I find it very interesting that the normal rational people of the modern world whole(Mostly half) heartedly believe that we were created from a supernatural being with a history full of talking snakes and gigantic habitable fish. Its also interesting how more murders were committed in the name of the same god against other followers of different prophets, than all of the worlds wars. Does it even seem rational the outcome of modern day with such a fantasy of a history. And wouldn't mankind be better off leaving our religions in the past and getting along(or pretending to) with one another

maybe..but then we would have to find another reason for killing each other to fill the void..i just dont know if i'm up to putting in that kind of effort ...i sorta look at it as the hypocrits thinning out each other..just another part of the eco system....

I dont even know how to respond to that,, Most people have had religion brought onto them scince children, and have a natural need to believe in where theyre roots are, weather it be correct or not, weather there is proof or not. Frankly, I believe in Honda! Had my father not been riding his honda motorcycle, My mother would have not wanted to ride on it, and i wouldnt be here. ALL PRAISE HONDA,,Well atleast me!

Thats why I am a member of the Jedi Church.

we should all get along, regardless of what we believe for sure

I agree with Hockey chick, We should (for the good of earth) Get along. Unfortunately, "belief's" will not allow this as theyre often controdicting to one another.

2 Tim 4:3-4

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables .
KJV

Did anyone else not understand that at all?

This is typical of what is found in these religious doctrines.

They shall turn away their ears from teh truth?

The very idea that just because someone doesn't believe in the totally absurd stories of a doctrine doesn't mean that they are turning against that God. If that were true then we'd all have turned against Zeus.

The whole point of those doctines were to make people feel guilty and accuse them of turning against their creator if they don't believe the doctrine is the word of God.

But any rational person can see how absurd that is.

We'd have to believe that God is absurd to believe that God would even use such a pathetic tactic.

I think the question and answers are pretty simple.

Would a genuine loving all-compassionate and supposedly all-wise supreme creator threaten to turn against people if they don't believe in a particular mythology?

I think the answer to that is clearly, no. An all-wise supreme creator would not be that lame.

However, would arrogant men who are trying to force their made-up religion onto people use such tactics? YES! We know they would without a doubt.

So who mostly likely inspired these texts? God or man?

The idea that any God would be peeved with a rational person for not believing in totally irrational stories that make God appear to be a jealous male-chauvinist brat who's at war with a fallen angel and lusts to be the King of Kings of Lord of Lord over only people who are naive enough to believe this crazy story, is nothing short of SCARY!

If that's what our creator is truly like then we're all in a horrible fix whether we believe the stories or not! To believe in this kind of jealous male-chauvinist egotistical God who can't even see the difference between simply not believing something and outright rejecting it exist, is to believe that God is truly pathetic IMHO.

Surely if there is anything at all to these stories they can't be the 'verbatim' word of any God. They might be like 1% divinely inspired wisdom with about 99% added demagogurey.

The idea that any God would reject someone for not believing in absurdies is itself an absurd notion.

You should peruse the Origin of Consciousness in the Break Down of the BiCameral Mind by Julian Jaynes to get a good feel for the role of religion.

This was the entire point of my earlier post that was deleted. We are called rejectionists for not believing.

We are the great deniers. . . To me I find that offensive.

I am not denying anything, I have yet to see anything for which to deny.

When we don't "get along" seems to be when we learn the most.

Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." (Apology 38a). Debate can be an important part of examination.

This is written to the believer not the unbeliever.

They will not endure sound doctrine and turning to fables is thosee who claim to believe.

an example of this turning is Chr-stmas, easter, halloween,lent,all saints day.

These are all fables that the so called believer has turned to and not the word of Yahweh. To them the word of Yahweh is to be rejected.

How else does it say if it were possible even the elect would be decieved. Blessings..Miles