Why Did You Leave Christianity Behind?

[ChrisL]

Well... When one dies according to certain versions of the Christian faith; they say that they are going to be with god.

"Heaven" is the realm of spirits, and the dead. So in order to enter that realm one must die. Therefore ones mortal life serves as a seperation from god. Which according to the definition given would make mortal life itself a sin.

oh brother.

Life isn't a sin by it's nature..we have eternal life, and we live in Christ.

.

I agree that life isn't a sin. As I said before I understand Sin to be a man made construct accredited to the Hebrew god. As far as anyone can verify life is absolutely finite. Lastly; don't live in Christ. I live in Alabama! LOL.
But ironically, all kidding aside. Christ lives only in the minds of men. Were one to erase his name from the religious histories and killed all who knew how to form the sound of his name he'd be gone; yet no more diminished than now.

Really? His ministry only lasted 3 1/2 years and He has had a lasting impact on mankind for 2000 years which was the foundation for the Western Civilization which has done more good for mankind than any other civilization in the history of man. Not bad for a convicted criminal who was put to death by the superpower of the day.

His ministry has never been proven to have actually taken place. None the less... What is true is that the followers of the Hebrew god destroyed and conquered European civilization, and replaced the native peoples cultures with a "god" that was never their own. Was never the god of thier fore bearers. Indeed those who spread the Christian faith helped determine the shape of western civilization. By the time the enslaved people broke free of the Roman Empire, thier histories for a great part had been erased from knowledge. Ironically they became the perpetuators of thier ancestors enslavers. And whereby continue to enslave themselves. I chose not to continue the cycle.

I see. It seems like you have a great handle on all the bad but not such a good handle on the good which is surprising because by any objective measure Western Civilization has been a force for good. One might wonder why the atheistic governments were so bad and the Christian societies were so good. But putting that aside, how exactly do you reconcile the good that has come from Christian societies?

That has not always been the case.

 

[ding]

Not necessarily unbelievable. Rather very misunderstood.

So you lied when I asked you if you found love unbelieveable? Have you ever been in love? Have you ever loved anyone?

No. I didn't lie. I believe the common notion of what most extols as love to be the lie. Love is a conditional condition. An affliction if you will. It's a temporary euphoria one gets when ones brain is pumping out the right hormones in association with a given individual or event. This is the feeling most often misdescribed as love. It's a totally different feeling than one has for say... thier child. Yet people often use the words as though they were interchangeable.

Lol! Why you romantic you!

You are definitely on the right track though!

Love Is a Chemical Reaction, Scientists Find

Sure,dopamine is a chemical reaction. Dopamine serves two purposes; it makes us feel happy and it turns on all the learning centers of our brain. It seems there is a functional advantage to being happy and in love. Why do you think that is?

I don't know and neither do you.

But I do. Natural selection is all about functional advantages and passing down functional advantages to the next generation. It seems that natural selection has selected these traits as being successful traits and necessary traits. The only real question is why would nature have a preference if we survived or not. Do you know that answer?

 

[JustAnotherNut]

For those who have either fallen away or never believed, the Parable of the Sower offers some explanation.........

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred,F)' data-cr="#cen-NIV-23548F"> sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”G)' data-cr="#cen-NIV-23549G">

10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heavenH)' data-cr="#cen-NIV-23551H"> has been given to you,I)' data-cr="#cen-NIV-23551I"> but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.J)' data-cr="#cen-NIV-23552J"> 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.K)' data-cr="#cen-NIV-23553K">

14 In them is fulfilledL)' data-cr="#cen-NIV-23554L"> the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’a]' data-fn="#fen-NIV-23555a">[a]M)' data-cr="#cen-NIV-23555M">

16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.N)' data-cr="#cen-NIV-23556N"> 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you seeO)' data-cr="#cen-NIV-23557O"> but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

 

[ChrisL]

Why all the bugging people about THEIR beliefs (or lack of). You religious folks don't like when that is done to you, yet here you are!

Like it or not, there are some of us out there who are NOT religious (or at least not in the same way as you are). Are we allowed to talk about how WE feel, or do we have to pretend to believe in your god or else you will bother us about it endlessly whenever we try to discuss the topic?

 

[Vastator]

Well... When one dies according to certain versions of the Christian faith; they say that they are going to be with god.

