The penny has dropped

[Lucifer Box]

Re: i think that

I think Douglas Adams had the best summary of all...

"...two thousand years after a man was nailed to a tree for saying what a great idea it would be if we were nice to each other for a change..."

Religion adds nothing to the basic tenet other than the fear that if you are not nice to each other you will suffer eternal torment. I am sure Jesus would be dismayed at the 2,000 years of "interpretation" that have been piled on top of the basic message.

[ScotsPine]

with few exceptions,

mankind is intrinsically selfish. the first thing we consciously do on planet earth is to begin to stake out our claim on things, usually beginning with mum's attention. by personal sacrifice i mean putting others before yourself.
simplify the situation. if there were only two people on the planet, each of whom was happy to give the other all they had...and extrapolate that to the world's current population.
now assume that there are the same two people, and each would be happy to take all the other had, indeed one actively manouevres to acquire all the other's possessions...extrapolate...

[ScotsPine]

we need to be clear

that the new testament claims that mankind is and always will be unable to produce the kind of world described above. it also claims to offer a way of producing that world. it may of course be wrong.

[Lucifer Box]

Re: with few exceptions,

Interesting proposition. Can't help but feel though that if we all gave away everything we had, we would achieve little as a species, and would all be sitting around in happy groups ravaged by polio and TB.

Some degree of selfishness is one of the top handful of essential survival traits for any aspiring genetic pool.

[Not So Wise]

Re: i think that

even if chico is wrong, the basic tenet of what he propounds, viz personal sacrifice, is probably the only hope mankind has of long-term survival.

Actually that is the exact problem most people have with religion these days, when you get right down to it "personal sacrifice", "do onto others as you would wish done on to you" and so forth is little more than window dressing, all completely meaningless according to them unless you believe and accept God and Christ as "our savior"

And this is one of the major reasons i will always reject "religion", always felt a bit like a father saying to son, "i don't care what you do in life, be the next Pope or the next Hitler (though would prefer you to be the Pope), i will always love you.....as long as you show me respect, call me sir and worship me as your superior"

[John Galt]

Re: with few exceptions,

You are right that this is an ideal SP. I think we can all agree that there is no such thing as a completely selfless person. I still have to wonder though why an entity would create something with faults and then spend the next few hundred milenia trying to erradicate them.

[SupremeSpod]

Re: with few exceptions,

I still have to wonder though why an entity would create something with faults and then spend the next few hundred milenia trying to erradicate them.

Beats watching Coronation Street I suppose!

[Lucifer Box]

Re: i think that

all completely meaningless according to them unless you believe and accept God and Christ as "our savior

Tried to have this discussion with Chico - the apparent value that Christians put on what you say being as least as important, if not more so, than what you do. Unfortunately, as usual, he became abusive and was not prepared to discuss the issues sensibly.

[ChicoLondon]

Lets be clear

What really gets on my goat is when pagans or the "self- styled atheists" come on here trying to intimate that anyone who believes in God is stupid. Time and time again I will take them on and show just how "intelligent" they are.

I am a man of conviction - I know what I believe why believe it and certainly ashamed to profess my faith in Jesus Christ. End of story. If you ask me an honest question - I will give you an honest answer. If you want a theological discussion - subject to time pressures- I am more than happy to oblige. If you insult me or others of faith , express any bigoted views then I will expose you for what you are - an ignorant fool.

[Gay Bored Geek]

Re: Lets be clear

Jesus does not like those who waste company resource

GET BACK TO WORK