Do you believe in god, if not do you believe in something else?

[Tispower1]

Soleron said:

Tispower1 said:

 

Your 2 points seem to contradict each other, you say that Atheism doesn't teach us how to behave, yet don't seem to realise that nothing in the Bible holds up the Crusades or Northern Ireland as something that God would want to happen. Qu'ran on the other hand is a different matter.

Also you say Atheists disagree with each other, but 'Religious People' (care to be more specific) can't, then say they do disagree with each other, if you mean that there's lots of different types of Christianity, then yes I agree that is extremely unhelpful and is frankly a bad thing, hence why I don't belong to a particular 'denomination'.

 

First point: Um, Jericho? The Old Testament is full of passages about God specifically wanting the Israelites to kill people of other religions in order to make him the only God and claim their right to the land. Sure, an all-good God wouldn't "want" it to happen (but as I said Christianity's God is not all-good in the Old Testament), but nevertheless the Crusades, etc. were motivated directly by religious beliefs. If religion did not exist, these wars would not happened or would have been less severe.

Second Point: Obviously religious people do disagree with one another. However, they are not 'meant' to: every religion ever specifies that there is only one true belief. The fact that religious texts frequently contradict themselves is proof that they can't logically be the literal truth. Atheism has nothing to "stop" people from disagreeing with each other by virtue of it implying nothing at all.

So, you are a Christian, but you don't belong to a denomination? Whatever beliefs you do have, someone somewhere who considers themselves just as Christian as you will think you are wrong. Obviously either you or they are wrong - and the Bible can be used to support either side by using it selectively. How can YOU tell you are more right than them?

 

That is a very good question. I will never just agree with something because someone said it, I'd want to investigate it myself. For example see what that Bible says on the issue, and then take the viewpoint that would fit with the character of God.

In regards to the Old Testament, it's the New Testament that tells Christian's to live their lives, after all Christians wnat to be like Christ, but the Old Testament is more to do with how Christianity came about. And I think the reason people's behaviour seems to differ, is that they were effectively doing what they needed to survive, I mean if God was like people described him, surely he would make his special people as powerful as the Romans?