Believing in God

He makes a very good argument for Jesus existing and for the resurrection. If that was true then that's Christianity and God exists. You will alway bring some bias towards reading anything

A good argument for the resurrection..... right - and so god conveniently manages miracles and a resurrection for the good book then but has done nothing ever since as the world goes to hell.  Don't buy it I'm afraid.

Vicar, it seems Dawkins has very good reason not to want to waste his time with your man Lane Craig as he explains here

And to be honest, judging by the views Lane Craig seems to hold, I'm not sure you really want to be holding him up as a shining example of Christian theology - he sounds like just the sort of OT-defending, creationist, bigoted idiot that gives religious people a bad name. Check out this...

Quite the enlightened one isn't he?!

I was chucked out of the Scouts when I refused to attend church. Something about the atmosphere with all those apparently rational human beings praying to some supernatural entity gives me the bloody creeps. Surely someone should be looking after these people.

Someone really needs to explain to me why the god-squad (in the media and in the US) have SUCH a massive problem with homosexuality.  Seriously - aren't there more important things to care about than what folks get up to in the privacy of their own homes.  And don't anyone dare quote the bible - because we all know that you can cherry-pick  to condem or condone just about anything.

I have to agree with GymAddict - if an all loving all forgiving god does exist, surely he would not condem the gay and lesbian society and who knows, if he created man in his own image, perhaps he was a little bi curious!!

kittenkat wrote (see)

What is the deciding factor that influences belief or non belief?

Personality, upbringing, trauma, illness?

What do you think?

Whether the person is naïve enough to fall for a fraud, or not.

Look at Jonathan Edwards as an example of someone who was brought up to believe in God until one day he realised there was no evidence of his existance. He'd never even questioned the subject until then and had just assumed God existed because other people said so.

We're lucky we can have this discussion, only a few centuries ago we would have been burnt at the stake as heratics and witches by the lovely god fearing benevolent christians! And probably would still "disapear", in Islamic countries.

Which is the main reason for these two thousand odd year old cults to have survived so long, fear, if they were started today the authorities wouldn't let them kill non belivers, at least not in this country, maybe.

I see absolutely no difference between the cult of Jesus (who I do believe existed, just he was an ordinary if not clever bloke who had the gift of the gab) and people like David Koresh and charles manson.

GymAddict wrote (see)

Someone really needs to explain to me why the god-squad (in the media and in the US) have SUCH a massive problem with homosexuality.  Seriously - aren't there more important things to care about than what folks get up to in the privacy of their own homes.  And don't anyone dare quote the bible - because we all know that you can cherry-pick  to condem or condone just about anything.

How about they're own insecurities about their own sexuality or a dislike for anything different? It could also be that the church itself is struggling with the concepts and how to deal with them and so the individuals aren't sure what attitude to take. Its can also be an emotive subject because of individuals attitudes regardless of whether they believe in God or not.

I was at a bible study group a few years ago and the subject of homosexuality came up. The leader of the group acknowledged that the issue had come up but asked that we leave the subject as it could be quite emotive.

As the T in LGBQT I've been dealing with this with the church I go to for a while. The issue of sexuality did come up in conversation with our vicar and his wife due to me being married.

Just going to the church I attend I throw up things for people to consider because my relationship with my OH should go from a heterosexual one to a lesbian relationship to people looking in. How they deal with that will be interesting to see.

It will also be interesting to see how people react next Sunday at a special service that the church is putting on. A lot of the people that will be attending wont have seen me in the best part of a year because I go to a different service now.

I wondered if it was because the church gives bigots a slight veneer of respectability for their predjudice.  As to actual existing church members who are not bothered either way - then they are perhaps reluctantly persuaded if the minister is carismatic enough to sway the argument.

I was an evangelical bapist in my young adulthood and the way they dealt with homosexuality was one of the things that started the process of me questioning my faith.  

The RC church's stance is easier to understand I suppose - they are just opposed to anything and everything that does not promote a)women know your place and b)have lots of babies.

C of S and C of E - those are the ones that I wish would just grow a pair of balls and call the dissenters out on their pathetic behaviour.

I won't even touch on the situation in the US because I think a lot of them are as crazy as fruitbats and about as intelligent.

Some of the church goers I've met are so lacking in empathy that I assume they go because they have too. Either that or they're just trying to get their kids into the 'right' school. I see these people and think, 'that's right, repent you sinners'. As for sheer hypocrisy how about that Churchgoer in South Africa or America who shot dead a guy in the street while on their way to making a deal with God; no doubt at a price.

I think the general message in religion has been lost in translation, the people who hold sway are sometimes a little too extreme, as a kid in the 60s going to Catholic schools that were run by Nuns I was given all manner of punishment including the cane by three different people, Headmaster, class teacher and the head Nun, because in a general discussion, I asked why were Nuns in charge of school kids when they don't have their own. No one gave me an answer, but the reaction I suppose told me all I needed to know. I guess looking back at the Catholic church it proved me right to some degree.  

Sorry forgot to add to the general discussion if a God does exist I don't think he'd be too impressed with those left to uphold his word on his behalf.

When people look at religious leaders who are basically so badly wrong on so mnay fronts it's no wonder people don't believe any more, as they are given no reason to believe.

You should have sued for assault.

Hey maybe I could ker ching!!

You'd only have six years from when you become 18, otherwise it would be statute barred. You could have sued till you were 24 I suspect, though no one did back in those days. It's amazing that teachers had this idea they were free to assault you without any legal consequences.

It would be great to go back to your old school and say, "Here's a court summons, you violent bastards!"

Teachers! the worst were the Nuns, sadistic doesn't come close, but it was all in someone else's name so it's OK

EKGO wrote (see)

as a kid in the 60s going to Catholic schools that were run by Nuns I was given all manner of punishment including the cane by three different people, Headmaster, class teacher and the head Nun, 

I'm so glad that attitudes have changed in schools and that corporal punishment doesn't happen any more. I never had the cane but I know a few people that got given the cane or the slipper. I'd hate my son or neices to have to go through that.
I wonder how someone would have faired if they had taken their school to court for assault.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_corporal_punishment#United_Kingdom

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