Thread: For An Intelligent Conversation On Spirituality/Religion

I used to have a sign on my door which read, "There will be a $5.00 charge for religious and commercial solicitations"

If the salesmen and saleswomen believe in what they are doing they will pay the fee, no? Isn't my soul worth at least $5? Alas, I made no money from my venture

At work and been busy. That is a good thing. I had a friend in the seventies who told me that once he was on a run with alcohol and cocaine. He was at home and in a drug induced psychosis. Some Jehovah Witness's came to the screen door and knocked. He blew the door off with a 12 gauge and there were Jehovah Witnesses running in every direction. Fortunately no one was hurt and he ended up in re-hab.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

At work an
d been busy. That is a good thing. I had a friend in the seventies who told me that once he was on a run with alcohol and cocaine. He was at home and in a drug induced psychosis. Some Jehovah Witness's came to the screen door and knocked. He blew the door off with a 12 gauge and there were Jehovah Witnesses running in every direction. Fortunately no one was hurt and he ended up in re-hab.

Its funny because no one got hurt.

Originally Posted by Seraphim

Nihilists or atheists may instead resort to threatening you with a gun or knife instead!

i am neither but what exactly are you implying?


there is an atheist group that wants to pay to put adds on buses in Vancouver ( i think ) that say something like "god may not exist, so stop worrying and enjoy you life" i'm sure i didn't get it exact but its close. needless to say catholic and christian groups are steaming mad. i believe that they already have them in Toronto.

for some reason i have always believed that there is something, some force or energy that started our evolution into what we are now. even Einstein believed in God, not to say he was the be all end all but he was pretty smart. (also, please don't think that i am comparing myself to Einstein or any other genius ). but for me to be able to put a face or shape on it seems crazy to me, but i can understand why others can. i guess it is making something unfamiliar, more familiar by giving it human qualities.

i honestly think that if a person is happy and not hurting himself or others in any way (physically, mentally, etc) then how can you say they are wrong in their beliefs. i have noticed that there are many people who claim to be a certain religion (doesn't matter what) and like to tell people what that religion is at every possible chance that they can get, and are very unhappy and lost people. am i saying that this is due to the religion? NO. but for those individuals, they are using their religion as a blindfold so they don't have to see who they really are. that is wrong to me. again this isn't the fault of the religion.

Originally Posted by chee16

i have noticed that there are many people who claim to be a certain religion (doesn't matter what) and like to tell people what that religion is at every possible chance that they can get, and are very unhappy and lost people. am i saying that this is due to the religion? NO. but for those individuals, they are using their religion as a blindfold so they don't have to see who they really are. that is wrong to me. again this isn't the fault of the religion.

One thing to take into consideration is that fundamentalist christians believe that if you do not accept Christ as you lord and savior you are going to hell. They believe that there is a hell and that if you don't believe you're toast. I'm not defending that point of view. I only mention it as for many of them it is their motivation.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

One thing to take into consideration is that fundamentalist christians believe that if you do not accept Christ as you lord and savior you are going to hell. They believe that there is a hell and that if you don't believe you're toast. I'm not defending that point of view. I only mention it as for many of them it is their motivation.

I could be wrong, but AFAIK the concept of the Christian hell most of us are familiar with was not known until Dante's Divine Comedy.

I believe (or I learned once) that the Bible (New Testament) teaches that those who do not accept Christ will spend eternity "separate from God" much the same as the fallen angel Lucifer. This does not necessarily mean a "fire and brimstone" hell, but a much worse fate (to the Christian) which is an eternity separated from the love and grace of God. What exactly that existence might actually be I have no idea.




Scott

Originally Posted by honedright

I could be wrong, but AFAIK the concept of the Christian hell most of us are familiar with was not known until Dante's Divine Comedy.

I believe (or I learned once) that the Bible (New Testament) teaches that those who do not accept Christ will spend eternity "separate from God" much the same as the fallen angel Lucifer. This does not necessarily mean a "fire and brimstone" hell, but a much worse fate (to the Christian) which is an eternity separated from the love and grace of God. What exactly that existence might actually be I have no idea. Scott

A new Mastro Livi Damascus for eternity with no water or shaving soap ? Pardon the irreverent attempt at humor.

Here is the Wiki definition of hell according to the Christian faith. Here is the general definition.

Wow guys! I didn't even express my opinion fully and I already have a slew of members who disagree. How can you disagree when I haven't even finished an eighth of my thoughts on the subject? Which kind of goes to the point that I never made!

Broad brush strokes are painted here.

There are so many coverall statements made about christians in this topic that I can hardly believe it.

"fundamental christians believe that if you don't believe in Christ you'll go to hell"

Do they? Really? All of them?

There's a few more examples but I'd encourage those who're commenting on someone else's beliefs to take a good look at your own posts and see if you're not making assumption based on prejudice.

Meeting a christian who believed something says NOTHING about the millions of others out there.

I don't say: I met an Atheist and he believed weird things and did weird things because of it so all atheists must believe the same things either. That'd just be stupid. And yet when something like that is said about christians it's acceptable.

Think before you type gents.

Originally Posted by LX_Emergency

Do they? Really? All of them?

Yup. Every last one of 'em.