Being a Christian is not that hard.
Hi everyone! This is Bee again, for my very second post. I want to debate this with atheists.
One of the many reasons why an atheist becomes an atheist is because of his or her disdain for religion. This disdain for religion usually comes from seeing the injustices and oddities of his or her respective religion. Pedophilia from priests, for example.
However, the institution of religion has very little to do with true Christianity.
In the later part of the Middle Ages, a group of Christians called "mystics" emerged and were heralded by the likes of Teresa of Avila and St, John of the Cross. These special group of Christians were a type of Christians who rejected church worship and instead, took to worshiping God (of the Old Testament and New Testament) in a personal, private way. You could say that they valued having a direct relationship with Him above all other theological practices of their day.
I follow in their tradition and have found God working in many parts of my life. I have a relationship with Him, and so could you.
I understand the hate for the institution of religion, but like a said, being a part of it has nothing to do with true Christianity. True Christianity is a RELATIONSHIP with God. And having a relationship with Him is EASY.
I want to address the issue of atheists concerning their criticisms of religion. Religion, by itself, can have very negative connotations. Religion involves ritual, tithing, and responsibilities. These can and often be a burden to many people. Religion can involve dietary restrictions, and on the worst instances, hostility against anyone not with them. These are all very bad, and it is understandable to avoid religion for those reasons alone.
With that said, it is important to keep in mind that religion is simply a Man's MEANS of reaching God. It is not the result. It is a way, or a method, to have communion with God. And like all other paths to the same destination, there are many other ways to get there. And like any man-made thing, it is very imperfect and very flawed.
I now propose a better way. And that is by prayer. You simply pray to God to ask for His grace, and He will surely give it to you in due time. It is almost like magic, but very real.
Jesus's narrowed-down commandments are as follows: Love God and love your neighbors. These can be hard to follow at times, but they are very simple and easy most of the time.
My fundamental argument in this case is the ease and universality of being a true Christian. It's easy because of its simplicity, and it is universal because anyone can be one. If you became an atheist out of disdain for religion, please consider that the church is not always a representation of Jesus and God.
Subscription Note:
Choosing to subscribe to this topic will automatically register you for email notifications for comments and updates on this thread.
Email notifications will be sent out daily by default unless specified otherwise on your account which you can edit by going to your userpage here and clicking on the subscriptions tab.
You mention Christianty a lot. What's your take on other Religions/Gods? There are so many being worshiped in today's world. Why are you convinced that yours is the correct one?
My general opinion on other religions and gods is that they are the work of the nefarious Satan, meant to guide us away from the one true path to God.
I'm convinced that Christianity is the way because of many reasons. One of them being that I have personally experienced some trippy shit in my life, without involving hallucinogenic drugs. I sold my soul to the devil and got a glimpse of what hell really is. It's a long story. And it's very VERY trippy.
Well that seems like a great experience. Sort of like when Doctor Strange met the Ancient one. No drugs involved for that either. Just needed a couple dollars for a movie ticket. So uh... got anything to covince the rest of us here?
Like what?
Zombiechristian
VERY trippy? what happened? How did you meet the devil? I experienced some trippy things as a christian also. Speaking in tongues and being slain in the spirit were regular practices at our church. But now that I don't believe in the these supernatural powers I can see the realities of what happened in those trippy experiences. Can you explain a little? Maybe sum up what happened.
To make a long story short, I had an extremely vivid dream after selling my soul to the devil. At that time, I was an atheist, and I sold my soul to the devil as a way of mocking religion. It wasn't with anyone or anything. I just did it in private. I prayed to the devil to make me rich and famous in exchange for my soul.
My dream involved a bizarre woman giving me a trip to hell. What I saw frightened me. Before I woke up, she told me, "I am Akarya."
The next morning, I looked up the word "Akarya" on the internet. What I find out was that akarya was a sanskrit word meaning "forbidden activities" http://jagadisha-dasa.cba.pl/Prabhupada%20Nirukti%20ABC/akarya.html
Right right I also sold my soul for eternal youth. Some alien also probed my butt once and then I got to bang a sexy alien chick with cat eyes.
