Why I hate religion!

[YoFuggedaboutit]

Why? I live a good life. I treat people fairly. I'm not out hurting people. I take good care of myself and don't abuse my body. I give to charity and work to help those that can't help themselves. Outside of me not believing in god, what am I missing out on?

Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father but through me." 

Jesus also said, "There is none righteous, not one."  and "All our righteous acts are like filthy rags."

Bottom line is, simply being a "good person" doesn't cut it.  Even if someone has committed one sinful act, they deserve to go to hell because no sin can get into heaven.  But Jesus dying on the Cross paid that penalty for our sins.  All you have to do is confess your sins and ask for forgiveness.  Jesus wants you to give your heart to Him and serve Him faithfully.  Once you do that, then your works do matter, as that is Jesus manifesting Himself in your life.

[MaineDolFan]

^^In other words, Buddha...

Sin all you want as long as you have given yourself over to Christ.  Don't bother trying to be a good and honest person. 

Give yourself to Christ and act the way you want.  Lie, steal, cheat, whatever.  Be as bad as you wanna be...and just bow your head a couple times a week and say "forgive me please?"  Then you'll be part of the crew and we can hang out in heaven.

[Sunstroke]

More sniping from the lyrics box...courtesy of XTC


"Dear God, don't know if you noticed, but...
your name is on a lot of quotes in this book
and us crazy humans wrote it, you should take a look
All the people that you made in your image
still believing that junk is true.
Well I know it ain't, and so do you..."

[Buddhagirl]

Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father but through me." 

Jesus also said, "There is none righteous, not one."  and "All our righteous acts are like filthy rags."

Bottom line is, simply being a "good person" doesn't cut it.  Even if someone has committed one sinful act, they deserve to go to hell because no sin can get into heaven.  But Jesus dying on the Cross paid that penalty for our sins.  All you have to do is confess your sins and ask for forgiveness.  Jesus wants you to give your heart to Him and serve Him faithfully.  Once you do that, then your works do matter, as that is Jesus manifesting Himself in your life.

Jesus sounds like he wanted to start a cult or something. Why was it ok to follow him, and not others?

[crazy_scar_man]

Religion is for those who fear going to hell.

Spirituality is for those who've already been there.

[Phishfan]

Religion is for those who fear going to hell.

Spirituality is for those who've already been there.

Great quote.

[Sunstroke]

Religion is for those who fear going to hell.

Spirituality is for those who've already been there. 

And atheism is for those who neither fear hell, nor plan on visiting it...

[Brian Fein]

Bottom line is, simply being a "good person" doesn't cut it. 

This is BS, in my opinion.  I guess it depends on your further beliefs but being a good person should be more than enough. 

Although, I'm not sure what we're trying to qualify for...

[CF DolFan]

This is BS, in my opinion.  I guess it depends on your further beliefs but being a good person should be more than enough. 

Although, I'm not sure what we're trying to qualify for...

The problem is the idea of a good person.  People assume that anyone who is "nicer" than them is a good person and thinks anyone "meaner" than whatever is a bad person.  Unfortunately God doesn't grade on a curve.

Let me explain ... Jesus said that "we think" if we have sex with another person while married then we have committed adultry but that in reality if we have thought about it we have already commited the sin.  He was showing us that we have no idea what good or not sinning is. If we are guilty by thinking it then on judgement day we will stand before God as a lying, cheating, murdering, adulterer and trying to tell Him we are good. It isn't happening.  He exposed the fact that no one is good enough by themselves and that they will need a savior, sacrifice, or whatever you want to call it, to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. He then went onto say He was that one and only way.

Compared to God/Jesus ... no one is good.  Compared to CF, Dave, Brian and Tommy, probably most people are good.  Unfotunately there is no curve. Not my rule but it is God's rule.

The funny thing is what Maine said to Buddha is not entirely untrue.  All it takes is accepting Christ to be saved. The other side to that is if you have accepted Christ, your life will show it. Not because you have to but because you want to.

[Dave Gray]

When all of these guys in prison find Jesus, and then are let out of jail and commit crimes again, did they never really find Jesus in the first place?  Are they all lying about it?

[Fau Teixeira]

do devout Christians serve in the military ? and how do they balance the sanctity of life vs. being trained and expected to kill ?

also how do christians condone the death penalty ?

both of those make big hypocrite flags pop up in my head.

[bsmooth]

I do not understand all the defensiveness of the christians here. If all that really matters is your own relationship with god and the teachings, then it should not truly matter wether other people believe in god or not. You should be safe and peaceful in the knowledge that you are on the path to salvation and eternal rewards.

[Dave Gray]

It depends on what you mean by Christians.  I think the Catholic church is still anti-war and anti-death penalty.

[bsmooth]

do devout Christians serve in the military ? and how do they balance the sanctity of life vs. being trained and expected to kill ?

also how do christians condone the death penalty ?

both of those make big hypocrite flags pop up in my head.

Yes there are some huge "bible thumpers" in the military, especially overseas where it is worse because you are stuck on the FOB with them and it is hard to truly get away.
Much like prisoners, many people find jesus while sitting in a foxhole.

[Fau Teixeira]

seems to me that jesus wouldn't want you to shoot a bullet into someone's head.. why christians aren't pacifists is beyond me..

i had a friend that was a johova's witness .. from everything i know about his faith .. i think that as far as living the way his religion preaches .. then he's by far the truest to the basic tenets of christianity