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Re: ash_pradhan - Re: Hahaha...funny & mostly true !
You are welcome Gome! The last sentence in your comment below to Stone is a gem, and I'm taking the liberty to highlight it here for the benefit of all...
Gome's gem "If the criteria cannot be universally applied to all members of our species, of all time periods, it can be nothing more than wishful thinking."
Good going...keep it up ! - Ash :)
posted by
ash_pradhan
on March 22, 2009 at 1:24 PM
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posted by
Xeno-x
on March 22, 2009 at 1:19 PM
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ash_pradhan - Re: Hahaha...funny & mostly true !
Thanx for stopping in
posted by
gomedome
on March 22, 2009 at 10:07 AM
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calia14 - thanx for stopping in
posted by
gomedome
on March 22, 2009 at 10:07 AM
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stonedead - the problems I have with the idea of Jesus as savior are many
To begin with, it is nothing more than a post protestant reform biblical interpretation which serves but one purpose in elevating belief above all other considerations. The idea of accepting Jesus as savior being the paramount criteria for eternal bliss, is a notion that has developed in the centuries since the King James bible version was widely distributed. This idea did not exist prior to that point in history. It is not a tenet of the church of Rome (catholicism), never has been and is not today.
The implications of this reality cast further doubt on its validity simply by applying the traditional definition of God to the historical record. The underlying belief that Jesus was the son of God, incarnate as man to die for our collective sins, collapses completely when the question is asked; why did it take nearly 17 centuries after the crucifixion for mankind to figure out the one true path to heaven? Then we can look at the numbers or percentage of mankind actually given a chance for salvation via this belief. Today about 1/8th of our species are members of a religion that adheres to the accepting Jesus as savior tenet, (as the one true path to heaven). Prior to the late 17th century, there was not one person on this planet adhering to this tenet, as it did not exist.
This reality completely contradicts the traditional definition of God as all knowing and all caring and is ultimately why I view any belief that has such poor distribution amongst mankind as invalid. If the criteria cannot be universally applied to all members of our species, of all time periods, it can be nothing more than wishful thinking.
posted by
gomedome
on March 22, 2009 at 10:06 AM
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Soul_Builder101 - thanx for stopping in
posted by
gomedome
on March 22, 2009 at 9:37 AM
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Hahaha...funny & mostly true !
posted by
ash_pradhan
on March 22, 2009 at 8:39 AM
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comical, and true, in a cynical sort of way.
posted by
calia14
on March 21, 2009 at 10:54 PM
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slate system
I've been wondering about this, too. I'm currently reading a book by Ray Comfort who says that it doesn't matter if an atheist is overall a reasonably good person; as long as that atheist has ever, in his or her entire lifetime, done the tiniest thing wrong (and who hasn't?), God is sending that person to hell. Everyone is going to hell because everyone has sinned, unless the sinner asks Jesus for forgiveness. After I read this, I thought: Why doesn't God use a slate system and weigh the good against the bad? It seems unreasonable and unfair to send someone to hell just because they pulled someone's hair on the playground in kindergarten if they later devoted their entire lives to helping the poor and suffering. Why does the bad trump the good? Why don't Christians believe the opposite: as long as you've ever done a single good thing, you go to Heaven, regardless of how many bad things you've done? That would make just as much sense. But a slate system more closely mimics how humans think about the issue. For example, during a trial, judges sometimes accept testimony about a person's overall character when considering how to sentence them, and sentences are often reduced for good behavior.
posted by
stonedead
on March 21, 2009 at 1:25 PM
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I found this humorous, though you made several good points!
posted by
Soul_Builder101
on March 21, 2009 at 1:21 PM
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