Do you believe in god?

[BANGKOK RED]

And if you think I am imposing my beliefs on my daughter, I re-iterate.  She can make her own mind up when she is mature enough to do so.

[Samdy Gray]

Thanks. That's all.

[cheltred69]

If indeed its indoctrination thats not right, but I'm sure most schools are well aware these days to not present religion as a set of incontravertible facts, particularly as they are invariably dealing with multi-cultural communities with a variety of faiths (as well as agnostic and atheist parents).
From my observation most kids are able to grow up with a balanced view of the world and equipped to make up their own minds as they mature.  This may involve exploring ideas and even embracing religion to a degree for a temporary or longer period.
I've always made my opinions abundantly clear to my kids and so has my wife (though they're not the same) and they've grown up as mature independently minded individuals who I wouldn't say have been brainwashed by either of their parents or any particular outside influences.  In short the most important message to give is that they are free to make up their own minds - well that's my opinion anyway!

[BANGKOK RED]

Let's rewind a bit

If any religious institute could pose a reasonable argument that they are right, or even a bit right, then I would be all ears.

I think I'm in for a very, very long wait.

[cheltred69]

But surely you know this is all about opinions - why else is it referred to as faith?  There can't and won't be any firm evidence either way (unless you're bringing in creationism) so live and let live.

Though I must say that I do object to the believers who think that its so important to persuade others that their views are the truth.

[Simon Pieman]

Why doesn't anyone worship the Greek or Roman gods anymore?

[reeves4england]

I'm a Christian, as many will know from previous threads like this. Some interesting discussions here, although nothing beyond the usual half-baked arguments from both sides of the debate really.

My parents aren't Christian, I didn't go to church as a child, I wasn't taught anything about the Bible... but as a teenager I started learning about the Bible and it made sense to me.

Just as an observation on the discussion so far, I'd say most of the objections people have to the Bible are for the following reasons...

1) They don't understand what it's saying - the message being conveyed, the point of each book of the Bible, the key ideas... Part of my job is to spend time studying the Bible in-depth pretty muich every day of the week, and I still don't claim to have a particularly amazing grasp on a lot of it
2) They make assumptions about where the texts come from and how it was put together without ever actually finding out the facts
3) They forget that it's centre point is the reports on the life, death and resurrection of a bloke called Jesus

These three are of course all linked, and as I mentioned before, I think that poor Bible teaching is largely to blame. The same could be said for the crazy right-wing Bible belt weirdos in the US, as well as anybody who thinks they can predict when the rapture will happen.

[BANGKOK RED]

Why doesn't anyone worship the Greek or Roman gods anymore?

I do

I have a penchant for Bacchus

[Coca Fola]

I do

I have a penchant for Bacchus

Ahh Bacchus. The Miami drug dealer you have to kill in Driver 3 . Good memories.

[sonicyouth]

I just wanted to post some XTC.




(I also happen to strongly agree with the sentiment behind the song)

[deltaincline]

I'm a Christian, as many will know from previous threads like this. Some interesting discussions here, although nothing beyond the usual half-baked arguments from both sides of the debate really.

My parents aren't Christian, I didn't go to church as a child, I wasn't taught anything about the Bible... but as a teenager I started learning about the Bible and it made sense to me.

Just as an observation on the discussion so far, I'd say most of the objections people have to the Bible are for the following reasons...

1) They don't understand what it's saying - the message being conveyed, the point of each book of the Bible, the key ideas... Part of my job is to spend time studying the Bible in-depth pretty muich every day of the week, and I still don't claim to have a particularly amazing grasp on a lot of it
2) They make assumptions about where the texts come from and how it was put together without ever actually finding out the facts
3) They forget that it's centre point is the reports on the life, death and resurrection of a bloke called Jesus

These three are of course all linked, and as I mentioned before, I think that poor Bible teaching is largely to blame. The same could be said for the crazy right-wing Bible belt weirdos in the US, as well as anybody who thinks they can predict when the rapture will happen.

