yaaaay! Anyway, there's an age which people isn't that manipulate... but I think if parents or school have made this brainwashing is really hard to change our mind, specially if it did it our parents. They've more influence over us, I guess.

 

I've go to now, byebye! :kiss:

I think religion and science go hand-in-hand.

Some people just haven't found that out yet.

^ what?! no way! :surprised:

Believe it.

Believe it.

Believe it.

 

...

 

and i'm not trying to brainwash you... :sneaky:

I do think that the Bible is important, in a cultural sense. Religion is a fascinating thing, to study from afar.

 

When you get deep into it, however, it's quite scary. I do NOT like the Church. This "dislike" borders on hate, for me. But we're not talking about the church, or a belief in God or any of that. Just the text.

 

 

It's interesting, that's for sure. Some of the verses are absolutely beautiful, pure poetry. Many of the morals taught inside are important for any, regardless of what your religious association may be. The fact that people take it as just that, FACT, isn't..... right, to me. People preach the bible like it's our Constitution, something to exactly interpret your life from.

 

I don't like it being in hotel rooms. What makes Catholics (or Christians, whoever the Bible goes with lmfao see, I'm not religious!), what makes THEM so entitled to deserve this? What about the Koran? How about a copy of that? See, that's what I don't like. The elitism people have when it comes to the Bible, like it deserves a certain... something above any other religion. I guess that's because it's so integrated into our culture, while other religions may not be, but that's no excuse.

 

If Scientology is considered a religion (or at least a way of life) to some, why don't we have copies of L. Ron Hubbards' science fiction novels all over the place, because it's taboo? Well, the bibles taboo to me! ;) See? It's just not fair to think the bible deserves something above anything else.

 

That's the point I was making earlier. Why discriminate against Scientology or even "Jedi" if that's what people believe in? Why should they be treated any differently?

Who decides what is a legitimate religion and what isn't?

Why should any of us be dictated to??:thinking:

Right!

 

I find all the new conspiracies arising due to the DaVinci Code success pretty interesting. There's all these new gospels being discovered and examined that make wholely different points than what the original gospels preached. Like, the Gospels that are taught as "fact" say that Judas was a traitor, a horrible person, blah blah. But now the Gospel of Judas says that Jesus TOLD Judas to betray him, he wanted to be sacrificed. Now, that's really interesting because apparently hundreds of centuries ago a very important guy in the Church (I don't know what "rank" he was, he was higher than a priest and bishop, but not the pope? Or maybe he was?), well this guy said that this was NOT true and it was "lies". Why should we believe him? Because something had come out of the woodwork preaching something different from the "truth".

 

What IS the truth then?? And why do/did they want to write Judas off so quickly?? WHO is the person determining what the truth is? Just because it's been around for so long, people believe it? Hmmm... So maybe if Star Wars DOES have a huge following (or Scientology) still in hundreds of years, there will be ACTUAL Jedis and people who think that Scientology is THE religion (as we think christianity is now). Hmmm... Something to think about.

I can ignore it' date=' I can also ignore an ashtray. My point is why though do they ask if I need an ashtray, yet I don't get an option to have a room without a Bible.[/quote']

 

 

 

I worked in a hotel last summer, and the rooms were seperate for smoking and non smoking. So there wasn't a "do you want an ashtray?" it was like "do you want a non smoking room or a smoking room?"

 

The difference with this is, as a non-smoker, I wouldn't want a hotel room that smelled of someone's smoke, cause that's unpleasant for me. With a bible, unless someone sprayed it with smoke, it wouldn't be unpleasant for me to have in the same room, where as a potentially very smelly ashtray would be. It's also a serious health risk being around someone elses smoke, whereas sitting with 10 ft of a bible isn't gonna hurt anyone.

 

I think that's the difference between choosing whether to smoke or not, and choosing whether to have a bible in the room.

Right!

 

I find all the new conspiracies arising due to the DaVinci Code success pretty interesting. There's all these new gospels being discovered and examined that make wholely different points than what the original gospels preached. Like, the Gospels that are taught as "fact" say that Judas was a traitor, a horrible person, blah blah. But now the Gospel of Judas says that Jesus TOLD Judas to betray him, he wanted to be sacrificed. Now, that's really interesting because apparently hundreds of centuries ago a very important guy in the Church (I don't know what "rank" he was, he was higher than a priest and bishop, but not the pope? Or maybe he was?), well this guy said that this was NOT true and it was "lies". Why should we believe him? Because something had come out of the woodwork preaching something different from the "truth".

 

What IS the truth then?? And why do/did they want to write Judas off so quickly?? WHO is the person determining what the truth is? Just because it's been around for so long, people believe it? Hmmm... So maybe if Star Wars DOES have a huge following (or Scientology) still in hundreds of years, there will be ACTUAL Jedis and people who think that Scientology is THE religion (as we think christianity is now). Hmmm... Something to think about.

 

Excellent post. I've written things along similar lines myself. Who can say what is definitive and what isn't?? At the end of the day, there's no proof of any of it (except for maybe some historical events).

People should be tolerant of other people's beliefs, whatever they are - then the world would be a much better place!:)

Erm.......the bible shouldn't show the truth...it should be seen as symbols....just as stories that could help you in your life...and not as historical facts!

