Christian answering questions too!

[Edwardo Piet]

[abaris]

Incoming reply:

"The serpent didn't look like a snake until after god cursed it."

Aha...

People in the Middle Ages beg to differ. Apart from the head of course.

[TheRocketSurgeon]

What's your favourite type of Heavy Metal?

Metallica for sure!  Harvester of Sorrow and For Whom the Bell Tolls, One, song wise, pretty much everything album from Garage Days on back.  I did catch Motley Crue at Donnington Park I believe it was for their Dr Feelgood tour.  I think I still have hearing loss from Tommy Lee's drum solo.   GNR when I was in school.  Would have liked to have went to the reunion concert in Vegas this year.  Didn't think that would ever happen.  Loved the Monsters of Rock concerts in the UK in the 90's.  Metal, Zeppelin, anything from the 70's is what you will find on my iphone and ipod.

What is your favorite Heavy Metal?  I can only assume you were implying music.  However I love welding and prefer the MIG process on mild steel, its I do not have the coordination to TIG stainless.  Gun to head, I would say iron is my favorite heavy metal.

Okay, I officially like this guy. He even gets our style of sarcasm!

Well done, sir. And excellent taste in music. (I too have trouble TIG welding stainless steel. Grr. Try working with titanium, sometime!)

[LadyForCamus]

[TheRocketSurgeon]

You don't know much on snake anatomy either, do you? They don't even make for a satisfactory dildo. Much too flexible to be up for the job.

Incoming reply:

"The serpent didn't look like a snake until after god cursed it."

Generally, the "serpent" is taken by most Christians as a slur against Satan, in describing him by his nature instead of his physical appearance, not as a literal snake. Of course, the snake is a common theme in pre-Judaic religions of the region, so it's hardly surprising to us to find it in the Genesis tale, since so much else in Genesis appears to have been borrowed from the Sumerian myths.

[abaris]

Generally, the "serpent" is taken by most Christians as a slur against Satan, in describing him by his nature instead of his physical appearance, not as a literal snake. Of course, the snake is a common theme in pre-Judaic religions of the region, so it's hardly surprising to us to find it in the Genesis tale, since so much else in Genesis appears to have been borrowed from the Sumerian myths.

Very similar theme in the Gilgamesh epic, by the way. The snake, the garden, the temptress. Hmm, wonder where the Israelites got that from. Same as the flood and the boat, which is almost the same to the letter in Gilgamesh.

[PETE_ROSE]

I don't understand why people are Christians.

I understand why they believe the religion is true, but I don't understand why they then choose to be a part of it. (Disregarding peer pressure and abuse from society and such.)

Is it just to get rewards and to avoid punishments? Is that fundamentally the reason? I don't think I've ever heard anything sensible beyond this. If the rewards and punishments were removed, how many Christians would be left?

They want to worship the being that is threatening them with punishment? I really don't get it. If I thought it was real, I'd tell that being to fuck out of out of it.

  For me I had questions.  Where did we come from?  Why are we here?  Where are my loved ones that have departed this life?  What happens when I die?  I would consider myself a learned person, and I did not accept the answers that many churches have.  I looked at science and knowledge based things and many of the major religions in the world.  For me only the bible and Christ could tie all of those things together for me.  I really see the arguments against certain aspects but the more I look at it the more I honestly believe that science and the bible do not contradict each other.  Moreover, I find myself finding the bible is confirmed by science. 

 I do not follow Christ for rewards or out of a fear of punishment.  I understand that could be the perception many take away after a cursory examination.  I can only speak for myself however.  I fully agree with the concept of who would worship a being that is threatening them with punishment.  However, I do not believe this is the message found in God's word.  I would characterize it partly as a promise for justice.  The Lord does not force anyone to worship him.  I think a relationship and love between two people or with the Lord has to come freely and cannot be forced.  I would sincerely hope that I would be left as I truly do not believe I follow Christ out of a fear of damnation or for the promise of any reward in the next life. 

I have a good friend who believes he has taken an honest look at Christianity, tells me he believes it to be true even though he does not agree with God's motives or reasoning, and says that he is making a conscious decision to not have anything to do with it.  He is a great guy and from my perspective would not have to change his lifestyle or give anything up like many people think they would.  He just says he doesn't agree with it and chooses to go his own way.  I can respect that.  I feel for him because I am afraid he may regret that decision in eternity for the obvious reasons.  That is what I struggle with more than anything, is knowing people I really care about, (according to what I think may happen to them), will not be spending eternity with me.   

[Minimalist]

Genesis 4 verse 1 seems to think that Adam was Cain's father.

Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.”

Perhaps it means "the lord" stuck his dick in there, too.  Maybe he liked it enough to go rape Mary later on?

[robvalue]

OK, thanks for your answer Pete I can't understand your reasoning but I appreciate your sincerity.

[drfuzzy]

Incoming reply:

"The serpent didn't look like a snake until after god cursed it."

Generally, the "serpent" is taken by most Christians as a slur against Satan, in describing him by his nature instead of his physical appearance, not as a literal snake. Of course, the snake is a common theme in pre-Judaic religions of the region, so it's hardly surprising to us to find it in the Genesis tale, since so much else in Genesis appears to have been borrowed from the Sumerian myths.

Borrowed from earlier myths, sure.  And I have been told since I was a child that Satan possessed the snake in the garden and made it talk.
But if you go with that, then Genesis 3:14: "And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life."  -- Well, god isn't talking to Satan, apparently.  And we know that snakes don't actually "eat" dust.   It IS apparently true that once upon a time, snakes had legs . . . but I'm pretty sure they didn't talk.  


Of course, I always shake my head at this point and remind myself that it's all a myth, created by men who needed some explanation of how we got here.  And they needed a beginning by a god that kept women as things for the use of man.  It was a useful tale.  Ignorant, but useful.