Hey guys,

Are you up for a little debate? ok, here it goes....I'm a Christian, proud and happy to be one, I love God/ Christ and I humble myself to Him because I want to and I like it, I enjoy that humbling experience... and I do have other reasons to believe........

Of course, I know that not everyone agrees with me but I respect everyone's opinions, yes.... even if we can't agree, LOL!

I normally don't listen to celebrities talking about religion or politics, in my opinion, they show ignorance most of the times, specially when they talk about politics.... but an article popped up in MSN about Brad Pitt and I do admire his humanitarian work, so I read it , and I thought it was interesting what Brad Pitt said about his view/feelings on religion.... I personaly agree that religion in general is good....no matter what yours is... what do you think?

The following is the article:

"Religion works, Brad goes on. I know there's comfort there, a crash pad. It's something to explain the world and tell you there is something bigger than you, and it is going to be all right in the end. It works because it's comforting. I grew up believing in it, and it worked for me in whatever my little personal high school crisis was, but it didn't last for me. I didn't understand this idea of a God who says, 'You have to acknowledge me. You have to say that I'm the best, and then I'll give you eternal happiness. If you won't, then you don't get it!' It seemed to be about ego. I can't see God operating from ego, so it made no sense to me."

Thanks for reading guys, later.....

Helen;)

no fair I was just remembered what it was called and was going to post that!

There were plenty of writers around at the time yet nobody wrote of him.

If there was a Christ person why didn't anyone write of the HUGE things he did? Why didn't he write it himself? I'm not so sure Christ claimed he was any of the things people give him credit for. I think people decided to label him and now we have Christianity.

I mean, Christianity is not exactly a new concept. It's borrowed and stolen from previous myths from Egypt and Hindus. Virgin birth? Old. Walking on water? Reused. Savior? Borrowed. Feeding the whole lot with a fish? Stolen. Those are all stories from previous myths. Myths that are MUCH older than Christianity.

What evidence is there that leads you to believe he existed anymore than the others in his position from previous myths?

It's nice to see someone awakened.

This is exactly what I have been studying.

Again African/Egyptian spirituality predates christianity by thousands of years.

It is indeed the oldest religion.

The one that really gets me is the virgin mary.

It was originally the black madonna.

Most popes know this.

SO without egypt there would be no christianity..

Stolen and rewritten.

There were many christs prior to jesus who was said to have the same powers.

So why or when did Jesus become more powerful than the others?

When they made the bible law!

no fair I was just remembered what it was called and was going to post that!

I'm just damn good!

Wtf is :hail:Sunta? I MISS that lady sometimes!

Wtf is :hail:Sunta? I MISS that lady sometimes!

We've lost a lot of the old-timers lately. I miss 'em. TOM, Carlene, Sunta, etc. Keep reading the thread, though, Wheetsin. You'll have a headache in no time.

Passer pour un idiot aux yeux d'un imbécile est une volupté de fin gourmet.

OMG, Shut up!!!!!!!!! I wet my undies a little...LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I didn't ask you to share your beliefs (just clarifying since your response to my quote started the way it did), but the example you provided is another one we see all the time. "I don't believe concretely, but I'm afraid of what might happen if I don't, so I will." A perfect example of someone being feared into religion.

Too true - I grew up in the Bible Belt, so I have seen many people "believe" by fear. Just most won't admit that.

That's called Pascal's Wager.

Thanks for the reference - I never heard that one before. Interesting reading.

Thanks for the reference - I never heard that one before. Interesting reading.

The risk those banking on Pascal's Wager don't stop to consider is that they might be worshiping the wrong god. There are tons of them out there. Christianity is not exactly an original religion. There were many that predate that particular religion with the same stories, the same examples, the same everything. So banking on PW is kinda stupid in the sense that they really don't have any idea which one is the real god.

Kinda makes you want to shout to the universe, "Will the REAL god please stand up?"

I understand belief/faith. I understand wanting a god watching over the people. I don't understand not going to the original source of the myth. Christianity is a myth, it was copied from myths/religions prior to it. So why don't people care enough to go to the original source of the stories, the stuff Christianity was copied from? Wouldn't that give people a better chance at actual truth?