Erm.......the bible shouldn't show the truth...it should be seen as symbols....just as stories that could help you in your life...and not as historical facts!

 

The point I was making was that the "historical events" mentioned in the Bible are the only ones which can be taken as fact.

Bible was written by people. People can't know anything for sure. It's just a book.

Bible was written by people. People can't know anything for sure. It's just a book.

 

Which is what we've been saying from the start. At the end of the day, it was written by human beings, and all human beings have a habit of elaborating, exaggerating and manipulating.

But then I don't understand the point.....

But then I don't understand the point.....

 

The point is that very little in the Bible can be taken as fact - it's only a case of whether you believe what is written or not.

As always, it all comes down to opinion.

Well in that case they should make EVERY holy book available so people have a choice!!;)

 

 

I am seeing both sides of this issue (having bibles in rooms). I think a better option would be having room service deliver a bible to your room upon request. That way people would not be uncomfortable or bothered by it being directly in their room.

 

I mean, if I were to ask for some extra sheets and they can bring those to me, why not ask them to deliver the bible? :thinking:

 

 

BUT also....unless you are allergic to Bibles (come on, no one is :rolleyes: ) then I personally do not see the big issue in having it IN the room. I mean, it's not mandatory that you pick up every item that is issued in the room :huh:

Bible was written by people. People can't know anything for sure. It's just a book.

 

 

This comment was a bit vauge ... but

 

 

Many believers in the bible's word hold that it is inspired by God (in fact there is a text in the bible that actually says something along those lines). That is why even though it was written down by men of past times (called prophets) .. It is held that these prophets were inspired by God.

 

And quite interestingly enough..if not inspired by God..then how did they predict the future?

This comment was a bit vauge ... but

 

 

Many believers in the bible's word hold that it is inspired by God (in fact there is a text in the bible that actually says something along those lines). That is why even though it was written down by men of past times (called prophets) .. It is held that these prophets were inspired by God.

 

And quite interestingly enough..if not inspired by God..then how did they predict the future?

 

Predict WHAT future??:confused:

 

"It is held" is the same as saying "It is believed". It still comes down to what an individual believes.;)

I know it's going to bother millions of people who deny that Jesus was from God considering the fact that no one denied that Jesus performed miracles and that Israel really did exist as a nation and at one time was in Egyptian captivity. I hope it doesn't bother you when you die.

As for the whole idea of christian's all being dogmatic bad people all I have to say is: I won't present to you my own conjectures of the truth. I will only bring to someone what the bible has said and what to me obviously makes sense after studying and understanding it. I don't believe I'm all that, in fact I believe I'm the scum of the earth. I can't make myself and I never wanted you to think I as a christian think I'm better than you. In the end God will decide who gets the glory and maybe I believe that by sharing this with you I am giving YOU all the glory in the end.

So if I seem to be dogmatic about my beliefs then try to reconsider me as a millionaire with an infomercial. It's not about my opinion. My opinion is worthless. The truth is all that matters.

This comment was a bit vauge ... but

 

 

Many believers in the bible's word hold that it is inspired by God (in fact there is a text in the bible that actually says something along those lines). That is why even though it was written down by men of past times (called prophets) .. It is held that these prophets were inspired by God.

 

And quite interestingly enough..if not inspired by God..then how did they predict the future?

Yeah I know, but what does it mean "inspired by God"?...It has the point only for those people who really believe in God and this question is very paintfull for me.

 

I'm agnostic, so no proof of God existence for me. So God couldn't "inspire" people, he doesn't show his existence.

 

And all these people who say that if you don't read bible and go to church it means you don't believe in God-they're wrong.

 

Real faith is inside you, you can never go to church and not have a bible but still believe truly and honestly.

 

That's all, of course, just my opinion.

Yeah I know, but what does it mean "inspired by God"?...It has the point only for those people who really believe in God and this question is very paintfull for me.

 

I'm agnostic, so no proof of God existence for me. So God couldn't "inspire" people, he doesn't show his existence.

 

And all these people who say that if you don't read bible and go to church it means you don't believe in God-they're wrong.

 

Real faith is inside you, you can never go to church and not have a bible but still believe truly and honestly.

 

That's all, of course, just my opinion.

 

I agree totally. You don't need a book, a church/temple or a set of rules in order to find the true path. Everyone has that ability inside them - it's just a question of tapping into it.:cool:

And all these people who say that if you don't read bible and go to church it means you don't believe in God-they're wrong.

 

Real faith is inside you, you can never go to church and not have a bible but still believe truly and honestly.

 

That's all, of course, just my opinion.

You can believe in God and not obey him at all..

 

19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”— and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Jas 2:19-24). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

You have luck you don't live in Saudi Arabia.

I didn't say you should obey God. You can't do it anyway, cos I think God's invisible, you can't hear him, you can't feel him. So it's just faith, that's all about it.

I didn't say you should obey God. You can't do it anyway' date=' cos I think God's invisible, you can't hear him, you can't feel him. So it's just faith, that's all about it.[/quote']

that's just your opinion. I have the bible and history to back up my opinion. What do you have to back up your opinion that "I didn't say you should obey God. You can't do it anyway..." To you God is invisible, but I see the bible and history and my own existence.

You have luck you don't live in Saudi Arabia.

 

Why??