<p>I personally don’t really know what I belong in. My family declare themselves Christian so I just usually say the same. I believe there is a God and that’s it. I don’t read the Bible, I hated church when I was younger, I’ve only stepped into a church a few times in my entire life, and I don’t regularly pray. I honestly don’t know much background in the history of Christianity and I just don’t have much interest in religion entirely … Religion is such a sensitive topic as well as politics. I just avoid them both.</p>
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That’s not what I was getting at. Both physics and religion are ways of interpreting our experience, i.e. making sense of reality, which we (or some of us) adopt because we derive a benefit from them.</p>
<p>As an aside, the philosophical assumptions underlying physics (e.g. homogeneity) are actually quite problematic, so the accuracy of physics is not just a matter of refinement.</p>
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<p>I understand that view, but if he does love, then there is a reason. He allows these things to happen, and it doesn’t make sense to us. He also sometimes allows the criminals to escape, the good people to suffer, and I don’t understand it. And he also says no to prayers, and it hurts me a lot. I don’t know why, and I may never know. Whatever it is, whether he loves or not, I believe he doesn’t go around striking children down, but he allows them to happen. Whether out of a better plan or indifference, he doesn’t make them happen, but simply doesn’t stop them.</p>
<p>yep, im a christian, believe in and love God, unfortunately, some of us dont act like were supposed to, not that were supposed to be perfectly divine with no flaws at all. ill admit im not the greatest christian because of my temper and selfishness that kicks in sometimes but i do pretty good most of the time, to the non-christians, dont peg us as perfect cause we KNOW were not perfect, and its alright, besides the nutjobs in florida were not all “holier than thou” to you and tryin to shove a bible down your throat, just here to help and try our best to be like Him bro :D</p>
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<p>But you can’t say “he’s right just because he’s God, even if he allows horrible things to happen”. That’s an incredibly cheap way out. There’s absolutely no reason to allow natural disasters killing thousands of innocent people, allow thousands of innocent children to die from natural causes, allow things like the Holocaust… and there never will be a good reason.</p>
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<p>That’s just horrible. How would you feel if you were being raped in the middle of the street and everyone did absolutely nothing to stop it?</p>
<p>God is far, far worse than any of us can imagine.</p>
<p>You don’t have to insult all sides to start an argument, just by stating that you “believe that the main religions, especially Islam, are backward and discriminating towards people” is going to start an argument…and if you think otherwise you need a major wake-up call. </p>
<p>I think that God has taken a step back from the world and let us, humanity, control our own fate. We can either make or break this world and in the end we will have no one to blame but ourselves. I am not saying any religion is wrong…but simply waiting on a higher power to come fix your life isn’t the answer for anything.</p>
<p>"I’m an agnostic and I really don’t care what you are as long as you enforce your religious beliefs on me. That’s when it starts to get really annoying. When people influence politics with their beliefs to restrict rights from other people, it gets complicated. "</p>
<p>“as long as you don’t enforce*” is what I think you meant =P, but I completely agree, especially with the politics part.</p>
<p>I am agnostic, but I lean more towards the atheist side of things. When it comes to religion so many things don’t make sense.</p>
<p>I wondered how can God damn someone who doesn’t believe in him to hell?
- People replied that God’s “children” are those that believe in him and they will be going to heaven, and that people have the choice. So them comes my argument, what if someone is born in an isolated society and grown up in a different beliefs. What if they have no exposure to Christianity? Are these people damned to hell? What type of God would send his creation to Hell in the first place? Do I really want to worship someone like that?</p>
<p>There are a million other things I question, and they simply come out to be illogical. Not to mention the bible has been written, re-written, and written again. Ever played the telephone game where you start by saying something and end with something completely different?</p>
<p>I just don’t see it, and I doubt I ever will.</p>
<p>My opinion on why Christians still act like non-Christians is because it’s a hard road. I believe God gave us free will, completely free will. That way people could come to him without being puppets on a string. Because that free will is so free, there’s going to be bad things that happen in the world. </p>
<p>We are all fallen people, whether you believe in one god, many gods, no gods, half a god :D…, and there are bad people in this world. That’s never going to change. God promised after Noah’s 40 days and 40 nights in the ark that he wasn’t going to do that again, no matter how much bad was in the world.</p>
<p>I believe God doesn’t want unnecessary suffering, but I don’t know why so many kids die, or why innocent people suffer. I struggle with that question at least daily.</p>
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<p>Let’s think about it. </p>
