So, I used this quote as a point in another topic I started and I decided this quote alone could get many opinions and thoughts... so let me know what you all think...

The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.

— Brennan Manning

I agree whole heartedly with this... I first heard this almost 13 years ago when I bought the album Jesus Freak by DC Talk it is stated at the beggining of the song what if I stumble...

I agree totally

Atheism only exist because God doesn't ....

Hypocracy? That's nothing new and it's effects on others is nothing new. Jesus admonished the Pharisees for their hypocracy and that was near two thousand years ago. You'll find hypocracy in every religion on earth, even the atheist "religion".

Absolutley you will. I'm not deneying that. It is just irritating as hell to have at one point in time someone beating me over the head with religion the turning around and stealing stuff from wal-mart or something...

"BobbyJ" to refer to Atheism as a religious belief just shows how delusional the thinking may be ...because what does religion and the tabacco companies have in common ..each know that if you program people while they're young that you will have them for life in some shape form or fashion ..so is Atheism a religion or just those chosn few that haven't been program to fear a God for the rest of their life

What is religion but any number of people who express the same belief or faith in something. What is an "ism"? You've heard of Protestantism, Catholism, Judaism, all religions. What about Atheism? A religion, absolutely! The only difference is in who the "god" is. For Christians, it's the Trinity. For Jews, i's Yaweh. For Atheists, it's science. Atheists push far more fear in their faith in science than any religion has in their "god". Need some examples? Watch out for the next asteroid, the next burst of gamma rays from an all too close super nova, the next 9+ earthquake, the next tsunami, I could go on and on. Yes, Christianity and many religions do promote the fear of God as incentive for moral living. Atheists (albeit more than just atheists) promote the fear of science (i.e disasters just waiting to happen) as incentive for moral living. I don't see much difference.

I believe most atheists to be lawful persons just like most non-atheists. Yet many of the basic laws that atheists follow have come down through the teachings of religion and fear of God. An interesting thought isn't it? Atheists don't care to acknowledge that they already follow many of God's laws. Food for thought!

Those who believe in and fear God have nothing to lose in their beliefs and everything to gain while atheists are in lose/lose situation. Suppose atheists are right, there is no God? Well, who will ever know they were wrong? On the other hand, if there is a God and atheists are wrong? I, for one, just want to see the shocked look on their faces when they make that discovey!

This argument will always go on and never change. No matter what your beliefs are. When it is all said and done, each will discover one way or another who was correct in their thinking.

We have hyprocicy because we're men, sinful men. We all fall short of the glory of God, most of all me.

I am absolutely nothing without God's mercy and God's love. Hypocricy, war, famine, disease. It exists. Doesn't mean God doesn't love us and doesn't mean God isn't God.

You'll see that a lot in the Psalms. There's a lot of crying and wailing over what God is allowing to happen and then the Psalmist turns around and praises God for being who he is.

I find it kind of interesting and inspiring.

I don't see a lot of hypocricy. I'm not looking, I guess. I'm pretty much worried about my own life and concerns, I reckon, because in the end, that's really all I have influence over.

If someone wants to be a hypocrite, fine, I'll let him. I might tell him that the Lord loves him or ask them if the Lord is blessing them today, but I'll pretty much leave them alone.

If they're stealing, I might report them. Probably would, as a matter of fact.

I'd like to set a good example and I would hope people would tell me when I'm not doing so. Then, I could adjust fire, you know?

At any rate, it's just my two cents.

God Bless You now and always.

Geo.

"BobbyJ" "isms" are merely concepts that lead to the construction of a soceity ....they are ideas of thought to construct reality with and to help the society run ...it doesn't mean a God exist ..just the ideal of a God's existence to aid in the harmony of the society ...

well God create men like that so did God commit sin or created Man as the sin ..



"yashafox" ...this is just self-loathing or low self-esteem ...is that why the bible push the issue that Man was created from dirt so believers can feel like dirt .."yashafox" I'm just saying it's no reason to think that you are worthless ..I think evern the belief calls for you to believe that God has a reason for you ..



yes those are the way everyone should show their love

the problem occurs when people look to other people to justify their unbelief.

people fail. as Christians we are supposed to be an example of Christ...but we are human, and sometimes we screw up.

so why not go to the source. instead of watching fallible people, go to the source of the belief.

that brings to mind the question:
'who's the bigger fool?
the fool, or the fool that follows the fool?'

if you look to people and their bad behavior to try and justify your non-belief, you are copping out.

if you really want to know, go to the source.

that's like asking a man who's been divorced over and over, how to have a successful, healthy marriage.

it's just non-sensical, and you are merely seeking excuses for the purpose of making your own point.

"BobbyJ" "isms" are merely concepts that lead to the construction of a soceity ....they are ideas of thought to construct reality with and to help the society run ...it doesn't mean a God exist ..just the ideal of a God's existence to aid in the harmony of the society ...


Exactly!

You forget that god is a jokester, he creates us and then tempts us contantly to do wrong so he can then judge who gets into the end zone. Hypocrisy is part of the game.

Nope. God does not tempt us, satan does. God allows the temptation but never allows us to be tempted more than we can handle with his help.
It helps read the bible before bastardizing it perhaps?

What is most important is that we respect one another's beliefs, whatever thay may be, and not create anger or hate by using one's own beliefs to belittle anothers.

Hypocrites are with us in every facet of life and they always will be.

"Think none harm, do none harm."

"BobbyJ" see that is the myth of belief ..it's nice to say that everyone is entitle to their own beliefs but that only applies if they keep the belief to theirself ...

one simple belief left unchecked can destroy the world.. so it's up to everyone to challenge any belief once someone or something or some enity uttered it write it or turned that belief into an action

if God did not exist, then atheism as a belief and a definition would not exist.
atheism as you like it only has any relevance because you have the free will to NOT believe that God exists.

without God there is no atheism.

however, without atheism, there is still God.

Atheism is just a concept of those that haven't given in to the mass delusion of the existence of an a unseen God that is incomprehensible to the human senses

This is the most uninformed personal opinion I’ve ever heard.

All atheists are not scientist and all scientists are not atheists. Trying to make a link between atheism and science is absurd.

Christianity has a problem with science because scientific observations conflict with the biblical story. But science wasn’t out to conflict with anything. Science is out to search for truth. And the truth is that intellectual observations of the universe we live in are in direct contradiction with the Biblical stories.

But the answers should be simple.

How many people would deny that God wrote the universe? God’s supposed to be the creator of the universe!

So why then does anyone still believe that an ancient book that was clearly written by men and conflicts with what the universe actually reveals to be true.

Let’s not forget, the biblical authors thought that God created heaven and earth and that the earth was the focus of creation. We know now that those authors had no clue whatsoever. Not only is the earth not at the center of anything, but there are over 70 sextillion other stars just in the observable part of the universe.

Clearly the authors of the Bible had no clue what the real world was like. It obviously isn’t the word of the creator of this universe. The creator of this universe wouldn’t have been ignorant of his own creation.

I used to have the same views you do. Man! I am glad that changed. Going around angry all the time trying to convince the world that you are enlightened and they are stupid. Funny.Have you gone out to speak against ALL religions or just Christianity? How do you sleep at night with so much hatred?