Which isn’t to say there was no religious persecution of people who refused to convert, there certainly was, and this is often cited as a big reason the Mongol empire did as well as it did with its “I don’t give a shit” attitude towards religion (using oppressed citizens as spies and saboteurs on religious nations at many points). It’s just that at least for Christianity its initial swell in popularity can in many ways be attributed to its “convert them, even if you have to let them keep holdovers from their silly religion” attitude.
Ditto.
I’ve studied comparative religion, read a few versions of your bible, OP. No and no.
It does do one thing: teaches you how to be a good person. So if you act anything like god or Jesus or basically anyone in the book, you are an asshole.
Read Joshua 7 and tell me why anyone should worship this fictitious jerk wad.
Haha, that’s perfect!
I knew this thread was going to be disastrous, and I’ve not been disappointed - but I’m nearly out of popcorn.
IMHO, the Bible is a very complicated book, and brings up many questions that will never fully be answered here on earth. As for me, I believe in it, but I do struggle with it at the same time, mostly the part about homosexuals. I am a believer of God and his son Jesus Christ and therefore I must have faith to believe in the Bible and all it says. Not that I’ve read it from front to back. I have several copies and endeavor to someday read it thoroughly. I just know that I’ve had much evidence of God’s hand in my life, and if non-believers want to mock me for that, so be it.
Not really, and no.
Honestly, the idea that so many people actually, really, truly DO believe in god gives me the creeps. Imagine if you met someone who seemed like a completely normal person, but then one day casually mentioned their childhood imaginary friend was “real.” No one else can see or hear this friend, but this person claims to have a special relationship with them. Harmless or not, it’s still creepy.
There are three radio stations in my area dedicated to believers, how many churches, how many millions maybe even billions that believe, yet you’re comparing it to ONE “friend who said their imaginary friend is real.”…
There is insufficient data as yet to give a meaningful answer.
The Bible should be sold in the fiction section of book stores. If there is a supreme being, it’s nothing like anyone mentioned it the Old or New Testament which is a good thing as, at best, it’s a historical novel.
Given that there are vast numbers of Christians who don’t take the bible literally, who do take it in its historical context (and realize that Paul was a bit whackadoo in his opinions of sex and women, in particular), no you don’t. You choose to, but you don’t have to.
You also have the option of being a person of faith in any of a number of non-Christian paths that don’t feel a need to persecute gay people.
So let’s just be clear about your individual agency and capacity to choose, here. No one’s backed you into that corner. Except maybe yourself.
No, he’s comparing those millions/billions of people to a *hypothetical *friend who believes in the imaginary. You’ve basically just made his point for him.
<claps>
I always liked the ending of Fredric Brown’s Answer.
As a historical document, the Bible is interesting and has value just like any other ancient text. As an “instruction” book on how modern humans should live, no.
And no.
You’re right. Belief in Christianity is many millions, maybe even billions of times as creepy as that.
<snip>
But wouldn’t that just detect people named “Theo”?
Like a mortgage only measures one’s relationship with a guy named Mort? 
This sums it up for me.
Disclaimer - This is IMHO, I am giving my opinion. I have neither the time nor desire to debate my opinions/beliefs in this format. I am not likely to change your mind, you are less likely to chnage mine. - End disclaimer
I am in the “yes and yes” camp. If I had to boil the reasons down to one essence, it would be related to the question someone brought up earlier - what is truth? I believe that truth, and by extension, right (vs wrong) and morality are absolute. Relativity works well in physics, but it sucks in determining what is true/right/moral. If we allow these things to be relative, then the words lose all meaning. Stealing is always wrong. Stealing to feed your family, even if one sees no other way, is still wrong. There are mitigating circumstances, but it is wrong. Many of you disagree with that statement, more on that below. (As an aside, justice should be tempered with mercy. Mitigating circumstances may temper justice, but not right vs wrong).
Humans absolutely cannot agree on a standard of morality or what constitutes truth, right or wrong. There are some things we can almost globally agree on, but they are few and far between. Mostly, we can’t even figure that out among a homogenous group of the people most like us, much less across racial, economic, social, belief, etc. divisions. In order for there to be absolute truth and right, there must then be an entity far greater than us who set that standard. I believe that to be the God of the Christian Bible. I don’t understand everything He did or does, or everything the book says, but if He operated completely in the realm of my understanding, then He would be a pretty puny God.
Those who will believe, will. Those who won’t, won’t. And I’m OK with that.
It’s the damn owls. They keep losing the letters.
The Christian bible confuses the hell out of me.
Why is the Old Testament a part of the Christian bible? Its inclusion is to blame for most of the problems I have with the religion. If Christians took only the New Testament and followed it religiously (heh), it would be way easier to understand them.
Instead, they’re forced to reconcile an angry, wrathful, Iron Age god who like to smite other nearby tribes, with his son who said “Love thy neighbor”. Why saddle yourself with that? Why do you need the imprimatur (heh, again) of the Old Testament.
Just think, we could have fundies who don’t care about gay marriage!
You want moral absolutes
Humans can’t figure that out
Therefore, god has to
Therefore, you need there to be a god
Therefore, there is a god
Got it