Bump: Why the God Bashing?

[ben_at_work]

E. Lois?

[WolverineSyr]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Blir[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by WolverineSyr[/i]
<br>If that doesn't work for you, try looking at pesticide resistant insects, or antibiotic resistant bacteria. That's evolution.
[/quote]
Your former colleague Eric Lander would be proud! [8D] He, as head of the Broad Institute, just published the Chimp genome sequence and associated article in last month's Nature journal.

http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/200 ... chimp.html
[/quote]

Man, I wish I still worked there - that's very, very cool!!!!!!! I was just looking at percentages of shared DNA between species - very cool stuff - we share something like 54% of the frog genome & almost 90% of the mouse genome. No wonder cats & I don't get along. [8D]
I love being back in school!!!

That's an awesome piece on the Dalai Lama, Blir - I really liked that.

[phillyidol]

This thread has totally left me speachless.[:0]

[Quite Life]

Me too

[NuWaveRx]

I've been on the sidelines on this topic, but I decided I'd chime in on some comments.

I personally could care less what anyone believes in, be it God, Buddha, The Force, a Tree, or Jessica Simpson (the latter two within about 2 IQ points of each other). Whatever you use on your path to well-being SO LONG AS IT HURTS NO ONE ELSE, is Okey-doky by me.

The problem, I feel, comes from ORGANIZED religion, which (usually) requires prostelytizing to a)have "non-believers" conform to their precepts and to b)add numbers to their organization, thereby increasing its power and, often, adding to it's coffers.

How many untold millions have suffered and died in millenia past in the name of "Spreading the word". In the case of Christianity it's particularly tragic. After all, I believe Jesus said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you" (Matthew 28:19). I don't remember reading any asterisk by this quote which said, "And if those of other lands do not listen to you, then by all means enslave, torture, and kill them"

It's the ultimate conceit when you think about it. When someone tries to "save you" they're essentially saying, "I am so much better than you, that I'm going to do you the ultimate favor--I am going to save your soul! If you stop doing this or start doing that, which is the exact opposite of what you are doing now, You will be saved. Can't seem to do what I suggest? No problem, we'll just change the law to compel you to obey. No need to thank me for this, all part of the job...."

Excuse me? I don't need or want your help. If I did I would come to seek it. You worry about your own soul. I'll take care of mine. And, if I'm a consenting adult and watching pornography or drinking a beer on sunday, or falling in love with someone of the same sex is ok by me, (and again I'm hurting no one else) then, for the love of, um, God, LEAVE ME ALONE!

Others have commented on religious persecution in this day and age. Yes the inquisition is gone (for now), but as someone who was raised in a certain faith and grew up in an area of a single (different) overwhelming religion that entered into nearly every area of life, believe me, religous persecution is alive and well in certain areas of the U.S.


Finally, for the record: I do believe in God. As someone trained in science, I have no problem reconcilling the two. Why? As others have pointed out here: Faith is just that, Faith. It's not supposed to make sense or be "proven". If I were to start a religion tomorrow, it would have one main commandment: Believe. Faith confounds reason.

[KYYX4ever]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Quite Life[/i]
<br>BTW Beatschool I will be joining my church this Saturday as we go and pass out bible tracks and witness the gospel to the homosexuals at the gay pride parade in San Francisco. We will share with them the good news of Jesus and the gospel and that by God's grace homosexuals can be free from the terrible bondage of homosexual sin. [/quote]

OH NO YOU DIDN'T JUST SAY THAT![:(!][xx(][V][:(]

[Quite Life]

[quote][i]Originally posted by KYYX4ever[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by Quite Life[/i]
<br>BTW Beatschool I will be joining my church this Saturday as we go and pass out bible tracks and witness the gospel to the homosexuals at the gay pride parade in San Francisco. We will share with them the good news of Jesus and the gospel and that by God's grace homosexuals can be free from the terrible bondage of homosexual sin. [/quote]

OH NO YOU DIDN'T JUST SAY THAT![:(!][xx(][V][:(]
[/quote]

Yes I did. Now I could of used discretion and kept this bit of infomation on the down low. But I thought better of it [}:)][8D][:)][:D][;)][:o)] and I decided to drop this info to get a rise out of the politcally correct liberal crowd. You see the problem with you is that you guys are INTOLORENT! you can't tolorate bible christians who tell it like it is. Here's the deal your standard is tolorence you obviously cannot live up to your own standard because in the end you are not tolorent. Me on the other-hand my standard is TRUTH i could give a rats ass about tolorence, as long as I tell it like it is.....


tootles,
jr

[i_like_lectric_motors]

[quote][i]Originally posted by KYYX4ever[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by Quite Life[/i]
<br>BTW Beatschool I will be joining my church this Saturday as we go and pass out bible tracks and witness the gospel to the homosexuals at the gay pride parade in San Francisco. We will share with them the good news of Jesus and the gospel and that by God's grace homosexuals can be free from the terrible bondage of homosexual sin. [/quote]

OH NO YOU DIDN'T JUST SAY THAT![:(!][xx(][V][:(]
[/quote]

I don't understand it either but I do know this much. None of my imaginary friends have problems with gays.

[Quite Life]

[quote][i]Originally posted by NuWaveRx[/i]
<br>
How many untold millions have suffered and died in millenia past in the name of "Spreading the word". In the case of Christianity it's particularly tragic. After all, I believe Jesus said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you" (Matthew 28:19). I don't remember reading any asterisk by this quote which said, "And if those of other lands do not listen to you, then by all means enslave, torture, and kill them"



[/quote]

Great point like you said many were killed in the name of spreading the word. That is many pagans and athiests and cultists like Islam and Roman Catholics did the Pagan-Athiest-Cultic-Islamic-Rominist thing and murder and kill millions of evangelical bible Christians because they were peacefully preaching the word and doing the work of the church.

