Questions/Doubts you have about Christianity (or Religion in General)

[The Lionheart]

I doubt that I will be able to answer many, if any, of your questions, but I wanted to learn what causes people to turn from Christianity/Religion. Of course, the Christianity part is more relevant to myself (as I am Christian), and that's why I point it out.

But really, I was just wondering specific doubts people had about either the beliefs of Christianity or writings in the bible. No, I don't mean "I don't believe in a big space man" kind of questions. I would like to hear specific things that may have caused you to disbelieve, other than maturity etc. This doesn't have to be for just Atheists though, I know that there are plenty of Christians out there that don't understand everything in the bible.

Sorry, I don't usually post here, I hope I was at least a little bit clear :C

[Trag]

Why are Catholics so anal? My uncle's a priest, and the others in my family are practically extremists. That's probably one of the biggest turn-offs to religion.

[canito_q]

For all religions (specially atheist, i wanna know): What happens when you die

Originally Posted by Dane Cook

When you die, nothing happens

[The Lionheart]

Originally Posted by Trag

Why are Catholics so anal? My uncle's a priest, and the others in my family are practically extremists. That's probably one of the biggest turn-offs to religion.

I wish I could tell you that. If I had been raised Catholic, I would have either changed denominations or left alltogether, I don't like the pope and I don't agree with a lot of their practices.

Originally Posted by canito_q

For all religions (specially atheist, i wanna know): What happens when you die

For the christian religion (depends on the denominations beliefs as to how you get there, but basically it's belief that jesus was god's son), you go to either heaven or hell, but I can't speak for other religions.

[Angel]

to canito: exactly. you go in the ground, and spend the rest of eternity decomposing.

and to lionheart, this is interesting.

i wanted to know what guarantee i had that i was going to heaven if i was "good" in terms of christians, when my own personal beliefs dictate that there is no sin worse than being intolerant.

which is what i would've been had i remained catholic.

[Teiku 5]

i tired this once and i got trampled. would you mind if i helped you answer questions Lionheart?

[The Lionheart]

Originally Posted by Angelus

and to lionheart, this is interesting.

i wanted to know what guarantee i had that i was going to heaven if i was "good" in terms of christians, when my own personal beliefs dictate that there is no sin worse than being intolerant.

which is what i would've been had i remained catholic.

To tell you the truth (through my experiences), I honestly don't believe you get to heaven through your deeds. When Jesus was on the cross, there was a man being crucified with him, and Jesus personally told him "...today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43). The man believed in Jesus, and was sent to heaven.

However, that's not a "get out of jail free card". You can't openly just disobey God and be like "oh hey i believe in jesus its all good". We have flaws, God understands that.

As Christians, we are supposed to live how God wants us too, but (in my beliefs, and I have a feeling other Christians disagree) it's not a requirement.

And as for tolerance, most Christians today have precious little. Reasons I don't like the pope. God's number one commandment is to love one another, and a lot of people don't seem to realize that.

Originally Posted by Teiku 5

i tired this once and i got trampled. would you mind if i helped you answer questions Lionheart?

Not at all.

[jozi parue]

I have a question: Whats with people being so desperate about trying to fit religion into modern day science. Everyone are still trying to keep it going. They say they have miracles, but what they call miracles are nothing but lies. When I was 16 I asked 30 enforcers of Christianity what they had for miracles. 3/4 said I couldn't even understand the spirituality of it. Then 1/4 gave me the worst answer ever: "my god-mother died and I was crying. I hear stair-way to heaven the next day." One even answered they saw the name of their lost one on a billboard. They think if they give people these bogas's are "miracles." They think people will believe them and be more religious. Everything we have to thank for today is scientific: cures for disease. The church and other Christendoms tried to disprove everything that science had to over years to go. But when people disbanded from the church they started to look at science in a different way. The church got desperate, and tried to fit things in.

Do you know that we would be far more advanced if it wasn't for the mid-evil years: where Christianity was the strongest?

