My views on religion

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I could never quite comprehend how a person could (by choice) go to church every Sunday. Why would someone do this without knowing if a god exists or not? Most of the people who go to church have never read the bible in their life, but yet they claim that they believe in a god. My belief is that christianity is purely traditional, and it has been a purely traditional thing with no true purpose for hundreds of years. These people "believe" because they were brought up "believing" a god since they were a kid. By the time the person reaches adulthood there is a good chance the person will stay a Christian if they had fond memories of church, or if they had good Christian friends that have stuck around. Christianity was created to influence our planet for the better and help bring order (or so it was believed at the time it was created) The only problem is that the beliefs that people had back then, and the beliefs people have now differ greatly. Therefore, this makes Christianity outdated. I wish more people would understand this, but unfortunately a lot of people are too closed-minded to open their minds enough to understand this. The only things that Christianity promotes these days is closed-mindedness, homophobia and hypocrisy among other things. I wouldn't doubt if Christians cause more crime than non-christians. This is because they feel like if they do something that they know is a "sin" (like rape, murder, steal) their "sin" becomes justified because they asked for forgiveness.... When I was a kid I would have been scared sh*tless to say anything like because I had a little bit of "faith". Mainly because my whole family is comprised of Christians, so Christianity was considered as being a "fact" with me while I still had strong doubts a lot of the time.



BTW, I don't consider myself as being an atheist because saying that you "know" there isn't a god is just as ignorant with saying that you "don't know". But, if there is a god, I will tell you these facts... I don't agree with his views, he has the morals of the child and he has "sinned" himself many times while supposedly being "pure and sinless". I've read books of the bible and he's killed, he encouraged rape and he's pro war. No wonder so many Republicans are Christians...



*NOTE* I haven't tried to offend anybody here. Everything that I've said is accurate. And I'm not speaking as an atheist (I'm not athiest) I am speaking as a neutral agnostic.

Most people accept God because their families accepted God and they don't question family beliefs particularly. Since it is a tradition for families to gather socially in church it is a comfortable and pleasant social activity and the belief is encouraged by the thought that somehow rejecting religion would create chaos and antisocial behavior. Rejecting religion and God would get individuals into all sorts of unnecessary trouble and people have enough trouble ordinarily without inviting more. It is easier and more useful and more pleasant to merely string along with all that tradition and not be bothered with all the questions that a curious mind might bring up as to the validity of belief.

I've read the Bible completely, my dad wasn't a Christian until a few months before he died, I'm not going to church anymore because of a stunt the pastor pulled and how the leadership team defended him, but I'm still a Christian. May not go to a church for a while, except perhaps Agua Viva where I have some friends (but the pastor is antisemitic and I have a Jewish looking beard for now, which seems to prompt him to make some Nazi like statements when I come) but otherwise I'm not currently going to church and haven't really for most of my life. Studying the Bible, mythology, ancient history, and chemistry, I have, on my own, decided to be a Christian. It is regretful that I find so many ignorant pastors who care nothing for the Bible or truth in general, whereas I do. I may not be the norm, but I'm still a Christian.

well, even though I support the freedom and the right to follow a religion, I actually despise it, fundamentalist religion to be exact, because of following outdated prejudices like Homophobia and refusing to accept and understand the issue just because it contradicts their fundamentalist views on the Bible. I have a lot more sympathy towards liberal christians.

i have to disagree with a few points in the original post.

i'm now 20, and was an ardent atheist right up until roughly 7 months ago. none of my family are religious or for that matter, believe in God. but I've come to believe in God and pursue joining the church. I also think the claim that more Christians commiting/causing crime than non-Christians has no evidence to support it.

oh, and also the point on never reading the Bible but going to church regardless. I didn't step foot in a church until I'd had a good go at the Bible. I've not just read the New Testament, I've also read much of the first few books, Genesis etc. Admittedly, God caused and promoted a lot of horrible and immoral acts, BUT, there is a reason for His behaviour in the Old Testament. At the time of the nation of Israel, morals were not what they are today. The Jews were amongst a number of peoples that were very depraved and violent. The behaviour of God towards the Jews at this time was in order to discipline them so that they would be worthy of being his "chosen people".

