Im a christian, and im very proud of that, but i just want to know what yall ((especially atheists)) think about the bible, where it came from, and heaven && hell.
Especially just God in general.
2007-07-24 14:59:42 · 15 answers · asked by kegdy6 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I happen to be an atheist and very proud of it as well.
For the most part, I think that the Bible is really more of a collection of...fables (not to offend anyone). Like "The Tortoise and the Hare." That sort of thing. Meaning the Bible is more of a collection of stories and morals that you, as a good person, should strive to achieve.
As for Heaven and Hell...if you look at other religions other than Christianity you'll see that some of them don't even have a "hell." Personally I think that the idea of hell is just a scare tactic used by the church that strikes fear into the masses, thus, forcing them into church. I honestly don't believe in either heaven or hell. In fact, most Atheists don't believe in an afterlife at all (but I do). I have no idea what comes after death. I suppose it's a wonderful mystery of the universe and will be the greatest adventure of all.
...God...(I assume you're talking about the CHRISTIAN God). I read the Bible through before becoming an Atheist, when I was about 12 and then again when I was 14. I came to the conclusion that there is no "God" nor "heaven" nor "hell."
Religion through out time has always been an explanation of sorts. People are afraid; they fear death; they fear all that they do not understand. Think of it this way. Say you were alive thousands of years ago and had no explanation for any of the wonders around you. The easiest way to explain away these wonders would be to simply create an all-knowing, all-powerful being and BOOM. You're done. You've answered every question. Now if you're good you go to heaven, to paradise and if you're sinful you go to hell. simple as that.
But it seems to me that the God as described in the Bible is the ultimate paradox.
Example: God created light and THEN creates the sun.
However on Earth the sun is the source of light (people back in the days of the old testament were under the impression that the sun and light were separate)
Example two: God is benevolent and all forgiving.
If God were benevolent, why would he seek vengeance on those who did not accept his ways by smiting them? If he were all forgiving why must sinners go to hell?
I hope that clears up your question about atheists, and I hope you don't think I'm a horrible person for what I believe.
I'm so tired of my friends trying to "save my soul" xD
2007-07-24 15:32:37 · answer #1 · answered by peacexfrogs 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't believe in God. I cannot prove that God does not exist any more than you can prove that Santa Claus does not exist. The burden of proof is on the believer.
I have not read the Bible (but I intend to at some stage). As far as I know, the Bible was written as a collection of stories by primitive man, partially based on older religions. There is certainly some Egyptian and Greek influence in some parts of the Bible.
Heaven and hell do not exist (unless you are talking about the town called Hell in Norway). Hell is just a scare tactic used by the priests to maintain their ascendancy over other people.
2007-07-24 15:10:08 · answer #2 · answered by qxzqxzqxz 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm an atheist, and I'm very proud of that too.
I think the bible is a collection of old (some very old) stories, written down by long dead men, claiming that these are god's word. From reading the contents of the bible several times, I have come to the conclusion that it contradicts itself several times, and cannot be the coherent word of any rational creature.
As for heaven or hell, neither have any evidence (objective, validatable, verifiable) to support their existence. Hence, I do not believe in either. Same goes for god, any god.
2007-07-24 15:06:57 · answer #3 · answered by CC 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
COOL, I'm a Wiccan. I have read several versions of the Bible, the Torah, the Koran and several other Sacred Books. I find that the general message in ALL is the same thing. LOVE. That's probably the single most beautigul word in ALL languages. More importantly, it's an emotion and sentiment that should be LIVED by ALL people, ALL the time, Towards everything, not just allother people but towards EVERYTHING.
Specifically, I found a lot that even I, as a witch am able to apply in my daily life, just as I've founjd things in ALLL the other good books as well.
As for God, I worship BOTH Goddess and God. I not only worship them, I treat them as VERY dear friends and companions. I hold conversations with them and share my joys, triumphs, successes, failures, dissapointments, and just about everything in my life with them. Just as we would with any of OUR good friends who are mortal. I let them KNOW how much I appreciate the lessons that they have given me and the blessings that they have bestowed upon me.
Hope that helps you understand a little bit about me and SOME Wiccans.
Brightest Blessings,
Raji the Green Witch
2007-07-24 16:02:40 · answer #4 · answered by Raji the Green Witch 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The bible was a way to scare people into listening to the ruling party. They had to figure out a way to keep people in line for their nations to flourish. God is the personification of multiple gods that the christians came across. Look into Greek myths, some of the stories are similar to the ones in the bible and they are older.
2007-07-24 15:23:28 · answer #5 · answered by Trickster 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
IMO...
Bible - old book, possibly containing historical happenings of people of those times, stories very likely embellished...many cultures have often done that with stories...
Heaven - nice idea
Hell - a way to scare people into following the crowed and being how the 'authority' figures of the community wanted them to be
God - all human society's have had their stories for things they needed answers for, and the gods that were behind it, but are just stories and modern ones are no different...someday it too shall be just myths...
Jesus - maybe he existed, maybe he didn't, have no issue with the thought that he existed, I just don't believe the religious view point at all... to me, just a human being, maybe a 'Mother Theresa' type of his time, but still just human
Anything else?
2007-07-24 15:08:56 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The bible: The work of many men who needed answers to something they didn't have the technology to see themselves.
God: A vital role in the story they made up, to explain how they got there, because they had no way of finding out themselves.
Heaven and Hell: A way to scare people into being mostly good, so they wouldn't sin. There was really no way to stop people from doing bad things, so if you scare someone and tell them they're going to be damned, they'll start doing more good.
2007-07-24 15:05:12 · answer #7 · answered by Alley S. 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Where the bible came from?
It was written by men, like all ancient texts.
2007-07-24 15:05:37 · answer #8 · answered by teamuni 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I admire Christianity. Christians had Viral Marketing down 2000 years before there was even a name for it.
2007-07-24 15:05:12 · answer #9 · answered by jpizzle 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think it's a moral story played out not a literal recording of history.
2007-07-24 15:05:27 · answer #10 · answered by Skeptic123 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