People are sure jumping ship and swimming away from religion at an attention getting rate nowadays. Christianity especially. But I don’t think it’s because atheism is so appealing. I think it’s more likely because religion has lost its appeal. People once thought religion offered solutions. Nowadays, it appears that many people see it as a problem. I can’t blame em’ for it. There’s sure a lotta hate spewed at em’ in the name of God. It clearly is unattractive to those who are on the receiving end of it. Grace is supposed to be a hallmark of the Christian faith...but it seems to very often be sorely lacking by many who profess to be Christians. The faith of Christianity is certainly more appealing when the message of grace is most apparent.
What’s this got to do with evolution...? Not a flippin’ thing...! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If evolution is true and the Bible is not, then there was no fall in the Garden of Eden so there is no need for Jesus the Savior.
That tactic is no different than saying “either you believe in a literal interpretation of the entire Bible, or you don’t believe in any of the Bible”. It’s a dishonest tactic to try and force people to believe things that are clearly not true...such as Noah and the Ark, and Jonah and the great fish. Using such a dishonest tactic does a tremendous disservice to the faith of Christianity, and it pushes people away from Jesus. Denying scientific knowledge because it threatens one’s faith shows a real weakness in one’s faith. Some of the stuff in the Bible is clearly allegorical...some people realize that, and some don’t.
Until very recent times, even those people not in chains were enslaved by their environment. They spent most every waking moment tending their flocks, gathering herbs and roots, or hunting meat.... .
Hunter/gatherers... enslaved by their environment....I certainly dont see it that way, they spent most of their time surviving, I more so think they relished in it, there were no alternate lifestyles to choose from....
There was agriculture to choose from, certain part of Europe like Gaul and Hispania [Greek & Roman colonization times] and in the far east Egypt, had agriculture and trade in such products , while the more easterly and northern Europeans[Germanics] adhered strongly to hunter/ Gatherer and RAIDING.
Pagans whether agricultural or hunter/gather, had their agriculture/harvest and hunting dieties... come the 4th-5th century period when Christianity got strong foothold, the Christians set about systematically denying the pagans their dieties through persecution.
Ancient Hebrew monotheism had a centralized model of control.and they went about persecuting pagans across the land who had their own liittle God's and shrines... ie: 'you will have only One god and it's the one we are forcing on you' Christians with their centralized model, did exactly the same to the pagans across Europe.
Just a bunch of control freak thug Azzholes.
Scandinavian kings saw value in Christianity simply because they could reduce the autonomy of numerous pagan Viking raiding groups, bring them under one umbrella making that king more rich and powerful, but no less ruthless.
Look at the Scandinavian background Normans and see if Christianity made them nice guys. They were savage ruthless greedy control freaks in cahoots with the christian church.... ie; they were Great church people but attrocious christians.
-Bulletproof and Waterproof don't mean Idiotproof.
The decline of society is caused by many factors, economic, market saturation, business decline leading to shortage of jobs, a sense of hoplessness, turn to drugs, steal to feed the habit, homelessness, overpopulation, social friction, race tension, class, the haves and the have nots, poor education, etc, etc....religion being only a part of the overall picture. Plus the US has a higher percentage of believers than Australia, for example, yet appears to have greater problems.
Believers believing that only faith can make the world a better place is all part of their brainwashing - need to start thinking and understanding for yourselves. Faith systems have caused significant misery, hated, death, arrogance, prejudice etc in the past and continue to do so. Faith is a "gateway" mindset to conspiracy.
Originally Posted by mauserand9mm
Originally Posted by mauserand9mm
Originally Posted by Raspy
Whatever you said...everyone knows you are a lying jerk.
That's a bold assertion. Point out where you think I lied.
If evolution is true and the Bible is not, then there was no fall in the Garden of Eden so there is no need for Jesus the Savior.
That tactic is no different than saying “either you believe in a literal interpretation of the entire Bible, or you don’t believe in any of the Bible”. It’s a dishonest tactic to try and force people to believe things that are clearly not true...such as Noah and the Ark, and Jonah and the great fish. Using such a dishonest tactic does a tremendous disservice to the faith of Christianity, and it pushes people away from Jesus. Denying scientific knowledge because it threatens one’s faith shows a real weakness in one’s faith. Some of the stuff in the Bible is clearly allegorical...some people realize that, and some don’t. [/quote]
You actually believe "Noah and the Ark, and Johan and the great fish" are not true? How about a virgin birth? That's not verified by any scientific study. How about Jesus rising from the dead? That's not verified by any scientific study. Do you believe Jesus actually ascended into Heaven while the disciples looked on? That's not documented by any scientific study.
Just how do you decide what to believe?
Believing Bible stories does not push anyone away from God. People decide on their own to either believe or not on their own.
"Only Christ is the fullness of God's revelation." Everyday Hunter
Amazing how difficult simple things are. Without the Bible people could eventually figure out there are things that are evil. Science give us the idea of opposites. If there is evil, there is good. People could figure out animals dont act out of a pure evil nature, while man otherwise does.
