Religion- Discuss

Ted\'s Addicksson said:

NathanPrior said:

It's all a pile of shite

Obviously this is a thread that is going to attract informed opinion then?

No different to any other then!

I once discussed my atheism with an Imman at Finsbury Park Mosque (before it went radical.

He said I was half way to being a muslim.

"How so? I asked?

He said "you believe there is no God and we believe there is not God but Allah"

Always thought it was a good line. Better than the condescening "you don't really believe there's no god" you often get from devout Christians.

I find it staggering in this day and age people can still believe in god/allah/insert religious god here

It was used in centuries gone past to control the masses by fear and has been the cause many wars and much bloodshed,

I'm a Christian, though admittedly you wouldn't always know it from some of the stuff I come out with on here.
A few quick points before I bow out from this thread.
1. There's a misconception that Christians think they're perfect or somehow better than other people. The whole point is that we know we're not.
2. Regarding what I'll call the 'pile of shite' argument, it's a myth that belief in God is for people with the mindset of a medieval peasant. Christianity has plenty of intellectuals and when Dawkins etc debate with Christians it tends to end honours even.
3. Lots of truly appalling things have been done in the name of religion and by people who claim to be religious. That is not Christianity's fault and is obviously massively frustrating. Education also attracts paedophiles whilst football attracts hooligans, but that doesn't make them bad things.

I believe in God

The only thing I can have faith in (ie I believe its true without any evidence) is Charlton getting promoted to the Prem..

At least Charlton exist so that's a start...

Uboat said:

I'm a Christian, though admittedly you wouldn't always know it from some of the stuff I come out with on here.
A few quick points before I bow out from this thread.
1. There's a misconception that Christians think they're perfect or somehow better than other people. The whole point is that we know we're not.
2. Regarding what I'll call the 'pile of shite' argument, it's a myth that belief in God is for people with the mindset of a medieval peasant. Christianity has plenty of intellectuals and when Dawkins etc debate with Christians it tends to end honours even.
3. Lots of truly appalling things have been done in the name of religion and by people who claim to be religious. That is not Christianity's fault and is obviously massively frustrating. Education also attracts paedophiles whilst football attracts hooligans, but that doesn't make them bad things.

Re 2: Apart from the fact that the evolutionary biologists are able to give strong evidence that the earth wasn't created a few thousand years ago and that human life did not start with 2 individuals in the recent past.

I have not seen much evidence for the existance of God.

Uboat said:

I'm a Christian, though admittedly you wouldn't always know it from some of the stuff I come out with on here.
A few quick points before I bow out from this thread.
1. There's a misconception that Christians think they're perfect or somehow better than other people. The whole point is that we know we're not.
2. Regarding what I'll call the 'pile of shite' argument, it's a myth that belief in God is for people with the mindset of a medieval peasant. Christianity has plenty of intellectuals and when Dawkins etc debate with Christians it tends to end honours even.
3. Lots of truly appalling things have been done in the name of religion and by people who claim to be religious. That is not Christianity's fault and is obviously massively frustrating. Education also attracts paedophiles whilst football attracts hooligans, but that doesn't make them bad things.

I disagree on 2. because in my opinion Dawkins wins the arguments hands down but then that is because I agree with him.

I was brought up as a Catholic and went to mass every Sunday till I was about 11 and attended Catholic schools till 18 but as soon as I was old enough to think about it for myself I came to the conclusion that it's all nonsense. But I do know that a lot of people gain comfort from their belief and if that helps them get through life that's all well and good.

What I can't abide is religious people who try to force their beliefs on you, shouting in the street or knocking on your door and telling you that Jesus loves you. I don't try and convert anyone to atheism, so let me believe what I want to believe.

Interesting that you guys are running a discussion on religion, normally I would say that it is a subject to avoid if you don't like an argument. I was a regular attendee at Sunday School as a child, and was confirmed later. My experience however has been that as you get older, life guides you to your own beliefs. Common sense has taught me to discount stories of virgin birth, parting the sea etc, and I suspect that the Bible was written long after the events took place. I can take the thought of rising from the dead however, and liken it to my experience of being with my son on the night that he died at home after a long illness. When I sat with his body I realised that something, perhaps his soul had parted from the body. I look for other clues from the Bible, for Heaven I read 'a better place', I see the cleansing of the spirit as the reason for us returning to Earth, so that your cleansed soul or spirit is ready for that better place.

I do however become very annoyed at the way the Church in general still dwells in the past, and has not moved forward with the times. They have thousands of buildings which could be used to assist in helping youngsters to become a credit to our society, rather than the scourge of City centres. They could become a real inspiration to us, rather than becoming more and more meaningless in our lives. As my old school reports used to say, could do better.

Goonerhater said:

I believe in God

So do I.

When people quote creationism as an argument against Christianity they do not realise that much of the Old Testament was written for people who were used to messages being given in parable form. That is, it is not to be taken literally. I have many Christian friends and for them the idea of creation is not relevant to their Christian beliefs.

I used to be a militant Atheist and came to Christianity much later in life. It has certainly given me an inner peace and sense of well-being that I never had before.

Bedsaddick said:

Believing in a god is tantamount to believing in Father Chrismas or the tooth fairy.

...or Ghosts.