hey athiests! i'm chatting with a person from liberty university on yahoo

[Voltaire]

Originally posted by Ramo
My understanding is that each of gods is a different aspect of the supreme God - Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the preserver, Shiva is the destroyer. And the minor gods are sort of like saints and angels.

Actually Hindu theology is slightly more complicated than that, all the 'gods' are manifestations of one supreme being, the 'gods' are simply attributes of that being. The Western world lost this notion of religion after the destruction of Egyptian civilization (which shared similar views to those of the East), so Westerners tend to oversimplify Eastern philosophies by calling all these manifestations 'gods'.

To illustrate this point, the following is a popular recitation by Hindu Priests before ceremonies:

O Lord, forgive three sins that are due to my human limitations:
Thou art everywhere, but I worship you here;
Thou art without form, but I worship you in these forms;
Thou needest no praise, yet I offer you these prayers and salutations,
Lord, forgive three sins that are due to my human limitations.

[Lincoln]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov


I thought it was putting the heathens to the proverbial sword...

Yea, that too. Seriously though, I think that the history of Christianity for the most part is the history of hypocrites who do not know the first lesson that Jesus taught.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Lincoln
Yea, that too. Seriously though, I think that the history of Christianity for the most part is the history of hypocrites who do not know the first lesson that Jesus taught.

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God"?

[Lincoln]

Jesus never taught anyone to engage in religious wars or to torture fellow believers or Jews for not being Catholic or whatever.

[Boris Godunov]

Well, the point was that what I posted above was the very first thing he preached, ergo his first lesson...

[GePap]

The thing is, given the four different accounts of his life that are accepted, he does not ever renounce battle and take a stance that is undeniably pacifist, so people have wiggle room.

[Boris Godunov]

Jesus also makes a point of stating how he will destroy entire cities and cast people into the furnace of hell for not receiving his disciples. That doesn't set a very good example.

He also says that he comes bearing a sword, doesn't he?

[Lincoln]

That's why it is best not to make him mad. But he still did not teach his followers to take vengence in their own hands. The civil government however is entitled to punish evil doers and maintain order in society and bear a "sword". But, as I said, no where does Jesus teach his people to torture people or engage in religious wars to defend his name. Those acts are against his teaching.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Rogan Josh
I have no problem with morality being the 'whim' of God.

No?

So you wake up today, and your god decides that helping others is morally wrong, but wanton murder is not.

Gonna play?

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by GePap
The thing is, given the four different accounts of his life that are accepted, he does not ever renounce battle and take a stance that is undeniably pacifist, so people have wiggle room.

The "turn the other cheek" thing doesn't do it for you? How about the "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they are the children of God"? Was he just paraphrasing?

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
Jesus also makes a point of stating how he will destroy entire cities and cast people into the furnace of hell for not receiving his disciples. That doesn't set a very good example.

He also says that he comes bearing a sword, doesn't he?

He was pretty clear that this was about what happens after death, so it really doen't supply a model for human behavior unless you seriously expect to be offered a role as a celestial judge.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Lincoln
That's why it is best not to make him mad. But he still did not teach his followers to take vengence in their own hands.

No? Didn't he beat up the moneychangers?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Strictly speaking Hinduism could be considered monotheistic. The pantheon of gods is more like the Catholic trinity than most polytheistic religions.

The only problem is people like me who thinks that's BS and Christians are really polytheists who don't like saying it .

We should go back to Roman religion in 1 A.D. Everyone's little God is part of a big family of Gods, so you can worship him at your leisure. There may be a slight problem with the divinity of the Emperor and the Imperial cult .

no where does Jesus teach his people to torture people or engage in religious wars to defend his name

I don't know of many 'Gods' who do.

However the leaders of Christianity after Jesus, especially those who sat on the Throne of St. Peter, decided these were good things.

[Ben Kenobi]

korn:

Ben Kenobi (did you used to be obiwan18?)

Yep, dropped the '18' after hosting IWS XVIII

i don't understand this need to turn christianity into a pseudo science, and i think it goes against the doctrine laid out in the bible

Agreed, but I wanted to work with improving the 'wind' analogy, in such a way as to get some good questions about God, and how do we know God exists.

quote:
32 Why? Because they did not pursue it through faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone that will make men stumble, a rock that will make them fall; and he who believes in him will not be put to shame."


Well said. There are many examples where the blind see better than the sighted, with respect to God.

you aren't going to prove god through ID or othersuch nonsence, it is a matter of faith according to the bible, and for me I have nothing that inspires that faith in me

Not my intent. I wanted to show how the bible needs to be used as evidence. It's no good rejecting data because it does not fit your perceptions of what good data should be.

Why do you feel there is nothing that inspires faith in you?

[Ben Kenobi]

UR:

Didn't he beat up the moneychangers?

No. Matthew 21:12-13


Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. "It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers.' "

Overturning tables ! = beating up.

Imran:

However the leaders of Christianity after Jesus, especially those who sat on the Throne of St. Peter, decided these were good things.

Torture? Doubtful.

Wars in God's name?
None of the crusades had the popes speaking infalliably. Therefore they could be wrong in ordering the Christians to go attack the Muslims.