@Hischild What you have posted makes no sense!  There are people who do not believe in God who are much better than many who say they do.  Therefore, what you have posted is garbage.  There are many who are atheists and agnostics that do good, who have made the world a better place.  Your contribution is meaningless.  If you need to be fooled by and afraid of a false entity to behave, then that is you.  That is why the bible was written, to control those who cannot control themselves.  It is not everyone who lacks discipline and common sense, and only goes to show that the bible is false.

@joyuchesun Yes!!! Hischild is definitely showing signs of what is called Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. It is so clear! he needs to get help!

@Hischild must rejoice every time there is an earthquake or hurricane or the wind blows too hard. What a loser. He probably is some unaccomplished person with an ugly wife and no hope for the future so he wants his life to end so his misery will. It is sick to think that some weirdo is in his home rubbing his hands together waiting for world destruction. And, of course he knows he is going to heaven, what a joke. Enough is enough. Harold camping and his followers must be held accountable for this crap that they spread. I am so curious what they will say after October 21.

@chowbaby and @justhappy I would not put it past @Hischild either to have done such a thing! His level of defense is quite high for a discussion board. If he did, he has broken so many commandments. He likes to tell people they are under judgment, he is surely under judgment. Parents are to be honored and cherished not stolen from. Someone who would do this does not have a soul or conscience. How does one even pay that amount of money back? The story saddens me. I hope these parents are fine and have moved on from this situation.

[b]If there is a God that you speak of, and if this God is just, His judgment is upon those who do wrong.  That would be the just and right thing to do, not to issue a blanket statement of judgment against churches.

Do you know that there are churches that are not corrupt?  What is a church, but only made up of its members and leaders.  If the leaders and members are corrupt then the church will be corrupt just like any other entity.

However, your posts highlight a rampage against churches that are based on an unrepresentative sample.  Mega churches with flashy pastors are a reflection of those pastors and their belief systems.  But there are other churches that do not operate in a corrupt way.  These churches serve as cornerstones and foundations of communities.

The churches serve many purposes, including but not limited to:

Providing Spiritual Guidance to members
Assisting communities in times of distress whether it be financial, environmental, emotional, or other
Encouraging community members to engage in their civic duty
Taking Care of the sick
Offering a community of like minded individuals for worship
Carrying out the teachings of Jesus by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked. and helping the poor.

There is nothing wrong with this.  The problem occurs with men who take power to their head, not the church itself.

What are you proposing?  That people should go in their homes and read their bibles on their own and never attend church?  Is this what you have done?  What did you come up with?  May 21 is judgment day and the world will end this year!  Clearly, your at home bible study approach is not working.  You are no different than the flashy corrupt pastors, except that you have chosen to use your own home as your place of delusion and oppression. 

It is fascinating that you, @HISchild goes on this rant about churches when you are even worse.  You and your family radio cult and Harold Camping have caused far more harm to people's lives than any church.  Please know of what you speak before you write these ignorant posts. 

GOD’S JUDGMENT IS UPON YOU FOR YOUR LIES ABOUT MAY 21 AND THE END OF THE WORLD!!!  [/b]

[b]Some Christians believe that the world will end this year as a result of the comet Elenin.  There were false reports that the comet would collide with earth in October.  Many of the May 21 doomsday people believed this would be the end of earth and the return of Jesus.  However, the comet has lost its power and will not hit the earth.

However, those who wrote the bible did not even know of comets.  Why would Christians believe in such nonsense that this is the way the earth would end and Jesus would return?


Here is the updated story:

Comet Elenin has sparked more than its fair share of doomsday talk over the past few months, but it looks as if the only chance of impending doom is for the comet itself: It is disintegrating and quickly fading away.

Australian amateur astronomer Michael Mattiazzo has been monitoring this comet’s trip toward perihelion (closest point in its orbit to the sun), which occurred on Sept. 10, and he says Comet Elenin has likely has not survived. It's barely visible as a disintegrating smudge in an image taken by Mattiazzo on Wednesday.

Comet Elenin — the comet that has created a hoopla of completely nonsensical, non-scientific doomsday predictions — faded dramatically after being hit by a solar flare on Aug. 20, as we reported earlier. Subsequent images revealed a spreading, diffuse coma. It will likely continue to fade and become more diffuse. [/b]

I heard the same story. This guy is the son of a very prominent member of the government. I feel very bad for that family to have faced such betrayal at the hands of one of their own children.