"Heaven" is the realm of spirits, and the dead. So in order to enter that realm one must die. Therefore ones mortal life serves as a seperation from god. Which according to the definition given would make mortal life itself a sin.

oh brother.

Life isn't a sin by it's nature..we have eternal life, and we live in Christ.

.

I agree that life isn't a sin. As I said before I understand Sin to be a man made construct accredited to the Hebrew god. As far as anyone can verify life is absolutely finite. Lastly; don't live in Christ. I live in Alabama! LOL.
But ironically, all kidding aside. Christ lives only in the minds of men. Were one to erase his name from the religious histories and killed all who knew how to form the sound of his name he'd be gone; yet no more diminished than now.

Really? His ministry only lasted 3 1/2 years and He has had a lasting impact on mankind for 2000 years which was the foundation for the Western Civilization which has done more good for mankind than any other civilization in the history of man. Not bad for a convicted criminal who was put to death by the superpower of the day.

I realize that this is what many believe to be truth. I don't begrudge them for it.

That's nice. We appreciate that. But if it were as you say, that He only lives in our minds, how do you explain the inexplicableness of His affect on the world?

Men effect the world predicated on what they believe, attribute to him. Kinda like what men are doing in the name of allah as directed by Mohammed. There is nothing inexplicable about it.

 

[ding]

oh brother.

Life isn't a sin by it's nature..we have eternal life, and we live in Christ.

.

I agree that life isn't a sin. As I said before I understand Sin to be a man made construct accredited to the Hebrew god. As far as anyone can verify life is absolutely finite. Lastly; don't live in Christ. I live in Alabama! LOL.
But ironically, all kidding aside. Christ lives only in the minds of men. Were one to erase his name from the religious histories and killed all who knew how to form the sound of his name he'd be gone; yet no more diminished than now.

Really? His ministry only lasted 3 1/2 years and He has had a lasting impact on mankind for 2000 years which was the foundation for the Western Civilization which has done more good for mankind than any other civilization in the history of man. Not bad for a convicted criminal who was put to death by the superpower of the day.

I realize that this is what many believe to be truth. I don't begrudge them for it.

That's nice. We appreciate that. But if it were as you say, that He only lives in our minds, how do you explain the inexplicableness of His affect on the world?

People have believed in a bunch of different gods throughout history. I'm sure the Greeks, etc. all believed just as strongly in their gods as you do about yours.

And yet it was the Civilization that was built on a Christian foundation which has been the most successful. Why do you believe that is?

 

[ding]

oh brother.

Life isn't a sin by it's nature..we have eternal life, and we live in Christ.

.

I agree that life isn't a sin. As I said before I understand Sin to be a man made construct accredited to the Hebrew god. As far as anyone can verify life is absolutely finite. Lastly; don't live in Christ. I live in Alabama! LOL.
But ironically, all kidding aside. Christ lives only in the minds of men. Were one to erase his name from the religious histories and killed all who knew how to form the sound of his name he'd be gone; yet no more diminished than now.

Really? His ministry only lasted 3 1/2 years and He has had a lasting impact on mankind for 2000 years which was the foundation for the Western Civilization which has done more good for mankind than any other civilization in the history of man. Not bad for a convicted criminal who was put to death by the superpower of the day.

I realize that this is what many believe to be truth. I don't begrudge them for it.

That's nice. We appreciate that. But if it were as you say, that He only lives in our minds, how do you explain the inexplicableness of His affect on the world?

Men effect the world predicated on what they believe, attribute to him. Kinda like what men are doing in the. And of allah as directed by Mohammed. There is nothing inexplicable about it.

You don't believe it was inexplicable for a convicted criminal who was put to death by the superpower of the day and only ministered for 3 1/2 years and created a 2000 year legacy which was the foundation for the greatest force for good in the history of mankind is inexplicable?

Are you seriously comparing the outcome of Christianity to Islam?

 

[ding]

oh brother.

Life isn't a sin by it's nature..we have eternal life, and we live in Christ.

.

I agree that life isn't a sin. As I said before I understand Sin to be a man made construct accredited to the Hebrew god. As far as anyone can verify life is absolutely finite. Lastly; don't live in Christ. I live in Alabama! LOL.
But ironically, all kidding aside. Christ lives only in the minds of men. Were one to erase his name from the religious histories and killed all who knew how to form the sound of his name he'd be gone; yet no more diminished than now.

