Posted on 10/18/2006 5:25:05 PM PDT by wagglebee
As an atheist (being that I don't believe in a living God, but I do believe in a higher power so I guess I'm more of an agnostic) can I write a book that supports Christianity? What I mean is this. There have been attacks on what I consider, objectively, the most moral and ethical religion in human history. Regardless of theology, Christianity's tenats teach peace, tolerance, and compassion in a way that no other religion has nor does.
Looking at the religion objectively, I admire it at it's core. I admire the importance it gives to faith and belief. These are intrinsic values that many humans need to feel a sense of self worth as well as connection with their communities. I don't say this in a negative way as one pundit retorted about how "...Christians are weak minded." I don't believe this at all. The vast majority of Christians that I have met are compassionate, caring, and very intelligent individuals that have a reverance for something that I personnaly cannot understand. Yet, I can understand their firm faith and grasp on their beliefs.
I see in Christianity a cause celebre rather than what I see in other religions, which is tyranny and deceit. Rather than go into that negative subject I would like to focus on the positive aspects of Christianity. In addition, as an objective observer of the religion, and I do believe I am due to my disassociation with it, I see a dichotomy within the group. The tenats set forth by Christ are rarely followed by Leaders who purport to be followers of the faith. If this were the case, and this is only opinion, we would not currently be embroiled in the war in Iraq. Now, understand, I fully support the war in Iraq and am glad the decision was made on a secular basis. But in the strictest sense, War disafirms the beliefs taught by Christ in the New Testament. I know I'm going to catch a lot of slack for that statement, but I will stand by it. The Christian world struggles harder than any other religious civilization in history for the simple fact that the Christian tenats in many ways contradict human nature. It is human nature to want revenge, yet Christianity teaches to turn the other cheek. It is human nature to be jealous, yet Christianity teaches jealousy is a sin comparable to murder. It is human nature to be lustful and greedy; again, Christianity is there to temper these natural desires. In conclusion, Christianity is the rutter that keeps many ships going in the right direction, to use a metaphor.
I will not compare or contrast Christianity with other religions. I know there are other benevolent beliefs that contain proper morals teachings and foster congruitiy and respect among us fellow humans, I just see Christianity as a sort of pinnacle of that type of belief, and am rather glad it exists... as an atheist.
I agree, as an atheist. Please read post #281 and tell me what you think. Honestly.
Yeah, you're one of the good kind of aethiests, LOL.
I guess I can take that as a compliment, thanks pc. By the way, you got another version of the comics in the works? You got great stuff there.
Try giving birth without any anaesthetic and ask that question again.
"cannot" or "need not"?
You have jumped to the conclusions that Jesus necessarily had only human capacity to feel pain, that his suffering was limited to physical torment, and that he availed himself of supernatural strength to diminish the suffering.
All of which you have not yet demonstrated.
Cheers!
So what? Jesus Himself openly said, "No man can serve two masters...you cannot serve both God and Mammon."
So filling the collection plate acts as a brake on envy and greed.
Cheers!
Hmm, you might try reading more carefully.
He was running the show partly in recognition of the sacrifice of the Incarnation.
Cheers!
Not really, your enlightened French atheists share a common love of beheading with the Muslims.
Ever notice the difference between the French Revolution and the American Revolution?
Cheers!
I normally start working on them Monday night, to be done by Wednesday evening. Sometimes I don't even have an idea of what I'm going to do until I'm about to start working on them. Ah, well...that's the way it goes, y'know.
I used to do them twice a week but I just didn't have the time to keep that up.
Projection Placemarker.
How about this for an idea. Christ, and a conservative atheist (such as myself) discussing the issue of hypocritical liberals that call themselves Christians? Or is that not good?
Sure there is!
"Leave me alone!"
Thunderous Applause!
Cheers!
Oversimplification PING!
Hint 1:
How many years do the Levitical prohibitions on pork predate the Quran by?
Hint 2: Why didn't other nations see how well the dietary practices helped the Jews (e.g. Daniel) and emulate them?
Actually, crucifixion was a method of execution developed to extract the most suffering from the victim, given the technology of the time (as much as I loathe Wikipedia, it makes searching about easier, and the method described in this article isn't all that far from the historical method):
Cause of Death
That's gonna leave a mark!
...and not much else!
"Don't...call...me...STUMPY!"
Cheers!
I'd never quite thought of it this way!
Thanks!
1 Thessalonians 4:16
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
But.... compared to What?
300
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.