Good is good. Evil is evil. This person is clearly evil. We do not need religion for that.

Yes, the people shook.  They shook with laughter at this nonsense.  It is fascinating how far people will follow Harold Camping.  He has made so many false predictions and is still going.  People lost so much on may 21, those who spread that message should really be held accountable.

bros1234:

Old story.

Just like dave said, if at the end I am wrong by believing in the bible and its teachings, of course, I lost nothing. But you better pray, we who believe, dont end up been right.

There are better ways to deal with your fear than coming here to fight against yourself.

End of story

This may be an old story to you, but you must understand that some people are newer to this site than others and may not have seen the previous discussions. Furthermore, if you are a devout Christian or believer, is your direction not to spread the word that you strongly believe in and possible explain it in a way that others who do not believe may come to understand? So, if I am posing to you some information that I have discovered that seems to refute the teachings of the bible, would it not make sense to explain how what I have found is false, as opposed to just saying who is right and who is wrong or who is going to hell? No one is dealing with any fear or fighting with one self. This is a discussion board made for the sharing of ideas and dialogue.

3kay945:

If you guys dont believe in God, what about miracles And the power of prayers?  

Can you give an example of what you mean by miracle?  In regards to prayer, I do not believe in the power of prayer.  I believe that every prayer is self fulfilling.  If the outcome is what the person wants then God was merciful and answered the prayer.  If the outcome is not what the person wants then the explanation is given that it is God's will but the prayer was answered.  I believe that whatever happened was going to happen, prayer did not do anything.

davidylan:

here is the problem with answering your "question" - you dont ask them with an open mind, a willingness to learn rather you ask them rather with a predetermined mindset. A mindset that is already programmed to see religiosity = automatically bad, illogical and foolish. What is the point answering your "questions" then? Is that not synonymous with whistling into the wind?

Point taken. My intention is truly to understand why believers believe. You are correct that I do have my own view which is a non-belief in the God of the bible. But, I ask because maybe I am missing something. But I understand where you are coming from and will be more aware of this (my tone and intention) going forward. Thank you.

@davidylan You stated that you can see why those who do not believe can see it as foolishness. So the question was posed: @davidylan But why is not foolishness to you? Do you find a certain comfort in believing something that is not true? Or, do you just choose not to question? The bible causes alot of harm to people. For example, women stay in abusive marriages because they believe the bible is against divorce. Families are broken and attrocities have occurred because of this book. So, it is difficult for some to just sit back and not question.

The question was sincere. But if your only response is to call it inane that is fine. The question is far from inane and is asked to try to understand your point of view because you posted one, which is what these forums are for.

It is interesting to me that @Hischild knows that he will be going to heaven before the end of this year, and he doesnt think he is crazy

What is interesting is that fanatic Christians almost lack a soul or conscience. They follow the letters of the bible to the point of self-destruction. You never hear them wishing others well but instead rejoicing in disasters and pain. How is this Godly? Or is it?

There is no way that one can look at the attrocities in this world and think there is a merciful, loving God. People are suffering beyond belief. Babies are dying of famine, disease, and in wars. The poverty and pain in Africa alone would let one stop thinking of any merciful and loving God. No lights, no electricity, no jobs, what kind of mercy is this? I hope parents on this board who have children do not treat them like this. When they ask for your help I hope you give it. I hope you do not find pleasure in withholding from them what you know you are capable of providing for them. There is no way that one can look at this world and see any form of mercy. Because one reads a book, the bible, and is feared into submission, does not show mercy it shows fear. One is not changed, one is just too afraid of the wrath of their God. This is not mercy or love.

@merge The cross and Ankh comparison is quite interesting. What are the books that you would recommend on this topic?

@daviddylan No one specifically cares about your views. You offered them and so we have asked you questions to better understand what you are saying. If you don't want to be questioned, then do not post on the thread. It is that simple.

@denitro The same scrutiny that you used on my post you can use on the Bible and Biblical beliefs. If you did so I am sure you would find an enormous amount of inconsistencies and errors. So please, no one thinks anyone is stupid. All posts are offered for the point of further thinking and dialogue, not to blindly defend one view.

