Religious Question?

Question

I have a problem believing in God. I see the story of God as a myth that has been told for thousands of years. I mean, parents tell their kids bedtime stories to make them feel secure right? Dont you think people did the same with this story? And how about Santa? People will still be telling that garbage in 2000 years. Are people going to believe that is true also? Santa started as a normal man and grew into a huge deal. He never "had reighndeer" and had a big red suit. That story just snowballed. And if you are naughty you wont get presents? Please. We all have done bad things and we still have a pile under the tree every year, dont we? Does no one see the resemblance?

By the way, I have read the Bible cover to cover and attended church for 6 months just for the the knowledge on both sides. I think many believers in God do not explore both sides of the story. How can you kow which one sounds more believable when you dont put in the effort to gain the knowledge?

Answer 1

I feel you. I am shocked on a daily basis as to how much stock people put into the most BS story of all: Jesus.

How dare a bunch of people sit there and tell me that someone allowed himself to be slaughtered by a primitive and crude ruler in ancient times so that the creator of everthing will forgive me for sinning. And if I don't beleive in this the correct way then the loving creator will put my soul in a terrible and fiery pit for all eternity.
Are you f*cking kidding me?

I get really mad when people try and guilt you with the "Jesus died for your sins" thing. If there was a god, why could he not forgive me if I was sorry. Why did there have to be a sacrifice? How does the Roman Government snuffing a radical (commonplace in those times) equate with me playing Yahtzee with my dead relatives for eternity in a nice white room.

Answer 2

You base all this on hear say and not real knowledge of it all. For one Santa has only been around a short time, not thousands of years. Next Santa has changed forms over 17 times over the years, where the Bible and Jesus have remained exactly the same since they were put together. Next science can clearly show that Santa does not exist. But science cannot show that God, Jesus do not exist and they actually state, and this is fact, look it up, scientists state the bible is real cause it is a book of factual facts.

You have this image of it all from the art and pictures you have seen. Images of 10 headed animals, others with 7 eyes, etc. This is all just metaphors for the story.

Remember....these were guys who lived long ago, never saw one single thing you see around you today, not one. Then they were given visions of the future and were told to write about them.

For some examples....Revelations.....it mentions a swarm of locus being released upon the earth to kill man but to not harm plants. well if you think litterally....this doesn't make sense as locus go after plants. But its imagery for what he saw. What today do we have that looks like a locus, swarms like a locus and can kill man but leaves plants alone? An army helicopter.

Another he mentions the dragon (russia or china) and the woman (usa) and how it attacks her after she was hidden in the desert (iraq).

What you see today in the news, is shown in the Bible. The Iraq war, all of it. If the book is just a story of tales....how can it predict the future for thousands of years, over and over and over and over again?

Just the fact the Bible mentions that Israel will be reborn as a state inside of 1 day is proof enough. There was no Israel for thousands of years and no one ever dreamed it could ever happen. Yet it did.

The Bible mentions the end times (exactly what we are dealing with today) and it says that the temple in Jeruslim must be rebuilt. Guess what Israel is doing right now.....check some news.

Hun....its not a joke, a story, a fable, just a book....it is THE book.

BIBLE - basic instructions before leaving earth

Just read it....every question you have will be answered, just ask.


Edit:

I noticed you are in college to study the stars.....did you know the Bible says in the end days look to those that study the stars for wisdom. He is calling you dear....do his work.

Answer 3

I have never told my children that Santa is true and that is for this exact reason. I don't want them to get the true meaning of Christmas and why we celebrate the birth of Jesus mixed up with this belief that so many people have in Santa. I have told them that Santa was a good man, I never make Santa the reason for the season. God for me is not a myth. I can understand how a person who say was not raised with the same faith as I would have a problem believing. There have been too many proofs of his existence for me in my family and my life and the lives of my children. I will never deny him and only wish others could know him and believe in him too. But that is not something I can do. I can only live my life and my faith. If someone asks me I will answer a question as best I can. I would never try to force my beliefs on someone. And I can only hope that no one would make fun of or deny me the same respect.

