Yeah, pretty much. Usually coupled with him not interfering either, otherwise you're a garden variety theist.

If religion just went as far as deism, I'd have no problems with it. We'd all agree we know fuck all about the creator, if there is one, so just get on with stuff.

It's by far the most rational God belief, one of the few that doesn't contradict science for a start.

(February 13, 2015 at 8:53 pm)Lek Wrote:

(February 13, 2015 at 8:15 pm)DeistPaladin Wrote: Or the religion, like every other part of culture, gradually evolves over time as it picks up from other religions and cultures that it is exposed to. Judea, on the cross roads of three continents and conquered at different times by Macedonia, Egypt and Persia, was probably exposed to outside influences more than other cultures.

So which is more likely:

1. God at first told the Hebrews that there was no life after death and then later said that maybe there's some kind of life after death but we won't go into the details and then finally revealed the whole truth after sending himself down to earth to be his own sacrifice as the only means of convincing himself to forgive us and change his own mind.

2. This religion changed over time as it was exposed to various outside influences.

3. That God's plan unfolded over time.

It would be funny if it wasn't so god damn sad.
2015 and we still have middle eastern sand people brutally killing each other on Youtube because people like you refuse to see the words of primitives for what they are.

You all celebrate your ignorance when you should be truly humiliated.
Why?

(February 16, 2015 at 4:40 pm)Cinjin Wrote: You all celebrate your ignorance when you should be truly humiliated.
Why?

Brainwashing.

Sadly, the side of effect of brainwashing is you can't see how much you've been brainwashed. Even when it's blatantly obvious to everyone around you.

(February 16, 2015 at 4:57 pm)robvalue Wrote: Sadly, the side of effect of brainwashing is you can't see how much you've been brainwashed. Even when it's blatantly obvious to everyone around you.

Where the justice is, the more someone has been damaged, then when they are set free and forgive the past abuses, the rewards they receive to fill that space in their life is proportional to the debts.

So people who only suffer a little, only require a little correction or restitution.

But those who suffered a lot, well, it's like the meek inheriting the earth.

I've noticed it's not so much the good and bad we do in life that determines everything, but how much we forgive that really makes a difference. The harder it is to forgive and work past something to be a better person, the greater the rewards for that effort.

otherwise it wouldn't be fair to judge someone who never had hardship and always had opportunity and support to do the right things; and to judge people born in adverse conditions for having to compromise and struggle to survive. What determines people's character is if we can forgive low blows we are dealt in life; those given more difficult hardships to forgive become stronger characters for forgiving and overcoming those obstacles.

so it works out proportionally. if you notice, people have more respect for those who overcome challenges rather than those who sit around and whine like victims.