Some thoughts on Christianity
By Castiel233 ~
Reasons for becoming a Christian:
1: The Bible was written centuries apart by numerous authors, yet still broadly tells a coherent narrative.
2: Although some biblical stories appear far fetched to modern readers, they are generally possible, particularly for a god who can create the universe.
3: The threat of Hell is an awful large and permanent risk to take
4: Some modern miracles Such as the Dancing of the Sun, which was predicted in advance by three peasant children and witnessed by thousands in 1917 are very hard (for me at least) to explain.
Reasons against becoming a Christian:
1: Prayer doesn’t appear to work beyond what we would expect from statistical chance.
2: Millions live and die without ever hearing the gospel and they are perfectly happy
3: The universe seems completely hostile to Human Life
4: Free will and an all seeing and knowing god appears to be incompatible
5: Mental illness and brain damage seems to destroy the idea that we are free agents with free will.
6: its one thing to get on ones knees and pray, it’s quite another to believe there is literally a being on the other end actively listening.
7: Equally it’s quite hard to believe there is an uncreated, eternal being that can and does listen to the thoughts of and the actions of the 6 billion or so human beings currently alive, let alone the many more billions who have already died.
8: Many different religions in the world today, including many different branches of Christianity. How is one expected to know which is the correct one with any degree of real confidence.
9: I am yet to meet a Christian who obeys the laws of the NT, (such as giving away all they own) Arguments that such teachings were only valid for the 1st century can surely be applied for any other teachings.
10: Pre selection of the elect. The idea that god has already chosen those for heaven and hell, means that becoming a Christian seems a waste of time, if god has already decided on your fate eons prior to your birth.
11: Unless we allow for a cruel and prankster god who tinkers and/or destroy evidence (a possible yet horrifying thought) The Bible is barely confirmed by archaeology or history.
12: Common sense tells us you can’t have a two way relationship (or fellowship) with a being you cannot see or hear.
13: Humans do tell lies and do make mistakes even in the 21st century, surely in the more ignorant 1st century matters were even worse.
14: Commands to both love and fear god appear to be contradictory
15: Modern Christians further ignore Biblically injunctions to abandon the family, let alone their wealth.
16: Even if we allow for the spine of Christianity to be true (Adam and Eve sinning, Christ coming to atone, the Bible appears to be full of weird and bizarre stuff, that if it were in any other book, it most certainly be treated as pre scientific garbage.
17: Events described in the Bible are not confirmed by sources outside it.
18: If a man lived his whole life in absolute devotion to god, and seconds prior to being knocked over and killed, he de-converted, would god know of his de-conversion and would he go to hell. How can a single being know what is going on in the thoughts of humans all the time.I can't remember what I was doing let alone thinking 20 years ago. How can God know?
1: The Bible was written centuries apart by numerous authors, yet still broadly tells a coherent narrative.
2: Although some biblical stories appear far fetched to modern readers, they are generally possible, particularly for a god who can create the universe.
3: The threat of Hell is an awful large and permanent risk to take
4: Some modern miracles Such as the Dancing of the Sun, which was predicted in advance by three peasant children and witnessed by thousands in 1917 are very hard (for me at least) to explain.
Reasons against becoming a Christian:
1: Prayer doesn’t appear to work beyond what we would expect from statistical chance.
2: Millions live and die without ever hearing the gospel and they are perfectly happy
3: The universe seems completely hostile to Human Life
4: Free will and an all seeing and knowing god appears to be incompatible
5: Mental illness and brain damage seems to destroy the idea that we are free agents with free will.
6: its one thing to get on ones knees and pray, it’s quite another to believe there is literally a being on the other end actively listening.
7: Equally it’s quite hard to believe there is an uncreated, eternal being that can and does listen to the thoughts of and the actions of the 6 billion or so human beings currently alive, let alone the many more billions who have already died.
8: Many different religions in the world today, including many different branches of Christianity. How is one expected to know which is the correct one with any degree of real confidence.
9: I am yet to meet a Christian who obeys the laws of the NT, (such as giving away all they own) Arguments that such teachings were only valid for the 1st century can surely be applied for any other teachings.
10: Pre selection of the elect. The idea that god has already chosen those for heaven and hell, means that becoming a Christian seems a waste of time, if god has already decided on your fate eons prior to your birth.
11: Unless we allow for a cruel and prankster god who tinkers and/or destroy evidence (a possible yet horrifying thought) The Bible is barely confirmed by archaeology or history.
12: Common sense tells us you can’t have a two way relationship (or fellowship) with a being you cannot see or hear.
13: Humans do tell lies and do make mistakes even in the 21st century, surely in the more ignorant 1st century matters were even worse.
14: Commands to both love and fear god appear to be contradictory
15: Modern Christians further ignore Biblically injunctions to abandon the family, let alone their wealth.
16: Even if we allow for the spine of Christianity to be true (Adam and Eve sinning, Christ coming to atone, the Bible appears to be full of weird and bizarre stuff, that if it were in any other book, it most certainly be treated as pre scientific garbage.
17: Events described in the Bible are not confirmed by sources outside it.
18: If a man lived his whole life in absolute devotion to god, and seconds prior to being knocked over and killed, he de-converted, would god know of his de-conversion and would he go to hell. How can a single being know what is going on in the thoughts of humans all the time.I can't remember what I was doing let alone thinking 20 years ago. How can God know?