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Religion is by design not moderate. Do it our way or go to hell is more or less the point isn't it? What is the point of believing in god if you don't do the things he asks?
I believe 'picking and choosing' is a human prerogative of any aspect of cultural or religious belief systems. You engage with what works for you.
A bit like picking overdrive pedals...
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One of the fundamental tenets of Christianity, for example, is that it's impossible for a human to know God's mind. Therefore...by picking and choosing, you'd be breaking that and no longer able to call yourself a true Christian.
Of course, the more rational approach is to realise that almost 100% of Christianity's teachings were actually malleable and reflective purely of the society that hosted it. The same goes for most other religions...the difference is that Christianity adapted through a number of different societies before its book got set into stone, so there are more influences than most (and, therefore, more contradictions).
14 Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.
Ah, with you.
My understanding of the argument is that god is the ultimate source of objective moral values, not that belief in god is required in order to be moral (since your belief would have no bearing on god's existence or non-existence).
Since Christianity holds that God created all people "in his image"- that is, with aspects of God's nature and character- it would follow that societies (or individuals for that matter) with no belief in god to exhibit those characteristics regardless.
Don't talk politics and don't throw stones. Your royal highnesses.
But...God's infallible, so that can't have happened.
Like I said - contradictions See above
No, both just say that certain objective moral values exist, and that all people know "instinctively" (for want of a better word) when something they have done or said adheres to or contravenes those values.
Don't talk politics and don't throw stones. Your royal highnesses.
So, to borrow a phrase:
"off topic for this pish"
:-)
So then comes the really difficult part if you don't believe - whats the difference between someone who believes in Jesus and someone who believes in "mother earth" or small gods (see Terry Pratchett) where are the boundaries and who far is belief allowed to go?
As a good friend of mine once said: "We're all going to die so let's be nice."
Again, the bible says that actually all you need to do to go to heaven is believe in Jesus.
Any scripture read out of context is pointless to quote. It becomes meaningless.
If Devi Ever turns out to be Jesus, then we're all fucked.
Well in OT the verses often cited are:
Leviticus 18:22: " Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination." 3. Leviticus 20:13: "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." 4.
NT doesn't really make much mention of it, if at all although Jesus does reference a genesis verse about marriage being between a man and a woman. Hence in some circles the "church" being against Gay marriage.
The NT from a Christian point of view is the only part of the bible that matters and as you say the only requirement is to believe in Jesus. So, Jesus himself was against religion (as born out by the Pharisee / temple episode), requiring only belief.
This though all gets mixed up. With many christians citing OT verse to justify many homophobic or sexist views as they believe that both OT and NT are the word of God, where as Christianity is really supposed to be built around NT only, with Jesus dying for our sins and us being able to seek forgiveness.
But strip away the religion and all you are left with is a belief system - which is demonstrably no better or worse than anything else you may choose to believe in. Which is why religious institutions like to cling on to the religion bit.
My senior school tried to get me to believe in religion but even at a young age I thought it didn't all sound very transparent. I said it's not for me, so they labelled me a resistor. They said Jesus loves you, it's true. Bypass, that's what I did. I said ' I don't believe ', they said 'IC'. They thought I'd lose my way, end up wearing a cap and smoking the pot, being a bit of a jack-the-lad or a right case. I told them I didn't need religion, I just didn't want to sing their chorus. I didn't delay, I left the school and it gave me a right boost. The head master said I'd live a life of sin if I rejected religion. I said, don't be a cry baby....and don't think any of it will stay in my memory, man.
I was then free of sin and free of the burden of guilt. I could choose my own morality and had free will for the first time in my life. Now, what were those russian big muffs I'd heard all about?