@davidylan But why is not foolishness to you? Do you find a certain comfort in believing something that is not true? Or, do you just choose not to question? The bible causes alot of harm to people. For example, women stay in abusive marriages because they believe the bible is against divorce. Families are broken and attrocities have occurred because of this book. So, it is difficult for some to just sit back and not question.

Yes, well maybe one day you will listen! When you are ready to give up your bible security blanket. These are facts, your bible is fiction.

[b]There is irrefutable, concrete evidence that the Jesus of the bible and the bible itself is taken from the myth of many pagan gods as well as the gods and mythology of Egypt and the Mediterranean. If you research gods like Mithra, Krishna, and just the idea of the "sun God/ son of God" you will be fascinated by how much was copied. They all share the same exact story of the savior, messiah, etc which was turned into the bible Jesus. However, these stories were written thousands of years before the bible. Mediterranean cultures in the ancient world shared standard ideas about gods and their powers and place in the universe and Christianity and the bible simply adopted those ideas and applied them to Jesus as is seen in the bible.

Heaven, hell, prophecy, demon possession, sacrifice, initiation by baptism, communion with God through a holy meal, the Holy Spirit, monotheism, immortality of the soul, and many other  ideas of the bible all belonged to earlier, older Pagan faiths. They were simply part of ancient Mediterranean culture. Along with miracle working sons of god, born of a mortal woman, they were common elements of pre-Christian Pagan religion. Research Mithras, Dionysus, Attis, Osiris, Krishna, and Orpheus. And more. before you simple say you do not believe, you should take a look.

Mithra who came before Jesus is described as 'the Way,' 'the Truth,' 'the Light,' 'the Life,' 'the Word,' 'the Son of God,' 'the Good Shepherd.' The idea of Jesus was taken from this.  The Bible is not the inerrant word of God but a compilation of writings by men at this time. Mithras is often represented as carrying a lamb on his shoulders, just as Jesus is. The virgin mother, was easily merged with the virgin mother Mary. Petra, the sacred rock of Mithraism, became Peter, the foundation of the Christian Church.

The list goes on and on.  This is historical fact.  There may be some evidence of a man named Jesus living.  However, the book of Thomas and the book of the Gnostics were left out of the Bible on purpose by Constantine. They did not conform to the narrow interpretation of scripture that he wanted his subjects to follow. Yet, they tell us of a very different Jesus - one who had brothers and a wife and children.  So you see the books of the bible as you know today were chosen as a form of control for people at that time and are not any inerrant word. This is made clear by the primitive thoughts about women and restrictive unrealistic views of ideas like divorce.  For example, at that time women were not seen as equal so to divorce one would put her in harms way.  People also did not live as long so the notion of spending one's entire life with the same person was not so difficult when life ended at 30 years old instead of 90 or 100.  There is much more evidence of where the bible stories and all come from.  Facts you should research unless you choose to just follow blindly.  I understand how scripture and the bible can provide some solace for people and I do not intend to take this from you, but the truth can offer even more peace and a real fulfilling life.  It is also understandable to feel special and set apart from beliefs that one has taken from the bible.  however, it is no different than believing in Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy, when you really examine it, it is not real.  beliefs in the end times and judgment days help people to cope with the pain of being alive.  however, this is all delusion and cause people to do things and live in ways that are equal to just bad judgment.[/b]

@Hischild Your advice is interesting, but you sound like someone who is either newly married, divorced, or not married. What you post is quite idealistic, do you mind if I ask if you are married and if so, has it been for more than a few months or a year? Also, it is difficult to take your advice on these posts because on your other posts you speak of the world ending. I bring this up because if the world is ending this year as you have proposed, then you do not plan to be married for long, if you are, or do not plan to get married, so how can one take these words of yours seriously?

For those of us who have been married for a long time, we can tell you that it is not that simple. In the beginning it may be, but in the long term it is not. A real marriage is hard work. A nagging wife or husband over a long period of time can cause great problems. For all who are thinking of getting married, make sure you choose wisely, you are not another persons savior or parent. Make sure that the person you marry is not prone to fighting or drama, for you will have a miserable life if he or she is.