Answer 4

Yes, I can see what you are saying. But, I don't have a personal relationship with Santa. He (the original Santa) is dead. I do have a personal relationship with Jesus. He is alive. Jesus is not a religion. He is a relationship.

If you will read the Bible and ask God for wisdom. He will show you scripture and letters that were written over 1,000 years ago to verify His word is true. You will learn about true love as the words of Jesus enter your heart while reading Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

The Bible is God's Word to us.
It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Above all you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:20-21. (New International Version)

Breakdown of the Bible
36 human authors inspired entirely by God over 1600 years.
66 separate books
39 Old Testament
Genesis- The creation of the world, sin, flood and birth of Israel
Exodus to Esther- History of the nation of Israel
Job to Proverbs- the books of poetry and wisdom
Isaiah to Malachi- Prophecy or foretelling of the future events to come.
27 New Testament
Matthew to John - Four Gospels representing the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ now with all authority in Heaven and earth.
Acts- Birth of the Church (The Bride of Christ)
Romans to Jude - Letters to the Churches
Revelations - The ultimate future plans for: The Church, Heaven, Hell, a New Heaven and a New Earth.

Here are some Bible Study Resources for anything you may want to look up:

Biblegateway.com
Ntgateway.com
Bible.org
Bible-history.com

Answer 5

The comfort factor is not the only reason for the longevity of the stories of God. Religious dogma is forced onto children from a young age, including the terrifying tales of Hell.

There are quite a few similarities between the two stories, but nobody is threatened with an eternity of torment if they stop believing in Santa.

Answer 6

I'm not going to give you a crock of canned stuff.
You're brave to ask and if you have read the Bible that's good.
I suggest you dig deeper, you don't have to be a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing. Sorry (lol)
Find books which describe the context of the writting of the Bible and the process of translation.

I have a problem in man as a sentient being, believing that we have the right to assume responsibility for our definition.
It's chauvinistic. Bottom line is that as a scientist, I see random molecular changes (mutations) as not being able to define our species. I don't accept the creationists time frames. Bs - man trying to nail God on the definition of time.
God is alive and all around us. Don't get caught up in people trying to exorcise their life styles, by denying God.
So I guess faith is important.
The fact that you can ask this, besides being healthy, is a sign of God's gift of choice to us. More bs right. LOL
Truth is there is only one answer, it's yours. Good luck.
There's nothing anyone else can say.

Answer 7

Every Atheist I meet compares God to Santa, but what stories are you talking about? Heaven/hell and all that? Christianity makes people question God, but alot of people confuse the two and think they're inseparable. There are many different religions who believe in one form of a higher power, I wouldn't reject God because of some old, flawed book belonging to one organized religion. It was written by men who wanted to explain things they didn't understand and to feel secure, just like you said. The concept of there being one God is older than that.

Answer 8

1) Santa Clause actually came about as a figure in the yuletide celebrations. Santa's persona was engrafted into earlier Catholic/early protestant circles. As to why, no one really knows. Perhaps as yuletide traditions were kept during the creation of Christmas.

2) and honestly, why must you call God a myth (which you are misappropriating anyways)? So, just because something is beyond your understanding (you can't conceive outside of the natural) it is automatically ridiculous?

Answer 9

Any resemblance is somewhat (but not entirely) beside the point. We all know that Santa Claus is a pleasant fiction; too few people are aware that god is also a fiction -- and not always so pleasant. Kung [reference] showed that god could neither be affirmed or denied on the basis of logic or evidence, and it follows from that that any theory of god is necessarily useless: it can predict nothing.

Answer 10

It is important to know that there are many different interpretations of The Bible, and it's equivalents. Many groups believe that The Bible is a story, but that it's stories are warnings. Others believe in The Bible literally. It is OK to be unsure because there is no way to be absolutely sure about anything. Trust your own judgment, and you should find your own path to God.