Christianity interesting?

[Cyperium]

see thats what doesnt make sense,
some people do bad $hit so you could call those sinners,
however most people are good,
and many many people are totaly sinless Im sure,
saying that everyone is a sinner b/c Adam and Eve disobeyed God is illogical.
(its a fictional story anyway)

www.geocities.com/inquisitive79/index.html

Everyone are sinners.

Everyone can make a mistake, but everyone has also done wrong knowingly.

You can't escape it, but with Gods help you can protect yourself.

What is illogical?

What is fiction?

 

[spidergoat]

I'm generally atheist and I find Christianity very interesting. Christians, for the most part, aren't. If atheists don't find it interesting that is probably because it has little relevence to their daily life, and I don't blame them. For atheists, the Christian God, the greek Gods, and the Gods of the Aztecs are the same sorts of inventions. Religion doesn't have the variety of roles in society that it used to. The study of comparative religion is especially fascinating, as we can see an "evolution" of religious thought corresponding to other changes in human culture, like the rise of civilization and agriculture.

Religion is a kind of mental technology, providing a shared ideology that unifies the population, defines their role in society and the universe, and gives comfort to a rapidly evolving primate now capable of self-reflection. Wether it is true or not is kinda beside the point. Religions have offered up a variety of bizzare ideas to humanity, and Christianity is no exception (original sin, Satan,etc...). It is interesting that Jesus didn't design Christianity himself, and would probably disagree with many of it's forms, and also that it has adapted over the years to scientific truths, like the earth revolving around the sun. It's also interesting that the concept of Jesus sacrificing himself for humanity emerged from a long tradition of sacrifice, which probably orginated from human sacrifices, then evolved to just animals (more practical, and who doesn't like a good barbeque), then to single acts of sacrifice like Abraham and Isaac (which didn't have to actually happen to be significant), then the sacrifice to end all sacrifices of Jesus (whew, finally we're done with that).

 

[Cyperium]

I'm generally atheist and I find Christianity very interesting. Christians, for the most part, aren't. If atheists don't find it interesting that is probably because it has little relevence to their daily life, and I don't blame them. For atheists, the Christian God, the greek Gods, and the Gods of the Aztecs are the same sorts of inventions. Religion doesn't have the variety of roles in society that it used to. The study of comparative religion is especially fascinating, as we can see an "evolution" of religious thought corresponding to other changes in human culture, like the rise of civilization and agriculture.

Religion is a kind of mental technology, providing a shared ideology that unifies the population, defines their role in society and the universe, and gives comfort to a rapidly evolving primate now capable of self-reflection. Wether it is true or not is kinda beside the point. Religions have offered up a variety of bizzare ideas to humanity, and Christianity is no exception (original sin, Satan,etc...). It is interesting that Jesus didn't design Christianity himself, and would probably disagree with many of it's forms, and also that it has adapted over the years to scientific truths, like the earth revolving around the sun. It's also interesting that the concept of Jesus sacrificing himself for humanity emerged from a long tradition of sacrifice, which probably orginated from human sacrifices, then evolved to just animals (more practical, and who doesn't like a good barbeque), then to single acts of sacrifice like Abraham and Isaac (which didn't have to actually happen to be significant), then the sacrifice to end all sacrifices of Jesus (whew, finally we're done with that).

I think I understand what you are saying. But I feel that after all, there is a truth behind it all, and if we find that truth then I believe that it would be very consistent with christianity, and also explain the other religions.

Since I'm a christian myself, I believe that it is the truth. I also believe that in the eyes of the truth we will find explanations to everything. Actually not only find it, but rather become a part of the explanation, so that we can accept everything that has been and understand why, not by external methods but by the wisdom of God (which penetrates everything in it's smallest part, is purer than light and thus can see the insides and outsides of everything). Not that I know this is the way it works, but I think that it's something similar to that.


...man has alot of motives, but the essence of any religion is the Truth. If the Truth part is missing, then the religion will fade away faster than light.

(the religion must have some kind of idea of what the truth may be, otherwise we would eventually loose comfort in it).

 

[mustafhakofi]

Would it be wrong if you were nice because of the Bible?

yes as it would be hypocritical.
If God does exist, presumably He'll know I don't really believe in Him, that I'm pretending to believe in him on the off chance that He might really exist. If He's willing to accept me if I just "Go through the motions" then I suspect just being a good person will also be enough.

 

[whitewolf]

Would it be wrong if you were nice because of the Bible?

I, personally? Yes. I don't think it's genuine enough to be nice because a book said so, or because I'm scared, or because I'm bribed. Someone once said to me that I should stop living in books and start living in life. That person was not particularly wise, but it sounds right that life experience should be received from life, not from a book.

Another thing. How do you find out that you have to fix the world if you are already saved by believing in Jesus? You yourself said that this world is doomed. (Here is anothier question: why do you think the world is doomed? You may die, all humans may die, but the universe will go on ) I heard once about this Jewish rabbi. He, as all religious Jews, expected the messiah to come the next day. So he lived in a room with a chair and a desk and nothing else. Obviously, no messiah came in his lifetime.

Some people need some promotion.