Thanks NuWaveRx for making such a great point.


[:)],
ql

[KYYX4ever]

Answer me this, then, QL:
can a person be both gay [i]and[/i] Christian? It would seem that your "church" might disagree, but what might the gay Christian think, to tell them they're not ?

[Quite Life]

[quote][i]Originally posted by KYYX4ever[/i]
<br>Answer me this, then, QL:
can a person be both gay [i]and[/i] Christian? It would seem that your "church" might disagree, but what might the gay Christian think, to tell them they're not ?
[/quote]
That is a great question and a very passionate concern not just for you but many in our circle as well. In short if you are saved then you have been delivered from the practice of Homosexuality. If they(gay folks) practice homosexual acts doing what they do then you have to ask were they(gay folks) ever saved in the first place? Just like a bank rober who gets saved stops robbing banks so does a homosexual stops practicing homosexuality when they get saved. Does commiting a homosexual act or robbing a bank send you to hell? NO! but these are things christians do not do. There is no such thing as a gay christian. Once he/she becomes a christian i.e. gets saved he/she is no longer gay. That doesn't mean they dont struggle from any temtation to sin in a homosexual manor same thing goes for the former bank robber who gets saved, he too might struggle with the temptation to grab a HK .40 and go to B of A and rob it blind. The best answer comes from the bible if you have a bible go to 1 Cor 6:9-11.

here I'll post it for you (NIV)

"9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

[KYYX4ever]

Um,
if this individual in question feels and thinks they're Christian, who is anyone to tell them they're not ? They still have faith, right? How do you reconcile their beliefs with those of some dark Ages, stuffy-minded church?

[WolverineSyr]

Fine one to talk about intolerance.

It really disturbs me that the word "christian" has now been appropriated by intolerant, frightened nazi's masquerading as believer's in the religion of christianity.

It bothers me that they have tarnished the word "christian." It bothers me that if I were to now say "I am a christian," I would have to qualify that statement with "but not one of those "christians."

Call it what you want, but your words speak of hate, not christian values.

[IWantMyMTV]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Quite Life[/i]
<br>The first person I’ll respond to will be Egg-Roger. Bible believing reformed Christianity is not about being self-righteous as you claim, but just the opposite. In Christianity you deny you own righteousness because it is filthy rags (Is. 64:6) and believe me if I were to go to God with my own righteousness I would go to hell quicker than you. True bible believing reformed Christianity is receiving someone else’s righteousness i.e. the righteousness of Jesus Christ’s given to the believer’s account by the simple act of trusting in Jesus and NOT by works. Now Egg-Roger I will turn the tables on you. You are a Mormon right? And Mormonism teaches that your works and righteousness determine your status of just or unjust before God. Since you are a Mormon you have pledge an oath or better yet covenanted with a religion that requires you to stand on your own righteousness before God! So then who is the self-righteous one?



Brock just because I don’t answer everyone does not mean it is a loss. There are some people who just don’t listen and don’t care about the truth remember unbelievers suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18). With this in mind you have to have discretion on whom you should answer (Proverbs 26:4-5).


Sincerely,
QL

[/quote]What exactly in your opinion happened to all the souls that died before Christ was even born. There was life BC you know. No offense to Jesus, I believe he was a great man. But the thing religion has turned into is what I don't like.

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a197/cdmaniac/we_two_are_one1copy.jpg" border="0" alt="Image hosting by Photobucket"></a>

[Bitter Almonds]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Blir[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by WolverineSyr[/i]
<br>If that doesn't work for you, try looking at pesticide resistant insects, or antibiotic resistant bacteria. That's evolution.
[/quote]
Your former colleague Eric Lander would be proud! [8D] He, as head of the Broad Institute, just published the Chimp genome sequence and associated article in last month's Nature journal.

http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/200 ... chimp.html

One of the interesting things is his prediction of how many and what type of single nucleotide polymorphism mutations should be in the Chimp genome given what we think we know of evolutionary rates and patterns. The "theories" were dead-on with the newly-sequenced hard evidence - subtle but powerful support for evolution. Nevertheless, Eric, as well as myself, apparently you and many others, also believe in God and can reconcile science and spirituality as not mutually distinct things.

Furthermore, I thought another recent Lander comment about another topic was even more enlightening. It was about the Dalai Lama's response to a question put to him by a scientist who asked about the ethics of using animal tissue or animals in scientific research.

"It would have been so simple for the Dalai Lama to say, 'That is wrong.' But he didn't. Instead he said, 'I can't tell you whether you should or should not do it. There's clearly mixed karma that will arise and will develop 50 years from now,'" said Lander. "He said the karma will depend on the results of the act and the motivation of the researcher. You must ask yourself: What are my motivations? What are the outcomes?'"

"If most of the polarized debates in society could be examined in that way, it would be great. It's interesting that the Dalai Lama would ask, 'What's in your heart?' and include that in the calculus," Lander said.

I'd love to see more of this balanced thoughtfulness rather than the dipshit fundamentalist demagogues polluting Chrisitanity, Islam and many other religions.
[/quote]

I think - I THINK - that the main problem people have with the theory of evolution is speciation and branching off. How does it go from one species into a totally different one? That sort of thing. The question is not whether evolution happened because most scientists worth their salt agree that it did. The major question/revision to the theory is in explaining how speciations happened. If you're into botany and microbiology, this is probably an easy question to research.