Religion: Good or Bad?

[///M]

Practicing Islam and following men are entirely different things.

Islam doesn't mean peace, it means submission to God. It's a religion that stresses the connection between man and God, no middle men. I don't follow any scholars, I don't follow the fanatical Imams in mosques that say it's wrong to vote, and I sure as hell don't follow blind believers. Islam of old was a religion that based it's advances in science, mathematics, and poetry, not war and blood shed.

So excuse me for caring about how my faith is portrayed to the world. People like general who have the audacity to claim that a person is a Muslim or not as if they are the creator show exactly what's wrong with the Islamic faith today.

I never insulted Islam, I insulted Muslims of today. If that means I sinned, well God forgive me.

I'm going to stop it at that, if I offended you, sorry, my bad. This is the fucked up thing about religious debates, they really get no where, and it leaves people insulted and hurt. I take full blame if I did insult you, I should have practised what I preach and kept my religious beliefs private.

[mmap]

Originally Posted by justin syder

A person of faith doenst pick and choose what you want to believe. That would be being a half-assed believer. You have to accept it and believe it or not, that simple.

mmap, just curious, are you a practicing Christian? I ask because I know that in the Nordic countries religion is nearly gone and few actually practice it.

Depends on what you mean by practising, I haven't been to church for about a decade now (well funerals and weddings excluded) so probably not in the way you see it. But it in no way implies that religioin is gone in here! just because some of us doesn't go to church does it mean that we believe in god any less. Ours is merely the lutherian (sp?) way of thinking meaning that we have different "rules". i.e. it is enough if you live your life in a moral way.

Now I do not want to dimishis your beliefs in any way because they are just as right as mine are But, again, by saying that since I do not believe everything in the bible I am somehow not as religious as someone who does, or that my beliefs are inferior to yours is just wrong... Of course I can decide for myself what I do believe and what not. This is prably a cultural issue as well... These are matters of faith, and as there is no way to prove anyone right or wrong in these issues, a good starting point for discussions is that everyone is right in their own way.

IN my opinion, even if god did speak to men and tell them to write the bible and gave the absolut truth for them to put in it. it was interpreted by the writers as they saw it and in their cultural context, making a lot of stuff in there not relevant to our day and age. Although to be perfctly honest I've never actually read the whole bible from cover to cover...

[Renesis]

Bad

[justin syder]

Originally Posted by mmap

Depends on what you mean by practising, I haven't been to church for about a decade now (well funerals and weddings excluded) so probably not in the way you see it. But it in no way implies that religioin is gone in here! just because some of us doesn't go to church does it mean that we believe in god any less. Ours is merely the lutherian (sp?) way of thinking meaning that we have different "rules". i.e. it is enough if you live your life in a moral way.

Now I do not want to dimishis your beliefs in any way because they are just as right as mine are But, again, by saying that since I do not believe everything in the bible I am somehow not as religious as someone who does, or that my beliefs are inferior to yours is just wrong... Of course I can decide for myself what I do believe and what not. This is prably a cultural issue as well... These are matters of faith, and as there is no way to prove anyone right or wrong in these issues, a good starting point for discussions is that everyone is right in their own way.

IN my opinion, even if god did speak to men and tell them to write the bible and gave the absolut truth for them to put in it. it was interpreted by the writers as they saw it and in their cultural context, making a lot of stuff in there not relevant to our day and age. Although to be perfctly honest I've never actually read the whole bible from cover to cover...

IMO, from what you wrote it seems you dont believe in what the religion is and think that not going to church to hear the word of God and even questioning the Bible for authenticity tells me you arent really Christian.

I havent read the Bible myself but going to church regularly helps and of course it is how you learn about things. If you dont go to church I guess that you could read the Bible on sunday's but I take it you dont even do that.

Im not trying to put you down but just from what you said I really have to question whether you have faith and are really a religious person.