@Zombocalypse: Really? Very Trippy? But trippy level "if you deny God all this will be yours", or trippy level "Lazarus, get up and dance" and that two hundred people see a zombie coming out of a tomb... for clarify.
@Zombocalypse
Provide some testable evidence that your god is real. The bible is not evident that a god is real. My issue with religion is it brainwashes people and the religious leaders take advantage of the followers. As for your god or any of the human created gods, I have a lack of belief of any god.
I will provide a testable evidence that my God is real as soon as you "factualize" the theory of evolution from being a mere theory into a fact.
I think I just invented a new word. lol. Factualize.
No no no. Don't start with that BS. You came to us. The burden of proof is on you. That attempt at a subject change will not make anyone forget that it is up to YOU to provide testable evidence of your claims.
Unfortunately, aside from personal testimonies from many Christians, there really is no proof of His existence outside of claimed miracles. One could only speculate.
But speculation is enough, the same way that evolution (like in the existence of God through the cosmological argument and the teleological argument) is mere speculation. A mere theory in a sea of infinite possibilities. I would argue that is is SAFE to believe in Him because the reasoning is there. His existence is as valid a theory as any other scientific theory there is, like the Big Bang.
So Zombo, are you saying the Homo sapiens did not evolve from another species? That Homo sapiens were created as is? What about the other species of humans? Did they have souls?
First of all, I want to address your question about a "soul"...
I haven't made up my mind yet what to believe in that department. On one hand, you have the traditionalists who cling to the idea of an immortal soul, separate from the body, and then you have a newer breed of Christians who believe that there is no such thing as an immortal soul, and that we are, in our entirety, a soul. With that, I'd say that I haven't formed an opinion on that one yet. I still have some thinking to do on that one. I created a thread in a Christian forum asking about it and got mixed answers. So I don't know.
But anyway, onto your other questions...
It is my firm belief that evolution is bullshit and that creationism is the truth. It was the power of God that made us appear. And although I don't really like discussing about intelligent design (because I don't know much about it either), allow me to quote Ravi Zacharias in this scenario... "Where there is intelligibility, there is an intelligence behind it." It's a classic teleological argument that I think favors very well for theistic beliefs. Computers aren't made by an explosion of computer parts.
I stick to the story of Adam and Eve. I believe in the literal interpretation of the Bible. I'm old school that way and find the merging of science and religion to be a terrible form of compromising. It's black and white for me.
Science is a tool to make life comfortable, while God fills our need for meaning and fulfillment. There should be no compromise. No theistic evolution, no old earth creationism, no forgiveness for homosexuality. The ten commandments were very clear and Jesus's own two commandments were very clear. And we, as humans, have a responsibility to live out His word and fulfill our role as sons and daughters of The Most Divine.
That's my position on this whole thing.
Then how do you account for Neanderthal and Denisovan DNA in Sapiens?
I don't know. I really have no idea. lol
I have little to no knowledge on evolution.
This is why I find you so untrustworthy...you deny evolution but say you have little knowledge of it. I think you are lying.
I deny evolution because it's a form of heresy. As simple as that.
There's a passage in the Bible where Jesus told people that he came on earth to DIVIDE people, not to bring peace.
I chose to pick a side. A part of warfare involves declaring war on your enemies. And I'm vocal about my beliefs because it makes other people vocal about theirs too. It helps me in the real world because I get to learn exactly what type of person I am dealing with. It separates the ones that I should hang out with to those I shouldn't. I'm not saying I don't hang out with atheists. It's just that I don't really consider them to be my friends.
I believe in the book of Revelations. Some day, we will all (and I do mean ALL OF US) have to pick a side in a climactic warfare. My allegiance is with the One true God. No one else.
Zombocalypse: You have quite the vivid imagination!
Zombocalypse,
Even the Bible mentions evolution.
