Whatever happened to Axebone?

[barkel]

Originally posted by Grizzix
that is my problem. even the people who are not corrupted have differing views on the same book. all are \"devinely\" led on the \"true\" path. which path is correct? if i follow this man because i agree with his interpretation and truely feel in my heart and soul that he is right i could still be damned because he is wrong. is there no justice in religion? people are going to follow the interpretation that best suits them and that just seems wrong in itself. . .

Again, a valid point. But I think you sell short the lives and hearts of millions of people when you suggest that everyone will follow only what suits them. Not everyone is self serving. Do you think that Mother Teresa was self serving when she dedicated her life to caring for the dying children of India? I think not.

There are many people who struggle daily with how to apply their religion to their life. Axebone, for example, converted to Christianity, or was reborn into it, and decided that his minis did not fit into his belief system. Just four months ago he was arguing for his right to post big breasted women. Now he has shed that life. Is that a person who does only what suits him? Do you assume that making big breasted minis made Axebone miserable? Probably not. I would bet that he enjoyed it and struggled with giving it up. This is not the action of a man who manipulates his religion to fit his life.

Varying religions aside, every religion has sects and \"denominations.\" They will vary on how to worship, how to apply your religion to your life, etc. But usually the basic tennants of the religion are the same. In Christianity the basic tennant is that Christ is the son of God. That he lived the life of a human, but was blameless. He was killed in spite of his innocence as a sacrifice for our sins. Some Christians don\'t believe he rose from the dead, but most do. Still, 99.99% believe that belief in him is the only path to salvation.


barkel

 

[darthfoley]

Originally posted by barkel
It addresses issues that will never change. The issues of human suffering and the need to be accepted into a group. It addresses the need for people to help one another out.

Barkel (and airhead), you have been so eloquent in your responses. If I would have encountered someone like you long ago, my opinions of the Christian faith would probably be quite different (I still don\'t think I would be a follower...but I certainly would hold a better opinion).

These last points are ones that I think the majority of humanity would agree on - and that\'s the main hang up I have with the thought that one religion is \'right\'. When the basic ideas are the same, I don\'t understand what all the fighting is about.

 

[airhead]

Barkel, I held much the same opinion as you until not too long ago. Then a friend of mine invited me to church and we had a lot of discussions very similar to this thread. A lot of times, he did not have an immeadiate answer, but was able to get back to me on any point.

I found God about 5 years ago, thanks to him and his (our) pastor. I don\'t know if \"reborn\" would be the correct term - it took 4 years for me to quit smoking. But I know that my life is definately changed and for the better. Can I change your life? No - that is a decision that you have to make yourself. Can I help you answer any questions along the way - yes, and be very happy to - as well as document where my answers came from - so you know it is not just me talking.

If you are looking for a logical argument for God and Christ, try The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict. I read the original book (loaned from my pastor\'s library). Some great stuff in there, but it is not an easy read.

Is the church necessary? I think that you can get to heaven without the church, but you will have a hard time \"growing\" as a Christian without some teaching and spending time with mature Christians.

 

[Prophet]

the guy/girl in the nice suit driving the nice car that stands behind a podium once a week, or the bum wearing rags that lives the hard life every day.

I lived in San Francisco. Here are some things you can learn from the homeless:
1. Always have some savings in case of emergency. Sh** happens even to good people.
2. Don\'t use drugs
3. Don\'t drink
4. Don\'t live in an area where the mentally ill are let loose on the street instead of being properly cared for.

Personal I agrea with you too many hands have put their own twist in the bible. I don\'t know about you guys but I have thought about the people who print bibles.

For the most part all translators have done their best to be as exact as possible when translating the scriptures. Wouldn\'t you if you regarded it as the work of god? There have been exceptions. The translators of the King James version complained that some of their translations were not exact because they were forced to emphasize areas that agreed with King James\' theology. And some contemporary sects (I won\'t name names) have also added or subtracted words to make the bible fit their beliefs.

When compaired against old (I\'m talking 1st century) bibles, todays translations are almost exact. There were various checks and backchecks made during the middle ages when bibles were hand copied to insure exactness of copies.

Although all of the books currently in the new testament were written by the mid second century (except the apocrypha for you Catholics) there was no \"Bible\" as we know it until the 4th century. For some interesting reading, check out some of the books that were not included. But the most recent translations are always the most accurate. Linguistics and archeology advance. Translators today have many more tools available than they did in the middle ages.

There were certainly a number of changes in the middle ages (? I think...) when the christian faith split into the western roman catholicism and eastern orthodox churches.

1054 was the year of the official split. But the bible did not change. Ironically enough though, much of Roman catholic theology is based on greek philosophy while Eastern orthodox theology was influenced by roman law at the time.

How do we know that Jews didn\'t have it right all along, or that those fun loving Buddhist folks are on the true path? When I said we should worship the Greek gods, I was serious. Why is Jesus any more believable than Zeus?

There is a difference between \"How do we know?\" and \"I can\'t ever know.\" If you really do want to know, then study. Study the roots of these religions. Find out where they came from, how, when, and why they were founded, what changes have taken place, etc, etc.