(s), but using Scientific evidence to explain things) and Humanists. They may be considered a branch off of the Judeo-Christian faith, but really they're more like a universal bridge connecting all belief systems. Really the only thing that I've seen that can be connected with Christianity in this faith (although some within the congregations identify as Christians, or at least like Christian tradition and ideas) is that they heavily practice "love thy neighbor."

 

 

 

This has got to be one of the most open-minded religion I've stumbled across. They affirm all people, regardless of lifestyle, sexual orientation, or gender identification. They are non-creedal oriented, which means they also do not spurt dogmatic beliefs at you. They try to bridge the gap between the lenses of faith and the lenses of science. Here's a quote from a famous physicist that describes them:

 

 

 

"Religion without science is blind; science without religion is lame." - Albert Einstein

 

 

 

One thing that can be confusing about them is they practice beliefs that range from Theism to Agnosticism/Atheism. While most (81 percent of Unitarian Universalists) believe in God, gods, or even Goddess, 19 percent admit not believing in God whatsoever. Their main teachings tell you to choose your own spiritual path, whether it be monotheistic, polytheistic, Agnostic, or Atheistic in nature. They believe you pick what's right for YOU, and YOU alone. No one tells you what to believe, you are obligated to find your own Truth. They may help you, however, by providing religious education courses, where you may learn different outlooks on life and learn different belief systems (unbiased).

 

 

 

Really this fits me like a glove, even though I've pretty much discovered that Agnosticism is the best path for me. (I'm still theistic though.) It's kind of humorous that I can recall an "experiment" I did over half a year ago with Christianity. I was raised in a right-wing, mainstream Christian home, you see. I could never truly believe simple doctrine, especially about Jesus is "Lord" and Hell. This experiment was something to prove to myself once and for all that Christianity wasn't the right path for me. If I couldn't convince myself to believe that Jesus was God and that an all-loving God would damn people to hell, then I was quite frankly, incompatible with Christianity. The experiment was a success. I tried "converting" and having a Christian mentor try to convince me Jesus was a God-man, but it failed miserably. The next day (it only lasted an evening) I ditched the experiment because the results were conclusive: I am incompatible with Christianity if I'm honest with myself. I believe in God, but I accept that I cannot prove/disprove the existence of said entity.

 

 

 

In the UU worship service, it basically involved the lighting of the Flaming Chalice ("To many, the cup represents religious community, while the flame represents ideas including the sacrificial flame, the flame of the spirit, and more.") and creedless sermons, or teachings about what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist and it often includes social justice/equity and helping others in order to make the world and local community better. Children and youth are taken halfway through service into a room to themselves and we share our happenings in the past week, since we last visited. It's basically a status report and is geared to discuss how we've tried to help our community. Often, reports include community service, rallies, gay rights, and GLBT awareness. When I went on August 10, 2008, I told them about how I shared facts about anti-GLBT discrimination across the world and ways to end the discrimination, by spreading love and open-minds and social equity idealism such as same-sex marriage (laws that would permit). I told them a little about my childhood, my identification, and my sexual orientation. I told them about how a church my dad used to work at fired him on the basis of my sexual orientation alone. They went out of their way to offer encouragement and they offered to help my family.

 

 

 

Oh and one thing. There is ONE thing that any UUA congregation will not tolerate: HATE SPEECH and VIOLENCE. So really a Christian who enters one of their congregations with the intent of "sharing" their beliefs towards gays and transpeople by slandering and/or condemnation are not welcome. It is considered hate speech.

 

 

 

Anyway it was one of the best religious experiences I've had in my entire lifetime, just by attending one morning service. Sadly, my father has refused to let me involve myself with any youth activities and will not permit me to attend that church. He bases this on "religious" reasoning, trying to steer me in the "right" path. (I am forbidden from going even if I drive myself.) Oh well it's only a few months until February when I'll be 17. Then it'll be approximately a year until I can permanently cut off ties with churches I've been forced to attend for my entire life and go on to something that I believe wholeheartedly in. At least this experience with the UU church was a pleasant experience and a breath of fresh air, even for my family.

