There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life

[MookJong]

What I dont understand is the thing about Good and evil. In order for someone to appear "Good" you have to an evil opposite to compare it to. So if 'God' creates everyone and what not, he then must have created evil...?

So why would he create evil people?? After all they are still 'people'..?

Im just very confused by it all, there appears to be so many little contradictions riddled throughout all religions. Perhaps there is a God and perhaps there isn't, I like to sit on the fence on this one

I'm a good person, I do good things and also volunteer for charities ... yet I'm not a "religious church goer", so does that mean I won't float up to 'heaven' when I die?? Hmm, religion just confuses me - perhaps I have a small brain

I guess your mainly talking Christianity here rather than all religions as some don't have ideas of an afterlife or that Good and Evil as seperate enteties.

From a Christian view all of your questions can easily be answered with a basic understanding of Christianity....your confusion is simply down to a lack of knowledge of the religion rather than contradictions you have found.

Go and find out.

 

[MattandJet]

A scenario:

Person A: Non believer, a good hard working person, nice to everyone, volunteer work...etc

Person B: Believer, not a hard working person, has done "bad"/"evil" things in the past, never volunteered to do anything and is selfish/rude/..etc (kind of like an American.. lol))

Who is the more deserving of, lets say, a 'place' in "Heaven"??

It just seems to me that a lot of people believe because they feel they either 'have to' or of the mentality that 'oh well if your religious I might as well be.."

Im probably just spouting nonsence but its this and other things I think off when someone talks about religion and things.

 

[Dolph]

A scenario:

Person A: Non believer, a good hard working person, nice to everyone, volunteer work...etc

Person B: Believer, not a hard working person, has done "bad"/"evil" things in the past, never volunteered to do anything and is selfish/rude/..etc (kind of like an American.. lol))

Who is the more deserving of, lets say, a 'place' in "Heaven"??

It just seems to me that a lot of people believe because they feel they either 'have to' or of the mentality that 'oh well if your religious I might as well be.."

Im probably just spouting nonsence but its this and other things I think off when someone talks about religion and things.

Have a look at other religions apart from Christianity. There are large parts of christanity that make no sense to me whatsoever, but that's why I'm not a christian. There are plenty of other belief structures that don't work in anything approaching the same way.

 

[@if ®afiq]

What a shame the anti-Western fundamentalists don't appear to have read this line

Many people don't read many lines and what's more they don't understand when they do, hence we have what we have.

 

[@if ®afiq]

So why would he create evil people?? After all they are still 'people'..?

No one is born evil, we become what we do by the choices we make. Having a choice and also being aware of the responsibility that goes with it is a major part of being human, if there was no choice and no chance of doing something bad then there would be no point to us.

 

[MookJong]

A scenario:
Im probably just spouting nonsence but its this and other things I think off when someone talks about religion and things.

Yep nonsense

The idea that your judged by God and depending how good you have beem go to the afterlife or not is such a narrow view. Who is to say the two things have to be linked at all, there could be God and no afterlife there could be an afterlife and no God. Additionally everyone regardless of their actions could go to this afterlife...

Your brainwashed by Christian thinking, you need to look into all the other belief systems before saying "Oh that religion stuff doesn't make sense".

 

[MattandJet]

Ok dont bite my head off Im only asking, I thought religious types liked people being interested and questioning things.

hehe ok thanks for your relplies

 

[FirebarUK]

Who is the more deserving of, lets say, a 'place' in "Heaven"??

Without wanting to appear rude, you certainly are getting in a flap. I'd definately recommend reading up about this, and if you actually genuinely want to discuss this with Christians - go onto an Alpha Course (they are very welcoming, so don't be scared. You might even find that Christians don't wear sandles and aren't as wierd as you think ). That'll explain the general gist to you.

To confuse you more, look into Jesus' death and note the two people he is crucified with.

 

[Vonhelmet]

Towards the end of the Qur'an there is verse along the lines of "To you, your way, and to me, mine".

That's in the qu'ran? Well, now we know where the chuckle brothers got that line from!

 

[@if ®afiq]

That's in the qu'ran? Well, now we know where the chuckle brothers got that line from!

edit:

109.006YUSUFALI: To you be your Way, and to me mine.

 

[semi-pro waster]

Ok dont bite my head off Im only asking, I thought religious types liked people being interested and questioning things.

hehe ok thanks for your relplies

Some certainly will although it might be preferred if you do some investigating yourself first, I don't know for sure but if they keep having to repeat the same things it might get frustrating. You might also find that some people will get defensive if you are asking questions that they cannot answer or that directly question fundamentals of their belief system, if that is the case then exercise some discretion and ask someone else who may be able to help.

 

[RDM]

You might also find that some people will get defensive if you are asking questions that they cannot answer or that directly question fundamentals of their belief system, if that is the case then exercise some discretion and ask someone else who may be able to help.

Where is the fun in that?