[Ultra_Kool_Dude]

The thing is justin, that priests and other religious leaders are men, and sometimes men make mistakes. I think it is bad to just believe everything. Questioning things, even your own religion, doesn't make you a non-believer. 8)

[justin syder]

The thing is justin, that priests and other religious leaders are men, and sometimes men make mistakes. I think it is bad to just believe everything. Questioning things, even your own religion, doesn't make you a non-believer.

I do have an open mind on certain things. But believing in the bible is part of having faith. To believe that it was truly undisturbed messages from God.

Its the same when dealing with corruption. If a church or minister/pastor of the church is corrupt and is exploiting the churchs donations it wont affect the church goers. If they donate with the mindset of doing good then their soul will be clean and though their money might be used by a bad person or not get to the needy it will be the corrupt pastor/minister that will have an unclean soul as a result of his actions.

Get what Im tryin to say?

[Ultra_Kool_Dude]

Originally Posted by justin syder

Get what Im tryin to say?

Completely. 8)

[jeffy777]

Originally Posted by justin syder

jeffy-

Amen to that! May God continue to bless your my friend .

Thanks Justin, I pray the same for you

[mmap]

Originally Posted by justin syder

IMO, from what you wrote it seems you dont believe in what the religion is and think that not going to church to hear the word of God and even questioning the Bible for authenticity tells me you arent really Christian.

I havent read the Bible myself but going to church regularly helps and of course it is how you learn about things. If you dont go to church I guess that you could read the Bible on sunday's but I take it you dont even do that.

Well that's quite okay, I think that I am a christian and that's really all that matters to me... And I suppose that even though I do believe in god, maybe I am not a religious person per se.

And you are quite right about me not reading the bible on sundays, I just don't see the point. I had 13 years of religion education in my school and I feel that I know enough. (Then again with such an attitude I am sure not to learn anything even if I tried )

[justin syder]

Originally Posted by mmap

Well that's quite okay, I think that I am a christian and that's really all that matters to me... And I suppose that even though I do believe in god, maybe I am not a religious person per se.

And you are quite right about me not reading the bible on sundays, I just don't see the point. I had 13 years of religion education in my school and I feel that I know enough. (Then again with such an attitude I am sure not to learn anything even if I tried )

From the Bible,

Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

basically meaning,

So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth.

[mmap]

I'm not entirely sure how to take that/what you mean. But it looks like an insult to me and as such I'll take it... Wont dignify with an answer as it seems hopeless.

[justin syder]

I'm not entirely sure how to take that/what you mean. But it looks like an insult to me and as such I'll take it... Wont dignify with an answer as it seems hopeless.

It wasn't meant to insult you, more like bring awareness to your lack of faith. If you believe in God then you need to do something about it, go to church, read the Bible but dont be so half-assed/Lukewarm. Be religious or not. Dont say you are a Christian and then say you dont need to read the Bible or you know enough or you dont go to church.

Those quotes were God's words. It is to help you. If you dont believe in them or dont like the meaning of it then dont say you are religious.

What does being Christian mean to you?

[SiR_dude]

Originally Posted by mmap

I'm not entirely sure how to take that/what you mean. But it looks like an insult to me and as such I'll take it... Wont dignify with an answer as it seems hopeless.

Justin didn't insult you there, my friend....God did.

[Magnet]

The problem is with taking the bible literally, apart form the numerous contradictions are some of the following issues:

Leviticus 25:44 states people may possess slaves, both male
and female, provided they are purchased from neighbouring nations.


You can sell your daughter into slavery, as sanctioned
in Exodus 21:7.

You are allowed no contact with a woman while she is
in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev.15:19-24).

Any one working on the Sabbath should be put to death, Exodus 35:2

It is an abomination to eat shellfish, Lev 11:10

You cannot approach the altar of God if you have a defect in your sight, Leviticus 21:20

Males can't get their hair cut, including the hair around their temples, Lev 19:27

Etc, etc

And stuff like not being allowed to wear garments made of two different kinds of thread...

There is stuff with religion that you need to take with a grain of salt.

[jneil]

Ohh, it's BAD!

[justin syder]

You are talking about stuff from the Old testament though.