The Only Religion

maxx

there are other theories that may correspond to the idea of a creator. for instance, if a creator exists, he may have created the universe for his own purpose and any life forms may simply be a by-product of the creation.@Normal_1

Normal_1

there are other theories that may correspond to the idea of a creator. for instance, if a creator exists, he may have created the universe for his own purpose and any life forms may simply be a by-product of the creation

Yeah, it could well be...although you would have to wonder what the creator is going to do with 120 trillion suns and planets (and still rapidly growing). Is he trying to set up some sort of giant, glorified inter-galactic pinball machine?
Then, out of the corner of His eye, he notices that one of the pinballs has a bit of mold on it. So he wipes it off.

You have been warned.

@maxx

maxx

the so called creator may not even notice us life forms anymore than we do the bacteria in our air,. the universe to this kind of creator may have made or is using the universe in a way we can not understand. we see suns and planet s, yet what makes you think that he does? the universe may be some sort of musical,/mathematical composition to him; one that changes constantly and for his enjoyment. we may simply not exist in his frame of reference, and he may  not see the universe from our point of view anymore that a intelligent atom would see our body from our point of view@Normal_1

TKDB

@Normal_1

Any Religion is the right one.

Freedom of Religion, is just as global as the non Religious are.

ZeusAres42

TKDB said:

@Normal_1

Any Religion is the right one.

Freedom of Religion, is just as global as the non Religious are.

Does that include Atheism?

Normal_1

"Does that include Atheism?"

Come on now. Do you really want to go down that path?

In which case; bring it on.

TKDB

@ZeusAres42

Any Religion is the right one.

Freedom of Religion, is just as global as the non Religious are.

"Does that include Atheism?"

Atheism is global, being that the billions of participants on the internet are the proof to that fact.

Normal_1

Atheism is global, being that the billions of participants on the internet are the proof to that fact. @TKDB

You are implying that atheism is a movement of some sort, which is just like saying that we are members of the human race.
What point are you trying to make, if any at@TKDB

TKDB

@Normal_1

Separation of Church and State is an example of utilized Atheist Segregation, IE segregating prayer from schools.

Therefore Atheist Segregation is a form of Atheist values.  

TKDB

@Normal_1

Atheism is global, being that the billions of participants on the internet are the proof to that fact. 

"You are implying that atheism is a movement of some sort, which is just like saying that we are members of the human race.
What point are you trying to make, if any?"

From googling the words: 
"Online Atheist Movement"

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/march/sy-garte-science-answers-inconvenient-questions.html

"I Assumed Science Had All the Answers. Then I Started Asking Inconvenient Questions."

"My journey from atheist dogma to Christian faith was paved with intellectual and spiritual surprises."

"I had an unusual childhood for an American. Members of my extended family were union organizers and left-wing radicals, and my parents had even been members of the American Communist Party. My indoctrination in the dogmas of communism and atheism was deep and long lasting. At the same time, my father gave me a love of science and reason, and he taught me the importance of asking questions. These gifts, along with my training in scientific thought and research, eventually cracked open the prison cell that held my soul captive during those early years.

Breaking free was a slow process, akin to chipping away at a dungeon door with a dull spoon. Early on in life, my curiosity led me to ask questions. I saw contradictions in some of what I had been taught. If humans were a blind product of evolutionary chance, with no special purpose or significance, then how could the stated goals of socialism—to advance human dignity and value—make sense? And if religion, particularly Christianity, was really such a terrible historical evil, then why were so many Christian clergy members involved in the civil rights movement?

As I studied science and began my research career in biochemistry and molecular biology, I formed a passionate attachment to a life of knowledge rooted in the scientific worldview. I found comfort and joy in the beauty, complexity, and wisdom of the scientific description of reality. But I also began wondering whether there might be something more to human existence than science and pure reason.

Surprising Discoveries

At this point, the question of faith was off the table. I knew that evolution was true and the Bible (which I hadn’t actually read) was false. I knew that a supernatural god living in the sky was a fairy tale. I knew that science held the keys to unlock all mysteries. Or did it?

I was disturbed to learn that, according to science, some things are actually unknowable. It is impossible to know, for instance, the position and speed of an electron simultaneously. This is a critical feature of quantum mechanics, even though it makes little rational sense. If the uncertainty principle is true (and it must be, since so much modern technology is based on it), then how valid is the idea of a purely deterministic and predictable world?

