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The Truth of Christianity vs. All Other Belief Systems

wollery said:
So stoning to death disobedient children, rape victims who don't scream loudly enough, people who eat shellfish, pork or rabbit, people who work on Sunday, people who wear cloth of mixed fibres, etc. is still to be practised.

Gotcha.
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Of course. Since God is the judge, he has judged them, found them wanting, and decided they should be lovingly stoned to death, before enjoying his loving gift of hellfire. It is all about love, after all.
 
I like this Catholic joke: Jesus and the woman caught in adultery. Jesus says, "He who is without sin cast the first stone." Quiet, then a whistle of a projectile as a stone is thrown from the crowd. Jesus groans and rolls his eyes. Exasperated he says, "Mother!"
 
Mr Clingford said:
If God does indeed send billions to endless torment I wholeheartedly agree that he is a bastard, but I don't. I would disagree about several terms: 'billions, 'endless' and 'torment'.
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Leaving aside the numbers involved and the quaiifications, do you believe in Hell? I thought this was a requirement for being a Christian, I could be wrong. Part of the carrot and the stick, as it were, punishment if you don't obey authority.
 
Marcus said:
Leaving aside the numbers involved and the quaiifications, do you believe in Hell? I thought this was a requirement for being a Christian, I could be wrong. Part of the carrot and the stick, as it were, punishment if you don't obey authority.
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I am a near universalist, hoping that all will 'turn to the light' when they can see it clearly, but reserving the right for some to reject ultimate love and good. If there is a hell, people are not necessarily there for eternity. I see this hell in terms of a state of mind, where one reflects on one's selfishness, greed, harm of others - to reflect on this would be a refining process and would not be painless (therapy/ becoming a better person is not an easy process, at least for most of us).

There are few requirements, perhaps a belief in God and that Jesus was probably more than human (and not a demigod!). I am more inclusive than not, and I don't think it is especially about holding the 'right' beliefs anyway. A lot of Xtians do, though, see hell as a great tool for control, the stick indeed. A great shame from my POV. I don't think God gets pissed (in the American sense) because someone doesn't believe he exists because they have been told that Darwin is wrong or that he is going to torture the vast majority of the human race for eternity - if he does exist and is like that, then he can piss off.
 
Foster Zygote said:
Yet, when I mention the atrocities of the Old Testament, most fundamentalist Christians tell me something about how that was the "old covenant".
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No need for atrocities, just mention some of the rules they should be living by and watch them squirm ...
 
Mr Clingford said:
I like this Catholic joke: Jesus and the woman caught in adultery. Jesus says, "He who is without sin cast the first stone." Quiet, then a whistle of a projectile as a stone is thrown from the crowd. Jesus groans and rolls his eyes. Exasperated he says, "Mother!"
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Here's another good one:

The Pope is working a crossword puzzle. Stymied, he asks one of the cardinals, "What is a four-letter word for a woman that ends with 'U-N-T'?"

The cardinal replies, "Aunt, of course."

The Pope says, "Oh." He studies the crossword for a moment, then sheepishly asks: "Do you have an eraser?"
 
Mr Clingford said:
Errm, from the website,
"you just don't want to see it, because it conflicts with how your evil, dark hearts think God ought to be!"
:D
There is more to the NT than John 3:16 and I wasn't confining myself to just one verse.
If God does indeed send billions to endless torment I wholeheartedly agree that he is a bastard, but I don't. I would disagree about several terms: 'billions, 'endless' and 'torment'.
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That quote stood out to me as well. It's almost comedic. "Your evil, dark hearts believe in a god who loves everyone. But I, with my good, pure heart, believe in a god who hates everyones guts as gleefully as I do."
 
Mr Clingford said:
I am a near universalist, hoping that all will 'turn to the light' when they can see it clearly, but reserving the right for some to reject ultimate love and good. If there is a hell, people are not necessarily there for eternity. I see this hell in terms of a state of mind, where one reflects on one's selfishness, greed, harm of others - to reflect on this would be a refining process and would not be painless (therapy/ becoming a better person is not an easy process, at least for most of us).

There are few requirements, perhaps a belief in God and that Jesus was probably more than human (and not a demigod!). I am more inclusive than not, and I don't think it is especially about holding the 'right' beliefs anyway. A lot of Xtians do, though, see hell as a great tool for control, the stick indeed. A great shame from my POV. I don't think God gets pissed (in the American sense) because someone doesn't believe he exists because they have been told that Darwin is wrong or that he is going to torture the vast majority of the human race for eternity - if he does exist and is like that, then he can piss off.
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Kind of a Christianity Light. Your god would certanly have a better claim of being loving that CD's and KK's, who exhibits the most unloving behaviour imaginable. Of course, you would still have to find a way to disavow his actions in the old testament.
 
Mr Clingford said:
I am a near universalist, hoping that all will 'turn to the light' when they can see it clearly, but reserving the right for some to reject ultimate love and good. If there is a hell, people are not necessarily there for eternity. I see this hell in terms of a state of mind, where one reflects on one's selfishness, greed, harm of others - to reflect on this would be a refining process and would not be painless (therapy/ becoming a better person is not an easy process, at least for most of us).
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What if someone believes in love and good, lives a life that could not be described as selfish, harmful, or greedy, but who still don't turn to the light?

There are few requirements, perhaps a belief in God and that Jesus was probably more than human (and not a demigod!). I am more inclusive than not, and I don't think it is especially about holding the 'right' beliefs anyway. A lot of Xtians do, though, see hell as a great tool for control, the stick indeed. A great shame from my POV. I don't think God gets pissed (in the American sense) because someone doesn't believe he exists because they have been told that Darwin is wrong or that he is going to torture the vast majority of the human race for eternity - if he does exist and is like that, then he can piss off.
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So where do you think the good people who don't believe in god get sent?
 
Marcus said:
Kind of a Christianity Light. Your god would certanly have a better claim of being loving that CD's and KK's, who exhibits the most unloving behaviour imaginable. Of course, you would still have to find a way to disavow his actions in the old testament.
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Respectfully, I strongly disagree that it is Xtianity light in the sense of 'not the full measure' as I see it as a perfectly valid form of Xtianity.

I try to get out of the problem of the OT with the idea of progressive revelation and that the Biblical writings are also products of particular cultures, times etc. This approach I think is more mainstream than the attempts to say that the Bible is perfect, without any error etc. Also Biblical Criticism sheds a lot of light on the types of writings that make up the Bible and their socio-historical context.
 
Sun Countess said:
What if someone believes in love and good, lives a life that could not be described as selfish, harmful, or greedy, but who still don't turn to the light?


So where do you think the good people who don't believe in god get sent?
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To me, what you write is contradictory as someone who lives believing in love and good, by my understanding, is already recognising and turning to the light.
 
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