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Tip for Spirituality, Religion, Theology, and Philosophy
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Provided by: feign
Apr 8, 2008
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How to throw out the bible and still be a Christian21
This tip is currently ranked 1.6 out of 5 by a bunch of voters.
This isn't worth any gems... :P
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First of all read it all through, then burn it, buuuuuuuuuuuuuurn it! A bible does not define a Christian, nor does the recalling of lines in said book. Now there are some Christians who would believe people like me would be going to hell, well to each their own... But then its my turn, how can you really be certain God said those things? Man had to write it down, and their "visits" with God might not have been all what it seems. One could ponder why I believe in God and Jesus, when I refute the Bible, well to put it simply, one does not need to go to Church or be "one" with the bible to "believe". I'm not pleading iggnorance, I live a moral life (that does not fall under the rules of the Bible's God, but of my own). People just need to wake up sometimes... |
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There are 19 Replies:
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Message
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Person and Time
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the 21 on the post was of a result of accidental double posting, and you can't have 2 topics with the same name... (without it being considerd spam) |
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feign
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Apr 8, 2008
(33 days and 20 hours ago)
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(plus I hadn't finished my thoughts in the previous thread) Ath!est asked: why do I even believe in it. Well I suppose it can be a matter of non-emptiness. I'd much rather have a God, then nothing. And I am not trying to sound pessimistic, this comes from only learning and understanding through yourself (a journey of sorts), and no it doesn't mean I will then believe in any other God(s) (Hinduism for example). However I do take Buddhist teachings to the heart :) |
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feign
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Apr 8, 2008
(33 days and 20 hours ago)
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I'd much rather have a God, then nothing Right, but this is just a subjective preference. There was a time when I thought like this, but I couldn’t convince myself since I knew that I was basing my belief on what I wanted, not what was true. |
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Athe!st
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Apr 8, 2008
(33 days and 19 hours ago)
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I did go further to explain that it was also a small combination of other things (ie the journey etc). No that journey did not include watching an episode of Joan of Arcadia :P Its more a journey of self, but its amazing what that can entail. Also I found philosophy was a great help. |
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feign
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Apr 8, 2008
(33 days and 19 hours ago)
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Any particular part of philosophy? I’m currently studying and enjoying it as well. Though evidence for God seems to fail at every hurdle. I was surprised by the openness of my catholic teacher. Her honesty about the Exodus tradition, the brutality. One moment she will be praising God and the next she will be bringing him down. Good teacher. |
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Athe!st
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Apr 8, 2008
(33 days and 19 hours ago)
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Mostly metaphysics. Ummm as well as moralism (forgetting the other word for that type of philosophy atm), as well as just some random phiosophy books that talk about several subject matters. Even heroism is interesting to me. |
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feign
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Apr 8, 2008
(33 days and 19 hours ago)
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Ah, haven’t got that far yet, think that’s next year. Were you raised a Christian? |
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Athe!st
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Apr 8, 2008
(33 days and 19 hours ago)
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Haha, hardly, I was bapatized, but we didn't go to Church every sunday (ok more like 2-3 times a year, for Christmas and easter), but when you're a kid, those times suck, because kids don't understand anything, and they force it upon you like that you should, and if you don't you go to hell sort of thing (though I don't recall any of them ever saying that). |
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feign
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Apr 8, 2008
(33 days and 19 hours ago)
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feign, what makes you a Christian? |
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Traditionalist Evangelist
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Apr 8, 2008
(33 days and 19 hours ago)
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Ah. I was baptised and force to go to church once to twice a week as a child. I didn’t enjoy it and felt bad for not enjoying it. I’ve went to catholic schools my whole like and still do to this day. |
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Athe!st
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Apr 8, 2008
(33 days and 19 hours ago)
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Depends on the definiton of "Christian" if it means going to Church or reading the Bible then no. If it means believing in God and Jesus, and the fact that you don't need the previous stuff mentioned to Believe, and come through understandings of you're own, then yes. I just went to a Catholic high school, it wasn't much different then a public one, only that I got off earlier, and went to religious celebrations XD I honestly don't think one should start exploring releigion(s) or be forced unto them until they are like 16+... |
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feign
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Apr 8, 2008
(33 days and 19 hours ago)