I also began to contemplate other questions. Where did the universe come from? How did life begin? What does it mean to be a human being? What is the source of our creativity—of art, poetry, music, and humor? Perhaps, I thought, science cannot tell us everything.

Now I was beginning to seriously wonder about the whole religion thing. I met Christians who were smart and scientifically minded, and for the first time I attended a church service. I was surprised at what I found. Nobody glared at me with suspicion, and I heard no thundering condemnation of sinners. The pastor spoke about the power of love. The people next to me shook my hand and wished me peace. It was all quite beautiful, and I decided to return.

Then I read the Gospels and had another shock: I found them beautiful and inspiring. So far as I could tell, they carried the ring of truth. And the Book of Acts struck me as actual history, not at all like a fictional account concocted to enslave the masses—the kind of reading my Marxist upbringing would have conditioned me to affirm.

The door to my prison cell was swinging open, and I stood there gazing out onto a new world, the world of faith. Yet I was afraid to fully leave. Suppose I was being fooled, misled into a trap? I remained stuck in that place of indecision for several years. And then the Holy Spirit pulled me over the threshold.

It happened one day while I was traveling alone on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the rural middle part of the state, with a long way to go. Turning the radio on, I heard the unmistakable voice of an evangelical Christian preacher, the kind I used to mock and avoid. But this preacher was really good. I have no idea what he was saying, but his voice and inflection were mesmerizing and I listened for a few minutes before turning the radio off. Driving in silence for a while, I began wondering how I would sound if I ever tried preaching—after all, I always liked to talk. I laughed a bit, thinking about what I could possibly say. The first thing that came to my mind was something about science—how, if there were a God, he might have used science to create the world. "

And then something happened. I felt a chill up and down my spine and could hear myself speaking in my mind—preaching, in fact. I could see an audience in front of me, people in an outdoor stadium, dressed in summer clothing. I pulled the car over to the right lane and slowed down. It was not a vision exactly, but it was intense. I knew I wasn’t making the words up—I was listening just as much as the audience.

I talked about knowing that Jesus loves me. With a voice full of passionate emotion, I assured the crowd that whatever their sins might be, they were no worse than my own, and that because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross we could all be saved. I explained that God’s love is more powerful than any other kind and that anyone can have it without deserving it.

At some point during this experience, I had pulled over onto the shoulder of the road, where I sat behind the wheel crying for some time. I had never considered the things “I” had been saying. Some of the concepts were unfamiliar. The only explanation I could fathom was that the Holy Spirit had entered into my life in dramatic fashion. “Thank you, Lord,” I said out loud in between sobs. “I believe, and I am saved. Thank you, Lord Jesus Christ.”

"Joy and Release

When I recovered my composure, I was aware of a great feeling of joy and release. I had no more doubts, no trace of hesitation—I had crossed over, stepping over the ruins of my prison cell into my new life of faith. From that day onward, my life has been devoted to the joyful service of our Lord.

Today, I am an active member of my church and have served as lay leader for several years. I am a fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation, the largest organization of Christians in the sciences, and the vice president of its metropolitan Washington, DC, chapter. I also serve as editor in chief of the ASA’s online magazine God and Nature. I assist my wife, who is codirector of a local charity that distributes food to the needy. I am an active online evangelist.

Along the way, I made many discoveries. I learned about the power of the Bible as a guide from God to the central questions of our existence. I learned that the true purpose of science is to describe how things are, not to engage in misplaced speculation about why the world is the way it is. I learned that modern atheist taunts about the purposelessness and meaninglessness of the universe and our own existence are not only false but destructive. Most importantly, I learned that nothing I have learned came through my own merit, but only from the grace of our Lord, whose love and mercy are beyond understanding."

Sy Garte is a biochemist who has taught at New York University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Rutgers University. He is the author of The Works of His Hands: A Scientist’s Journey from Atheism to Faith (Kregel Publications). 

@Normal_1 I'm an equal and fair debater.

I'm pro Freedom of Religion, and pro Atheist.

TKDB

There's nothing wrong with any of the Religions, because Freedom of Religion, encompasses them all.

Islam, Catholicism, Christianity, Hebrew,  and so on, and so on.

Because as we speak, none of those Religions, aren't doing anything harmful, to anyone.