A fleeting glance at the rules and dietary restrictions the Jews still have to live by today shows that they do have a disciplined lifestyle.

Also, the dietary rules, sanitation rules, rules for handling dead bodies, even make some medical sense. Since you've read the Torah/Pentateuch I assume you know the references, but if you'll like I'll find them again. Dietary rules in Leviticus I try to follow, but not always due to friends.

"Outdated" is a very tiresome word. So, is everything new good because it is new?

i think that the view against fundamentalist christianity is a valid one.. but i'm sick of this arguement that people raise against most of the mainstream christian denominations. for instance, i'm on my way to being baptised catholic, and someone had a go at me the other day, saying how catholics hadn't "moved with the times".. 1. i don't think that's such a bad thing, considering how things are going in our times... and 2. if they'd read the CCC (catechism of the catholic church), they might have realised that the catholic church has a firm stance AGAINST homophobia, despite being of the opinion that homosexuality is contrary to the wishes of God.

i'll admit it can sound hypocritical, but it's really not.

No. In fact, good ideas are a scarce resource.

Your pastor reminds me of those fake wanna-be christians. How can he be christian when he is racist against "god's chosen people"? (ps- me speaking from a secular perspective here)

Most ms denominations of Christianity, or any religion for that matter, use their religion as an excuse for ignorance. They cherry pick the parts of their religion that suits their animalistic hatred and ignorance, and then they condemn people who do not follow their religious label. It's very psychopathic and very hipocritical. But, that goes back into how psychopaths ultimately run our system, and the commoners are conditioned to follow them, hell practically worship them like gods(esses) because of their percieved status and authority.

I agree with you. In fact the Bible says that those who bless Abraham's descendants will be blessed and those who curse them will be cursed. Applied specifically to the Jews by Baalam in Numbers, but even applicable to the Arabs as well. Pastor Steve shouldn't hold such anti-Biblical ideas, but I can't choose for him. He will be held accountable to God on Judgment Day though.

Yes, I suppose it is tiresome to some, any idea or philosophy that contradicts one believes can be tiresome for not appealling to one's views, some posts regarding the reasons of being against gay marriage are pretty much tiresome to some people here.

In regard of believing some things with same or similar eyes as two millenia ago or more so, and trying to follow it, and better yet to try or want to change society based on it, in current life, pretty much seems outdated, if not reevaluating things thougth long ago. Why I see fundamentalist religion as a not being that healthy actually.

There was such ignorance about some things taken for granted today, the days the Bible was written, I believe some things actually qualify to be outdated.


No, of course not everything.

I think you already stated before that new discoveries have explained things not known before and have expanded, confirmed or changed concepts known before. Everything evolves, so we need to reevaluate concepts that were taken as granted and were firmly stated ages ago, don't we?

In chemistry the "evolution" isn't a progressive change but a refining change, as are most things in physics too.

well, i've got to say, i'm neither ignorant nor one for hatred. i don't follow blindly. only thing i bow down to is God. if the Pope were to say something that was blatantly contradictory to my conscience, i'd speak up about it.
and neither do i pick and choose from the Catholic faith. it is what it is. the problem is that there ARE those who do this, and give a bad name to the rest of us.
also, i think there's a misunderstanding when it comes to the Catholic clergy, since the emergence of the whole peadophilia thing within thier ranks. the fact is, no one is exempt from sin. no one is incapable of sinning. what these men did, was without question, wrong and evil. the clergy lead in matters of the church, they are not saints and do not profess to be. they give confession just like the laity.

i think that there is an element of hatred and ignorance amongst some who criticise religion, due to the fact they go off the media and thier own personal experiences with religious people, or, those claiming to be so. if someone wishes to criticise any given religion, i wish they'd at least read some of the sacred texts/teachings first, and get some guidance in interpreting it. it's very easy to pick up the bible when you've just witnessed a Christian commit a wrong, and read what you want to read ie. hypocrisy and lies.

unfortunately for us aspies/auties, things just aren't as black and white as we perceive them to be.

i consider my atheism not so much that there absolutely is no god but rather there's no evidence to lead that way and all current religions have been empirically been proven wrong when held up to the standards of demanding proof and logic.