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I am religious and believe in free will

70 (27.6%)

I am religious and do not believe in free will

10 (3.9%)

I am not religious and believe in free will

113 (44.5%)

I am not religious and do not believe in free will

61 (24%)

Total Members Voted: 249

[origamiscienceguy]

I was a Church of Ireland Protestant. Essentially, Anglican. Small country parish, very traditional.

The minister had a doctorate in theology, but his ideas seemed stale to me, and though I never talked in depth (one does not argue against God to one of the clergy) I got the idea he was stuck in a bit of a religious rut as it were. He'd parroted the same things so much he'd become firmly set in his views. No flexibility. Same goes for most clergy, though.

My church sets a theme each year, and my pastor has several series that match with that theme. For example, this year's theme is how we are supposed to love all people, especially those who are different. Our most recent series are how the Bible tells us to love different races, and the series before was how to love people of different religions. (both very hard to do)

[TD1]

There is at least as much cause to be killing other non-Christians in the bible. Are you ever taught that 

Whilst I joke, it is also interesting how often the rosy coloured things are preached, hut not the black. Unless, of course, the preacher wants the black to be spread. "God hates fags"

[Descan]

love people of different religions. (both very hard to do)

I dunno. It's only so hard, I think, because the same religion says that those different-religion'd people are going to hell/heretics/evil/wrong/temptation/etc. Kind of sets them up as hard to love by itself.

Race thing also isn't that hard, but it's not quite the same thing being ironically-made-hard by the same religion telling you to love them.

[origamiscienceguy]

There is at least as much cause to be killing other non-Christians in the bible. Are you ever taught that 

Whilst I joke, it is also interesting how often the rosy coloured things are preached, hut not the black. Unless, of course, the preacher wants the black to be spread. "God hates fags"

Yes, the bible has several instances of God ordering the deaths of many non-christians. However, those people had disobeyed God for centuries, and they didn't turn to him. Even though they most likely heard about the Israelites. (Rehab heard about the Israelites when they crossed the Red Sea, so it is reasonable to assume the others did)  Even if they had never heard about God their entire life. The bible says:

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."

[Orange Wizard]

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."

inb4 atheist circlejerk

[origamiscienceguy]

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."

inb4 atheist circlejerk

I left that out on purpose. Trying not to offend anyone.

[TD1]

So... why should you not do the same now? Infidels who have heard the word are everywhere.

Also, that quote sound like the design argument. Seems to me that if god's divinity is seen in creation, so too must his evilness be seen in it too. It's either believe God has evil in him, or believe such arguments are pot, IMO.

[origamiscienceguy]

God has his own personality. He can become Angry. The old testament often speaks of the wrath of God. This does not make him evil. His wrath was satisfied by Jesus' death on the cross.

[Orange Wizard]

Most people consider sacrificing your son to yourself to be pretty evil.

[TD1]

SALIGIA. The seven deadly sins, a pneumonic by Pope Gregory.

One of them is anger.

Also, II, pick a side already!

[origamiscienceguy]

Most people believe raising him back from the dead to be pretty not-evil. Also, Jesus did this of his own free will.

[Descan]

... Ehhhhhhh... God's pretty evil, mate. Biblically and via creation. Worlds kind of shitty and in lots of evil ways. Disease (and the really horrid ones, like worms in your veins and eyeballs, or your muscles and skin literally turning to bone, trapping you in a cage of your own tissues), natural disasters, 99.99999999% of the universe being inhospitable to life as we know it (human life especially), the favoritism of a tiny tribe in a backwater region that's only redeeming resource wouldn't be relevant for thousands of years (and even then, Israel doesn't have much oil if any )

He's kind of a wonky dude. If not evil, not exactly "father knows best" good. I'd steer clear if I heard of an actual person with his track-record.

[TD1]

When he was dragged off by guards? Not fighting them was as far as he went.

[origamiscienceguy]

... Ehhhhhhh... God's pretty evil, mate. Biblically and via creation. Worlds kind of shitty and in lots of evil ways. Disease (and the really horrid ones, like worms in your veins and eyeballs, or your muscles and skin literally turning to bone, trapping you in a cage of your own tissues), natural disasters, 99.99999999% of the universe being inhospitable to life as we know it (human life especially), the favoritism of a tiny tribe in a backwater region that's only redeeming resource wouldn't be relevant for thousands of years (and even then, Israel doesn't have much oil if any )

He's kind of a wonky dude. If not evil, not exactly "father knows best" good. I'd steer clear if I heard of an actual person with his track-record.

That is all mankind fault. If you want to point fingers, you can blame Eve, but we all have sinned. There was no disease, death, or pain before that.

[Orange Wizard]

Eh. Anger isn't sinful in and of itself. It depends on what you're angry about. Jesus got pretty angry at the merchants and moneychangers in the temple, for example. God has no problem with people being angry about sin, and because sin is disobeying God, God is justified in getting angry at people disobeying him, because he's the one who decides what's right and wrong. You get the idea.

Also, II, pick a side already!

I am become Italy.

favoritism of a tiny tribe in a backwater region

There's a few verses bobbing around about how not all Israel is Israel. That is, God's chosen people is not the nation/group/whatever called Israel, but there's a lot of overlap.
Also, it was twelve tiny tribes.

That is all mankind fault. If you want to point fingers, you can blame Eve, but we all have sinned. There was no disease, death, or pain before that.

I blame Satan.