bestway
I remember Malcolm Muggerage former editor of the Times and a very well educated able man. He appeared on steam radio on Sunday nights and all us 'Christians' as we thought, would listen in and criticize. (This was before anyone had TV) If you do not believe in God then he God has no need to believe in you. So when you die you are snookered, that is it! It has nothing to do with proof. Well as weeks went by he took on ministers on his talk show at about 4 revs per minute and who failed to convince him. (I reckon he was a for-runner of Richard Dawkins.) But then a change occurred. He began to reason that if he had got it wrong then he would be in serious trouble and might burn in Hell. You see he had been brought up in the Catholic church and had nagging doubt. So he became an agnostic, or one who concedes that God may exist but since god whoever he is has not chosen to reveal himself has no particular obligation toward god. So then he was comfortable again slagging off religion that did not make sense and was responsible for most of the worst wars and crimes in human history, and could say to God 'you did not appear to me.'
Now I understand that mans position and I feel the same way about what is commonly termed orthodox religion. Namely it does not and never has represented a GOD of love which is what 1st century Christianity represented. Now as a bible student I well know that God though his Son Christ Jesus is offering obedient humans an incomparable inheritance namely resurrection to eternal life on a cleansed earth. There is only one unified organization that can do this and it is doing it in some 500 languages. I cannot list 50 languages never mind 500. Happily there are over 7 million teacher helping another 7.5 million to examine the evidence in detail. But if you for whatever reason are not prepared to view that evidence with an open mind and take some responsibility for your family and friends then you future is with the hypocrites, murders and pedophile priests and would be distorters of the glorious announcement of the Good news being preached in all the earth.
I do go on a bit don't I.
But you see quite a few people on this web site are asking even demanding answers to that it took a lot of research to find correct answers too. I would like to make it clear that I have suffered serious abuse in many situations even as the scripture promised would happen to all of Christs true followers. To op-posers and septics I would say politely lack of accurate knowledge on which true faith depends is not proof or even evidence
Be happy people,
Become children of a Happy God
and thank you for reading thus far
11 Answers
ole hipster
bigben
I've wrestled with this subject for years and as a consequence have done a great deal research on the topic. I've read countless books, articles, and magazines and finally reached the conclusion that athieism is the only logical and rational position. First of all, the bible was written by ancient people for ancient people. It was an attempt to explain the unexplainable in their lives. It was the beginning of many attempts that would later branch off into modern science which has been replacing the myth and fantasy of the bible with facts ever since.
Religion had three primary functions. One was to explain the environment in which ancient peoples found themselves. The second was that it formed a cohesive bond that enabled the formation of civilization. Along with the advent of agriculture it was the primary reason for the successful large scale gathering of people for safe and preductive lives. The third function was an attempt to assuage the anxiety of death. The major problem with being a highly evloved animal is the knowledge that your life is finite and that you are going to die one day. This is stressful, to say the least. Religion allows us to apply a comforting balm of fantasy to allievate the angst. People always fear the unknown and the fiction of the bible allows us to evade this fear.
I'm not saying that religion doesn't preform vital functions within socienty, but that it is a ficttion and that athiesm provides the truth. Also, if as most athiest believe, that when you die you cease to exist both physically and mentally, then there is really nothing to worry about. You wont be aware to experience regret or dispare. So, lead a good life and love your family and friends. Come to the aid of your fellow man when necessary. After all, even us athiest can be morally upright individuals.
| 13 years ago. Rating: 1 | |
anonymous_sender
Be happy people, Become children of a Happy God and thank you for reading thus far
Your rant didn't seem too happy though. Here's the problem.. religion stunts your spiritual growth and evolution. There are extremes on either side of the truth. Where there is truth, there is religion to swallow it up. The truth of God is in your soul, and the truth of evolution is in your soul as well.. if you want to know how the universe was created, then look around you, it's being created every day. What you see is 1% of the reality that you experience. The physical world is a manifestation of spiritual truth. you have to let people grow at their own pace.. the corruption in the world won't stop from spreading religion, but it will stop if you spread divine love. Take responsibility indeed..
| 13 years ago. Rating: 1 | |
Evolution is true regarding the soul; your spirit evolves with learning, suffering and healing.. species evolve on a conscious level, not referring to eugenics; which is still a conscious evolution.
