What are your thoughts on Christianity?

[Dan From Smithville]

Because of the gift of Free Will.
If you were God, what would you want: people to accept your sovereignty because they had to, or because they loved you and wanted your guidance?

It’s as simple as that.
Maybe this article can explain it better....
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2008733

Best wishes.

Thanks.

So it is free will and not some genetic inheritance. That makes more sense.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

Where human sin came from...
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1997521

 

[Hockeycowboy]

Thanks.

So it is free will and not some genetic inheritance. That makes more sense.

It goes deeper than that, though.

We see children die every day, don’t we? Maybe from a birth defect. (Although that could be caused by some choices the child’s parents made: smoking, drinking, etc.)

That was not due to Free Will on the child’s part...they can’t even make choices, being so young! Yet, some die at birth, through no one’s fault.

Why?

Inherited imperfection....which is actually an abnormal condition for humans. We consider it ‘normal’, because the entire human race has experienced it. By “it”, I mean death & sickness. But that wasn’t Jehovah God’s original purpose: A&E were created “in God’s image”, different from the animals.

I know you probably won’t agree with that, but Luke 3:38 refers to Adam as “son of God.”

Would you please read both of those articles I posted?
They explain our (Deeje, myself & 8.6 million others) position.

Good night...heading for bed.

 

[Marcion]

We see children die every day, don’t we? Maybe from a birth defect.
That was not due to Free Will...they can’t even make choices, being so young! Yet, some die at birth.

Why?

My thoughts are that Christianity got this matter wrong by bringing old-fashioned mythical thinking into the equation.
Jesus in some of his original sayings does discuss the law of karma, i.e. that actions are always followed by reactions.
You will not however find any saying of Jesus about reincarnation.
Jesus may not have spoken about it or the sayings weren't recorded or it was not copied by the authors of gMatthew and gLuke.

So Christianity fails on this topic.
But all reactions that don't seem to have an obvious direct cause can be explained by karma which can be carried from one life to the next. It need not be exactly the same type of enjoyment, comfort or pain or suffering that was caused in an earlier life (or in this one) but the cause can well be explained by the karmic load of the person.

It has nothing to do with so-called "original sin" or any such crazy theory from the stone age.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

That religion is best relegated to the annals of history. We know better today (especially ethically and morally), no one really follows it or makes an effort to actually take it seriously, and even the most hardened amd ardent of Conservatives have already left much of it in the past. The few shreds of good in the Bible do not outweigh the bad, and it's time we just accepted it cannot possibly be the word of any god who can be described as intelligent, benevolent, rational, and merciful. We don't like tyrants and dictators (most of us, anyways) and that is exactly who amd what the God of Abraham is.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

That was not due to Free Will...they can’t even make choices, being so young! Yet, some die at birth.

I think this clinging on to free will does Christianity a great disservice. It is not logically sound, at all, that god can be all knowing yet we have free will. We are also learning that free will just doesn't exist. It is constrained. It is restrained. Molded and shaped by environment, upbringing, personal experiences, personal biology, and everyone we've met and interacted with. We've even seen where we have unconsciously made a decision before we were consciously aware of the decision.
This is one area where Christianity has stubbornly refused to get with the times and update itself after 2000 years of discovery and new thoughts.

 

[tas8831]

You did not hear a word I said...I give up....

Why - did you try to explain (which is to say, assert) how bacteria have immune systems again?
Or were you using too much jargon?

 

[tas8831]

The sites that I investigated all said that aging and death were caused genetically......that science knows that cells are programmed to age and eventually die, but they have no idea why they do it, since the process of cell renewal should theoretically go on forever.

These "sites" that you "investigated" - were they ICR and AiG?

Because in a 30 second Google, I found a section from a book (Molecular Biology of the Cell. 4th edition.) on the matter. You might want to read it. But you won't - too much "jargon" for you, I suspect.

 

[tas8831]

We see children die every day, don’t we? Maybe from a birth defect.
That was not due to Free Will...they can’t even make choices, being so young! Yet, some die at birth.