 

 

 

(www.uua.org - This is the homepage for the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations if anyone is interested in learning more. It's really a good community to fit in with if you don't feel accepted and/or loved by a community you're in, but you'd like to stay in some sort of religious community. I've heard of something called the Unity Church, but all I know is that some people claim that it is identical to Unitarian Universalism, but all I know is that it's part of the Christian paradigm. Anyway if you'd like to find a church to go visit for educational purposes/whatever your heart desires, there is a congregation-finder on the UUA website, or just Google for one if that's easier. Bigger cities are better to find a congregation in, as the bigger churches can afford to run a GLBT-focused program, whilst smaller churches haven't the resources to start said program.)

 

 

 

Cheers.

[Princess Viola]

I forget who said it but, the Bible is the best work of fiction ever.

[gauper_kid]

this post will probably never be seen, but anyways:

 

 

 

i think the bible is so full of symbolism that to take anything in it literally is just plain silly.

[Iamdan]

I forget who said it but, the Bible is the best work of fiction ever.

 

 

 

The whole idea of Christianity is brilliant. As george carlin (I think it was him) said: Religion rakes in billions of tax free dollars every year and it controls the way people act. It's the greatest legal scam that has and probably ever will happen.

[Lenticular_J]

Serephurus, no offense intended, but that doesn't exactly sound like a religion. Sounds like a good thing, but more like what the world could be like, were it not for hate, instead of a singular religion to any God/gods.

[The Dark Lord]

Good point. I've noticed that the church usually tries to behave as something contrary to what most religions, or better yet faiths, would do. It probably is better terminology to call it a faith instead of a religion. The UUA declares themselves a singular religion, yet they think of "religion" in a different way than the traditional point-of-view. The traditional thinking when someone hears a religion is something with a distinct holy book, stories of good vs. evil, and the ongoing conflict with good and evil and humanity as a whole. Since they came from a Judeo-Christian background, they've adopted many traditions from Judaism and Christianity. Their worship is really identical to mainstream Christian worship, yet you may also be reminded of a Jewish Synagogue. Their worship is different from the mainstream view of worship. They celebrate life and humanity and love in their hymns. I wouldn't be surprised if you went through an entire service without hearing "God" used since Atheists DO make up a significant (minority) of people in the congregation. While God is mentioned, the Divine is praised in a different way. We praise the Divine by celebrating life as a sacred thing and celebrating the love that binds everyone together and the good that is found in all people, albeit hard to find in people in many cases. Basically it's more of a thing not forcing beliefs on others, at least we try our hardest no to come across that way. In regards to things such as the Qu'ran and the Holy Bible and the Torah and perhaps Buddhist/Hindu/other Eastern philosophies/faiths, we DO use them. We don't use dogma, but we draw from different sources for truth and meaning that we believe exists in different sources. That doesn't mean that we believe things in the Bible such as "women shouldn't leave their homes when on their monthly cycles" or even "homosexuality is evil." Using a book on philosophy or physics or cosmology is just as valid as anything that can be learned about life through a religion's holy book. We are influenced by several religions and philosophies, especially Buddhism and Hinduism. We have the belief that all things are connected in the Universe and that one spiritual path is just as valid as the other, but the other may not be the right path for you. We believe that you should follow the "spiritual road" that you're more comfortable with, even if you do not believe in God. We think that's acceptable.

 

 

 

So basically if all that rambling above confused you: We are a religious non-profit organization that serves as an alternative to people who are seeking truth and meaning and understanding in life. We are that bridge between all religions to fill in that gap. We're a religious movement and philosophical movement more than anything, really. If you decide to "worship" with us, don't fall for the misconception that we are worshiping any specific Deity. Really we are just celebrating the beauty of life itself and we are promoting equality and religious freedom for all. If you want to go to our services and at the same time praise God as you understand it, then that's perfectly fine. If you do not believe in God, then that's fine. Really both sides win. If you want to really help out our congregations and cause, you could become a member. Some churches will ask you to contribute a small sum of money to a charity or something to help maintain the facility/help us when we travel somewhere for rallies. However, there are other churches that don't ask you if you want to give money in order to join. And there are others that will take you through a program so you understand the concepts of Unitarian Universalism before you become an official member. When I was in their service last Sunday, I do not recall them asking for donations/offerings at all. A Christian church wouldn't hesitate to ask for a "tithe" or offering of money. I honestly do not know how they keep their facilities running. I heard that the UUA may contribute some money to their congregations in order to maintain programs. They probably work on a pledge system like many charities run off of. I wouldn't call them wealthy at all, but they do seem to be able to survive with their head above water.