The point of being an 'atheist' is to free your mind. I don't believe humans evolved from something else, and the universe likely began with a thought, if you must know what I think. Great Kings and prophets? and you're talking to me about fairy tales.. The only great thing about them is how they sound in fairy tales.
Evolution? Fairy stories for adults. Like atheism it has no future beyond the grave. Some day you may care to do as have. that is to walk the bible lands of the middle east in the footsteps of the once great kings and prophets. Walk the streets where The Christ walked and visit the tombs of the patriarchs. Only then with you know that the Genesis is true. and Evolution is for no hopers.
I still ask with respect and courtesy:
What is the point of being an atheist?
Can ANYBODY answer that question?
Ashligh16
bestway
To appreciate the bible as accurate history it helps if you tour the middle east.
See for yourself the lands where it all happened.
Israel, Egypt, Greece, Turkey, Rome. But you need guides to show you where to look.
So it is easier an much cheaper to be an armchair Internet researcher.
I have done it both ways and I have seen it with my own eyes so I have absolutely no doubts whatever.
Google Sir Frederick Kenyon for starters. (Late Curator of the British Museum )
The bible contains accurate prophesy up to more that 1,000 years into our future. Numberless modern bible students call it history written in advance. But you need a qualified teacher to help you with that. The best ones do not charge for their services. Why not ask the next one who knocks on your door?
Jesus Christs when on earth fulfilled more that 400 Prophesies with are listed in the Greek scriptures before during and after his death. Now that has to be a good trick for an imposter.
To be an atheist it means there is no future! No one to resurrect the dead! No life after death!
Little point in going to a funeral or putting a marker on a grave! History means nothing! Life Your life has no future!
Gentleman I empathize with your disillusionment but who are the ones closing their minds to knowledge?
Is it know the atheists? You search the heavens at great expense for answers. But the answers are written in the stones of ancient civilizations right here on this earth.
Kind regards
I am traveling for a couple of weeks so I will get back to you then
| 13 years ago. Rating: 0 | |
Try Google; Look up Caves of Machpelah Israel.
There you will see the burial places of the patriarchs, Abraham Isaac Jacob and their wives. It is a sacred place of both Jews and Muslims for all claim descendantcy from Gods friend the man Abraham.
Jacob sired twelve sons, But Ishmael Abraham's first born sired twelve Arab nations.
The Mosque has a modern armed Muslim guard. It is a source of contention between cousins Jews and Muslims. True that country has a 4,000 year history of religious enmity. It would not surprise me if that is where the Nukes begin to fly, but how does the false doctrine of evolution or Athiesm solve this or any other problem?
| 13 years ago. Rating: 0 | |
Good reasoning old hipster.
I was once in your shoes.
I was brought up in a family with 4 different 'born again' evangelist ministers who all contradicted themselves and the bible they claimed to teach. That's enough to make any one an Atheist, but I saw the trap. So eventually after I found out what an agnostic was like you I decided to become one. But then one day I met this weird bible puncher. Now there are two ways to get rid of a bible puncher as a called them in my supreme ignorance. You can be be haughty and abusive, Or you can ask them a lot of nasty horrible bible questions they can not possibly know the answers to because you have tested them out on at lest four other fellow with their collars back to front.
Oh shucks, This guy and his wife not only knew the answers but I started to pray again events began to occur that could not possibly be coincidence. I realized that these people were not the crack pots I had arrogantly assumed but were in fact the genuine article. If you wish to know more let me know.
| 13 years ago. Rating: 0 | |
Much of what is taught as Christianity is anything but Christian.
Easter for example is a pagan festival or fertility rite, forbidden to true worshipers; nothing whatever to do with the death and glorious resurrection of the Christ.
Further Christ was not born on Xmas day or even in the winter.
