Why I'm Still a Christian

[robvalue]

Welcome back Lek! I want to say I am really impressed with your decision to go think things through. Of course I'm going to still violently disagree with most of your remaining conclusions, and will be happy to debate them so you should desire, but the changes you have made are very positive and you are moving towards enlightenment.

I would consider you a friend. I bash ideas on this forum, not people. I find some things you believe to be horrible, but I know why you believe them. And honestly, I don't think you would go through with a lot of things you profess to believe in a real situation. That's just my opinion. I think you are a better person than you give yourself credit for, and your conscience would step in. I certainly don't think you'd hand your kid over to be essentially murdered by "faith healing" or other fake treatment just because they said somehing about jesus. I wonder have you changed your opinion about that? Basically, even if you say no, I don't actually believe you would do it because I have more faith in you than that. (Faith, he said faith! Ahaha!)

Anyhow, welcome back, and I look forward to more fruitful discussions. You are making progress to being a better person. Of course I don't expect anyone to just drop all their beliefs at once, or even ever become an atheist. But there is always room for improvement within any belief system, and you are definitely moving in the right direction.

Regarding "sin": sin is just what God doesn't like. If God doesn't like homosexuals, then he doesn't like part of his creation and is taking it out on that "faulty" creation. Where as in reality, homosexuality is a part of evolution, it's entirely natural, and there is nothing "wrong" with it. All it reflects is the prejudice of bygone age, which sadly still lingers today. But I feel your attitude towards this is softening, so I'm very impressed with that.

And regarding marriage, assuming you're in USA or Europe, marriage is entirely a government matter (as far as I'm aware). The church has no authority. All they can do is provide a venue, and someone to sign the marriage certificate. If the church just "weds" two people, without the certificate, they are not legally married. So the church can refuse to "wed" gays, that is fine. But the government can and should wed them, because the church has no authority over the legality of marriage. If your country isn't functioning this way, then it should be, in my opinion. Why should non-christians be subject to christian ideas of marriage? Would you bow down to what a Muslim tells you your marriage must include, or not include? If a Muslim says God demands you can't be married because of such and such, why should you care?

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When I say violently disagree, all I mean is I have very strong opinions. I in no way am trying to suggest an aggressive or angry stance, because I am neither of those things, and I don't feel that way towards people when I use that language. It's probably a phrase I should stop using!

And I'm very impressed on accepting evolution, that is an amazing step and an acceptance of reality. Bravo!