The bible is written in such a way

If you really want to know where religion, in the most generic sense, comes from, I'll tell you.
Religion comes from the most common observation ever made by human beings over time.
This did not happen by chance is the foundational observation that paved the way for all religions.

Human beings are unique on the planet. We are Earth's only indigenous creative species. We create and build on a level and a scale that sets all of the other species into a much lesser category, a mere mimicry true creativity.
As creators of things, we recognize created things. Only a human being can spot an arrow head on a gravel bar of similar stones.

Religion comes from the almost universal human observation that this did not all just happen by chance.

 

why do you think repeating the same invalid circular argument makes it any less invalid? How many times do you need this addressed, before you move on to an actual valid argument?

 

I've already told the story of the origin of religion. Briefly. Ug the caveman came out of his cave 3 mornings in succession and an avalanche of snow covered him. He thought someone had a grudge against him, but couldn't see him. On the 4th night he decided to appease the unknown. He left a piece of meat from a kill he had made outside the cave. The next morning it had gone so he looked around, couldn't see anyone and the snow hadn't fallen on him. So the sacrifice has worked. Of course, we know a wild animal had taken the meat and the snow had already gone as it was spring.

Well, that's the story that's come down through 1m generations of my family, and who am I to deny it?

 

Religion comes later.

Cults develop by the fast talker, the smarter ones in the group.
God is the undisputable answer for anything the people cannot understand.
And that list gets smaller every day.

All religions start out as cults.
when they gain money and power,
They become religions.

 

Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews and the God of the armies, doesn't give a crap about Gentiles.

 

Although I am but a wild shoot, I have been grafted into Israel. We were grafted on where the sons of Jacob were cut off. When the fullness of the gentiles is come, Israel will return to Jesus, God the Son.

 

You can try to institutionalize that, and see if you can get rich. Lotsa people are gripped with fear of their own death, and want answers. Maybe you can sell it..

Maybe. Maybe there is no God, and everything is a cosmic accident. There are no morals, nor standards for human behavior, and anything goes, if you can get away with it.

Maybe its all a sham, invented by weak minded fools who cannot face the emptiness of their own existence.

Maybe you have deep, spiritual insights into the mysteries of life, eternity, and origins, and know that Nothing and No one is out there, and we are alone in the universe.. accidents of nature, waiting to die. Your personal, vast experience, over the eons has driven you to this undeniable conclusion.

Or, maybe you are mistaken, and just don't have omnipotent knowledge.. ? Maybe there is a Creator, and He expects certain things from His creation. How do you determine these things? Flip a coin? Trust your childhood indoctrination?

 

God doesn't automatically mean morals.
Nothing in that sentence made sense, as though only some god makes that stuff.

 

That's simply an interpretation based on Pauls letter - to the Romans? It certainly goes against Jesus 'don't go to the Gentiles' 'I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel'. Matthew 15:16. 'Salvation is from the Jews' John 4 To the woman of Samaria. To John 21. 'Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep. feed my sheep'. Israel. Marks 'great commision' was a later addition.

Christianity in Palestine contained much Judaism and involved the Temple and some Jewish ritual. I believe that Paul, during his 12 'lost' years in Syria ministering with other Christians, realised that the Christian gospel would not be acceptable to people like the Greeks so adapted much Judaism mixed with Christianity to make it more acceptably mysterious.

Suppose, as I am sure, that the sons of Jacob never existed. Ancient History denies it and most Jews now reject it as an allegory. (Jewish figures tell us that 50% of Jews worldwide now do not practise their religion).. Where do we go from there? Paul only preached from the OT the things he had been indoctrinated with all his life. As did Jesus.
Why do you need to be 'grafted in'. Jews believe that Gentile followers of the Noahide code will be saved at the end based on Jewish scriptures detailing their duty to guests.

What's the difference between Pails 'vision' and Mohammed's 'vision'? Or that of the leader of the Mormons and others. Just interpretation.

It's bedtime

 

I'm amazed at the conflicting conclusions so many people have, in their beliefs.

You believe in absolute morality, natural law, and the sanctity of human life?

In a meaningless, amoral, godless universe? How?

All morality can only be a human invention, so it is only an arbitrary opinion, NOT anything universal or absolute. Do you really live in a godless universe, or do you follow some unseen 'moral code', imbedded by God?

'You' here is rhetorical, not a personal question.

 

If you are the kind of person who is good, only because you think someone is watching you,

You scare me.

 

Yep.
I've always said that. Same God, different paths to reach the promised land.
Man's spin on it.

 

Someone asked you earlier, not sure if you replied or not.
Which God of the bible, the OT or NT. Basically the NT is Jesus, which is Christian. Most of it is Saul/Paul though. Not really the teaching of Jesus. At least the majority of religions in the name of Christianity.

 

Except the entry rules are different.

what can send you to heaven in one, can send you to hell in another.

 

I think religion comes from the fact humans need a reason for something, and with very limited knowledge, made up things/stories to account for wanting to know.
And it had to start somehow, so some being had to make it.

 

Morals have been evolving with man since near the dawn of man.
Some of those morals evolved to be the same in most human cultures. Even though, most have different deities.

edit: The God of the OT admits to being jealous and vengeful. Even admits to creating evil. How's them morals?

 

You should check out Islam's god.
Talk about no morals.

 

I already explained to you. It's the same base god.
Since I know the OT god from my several years as a chrisitan, I know about it.

 

Ignoring the ad hom, how do you define 'good', in a godless, amoral universe? That is a meaningless platitude for manipulators..

 

To much of the world, Ghandi, what he did, would be considered good by most of the world.
But, by Christian morals, would not be good and end up in hell.

 

• Adam was told that if and when he eats the forbidden fruit he would die that day (Genesis 2:17)
• Adam ate the fruit and went on to live to a ripe old age of 930 years (Genesis 5:5)

A large stone was placed at the entrance of the tomb. Where was the stone when the women arrived?

• They saw that the stone was Rolled back (Mark 16:4) They found the stone rolled away from the tomb (Luke 24:2) They saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb (John 20:1)
• As the women approached, an angel descended from heaven, rolled away the stone, and conversed with the women. Matthew made the women witness the spectacular rolling away of the stone (Matthew 28:1-6)

Does every man sin?

• Yes. There is no man who does not sin (I Kings 8:46; see also 2 Chronicles 6:36; Proverbs 20:9; Ecclesiastes 7:20; and I John 1:810)
• No. True Christians cannot possibly sin, because they are the children of God. Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God.. (I John 5:1). We should be called children of God; and so we are (I John 3: 1). He who loves is born of God (I John 4:7). No one born of God commits sin; for Gods nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God (I John 3:9). But, then again, Yes! If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (I John 1:

Explain?

 

And also this:

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple."

It is hard to see how the modern day Christian who elects to take every word in the Bible as truth complies with this direction.

 

That is a deflection.. what 'much of the world!' believes, is unknown and irrelevant.

How do you define 'good', in a godless, amoral universe? That is a meaningless platitude for manipulators..

..man made directives to control people.. you believe it is 'good!', to live by these artificial standards?

 

It is even harder to see how the modern Christian lives in a world of rampant bigotry, hostility, and phony caricatures.. yet it is something he must do. In spite of the lies, distortions, and propaganda leveled at christianity by enemies and indoctrinees.

 

Nice deflection.
Unless you can prove Ghandi was immoral.