<p>God certainly thinks at a human level. Due to his actions in the Bible which I won’t go into further detail about, we can come to the conclusion that he thinks like one of us. He can love and he punishes people after they die. Therefore, the argument that God is right because he’s God is just wrong. God thinks at a human level. He is imperfect.</p>
<p>I ask you, what can possible justify this?</p>
<p>^Well I disagree. I think almighty God is flawless. Just bc he thinks at a human level doesnt make him a human. I could think like a 5 year old but that doesnt make me 5.</p>
<p>^ Having emotions is a flaw. It leads to sadness and irrationality, which are flaws.</p>
<p>Therefore, thinking at a human level is a flaw.</p>
<p>The negativity on this thread surprised me. I thought people were a little more tolerant than that. Guess I was wrong.</p>
<p>Anyhow, I’m a strict Roman Catholic. I love my religion, and when I’m twenty one, I hope to become a missionary for awhile in Liberia. There’s a program where you go abroad and work with children orphaned by AIDS. Even if it wasn’t religious, I would still want to go, because I think it’s a worthy cause.</p>
<p>To the OP. Your opinion of Islam appears to be based merely on stereotypes that are created by the media and not on what Islams actually states. Women are discriminated against? Nothing could be further from the truth. In countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan, woman ARE sometimes treated as second-class citizens, but this is a product of the CULTURE, not the RELIGION. In fact, all of the so-called “evils” of Islam are actually forbidden in the Qu’ran, but people for some reason can’t differentiate between culture and religion.</p>
<p>To go into the women issue a little bit, did you know that in Islam, in the case of a divorce, the woman is entitled to ALL the wealth, not merely half? It is also forbidden for men to hit women, under any circumstances. </p>
<p>Islam clearly states that discrimination against women, a race, or another country’s citizens is forbidden. Unfortunately, many so-called muslims fail to follow this rule. Just because the followers of the religion are flawed, it doesn’t mean the religion itself is.</p>
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<p>I live in Turkey, so no.</p>
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<p>[TheReligionofPeace</a> - Islam: Can a Husband Beat His Wife?](<a href=“http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Quran/003-wife-beating.htm]TheReligionofPeace”>http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Quran/003-wife-beating.htm)</p>
<p>Keep dreaming.</p>
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<p>@hauteclere I’m 100% with you </p>
<p>I don’t know if you’ve read this, I tried to finish all of it but it’s too long. It makes a lot of sense God is imaginary</p>
<p>It’s 50 in depth reasons on why the bible doesn’t make any sense</p>
<p>You should be banned for posting incorrect verses from the Qu’ran. In fact, that page you linked is all slander.</p>
<p>Here is the real translation of verse 4:34</p>
<p>[4:34] And to every one We have appointed heirs to what the parents and the relations leave, and also those with whom your oaths have ratified a contract. So give them their portion. Surely, Allah watches over all things.</p>
<p>^ Typical… denying that the verse even exists in the Quran. You made a mistake.</p>
<p>Do you have a problem with the University of Southern California?</p>
<p>[CRCC:</a> Center For Muslim-Jewish Engagement: Resources: Religious Texts](<a href=“http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/engagement/resources/texts/muslim/quran/004.qmt.html#004.034]CRCC:”>http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/engagement/resources/texts/muslim/quran/004.qmt.html#004.034)</p>
<p>3 different translations.</p>
<p>004.034
YUSUFALI: Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband’s) absence what Allah would have them guard. As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (Next), refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them (lightly); but if they return to obedience, seek not against them Means (of annoyance): For Allah is Most High, great (above you all).
PICKTHAL: Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them. Lo! Allah is ever High, Exalted, Great.
SHAKIR: Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded; and (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping-places and beat them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; surely Allah is High, Great.</p>
<p><a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An-Nisa,_34[/url]”>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An-Nisa,_34</a></p>
<p>So yes, it exists.</p>
<p>I believe there is something much greater than us that we cannot and probably will never understand. Whether that “something” is a god or not, I don’t know. I refer to myself as an Atheist, but I suppose technically I’m more of an Agnostic. I’m more inclined to believe in reincarnation than I am to believe in an afterlife.</p>
<p>Wait…so now we are believing everything the internet says about religion? You are basically trying to argue that you, someone who doesn’t practice Islam, knows more about Islam then someone that practices it…because thats what you read on the internet. Your logic has more flaws then there is space in the universe.</p>
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<p>[An-Nisa</a>, 34 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An-Nisa,_34]An-Nisa”>An-Nisa, 34 - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>[Tafseer</a> of Surah an-Nisa, Ayah 34](<a href=“http://www.islamicperspectives.com/Quran-4-34.htm]Tafseer”>http://www.islamicperspectives.com/Quran-4-34.htm)</p>
<p>[Surat</a> An-Nisa’ [4:34] - The Holy Qur’an - ??? ???](<a href=“http://quran.com/4/34]Surat”>Surah An-Nisa - 34 - Quran.com)</p>
<p>I hope this mountain of evidence will convince you.</p>
<p>I’ll stop posting now so this topic doesn’t get closed.</p>