do you believe in God and why/why not?

[BlueDays]

I can't believe there is a god that would ALLOW an innocent child to be abducted by pedophiles, abused raped and murdered and that child's last moments were only 'why are these people doing this? Where is my mum and dad? why don't they stop this happening..'

Why would a god allow this? If he/she CAN'T stop it, then I don't consider them a god.
If he/she ALLOWS it as part of their 'master plan'.. then that being is an incredibly cruel and terrible thing.

The other thing about this is why would a god allow the parent's to experience the loss of their child in this manner?

I repeat, if the god cannot change this, he/she is not a god.
If he/she can but won't change it..

This is one of the many reason I cannot believe in a god.

^ Ditto! :thumbup: That was the exact deal breaker for me in the end.

I once asked my mother (who was religious) about this and she replied that what anyone suffers on earth is nothing compared to spending eternity in heaven.
Something in me thought but........ nothing could cancel out the torture that is child rape, so her reply did not make much sense to me. :thumbdown:

 

[hoddesdon]

^ If there were no free will, then you would be no different from a whistling-kettle i.e. you would not really exist. The individuals who do that are responsible, and no-one else.

 

[RegalSin]

Without god, their is no law. That is why we have god. People who do not keep god beside them are more easy to commit violent acts.

Like take an look at your neighbors for instance. How easy life could be is just like that.
Then look at the commandments of god.

 

[Metal_isthe_Answer]

^ If there were no free will, then you would be no different from a whistling-kettle i.e. you would not really exist. The individuals who do that are responsible, and no-one else.

That's what I was thinking. If there's a god, and he gave us free-will, then the only people to blame are the rapists themselves.

 

[kihira]

That's what I was thinking. If there's a god, and he gave us free-will, then the only people to blame are the rapists themselves.

^ If there were no free will, then you would be no different from a whistling-kettle i.e. you would not really exist. The individuals who do that are responsible, and no-one else.

You don't need a god for people to be responsible for their actions. Believing in a god means that offenders can seek forgiveness from their deity and continued to offend again and again with the knowledge that they can clean the slate whenever they want

 

[Megaten]

I can't believe there is a god that would ALLOW an innocent child to be abducted by pedophiles, abused raped and murdered and that child's last moments were only 'why are these people doing this? Where is my mum and dad? why don't they stop this happening..'

Why would a god allow this? If he/she CAN'T stop it, then I don't consider them a god.
If he/she ALLOWS it as part of their 'master plan'.. then that being is an incredibly cruel and terrible thing.

The other thing about this is why would a god allow the parent's to experience the loss of their child in this manner?

I repeat, if the god cannot change this, he/she is not a god.
If he/she can but won't change it..

This is one of the many reason I cannot believe in a god.

Or maybe it just doesnt give a damn lol. We trot through grass and step on all kinds of living things/bugs and dont really care. Why should a being well above us really care what happens on this planet? Especially if there are other worlds with things living on it. If there were a supreme being presiding over the entire universe we'd probably be like, less than a microbe living on a countertop in comparison. And I say less because at least microbes can make US sick, we cant do a dang thing to a deity. Which is why I always find it amazing that so many in the world actually think that not only does some god care, but that it comes down here and frequently intervenes in sporting events for them.

 

[warcraft]

You don't need a god for people to be responsible for their actions. Believing in a god means that offenders can seek forgiveness from their deity and continued to offend again and again with the knowledge that they can clean the slate whenever they want

That's not true. In a biblical society, the Gov is suppose to execute judgement. That is their sole purpose.

That was the purpose of a King in the Old Testament:
1) To go to war
2) To Execute Judgement

 

[Kiwong]

Without god, their is no law. That is why we have god. People who do not keep god beside them are more easy to commit violent acts.

Like take an look at your neighbors for instance. How easy life could be is just like that.
Then look at the commandments of god.

I've been listening to the news, for example the proceedings of a Royal Commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse and it appears that those supposedly with God beside them, ministers, priests and brothers are prone to commit violent acts.

 

[kihira]

That's not true. In a biblical society, the Gov is suppose to execute judgement. That is their sole purpose.

That was the purpose of a King in the Old Testament:
1) To go to war
2) To Execute Judgement

What's not true? I'm referring to the belief that people can confess their sins and absolve themselves from guilt; they (maybe) subconsciously know they can continue their behaviours with a church endorsed get-out-of-jail-free card.

 

[BlueDays]

Without god, their is no law. That is why we have god. People who do not keep god beside them are more easy to commit violent acts.

You don't need a god for people to be responsible for their actions. Believing in a god means that offenders can seek forgiveness from their deity and continued to offend again and again with the knowledge that they can clean the slate whenever they want

I've been listening to the news, for example the proceedings of a Royal Commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse and it appears that those supposedly with God beside them, ministers, priests and brothers are prone to commit violent acts.