 

[Vonhelmet]

A scenario:

Person A: Non believer, a good hard working person, nice to everyone, volunteer work...etc

Person B: Believer, not a hard working person, has done "bad"/"evil" things in the past, never volunteered to do anything and is selfish/rude/..etc (kind of like an American.. lol))

Who is the more deserving of, lets say, a 'place' in "Heaven"??

In christian terms, neither is deserving. You can't deserve a place in heaven. No amount of good deeds will get a sinful person in, and any amount of sin could keep an otherwise good person out. To use a slightly unpleasant analogy, a spoonful of poop in a barrel me champagne leaves you with a barrel of poop, and a spoonful me champagne in a barrel of poop, leaves you with a barrel of poop. Any sin will spoil you and stop you getting into heaven.

The only way is to ask god's forgiveness for your sin, which means humbling yourself and admitting that you've screwed up. You could say, the only way to get to heaven is to admit that you don't deserve to.

So, in your example either a or b could get to heaven if they asked god's forgiveness. Of course, true repentance should be reflected in a changed life, so you'd expect lazy arse b to get his act together, but even then it would be his faith in god and trust in his forgiveness that would get him to heaven, not his reformed like and subsequent good deeds.

That's the christian view on it anyway.

 

[Hellsmk2]

No one is born evil, we become what we do by the choices we make. Having a choice and also being aware of the responsibility that goes with it is a major part of being human, if there was no choice and no chance of doing something bad then there would be no point to us.

No one is born with free will either, yet that is a fundemental belief of the main religions.

 

[Dolph]

No one is born with free will either, yet that is a fundemental belief of the main religions.

Source? Or is this just a statement of your belief?

 

[@if ®afiq]

No one is born with free will either, yet that is a fundemental belief of the main religions.

I don't understand - can you eloborate further?

IMO, free will and choice are the same - as we have a choice to do or not from day one, then it follows we also have free will.

 

[MattandJet]

In christian terms, neither is deserving. You can't deserve a place in heaven. No amount of good deeds will get a sinful person in, and any amount of sin could keep an otherwise good person out. To use a slightly unpleasant analogy, a spoonful of poop in a barrel me champagne leaves you with a barrel of poop, and a spoonful me champagne in a barrel of poop, leaves you with a barrel of poop. Any sin will spoil you and stop you getting into heaven.

The only way is to ask god's forgiveness for your sin, which means humbling yourself and admitting that you've screwed up. You could say, the only way to get to heaven is to admit that you don't deserve to.

So, in your example either a or b could get to heaven if they asked god's forgiveness. Of course, true repentance should be reflected in a changed life, so you'd expect lazy arse b to get his act together, but even then it would be his faith in god and trust in his forgiveness that would get him to heaven, not his reformed like and subsequent good deeds.

That's the christian view on it anyway.

Has 'God' actually told you this, I mean have you actually seen him and heard him say that? How can anyone possibly know about the 'afterlife' even if there is one?

 

[@if ®afiq]

How can anyone possibly know about the 'afterlife' even if there is one?

Either there is or isn't. It is for you to decide and "reap" the benefits or not depending on your viewpoint.

 

[Ex-RoNiN]

In christian terms, neither is deserving. You can't deserve a place in heaven. No amount of good deeds will get a sinful person in, and any amount of sin could keep an otherwise good person out. To use a slightly unpleasant analogy, a spoonful of poop in a barrel me champagne leaves you with a barrel of poop, and a spoonful me champagne in a barrel of poop, leaves you with a barrel of poop. Any sin will spoil you and stop you getting into heaven.

The only way is to ask god's forgiveness for your sin, which means humbling yourself and admitting that you've screwed up. You could say, the only way to get to heaven is to admit that you don't deserve to.

So, in your example either a or b could get to heaven if they asked god's forgiveness. Of course, true repentance should be reflected in a changed life, so you'd expect lazy arse b to get his act together, but even then it would be his faith in god and trust in his forgiveness that would get him to heaven, not his reformed like and subsequent good deeds.

That's the christian view on it anyway.

That's not 'Christian', that's a very Catholic view, sinner from the time you're born and all that.

 

[Hellsmk2]

Source? Or is this just a statement of your belief?

I know you're trying to play devil's advocate in this, but you can't deny that the 'free will' arguement is paraded time and time again by religious minds in order to justify why things are the way they are.

When you put it in context, it's a really odd point to raise and actually creates a paradox; monotheistic religions have gods that have omnipotence and infalibility, therefore time is preordained and all future actions/ choices are preordained. Where does free will fit into that equation? It doesn't.

In the context of my quote, it was stated that no one is born evil and that they choose to become so later in life (i.e, free will). If you believe this, how can a person believe in an omnipotent being?

Even with this glaring paradox, the old 'free will' chestnut is paraded as a reason why something else does exist, when it clearly does not demonstrate this if you believe in an all-powerful and all-knowing supernatural being.

It pretty much brings you full circle back to the Epicurus quote I put up earlier in the thread:

"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?"