 

 

 

To be honest the church in my city isn't that impressive as far as their facilities. The building appeared to be older and primarily made of wood than masonry. They have a beautiful and scenic location that makes you feel like you are in harmony with nature. It was a very good all-around experience for me. The people were what made the church impressive. It goes to show you that it's quality that matters, not quantity. We may not be as "impressive" as far as Christianity goes, but we definitely have a voice that can be heard. We have placed our mark on history with our support in the Gay Rights Movement, Civil Rights Movement, and Feminist movement. I guess if you want to ask what the legal definition of a religion is, you could just consult the UUA by emailing them and asking them more about their history. They have a very rich history that has lasted centuries. The Unitarians were christians that believed that an all-loving God would never send his own creation into hell, thus they didn't believe Hell existed. The Universalists were Christians that believed when Jesus died, he died for the universal salvation of all people, which meant everyone went to heaven because everyone automatically had salvation. They merged as one body in 1961 and became the Unitarian Universalists. They declared themselves autonomous from Christianity and became the liberal faith that they are today. Also important signers of the Declaration of Independence were Unitarian. One such person was Thomas Jefferson. Just a brief history and a few interesting facts. Unlike most religions, we are NOT in the converting business. We believe if someone chooses this off-the-beaten path, it should be their own decision and on their terms.

 

 

 

Really I'm a newcomer to this and I'm also learning something new about it every day. The more I learn, the more excited I get. If someone is trying to convert you to something, and you are considering it, yet you're a little reluctant to wholeheartedly do it, at least visit a UU congregation and have them help you compare different belief systems and find out what really is in align with what you truly believe. The whole point of this is to find out what you truly believe and what you're comfortable with. We may not be able to appease everybody, however. Let's say someone hates homosexuals. We may try to tell them to "love thy neighbor" and we may even provide Scientific facts that are in favor of homosexuality. We may even use other sources. If they simply refuse, we must agree to disagree and they'll just go down the road.

 

 

 

Once again, I'm sorry for the rambling.

[folmer_veeman]

i don't think the bible is to be taken literally, i mean, can someone walk over water? no.. but maybe it's a metaphor for him standing above the trouble..

 

 

 

and for the world being created in 6 days, it's also not meant literally, just that (for instance) it was created in 6 parts.. if you think about it, it could as well describe the evolution.. just don't take it as it was written

[llamster]

i don't think the bible is to be taken literally, i mean, can someone walk over water? no.. but maybe it's a metaphor for him standing above the trouble..

 

 

 

and for the world being created in 6 days, it's also not meant literally, just that (for instance) it was created in 6 parts.. if you think about it, it could as well describe the evolution.. just don't take it as it was written

 

 

 

Do you believe in God? If you do, then your logic is horribly incorrect. The Son of God could walk on water if he wanted to.

[folmer_veeman]

no i am not a christian

[Lenticular_J]

You are right that the majority of the Bible is not to be taken literally, though.

 

 

 

On another note, I wonder why God didn't have a daughter as well. Every daddy loves a daughter.

[llamster]

You are right that the majority of the Bible is not to be taken literally, though.

 

 

 

On another note, I wonder why God didn't have a daughter as well. Every daddy loves a daughter.

 

 

 

Society back then was highly patriarchal and if Jesus was a girl she probably wouldn't have been taken seriously.

