Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Zangi]

Why Christianity didn't pull a roman and take all the badass bits of Greek mythology baffles me. I mean, come on. I would have actually gone to church if were being preached to about Hercules and the Illiad.

Hah...  I may have been a bit more interested if my catholic school did teach about Hercules and the other stuff.   That Hercules show on the sci-fi channel was one of the best show for me as a kid.

[Hanslanda]

Anyway, as awesome as the screenplay Descan's post made me think of is, can we kindly move onto something that isn't religious debate please?

[Darvi]

Can we? Yes. Will we? Only time shows.

[Hanslanda]

Semantics: Ultimate weapon of internet nerds everywhere.

[10ebbor10]

Komodo dragons are big ugly lizards. I mean real dragons, firebreathing, winged beasts of myth and legend. Also note I said I believe in them. Not I believe they are real.

One internet for you.

As for the religion debate:

Monotheists win the "security/feel-good" category.
Atheists win the "logic/reason" category.
Pagans win the "fun" category.

While I know you're joking. I'm just reacting to this post because I can.

You seem to be confusing monetheism with the tradisionalist/ fundamentalist intrepretations of modern religions.
I've known religious people that put their lives in danger for their beliefs, in order to do what they believed was the right thing to do.
I've read/ met Atheists that failed to make any sense, and so on. (_{Might even have some of these on this very forum})
Third, I've read texts from Greek philospophers(ie paganistic; or at least that's the context that word was used in) that thrumph both of the above.

13 NInjas. 13.

I consider myself an atheist, but if somehow (a) god(s) were proven tomorrow, if something supernatural were to be proven tomorrow, I'd say "Sure, I believe in him."

I just wouldn't worship him. Guy would have to be a world-class asshole, considering the world as it is. I might even contemplate finding a lawyer to file a class-action lawsuit against him. Why, with all the deaths and disasters pinned on "Act of God" already, that alone would be a cinch.

... I wonder, if capital-g God exists, that might mean Hell exists. Which means we might be able to get there, and rescue all the people there. Which would pretty much make everything humans have ever done worth having been done.

And it would be just -fascinating!- to watch science unravel him into an explained phenomenon, including how all the stuff we know now as godless phenomenon would be explained with god(s) in the picture.

I consider myself a Christian. And if somehow it was proven tomorrow that God/ Jezus or even most of the saints do/don't exist, I wouldn't even care(To be fair, I would from a scientific point of view). Wherether God does or does not exist does not matter. Besides, the Christian God is not a powerfull, evil smiting one. He got himself nailed to a cross in his own book, for example.

EDIt: 17 NINjas, still counting.

Anyway, as awesome as the screenplay Descan's post made me think of is, can we kindly move onto something that isn't religious debate please?

Oi, religious debates are fun as long as they don't inflame.

Why Christianity didn't pull a roman and take all the badass bits of Greek mythology baffles me. I mean, come on. I would have actually gone to church if were being preached to about Hercules and the Illiad.

Hah...  I may have been a bit more interested if my catholic school did teach about Hercules and the other stuff.   That Hercules show on the sci-fi channel was one of the best show for me as a kid.

I'm pretty sure they did, at least a bit. It's just that not all the morals fit with those of the Bible. Sure, could adjust them and such, but...
Besides, let's not forget that the Bible(at least the NT) was made in some Concilium in Rome by the church's leaders 1500 years ago.

I hate ninjas.

[Darvi]

I hate ninjas.

Welcome to the club!

[Hanslanda]

I ninja the next poster!

[Darvi]

Well this is awkward.

[Descan]

The problem I have with the most basic tenet that every single (extant, there might be some extinct branches that got rid of this. Bit hard to call yourself a Christian if you do, though) branch of Christianity has in common, is that why would an omnipotent, omni-benevolent god have to become a human, travel around preaching to people, then get himself sacrificed to himself to appease his own petty, arbitrary decree that something must die to soothe a persons sins? Why couldn't he just say "Eh, no more sacrificing." Why was the sacrifice needed in the first place?

Why would he send the main part of that plan, Judas reporting to the Romans where Jesus was, why would he send the keystone of his plan to Hell for doing what was supposedly needed for his grand plan?

It doesn't even make a good story! Especially since "Jesus died for you! It was a huge sacrifice!" and "Jesus is alive eternally and waiting in paradise for us to join him!" are so... so contradictory. It's like a story a five year old would make up!

If I was promised eternity in paradise, I'd go on the cross for three YEARS, let alone three days.

[Reelya]

Damn, ninja'd.

I was just thinking 10ebbor10's "13 NInjas" sounds like an awesome title for a fast-paced b-grade martial arts flick.

[Hanslanda]

The problem I have with the most basic tenet that every single (extant, there might be some extinct branches that got rid of this. Bit hard to call yourself a Christian if you do, though) branch of Christianity has in common, is that why would an omnipotent, omni-benevolent god have to become a human, travel around preaching to people, then get himself sacrificed to himself to appease his own petty, arbitrary decree that something must die to soothe a persons sins? Why couldn't he just say "Eh, no more sacrificing." Why was the sacrifice needed in the first place?

Why would he send the main part of that plan, Judas reporting to the Romans where Jesus was, why would he send the keystone of his plan to Hell for doing what was supposedly needed for his grand plan?

