Religion Thread IV

[Yorick]

Hmm. I just spent the afternoon with an Arabic girl, a Christian who came from an Islamic backgound. She was adament that the qualities of Allah in the Qu'ran are not the same as those we with Christ in us know.

It would seem that though it may indeed be the same creator, the pathways create different knowledge of God.

As Christians we believe God is in us. That through Christ we can know God, and that he reveals himself to us more everyday. through many different experience. Much emphasis is placed on "knowing the character of God".

I just came back from Church where once again, the Holy Spirit moved a lot of us emotionally. We can actually feel his presence. It affects us physically.

Islamics do not believe God is in them. They accept neither Christ, nor the Holy Spirit - the other two members of the trinity. Thus whatever understanding they have of the character of God is removed. It is akin to knowing someone purely through telephone conversations as opposed to knowing someone by living with them by your side.

Much to ponder. It was great conversation. She's a great woman.

I also had a wonderful conversation over lunch with a Black South African. There is a White South African in out church also.
I picked her brain about South Africa and the situation there. Very interesting times for that troubled nation.

That's the beauty of conversing. Understanding anothers differences, and thus seeing and knowing that which makes us all the same. Hearing the experiences of another human. Removing ignorance, removing fear. Connecting as a result of negativity, and establishing deep friendships. Positivity.

[khazadman]

well i've posted something like this before and it hasn't changed since then, i'm a non believer, sorry about that. I'm not falling for any religion crap. If i have to believe in something, i would say i believe in myself

don't call religion crap just because you don't believe.to so completely discount the faith of others is a sign of who is really small minded.
i'm a cristian but i would never presume to say that the god of abraham is the only god.the bible tells us there are others.it just says not to follow them.think he's trying to discourage competition(was that lightning)?
yorick it sounds like a little u.n.we don't get too many of them there furiners round heah.

[skywalker]

I used to be Catholic....but I got better!

Mark

[Alexander]

I post a question, one that has been bugging me for ages.

In all likelihood, there are other life forms on other planets. There are so many galaxies, and so many star systems, and so many planets, that the chances are too great.

My question is: Do they believe in God? And is it a similar God to the Judeo-Christian God?

[Yorick]

Originally posted by Alexander: I post a question, one that has been bugging me for ages. In all likelihood, there are other life forms on other planets. There are so many galaxies, and so many star systems, and so many planets, that the chances are too great. My question is: Do they believe in God? And is it a similar God to the Judeo-Christian God?

Actually the 'likelyhood' is that without a creator life should not have occurred. So why should there be life on other planets just because there's life on ours?

The answer to your hypothesis is: Who knows? We never will.

[Yorick]

Originally posted by skywalker: I used to be Catholic....but I got better! Mark

You sound like a Pentecostal Protestant. Are you?

[Yorick]

Originally posted by khazadman: quote: well i've posted something like this before and it hasn't changed since then, i'm a non believer, sorry about that. I'm not falling for any religion crap. If i have to believe in something, i would say i believe in myself

don't call religion crap just because you don't believe.to so completely discount the faith of others is a sign of who is really small minded.
i'm a cristian but i would never presume to say that the god of abraham is the only god.the bible tells us there are others.it just says not to follow them.think he's trying to discourage competition(was that lightning)?
yorick it sounds like a little u.n.we don't get too many of them there furiners round heah. [/QUOTE]Well the God of the bible says there is no other God but him.
He forbids worshipping false gods and idols in the old testament, and money in the new testament.

[Gabrielles blades]

I would be one who considers all religions are astray or mere mechanizations of man to control his fellow man.

Belief or non belief in god or gods should be a personal choice, and the method of worship towards said gods should also be whatever they choose it to be.

Im very much in line with the thinkings of the planescape torment universe, where belief shapes reality. There is a god if enough people believe there to be one, and there are many gods if enough believe there to be them. And so the reverse is true, if enough people forget about god then he dies.

I do not believe churches as they are now are things that are good. For it is mankinds nature to fight over every little detail and is never happy with the statue quo. and so wars are waged over idealogies and religions as much as over the other crap.

Morality is entirely seperate from religion, and it should not be a churches job to teach morality. that is the job of the parents to their children and of the government to keep people from hurting others. In fact, i dont believe in the necessary existance of churches of any sort in any manner.

For myself, i came to relize my true disposition toward the nature of the universe and how i fit into it by playing games like baldurs gate and planescape torment. my alignment would most closely be represented by chaotic good description. I do not believe in any gods as currently worshipped on planet earth, but i do hope very much that there is some sort of god or gods out there watching over us and perhaps helping out from time to time.

[Yorick]

Originally posted by Gabrielles blades: I would be one who considers all religions are astray or mere mechanizations of man to control his fellow man. Belief or non belief in god or gods should be a personal choice, and the method of worship towards said gods should also be whatever they choose it to be. Im very much in line with the thinkings of the planescape torment universe, where belief shapes reality. There is a god if enough people believe there to be one, and there are many gods if enough believe there to be them. And so the reverse is true, if enough people forget about god then he dies. I do not believe churches as they are now are things that are good. For it is mankinds nature to fight over every little detail and is never happy with the statue quo. and so wars are waged over idealogies and religions as much as over the other crap. Morality is entirely seperate from religion, and it should not be a churches job to teach morality. that is the job of the parents to their children and of the government to keep people from hurting others. In fact, i dont believe in the necessary existance of churches of any sort in any manner. For myself, i came to relize my true disposition toward the nature of the universe and how i fit into it by playing games like baldurs gate and planescape torment. my alignment would most closely be represented by chaotic good description. I do not believe in any gods as currently worshipped on planet earth, but i do hope very much that there is some sort of god or gods out there watching over us and perhaps helping out from time to time.

So does this mean Planescape is your bible, and Black Isle your priest? How are you different from anyone following a religion?
You say you prefer people to make a personal choice. How is your decision any different from someone who reads a religious tome? You are regurgitating fictional hypothesis created by humans. No different to say a Scientologist believing fantasy writer L.Ron Hubbards writings.

So why be so critical?

Christianity is one faith, that when practiced as it's preached leads to an individuals freedom from mans controls. True freedom. That's been my experience. Never been freer.

[The Hunter of Jahanna]

My 2c about this is that never in my whole life have I run into a more unfriendly bunch than the christians. I am sure not all of them are like this , just the ones that I meet. They always feel the need to tell me that I am going to "burn in hell" because I have a lot of tattoos, bodie piercings, and electric blue hair. They almost always come off as narrowminded and self important. Almost as if to say that if you dont think what they think then you are wrong. I have met Skin heads with better manners and more social graces. As far as I am concerned being christian doesnt just happen on sundays or at church it is an EVERYDAY thing. Why claim to hold a certain belief system but act completely in opposition to it? Telling people they are going to burn just because they look diffrent is very UN christian according to the bible,but people who claim to be christians have no problem doing it to me.That seems to be the christian way though. Look at history , there was the Crusades to "retake the holy land from the muslims".Then there was the Inqusition to find heretics in the church. Lets not forget to mention the Salem witch trials and more recently the catholic church and its pedophile problem. Seems to me all through history all most christians have been good at is forcing there beliefs on to others all in the name of SAVEING them.Then again if people like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson are right , hell is full of loose women , drugs , booze,and heavy metal music, so maybe burning in hell isnt such a bad thing after all.Maybe christians just want to SAVE people from all the fun things in life?

As for the origins of the universe , I think DARWIN had it figured out a long long time ago.

DISCLAIMER: this is not an attack on any one person it is just a viewpoint taken from personal experience and historical reference.