What will you say/do, if you are wrong about Jesus

You make a point, but atleast consider this: Do hundreds of millions of people all around the world believe in invisible creatures stealing your left socks? And for thousands of years?

Survived through capitalism.

Deep

Originally posted by Satyr

Originally posted by quango
You make a point, but atleast consider this: Do hundreds of millions of people all around the world believe in invisible creatures stealing your left socks? And for thousands of years?

There have been many ridiculous myths that have survived a very long time. All it takes is a group of people who really believe, to convince others that they should believe. Since not believing in these invisible creatures (that steal my left socks) carries no threat of eternal damnation, I'd say that has alot to do with it.

I agree with you point Satyr.

Religions such as Christianty carry such a heavy penalty for those that don't believe that it can really force people into the religion if they are in an intimidating position.

When it comes down to it, I believe Religion was a way of enforcing control on the populous. It gave the people a set of very strict rules that should make your life perfect, and anyone straying from these rules is sent for an eternity of 'hellish' torment. It is almost the perfect plan for social control.

Answering the original question, if I was wrong about religion/Jesus and was infact more than just average nutcase, then in some ways I'd be pretty angry at God for not being too obscure. If he really did have the power to cure suffering and eternal evil, then why wouldn't he? Wheres the all-lovingness in that?

But I'm an Athiest, so I don't really worry much about the afterlife

-M.E.

Quite a good statement really, except that every person
I ever met who was filled with the Holy Spirit was also filled with not many facts.
Jesus said "Not until the two are one shall anyone be ready to recieve the Kingdom of Heaven".
That means unless the male is female and the female, male, and both shall mingle to become androgynous, then maybe you just might figure what the hell we're all doing here.
In my entire 56 years on this planet, I never met anyone
with the exception of myself, that fits this category.
As Above..So Below

Well now...isn't this an interesting topic! I am going to go against my own advice of not ever getting into a religious debate, but I can't help myself in this case. Let me begin by saying that the main problem with Christianity these days is still ignorance of the truth. Martin Luther said that faith is based on four principles: History, Experience, Tradition and Logic. You cannot have a healthy faith if you just base it on one of these. Someone made the comment that if you don't believe that Jesus is the only way to God, then you are no better than Satan. Who is Satan? If you tell me he was God's most powerful angel and right hand man who was cast out of heaven because he wanted more power then you are wrong...period. This is not scriptural. It does not exist in the original greek or hebrew old or new testaments. The word "satan" in the original texts meant "adversary to God" and was used as a verb and not a proper noun. It is mentioned in the old testament only three times and it refers to a nation when it acts against God or turns it's back on God. Thus meaning acting as an adversary to God. It wasn't until the time of Jesus when society turned to a dualistic society where there had to be right or wrong, black or white, good and evil. It is a historical fact that a prophet by the name of Oregen made up the story of Satan in an answer to all those who needed a scapegoat for their own sins, lust, etc. Go to any biblical encyclopedia and it will verify this fact. The fact remains that we spend too much time arguing about petty points of religion when we should all understand it is all about the soul and it's journey to better itself. We are all going to the same place when we pass from this side to the other and it is all about love, what we can do to help our fellow mankind, and how we can help those who get caught up in the world to understand that the soul is what counts...not history, ignorance and who is better than who. How dare we ever judge another human. I won't ramble any more; however, I hope that before those of you who claim the Christian faith start arguing over petty interpretations, you seek to find the truth through history and facts...not emotion and the need to believe something which fits your lifestyle and concious.

I beleive in Jesus and i am NOT weong about that!!!

Im NOT wrong about Jesus.

What would you say or do if you found that in which you so strongly believe was so corrupted by the greedy little hands of men for so long that the truth was totally obfuscated?

" Jesus said "Not until the two are one shall anyone be ready to recieve the Kingdom of Heaven". "

Couldn't this easilly be the Soul and the Mind or something like that? I mean, what specifically hints to a human relationship here and not a spiritual one?

I think he was talking about sex, dude. He was always talking about sex.

Originally posted by lendog
Well now...isn't this an interesting topic! I am going to go against my own advice of not ever getting into a religious debate, but I can't help myself in this case. Let me begin by saying that the main problem with Christianity these days is still ignorance of the truth. Martin Luther said that faith is based on four principles: History, Experience, Tradition and Logic. You cannot have a healthy faith if you just base it on one of these. Someone made the comment that if you don't believe that Jesus is the only way to God, then you are no better than Satan. Who is Satan? If you tell me he was God's most powerful angel and right hand man who was cast out of heaven because he wanted more power then you are wrong...period. This is not scriptural. It does not exist in the original greek or hebrew old or new testaments. The word "satan" in the original texts meant "adversary to God" and was used as a verb and not a proper noun. It is mentioned in the old testament only three times and it refers to a nation when it acts against God or turns it's back on God. Thus meaning acting as an adversary to God. It wasn't until the time of Jesus when society turned to a dualistic society where there had to be right or wrong, black or white, good and evil. It is a historical fact that a prophet by the name of Oregen made up the story of Satan in an answer to all those who needed a scapegoat for their own sins, lust, etc. Go to any biblical encyclopedia and it will verify this fact. The fact remains that we spend too much time arguing about petty points of religion when we should all understand it is all about the soul and it's journey to better itself. We are all going to the same place when we pass from this side to the other and it is all about love, what we can do to help our fellow mankind, and how we can help those who get caught up in the world to understand that the soul is what counts...not history, ignorance and who is better than who. How dare we ever judge another human. I won't ramble any more; however, I hope that before those of you who claim the Christian faith start arguing over petty interpretations, you seek to find the truth through history and facts...not emotion and the need to believe something which fits your lifestyle and concious.

