Topic: What are your views? 9
no photo
Tue 07/01/08 03:20 PM
First I want to say that these are opinions Atheists have on the teachings of the Bible. I am a non religious spiritual person who only would like to further educate myself seeing both views of how atheists and christians think. If you are off a different belief system then please give your opinion also.

If this subject offends you then understand that my intentions are only for educational purposes and not to proove your religious belief is false or bad. If your faith works for you then I encourage you to continue it by all means. What is important is that you can wake up in the morning and enjoy the complete day with much happiness and joy.

*****************************

Notice the divorce rate among Christians

If you have ever been to a Christian wedding, you know that marriage is a big deal. You have the priest or minister standing with the couple reading from the Bible and praying. The ceremony takes place in a church -- the house of God. Dozens or hundreds of witnesses are on hand. In front of God, a representative of God and all of these witnesses, a couple declares that they will wed "til death do us part."

The Christian faith also puts a very, very large stigma on divorce. For example, in Matthew 5:32 Jesus says:

But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
In Matthew 19:9, Jesus repeats that sentiment:
I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery

Adultery is a major problem in the Christian faith. First, one of the commandments in the Ten Commandments specifically forbids adultery. Even worse, in Leviticus 20 we find this:
If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbour, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death.
Adulterers get the death penalty. Clearly, God and Jesus want Christians to stay married for life.

So let's review. When a Christian couple gets married, we have all of these forces that should be working to keep them married:

The marriage is performed in God's presence...
...in God's house...
...in front of God's representative (a minister or priest)...
...and in front of many Christian witnesses.
The couple presumably prays before and after the wedding for a good marriage...
...as do all of the witnesses...
...and the minister/priest.
The couple knows that if they divorce/remarry, it is an act of adultery...
...which God has forbidden...
...and which the Bible says is punishable by death.

And don't forget this important line from the ceremony: What God has joined together let no man put asunder. Now think about this. God is the all-powerful, all-knowing creator of the universe. If God puts something together, shouldn't it be impossible to break it? Isn't that what "all-powerful" means?
Given all of this, and given the fact that an all-powerful, prayer-answering God is supposedly looking over the lives of a Christian couple, guiding them in the spirit and so on, what would you expect the divorce rate for Christians to be? Clearly, the Christian divorce rate should be zero.

But when we look at the divorce statistics of American couples, and compare Christian vs. non-Christian divorce rates, we find this strange statistic: divorce rates among Christians match those among the rest of the population. It does not matter whether the couple is Christian or not. According to this article, "'While it may be alarming to discover that born-again Christians are more likely than others to experience a divorce, that pattern has been in place for quite some time,' said George Barna, president of Barna Research Group." There are a millions ways to crunch the data, but no matter how you slice it, it is easy to see that Christians divorce just as often as non-Christians.


What are your views of why so many divorce these days?

Redykeulous's photo
Tue 07/01/08 09:24 PM
No Christian can respond defensively to your words with clarity and logic and still come out on top of rational thought pyramid.

Obviously there is hierarchy of sin and divorce must be on a really low rung.

Just as so many Christians EXPECT homosexuals to STOP ACTING on their 'normal' perogative, I think it would be much more convincing a request if every single divorced Christian never married or had sex again, unless or until the spouse of their first commitment dies.

But that's never gonna happen is it?

It does make sense in a strange way, that in so many of the stories of Angels, humans were called MONKEYS. I see no evil, speak no evil, do no evil and acceptance can be achieved by doing as I say and not as I do, amen!




Eljay's photo
Tue 07/01/08 10:22 PM

No Christian can respond defensively to your words with clarity and logic and still come out on top of rational thought pyramid.

Obviously there is hierarchy of sin and divorce must be on a really low rung.

Just as so many Christians EXPECT homosexuals to STOP ACTING on their 'normal' perogative, I think it would be much more convincing a request if every single divorced Christian never married or had sex again, unless or until the spouse of their first commitment dies.

