In Reply to: Re: I don't see the problem with Paul posted by Perry on May 10, 2005 at 14:39:10:
Hey Perry,
Yes all of these things are very hard issues to deal with. I could argue all of them for or against. The bible did say that God accepted responsibility for making all things which includes good and evil. I think the following around these points.
I think there can only be one god, creator. Generally, large numbers of world population believe this. There is no absolute proof specific to each individual's experiences in this life. It always becomes a matter of faith in the end. In some ways it is a real bummer as many take advantage of other's faith through lies and harmful actions.
I think everything has been said at one time or another and I see no lack of value if past points of view are examined again. I like to learn something from everything, even repeats.
I have had my share of hating God for parts of my life and bad things. I too have hated the concept of original sin but when I look objectively I now see the concept as simply being born on the planet.
The degrees of sin bits I think have been totally f**k*d-up by the religionists. It makes for a really great control tool to keep others in line as you drain them of their life-force. Vampires they are, each and every one of those religionists. I think that a wrong is a wrong even though it pisses me off at times that this is so.
Again if you accept the premise that Jesus was divine it is important to note that he also said that he had 'many' sheep to gather. I notice that Jesus mainly spoke harshly to the established religionists. Bless his use of words only, left to me I would have been staking those sob's in their hearts one after the other! The ones who never fail to place terrible burdens on others.
I don't think questioning and not trusting things is always a lack of faith. Critical thinking is a tool like all of the tools we have as human beings. I spent five years in post-secondary education and I have seen positive and negative applications regarding critical thinking. Some men worship education more than life itself. Others do not but use it as the tool it is. I guess I think that there is a balance to that some-where.
It was not a good day for religion that at one time the catholics killed anyone who believed the world was flat or that the earth revolved around the sun. They called them heritics and burned them alive. Protestants too are no angels as the famous Martin Luther was a huge hater of the Jews and felt they should be driven out of society or killed. If you got too frisky with your mouth in protestant history they might just nail your tongue to a plank for a while. Unfortunatly a modern monster used Marty's writings on the subject as part of a package that killed millions.
I don't think the religionists or the cults have ever been right, especially that prick berg and his jolly perverts. They have all seemed to get to the love of power, money or influence sooner or later. I don't care who agrees or does not agree with me as it is my point of view. I don't mind discussing it and I suppose I can be as just as blabby and opinionated as the next fool.
In a way I don't want to apologize for God. I believe in one God in the divinity of Christ. It is an article of personal faith. I also refuse to believe it is OK to use this faith to grade people or treat others badly. I have failed in my belief many times. I have hates and dislikes like anyone else and I try hard not to be consumed by them. As I was seriously abused by Catholic glergy as a child at one time I wanted to be God's personal angel of wrath on the church. If it was not for Christ's words to love others I think I would now be covered in the blood of those that offended me as I have held murder in my heart many times. I am sad I have felt this way but I am not going to lie about my feelings. Like the bumper sticker prayer says, 'Jesus protect me from your followers'.
I basically agree with you and the author that there is a lot of terror in historic and current 'Cristianity' I think that is why Jesus said the truth was such a narrow band. It just goes against my Romulan-Vulcan logic that there is more than one ultimate creator. [forgive me I like Trek and Dune]
I also read American history and I was looking at Brady's Smithstonian pictures of the civil war. The pictures showed thousands and thousands of living people at that time and what their life was like. It really struck me hard that every single person I saw from unsung civilians through to big time generals, famous merchants and leading politicians were dead and gone from this life forever.
In the face of this common mortality for us all I have come to accept and believe the concept that created good and evil exist. I guess the frigging big problem for all is that it is often difficult to tell which is which.
Happy Trails
Rocky Top