I don't clearly remember many of your posts on here, but a lot of people who mind their own business get caught in the crossfire between outspoken religionists and anti-religionists. Life isn't fair.


And yet... you remind me of someone who posted on here that homosexuals shouldn't be allowed to adopt. Was that you?

If so: well I think at that point its appropriate to point out any flaws found in your belief system, as you'r advocating for a position which could effect other people's autonomy.

Some already are.

Well, now you know how nonChristians feel when their beliefs are being CONSTANTLY refuted by the Christians.

They get real tired of it too.

At the same time, when I first saw this thread I fell on the floor laughing. I mean some of this stuff stepping back and looking at it is just hilarious. Here's a group of people that have no history. Their just flying by the seat of their own cosmic spiritual pants and they really think that any body who has studied at all is going to tremble at their statements of chipping away, and the other things said. I mean on one side it's sad that people would be so cruel but on the other it's pretty darn funny. I just got to the point that I said forget it, I'm just going to love them. I'm not in grade school blowing spit balls.

ya catch more bees with honey,,

or is it you kill more bees with Raid...


I dont know,, what were you saying again?....lol



when all else fails, love and laugh

Yes I did say that. But that has nothing to do with being Christian. I still felt that way when I knew there was no God a few years ago.

Why is it if I have a stand on an issue, it must be because of my Christian faith?

I believe gays adopting is a bad idea because you have two mothers or two fathers. You don't have a living example of both sexes and how they interact. I believe from a societal standpoint we are better off with a mother and father raising children. My faith does not come into play in this belief. By the way, I think a single parent has the same problems only more so because they don't have anyone else to help in their daily lives.

But because so many are angry with Christians over the gay issue, the fact that I am Christian is all they see and won't listen to what I say because of that.

Q:"How can you say you accept me and are tolerant of me and say I believe in a lie at the same time?

A: Because I love and respect you and other people enough to believe that they deserve a chance to know the truth.

I'm not talking about the truth of God or the truth of existence, I'm talking about the truth of your own history and the truth of what is written in the Bible and in other popular history books.

A: And because you are not your beliefs.

I accept you as a person. I respect your moral values and how you treat others.

What you believe is not what you are, especially if you believe in false information. People can change what they believe and they are still themselves.

A person can only be given the opportunity to explore other options and considerations and evidence. Whether they want to seek the truth or challenge their own beliefs is a personal decision.

I do care, but I respect your right not to listen to me when I offer alternative considerations. Just say no thanks. Don't feel insulted. If you have no questions, you need no answers.

I have more questions. I ask them. People get angry. That is not my doing. You are responsible for your anger and for your beliefs.

I am responsible for mine.

I want only truth.

MG

And now you reveal what you believe.

(But what you believe is NOT who you are.)

Why, "specifically" do you find this topic hilarious?

Does anyone have irrefutable proof that the story of Abraham is true?

No, they don't. If they did, it would be a history book taught in schools.

And yet there are several religions based on that fiction that are today as we speak threatening to slaughter each other!!

Peace will come when (and if ever) the Bible and the Abraham story are totally discredited. That may happen in our lifetime, so prepare yourself.

Many will refuse to believe when proof is offered.

By then, it may not even matter. All dissenters will face persecution like they have never seen before in the history of the world.

Many will refuse to believe when proof is offered


in other words,, nothing will change on either side of the debate, unless the standard for 'proof' becomes universal and absolute at some point,,,

One would hope 'nothing will change..."

That would be the best case scenario.

so you've no point to make? just laughing? where's the love, man???

the bible, koran, etc., all scripture has been discredited as far as i'm concerned for over a half century now. what we find to be incredible is an individual thing. i found religion to be increadble long ago.

seems everyone wants to be right in their beliefs and this bickering over who is right or wrong feels like a misguided rant when all he ask of us id to LOVE and be the Light.

Peace Love and may God bless

Love is fine.

Just don't use it as bait to pander your religious beliefs.

interesting point. is it possible for there to be universal and absolute proof of anything? if so, what would be an example of universal and absolute proof of anything, not necessarily god. i'm talking about proof of something that we have not ourselves actually experienced.

Why would you throw spit balls at people who are questioning ancient stories?

No one is throwing spit balls at you mg. But you sure seem to be spitting them out without a problem when you say:



You're making a personal attack toward the actual people who are voicing their views. You're not addressing the actual topic. You'd rather throw personal spit balls evidently.

I have legitimate reasons for concluding the the ancient Hebrew stories are nothing more than man-made fables.

And when I suggest that these are my conclusions this is in no way throwing spit balls at you. You didn't write those stories!

Those stories make claims and charges about all humans.

Well I'm a human. I have a right to confront those charges and renounce them as being nothing more than the false accusations of a male-chauvinistic society that made up a jealous God in an attempt to get me to cower down to their level of ignorance.

I don't but into it.

And that offends you?

It shouldn't.

You're the one who's getting all bent out of shape about this.

I have no problem renouncing the Bible.

You're the one who seems to have a problem with that.

without personal experience, nothing can be absolutely proven, without FAITH in the integrity and reliability of ones sources,,,,IMHO

From my perspective it is both healthy and necessary for people to voice the reasons why they reject the charges made by an ancient rude and crude society that claims to speak for God.

No one should accept their claims lightly and without sufficient questions.

As humans we should all embrace the questioning of these ancient religious claims. To suppress them or pass them off as mere "bickering" is to SILENCE them.

These ancient religious claims need to be questioned.

After all, if they are indeed false, wouldn't you want to know that TRUTH?

So it's not a "misguided rant" at all. It's a sincere search for TRUTH.

Passing it off as a "misguided rant" is an insult to the sincerity of the person who questions this religious dogma in the first place.

Exactly.

When I state that I think the Biblical story is false and Abraham and all his decedents are pure fiction I have a good reason for this belief.

Unfortunately I get personally attacked for my views which is against forum rules.

If a person feels personally attacked when I tell them that the information they happen to believe is false, they should look at my reasons why and at my evidence. But instead, they attack me personally.

I have a right to share the information I have and express my opinions and beliefs.

If yours are 100% right then mine are wrong. If mine is 100% right then yours is wrong. Big deal.

Don't attack the person. Look at the information.

hmmmm

searching for the truth sounds good and all but,,,


do you ever wonder why some people will ask a question(causing you to presume they dont have the answer yet, unless its rhetorical), but then be immediately SURE of what the answer ISNT?


there is , in all of us I think, a basic gut that leads us to become attracted to those answers that are in line with what 'bits of truth' we have already decided upon,,,,


,,,no question really(the question mark is for a rhetorical), just a thought,,,,