Decline of Church attendance...?

a reply to: Joecanada11

The fact is that everybody answers to someone in this world. Slavery exists in all societies in on form or another. That is the way mankind works. Like it or not, you can't blame God for that. Its all on us.

originally posted by: BELIEVERpriest
a reply to: Joecanada11

The fact is that everybody answers to someone in this world. Slavery exists in all societies in on form or another. That is the way mankind works. Like it or not, you can't blame God for that. Its all on us.

There is a difference between slavery and an employer. I didn't blame God for it although since he created us the way we are it would be his fault. If God is so great he sure messed up with mankind. Lol.

a reply to: Joecanada11

God gave us freedom and taught us how to use it responsibly. He is not responsible for our poor choices.

Employment is just another form of slavery. Try living without employment. You'll be at the mercy of social programs...a slave to the gov't.

originally posted by: BELIEVERpriest
a reply to: Joecanada11

God gave us freedom and taught us how to use it responsibly. He is not responsible for our poor choices.

Employment is just another form of slavery. Try living without employment. You'll be at the mercy of social programs...a slave to the gov't.

That's a complete cop-out if I ever saw one.

"God gave us the good stuff" but "we create the bad stuff". Your God, the one who slaughtered millions, commanded angels to murder babies and ask men to kill their own children -- this "God", gave us freedom. Yes, right. Sure.

How about - your God didn't do *any* of that. All these decisions were, in fact, born and followed out by man and man alone. No supernatural deity or being, just human beings. Makes far more logical and rational sense, even if we do act irrationally.

originally posted by: noonebutme

originally posted by: BELIEVERpriest
a reply to: Joecanada11

God gave us freedom and taught us how to use it responsibly. He is not responsible for our poor choices.

Employment is just another form of slavery. Try living without employment. You'll be at the mercy of social programs...a slave to the gov't.

That's a complete cop-out if I ever saw one.

"God gave us the good stuff" but "we create the bad stuff". Your God, the one who slaughtered millions, commanded angels to murder babies and ask men to kill their own children -- this "God", gave us freedom. Yes, right. Sure.

How about - your God didn't do *any* of that. All these decisions were, in fact, born and followed out by man and man alone. No supernatural deity or being, just human beings. Makes far more logical and rational sense, even if we do act irrationally.

How about you believe whatever makes you feel good about yourself. Clearly you're not ready to accept the possibility that God exists and is active in our daily lives.

originally posted by: BELIEVERpriest
a reply to: Joecanada11

God gave us freedom and taught us how to use it responsibly. He is not responsible for our poor choices.

Employment is just another form of slavery. Try living without employment. You'll be at the mercy of social programs...a slave to the gov't.

The point I am trying to get accross is that Christians claim the bible is the ultimate source of moral authority yet not once did the authors of the bible outright condemn the practice of slavery (owning another human being). This fact along with the fact that the God of the bible condones killing of women and ibfants, and also says that men and women are not equal are all telltale signs that the bible is not the source of moral authority that Christians claim.

a reply to: Joecanada11

And the point that I'm getting at is that slavery is not a "moral" issue. Morality is in the eyes of the beholder.

People are not born equal regardless of what the peramble of the U.S. Constitution says. There will always be rich and poor, intelligent and ignorant, the ambitious and lazy, healthy and sick, elites and commoners...and of course, everything in between.

The Pentateuch depicted events where God told His chosen nation (via supernatural means) to destroy certain tribes of Ba'al and Molech worshippers. These are people who sacrificed children and raised their surviving children to do the same. Warfare is not the same as murder. When Israel refused to carry out those orders, those very same Ba'al worshipping tribes rose up against them.

What the West considers to be morality (equality, anti-slavery, anti-war) is a sugar coated day dream. That is part of the reason why this country is falling. We are trying to make everything "equal". We are trying to avoid military confrontation with our real enemies with proxy wars. We pretend that we aren't already slaves.

True morality is personal forgiveness. That is what the Bible teaches everything else is what it is.

originally posted by: BELIEVERpriest
How about you believe whatever makes you feel good about yourself.

I do - I thought I made that quite clear - which part confused you? I can elaborate if needed..?

Clearly you're not ready to accept the possibility that God exists and is active in our daily lives.

It's not about being ready - it's about evidence. There is zero, nothing, not one PIECE of evidence that a supreme being like the Abrahamic "God" or "Allah" or whoever, exists or ever existing. There is, however, scientific evidence (physics, biology, evolution, astrophysics, astronomy, etc) to the contrary.

I'm happy to admit being wrong - but so far there is no evidence to support the belief that there is a God.

Hence why made I light of the notion that this make believe entity can only do good and we, inherently, can only do bad. If your God is so good, then he would have made us good. Not given us every single opportunity to be bad.

That's sadism.

originally posted by: BELIEVERpriest
a reply to: Joecanada11

And the point that I'm getting at is that slavery is not a "moral" issue. Morality is in the eyes of the beholder.

People are not born equal regardless of what the peramble of the U.S. Constitution says. There will always be rich and poor, intelligent and ignorant, the ambitious and lazy, healthy and sick, elites and commoners...and of course, everything in between.

The Pentateuch depicted events where God told His chosen nation (via supernatural means) to destroy certain tribes of Ba'al and Molech worshippers. These are people who sacrificed children and raised their surviving children to do the same. Warfare is not the same as murder. When Israel refused to carry out those orders, those very same Ba'al worshipping tribes rose up against them.

What the West considers to be morality (equality, anti-slavery, anti-war) is a sugar coated day dream. That is part of the reason why this country is falling. We are trying to make everything "equal". We are trying to avoid military confrontation with our real enemies with proxy wars. We pretend that we aren't already slaves.

True morality is personal forgiveness. That is what the Bible teaches everything else is what it is.

So what you are saying is slavery isn't evil or wrong?

You are also stating that America is falling apart because people would all like to be treated equally. Well I'll state this. Human rights here in Canada are extremely important and our country is far from falling apart. I guess we should go back to the Times when it was okay to own slaves.

And waging wars seems like such a great idea too. There is no difference in murder and war. Killing is killing whether you do it for your own reasons or for political reasons.

People don't go to church because nobody wants to hear some paid self righteous preacher talk about hell and sin and that is what they do. Among the less enlightened hellfire talk is what keeps the money coming in and attendance somewhat steady. They sing terrible songs and read the bible by jumping around instead of like a book. It tells a pretty messed up story and people go to church for appearances or because they are brainwashed.

They don't even go on the right day and not joining a church and studying on your own is the only way to avoid the soul snatchers

a reply to: Joecanada11

Israel was into human sacrifice at several different periods, and Baal worship for a long time.

Lord=Baal in Hebrew but Yahweh gets translated to Lord(Baal).

Yahweh is a Son of El (Deuteronomy 32:8-9) as is Baal.

Yahweh and Baal were known by different nations to have usurped El and taken his wife, their (his, Yahweh is Baal) mother Asherah, who is mentioned in the Bible, as his consort.

Israel decided to separate Yahweh from Baal and decided that Asherah worship was a n abomination and Yahweh has no wife/consort.

Now Baal was the enemy.