Peace be with you, I only wish the best for you and your family.

 

Rev. Thomas Gallagher, secretary for education of the U.S. Catholic Conference, was quoted saying, "We're more concerned with God as the creator of the world than with how He created it, How it was done is an issue for science."
So, if you're convinced that to accept evolution is to sacrifice salvation and be faced with damnation, then don't accept it. If you're convinced that none of the scientific evidence can be trusted because of "Satan", then don't accept it. You're certainly not alone. Tens of millions of Americans feel the same way.
On the other hand, tens of millions of other Christians in mainstream Christian faiths believe that God used evolution and the laws of nature as instruments in His creative works. It might be worth your time to explore how mainstream Christian faiths are able to accept both evolution and the divinity of Jesus. Remember, the Bible records Jesus as having taught largely in parables that weren't meant to be taken literally. Insistence on a literal interpretation would only undercut the intentions of his teaching.

 

That's the problem Stealth.
Because of the multitude of possible religions, if any faith is as likely as the other, the probability of the Christian being right is P=1/n where n is the number of possible faiths.
Theists play the theological lottery, and if you've ever played the lottery, you just know you're gonna lose.

Considering what religion has done for the world, we'd all be better off if there were no religion.
Religion is like a virus that changes people's minds into dogmatic thinking.

Main Entry: dog·mat·ic : 1 : characterized by or given to the expression of opinions very strongly or positively as if they were facts

Add to this all the self admitted Pascal Wagerists who smuggly admit on these boards how if they are right they go to heaven, and if they are wrong they lose nothing. A quick search through any of the previous religious threads will show exactly what I'm talking about.

The Christian God is supposed to be omnipotent right? Therefor He will know if you only jumped on the Pascals Wager bandwagon to save your ***, then take all the phoney baloney Christians like truckguy was talking about, you know the people who go to church, make a good scene, but deep down they are bad people? God is like Santa, He knows who'se been naughty and nice.

So just because someone goes through all the motions, and does things to help people, but only does them because they think it's buying them a ticket to Heaven, I'm guessing God will know this too.
I doubt God will want to surround himself for all eternity by a bunch of cringing hypocrites.

I help people all the time, regularly give to charity, and go out of my way to make my small corner of the world a better place. no I'm not a saint by any means, and sometimes I make decisions I regret, but these experiences help me for making the right decision next time.

I don't do these things because I want a ticket to some promised afterlife or because I want something in return, I just do it because my moral compass tells me it's the right thing to do.

I think you & I do a lot of the same things, we just do them for different reasons.

BTW, please don't think I'm picking on Christians only, I think all religions are equally messed up, not just yours.

If by chance one of the religions is correct, sorry buddy, but I want the 50 virgins and the double King Sized bed (and a massive jar of vasoline) waiting for me.
<------Habibi rubbing his hands together in anticipation----->

 

DOES seem a bit more exciting for all of eternity than sitting around playing harps, doesn't it?

- Jack

 

That's what I was thinking when I was pondering possibilities..
Sit next to God on a cloud, eating pot o' gold chocolates and listening to boring harp music, or 50 smokin' hot virgins waiting to OBEY my every command, LMAO

Hmm, let me think, it's a tough one.



Hopefully God doesn;t have a sick sense of humor like me, and the 50 virgins will all be 2-ton heffers, and the room is locked from the outside.

 

Just for a lil laugh, enjoy. Yes Stealth, I confess, it is a copy an paste.

In the year 2009, the Lord came unto Noah, and said: "Once again, the earth has become wicked and over-populated, and I see the end of all flesh before me. Build another Ark and save 2 of every living thing along with a few good humans." He gave Noah the blueprints, saying: "You have 6 months to build the Ark before I will start the unending rain for 40 days and 40 nights."

Six months later, the Lord looked down and saw Noah weeping in his yard – but no Ark.

"Noah!" He roared, "I'm about to start the rain! Where is the Ark?"

"Forgive me, Lord," begged Noah, "but things have changed."

"I needed a building permit.

"I've been arguing with the inspector about the need for a sprinkler system.

"My neighbors claim that I've violated the neighborhood zoning laws by building the Ark in my yard and exceeding the height limitations.

"We had to go to the Development Appeal Board for a decision.

"Then the Department of Transportation demanded a bond be posted for the future costs of moving power lines and other overhead obstructions, to clear the passage for the Ark 's move to the sea. I told them that the sea would be coming to us, but they would hear nothing of it.

"Getting the wood was another problem. There's a ban on cutting local trees in order to save the spotted owl. I tried to convince the environmentalists that I needed the wood to save the owls - but no go!

"When I started gathering the animals, an animal rights group sued me. They insisted that I was confining wild animals against their will. They argued the accommodations were too restrictive, and it was cruel and inhumane to put so many animals in a confined space.

"Then the EPA ruled that I couldn't build the Ark until they'd conducted an environmental impact study on your proposed flood.

"I'm still trying to resolve a complaint with the Human Rights Commission on how many minorities I'm supposed to hire for my building crew.

"Immigration and Naturalization are checking the green-card status of most of the people who want to work.

"The trades unions say I can't use my sons. They insist I have to hire only Union workers with Ark-building experience.

"To make matters worse, the Tax Office seized all my assets, claiming I'm trying to leave the country illegally with endangered species.

"So, forgive me, Lord, but it would take at least 10 years for me to finish this Ark."

Suddenly the skies cleared, the sun began to shine, and a rainbow stretched across the sky.

Noah looked up in wonder and asked, "You mean you're not going to destroy the world?"

"No," said the Lord. "The government beat me to it."

 

Funny, OGTerror!

Just to clarify, before I become a convert, Habbi, those 50 young ladies don't have to remain virgins, do they?

And, Habbi, if there IS a God, I don't doubt she'll have a sense of humor. After all she made man, didn't she?

- Jack

 

The religion of "peace." http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/suspec...ory?id=8618732

 

He/she is a cosmic joker, wasn't it Voltaire who quipped that "God is comedian playing to audience that's too afraid to laugh"?

 

One person, out of how many million? Get real.

I guess Jimmy Swaggart made all Christians lechers, too? Or, did Jim Baker take precedence by making all Christians perverts?

- Jack

 

You can have your 50 virgins.

I'll take 50 experienced women instead.

 

How you can compare Jimmy Swaggert sleeping with a prostitute to someone who wants to MURDER hundreds of people shows your flawed logic.

 

Of course I made no such comparison. (But you just did).

You painted all Muslims with a "terrorist brush" based on the actions of a few, who probably don't represent the vast majority.

I simply suggested how absurd that was by drawing a parallel that was closer to home.

- Jack

 

Oh but you did compare Swaggert to murder by calling his name out after my above post.

My only point was that the Muslims are trying to attack this country, over and over again. Imagine if we did not have the FBI on their tails 24-7 and they were allowed to run roughshod with their attacks. There would be thousands of dead Americans to bury. There would also be 50% unemployment in America.

I am in no way saying all Muslims want to blow-up America. Just saying that because of their "martyrdom" beliefs, they think they will be glorified for the murder of us "infidels."

 

That's a done deal, at last, we agree on something.