Religious broadcaster builds $4M home despite layoffs at his ministry

[Akucaen]

You fail for assuming I'm Christian.

Forgive me since this flared up in response to christians QQ'ing in the thread.

Let me correct: Wait, seriously? He's using clear and concise logic, then backing up his argument with the holy word that christians believe to be the words and commands of their god.

[kuronosan]

Leviticus has nothing to do with race, nor did I quote it in regards to race. Learn 2 Bible.

And, if Christians don't follow the Bible and believe what it says.... They aren't Christian.

Learn 2 logic dude... Do you know how many sects of religion disagree with teachings of the bible that fall under the umbrella of christianity?

They also teach that women shouldn't be priests... yet in Episcopal religions, women are priests. Episcopalians are Christians too.

Jesus.

[Correction]

He's using clear and concise logic.

No, he isn't. Not even close. His statements are the equivalent of 'The U.S. constitution says blacks are only 3/5s of a white person, therefore all U.S. citizens think this way.'

Christianity's teachings come from the sayings of Jesus, not some dogmatic adherence to everything in Leviticus. And I think Jesus was pretty clear on that 'love thy neighbor' and 'stop throwing stones there, sinners' point. To ignore that and say the texts encourage open and aggressive discrimination of minorities and women is the furthest possible thing from clear and concise logic there is.

[EternityEnd]

Then... they don't follow the Bible. So stop using the Bible at all-- What the Christians follow, then? Jesus? Jesus is only quoted in the Bible, there is no other evidence he even existed at all.

If christians don't follow the bible, then christianity itself is devoid of structure.

[Day]

That's what I don't get; how can you just pick and choose and still call it the same religon.

[Neosutra]

. Having faith and belief in something, be at a higher power or that you are capable of accomplishing a task, is the fundamental aspect in generating success. If you do not believe in something, you will never achieve the goal or the ideal you're seeking (idea vs ideal being a whole 'nother arguement/debate in and of itself).
.

I have faith in nothing and I am very successful.

[EternityEnd]

That's what I don't get; how can you just pick and choose and still call it the same religon.

This.

[Akucaen]

That's what I don't get; how can you just pick and choose and still call it the same religon.

This plus what Eternity said, really.

[Jer]

Learn 2 logic dude... Do you know how many sects of religion disagree with teachings of the bible that fall under the umbrella of christianity?

They also teach that women shouldn't be priests... yet in Episcopal religions, women are priests. Episcopalians are Christians too.

Jesus.

I think that may be one of the points they are trying to make.

Kind of reminds me of the time I had a Jehovah's Witness come a-knocking. They were trying to convince me there is only one true religion and that is the one Jesus began. I quickly got tired of trying to explain to him that unless his fluffy lord and savior appeared in the late 1800s, he just debunked his own.

[zoobernut]

Oh boy another religion debate. Never saw it coming, really.



Normally I don't toss in with these but, hey, what the hell. No pun intended. Honest.





I personally feel that it is absolutely ok to believe in whatever and whoever you choose. Having faith and belief in something, be at a higher power or that you are capable of accomplishing a task, is the fundamental aspect in generating success. If you do not believe in something, you will never achieve the goal or the ideal you're seeking (idea vs ideal being a whole 'nother arguement/debate in and of itself).


However, when that faith, when that belief, becomes an indoctrinated mantra, or a religion, or what have you, it ceases to be a personal tool for developing success and becomes a crowd control tool. Religion, in and of itself, is merely fluidic government. It doesn't have the rigidity of black and white law, because the reader can interpret it any way they choose that best suits whatever methodology of control they're trying to implement. There isn't exactly a 'checks and balances' system to religion, in order to keep interpretation of the 'law' to a minimum, unless you want to consider who is and who is not able to keep a group of followers as such. It is in this environment that person becomes people and people, sad to say, are sheep. And depending on who's currently driving the flock its either headed off a cliff to fall to its death or into the sea to drown.



This whole argument really comes down to a debate between who is able to think and rationalize for themselves just what it is they have belief and/or faith in, regardless of what they choose, and those who let others choose for them.

There have been a lot of religion threads on BG and I have to say that this is one of my favorite posts I have seen in a religion debate thread. Not only does it closely follow my personal feelings towards religion but it clearly separates the idea of a belief system from organized religions based on ancient books written by man.

[Moridam]

people like eternity are precisely why i avoid identifying as an atheist.

[Correction]

That's what I don't get; how can you just pick and choose and still call it the same religon.

Don't look at me for that answer, somehow those christians just make it work and live their lives without being gaybashing, woman-enslaving racists. If that's enough for them to call themselves christians then who am I to say 'nuh-uh, you're only Christians if EternityEnd says you are, and his criteria are strict adherence to everything in the Bible!'

When he says 'all christians are blah blah blah' then 'well, those who are good and don't blah blah blah clearly aren't christians,' that's bullshit backpedalling. And that's really the point I wanted to make. He's taking a completely different tangent and running a marathon with it, looking behind him, seeing nobody following his crap logic and assuming he's winning the race.

And that's actually kind of funny.

[Tsuko_Asura]

people like eternity are precisely why i avoid identifying as an atheist.

Don't talk smack about my life partner.

[kuronosan]

That's what I don't get; how can you just pick and choose and still call it the same religon.

Because the beauty of belief in God is that there is freedom of choice... something that is the foundation of every major religion.

Conservative religions aim to preserve order while Progressive religions aim to preserve freedom.

They call it the same religion because they focus on the basic fundamental teachings of the person it is based on. In this case, Jesus advocates loving thy neighbor and the other tenants of Christianity... so religions that follow that still technically follow the teachings of Christ. They are still, therefore, Christians.

Christians don't follow the teachings of the bible. They follow the teachings of Christ. They're not Biblians. Christians follow the old Testament but we don't call them Jews.

[EternityEnd]

You're ignoring everyone coming in here and saying "What eternity said." lol

Akucaen, Julian, Neo, Tsuko...

[quannum]

guys, guys, can't we all just find some common ground?!
grouphug everyone.
puppies and caramel apples!

[Akucaen]

Because the beauty of belief in God is that there is freedom of choice... something that is the foundation of every major religion.

Isn't... all of your god's word concrete and "fact?" Who are you to pick and choose what your god laid before you as the one true word and path?

[Neosutra]

people like eternity are precisely why i avoid identifying as an atheist.

You just dont hate your parents enough to be an athiest. According to Plow.

[kuronosan]

You asked for an explanation and I offered one. Do I look like a fucking God to you?

[Neosutra]

I look like a god and very few people worship me =/