Fucking hell. A TEF bible basher just waiting for the right moment to pounce!

Reevsy, sorry to shatter your illusion, but you're full of shit. The bible is a tome of complete bollocks, literally made up to control the populace at the time.

Virgin birth? Yeah, right. More like some old slapper who took one on the sly.

Some old dude sitting up top, watching eveyone (at the same fucking time, no less), waiting to cast them into hell if they do wrong or don't conform to his list of 10 sins? Bullshit.

Grow some balls, face life, yourself and the world, form your own opinions and stop peddling ancient bullshit.

[Highland Robin]

Religious beliefs have caused and continue to cause bad things to happen in the world.  Noone can dispute that.  So have a lot of other things.  That's because they involve human beings, and we tend to fight each other over things we think are important.  And the problem with religion (in all its forms) is that it is about ultimate truth; and actually, despite all the obvious problems over recent years (Ireland, Al Qaeda, Israel/Palestine, weird American Christian sects which preach hatred), there has been huge progress in understanding between different faiths, and generally they are forces for good rather than bad in the world.  Just look at how many of the organisations working in our communities have grown from Christian roots.  Schools are an intersting case.  People are queueing up to get into faith schools.  Proselytising is not allowed in schools, but introducing children to what the different faiths believe and why is not unreasonable.  But actually I don't think parents want to get their children into church schools because of the religious education.  Rather it is because the overall standard of care for their children is deemed to be good.  I wish that was so in every school, and I personally do not think church schools are a good thing.  I would rather that Christian (or other faith) teachers brought whatever it is that is good into every school as a service to the community.

But as to the truth.....well, its different from fact.  I live in the hope there is more to life than what we experience here, and that the possibility of some sort of fulfilment, as an individual and for the world, does exist.  And that fulness is what I call God.

[dave_bambers_right_sock]

Surely if god did exist he wouldn't have let poxford have a football team

[china red]

I think that God and religion are two different things and that the idea of a celestial being creating the world and all the people on it is just a ridiculous concept. 

I am very cynical when it comes to religion and believe that as an institution it has been used as a way to control, scare and manipulate the mass populace.  Religion is just a business, used to get as many customers as possible in an effort to gain power and wealth for those in charge and using its followers in an attempt to eradicate the competition.

When I was a kid I went to church of my own free will, I was also invited about ten years ago to live in a buddhist temple for a month and a half.  Most of the people I met were following the ideas passed down to them by either their parents or society without really questioning why they were going to church every sunday or kneeling and praying in front of an of Buddha.  Also most of the people were hypocrites when it came to following the rules and regulations of being a member of their chosen faith.

Does God exist?  Who really knows.  But I have faith that he doesn't and if he did he certainly wouldn't have created this fucked up world unless he was really sick and twisted and enjoyed watching suffering and pain.

 

[herthab]

I'm not religious at all, but wouldn't be as arrogant to dismiss a Higher Power just because I had no proof they existed.

The question of what type of God would cause all the misery in the World is simple though: If a Higher Power exists and created the World, maybe they've just left us to get on with it?

If people find comfort and solace in believing and following a religion, where's the harm? Once again it's people that corrupt and distort things, The New Testament is all about love and tolerance, I doubt those that wrote it expected it to be used in the way it has (The Crusades being just one example).

What we need to remember is live and let live, which can be summed up in this thought provoking passage:

 'Now, the world don't move to the beat of just one drum,
What might be right for you, may not be right for some.
A man is born, he's a man of means.
Then along come two, they got nothing but their jeans.

But they got, Different Strokes.
It takes, Different Strokes.
It takes, Different Strokes to move the world.

Everybody's got a special kind of story
Everybody finds a way to shine,
It don't matter that you got not alot
So what,
They'll have theirs, and you'll have yours, and I'll have mine.
And together we'll be fine....

Because it takes, Different Strokes to move the world.
Yes it does.
It takes, Different Strokes to move the world.'

Worth thinking about, eh?