I grew up atheist for 16 years. I had always kept an open mind towards religion, but never really felt a need to believe in it. My sister started going to a Wednesday night children's program at a church. Eventually, I was dragged into a Christmas Eve service. Scoffing, I reluctantly went, assuming that this was going to be a load of crap, but when I went, I felt something. Something that I've never felt before. I felt a sense of empowerment and a sense of calling. Jesus called upon my soul, just like he did with his disciples. he wanted me to follow him. Now, my life is being lived for Christ. He died on the cross for my sins, and the sins of everyone who believes in him. He was beaten, brutalized, struck with a whip 39 times, made to carry a cross up to the stage of his death. This I believe to be true, and I can never repay him for what he has done. I still have my struggles with Christianity, but I've found this bit of information most useful. Religion is not comprehensible in the human mind, because we cannot comprehend the idea of a perfect and supreme being, a God, but we can believe it in our heart, and that's the idea of faith. Faith is, even though everything rides against me believing in Jesus, I still believe in him because I know that it's true in my heart. I invite my fellow Brothers and sisters of the LORD to talk about how Jesus has helped you in your life. No atheists and no insults please
What do you mean squandered life? Can you give an exmple please?
easily.
you are a heavy drug addict who is heavily malnourished. you tried rehab multiple times, but still couldn't get clean. to add insult to injury, you killed a guy just for the currency in his wallet. you have stolen from multiple stores just to get your next fix.
you continue down this path until you OD on heroin (or some other really dangerous drug).
If there was a god, you would already be screwed because you killed the guy for his money. since you stole multiple times, you add more to your sentence. and since you let yourself take in a really addictive drug and get addicted, that becomes the final nail in your really decrepit coffin.
you are a heavy drug addict who is heavily malnourished. you tried rehab multiple times, but still couldn't get clean. to add insult to injury, you killed a guy just for the currency in his wallet. you have stolen from multiple stores just to get your next fix.
You can still be that way even if you're religious.
you are a heavy drug addict who is heavily malnourished. you tried rehab multiple times, but still couldn't get clean. to add insult to injury, you killed a guy just for the currency in his wallet. you have stolen from multiple stores just to get your next fix. you continue down this path until you OD on heroin (or some other really dangerous drug). If there was a god, you would already be screwed because you killed the guy for his money. since you stole multiple times, you add more to your sentence. and since you let yourself take in a really addictive drug and get addicted, that becomes the final nail in your really decrepit coffin.
So we want to know if there is a God so we can make sure we act good for him if he exists? And is this person atheist ot theist?
So we want to know if there is a God so we can make sure we act good for him if he exists? And is this person atheist ot theist?
he is an atheist even though he was taught to fear god by his really religious parents.
Like I said, he failed rehab multiple times (this includes the 12 step program) because he continued to deny god. he failed rehab before he killed the man (in the LDS faith, he could still get off pretty well as long as he didn't kill anybody, for killing is the only unpardonable sin).
so all in all, he had a shot of believing god's existience, but he still threw it away.
So we want to know if there is a God so we can make sure we act good for him if he exists?
Which leads us to the real problem.
Are religious people only good because they are afraid of punishment? This would place them at the first level of development Levels of Moral Development
he is an atheist even though he was taught to fear god by his really religious parents. Like I said, he failed rehab multiple times (this includes the 12 step program) because he continued to deny god. he failed rehab before he killed the man (in the LDS faith, he could still get off pretty well as long as he didn't kill anybody, for killing is the only unpardonable sin). so all in all, he had a shot of believing god's existience, but he still threw it away.
Well, I don't see how denying god has anything to do with failing rehab. And how is it his fault that he doesn't belive in God. If he doesn't belive, he just doesn't belive. I think all of his problems are compleatly releated to his life and his values, how he was raised, as opposed to because he didn't belive in God.