Really? His ministry only lasted 3 1/2 years and He has had a lasting impact on mankind for 2000 years which was the foundation for the Western Civilization which has done more good for mankind than any other civilization in the history of man. Not bad for a convicted criminal who was put to death by the superpower of the day.

I realize that this is what many believe to be truth. I don't begrudge them for it.

That's nice. We appreciate that. But if it were as you say, that He only lives in our minds, how do you explain the inexplicableness of His affect on the world?

Men effect the world predicated on what they believe, attribute to him. Kinda like what men are doing in the. And of allah as directed by Mohammed. There is nothing inexplicable about it.

You never answered my question about if you have ever been in love or loved someone. Why not?

 

[Vastator]

oh brother.

Life isn't a sin by it's nature..we have eternal life, and we live in Christ.

.

I agree that life isn't a sin. As I said before I understand Sin to be a man made construct accredited to the Hebrew god. As far as anyone can verify life is absolutely finite. Lastly; don't live in Christ. I live in Alabama! LOL.
But ironically, all kidding aside. Christ lives only in the minds of men. Were one to erase his name from the religious histories and killed all who knew how to form the sound of his name he'd be gone; yet no more diminished than now.

Really? His ministry only lasted 3 1/2 years and He has had a lasting impact on mankind for 2000 years which was the foundation for the Western Civilization which has done more good for mankind than any other civilization in the history of man. Not bad for a convicted criminal who was put to death by the superpower of the day.

His ministry has never been proven to have actually taken place. None the less... What is true is that the followers of the Hebrew god destroyed and conquered European civilization, and replaced the native peoples cultures with a "god" that was never their own. Was never the god of thier fore bearers. Indeed those who spread the Christian faith helped determine the shape of western civilization. By the time the enslaved people broke free of the Roman Empire, thier histories for a great part had been erased from knowledge. Ironically they became the perpetuators of thier ancestors enslavers. And whereby continue to enslave themselves. I chose not to continue the cycle.

I see. It seems like you have a great handle on all the bad but not such a good handle on the good which is surprising because by any objective measure Western Civilization has been a force for good. One might wonder why the atheistic governments were so bad and the Christian societies were so good. But putting that aside, how exactly do you reconcile the good that has come from Christian societies?

That has not always been the case.

Nor is that the case as all see it. Just ask Muslim.

 

[ding]

Why all the bugging people about THEIR beliefs (or lack of). You religious folks don't like when that is done to you, yet here you are!

Like it or not, there are some of us out there who are NOT religious (or at least not in the same way as you are). Are we allowed to talk about how WE feel, or do we have to pretend to believe in your god or else you will bother us about it endlessly whenever we try to discuss the topic?

I'm perfectly happy for you to believe as you do. I couldn't care less, and I don't mean that in a bad way either.

Let me ask you this question. Do you believe that successful behaviors naturally lead to success and failed behaviors naturally lead to failure? Or do you believe everything is blind luck?

 

[Vastator]

I agree that life isn't a sin. As I said before I understand Sin to be a man made construct accredited to the Hebrew god. As far as anyone can verify life is absolutely finite. Lastly; don't live in Christ. I live in Alabama! LOL.
But ironically, all kidding aside. Christ lives only in the minds of men. Were one to erase his name from the religious histories and killed all who knew how to form the sound of his name he'd be gone; yet no more diminished than now.

Really? His ministry only lasted 3 1/2 years and He has had a lasting impact on mankind for 2000 years which was the foundation for the Western Civilization which has done more good for mankind than any other civilization in the history of man. Not bad for a convicted criminal who was put to death by the superpower of the day.

I realize that this is what many believe to be truth. I don't begrudge them for it.

That's nice. We appreciate that. But if it were as you say, that He only lives in our minds, how do you explain the inexplicableness of His affect on the world?

Men effect the world predicated on what they believe, attribute to him. Kinda like what men are doing in the. And of allah as directed by Mohammed. There is nothing inexplicable about it.

You never answered my question about if you have ever been in love or loved someone. Why not?

Mostly because it strays from the thread premise.

 

[ChrisL]

Why all the bugging people about THEIR beliefs (or lack of). You religious folks don't like when that is done to you, yet here you are!

Like it or not, there are some of us out there who are NOT religious (or at least not in the same way as you are). Are we allowed to talk about how WE feel, or do we have to pretend to believe in your god or else you will bother us about it endlessly whenever we try to discuss the topic?