"Perhaps it may be time to chuck those Bibles, Qurans, and Torahs in the fire, get out the souvenir boomerang and start a corroboree."

So the Torahs, Qurans, and Bibles are fine where they are, and are available at a Barnes and Noble near anyone?

rosends

Normal_1 said:

What many religious followers don't want to accept is that there are many religions, each claiming to be the only one and the only path to an afterlife of bliss for eternity.

...

Perhaps it may be time to chuck those Bibles, Qurans, and Torahs in the fire, get out the souvenir boomerang and start a corroboree.

So if my religion doesn't make this initial claim, then I don't have to chuck out my religious book, right? Great!

maxx

its called self-hypnosis
@TKDB

TKDB

@maxx

"its called self-hypnosis"

Where's YOUR evidence to support, your above choice of words?

It's sad, that for me to learn about self-hypnosis, (In regards to the conversation over Religion,) because I'm learning about it, through the lens of your thought process maxx.

"Is self hypnosis possible?

Since it is a skill on the part of the subject to allow themselves to go into a hypnotic state, it is perfectly possible for a person to hypnotize themselves without the need of a guide, or a hypnotherapist. This is known as self hypnosis.

www.theguidetohypnosis.com › ho...

How To Do Self Hypnosis - The Guide To Hypnosis "

maxx

my evidence?  everything one believes in forms a continuing ongoing habitual pattern in our brains. the more one believes in something, then the more you will continue to tell yourself and believe that it is true;  self hypnosis@TKDB

Plaffelvohfen

Normal_1 said:

Atheism is global, being that the billions of participants on the internet are the proof to that fact. @TKDB

You are implying that atheism is a movement of some sort, which is just like saying that we are members of the human race.
What point are you trying to make, if any at@TKDB

Just a fair warning, TK never makes any point, he's our resident sealion, just saying... 

AlofRI

People can have similar thoughts without it being a "movement". 

"Atheists": They never tried to brainwash my children [as a movement], or destroy indigenous cultures, or burn people at the stake for "heresy", or protest military heroes funerals, or molest little boys while preaching about Jesus, or pray for the end of the world, or claim homosexuality is a mental illness." At least NOT as a "movement"! (Someone said that, I didn't get his/her name). Even Hitler thought "God" was in his corner!

As an atheist I sometimes MAY sound like I'm trying to influence the world. I'm NOT. I'm certainly not a "movement". I just believe in a world where a chicken can cross the road without getting its motives questioned!

RickeyD

Religion saves no one from anything and only infuses suffering, doubt, confusion, dissension. There is only One God who has explained origin, meaning, purpose, morality, destiny...Jesus Christ...without Jesus as your Lord to mediate your sin, you will die in sin and die the "second death" in Hell. There is no other Answer to life in Time other than the knowledge provided by the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures and in the Spirit's presence as abiding within the true believer in Christ.

Happy_Killbot

@RickeyD OP is criticizing the very thinking you tout as truth.

Have you realized that there are other people with other beliefs who think and feel exactly the same way about their beliefs that you feel about yours?

You comment does more OP's point than anyone else in the thread has thus far.

maxx

is yhat your idea of a debate? copy and paste what you read?  you dont even try to give credits.  youre plagerizing other peoples work.  what a Christian that you are
@RickeyD

RickeyD

@maxx ; I have told you truth...no copy and past...what I have shared I have written by tutelage of the Holy Spirit. I tell you these things that you might turn away from the foolishness of atheism and find life in Jesus Christ before it's too late and the Age of Grace passes from you.

maxx

so you are stating that the words above; titled 'religion v.Christianity" was written by you and is your words instead of someones elses work?  aside from that, I suggest that you look up the definition of the word religion; you will see that Christianity falls in-line with it. "the belief in a supernatural controlling power, especially a god. a particular form and or system of worshiping such a power.  "  buddy, you can nit pick all you want; Christianity is a religion.@RickeyD

RickeyD

@maxx ; Secularism defines Christianity as a religion but "theologically" speaking, Christianity is the antithesis of a religion.

Is Christianity a Religion or a Relationship? https://www.gotquestions.org/Christianity-religion-relationship.html

Happy_Killbot

@RickeyD Take every time you read "Christian" with "Islam" and every time you read "Christ" with "Muhammad" 

You will notice it reads just fine.

If Chiristianity isn't a religion, then neither is Islam, the fastest growing religion in the world and no better than any others.