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So what does "believing in God and Jesus" mean? Believing they exist? Does that make you a Christian? After all - many people who believe in God accept that Jesus existed. However, they are not all of the Christian faith. What defines you as a Christian? |
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Traditionalist Evangelist
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Apr 8, 2008
(33 days and 17 hours ago)
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In the least, accepting Jesus and affirming to one's self about what he talks about. Not just about existence, like living to stand for them sort of thing, not in the way the Bible dilutes them in such a mess. If you wanted to be specific, I am Buddhist Christian, but I believe that I still retain the "Christian" part, dispite the fact that I don't agree with much of the Bible. |
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feign
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Apr 9, 2008
(32 days and 20 hours ago)
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How do you know what his teachings are? The only place they are recorded are in the Bible, and in works that cite the Bible. |
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Traditionalist Evangelist
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Apr 9, 2008
(32 days and 20 hours ago)
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I still except the red text to some extent (4 different version mind you), but from the basis of it, I believe what he was trying to do (at the very least) was making a better "mankind", you don't need charts to know how to help someone, so I guess some of it can be self explantory. |
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feign
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Apr 9, 2008
(32 days and 20 hours ago)
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I am not sure what you mean by charts... But yes, Jesus of Nazareth was certainly trying to make mankind on Earth better by pointing them to the Father. Jesus was establishing the Kingdom of Heaven. A Kingdom that was 'not of this world', but which would be comprised by all those who followed him and called him King and Lord and God. He made it abundantly clear that he considered himself to be the only way to the God. Jesus was not establishing a "religion". He spoke out strongly against the religous elite of the day, condemning them for reducing God to rules and regulations. For worshiping adherence to the law rather than worshiping God. Jesus was not denying the law. Jesus was not denying that there are sins. After all accusing he was accusing these people of sinning. I think your perception that the church can be a bad place is perhaps justified feign. The church today has been reduced to something similar to the Jewish establishment of Jesus' day. Bogged down in rules and regulations and rituals. Nevertheless, true church, true community, is an excellent thing. Christians are supposed to have fellowship, to support each other, to love each other. That is what the church really is. As you will have heard many times, the church is the people. I would consider myself part of my local church group, and also the wider Church across the whole world. I see other church members at all times during the week for various meetings and occasions. It is not limited to a Sunday service. The Sunday service is an old tradition which I believe has a great value, but it should not be the sum of all the church does. The Sunday service is a foundation for the church's activites, a meeting place to touch base and get everyone together once a week for worship and fellowship. I have explained a lot of ideas here, so I will pause to let you think and reply. |
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Traditionalist Evangelist
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Apr 9, 2008
(32 days and 19 hours ago)
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Yeah thats basically my ideology. (what you had at the begining of your post) I remember recently watching a movie called Stigmata, and how Jesus had written his own Gospel, about how the "temple" was in each of us. It was quite interesting to say the least. Mind you, if now I decided to go to a church and perhaps share my beleifs, they'd oudst me. I guess the best way to put it (ironically or not, haha) is when God was "quoted" saying "I am that I am." |
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feign
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Apr 9, 2008
(32 days and 19 hours ago)
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It may simply be a matter of which church you go to. Further, people within a church may have a wide range of opinions. That is a sign of a healthy church. An unhealthy church would be one where everybody dogmatically obeyed the present human leader - that is a cult. There is great truth and power in the scriptures though. Surely you can have no problem with the Histories? They are just accounts of what happened in ancient Israel. Furthrmore I doubt you can have much problem with the Poetries. If it is the Law books that trouble you in the Bible, I would suggest that you do not worry about them. Christians do not live under the law of Israel. The most important parts of the Bible for a Christian are the Gospels and the Letters. The Gospels are Jesus' teachings, and are naturally excellent. The Letters were written to the first churches, mostly by the Apostle Paul, explaining how to live a Christian life and how to treat the idea of church. If you read portions of the Letters I am sure you will benefit greatly. It strikes me that your problem is not with the Bible itself, rather with those who tell you what it means. Whilst there is a place for teaching, there is also a place for personal study. Remember, as a young man Jesus learned what he knew about God from the Old Testament scriptures, and he turned out well! |
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Traditionalist Evangelist
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Apr 9, 2008
(32 days and 18 hours ago)
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Hmmm interesting, you took the words (aka my thoughts) right out of my head XD Though I don't think the Old testament (new one aside) does God justification, even though thats the only portion to know of him on. Anywho, I'm off to sleep ;D |
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feign
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Apr 9, 2008
(32 days and 18 hours ago)
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