[Teiku 5]

Originally Posted by Trag

Why are Catholics so anal? My uncle's a priest, and the others in my family are practically extremists. That's probably one of the biggest turn-offs to religion.

i've never experienced that actually (i'm Baptist) but i can guess that most Catholics are Catholic by name and not by practice. i know a lot of "Catholics" don't actually go to church and study the Bible.

note: Catholics are Chirstians, they just have a slightly different sets of views that ARE BASED off (a somewhat twisted) Bible

Originally Posted by canito_q

For all religions (specially atheist, i wanna know): What happens when you die

According to the Bible: if you REALLY are a Chirstian (you've accepted Chirst, admitted your sin, and trust in Jesus and God; none of that lipservice stuff, there has to be a change in your heart), then you go to heaven to live forever

if you aren't a Chrisitian, you'll be judged just as everyone else but you'll go to Hell (according to the Bible). its punishment for the sin

Originally Posted by Angelus

i wanted to know what guarantee i had that i was going to heaven if i was "good" in terms of christians, when my own personal beliefs dictate that there is no sin worse than being intolerant.

which is what i would've been had i remained catholic.

there is no way to get to Heaven except through Jesus. Mother Teresa would have gone to Hell when she died if she wasn't Chrisitan. God sees all the "good things" we do as filthy rags (i can get the verse if necessary). if you were to literally translate "filthty rags", it would be "dirty tampons." no joke.

[The Lionheart]

Originally Posted by jozi parue

I have a question: Whats with people being so desperate about trying to fit religion into modern day science. Everyone are still trying to keep it going.

I can't answer for other people's opinions. Sorry. I don't try to fit religion into modern day science.

They say they have miracles, but what they call miracles are nothing but lies. When I was 16 I asked 30 enforcers of Christianity what they had for miracles. 3/4 said I couldn't even understand the spirituality of it. Then 1/4 gave me the worst answer ever: "my god-mother died and I was crying. I hear stair-way to heaven the next day." One even answered they saw the name of their lost one on a billboard. They think if they give people these bogas's are "miracles." They think people will believe them and be more religious. Everything we have to thank for today is scientific: cures for disease. The church and other Christendoms tried to disprove everything that science had to over years to go. But when people disbanded from the church they started to look at science in a different way. The church got desperate, and tried to fit things in.

I honestly don't understand most of that paragraph :[. I can tell you that I can't prove that miracles happen, and you can't disprove them. And again, I don't understand all of this "church trying to fit things in," as people where I live don't do that.

Do you know that we would be far more advanced if it wasn't for the mid-evil years: where Christianity was the strongest?

You can ask many what ifs about the past, and nobody can answer them for you.

[Teiku 5]

Originally Posted by jozi parue

I have a question: Whats with people being so desperate about trying to fit religion into modern day science. Everyone are still trying to keep it going. They say they have miracles, but what they call miracles are nothing but lies. When I was 16 I asked 30 enforcers of Christianity what they had for miracles. 3/4 said I couldn't even understand the spirituality of it. Then 1/4 gave me the worst answer ever: "my god-mother died and I was crying. I hear stair-way to heaven the next day." One even answered they saw the name of their lost one on a billboard. They think if they give people these bogas's are "miracles." They think people will believe them and be more religious. Everything we have to thank for today is scientific: cures for disease. The church and other Christendoms tried to disprove everything that science had to over years to go. But when people disbanded from the church they started to look at science in a different way. The church got desperate, and tried to fit things in.

Do you know that we would be far more advanced if it wasn't for the mid-evil years: where Christianity was the strongest?

Do you know that someone asked Jesus to prove himself by doing a miracle on the spot and he told them to go away because of their disbelief? Christianity is about faith, not facts.

Note: Did you know Evolution is about faith too? Because I have never seen a monkey change into a human, nor have I seen the all the intermediate stages of 1/8 monkey-7/8 man, 1/4 monkey-3/4 man, etc. It takes just as much faith to believe in evolution as it does in Christianity. A lot of things in the Bible can be explained too. I heard this great lecture on the flood once. I can explain how the animals fit on the Ark if anyone cares to know.