The Bible just explained the truth about good and evil among mankind.
Absence of proof is not proof of absence.
Ecc 10:2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but that of a fool to the left.
A Nation which leaves God behind is soon left behind.
"The Lord never asked anyone to be a tax collector, lowyer, or Redskins fan".
The decline of society is caused by many factors, economic, market saturation, business decline leading to shortage of jobs, a sense of hoplessness, turn to drugs, steal to feed the habit, homelessness, overpopulation, social friction, race tension, class, the haves and the have nots, poor education, etc, etc....religion being only a part of the overall picture. Plus the US has a higher percentage of believers than Australia, for example, yet appears to have greater problems.
Yeah, we got a lot more suffering among people now days wearing nikes, eating rotten road kill from their fridge while watching color TV while sitting under an AC than folks did along the European coast living off the fat of the sea with their motorized fishing boats while dodging polio, the plagues, mosquitoes, tetanus, potato famines and Barbary Coast bleck slavers a thousand years ago.
We got it so bad roving bands of poor starving bleck utes scavenge for green meat and donuts through the alley dumpsters all day unless they see a chick with nice tenners and a cell phone they can attack.
Sheesh.
Last edited by jaguartx; 06/18/20.
Ecc 10:2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but that of a fool to the left.
A Nation which leaves God behind is soon left behind.
"The Lord never asked anyone to be a tax collector, lowyer, or Redskins fan".
If evolution is true and the Bible is not, then there was no fall in the Garden of Eden so there is no need for Jesus the Savior.
Originally Posted by antlers
That tactic is no different than saying “either you believe in a literal interpretation of the entire Bible, or you don’t believe in any of the Bible”. It’s a dishonest tactic to try and force people to believe things that are clearly not true...such as Noah and the Ark, and Jonah and the great fish. Using such a dishonest tactic does a tremendous disservice to the faith of Christianity, and it pushes people away from Jesus. Denying scientific knowledge because it threatens one’s faith shows a real weakness in one’s faith. Some of the stuff in the Bible is clearly allegorical...some people realize that, and some don’t.
Originally Posted by Ringman
You actually believe "Noah and the Ark, and Jonah and the great fish" are not true? How about a virgin birth? That's not verified by any scientific study. How about Jesus rising from the dead? That's not verified by any scientific study. Do you believe Jesus actually ascended into Heaven while the disciples looked on? That's not documented by any scientific study. Just how do you decide what to believe?
Originally Posted by antlers
Discernment. God gives us the power of discernment and wisdom...generously...if we ask for it. Again, some of the stuff in the Bible is clearly allegorical...some people realize that, and some don’t. One’s salvation does not depend on believing the tale of Noah and the Ark, nor does one’s salvation depend on believing the tale of Jonah and the great fish. Nor does one’s salvation depend on believing the literal interpretation of the biblical story of creation. But one’s salvation DOES depend on believing in Jesus’ Resurrection, and seizing the opportunity to have a relationship with a loving God who sent His son to reveal just how good He is, and accepting His gift of grace.
Originally Posted by Ringman
Believing Bible stories does not push anyone away from God.
Demanding that people believe in a literal interpretation of the entire Bible, and demanding that they believe things that are clearly not true...and telling them that their salvation is null and void if they don’t...certainly DOES push people away from Jesus.
I'm guessing you never connected the dots between D controlled major cities like San Fran, Detroit, Chitcago, St Louis, Cleveland, Philly and Baltimore to being in an advanced state of decline compared to R controlled cities.
It's for certain that would be too deep and difficult for you.
Ecc 10:2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but that of a fool to the left.
A Nation which leaves God behind is soon left behind.
"The Lord never asked anyone to be a tax collector, lowyer, or Redskins fan".
The decline of society is caused by many factors, economic, market saturation, business decline leading to shortage of jobs, a sense of hoplessness, turn to drugs, steal to feed the habit, homelessness, overpopulation, social friction, race tension, class, the haves and the have nots, poor education, etc, etc....religion being only a part of the overall picture. Plus the US has a higher percentage of believers than Australia, for example, yet appears to have greater problems.
Yeah, we got a lot more suffering among people now days wearing nikes, eating rotten road kill from their fridge while watching color TV while sitting under an AC than folks did along the European coast living off the fat of the sea with their motorized fishing boats while dodging polio, the plagues, mosquitoes, tetanus, potato famines and Barbary Coast bleck slavers a thousand years ago.
We got it so bad roving bands of poor starving bleck utes scavenge for green meat and donuts through the alley dumpsters all day unless they see a chick with nice tenners and a cell phone they can attack.
Sheesh.
So much for your claims that Christianity will solve all of societies problems. More Black claim to be Christian than whites. Same for Latinos.
...today, a larger share of African Americans than whites say they are Christian. And, of all major U.S. racial and ethnic groups, blacks are the most likely to identify as Protestant.