Wisdom 19:18-20 (CEB) = "18 If we are careful to observe events, we can see just how the elements of the universe are transformed. It’s the same transformation that happens when someone changes the sounds that a harp makes by changing the key while continuing to play the same melody. 19 In this way, land animals were changed into underwater creatures, while animals that swam in the waters now moved onto the land. 20 Fire was able to burn on the open water, while water forgot that it was supposed to put fire out."
If you believe in the book of Revelation then one day you will curse God along with everyone else.
Revelation 16:8-11 (CEV) = "8 The fourth angel emptied his bowl on the sun, and it began to scorch people like fire. 9 Everyone was scorched by its great heat, and all of them cursed the name of God who had power over these terrible troubles. But no one turned to God and praised him.
10 The fifth angel emptied his bowl on the throne of the beast. At once darkness covered its kingdom, and its people began biting their tongues in pain. 11 And because of their painful sores, they cursed the God who rules in heaven. But still they did not stop doing evil things."
Revelation 16:21 (CEV) = "Hailstones, weighing about a hundred pounds each, fell from the sky on people. Finally, the people cursed God, because the hail was so terrible."
I'll bet by the time the 100 pound hailstones start hitting you that you will be cursing God in at least 100 different languages.
That passage from Wisdom...
Hmmm... Definitely something new for me. Thanks. I'll probably look it up sometime. It sounds pretty compelling. Usually, Biblical sentences and passages are vague. But that one is pretty solid and easy to understand.
Zombie
What if your god is not the one true god? What will you do then?
@Zombocalypse: hahhahahaa lol John, lol? C'mon!
Incorrect. The only hole in the Evolution theory that it has been widely and wrongly characterized for is the "Missing link" phrase back when that began. That's why it was still a literal theory. Since then.. there have been a mutitude of discoveries of what would be missing linkS. Links as in plural. We have tangible evidence that we can see and touch. I think the English word for that is umm.. PROOF. Making Evolution a fact. Not speculation. What do you have again?
"Unfortunately, aside from personal testimonies from many Christians, there really is no proof of His existence outside of claimed miracles. One could only speculate."
Oh yeah I remember.. Nothing.
#1) It is still YOUR Job to provide PROOF
#2) Your false equivalency of "Speculation" is not Valid.
#3) No one will forget what YOUR job is right now. If you forgot, please reference #1.
It is not my job to provide proof because my argument was not about God's existence. My argument was as follows (quoting myself):
"My fundamental argument in this case is the ease and universality of being a true Christian. It's easy because of its simplicity, and it is universal because anyone can be one. If you became an atheist out of disdain for religion, please consider that the church is not always a representation of Jesus and God."
Nope. That is the purpose of a church. If there was no belief in God, there would be no church. Just a lot more civic centers.
I can't speak for all Atheists, but I have no disdain for god. That feeling is reserved for disdainful things that actually exist.
The pope and churches are not a representation of God. They are man-made institutions. God is much more than Sunday mass.
Jesus's two commandments were to love God and love others. No church worship involved.
And the fourth of the ten commandments, remember the Sabbath day, does not mention anywhere that it should be done in a church. All that has to be done is to revere it and not go to work.
Zombocalypse,
The Fourth Commandment is found in Exodus 34:19-20 (KJV) = "19 All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male.
20 But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty."
Which Ten Commandments?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkCJ8rb8Grw, 9:40 minutes.
If you don't know what the real Ten Commandments are how can you convert anyone?
Exodus 34:1 The LORD said to Moses, "Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which ...
http://biblehub.com/exodus/34-1.htm
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YMf-oC4REmk/UzEUl9pN5rI/AAAAAAAAAbo/TOrW_Ru1CT...
Zombocalypse: All mammals have breasts. Cats have 8 nipples and claws. All primates have 2 nipples and fingernails. Only primates have fingernails. Humans have 2 nipples and fingernails. Would you like to learn why?
Okay. I'm willing to hear what you have to say.
I don't know much about evolution so this would be a good thing for me. Even though I don't believe it. lol
Pages