What's your problem with christianity?

[gitonga]

Hi my name is Gitonga im 17 and i live in kenya im new and today i would like to hear atheist views on christianity and what the biggest conserns are by hearing questions and hopefully giving answers. I'm not out to convert or condem anyone i'd just like to hear some views and give my own. Second, i don't speak for ALL christianity but just my own personal view..since im new i havent read all the forum rules yet but i hope this post is okay by the rules.

[pocaracas]

Well, you didn't technically break any rules... that I'm aware... but the folks like it if you first introduce yourself in the intro zone.... That place is a bit more sheltered for new guys

My problem with christianity is the same with all other myths: there's no shred of evidence (outside of people's minds) for the existence of any god. Given that, why should I, or anyone else, accept the notion that such an entity exists?
Given that it looks a lot like a man-made concept, why should I assume that it represent reality?

That's enough food for thought for a first reply to you.
Welcome and Enjoy the forum!

[Whateverist]

Yep, welcome to the forum. (I'm assuming some passing moderator will magically transport us to the intro zone. Thank you, Glenda.)

I don't have any problem with Christianity. It is one of the things which people have believed down through the ages and right up until today. For those of us who are not Christian, it becomes an issue when Christian groups seek to impose their biblical teachings on the rest of us. Other than that, live and let live.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

No problem with Christianity at all. Each unto their own and all that.

I have issues when people use un-evidenced beliefs to attempt to infringe on my freedom and equality (eg. religious-centric laws that grant exemptions for religious organisations [tax breaks]).

I have no problem with people believing whatever they want so long as they don't force others to believe it to, or attempt to convince me that they're right without bringing anything remotely resembling evidence to the table.

[gitonga]

My problem with christianity is the same with all other myths: there's no shred of evidence (outside of people's minds) for the existence of any god. Given that, why should I, or anyone else, accept the notion that such an entity exists?

well is'nt that the hole point of a belief? that it has'nt been proven? otherwise it becomes a fact..do you believe that a christian God Could exist? emphasis on the could

[festive1]

A big problem I had initially was which version is the right one? Is it the Catholics? Episcopalians? Baptists? Methodists? Or one of the hundreds of other branches, or even subdivisions of a particular branch?
That was the beginning for me. Then when I learned how the Bible was compiled... So much room for error. Then there's the issue of what the Bible contains: talking snakes, a vengeful, genocidal god, so many contradictions, so many rules and regulations, and each sect has its own views on which rules are "true" rules that need to be adhered to... I gave up trying to figure it all out and chucked it.

[gitonga]

A big problem I had initially was which version is the right one? Is it the Catholics? Episcopalians? Baptists? Methodists? Or one of the hundreds of other branches, or even subdivisions of a particular branch?

well the way i see it is there is no right or wrong way as long as they believe in jesus being God other than that i think the rest are just formalities about how they go about things. Infact the church i go to was founded by methodist anglican and presbiterian..only example i can relate this to off the top of my is a push up, there soo many versions..close arm wide arm shoulder width spider push ups, diamond push ups..but as long as it works the shoulders triceps and chest and involves a pushing motion etc then its a push up, there is no right or wrong one just different

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Then when I learned how the Bible was compiled... So much room for error. Then there's the issue of what the Bible contains: talking snakes, a vengeful, genocidal god, so many contradictions, so many rules and regulations, and each sect has its own views on which rules are "true" rules that need to be adhered to... I gave up trying to figure it all out and chucked it.

please expound on the room for error...Talking snakes? if you've never seen a parrot before would you believe me if i told you it could talk?? As for the genocide not to be impolite but to me that counts as genetic fallacy: looking at how things were as opposed to how they are now...the genocides are over at least to the best of my knowledge. As to the adhering of rules there's a funny story to that told by joseph prince he said that the isralites said "there's nothing God Can command us that we can't do" and God listed all the rules in the bible to show them that they can't make it to heaven on their own that was the whole point of getting saved

[popeyespappy]

do you believe that a christian God Could exist? emphasis on the could

Yes there could be some vaguely defined intelligence that set the wheels of the universe into motion. However I believe it it more likely that was the result of some natural process we don't understand and have no reason to believe such an intelligence exists. As far as the God of the Bible goes the answer is no. There is no possibility we were created in the image of some being that then chose the Jewish people as something special then sent himself in the form of a human child to Earth to be sacrificed in order to save us from sin. There is no possibility that god exists.

[gitonga]

do you believe that a christian God Could exist? emphasis on the could

As far as the God of the Bible goes the answer is no. There is no possibility we were created in the image of some being that then chose the Jewish people as something special then sent himself in the form of a human child to Earth to be sacrificed in order to save us from sin. There is no possibility that god exists.

how is there no possibility? i thought in science everything is Possible till proven impossible. i think you mean unlikely. Cause at the end of the day there is no Conclusive proof that its true or not

[festive1]

[quote='gitonga' pid='449362' dateline='1369396917']
well the way i see it is there is no right or wrong way as long as they believe in jesus being God other than that i think the rest are just formalities about how they go about things. Infact the church i go to was founded by methodist anglican and presbiterian..only example i can relate this to off the top of my is a push up, there soo many versions..close arm wide arm shoulder width spider push ups, diamond push ups..but as long as it works the shoulders triceps and chest and involves a pushing motion etc then its a push up, there is no right or wrong one just different
[\quote]
Don't tell some Christians that... They'll tell you you're going to hell, true story.

[quote]
please expound on the room for error...Talking snakes? if you've never seen a parrot before would you believe me if i told you it could talk?? As for the genocide not to be impolite but to me that counts as genetic fallacy: looking at how things were as opposed to how they are now...the genocides are over at least to the best of my knowledge. As to the adhering of rules there's a funny story to that told by joseph prince he said that the isralites said "there's nothing God Can command us that we can't do" and God listed all the rules in the bible to show them that they can't make it to heaven on their own that was the whole point of getting saved
[/quote]
It's called the Council of Nicea. Let's assume the books of the Bible were devinely inspired by god. The Council of Nicea decided which books would be included in the bible. This happened in the 7th century. There were many books that didn't make the cut. How do we know the entire Council was devinely inspired? What if they chose the wrong books? Were the books they left out devinely inspired? If so, isn't that bad? If not, how did they differentiate between which books were Devine and which were not? Then the Church decided to destroy all the other books that didn't make the cut... Why? If they weren't Devine, how would they pose a threat. This is, in part, why the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls was so important, they are parts of one of these books that didn't make the cut. Furthermore, this was for the original Church, which split into Catholic and Orthodox, many Protestant sects deny the "Christian-ness" of these churches, yet they are the ones who chose which books all those Protestant sects were eventually based on. That's just problematic.