.......Word.
Nice to see not everybody here is brainwashed.

Originally posted by believerinchrist
If you wany to post to this question, please give an honest, deeply thought out response. Im very curious to as what one, who believes in other religions than Christianity, will do or say, in the end-judgement day-before our God-that most of us believe in, when God asks the question of one "I sent my son, did you not know him?" Or one of simalar fashion. Im not interested in the answers of "I dont believe etc....." Im just wondering why alot of people out there wont or dont take into consideration that Jesus is thier savior and the only way to the father and unto heaven is through Jesus Christ? Believe me, if you gave Jesus a chance, you would recieve something that you have only dreamed about in those other religions. Salvation, Forgiveness and Eternal Life. .................Believer

....oops.... Actually, I would ask why he didn't show himself...

But let me ask you the same question. What if you, a believer in God...what if you are wrong...what would you do?...

The good book says for by grace are ye saved and that not of yourselves, its not a matter of how good you are, or how good you feel. It saddens me to see that so many people would save themselves. after all the meek shall inherit the earth. Even if you claim there is no god when you are mortaly injured and dying you wont have time to speculate, i have heard the crys of the dying and they consisted of "GOD Please " "God Help me" because when it comes down to it, no matter how much we know, or how prideful we are, on the brink of death we all will call to god. It is instinct there is no thought about it, the instinct is in us that tells us there is a greater being, someone greater than ourselves. Dont believe me? hold someone in your arms as they are dying.

Belief, that is the crux of the matter and not actual knowledge. Why a believer in christ and not a knower? In fact, what if you yourself are incorrect? What will you say? While I realize that simple faith tends to cause fervent disregard for facts and thus becomes absolutist, belief simply does not compare to real information.

The many replies to the original post point to a few of the questions that many ask of the bible and have for thousands of years!!! How could an all-powerful, omnipresent god be incompetent in his creation and so insecure as to be merely petty?!? Such is a deity whose basis is fear and not love, which most belivers claim that god actually is! In fact, the two concepts are diametrically opposed, thus, it must be one or the other. But then, what is "the beginning of wisdom," according to the scriptures? While I want to believe (quite simply), it is certain the bible has become garbled through the multiple translations. That is to say nothing of the political manipulations for which the book has been used, even the wars waged by popes.

Merely quoting a script can do nothing to allay such concerns. Perhaps like a magical spell of some sort, but more like mass-hypnosis, the scriptures somehow soothe the masses. But a thorough reading is actually a disturbing convolution of morality. Because I want to believe in a god much like Jesus, I find that I must reject most of the bible! As for me, belief begins in my brain and not as catatonic reiterations sanctified by generations of the priestly caste.

Originally posted by Jaypeth
i have heard the crys of the dying and they consisted of "GOD Please " "God Help me" because when it comes down to it, no matter how much we know, or how prideful we are, on the brink of death we all will call to god. It is instinct there is no thought about it, the instinct is in us that tells us there is a greater being, someone greater than ourselves.

it doesn't prove that there IS a greater being.

it justs proves that we all reach a point where we HOPE there is a greater power and that we call upon it to 'save' us in our last moments..

i have heard the crys of the dying and they consisted of "GOD Please " "God Help me" because when it comes down to it, no matter how much we know, or how prideful we are, on the brink of death we all will call to god. It is instinct there is no thought about it, the instinct is in us that tells us there is a greater being, someone greater than ourselves.

I have been through some " near death " situations, and the only thing I screamed was......" I never even got laid yet !"

Deep

Originally posted by ZeroDeep

i have heard the crys of the dying and they consisted of "GOD Please " "God Help me" because when it comes down to it, no matter how much we know, or how prideful we are, on the brink of death we all will call to god. It is instinct there is no thought about it, the instinct is in us that tells us there is a greater being, someone greater than ourselves.

I have been through some " near death " situations, and the only thing I screamed was......" I never even got laid yet !"

Deep

I thought the opposite, "Ive gotten laid to much! Im going to hell! Nooooo!"

Lol....Iv been saving myself.

That is an irrational method of proving God though. Funny actualy.

Deep

Well let me see.

Id believe

[Edited on 20-10-2004 by antipigopolist]

what will people say or do when they figure out that they have been brainwashed and followed a belief without thinking for themselves and doing simply as they are told? The same question can be asked of people who blindly follow religion and except an interpretation of the Bible that is told to them and not learned on their own.