Also, Christianity is to "blame" for most of todays morals. if it wasn't for Christianity we'd probably still be like the Romans with rampant sex, killing babies, and no value for human life.

[Donna da Ragione]

Originally Posted by Teiku

Do you know that someone asked Jesus to prove himself by doing a miracle on the spot and he told them to go away because of their disbelief? Christianity is about faith, not facts.

The apostles have asked for proof and he gave it to them. So Jesus is not above giving evidence in some situations.

[bullshit about evolution]

Educate yourself, please.

A lot of things in the Bible can be explained too. I heard this great lecture on the flood once. I can explain how the animals fit on the Ark if anyone cares to know.

Can you explain how the insects and plants survived? Why the animals didn't kill each other? How they travelled from and back to islands? I could go on but there's no point.

if it wasn't for Christianity we'd probably still be like the Romans with rampant sex, killing babies, and no value for human life.

You're exaggerating the Romans, but no, community creates the moral base.

[Teiku 5]

Originally Posted by Donna da Ragione

The apostles have asked for proof and he gave it to them. So Jesus is not above giving evidence in some situations.

the only time i can remember the Apostles asking for proof of anything was Thomas not believing that Jesus had risen from the dead, so Thomas was allowed to stick his hand in Jesus' side where he was pierced. i dont remember a single miracle done just to prove Jesus' power. if there was one, please remind me where.

Educate yourself, please.

educate myself? please. i probably know more about evolution and i go to a Christian school. Did you know that Evolution says that everything came from a rock? cuz all that primordial ooze or soup or w/e ya wanna call it, that the first cell grew in came from the rain raining for thousands of years on rocks. just don't step on your uncle when you go outside if that's what you believe.

Can you explain how the insects and plants survived? Why the animals didn't kill each other? How they travelled from and back to islands? I could go on but there's no point.

I'd be glad too. Noah was commanded to take "every kind of creature that crawls on the ground," namely insects and "every kind of food that was to be eaten," namely plants. beyond that most insects can handle flood waters and a lot of plants can grow back from seeds that were in the ground before floods. The animals were most likely in cages and (you won't like this answer but oh well) don't you think God could have calmed the wild animals down. also who says that the animals were adult animals. baby animals would have been 100 times easier and saved lots of space too ;). I'm suprised coming from an Evolution point-of-view, you've never heard of Pangea?? and even if Pangea wasn't the case, don't you think animals can just as well spread across land by themselves?

but lets hit something you failed to ask (surprisingly since it's usually peoples' top question). "how did all the animals fit on the boat? i mean theres thousands if not millions of species of animals." theres two simple solutions to that, that will even make the biggest evolutionist shut their mouth. the Bible clearly says that Noah was told to take two of every kind of animal, the word for species isn't used. Noah didn't have to take labrodors and pit bulls and golden retrievers....he just had to take 2 dogs. so if Noah only had 2 dogs, and 2 cats, and 2 turtels, etc, there would have been PLENTY of space on that boat. then when the animals disembarked, the different species could have been created other time. have you ever heard of a "puggle"? its the brand new dog breed. dont you think a couple thousand years would have given enough time for different speices to come up?

You're exaggerating the Romans, but no, community creates the moral base.

oh community! how could i forget? you mean like the Roman community, the Aztecs, the Canaanites....I could go on! but why don't you just look at this >>> Human Sacrifice : Top Ten : Science Channel

but those are all so ancient. why don't we look at modern examples? let's see. the Middle Easterns are killing themselves and others out of hate, theres genocide in Africa (the oldest "community" there is) which was started by the Muslims, and we all know how China's government is just a pillar of excellence and morality. have you ever heard about those communities in secluded jungles that have never talked to the known world? a lot of them pratice cannibalism! joy for community, right?

community can't create anything unless it has a moral base to start with.

[Forever Atlas]

These type of threads never get anywhere :/

[Teiku 5]

no, no they dont Forever Atlas, but they're still worth it every once in a while