Why not?

[Tarantism]

Indeed. It wan't meant to. The problem lies in people trying to do just that, and alienating everyone else with fanciful religious explanations of how we came to be here.

that is a wonderful statement, sir. the exact problem, you hit the preverbial "nail on the head". radical.

 

the religious groups of the world are too busy telling everyone that science is wrong and the non-religious groups are too busy telling the religious groups that faith is wrong. then there are faithful scientists, who just confuse me.

 

i had a discussion with a friend of mine yesterday. he told me he hated religion. i found this odd, since i cant see why anyone could actaually hate another person's personal beliefs. i asked him what exactly he had against religion and he told me a bit about how he felt that they were fools (or something to that effect). i guess otehrs opinions are downtrodden in modern society? personal belief can be wrong?

 

its all just labels anyway, right? i mean, all religion is, or at least all that i believe it is supposed to be, is an excuse to be a good person. doesnt sound like such a bad bit to me.

strange are the ways of man.

[Rincewind]

that makes me think of ecclesiastes. the preacher says all of man's works are vain.

what good has all the technology done for man?

sure medical science has helped people, but not all. for every cure there is a new sickness.

Ecclesiastes is my favourite book of the Bible (although I do find the Gospels a lovely read -- especially Luke (dunno why, so don't ask :) )). Perverse as it may seem, reading it (Ecclesiastes) always leaves me with a feeling of peace and comfort, in a meditative state, and with the feeling that all's right with the world.

 

"All of man's works are in vain." Hmmmm. Doesn't that include translating the Bible from the original Greek, Aramaic, etc.?

[Tormod]

why not believe the Bible?

 

Believe what? That it is a book? Or what? What does "believe the bible" mean?

 

Does it mean believe in stuff like this:

 

If anyone rebels against your orders and does not obey every command you give him, he shall be put to death. But be firm and steadfast. (Joshua 1:18 NAB)

 

everything it teaches is good, right?

 

According to who? Is the above quote a good thing? Kill those who don't obey?

 

it's okay to care one for another, right?

 

What does this have to do with belief in the bible? Do I not care about others?

 

what does the Bible say that people are so mad?, scared?, confused about?

 

It says a lot of things. It says a lot of good things, a lot of wrong things, a lot of intelligent things, and a lot of outright stupid things (in varying degrees depending on your point of view). It is impossible to answer such a question.

 

i mean what's the big deal?

 

The big deal is that people are willing to fight to their deaths, to harrass others, to kill and main, simply because they have different interpretations of what the bible says. It's not a matter of what the book says, it's a matter of how people read it and who's interpretation they subscribe to.

 

do the non-believers know why they don't believe?

 

Does the bird know why it flies?

 

alot of people here seem to know much about the Bible, but, don't believe in God? what's up with that?

 

It means there are intelligent people here who have read the bible without having a religious faith. I only wish half of those who venomously attack evolution and relativity theory had taken the same measures (ie, read the sources).

[Tormod]

"All of man's works are in vain." Hmmmm. Doesn't that include translating the Bible from the original Greek, Aramaic, etc.?

 

Good question. Maybe even the invention of pen and paper?

[goku]

the preacher says all of man's works are vain.

the meaning of this as simple as i can put it:

what happens to the most accomplished evolution scientist?

what happens to a begger on the steets of new york?

 

the same thing happens to both, they die.

their material gains or losses matter no more.

[jkellmd]

You are very wise. =) And you are right. Religion killed Jesus. LOL

 

Touche, my friend.

[jkellmd]

Aristotle's advice to Alexander: Beware the man who carries one book.

[GAHD]

@goku; But the accomplished one probably lives longer. Death may be the great equiliser, but life is the benchmark.

[goku]

@goku; But the accomplished one probably lives longer. Death may be the great equiliser, but life is the benchmark.

doesn't matter, they cant take the benchmark with them.

[Edge]

the same thing happens to both, they die.

their material gains or losses matter no more.

All men's works are in vain? They can serve purpose to help other men and make life easier to their sons. Granted that they will die as well, but on other hand that sentence can be taken as "I won't work or do anything valuable because we all are going to die" attitude.

 

Can be taken to be a lazy dude. Not pleasing.

[GAHD]

@goku again: It's not taking it with you, it's the length that I'm talking about.

[goku]

@goku again: It's not taking it with you, it's the length that I'm talking about.

ah, but, you're dead longer than you're alive

 

lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

[Southtown]

According to who? Is the above quote [Joshua 1:18] a good thing? Kill those who don't obey?

This statement doesn't consider the actual rule to be broken. There's a different dynamic at work if the law is faithfully constructed to protect a society from destroying itself. If Mr. Lawbreaker murders people, corrupts the judicial system for profit, or introduces baby sacrifices to Easter the goddess of fertility, the whole society decays.

 

If the deviant aren't purged, they will take the rest down with them. So, in essence, capitol punishment could be considered the lesser of two evils — especially in the more barbaric ages of our race. These days, of course, we have other options.

 

People ask how a loving God can send people to hell. God doesn't want to punish people because they don't obey. He is allowing people to accept or reject his blueprints for a harmonious society, thus incurring consequences. As I see it, when God allows the ungodly to choose solitude, he's allowing both freedom and unity. And then he allows us to choose between them. I see this as a loving characteristic.

 

We can't choose both freedom and peace. There can't be harmony in anarchy. Unless one conveys an individual devotion to the greater whole, they will be cast into solitude. Even the apes know this.

[Southtown]

Aristotle's advice to Alexander: Beware the man who carries one book.

The non-Apocryphal bible is 66 books written over a span of more than a millenium. The fact that they are internally consistent enough to be called one book is miraculous. (imo)

[Tormod]

The non-Apocryphal bible is 66 books written over a span of more than a millenium. The fact that they are internally consistent enough to be called one book is miraculous. (imo)

 

Now I would argue that this consistency is very much in the eye of the beholder, as we discussed a while ago.

[Southtown]

Now I would argue that this consistency is very much in the eye of the beholder, as we discussed a while ago.

I can't recall. Where's that at? Is it still open?

[Docalex007]

doesn't matter, they cant take the benchmark with them.

 

Uhh, they can't take the benchmark WITH them your right. They die. But what they did was not in vain, since its left behind for others to build on.

 

Let me guess, you didn't think about that one did ya? Yes we leave this earth with nothing, we die, we decompose in the ground, naturally. But the energy we put forth to accomplish things during our lifetime....well, that will live on.

 

Therefore, would it be wise to say that all man's works are in vain?