But that's never gonna happen is it?

It does make sense in a strange way, that in so many of the stories of Angels, humans were called MONKEYS. I see no evil, speak no evil, do no evil and acceptance can be achieved by doing as I say and not as I do, amen!






Redy;

Surely you're joking. No Chrisitan can respond defensively? This might indicate the point that the perception of Christians and their behaviors are so far askew - it causes me to ask "What do you think a Christian is?" Becoming a Christian does not stop one from "sinning" - or living a mistake free life, if you will. The difference between a life lived as a believer, and before the conversion is one of perception. Granted, it may or may not be easier to stop destructive behavior once one has devoted themselves to Christ - but it is not a criteria for stopping destructive behaviors. An believer doesn't dry out from a drug addiction any easier than an Atheist. Nor is becoming a believer mean that marriage isn't going to be as much of a struggle as it is for an Atheist. Often times - the conversion of one of the couple, and refusal of the other, has split as many marriages as any other event. This "divorce" falls into the numbers of believers - rather than not. Also, the statistics of divorce within the "Christian" world is derived by the secular understanding of who are Christians, and who are not. Mormans, Jehovah witnesses, Christian Scientists, Baptists, Moonie's, Catholics - all given the secular label of "Christian", which is questionable at best.

The reason why divorce is a "sin" is obvious. The consequences of it is often destructive, and devistating to not only the two participants - but the extended families and friendships as well.
But to assume that because one is a believer, that they are suddenly incapable of "sinning" (divorce being one of many of such) in this manner is absurd. They are no more immune to the issues that bring about divorce than non-believers are, than they are avoiding the raindrops that fall on non-believers.

feralcatlady's photo
Fri 07/04/08 11:17 AM
God is perfect....people are not


God does not sin.....People do

no photo
Fri 07/04/08 12:51 PM
Edited by Jeanniebean on Fri 07/04/08 12:53 PM

God is perfect....people are not


God does not sin.....People do


Since "sin" is only defined within religious doctrine and "sin" basically means to "disobey god" (or the Lord and Master, believed to be the supreme creator of the universe), then of course god does not sin.

God has no rules to disobey. God makes the rules. He cannot disobey his own rules because the rules were not made for him they were made for his followers.

So even though god can kill or order someone to kill,(or murder) he cannot sin because the law "thou shalt not kill (or murder)" does not apply to him as he is above the law, being the almighty supreme creator. He is all powerful and can do what ever he wants.

Only his followers can "sin." The rules were made for his "children" or his servants. They do not apply to anyone else, so only Christians can sin.

Non-Christians are not bound by the Christian god's laws for two reasons.

1.)They have not accepted the sacrifice and agreed to be obedient followers or servants of the Lord. Therefore they are not "saved."

2.) Soul is free. (All individual souls are free to choose.)

Those who chose not to believe or follow the Biblical god, are not bound by his rules and cannot "sin."

Now the true believers will disagree of course. They will say that everyone is a sinner. This is because this is what they believe.

But to the non-believers (free souls) it does not matter what the true believers think or believe, or at least it should not matter to them. If it still matters to them what the true believers think, then they are not yet free from that mind set.

If they are free from those shackles and those beliefs, they aren't concerned with sin or being called a sinner.

You are what you think you are. If you think you are a sinner, then you probably are.

"Sin" is not the same thing as crime. It is not the same thing as "wrong." Sin is connected to religion and those who are free from religion are free from sin.

JB



BruceRN63's photo
Fri 07/04/08 01:00 PM
Divorce among Christians?
Christians never divorce...
I believe you have to stop being a christian first...(ya know sinning)...then you can divorce...
Thus "Christians" Never divorce...
PS Using your free God given will to reject him IS SIN...
(just my opinions)

feralcatlady's photo
Fri 07/04/08 01:16 PM
God is perfect....people are not


God does not sin.....People do

Since "sin" is only defined within religious doctrine and "sin" basically means to "disobey god" (or the Lord and Master, believed to be the supreme creator of the universe), then of course god does not sin.