Nearly eight-in-ten black Americans (79%) identify as Christian, according to Pew Research Center’s 2014 Religious Landscape Study. By comparison, seven-in-ten Americans overall (71%) say they are Christian, including 70% of whites, 77% of Latinos and just 34% of Asian Americans. Meanwhile, about seven-in-ten blacks are Protestant, compared with less than half of the public overall (47%), including 48% of whites, roughly a quarter of Latinos and 17% of Asian Americans.
If evolution is true and the Bible is not, then there was no fall in the Garden of Eden so there is no need for Jesus the Savior.
That tactic is no different than saying “either you believe in a literal interpretation of the entire Bible, or you don’t believe in any of the Bible”. It’s a dishonest tactic to try and force people to believe things that are clearly not true...such as Noah and the Ark, and Jonah and the great fish. Using such a dishonest tactic does a tremendous disservice to the faith of Christianity, and it pushes people away from Jesus. Denying scientific knowledge because it threatens one’s faith shows a real weakness in one’s faith. Some of the stuff in the Bible is clearly allegorical...some people realize that, and some don’t.
You actually believe "Noah and the Ark, and Johan and the great fish" are not true? How about a virgin birth? That's not verified by any scientific study. How about Jesus rising from the dead? That's not verified by any scientific study. Do you believe Jesus actually ascended into Heaven while the disciples looked on? That's not documented by any scientific study.
Just how do you decide what to believe?
Believing Bible stories does not push anyone away from God. People decide on their own to either believe or not on their own. [/quote]
If there was no literal fall there is no need for a literal redemption or a literal sacrifice: Jesus.
The decline of society is caused by many factors, economic, market saturation, business decline leading to shortage of jobs, a sense of hoplessness, turn to drugs, steal to feed the habit, homelessness, overpopulation, social friction, race tension, class, the haves and the have nots, poor education, etc, etc....religion being only a part of the overall picture. Plus the US has a higher percentage of believers than Australia, for example, yet appears to have greater problems.
Yeah, we got a lot more suffering among people now days wearing nikes, eating rotten road kill from their fridge while watching color TV while sitting under an AC than folks did along the European coast living off the fat of the sea with their motorized fishing boats while dodging polio, the plagues, mosquitoes, tetanus, potato famines and Barbary Coast bleck slavers a thousand years ago.
We got it so bad roving bands of poor starving bleck utes scavenge for green meat and donuts through the alley dumpsters all day unless they see a chick with nice tenners and a cell phone they can attack.
Sheesh.
So much for your claims that Christianity will solve all of societies problems. More Black claim to be Christian than whites. Same for Latinos.
...today, a larger share of African Americans than whites say they are Christian. And, of all major U.S. racial and ethnic groups, blacks are the most likely to identify as Protestant.
Nearly eight-in-ten black Americans (79%) identify as Christian, according to Pew Research Center’s 2014 Religious Landscape Study. By comparison, seven-in-ten Americans overall (71%) say they are Christian, including 70% of whites, 77% of Latinos and just 34% of Asian Americans. Meanwhile, about seven-in-ten blacks are Protestant, compared with less than half of the public overall (47%), including 48% of whites, roughly a quarter of Latinos and 17% of Asian Americans.
I'm guessing you never connected the dots between D controlled major cities like San Fran, Detroit, Chitcago, St Louis, Cleveland, Philly and Baltimore to being in an advanced state of decline compared to R controlled cities.
It's for certain that would be too deep and difficult for you.
Ahh, I see your problem now - you think everything comes from faith or lack thereof. Arrogantly claiming all non-believers are non-moral or criminal. You really need help - the brainwashing has seriously damaged something, including ability to undertake logical consideration.
Originally Posted by mauserand9mm
Originally Posted by mauserand9mm
Originally Posted by Raspy
Whatever you said...everyone knows you are a lying jerk.
That's a bold assertion. Point out where you think I lied.
The decline of society is caused by many factors, economic, market saturation, business decline leading to shortage of jobs, a sense of hoplessness, turn to drugs, steal to feed the habit, homelessness, overpopulation, social friction, race tension, class, the haves and the have nots, poor education, etc, etc....religion being only a part of the overall picture. Plus the US has a higher percentage of believers than Australia, for example, yet appears to have greater problems.
Yeah, we got a lot more suffering among people now days wearing nikes, eating rotten road kill from their fridge while watching color TV while sitting under an AC than folks did along the European coast living off the fat of the sea with their motorized fishing boats while dodging polio, the plagues, mosquitoes, tetanus, potato famines and Barbary Coast bleck slavers a thousand years ago.
We got it so bad roving bands of poor starving bleck utes scavenge for green meat and donuts through the alley dumpsters all day unless they see a chick with nice tenners and a cell phone they can attack.
Sheesh.
The point being? What are the factors that took us out of the dark ages and improved the lives of so many people? If western society is in decline, what exactly is driving that decline?
![[Linked Image from pewresearch.org]](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/FT_18.04.20_blacksReligion.png)
![[Linked Image from pewresearch.org]](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/FT_18.02.06_africanAmericanChurch_420px.png)