Well, I don't see how denying god has anything to do with failing rehab. And how is it his fault that he doesn't belive in God. If he doesn't belive, he just doesn't belive. I think all of his problems are compleatly releated to his life and his values, how he was raised, as opposed to because he didn't belive in God.
the 12 step program involves allowing yourself to believe in god. thats why he failed rehab.
it's okay if he didn't believe, but if there was no god, there would be no problem with him killing the guy and getting addicted. if god did exist, he would say "I gave you multiple tries and warnings, but you didn't listen. your afterlife experience will be based on your life descisions. if he allowed god to influence him, statistics show he would've been much less likely to have gotten addicted in the first place, which caused all of his problems. he was raised to love and follow god, and that is usually the foundation for a good christian, but he threw that away.
all in all, his first actions in a way did influence his life which, if god is real, would get punished for after death.
Are religious people only good because they are afraid of punishment? This would place them at the first level of development Levels of Moral Development
it's that way at first (as a kid), but they stay good because they see how living their life according to a religious standard has made their life better for it. this then helps strengthen his belief in god because it shows god does care about our actions and will reward us for the good in our lives.
Are religious people only good because they are afraid of punishment?
I would say no. I don't do good because I fear God. I have absoultly no fear for God. I have respect and love for God. And the reason I do good is because I like seeing people happy and don't like to see them sad. Besides, morality doesn't come from God. This is seen in atheists and christians alike.
the fact is, if you knew how life ends, you can decide how to live life. if you found that christianity was right and there was a heaven then you would basically be and act the saint. if there was no god, then you wouldn't be bound by any rules and could do all the sex and blow you want. that's why it's important to know. life is fleeting, and if you knew how it ends, you could decide how to live life to the fullest.
This implication that if you don't believe in God your going to go around doing bad this is complete bull. As dair5 pointed out morality doesn't come from God. So a person can act the "saint" and still not believe in God, just because they personally think it's the right thing to do.
it's that way at first (as a kid), but they stay good because they see how living their life according to a religious standard has made their life better for it.
This is also a complete load. There are kids who are not raised in a religious setting and do behave without having a fear of God. Some are raise never even believing in God. (There might be a few on this site.)
MageGrayWolf, why are you so determined to point out every "flaw" with Christianity? And you seem to have studied Christianity alot and have alot to say against it.
MageGrayWolf, why are you so determined to point out every "flaw" with Christianity? And you seem to have studied Christianity alot and have alot to say against it.
I'm usually determined to point out flaws in general when I see them.
MageGrayWolf, why are you so determined to point out every "flaw" with Christianity? And you seem to have studied Christianity alot and have alot to say against it.
that is a simple question to answer. it is because he is an atheist. in the most basic sense, atheists don't believe in religion, and most don't really bother christians. there is a select few that believe that it is their responsibility to denounce and prove religion as false. he just happens to be one of those guys. there are others like him on this site, but he is the best known. but I digress.
This is also a complete load. There are kids who are not raised in a religious setting and do behave without having a fear of God. Some are raise never even believing in God. (There might be a few on this site.)
well that's fine, but I'm talking about those who were raised in a religious household, kept to their faith, and saw how their life has benefitted from it. you can be an atheist at birth, and die one for all I care (you get a chance to change that after you die according to the LDS way, but only under strict circumstances.), but I'm not talking about them right now.
you see, I've seen my best friends and even my own brother become atheists. for each one of them, they end up the same. they do drugs (or more than usual), get really aggressive when somebody asks them something that could even remotely be connected to religion, and so on. that is another reason why I will stay a faithful christian, because I have seen what happens when someone great has fallen, and how drastic a turn their life takes.
you see, I've seen my best friends and even my own brother become atheists. for each one of them, they end up the same. they do drugs (or more than usual), get really aggressive when somebody asks them something that could even remotely be connected to religion, and so on. that is another reason why I will stay a faithful christian, because I have seen what happens when someone great has fallen, and how drastic a turn their life takes.
Where they doing drugs before or after becoming atheist?
only one, but he was really more of an agnostic anyway.
Okay. You know I'm almost sure atheism had nothing to do with them turning to drugs. I guess it's possible that if the devote christian had stayed a devote christian he might have felt guilty, but thats probably it. His morals are the same with or without christianity. Do you know if their friends encouraged them to try it? Or maybe how they got involved. Oh, and sorry to hear that happened. It must be rough to deal with.
