Why are you not a Christian

[Wernazuma III]

Oh, and thanks fdr taking my answer serious. I see that you're really interested. I'll give you my own "confesiones" later this day, first I have to follow the spirit of capitalism and my agnostic ethics and accomplish a day's work (raising a barn).

[Max Webster]

Originally posted by Wernazuma III
Oh, and thanks fdr taking my answer serious. I see that you're really interested. I'll give you my own "confesiones" later this day, first I have to follow the spirit of capitalism and my agnostic ethics and accomplish a day's work (raising a barn).

Only folk around here raising barns are the mennonites. They don't have much to do with us modern folk. But they sure like our modern hospitals and other services.

[Proteus_MST]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi

People only use drugs because they crave them?

Yes, as soon as you´re addicted it is true, you cannot stop it out of your own free will without medical treatment (unless you want tro endanger your own life because of the severe withdrawal symptomes), meaning that your addiction imparts your free will.

And as for getting addicted:
The addiction is not always the fault of the person who gets addicted.

For example there are cases of little children who get addicted to substances (nicotine or even harder drugs) already in the womb, because the mother took these substances during her pregnancy.

I assume you agree that oit wasn´t tha fault of these children, that they got addicted from birth on.
Wouldn´t it be a nice thing from god to give these little children freedom from their addiction? (especially considering that Jesus AFAIK always saw babies as free from sin)

[Wernazuma III]

Originally posted by Max Webster


Only folk around here raising barns are the mennonites. They don't have much to do with us modern folk. But they sure like our modern hospitals and other services.

I know, I know. I was just making a mild joke about working ethics.

[Dr Strangelove]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Why are you not a Christian

Originally posted by Jon Miller


I wouldn't call you a pauline Christian, so traditional Christian no.

If you wanted to be an XXXX Christian, I would agree (not that it matters).

JM
* XXXX being the proper adjective to describe your theology.

edit: I mean, it would make you an XXXX Christian.

Wouldn't that make him a Jeffersonian Deist or a Unitarian?

[Kidlicious]

Re: Why are you not a Christian

Because they are all nuts... except for present company of course.

btw, it took balls to create this thread.

[Kidlicious]

Re: Re: Re: Why are you not a Christian

Originally posted by Jon Miller
There haven't been very many agnostics or atheists in earth's history. I don't think that that is the default position.

I don't know, my son was born not believing in God. Seems like everyone has been.

[Spec]

Why are you not a Christian

A better question would be:

Why would I want to be a Christian?

Spec.

[molly bloom]

Life is too short to waste.

[Jon Miller]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Why are you not a Christian

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove


Wouldn't that make him a Jeffersonian Deist or a Unitarian?

Depends on the theology involved.

JM

[Arrian]

To answer the simple question:

Because I simply don't find it plausible (for many reasons, many of which no doubt have been mentioned in this thread).

I wasn't raised by religious people. My father in particular is quite the skeptic (about anything, not just religion). That rubbed off. I majored in history. That too had an impact.

I just don't buy it.

-Arrian

[Perfection]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Why are you not a Christian

Originally posted by Jon Miller


Depends on the theology involved.

JM

Unitarians have a coherant theology?

[DirtyMartini]

Good thread. Enjoyed it. Answering the original question:

I was raised Christian (pretty laid back Lutheran [ELCA, not Wisconsin synod or anything]). Everyone I knew was "religious", and no one really questioned it. One of my pastors once told me I had a very good grasp of theology and should consider the ministry.

At some point, I started thinking about he whole thing critically and stopped beliveing:

--founding myths are not believable, are inconsisetent, and fail to explain the world as it really is. I'm sure the creation myth, for example, was a wonderful way for prehistoric shepards to make sense of their world, but to regard it as the true and unfiltered word of God and as factual...
--the Church that is founded upon those myths has a long history of violence (crusades, inquisition), greed (indulgences) and intolerance.
--even modern churches have very ignorant/intolerant beliefs (continuing opostition/fear or homosexuality, opposition of birth control, etc)
--I don't like anything that engenders an "Us v. Them" attitude. It's not useful. We're all human and we're all in this together. Nothing promotes "us v. them" more than organized religion.
--Even if I could accept the idea of heaven/hell: The christian idea of a Loving All-Powerful God who will send at least 99% of the world's population to hell because they don't believe in him (or don't believe in him/worship him correctly) is ridiculous.
--Fear/guilt seem to be the primary motivating factors in Christianity, not a big fan of that.
--I could go on. I agree with pretty much everything Asher has said...


Thoroughout recorded history, organized religion (Christianity historically being the dominant religion in the West) has created a great amount of beauty, but even more pain. Much of the philosophy of the new testament is great -- turn the other cheek, love your enemy, etc, but one can live a moral life according to those principles just as easily without the baggage of religion. Basically, I think the most important tenet of Christianity is that of the Golden Rule: treat others as you'd want to be treated. That idea is not unique, or even origina,l to Christianity. I think the world would be a better place without the trappings of organized religion, but with that as the core principle of how one should live.

[Arrian]

Golden Rule

-Arrian

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi
That's how justice works. If we harm someone we should make amends for it, and that usually requires far more then just returning that which was stolen.

Outmoded Christian ethics