ANSWER: Yes


God has no rules to disobey. God makes the rules. He cannot disobey his own rules because the rules were not made for him they were made for his followers.

ANSWER: They were made for the human race...

So even though god can kill or order someone to kill,(or murder) he cannot sin because the law "thou shalt not kill (or murder)" does not apply to him as he is above the law, being the almighty supreme creator. He is all powerful and can do what ever he wants.

ANSWER: No God will allow killing only after they are so hardened and not listening...and only then for HIS Glory....

Only his followers can "sin." The rules were made for his "children" or his servants. They do not apply to anyone else, so only Christians can sin.

ANSWER: They apply to all mankind my sweet..and if you don't follow....well your choice.


Non-Christians are not bound by the Christian god's laws for two reasons.


1.)They have not accepted the sacrifice and agreed to be obedient followers or servants of the Lord. Therefore they are not "saved."

2.) Soul is free. (All individual souls are free to choose.)

ANSWER: Exactly but also all that choose not to believe will then have to also pay the price.....

Those who chose not to believe or follow the Biblical god, are not bound by his rules and cannot "sin."

Now the true believers will disagree of course. They will say that everyone is a sinner. This is because this is what they believe.

ANSWER: All are sinners and if you think you are not....I would say you living a lie within yourself. For no matter how you may think....no one is without sin....NO ONE....EXCEPT CHRIST JESUS.


But to the non-believers (free souls) it does not matter what the true believers think or believe, or at least it should not matter to them. If it still matters to them what the true believers think, then they are not yet free from that mind set.

ANSWER: As the same applies to the believers.....we can't say or do anything honestly that will make you believe...that has to come from you...or not......you freewill choice.

If they are free from those shackles and those beliefs, they aren't concerned with sin or being called a sinner.

You are what you think you are. If you think you are a sinner, then you probably are.

ANSWER: And if you think you are not.....your delusional. I guess a better way for you to look at it JB is right or wrong and the Kharma thereof......If you think you do no wrong...then that my friend makes you delusional.


"Sin" is not the same thing as crime. It is not the same t
hing as "wrong." Sin is connected to religion and those who are free from religion are free from sin.

ANSWER: Yes it is. God is the ultimate source of all morality, the sole arbiter of right and wrong, ...

feralcatlady's photo
Sat 07/05/08 09:54 AM
:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

no photo
Sat 07/05/08 11:02 AM
Edited by Jeanniebean on Sat 07/05/08 11:05 AM
The reason the Biblical God's laws for "his children" or followers do not apply to all of mankind is because the Biblical god is not the supreme godhead, but simply a creator alien "god" who brought advanced DNA into play to mix it with the current primitive evolving human population of the earth.

That is my opinion.

Your answers in the above.... Your opinion.
And your religion.

The battle for control of the earth by so-called other humanoid intelligent galaxy life forms involve beings who pass themselves off as "gods" to the humans they rule.

In truth, in my opinion, soul is free. No individual soul personality is in bondage to any god at any time unless they so chose to be. Therefore, no laws apply to them unless they so chose to be under that authority's protection or care or in that authorities service or bondage.

To be a free soul is like being self-employed. Its a lot of responsibility. Most people think and believe they must have a "real job" to have security in a society. But you will never get rich or win your independence as long as you are working for someone else and especially if you are a slave to your work or your job.

It is the same with allegiance to any religious authority or perceived personal god.

We can still believe in a higher creative power without selling our souls to a personality who pretends to be the highest god of gods. This god of the Bible is one of these pretenders in my opinion and is not the highest creative source of the infinite universe. Therefore to follow this little god would be to sell your soul in my opinion.

Not that selling your soul is a bad thing, lots of people are doing it. It works for them. Slaves cannot be freed, they must free themselves. I would never suggest that a person quit their day job and open their own business before they are ready to be independent and I would never suggest a person change their core belief system before they are ready.


JB
:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: