Could all Religions Come Together?

[Dadoalex]

showing the way through actions is not forcing anything on anyone. You can accept or reject.

Yes, I'm certain the Azteks relished being shown the way.

 

[Redfish]

Crusades, South America, Philippines...

All converted by the convert o die method including introducing smallpox into hesitant communities,

are you a Farrakhan worshiper?

 

[Redfish]

Yes, I'm certain the Azteks relished being shown the way.

they were never forced to change their beliefs. But in Muslim countries they would have been, that's the difference.

 

[Dadoalex]

Not the way you read/interpret it. No worries. Many people read it in English through the lens of modern Western socieity.

The Bible says God killed everyone in Sodom and Gomorrah.
Not just evil people. EVERYONE.
In my culture that's murder.
I guess that's why I abandoned monotheism, cultural differences.

 

[tyroneweaver]

Despite differences, could all faiths unite? What are the great differences, and how might they be overcome so we might worship together?

good luck getting a jew to eat pork chops

 

[Redfish]

The Bible says God killed everyone in Sodom and Gomorrah.
Not just evil people. EVERYONE.
In my culture that's murder.
I guess that's why I abandoned monotheism, cultural differences.

You just said that the Bible is not historically accurate, but in this case it is??????????????

 

[Dadoalex]

they were never forced to change their beliefs. But in Muslim countries they would have been, that's the difference.

Ignorance of history is a convenience to the God set.
Christianity came to England and Northern Europe at the point of a spear.
By the time Europeans invaded the "New World" they had developed more efficient methods to eliminate the non-Christian populations.

It's history.
The Islamic faith was spread no differently.

 

[Dadoalex]

You just said that the Bible is not historically accurate, but in this case it is??????????????

That's up to you.
If the Bible is accurate the God is an evil murderer who tortures his own followers.
If not then your religion is based on a collection of lies and fairy tales.

That is up to you to decide.

 

[Dadoalex]

are you a Farrakhan worshiper?

Not paying attention?
Buddhist. I worship nothing, least of all fantasy fairy tales.

 

[Redfish]

Ignorance of history is a convenience to the God set.
Christianity came to England and Northern Europe at the point of a spear.
By the time Europeans invaded the "New World" they had developed more efficient methods to eliminate the non-Christian populations.

It's history.
The Islamic faith was spread no differently.

What happened 500 years ago has little bearing on today except that we need to learn from history. Yes, many died in the name of one religion or another. Muslims still today are directed by their religious leaders to kill non believers. Christians and Jews have put the past in the past where it belongs.

 

[Meriweather]

So none of the books of the Bible are in fact accurate representations history and are simply fairy tales made up to frighten the ignorant

Now we're getting somewhere.

None of the books in the Bible are presented in a Encyclopedic, newspaper, or scientific method manner. The technique in use is literary, and a number of forms of literature. However, the one literary method not used is fairy tale.

Frighten people? Hardly. Perhaps you did not finish the account. As in most literature, a conflict is presented and hard times, even dreadful events, occur...before an uplifting ending. Themes and lessons are wonderfully presented, which explains the duration and popularity of the Bible.

If you were under the impression the Bible was recording "accurate representations of history" in the manner we would today, it is indeed a step forward for you to learn and to accept it does not. It may write of historical events, but not like a modern history textbook presents history. Considering how little our students remember of their history, maybe there is something to be learned/remembered of how the Bible presents material.

 

[Redfish]

That's up to you.
If the Bible is accurate the God is an evil murderer who tortures his own followers.
If not then your religion is based on a collection of lies and fairy tales.

That is up to you to decide.

an oversimplification, but not unexpected from someone as ignorant are you appear to be.

 

[Meriweather]

Crusades, South America, Philippines...

And? Nothing good? All bad? For everyone?

 

[Meriweather]

All converted by the convert o die method including introducing smallpox into hesitant communities,

Yes. Everyone knows that otherwise it would all be sweetness and light to this very second. No conflicts, no hunger, no greed, no power struggles, no sickness...