As centuries go by, fewer people need promotion. Many don't find the promotion persuasive enough. That's where you get a lot of atheists.

I'm generally atheist and I find Christianity very interesting. Christians, for the most part, aren't.

I disagree. Christians are an utterly interesting folk. Some are saint-like, some are manipulative. The Bible itself may be a boring long read, but the interpretations and uses of it are so fascinating, down to each detail! I was inspired to finally read the book by the goodness of some Christians I knew personally.

Ok. Remember when you were a child? You thought that when you found something, you were the only one. This shows the true nature and appreciation of things.

I searched for many things in the Bible. Besides personal search for explanations of different phenomena, I also wanted to see where all of these various conclusions and debates come from. I did find some issues for debate. However, I did not find explanations I looked for. What I read seemed contradictory to what I experienced; so I discarded my spiritual interests in the subject.

 

[Leo Volont]

Someone once said to me that I should stop living in books and start living in life. That person was not particularly wise, but it sounds right that life experience should be received from life, not from a book.

This Person may have recognized that you were ready for the Next Step -- that you had read enough. The same Person might have looked at some others and thought, with equal sincerity, that they were ignorant slobs who could only benefit by reading a few good books.

My own opinion is that much can be learned from All Accumulated Human Knowledge. Why should every person be made to reinvent the Wheel? A good Library is like your own personal "Owners Manual" for your Physical Body and your Spiritual Self.

 

[Cyperium]

I, personally? Yes. I don't think it's genuine enough to be nice because a book said so, or because I'm scared, or because I'm bribed. Someone once said to me that I should stop living in books and start living in life. That person was not particularly wise, but it sounds right that life experience should be received from life, not from a book.

Being nice obviously isn't something you learn. But by reading the Bible you can become motivated at being nice, and you can be able to see when you start to get lost and thus keep track.

If you see someone be nice, then you can feel that you want to be nice too and it wouldn't be hypocritical or false. Taking others as an example isn't wrong. It's the same with the Bible, it describes many nice things that you can identify with.

Another thing. How do you find out that you have to fix the world if you are already saved by believing in Jesus? You yourself said that this world is doomed. (Here is anothier question: why do you think the world is doomed? You may die, all humans may die, but the universe will go on ) I heard once about this Jewish rabbi. He, as all religious Jews, expected the messiah to come the next day. So he lived in a room with a chair and a desk and nothing else. Obviously, no messiah came in his lifetime.

I don't have to. But it would be easier for me if I do good things, moral is strengthen that way.

How do I find out that I have to fix the world?

What does that have to do with being saved?

We should fix the problems we see that we can fix. By reasons stated.

You don't stop eating just because your body will die eventually.

There are meaning in the world yet. There are meaning with you being alive yet.

As centuries go by, fewer people need promotion. Many don't find the promotion persuasive enough. That's where you get a lot of atheists.

Maybe it's because people are too afraid to be persuaded instead of seeing the truth behind it. If you are nice then it isn't because someone try to persuade you into it. It's because you see the truth behind the words and understand why people are so eager to persuade you. You don't get nice because of the persuation itself, you get nice by accepting the truth behind it and understanding why.

 

[Cyperium]

yes as it would be hypocritical.
If God does exist, presumably He'll know I don't really believe in Him, that I'm pretending to believe in him on the off chance that He might really exist. If He's willing to accept me if I just "Go through the motions" then I suspect just being a good person will also be enough.

You simplify it too much, nothing is that simple.

If you don't believe in Him then you don't. You'll feel that you don't believe.

But if you want to believe then you can pray to understand how you can believe. If you are really honest in your attempt, then I believe that God will help you.

Believing isn't buildt by arguments, it's something truly genuine, something in it's own essence. Beyond any argument.

If you constantly give arguments as to why you believe (or give others arguments), then you can tell that you are starting to loose that belief.

You should rest in your belief.


A sidenote here:
Doing something, is also above arguments if you do it by faith.

 

[spidergoat]

I disagree. Christians are an utterly interesting folk. Some are saint-like, some are manipulative. The Bible itself may be a boring long read, but the interpretations and uses of it are so fascinating, down to each detail! I was inspired to finally read the book by the goodness of some Christians I knew personally.

It was a gross generalization, I do know several very interesting Christians, they tend to be more unorthodox in their views and practice, but I wonder about the many who seem to equate its values with dullness. Maybe it has less to do with the religion itself than the groupthink dynamic of a church.

 

[Avatar]

This is mainly directed at atheists. Do you find christianity to be interesting?
If you don't, is that a reason for not believing it is true? - of course not, you will probably say, but just a thought...
If you do find it interesting, what parts?
If you don't find christianity interesting, but find religion interesting then comment that too if you want.
This is just plain curiousity from my side, thought that maybe they just don't find it interesting and we all learn better when we are interested in something.

I found christianity interesting, I learned it, analysed it, cracked it, got bored after.

 

[Cyperium]

I found christianity interesting, I learned it, analysed it, cracked it, got bored after.

Why did you crack it? What method did you use? What did you find out? What makes you think you are right?

Remember; you walk the way to your goal. What was your goal?