[The Dark Lord]

Well technically, Jesus could still have been female and taken seriously. Saying he couldn't would be like saying God is not capable of doing so. I find it disgusting that modern Christians contradict themselves because they only follow Christ when it's in their best interests. They will literally take an obscure verse from the Old Testament and smear and attempt to eradicate an entire group of people (homosexuals) and then they totally ignore what Christ says: Love Thy Neighbor, Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You. In every Christian church I've visited, I was NOT treated with open arms and minds. When I went to a church that did love me and accept me with open arms and minds (Unitarian Universalist) and then I went back to a local Episcopal church we've been visiting, the priest's son ridiculed me and put me down for visiting that congregation. It seems like all I ever get are conversion attempts and constantly get hit on the head with a Bible, their favorite being KJV. I'm not trying to put down all Christians, or be intolerant, but there are way too many unChristians who are Christians. It's not really the older generation as much as the new. The old generation in general just manipulate the politics and don't like change. The new generation talks the walk, but never walks the talk. They are obsessed with Jesus, yet they don't stop and do everything he says. It's amazing how many young Christians in school will attempt to harm someone or call them names, or even aggressively try to convert anyone who has a different Sexual orientation, gender identification, or even religion. It escapes my comprehension every single waking moment of my life that they can do those things behind closed scenes, act holier-than-thou in church, and then they complain about how bad they have it in the World, when there are countries who ban Christianity, but you don't face that in America, now do you? As a general rule of thumb, when you are able to manipulate the outcomes of elections and the passing of bills into laws, you pretty much either 1) have too much power 2) have plenty of rights.

 

 

 

Now, there are some good Christians. They're hard to come by (for me), but there are some. In fact, I meet them everyday on Soulforce. They are on the liberal side of the spectrum. You do have churches donating to charity, etc. There ARE good things, but they are sometimes harder to notice if you look at Christians from a neutral perspective.

[magekillr]

All the really COOL gospels and apocalyptic literature didn't make it into the canon. Whenever people talk about 'the Bible' as if it's something that actually exists I have to kind of stifle a laugh. That's what textual scholarship and historical acuity will do to you.

[Lenticular_J]

All the really COOL gospels and apocalyptic literature didn't make it into the canon. Whenever people talk about 'the Bible' as if it's something that actually exists I have to kind of stifle a laugh. That's what textual scholarship and historical acuity will do to you.

 

You disregard one of the most-read texts in the history of literature due to it not being cool enough for you?

 

 

 

I once respected you as a debatist. :|

[magekillr]

All the really COOL gospels and apocalyptic literature didn't make it into the canon. Whenever people talk about 'the Bible' as if it's something that actually exists I have to kind of stifle a laugh. That's what textual scholarship and historical acuity will do to you.

 

You disregard one of the most-read texts in the history of literature due to it not being cool enough for you?

 

 

 

I once respected you as a debatist. :|

 

 

 

What? You totally didn't read my post for what it was...

[Sly_Wizard]

To whomever mentioned the UUA: The UU (And Mormonism as well as JW) is to Christianity what the People's Republic of China is to democracy.

[Lenticular_J]

All the really COOL gospels and apocalyptic literature didn't make it into the canon. Whenever people talk about 'the Bible' as if it's something that actually exists I have to kind of stifle a laugh. That's what textual scholarship and historical acuity will do to you.

 

You disregard one of the most-read texts in the history of literature due to it not being cool enough for you?

 

 

 

I once respected you as a debatist. :|

 

 

 

What? You totally didn't read my post for what it was...

 

And what was it? Because it seems like you're bashing something for no reason, something you've been doing a good bit of recently.

[The Dark Lord]

No one ever said the UUA is part of Christianity... We should all know that they're an autonomous religion. Although Mormonism and JW are cults of Christianity. (A cult is basically just a new religious movement, not anything bad or subversive.) I have a cousin that's JW and she told me that basically they are Christians, but they don't like to associate with the rest of Christendom, and they totally reinterpret scripture.

[magekillr]

All the really COOL gospels and apocalyptic literature didn't make it into the canon. Whenever people talk about 'the Bible' as if it's something that actually exists I have to kind of stifle a laugh. That's what textual scholarship and historical acuity will do to you.

 

You disregard one of the most-read texts in the history of literature due to it not being cool enough for you?

 

 

 

I once respected you as a debatist. :|

 

 

 

What? You totally didn't read my post for what it was...

 

And what was it? Because it seems like you're bashing something for no reason, something you've been doing a good bit of recently.

 

 

 

Oh yeah, I disregard it because it isn't "cool enough", I mean, are you for real?

 

 

 

Read the post again; it's obvious that I said I disregarded it because the Bible, while looking at it from a historical and scholarly angle, doesn't exist in the terms that you're proposing because of the editing and rejections of other books.