 

[Carl in Michigan]

Are you aware that the Book of Job is a play that addresses the age old question of why bad things happen to good people? Job is either a fictional character, or perhaps more likely, a conglomerate of several good people to whom bad things happened.

Only you are "aware" of this nonsense

If Job were not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible apart from for the book that bears his name, those who claim he was not a real person might be able to argue their position more confidently. But the fact is, Job is mentioned in three different verses in Scripture (outside the book of Job), and in all three passages he is considered a real, historical figure.

The first two places his name is found (aside from the book of Job) is in Ezekiel 14, verses 14 and 20. In verse 14, the prophet stated: “Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness, says the Lord God.” Verse 20 is worded nearly the same way: “[E]ven though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, says the Lord God, they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.” Ezekiel’s point in both verses was that the ungodly conditions in the land were such that even if Noah, Daniel, and Job lived in that city, no one else would be saved. Ezekiel spoke of all three of these men as being real, historical people, not legendary characters. If one recognizes Noah and Daniel as being real people of history, then there is no reason to think otherwise about Job.

The last place the suffering patriarch is mentioned in Scripture (and the only time he is mentioned in the New Testament) is found in the latter part of the book of James. In 5:10-11 we read: “My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” Obviously, James was not writing through inspiration about an imaginary person. Rather, he considered Job as real as Elijah, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, and as genuine as the Lord Himself.

Finally, that Job was a real person is stated explicitly by God within the book of Job itself. In his second “speech” to Job, God declared that the mighty behemoth was “made along with you” (40:15, emp. added). If Job were just a fairy tale-like character, God certainly would not have spoken as having “made” him

 

[Dadoalex]

What happened 500 years ago has little bearing on today except that we need to learn from history. Yes, many died in the name of one religion or another. Muslims still today are directed by their religious leaders to kill non believers. Christians and Jews have put the past in the past where it belongs.

But what happened 6000 years ago does?

You've hidden from your history but that does not change history, or the present.

You seem to hold any belief other than yours in contempt.

"Yeah but look at the Muslims"
seems your favorite excuse for the murderous methods by which monotheism spreads is "yeah but look at the Muslims."

I don't place Muslims in a different category from Jews and Christians.

 

[Dadoalex]

Yes. Everyone knows that otherwise it would all be sweetness and light to this very second. No conflicts, no hunger, no greed, no power struggles, no sickness...

Yes I can see how murder and genocide were needed to spread these religions of love.

You know I can understand warring for treasure, territory...
But to kill someone because you think their mythological beliefs are somehow less believable than your myths is...

EVIL

 

[BreezeWood]

Humans wrote the Bible. Their inspiration was from God, their sense of God working in our midst.

Are you one who believes God, Himself, either wrote or dictated the Bible? If so, hate to break it to you, but most of us already know that men wrote the Bible.

not so, provide the tablets etched in the heavens with the desert 10 commandments -

or be true to your words and declare them forgeries and fallacies meant to deceive and used over the centuries for self embellishment as well to persecute and victimize the innocent. and remove their trappings included in the catechisms of the rcc and other christian organizations ...

for the purpose to realize the true intentions of the 1st century events - to rewrite the c-bible.

 

[Meriweather]

The Bible says God killed everyone in Sodom and Gomorrah.
Not just evil people. EVERYONE.
In my culture that's murder.
I guess that's why I abandoned monotheism, cultural differences.

This is what I mean by reading something through the lens of modern Western culture. Middle East religions have this in common: Nothing happens without it being the will of God. Many Muslims believe that a person cannot so much as lift one's little finger without it first being the will of God.

A natural disaster wiped out Sodom and Gomorrah. People at the time merely accepted it as the will of God. You scream, Murder! That's your culture. But it is not what happened.

I find culture fascinating, but I can understand why ignoring culture may be easier...especially cultures who label God as a murderer.

 

[Dadoalex]

And? Nothing good? All bad? For everyone?

I dunno...

Let's ask the people murdered to spread your religion their thoughts on the subject.