I'm perfectly happy for you to believe as you do. I couldn't care less, and I don't mean that in a bad way either.

Let me ask you this question. Do you believe that successful behaviors naturally lead to success and failed behaviors naturally lead to failure? Or do you believe everything is blind luck?

It depends on the person and the context! For some, it is luck. For others, it's hard work.

 

[ChrisL]

Why all the bugging people about THEIR beliefs (or lack of). You religious folks don't like when that is done to you, yet here you are!

Like it or not, there are some of us out there who are NOT religious (or at least not in the same way as you are). Are we allowed to talk about how WE feel, or do we have to pretend to believe in your god or else you will bother us about it endlessly whenever we try to discuss the topic?

I'm perfectly happy for you to believe as you do. I couldn't care less, and I don't mean that in a bad way either.

Let me ask you this question. Do you believe that successful behaviors naturally lead to success and failed behaviors naturally lead to failure? Or do you believe everything is blind luck?

Of course you care. If not, you wouldn't even be posting on the thread. People like you cannot STAND it if someone thinks differently from you.

 

[ding]

oh brother.

Life isn't a sin by it's nature..we have eternal life, and we live in Christ.

.

I agree that life isn't a sin. As I said before I understand Sin to be a man made construct accredited to the Hebrew god. As far as anyone can verify life is absolutely finite. Lastly; don't live in Christ. I live in Alabama! LOL.
But ironically, all kidding aside. Christ lives only in the minds of men. Were one to erase his name from the religious histories and killed all who knew how to form the sound of his name he'd be gone; yet no more diminished than now.

Really? His ministry only lasted 3 1/2 years and He has had a lasting impact on mankind for 2000 years which was the foundation for the Western Civilization which has done more good for mankind than any other civilization in the history of man. Not bad for a convicted criminal who was put to death by the superpower of the day.

His ministry has never been proven to have actually taken place. None the less... What is true is that the followers of the Hebrew god destroyed and conquered European civilization, and replaced the native peoples cultures with a "god" that was never their own. Was never the god of thier fore bearers. Indeed those who spread the Christian faith helped determine the shape of western civilization. By the time the enslaved people broke free of the Roman Empire, thier histories for a great part had been erased from knowledge. Ironically they became the perpetuators of thier ancestors enslavers. And whereby continue to enslave themselves. I chose not to continue the cycle.

I see. It seems like you have a great handle on all the bad but not such a good handle on the good which is surprising because by any objective measure Western Civilization has been a force for good. One might wonder why the atheistic governments were so bad and the Christian societies were so good. But putting that aside, how exactly do you reconcile the good that has come from Christian societies?

That has not always been the case.

I submit to you that you have only focused on the bad and not the good. Virtue is the ultimate organizing principle. It is not possible for a society to succeed and flourish without it. So while you may only see the bad, I can assure you that the outcome would not have been what it has been unless there was good within it.

 

[Vastator]

I agree that life isn't a sin. As I said before I understand Sin to be a man made construct accredited to the Hebrew god. As far as anyone can verify life is absolutely finite. Lastly; don't live in Christ. I live in Alabama! LOL.
But ironically, all kidding aside. Christ lives only in the minds of men. Were one to erase his name from the religious histories and killed all who knew how to form the sound of his name he'd be gone; yet no more diminished than now.

Really? His ministry only lasted 3 1/2 years and He has had a lasting impact on mankind for 2000 years which was the foundation for the Western Civilization which has done more good for mankind than any other civilization in the history of man. Not bad for a convicted criminal who was put to death by the superpower of the day.

I realize that this is what many believe to be truth. I don't begrudge them for it.

That's nice. We appreciate that. But if it were as you say, that He only lives in our minds, how do you explain the inexplicableness of His affect on the world?

People have believed in a bunch of different gods throughout history. I'm sure the Greeks, etc. all believed just as strongly in their gods as you do about yours.

And yet it was the Civilization that was built on a Christian foundation which has been the most successful. Why do you believe that is?

This civilization was also built by europeans, for the most part. You ttribute it to the beliefs. Others attribute it to the actual people who made it happen.

 

[Brynmr]

It probably comes down to what touches you. Even without the negativity I doubt Christianity would have stuck with me. I simply didn't connect to it. It had no spiritual resonance for me.

