And just think of all the money people could give to other charities now that they've freed up 1-10% of their income.
Do church charities do some good work? Yes.
Are they irreplaceable? No.
What happened to the Christian church?
- Thread starter Danoz
- Start date
And just think of all the money people could give to other charities now that they've freed up 1-10% of their income.
Do church charities do some good work? Yes.
Are they irreplaceable? No.
Consider many give because they believe God commanded them to. Without the stick would they continue to give? It is up to the indivdual congregation if the giving goes to church upkeep, pastor and musician salaries or to good works done to spread the gospel.
If they wouldn't then they are giving for the wrong reasons.
Possibly but like tax money giving for the right or wrong reasons it is still there to do go or bad with. And without the stick, the federal agent or angry God there may be less money.
Very few churches HATE gays. They may not agree with their lifestyle, but hate is a totally different concept.
Some good?
Are you kidding?
A large chunk, and perhaps a majority of charities, service groups, community helpers, etc. have a connection to a church or group of churches.
most of those people are motivated by what they feel is their God-given duty to serve and help others. I don't think a disillusionment with religion will help very many people become more charitable and donate more, or even the same.
CaptainHawk1
Commodore
You just can't refrain from attacking those who have Faith, can you?
-Shawn
You just can't refrain from attacking those who have Faith, can you?
-Shawn
I'm not attacking anyone, just the "Faith" itself. If it is so solid then
those of "Faith" should not have a problem with it being confronted.
And "Faith" and "Belief" are not exclusive to "Faith" or "Belief" in "God".
CaptainHawk1
Commodore
By attacking someone's Faith, you are attacking them, whether you want to believe it or not. I'm not quite sure of anyone that believes God is a "Magical Floating Sky Pixie." It is offensive to even suggest that.You just can't refrain from attacking those who have Faith, can you?Well at least the Federal Agent isn't a Magical Floating Sky Pixie...
... or is he
-Shawn
I'm not attacking anyone, just the "Faith" itself. If it is so solid then
those of "Faith" should not have a problem with it being confronted.
And "Faith" and "Belief" are not exclusive to "Faith" or "Belief" in "God".
Nobody gives you a hard time about your lack of Faith.
-Shawn
You just can't refrain from attacking those who have Faith, can you?Well at least the Federal Agent isn't a Magical Floating Sky Pixie...
... or is he
-Shawn
I'm not attacking anyone, just the "Faith" itself. If it is so solid then
those of "Faith" should not have a problem with it being confronted.
And "Faith" and "Belief" are not exclusive to "Faith" or "Belief" in "God".
Yes, yes, but the point remains that you not so subtly submitted that God was a magical Floating Sky Pixie.
I am not offended, and you can certainly hold your views, but mocking others views insecurity.
CaptainHawk1
Commodore
Indeed... the mocking is uncivilized.You just can't refrain from attacking those who have Faith, can you?
-Shawn
I'm not attacking anyone, just the "Faith" itself. If it is so solid then
those of "Faith" should not have a problem with it being confronted.
And "Faith" and "Belief" are not exclusive to "Faith" or "Belief" in "God".
Yes, yes, but the point remains that you not so subtly submitted that God was a magical Floating Sky Pixie.
I am not offended, and you can certainly hold your views, but mocking others views insecurity.
What offends me is the absolute lack of respect. Exhibit a little dignity, already.
-Shawn
Mockery? If I told people I believed in the Tooth Fairy
I am sure I would be laughed off the board.
I don't see anything to respect. The Church and it's
believers in "God" have brought us wars, misguided
societies and atrocities towards Human rights.
I do hold my dignity, by holding to logic and reason.
I am sure I would be laughed off the board.
I don't see anything to respect. The Church and it's
believers in "God" have brought us wars, misguided
societies and atrocities towards Human rights.
I do hold my dignity, by holding to logic and reason.
Your disrespect of our beliefs changes nothing. Just because you don't believe, doesn't mean that a belief in a God that has been worshiped for milennia is foolish. Of course, the world makes sense when viewed logically and scientifically, but it's so much more wonderful to view the world as a creation to study and learn from, rather than something that just happened at one point to study and learn from.
I don't believe in a sky pixie or anything so foolish.
