Request from a Christian.

[GUBU]

Yay!!
I'm "normal"!!!!



Yea again those are my beliefs I posted them because I was asking for personal experiences so I opened up first. 
Why the Bible?
Why not some other book? What's special about the Bible?

And why do you think what you think about the Bible?


Chronologically, you got convinced by your parents that the christian belief has some truth to it.
Crap that happened to you then reinforced that belief...

The Facts are that all you've witnessed was just people. People doing the crazy things that people do. Maybe you got "lucky" and managed to peek into some of the crazier things, but all I see in your story is people. YOU claim there's a "holy spirit" working in you, but I see people and your own belief-induced sense of righteousness.
It was probably people like you that kick-started many of the worst "christian actions"...


Being your friend means nothing.
On the other hand, I told you he may have just suffered some seizure - which, given the company and, I guess, the underlying mental state, could have gotten interpreted as a divine intervention of some sort and he then endeavored to correct that past "angry" behavior.
Don't ever underestimate the power of suggestion.

---

Well I was with you until the demonic possession... And then the black mass thing... And then trump supporter and thinking registering Muslims have good reasons... Mmm no thank you.

My husband is Catholic and I'm atheist. I know difference in beliefs don't have to be negative. I also know that religion can be a good thing when giving someone a reason to live or behave (behaving for Christ isn't as good as behaving just to be a good human but hey take what we can get right?) And I know that living in the bible belt is hard as an atheist but not dangerous like other parts of the world so I am lucky. Christians are known to have a bloody past. Most of the wars stem from religious beliefs and a lot of those beliefs deal with the Christian god. I wanted to take part in the original topic of this thread but there is so much more involved now and honestly I can't take anyone seriously that thinks a demon possessed someone and they helped expel it.

If im going to believe the Bible, I might as well believe all of it. Else im a hypocrite.

Which creation story do you believe?
Did Jesus live in Nazareth or Bethlehem?
Was John the Baptist his announcer or had they nothing to do with each other?
Did Jesus come to destroy judaism or set it back on the path of Moses?

These are all contradictory and mutually exclusive things that you have to believe if you think all the bible is true. Ever hear of doublethink?

[pocaracas]

The Spanish and Portuguese wars of colonialism (Spain to convert the heathen, Portugal to get at islam by the back door)

Interesting...
That's not the story of Portuguese colonialism I was sold.
To get at Islam by the back door.... so go around the African continent and arrive at India...uhhh?! wut?!

Well, in a way, that merchant path did strike a blow to the Arab-controlled land path from India/China to Europe.

[LastPoet]

Well, it was more about trading goods. We are stuck between the spanish and the ol Atlante. I for one prefer the ocean. Nothing good comes from Spain. Not good wind or marriage.

[GUBU]

Notice I never claimed superiority over you? I'm not being shy, i'm saying on topic.

He is being hostile and rude and condescending. I would just ignore. You came here for genuine respectful discussion, not for someone to be a dick to you for no reason.

That's increasingly becoming your answer to people who think differeny than you the last few months. I miss the non-fundy non-condemnatory Catholic Lady, she was cool (plus she was also a reasonable human being).

PS If you read what was writ without prejudice you'll see that dragonspire is the one being rude and hostile.

---

I love how Ray Comfort talks about people sinning when he tries to guilt-trip them into believing. If I'm just another cafeteria-style Christian, I'd just sin my ass off and cynically manipulate god by believing in Jesus to save myself from hell, getting both a hedonistically fun life and afterlife. But since I don't subscribe to biblical morality I'm forced to be a good, honest person instead. At least I don't believe in or fear hell.

What would Christianity be without hell?

Still judaism, probably.

---

The Spanish and Portuguese wars of colonialism (Spain to convert the heathen, Portugal to get at islam by the back door)

Interesting...
That's not the story of Portuguese colonialism I was sold.
To get at Islam by the back door.... so go around the African continent and arrive at India...uhhh?! wut?!

Well, in a way, that merchant path did strike a blow to the Arab-controlled land path from India/China to Europe.

They looked to go around Africa in the first instance to hook up with Prester John who they thought would help them retake Jerusalem, the Levant and Egypt from the heathen musselmen. It was an attempt to continue the reconquista.

Of course over time that goal morphed into subjugating the African heathen and exploiting them for profit.

[Nay_Sayer]

Whats a Cbristian ?

you know perfectly well its just a spelling error.

Do I?  You lot seem to come up with a new denomination every time I turn around.

Luckily they are all the same shade of terrible and any time in trying to remember distinctions is not needed.


-RAmen-

[Mr Greene]

[quote pid='1481285' dateline='1483612720']

Interesting...
That's not the story of Portuguese colonialism I was sold.
To get at Islam by the back door.... so go around the African continent and arrive at India...uhhh?! wut?!

Well, in a way, that merchant path did strike a blow to the Arab-controlled land path from India/China to Europe.
[/quote]

They looked to go around Africa in the first instance to hook up with Prester John who they thought would help them retake Jerusalem, the Levant and Egypt from the heathen musselmen. It was an attempt to continue the reconquista.

Of course over time that goal morphed into subjugating the African heathen and exploiting them for profit.[/quote]
Got a source for that?

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Oh and I have heard arguments attributing the salem witch trials to Christians.

'Attributing'? Mate, ALL witch hunts in Europe and the Americas are the direct result of Christian paranoia and hysteria. The relative handful of innocents murdered at Salem pales in comparison to the (probably) 50 000 butchered in Europe over two and a half centuries, all at the instigation of and with the support of established churches, both Catholic and Protestant. There are no 'arguments attributing' to be had, here. This is hard fact, as real and as brutal as a fist in the face.

'Then it was discovered that there was no such thing as witches, and never had been. One does not know whether to laugh or to cry.....There are no witches.' - Twain

Boru

[chimp3]

King James (of the KJV) personally oversaw the torture and execution of two women he thought had caused rough sea's which nearly sank his ship. Many others suffered at his hands.


http://www.historyextra.com/article/prem...-witches-0

[robvalue]

Did God just watch all this torture and murder without comment?

You'd think he'd have given them a nudge, if this wasn't the direction he wanted Christianity to go in. Instead, he has to rely on secular values eventually removing the fangs of the religion and making it play nice.

Does God act through secular values?

[Mr Greene]

I've actually heard protestants lamenting that "People don't believe in witches in this country anymore" then you get the killing and torture of kids from Africa.