Xmas represents the festival of light 4 days after the winter equinox.
He commanded his followers to celibate his death, not his birthday and used the occasion to conclude a new covenant for the Kingdom of his Father.
It was Nimrod the mighty hunter in opposition to God 6th descendant from Noah from the line of Cush who was the founder the cities Babylon and Nineveh who celebrated his birth-date on Dec 25th. He was the original blood sports enthusiast hunting men an women for sport. No wonder the hid and lived in caves. The Assyrians (who became the world power after the Eygptians), who's capital was Nineveh became head hunters and hung shrunken heads of their victims on trees. Do you know any modern day ritual that might remind you of that? Then think of the mighty weapons of war that are names in honor of Nimrod and tell me which God the chaplains and ministers and priests of Christendom when the bless the weapons on both sides?
Now Horus was a god and not a human so he would not have a birth date but I have no references do you?
When on earth as a man Jesus fulfilled more than 400 prophesies in the Hebrew Scripture. Some concerning the manner of his birth and some after his death. Now that is a pretty good trick for an impostor. True to prediction however many have tried to impersonate him or set themselves up as his ministers but "their end shall be according to their works." 2 Cor 4v4
Jay my friend you will never beat a serious bible student on research. We have been given the best tools in the business. But you would do well to first read the bible seriously then go out to the middle east and find all the places where these events took place.
Best wishes on your search for truth.
| 13 years ago. Rating: 0 | |
Rushie54
It does not matter if people do not believe in God. He gave us all free will to believe what we want. The fact is purely and simple. He believes in us. And whilst some time in a believers life he or she might ask is it true. A non believer might just ask the same question. and that is all God asks of any of us. FREE WILL. So stop worrying about others. Live your life to the best of your ability and pray for those who do not believe. Your prayers just might save them..
| 13 years ago. Rating: 0 | |
Mindblade16
That was a nice rant, and it would be nice to have blind faith in a fantasy book. People do it all the time with comic books and graphic novels. It's not the reality of the stories that inspire us, whether they are from the bible or from x-men. Its the morals and issues that they cover that matter. I have reverence for a good story, no matter where it comes from, but I do take offense when that ideal is lumped in with an ultimatum or a threat.
| 13 years ago. Rating: 0 | |
Go does not threaten. He humbles himself and pleads with his people.
(Isaiah 48:18-19) . . .O if only you would actually pay attention to my commandments! Then your peace would become just like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea. 19 And your offspring would become just like the sand, and the descendants from your inward parts like the grains of it. One’s name would not be cut off or be annihilated from before me.”
Is that a treat or statement of fact from a loving creator who must stop man from ruining his earth?
jayaywhy
Did you know that the Christian story is one of the oldest on the planet. Contrary to popular belief, if one does his/her research you would learn that the three kings following the star in the east, the virgin birth on December 25 and all of the other attributes that make up the Jesus story are all pulled out of an ancient Egyptian pagan religion that dates back over 3000 years b.c. The Egyptians used to worship their sun god Horus, who was born on December 25 by the Virgin Davaki and so on. This story has all of the same attributes as the Jesus story only written 3000 years earlier, and it’s not the only one. At the same time developing societies everywhere were using this story, the only thing changing was the name of their God and the virgin who gave birth. I urge you to look into this. You'll find a whole world of truth about religion and you should conclude that all religions derive from astrotheology and most of the stories you read in a bible are stories about our solar cycles anthropomorphized and personified into what we know today as the constellations. In conclusion, it is sad to see that people still take these stories as literal and don't see them for what they really are and that people still think that there is a man in the heavens who controls everything. Think about it most stories in the bible could not happen anywhere today except for a Hollywood. From Adam and Eve, to Noha's arc, walking on water, turning water into wine, the talking bush. I strongly recommend a documentary called Zeitgeist. Just google it and you will learn more about religion in an hour than you have in your whole life. Good luck and I wish you well in your path to recovery from the largest psychological war ever put forth on mankind.
| 13 years ago. Rating: 0 | |
True again old son.