^That is precisely how so many in the Church have gotten away with child sexual abuse. They were just moved from church to church to cover it up. Some over many decades. What the Royal Commission has brought to light is only the tip of the iceberg.
Believing in and following "God" has (in documented facts) not stopped many humans from being violent to another human being.

 

[warcraft]

How do you know right and wrong? God said that without the law, you are a law unto yourself.

Genesis 9:6
Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

Leviticus 20:10:
And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

Jude 1:7:
Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

When God executed judgement in Genesis, it was set forth as an example FOR ALL Kings/Gov to follow!

Don't blame God. Blame the watered down weak no backbone pastors. Most of them are ravenous wolves in sheeps clothing.

 

[warcraft]

What's not true? I'm referring to the belief that people can confess their sins and absolve themselves from guilt; they (maybe) subconsciously know they can continue their behaviours with a church endorsed get-out-of-jail-free card.

I'm sorry but where does it say to confess your sins to the church in the bible? That's not part of christianity.

James 5:16:
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

There is a big difference between faults and sin. Faults mean like "being annoying, obnoxious" etc.

 

[kihira]

I'm sorry but where does it say to confess your sins to the church in the bible? That's not part of christianity.

Confession is practiced in the catholic church, which is a christian religion

"Confess your faults one to another..." is one interpreted version, "Therefore confess your sins to each other..." is another, so it depends on which version of the bible you pick up and makes it a useless tool with which to make argument.

 

[PugofCrydee]

The bible is full of murder, sexism, homophobia, commands for parents to kill their own children, for people to slay their neighbors children... the list goes on and on. Those that champion the name of their idea of a god are hypocritical. Most of them never actually living by their 'good' books rules but simply cherry pick the parts they like from it.
Then they go around condemning anyone who doesn't see things their way. They even put their own childrens lives at risk because they believe in a magical sky wizard.

Bible kill count; Satan = 10.
God = 2,476,633. (not including the floods).

If people are going to use this thread as a platform to quote from their favorite version of the 'good' book and try and preach to other users, then excuse me while I explain my opinion more bluntly.

 

[hoddesdon]

not

You don't need a god for people to be responsible for their actions. Believing in a god means that offenders can seek forgiveness from their deity and continued to offend again and again with the knowledge that they can clean the slate whenever they want

You are assuming that they get away with this:

"If you love me, you will obey my commandments" John 14:15

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

Matthew 7:21


They may think that they can rort the system, but their delusions do not invalidate the whole thing.

 

[takeheart]

For the people quoting bible and you believers, let me ask, have you ever experienced a God? If there is a God, do you really know this God personally? Have you had encounter with a God? If not, then you're no different to a 'non believer' because you don't have the proof for yourself that a God exists. You just believe because everyone in your family or church says there is a God, yet the very same people have not even had any encounter with this God who supposedly 'exists'.

 

[kihira]

You are assuming that they get away with this:

No, I'm saying it happens because they know they can rort the system, whether they get away with it is irrelevant, because it has happened and irrevocable damage is done.

 

[hoddesdon]

For the people quoting bible and you believers, let me ask, have you ever experienced a God? If there is a God, do you really know this God personally? Have you had encounter with a God? If not, then you're no different to a 'non believer' because you don't have the proof for yourself that a God exists. You just believe because everyone in your family or church says there is a God, yet the very same people have not even had any encounter with this God who supposedly 'exists'.

Yes, it does happen cf John Newton, the author of "Amazing Grace".

 

[takeheart]

Yes, it does happen cf John Newton, the author of "Amazing Grace".

So you have had an encounter with a God yourself? You experienced the great love of the 'Almighty God'?

 

[warcraft]

Confession is practiced in the catholic church, which is a christian religion

"Confess your faults one to another..." is one interpreted version, "Therefore confess your sins to each other..." is another, so it depends on which version of the bible you pick up and makes it a useless tool with which to make argument.

What???? Catholics are not christian. They worship a false Jesus, the antichrist.

1. Catholics make grave images and worship idols/statues
   
   Exodus 20:4: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:​
2. Catholics make crooked the path of god and make salvation a burden on men. They require you need baptism and good works for salvation.
   
   Ephesians 2:8-9:
   For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
   Not of works, lest any man should boast.​
3. Catholics call their "pastor" Father.
   
   Matthew 23:9:
   And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.​
4. Catholics have their "church service" in Latin. Does the average man understand latin?
   
   1 Corinthians 14:9: So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.​

1 Corinthians 1:11:
Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

Notice how all the Catholic "Jesus" statues have long hair. What blashphemy!

There is verse after verse after verse to show that catholics are not christians.

Catholics, Mormons, Protestants, Lutherans, Adventists.....are not Christian.. They change the word of God and place heavy burdens on men and bring doctrines of devils.


How can the King James Bible be intepreted wrong? The King James Bible was based on the Textus Receptus, which simply means it was handed down from generation to generation.

All of the old bibles say "faults". Only the modern ones change it because they are corrupted versions for filthy lucre's sake (for money).