But then I can count the number of Christians on one hand that I have met on line and in real time that have actually read the bible cover to cover. This god produces ONE book, just one. It isn't a book of the month club, it's ONE book in a LIFETIME. And people don't care enough to read it. It's supposed to give the rules for the religion yet people don't care enough about their religion to read ONE book.

It's really hard to take these people seriously. They go on line and debate their god and honestly, they know very little about their religion, the history of their religion, let alone the validity of their religion. Then they complain that atheists just don't understand. Quite frankly, we understand the bible better than most Christians. We've actually read it and that is the core of the problem most Christians have with atheists in a religion debate.

I'm not referring to people in this thread specifically, we haven't debated the topic. I'm writing in general terms.

The risk those banking on Pascal's Wager don't stop to consider is that they might be worshiping the wrong god. There are tons of them out there. Christianity is not exactly an original religion. There were many that predate that particular religion with the same stories, the same examples, the same everything. So banking on PW is kinda stupid in the sense that they really don't have any idea which one is the real god.

Kinda makes you want to shout to the universe, "Will the REAL god please stand up?"

I understand belief/faith. I understand wanting a god watching over the people. I don't understand not going to the original source of the myth. Christianity is a myth, it was copied from myths/religions prior to it. So why don't people care enough to go to the original source of the stories, the stuff Christianity was copied from? Wouldn't that give people a better chance at actual truth?

But then I can count the number of Christians on one hand that I have met on line and in real time that have actually read the bible cover to cover. This god produces ONE book, just one. It isn't a book of the month club, it's ONE book in a LIFETIME. And people don't care enough to read it. It's supposed to give the rules for the religion yet people don't care enough about their religion to read ONE book.

It's really hard to take these people seriously. They go on line and debate their god and honestly, they know very little about their religion, the history of their religion, let alone the validity of their religion. Then they complain that atheists just don't understand. Quite frankly, we understand the bible better than most Christians. We've actually read it and that is the core of the problem most Christians have with atheists in a religion debate.

I'm not referring to people in this thread specifically, we haven't debated the topic. I'm writing in general terms.

If people would read the bible through - they would also better understand other religions. It can be a very interesting debate, if people are up to the challenge (which somehow I think you are;)). Maybe over those margaritas some day (or other healthy drinks).

Yes'm. :nervous

hehe....good girl...

If people would read the bible through - they would also better understand other religions. It can be a very interesting debate, if people are up to the challenge (which somehow I think you are;)). Maybe over those margaritas some day (or other healthy drinks).

No, I'd have to disagree. The bible is a combination of many prior myths and it would take going to the actual source of each religion to understand them the least bit well. It is quite difficult to read the bible and see which myth comes from which source.

The bible does not explain the source of their info well. Unless you can show me where it says, "This story was copied from "X" myth from two thousand years ago..." I may have missed that part. :eek:

Nahhh, I'm not interested in a religion debate. I used to but they are boring after time. They never change. It's a bit like debating abortion.

No, I'd have to disagree. The bible is a combination of many prior myths and it would take going to the actual source of each religion to understand them the least bit well. It is quite difficult to read the bible and see which myth comes from which source.

The bible does not explain the source of their info well. Unless you can show me where it says, "This story was copied from "X" myth from two thousand years ago..." I may have missed that part. :eek:

Nahhh, I'm not interested in a religion debate. I used to but they are boring after time. They never change. It's a bit like debating abortion.

I haven't read much from other sources - my husband is a history buff and has more knowledge about world religions than anyone I know. It is interesting when he gets me on the right timeline.

How about philosophy?

I haven't read much from other sources - my husband is a history buff and has more knowledge about world religions than anyone I know. It is interesting when he gets me on the right timeline.

How about philosophy?

Start a thread. Lots of people will join in a new thread but few like to jump in the middle of one 15 pages long! :eek:

There are two parts. The first is "I believe be because I'm afraid not to." The other part is, "If I'm wrong, I'm not out anything for having believed." I could never agree with this. Let's see what someone might be out... money, time, an entirely different mindset, friends (I have watched people work to distance themselves from me upon learning that I don't share their faith), arguably more freedom in how you live your life (perhaps including who you spend your life with), a different sense of place in the world and... maybe most things as well.

Not saying someone using that argument would miss these things, but they could certainly be out them.