This makes perfect sense because we're such a diverse race. Why would we ever assume that one path fits everyone.

13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.


Bible Gateway passage: Matthew 7 - King James Version

Ok, so what?

 

[ding]

Why all the bugging people about THEIR beliefs (or lack of). You religious folks don't like when that is done to you, yet here you are!

Like it or not, there are some of us out there who are NOT religious (or at least not in the same way as you are). Are we allowed to talk about how WE feel, or do we have to pretend to believe in your god or else you will bother us about it endlessly whenever we try to discuss the topic?

I'm perfectly happy for you to believe as you do. I couldn't care less, and I don't mean that in a bad way either.

Let me ask you this question. Do you believe that successful behaviors naturally lead to success and failed behaviors naturally lead to failure? Or do you believe everything is blind luck?

It depends on the person and the context! For some, it is luck. For others, it's hard work.

Do you believe your success was a result of hard work?

 

[ChrisL]

I agree that life isn't a sin. As I said before I understand Sin to be a man made construct accredited to the Hebrew god. As far as anyone can verify life is absolutely finite. Lastly; don't live in Christ. I live in Alabama! LOL.
But ironically, all kidding aside. Christ lives only in the minds of men. Were one to erase his name from the religious histories and killed all who knew how to form the sound of his name he'd be gone; yet no more diminished than now.

Really? His ministry only lasted 3 1/2 years and He has had a lasting impact on mankind for 2000 years which was the foundation for the Western Civilization which has done more good for mankind than any other civilization in the history of man. Not bad for a convicted criminal who was put to death by the superpower of the day.

His ministry has never been proven to have actually taken place. None the less... What is true is that the followers of the Hebrew god destroyed and conquered European civilization, and replaced the native peoples cultures with a "god" that was never their own. Was never the god of thier fore bearers. Indeed those who spread the Christian faith helped determine the shape of western civilization. By the time the enslaved people broke free of the Roman Empire, thier histories for a great part had been erased from knowledge. Ironically they became the perpetuators of thier ancestors enslavers. And whereby continue to enslave themselves. I chose not to continue the cycle.

I see. It seems like you have a great handle on all the bad but not such a good handle on the good which is surprising because by any objective measure Western Civilization has been a force for good. One might wonder why the atheistic governments were so bad and the Christian societies were so good. But putting that aside, how exactly do you reconcile the good that has come from Christian societies?

That has not always been the case.

I submit to you that you have only focused on the bad and not the good. Virtue is the ultimate organizing principle. It is not possible for a society to succeed and flourish without it. So while you may only see the bad, I can assure you that the outcome would not have been what it has been unless there was good within it.

I don't see only the bad. I was telling YOU that Christianity was not always a "good" thing.

 

[ding]

Really? His ministry only lasted 3 1/2 years and He has had a lasting impact on mankind for 2000 years which was the foundation for the Western Civilization which has done more good for mankind than any other civilization in the history of man. Not bad for a convicted criminal who was put to death by the superpower of the day.

I realize that this is what many believe to be truth. I don't begrudge them for it.

That's nice. We appreciate that. But if it were as you say, that He only lives in our minds, how do you explain the inexplicableness of His affect on the world?

People have believed in a bunch of different gods throughout history. I'm sure the Greeks, etc. all believed just as strongly in their gods as you do about yours.

And yet it was the Civilization that was built on a Christian foundation which has been the most successful. Why do you believe that is?

This civilization was also built by europeans, for the most part. You ttribute it to the beliefs. Others attribute it to the actual people who made it happen.

Yes, and Europe was built on Christian values and faith. It originated there.

 

[ChrisL]

Why all the bugging people about THEIR beliefs (or lack of). You religious folks don't like when that is done to you, yet here you are!

Like it or not, there are some of us out there who are NOT religious (or at least not in the same way as you are). Are we allowed to talk about how WE feel, or do we have to pretend to believe in your god or else you will bother us about it endlessly whenever we try to discuss the topic?

I'm perfectly happy for you to believe as you do. I couldn't care less, and I don't mean that in a bad way either.

Let me ask you this question. Do you believe that successful behaviors naturally lead to success and failed behaviors naturally lead to failure? Or do you believe everything is blind luck?

It depends on the person and the context! For some, it is luck. For others, it's hard work.

Do you believe your success was a result of hard work?

What business is it of yours? What does it have to do with this thread?