Quote Originally Posted by X
Quote Originally Posted by luvfightgame
Quote Originally Posted by X
I find it hard to reconcile the childish religious image we have of a kind and just God with the reality of the world around us. I find it simplistic to think that there is a Good one (God) and a Bad one (Satan). Religious mumbo jumbo is responsible for so much pain and suffering now and in the past.

The Churches are pretty evil - 'only I can communicate with your god, and only through me will you get everlasting life (!). Therefore I will set myself up and this will be my job, for which you will pay me money and I will tell you how to live your life. Also, only our way is right and everyone else is wrong and must be either converted to our way of thinking or they are an enemy' Stone Age stuff.

Why do humans always think they are the 'chosen ones'? If the universe is infinite, then there are an infinite number of different species out there. Yet God made us 'in His image'. I don't think so. All cultures have a creation and religious myth, so therefore it is likely that 'aliens' would have as well - until they simply grow out of it of course.

The Bible was written by people with a vested interest in it, they were primitive societies (yes, even Rome). many of the stories are allegorical and people who believe that this could possibly be the literal truth sound misguided to me.

Creationism being told as part of the national curriculum now in some States in the US? (except they have rebranded it 'intelligent design' ........ shocking.
Do you really want to address those questions or are you just giving your opinion? Your statement that many of the stories are allegorical, which ones? And how do you know? By the way EVERYTHING is written by someone who has a vested interest. Do you think text books are written by people with vested interests, how about newspaper articles? It's very humorous to hear people say that these were primitive societies when the languages they used were much more advanced than ours.
I'm giving an opinion - I am not sure whether anyone who posts on this forum, or anyone full stop, is able to definitively address the questions to everyone's satisfaction. I am certainly not!

About the allegorical bit, it's common ground that many Bible stories (particularly the parables) are allegorical. ....... and you're right, I don't know for certain as I was not there as a witness! How can anyone know - was your question allegorical? I think with hindsight my underying point was that the words are not there to be taken literally. The usage of numbers in the Bible, for example, are there to make a point rather than to record that 151,322 Assyrians were slaughtered by the Angel of the Lord

I agree with you that everything is written be people with a vested interest. You sound like you're making a point - I am agreeing with you here.

I am clearly too thick to understand your point about sophisticated languages. Parts of the Old Testament were written by a nomadic society with very limited technological advancement, traditional ruling mechanisms and variable rules of law. These were primitive societies by any definition (I am not saying their languages were crap, nor that they were not our intellectual equals). Any written outputs reflect the state of society prevalent at that time, the Bible messages were useful to them AT THAT TIME (ie don't eat pork, it contains parasites, don't eat shellfish, you may get poisoned, don't wank as we need all the babies we can get etc)

What I posted was purely an opinion, just as what everyone else has posted is essentially, when it comes down to it a question of opinion.... or faith ("The assured expectation of things to come from the evidence of things not yet beheld" That's in Hebrews!!)
You're definitely not thick, just sarcastic in your comments. I could address the questions you posed, doubtful they will be to everyones satisfaction, but I can address them reasonably and with viable solutions to the problems. Again, I am certain not everyone would agree. As far as the allegorical, I beleive that it is very clear which are allegorical and which are to be taken literal. Of course it is a different topic, but again one I wouldn't mind debating. I think it requires it's own thread, and I won't open it, that way I won't be accused of "forcing my opinion on other people".

The statement about primitive societies is still an opinion. They accomplished some amazing feats for being technilogically limited, the pyramids, stonehenge, etc... The wonders of the world that are still visited today, and amazingly are still standing. Are you saying that the current legal system is more effective? Are you aware that over 2000 laws are passed per year? Do you really believe the current political system of rule is effective? Has it grown better, or gotten more corrupt? I think if you weight things on the same scale you will be very suprised....