I have one problem with religion and that is the intervention always appears to be singular.
Any self-respecting deity would surely broadcast it's existence to a multitude to prevent misinterpretation of it's message ? Perhaps that's happening right now but unlike all the other live on this planet we're the ones who don't understand it.
I have the same problem with aetheism. Aetheism has an aggressive dogma, I call it the worship of the anti-god.
I guess that makes me an agnostic.
Hello World!
Except that God, for His own reasons, doesn't seem to work that way.
(Although Jesus did speak to crowds of thousands many times.)
Now, if a mere human thinks it ought to be done one way and the Creator of the universe wants to do it some other way, who do you think is probably "right"?
One possible answer:
God does not want to give us absolute proof. He gives us information through his prophets or shows up in person as Jesus and then leaves it to their associates to proliferate it so that there will always be room for those who don't want to hear to ignore it.
I'm sure if God wanted to he could put on quite a fireworks show every day at midnight. The fact that He doesn't do that tells us that He intends to leave room for doubt. This is, in fact, exactly what Jesus said:
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I have many doubts about Christianity. I have no doubt that Jesus existed, but I doubt the word of Peter and Paul.
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It would be interesting to know how you know Jesus existed without the testimony of the eyewitnesses who studied under Him...
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Religion is ignorance presented as if based on facts.
That ignorance is underlined by the fact that followers of a religion are commonly referred to as believers.
Believing implies not knowing. And, not knowing implies absence of evidence.
From the perspective of intellectual honesty, knowing is superior to believing.
Religion has many weaknesses when examined from a number of different angles.
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Using the facts here I would say you're not Religious...
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Most of what we humans think we know is merely what we believe.
There are very few things that we truly know.
But, I agree that knowing is better than believing, when it is possible to be that certain.
But if you only acted on what you truly know, you wouldn't act much at all.
We all act on our beliefs all the time. It's what we humans do.
Thank God that we don't have to know, we only have to believe!
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"Most of what we humans think we know is merely what we believe. There are very few things that we truly know."
That statement above is very generalised and false. It's a statement that is most appropriate for believers who want to give the false impression that they 'know'. That statement can be re-written like this:
"Most of what believers think they know is merely what they believe. There are very few things that believers truly know."
Look at the proven technology that impacts our lives on a daily basis, then step back to about 3000 years ago.
Now examine your statement in light of the large body of scientific knowledge, research and development, right up to the present time.
The current body of scientific knowledge would blow the minds of people who lived 3000 years ago. They would regard things that we take for granted, as magic: aeroplane travel, cars, trains, the internet, television, radio, going to the moon, mapping the human genome, advanced medical surgery, splitting of the atom, and millions of high quality consumer products that cater to the needs and desires of all human beings. All of these things represent what we truly know. These things are based on genuine, human, hard-won knowledge that should not be taken for granted.
In stark contrast, believers of the major religions have blind faith in an invisible 'God' that oversees worldwide suffering and chooses to do absolutely nothing about it. Surely, not a loving 'God' - a 'God that doesn't suffer from pain, diseases, hunger, lack of shelter, poverty, depression, natural disasters, and death, like human beings do. That picture does not add up to truth. It adds up to ignorance and wild speculation. Not knowledge.
"There are very few things that we truly know."
If that was true, we would still be living in the stone age. And, that's obviously not the case.
I wonder how the 'Gods' have spent their time since the beginning of 2016?
Because believers are in contact with, ... and 'know' that 'God' is 'real', they should have an easy time answering that very basic question.
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That last one is easy! Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you."
Peter tells us that, "Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
So as long as there is one more person that can be saved, He will delay. It would seem that we are running out of such people, so it shouldn't be much longer.
I'm thinking that there is indeed a correlation between the accumulation of pride in what we have been able to figure out for ourselves and the availability of more people who are open to being saved. No doubt, that played a role in choosing the time when He would introduce Himself to mankind.
As for your other points, believers know that this life is just a blip on the eternal time scale and that bad things happen for reasons we can understand. Just like a wise army recruit knows that she is going to be subject to all kinds of discomfort during her basic training - while that training is just a blip on her coming opportunity to serve with distinction.
Meanwhile, "the god of this world" is being allowed to continue to demonstrate the disaster of letting men govern themselves according to his demonic principles. When this disaster has run its course, Jesus will return to clean house.
It didn't have to be this way, but that is what men have chosen.
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I have problems with religion because it is never restricted to the private field, restricted to those who believe, but always also interferes in the political, economic, social and moral fields. In other words, it affects the whole society, not only those who believe in it.
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I have the same view.
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So, skip the religious organization part and find a group of earnest Seekers to study the Scriptures with.
After a while you will have a common understanding of what the Bible says and, "poof", you have become a religion in the eyes of the world.
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