Questions for the Atheists

I honestly don't know how those things were built. If pressed, I'd lean more toward them being truly astonishing feats of engineering than anything else. I don't think God inspired them or created them. As for other options, I haven't seen enough evidence to rule anything out completely. :huh:

 

If I were to guess I'd say the main reason is accountability/submission, making it more of a "don't want to believe" more than a "can't believe". Think about it -- if God exists, it changes everything.

 

I think Judaism considers the possibility of reincarnation, but I'm not really sure. Reincarnation has never been Biblical, however, nor has it ever been a part of the true doctrine of Christianity. According to Jesus, we only get one shot on this planet -- there are no second chances. That, specifically, is why He came.

 

Not quite. People all over the world, including me for many years, profess to 'believe in Jesus', but that does not make them Christians (Matthew 7). A more accurate description of a Christian (based on John 3:16) would be someone who trusts in Jesus to save them. But even then, that's only half the equation. A Christian is also someone who has made a promise to God to live out the rest of his life in obedience to Him. That is not to say he always lives up to that promise, but the evidence of a person's faith is seen in his commitment to living out that promise.

 

I understand your point, and to an extent I agree with it. But I also think it depends highly on who you're shouting to, and what they believe. Paul did a lot of shouting "I'm right and you're wrong" during his ministry, especially in Greece.

 

First I am an agnostic, with leanings towards being an atheist. People have bastardise religion so much to suit their needs. Some examples. The Spanish inquistion maimed, tortured and killed thosands in the name of religion. Columbus and the rest of the europeans used it as an excuse to kill millions of native americans. Slave owners allowed slaves to become religious so they could use it to control their slaves and to justify the institution of same.

The religious right (I know not all of them) uses it to justify the killing of gay couples, abortion doctors, and the trampling of civil rights. I don't see how a "God" could allow that to happen. These views are my views and do not represent my employers, family and friends

 

:applause:

 

I don't know about 'most', but I'd definitely say 'way too many'. I think there's an issue of far too many people simply taking someone else's word as gold without doing at least some research for themselves.

 

Plu, there are obviously strong similarities between the Christian denominations, and even some between the major religions. But the identity of Jesus makes Christianity largely irreconcilable with the other mainstream world religions. When disagreements come about who Jesus of Nazereth really was/is, someone is going to be right, and someone is going to be wrong.

That being said, I strongly disagree with those who claim that only Christians will spend eternity in heaven. In Romans 2, the Bible provides an alternate means of judgment for those who have been indoctrinated into different belief systems, and those who have never heard the Gospel.

 

First, I want you to know that I share your frustration and anger about people in power using religion to serve their own ends. You are absolutely correct -- people have done terrible things throughout history and slapped God's name on it in an attempt to make it right, when nothing could be further from the truth.

God allows it to happen because He has given everyone free will. That decision gives each both the ability to truly love, and the ability to do unspeakable evil. The promise is that in the end, God will hold each of us accountable for our decisions.

I would ask you not to define God only by the people who claim His name. In my experience, both science and nature have been very strong witnesses in favor of the existence of God. It's not a bad way to get an insight into His character without too much human 'interference'.