I believe that God created the universe in 6 days and rested on the 7th. I believe that He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. I believe that we were created to glorify God. He gave us free will, and we sinned, and as sinners we could no longer live in the presence of God the Father. He loves us so much that he needed to provide us with a way to return to Him. So He sent Jesus.
If you study the Bible, you will see that every prophecy from the Old Testament about Jesus was fulfilled in the New Testament.
Jesus was perfect, and He took upon Himself the punishment for all of our sins. Everyone . . . even those who have never heard His name. He suffered and died, and came back to life three days later. It was a difficult thing to do . . . He created the universe by speaking it into existence, yet Jesus had to die in order to forgive us.
He did all that for us, so now all we need to do is believe that Jesus came do forgive us, and that he died, and was resurrected, and accept the truth of that forgiveness.
you may read all that and see an illogical story that's so ancient and ridiculous and you'd have to be a fool to believe it, but I am no fool. I do believe in it.
God gave us logic and reason, because that's a part of our free will. The existence of God is plain to see, but it can't be proven . . . what seems like a weakness in the Judeo-Christian worldview, God's existence can't be proven, is a key element to our beliefs . . . because if God could be proven to exist, then our free will would be irrelevant. We have no choice to believe what can be proven scientifically. but that leads into the whole evolution/creation debate etc so I'm afraid that's all the time we have for tonight. Tune in next time!
I don't believe in a sky pixie or anything so foolish.
I believe that God created the universe in 6 days and rested on the 7th. I believe that He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. I believe that we were created to glorify God. He gave us free will, and we sinned, and as sinners we could no longer live in the presence of God the Father. He loves us so much that he needed to provide us with a way to return to Him. So He sent Jesus.
If you study the Bible, you will see that every prophecy from the Old Testament about Jesus was fulfilled in the New Testament.
Jesus was perfect, and He took upon Himself the punishment for all of our sins. Everyone . . . even those who have never heard His name. He suffered and died, and came back to life three days later. It was a difficult thing to do . . . He created the universe by speaking it into existence, yet Jesus had to die in order to forgive us.
He did all that for us, so now all we need to do is believe that Jesus came do forgive us, and that he died, and was resurrected, and accept the truth of that forgiveness.
you may read all that and see an illogical story that's so ancient and ridiculous and you'd have to be a fool to believe it, but I am no fool. I do believe in it.
God gave us logic and reason, because that's a part of our free will. The existence of God is plain to see, but it can't be proven . . . what seems like a weakness in the Judeo-Christian worldview, God's existence can't be proven, is a key element to our beliefs . . . because if God could be proven to exist, then our free will would be irrelevant. We have no choice to believe what can be proven scientifically. but that leads into the whole evolution/creation debate etc so I'm afraid that's all the time we have for tonight. Tune in next time!
but respect and logic, no matter how you twist them never call for mockery nor scorn.
For sure, those that have twisted religion in the past have caused "wars, misguided societies and atrocities".
But plenty of strife and conflict has come from a lack of religion or had nothing to do with religion at all. Furthermore, many wars and conflicts and feuds never developed because one or both sides adhered to a religion.
So please don't throw out the baby with the bath water.
So the second half of the book proves the first half to be true...
Right.
Then some sort of sermon.
I'm convinced. I believe in the Tooth Fairy.
Right.
Then some sort of sermon.
I'm convinced. I believe in the Tooth Fairy.
You make your faith public, I can mock it...some sort of deal if you want.
(trying to find an appropriate smiley)
Okay.
Captain X
Rear Admiral
This is to what I'm referring:
Emphasis mine. Not believing in gay rights would constitute hating gays, which is why I suppose the idea of churches closing might appeal to some people. I'm indifferent to churches closing, but the judgmental attitude most Christians have is what turned me away from organized religion. This bit about the "mega-churches" is just another example to me of how hypocritical Christians can be even about their own supposed beliefs. Like the part about Jesus throwing the money-changers out of the temple in disgust, or how the Bible says prayer should be a private thing that should be done behind closed doors, and not loudly out in the street (the evangelicals come to mind there, though churches in general also apply). Then of course there are the rather nasty parts of the Bible everyone likes to pretend don't exist, and the atheists love to quote-mine in their rants against religion.