Why?

Typically due to chromosomal abnormalities or environmental insults. This stuff is not at all mysterious - if you bother to read appropriate, reality-based sources.

Inherited imperfection....which is actually an abnormal condition for humans.

Unsupported assertion.

We consider it ‘normal’, because the entire human race has experienced it. By “it”, I mean death & sickness. But that wasn’t Jehovah God’s original purpose: A&E were created “in God’s image”, different from the animals.

For which there is ZERO evidence beyond ancient tales with no corroboration.

Typical. Waiting for the standard plagiarism...

 

[metis]

If God supposedly didn't create "defective humans", then how does one explain miscarriages and nasty birth defects?

I do believe in God, but I don't believe God micromanages everything.

 

[Muffled]

So were many folks, leaving aside whether that's even a messianic prophecy, thus it's not exactly a stellar proof.

How many of those people claimed to be the Messiah?

 

[Muffled]

He hasn't fulfilled any.

I believe when you see it that way you are making a self fulfilling prophecy that He didn't. I believe in examining the written texts and those indicate that He has fulfilled many prophecies.

 

[Muffled]

Could you rephrase?

Not sure what you mean.

I believe there are people who think they are Christians attending Christian churches but they are still dead in their sins. Christianity gets blamed for these people when they do something wrong.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I believe there are people who think they are Christians attending Christian churches but they are still dead in their sins. Christianity gets blamed for these people when they do something wrong.

Unless someone doesn't profess to be christian, I couldn't judge someone's spiritual walk by whether they are still dead in their sins or not. How would one know except their god?

When people who say they are christians do something wrong, people blame them as if they represented christianity?

 

[YoursTrue]

My understanding of it based on how you posed the question could be seen as an indication that you do not think I believe people die, but thank for that clarification. Do you want a response based on biology or do you want a belief-based response? I have not said that I disagree with the wages of sin being death. It just is not an answer to the previous questions I had about the genetics of sin.

OK, thank you also for the clarification. So as HockeyCowboy also answered you, and it is on the mark, the point is really -- did God create Adam and Eve with the opportunity to live forever? It certainly appears that way.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

I don't care about Jesus, why are you telling me this? The JW religion is just one of many of Christian sects claiming to be true Christians. I can't really take them seriously.

I am curious as to why you don't care about Jesus even if you disagree with what he taught.
When the powers that be will be saying, " Peace and Security....." or " Peace and Safety.... " which will prove to be the precursor to the coming great tribulation perhaps then you can take Jehovah seriously.

 

[YoursTrue]

I believe there are people who think they are Christians attending Christian churches but they are still dead in their sins. Christianity gets blamed for these people when they do something wrong.

I am sure a neighbor I know would say he's Christian, yet has repeatedly gone to jail for stealing, for dui's, for having illegitimate children. But more importantly, is still doing those things.

 

[YoursTrue]

I believe there are people who think they are Christians attending Christian churches but they are still dead in their sins. Christianity gets blamed for these people when they do something wrong.

As do most religions get blamed for what others deem as harmful. Such as -- wars--hatred--greed--treating others cruelly or mercilessly. A look at history will clarify this to a degree. Sad.

 

[YoursTrue]

My understanding of it based on how you posed the question could be seen as an indication that you do not think I believe people die, but thank for that clarification. Do you want a response based on biology or do you want a belief-based response? I have not said that I disagree with the wages of sin being death. It just is not an answer to the previous questions I had about the genetics of sin.

I am re-reading your post, and have another thought as to evolution vs. what the Bible says, in other words, Christianity if a person really believes and supports Christ's teachings. As far as biology, let's look at it this way: since God told Adam he would die if he ate from the tree he was told to stay away from -- what would have happened if Adam did NOT eat from that tree?

 

[Dan From Smithville]

OK, thank you also for the clarification. So as HockeyCowboy also answered you, and it is on the mark, the point is really -- did God create Adam and Eve with the opportunity to live forever? It certainly appears that way.

Did He? Please explain.