[split] "Christianity makes me afraid."

[Minyatur]

There's probably an infinite number of hell-like time/space. And the fires would have to be thought of or "stirred" by something just like anything else.

You could probably even create you own hell and stir the fire yourself if you wanted.

That would be a nice job to have; stirring the fire.

If you enjoy the pain of others, I guess you could consider that a nice job.

I could enjoy a fire-like environment for myself alone. Fire is cool.

[Lighthead]

There's probably an infinite number of hell-like time/space. And the fires would have to be thought of or "stirred" by something just like anything else.

You could probably even create you own hell and stir the fire yourself if you wanted.

That would be a nice job to have; stirring the fire.

If you enjoy the pain of others, I guess you could consider that a nice job.

I could enjoy a fire-like environment for myself alone. Fire is cool.

The idea just struck me as funny.

"What's your job down here?"

"I'm the fire-stirrer..."

[Minyatur]

There's probably an infinite number of hell-like time/space. And the fires would have to be thought of or "stirred" by something just like anything else.

You could probably even create you own hell and stir the fire yourself if you wanted.

That would be a nice job to have; stirring the fire.

If you enjoy the pain of others, I guess you could consider that a nice job.

I could enjoy a fire-like environment for myself alone. Fire is cool.

The idea just struck me as funny.

"What's your job down here?"

"I'm the fire-stirrer..."

Why did you take on that job?

Well... fire.. is... kind of very awesome..

[Lighthead]

There's probably an infinite number of hell-like time/space. And the fires would have to be thought of or "stirred" by something just like anything else.

You could probably even create you own hell and stir the fire yourself if you wanted.

That would be a nice job to have; stirring the fire.

If you enjoy the pain of others, I guess you could consider that a nice job.

I could enjoy a fire-like environment for myself alone. Fire is cool.

The idea just struck me as funny.

"What's your job down here?"

"I'm the fire-stirrer..."

Why did you take on that job?

Well... fire.. is... kind of very awesome..

"I have nothing against these people... I just like fire..."

[AnthroHeart]

Campfires can be romantic under a starry night. But I don't like too much heat.

[Lighthead]

Campfires can be romantic under a starry night. But I don't like too much heat.

Okay, let's get this thread back on topic...

I hate how fundamentalist Christians are so much about rules and regulations. It's a bunch of dos and don'ts.

How's that?

[AnthroHeart]

"You better beg God for forgiveness."

That was a big one.

[Minyatur]

You will inevitably ask God for forgiveness, what christians miss is that you are what will forgive all of your sins/regrets.

[Minyatur]

I think I liked the Bible mostly because I focused on the things I resonated more with and that I was self-educating myself as a christian. I sought to understand an experience more than wanting the book to be fully true althought I did have my dellusions just like I still have other dellusions today.

The bible is a good starting book for the journey of fools.

[Lighthead]

I think I liked the Bible mostly because I focused on the things I resonated more with and that I was self-educating myself as a christian. I sought to understand an experience more than wanting the book to be fully true althought I did have my dellusions just like I still have other dellusions today.

The bible is a good starting book for the journey of fools.

I've actually been part of a fundamentalist Christian religion for a few years now. But at this point, I am desperately trying to get out of it. I've only told a few others about it. But it looks I'm getting close to leaving. The problem is that I live in an apartment complex with these other fundamentalists, so it's kind of difficult to just stop going to their "services." So I have to physically move from this location.

But I'm getting off point, sort of. I just wanted to say that I agree with you. I distinctly remember reading the bible at one point and not understanding certain parts of it and, voila! This group explained these parts better than I could have on my own. Of course, what they explained was completely based on their distorted viewpoint of the bible, so the lesson I learned was much deeper than an explanation of the bible. I basically got a crash course in religion and Christianity as a whole.

But I definitely do see it as something I had to learn and it very much was a "journey of fools" as you say.

[TheFifty9Sound]

I was raised Catholic, and am married to a bible belt Baptist, so I think I have something of worth to add to this discussion.

Edit - I had a long post about the difference between Christianity as a school of thought and how Christians interpret and practice their beliefs (in both the negative and positive sense), but I think perhaps this video from Penn Jillette says everything I needed to say.

To wit - I don't consider myself a Christian, but I am surrounded by them. Whilst we as a community on Bring4th may consider ourselves to have a higher understanding on matters of faith than the average man, sometimes we (I) forget to realise that people do the best they can with what they have been given. Sometimes they do better with the little they have, than I do with the much I have been given.

Whilst I realise no-one is bashing Christians, and we are discussing Christianity as system, I thought this was worth saying anyway.

[AnthroHeart]

Here's what the Amazing Atheist says about Heaven.

[AnthroHeart]

  hell_tract.jpg (Size: 38.29 KB / Downloads: 16)

[AnthroHeart]

Today I watched a YouTube audio video about an hour long, where a pastor of 35 years had an NDE where he faced God's wrath for a bit. If even he who is doing God's work has his butt handed to him by the might of God, I can see how unusual that sounds. He just asked God whom he heard in the NDE experience (he didn't see God) for a longer life. Obviously he survived, because he wrote a mini-book. He said his name wasn't taken out of the book of life.

If one who dedicates their life can't impress God, I am not impressed by this "God". He was wrathful and fear-causing. The guy did say he felt love before he spoke to God.

It makes me think that I'm not even trying. I can get pretty lusty. I can only hope that each of our afterlife experiences is tailored to us.