It doesn't even make a good story! Especially since "Jesus died for you! It was a huge sacrifice!" and "Jesus is alive eternally and waiting in paradise for us to join him!" are so... so contradictory. It's like a story a five year old would make up!

If I was promised eternity in paradise, I'd go on the cross for three YEARS, let alone three days.

Blue Orange morality maybe? What is it that's always said, "God has a plan for you, even if it seems abritrarily cruel and haphazard." Well, they just say God has a plan for you, even if you don't understand, but that's their intent anyway.

[10ebbor10]

The problem I have with the most basic tenet that every single (extant, there might be some extinct branches that got rid of this. Bit hard to call yourself a Christian if you do, though) branch of Christianity has in common, is that why would an omnipotent, omni-benevolent god have to become a human, travel around preaching to people, then get himself sacrificed to himself to appease his own petty, arbitrary decree that something must die to soothe a persons sins? Why couldn't he just say "Eh, no more sacrificing." Why was the sacrifice needed in the first place?

Why would he send the main part of that plan, Judas reporting to the Romans where Jesus was, why would he send the keystone of his plan to Hell for doing what was supposedly needed for his grand plan?

It doesn't even make a good story! Especially since "Jesus died for you! It was a huge sacrifice!" and "Jesus is alive eternally and waiting in paradise for us to join him!" are so... so contradictory. It's like a story a five year old would make up!

The Biblical God is not omnipotent, nor omnibenevolent. (For the first, see pretty much the entire Bible, for the second Sodom and Gomorra, amongst others).

The reason the Bible doesn't make sense is because it's not written to be taken litterally. (Actually, this reasoning is  the wrong way around. We think the Bible was not written literally because it makes no sense that way).

The rest of the Biblical story is basically a breakdown of the mimetic effects on which the original religions where based. Stopping sacrificial things, cutting of the scapegoat mechanism.
Or at least that's one intrepretation.

More information: Link (Which is btw the blog of my religion teacher at school. So bugger him about stuff.)

Also, Frickking ninjas.

The problem I have with the most basic tenet that every single (extant, there might be some extinct branches that got rid of this. Bit hard to call yourself a Christian if you do, though) branch of Christianity has in common, is that why would an omnipotent, omni-benevolent god have to become a human, travel around preaching to people, then get himself sacrificed to himself to appease his own petty, arbitrary decree that something must die to soothe a persons sins? Why couldn't he just say "Eh, no more sacrificing." Why was the sacrifice needed in the first place?

Why would he send the main part of that plan, Judas reporting to the Romans where Jesus was, why would he send the keystone of his plan to Hell for doing what was supposedly needed for his grand plan?

It doesn't even make a good story! Especially since "Jesus died for you! It was a huge sacrifice!" and "Jesus is alive eternally and waiting in paradise for us to join him!" are so... so contradictory. It's like a story a five year old would make up!

If I was promised eternity in paradise, I'd go on the cross for three YEARS, let alone three days.

Blue Orange morality maybe? What is it that's always said, "God has a plan for you, even if it seems abritrarily cruel and haphazard." Well, they just say God has a plan for you, even if you don't understand, but that's their intent anyway.

One intrepretation, but a bad one. That line of reasoning leads to the fact that everything is part of God's greater plan (which is good), and that there is therefore no such thing as evil or sin. Which means that you should not judge anybody for their deeds, amongst others.

[TheBronzePickle]

Actually, one of the tenets preached in Chrsitianity is that we really shouldn't judge anyone, because it's not our place. A 'true' Christian is supposed to be nice to everyone. If a serial killer murdered your family, offer him cookies and try to help him with his issues.

[Zangi]

The problem I have with the most basic tenet that every single (extant, there might be some extinct branches that got rid of this. Bit hard to call yourself a Christian if you do, though) branch of Christianity has in common, is that why would an omnipotent, omni-benevolent god have to become a human, travel around preaching to people, then get himself sacrificed to himself to appease his own petty, arbitrary decree that something must die to soothe a persons sins? Why couldn't he just say "Eh, no more sacrificing." Why was the sacrifice needed in the first place?

Why would he send the main part of that plan, Judas reporting to the Romans where Jesus was, why would he send the keystone of his plan to Hell for doing what was supposedly needed for his grand plan?

It doesn't even make a good story! Especially since "Jesus died for you! It was a huge sacrifice!" and "Jesus is alive eternally and waiting in paradise for us to join him!" are so... so contradictory. It's like a story a five year old would make up!

If I was promised eternity in paradise, I'd go on the cross for three YEARS, let alone three days.

Blue Orange morality maybe? What is it that's always said, "God has a plan for you, even if it seems abritrarily cruel and haphazard." Well, they just say God has a plan for you, even if you don't understand, but that's their intent anyway.

His plans may be cruel...  if you think about it...   Bob's part in the grand scheme of things could just be ending up in a DUI accident with a Preacher's kid.  (The kid's purpose was to die in that accident.) The Preacher will in turn Preach to his flock, saying how alcohol is for douchebags and so not in God's favor.  Which convinces Joe to campaign for Prohibition, convincing people around him and his politician.... I don't know where I'm going with this.
Prohibition was repealed.  Somehow also part of God's plan.  Maybe he wanted mobsters that would end up changing the US Tax Code and increase Federal powers.

[MagmaMcFry]

So why does God even need a greater plan?