Originally posted by IntaminFan397Originally posted by WeeWeeSlap
also don;t forget, there are religions that exploit the people. They ask for X percentage of their weekly work checks and what not. I know this cuz I have a few relatives that have come across this.
Only a VERY small percent, mostly everyone gives them $1/week, and thats just optional if you want to donate money to help the church with their financial expenses.
Uh, what religion are you talking about? No offense, but the general Catholic rule is 10% of your income before taxes! That's a LOT of money! The priests at the Catholic church by my old house all drive BMW's and Mercedes...so much for their "vow of poverty..." And the Methodist church I went to when I was young generally got about $100 a week per family. You may see $1 bills in the collection plate, but that's NOT the only way money goes from the people to the church.
Many of the comments about science here have been grossly misinformed as well. Scientific theories are based on hard evidence, not "faith." There is no mention of dinosaurs in the Bible - according to it, the Earth was created about 4000 years ago and fossils were placed in the ground by God to make us "wonder at his mystery" or some other lame excuse. About the "where did God come from" thing, I am working on a resolution to this (haha), but I think some sense can be made if you think about how time is simply another dimension of existance, and a supreme being would be outside of it. It would be hard for us to comprehend, but in a world outside of time, there is no beginning or end, and something that exists always has and always will - there is no "start point" where a creation of the God could take place.
Also, watching the history channel might change YOUR thoughts about religion, cool326, because history does not support the Bible in many, many, many places, one of them being the story of the Passions itself (at least as it is depicted in this movie). Yes, there was a flood, but it did not cover the whole earth, it did not "shoot out from the ground like a geyser," and it did not wipe out the sinners of the earth.
Here's a novel thought -
the Bible wasn't meant to be taken literally. It is not a historical reference book. It is a story that teaches us how we should live. It has been manipulated by people to justify their own causes. Christianity was originally supposed to be about love, acceptance, and forgiveness. That original message has been turned into one of intolerance, stubbornness, and righteousness that Jesus would not have wanted. Don't get me wrong, I have friends and family who are religious and they are wonderful people. It is just that, as I said before, religion is more about people than it is about God. Take waht you hear at Church and in the Bible with a grain of salt, and ask yourselves if your beliefs are motivated by love or fear and intolerance.
A lot of what has been said here sounds like some of you are pretty young, but you sound like you have already made up your minds. Just keep your eyes open and do some thinking - the answers we look for in religion are far too important to just be accepted in a neat little package. I'm not saying renounce God or anything, just that faith with an open mind and heart is far better than blind faith, i.e. "my pastor said this, so..."