Religious beliefs

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caseydog

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[Mod.Edit: This and the following few posts moved from another thread as they form a new topic]

epicuric said:
I've never understood where this anti-alcohol position came from. I very much doubt that it doesn't originate in the Bible though. I believe the official biblical position is that alcohol is good when it promotes happiness and well being, but not when it results in drunkenness. Seems reasonable to me. Wine is even served as part of Communion - "blood of Christ" and all that. I think your bible thumpers need to start reading the bible, instead of thumping it. Also the bit about camels and the eye of a needle.
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Believe it or not, I used to be an Elder in the Lutheran Church. :eek: I'm the worst kind of atheist -- one who's read the Bible, cover-to-cover.:D

Wine was important in biblical times, because it preserved the juice of grapes. But, it was also an important part of celebrations. Drunkeness was certainly frowned upon, but wine was an important part of life before refrigeration.

Communion practices vary by church/denomination. Christians don't even concur on what actually happens during the sacrament of communion. Does the bread and wine "represent" the body and blood of Christ? Does it "become" the body and blood when you eat and drink it. Is it this mystical "it is both real bread and wine, and the real body and blood of Christ."

CD
 
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caseydog said:
Believe it or not, I used to be an Elder in the Lutheran Church. :eek: I'm the worst kind of atheist -- one who's read the Bible, cover-to-cover.:D

Wine was important in biblical times, because it preserved the juice of grapes. But, it was also an important part of celebrations. Drunkeness was certainly frowned upon, but wine was an important part of life before refrigeration.

Communion practices vary by church/denomination. Christians don't even concur on what actually happens during the sacrament of communion. Does the bread and wine "represent" the body and blood of Christ? Does it "become" the body and blood when you eat and drink it. Is it this mystical "it is both real bread and wine, and the real body and blood of Christ."

CD
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I had that crap shoved down my throat until I was 12, then I started to think for myself. Ask someone who is a "Thumper" to let their children get to an age where they can think for themselves, before exposing them to their beliefs and you will get the "no way"!
 
caseydog said:
Believe it or not, I used to be an Elder in the Lutheran Church. :eek: I'm the worst kind of atheist -- one who's read the Bible, cover-to-cover.:D

Wine was important in biblical times, because it preserved the juice of grapes. But, it was also an important part of celebrations. Drunkeness was certainly frowned upon, but wine was an important part of life before refrigeration.

Communion practices vary by church/denomination. Christians don't even concur on what actually happens during the sacrament of communion. Does the bread and wine "represent" the body and blood of Christ? Does it "become" the body and blood when you eat and drink it. Is it this mystical "it is both real bread and wine, and the real body and blood of Christ."

CD
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CD, you are a man of many layers :)
 
caseydog said:
Believe it or not, I used to be an Elder in the Lutheran Church. :eek: I'm the worst kind of atheist -- one who's read the Bible, cover-to-cover.:D

Wine was important in biblical times, because it preserved the juice of grapes. But, it was also an important part of celebrations. Drunkeness was certainly frowned upon, but wine was an important part of life before refrigeration.

Communion practices vary by church/denomination. Christians don't even concur on what actually happens during the sacrament of communion. Does the bread and wine "represent" the body and blood of Christ? Does it "become" the body and blood when you eat and drink it. Is it this mystical "it is both real bread and wine, and the real body and blood of Christ."

CD
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Amen.
 
As to religion...I was raised in an evangelical home. It's only recently, as in the last 10 years, that I've seen cracks in my own father's otherwise concrete belief system.

I also worked it out at a fairly young age that, at least from my perspective, religion (meaning more than just Christianity) sure seemed to bear a whole lot of resemblance in form to myths, legends, and fairy tales we learned about in literature and world cultures classes at school. No one could ever explain to my satisfaction why Zeus tossing lightening bolts was just a funny story, but God knocking down some walls was utter fact.

That said, I continued to pay lip service to church probably until I was about 25, going off and on. We moved to Texas when I was 24, and we did the "normal" thing - looked for a church to attend sporadically, but after about five churches and feeling more and more disconnected, we finally asked each other, "What are we doing this for?" - and that was that.

At that point, I fully acknowledged what I think I knew since I was a kid, that I was agnostic at best, and a full-blown heathen atheist at worst. I respect the way people choose to define and label themselves, but for my own purposes, I don't even bother with differentiating between the two labels. I simply don't believe in a "higher power," and I see no compelling evidence that there is one.

MrsTasty, though, is definitely a believer, but more in a spiritual "all roads lead to God" sort of way - no judgment, no dip in the Lake Of Fire, just do your best, but know you're flawed, and it'll all work out. :)
 
TastyReuben said:
No one could ever explain to my satisfaction why Zeus tossing lightening bolts was just a funny story, but God knocking down some walls was utter fact.
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I concur mate.In the UK Religious Education classes are mandatory in all Government funded schools. You have exactly the same form of examination as with the other subjects at the end of your secondary schooling. I could not understand why a Science,Math etc teacher could rely proven fact and yet our RI teacher when cornered could only advise us to have faith. The quality of children's education is paramount, the principle of respectful questions of an authority figure is fundamental to broadening the pupil horizons. Hence Religious Education is thankfully educating religion out of young minds.
In the UK, the percentage of the population which describes itself as belonging to no religion has risen from 31.4% to 50.6% between 1983 and 2013 according to the British Social Attitudes Survey’s 31st report issued in 2014. Among people aged between 18 and 24, the incidence of religious affiliation is only 30.7%.
To put a culinary twist on it, I would like Jesus's method of feeding the 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fishes.
 
Burt Blank said:
This type of treatment by adults in my book is child abuse. My parents were both Atheists. Neither would discuss religion with me. My Dad told me to be open minded and observe. I am an Atheist by conclusion.
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Similar here. Rather unusually for someone born in the UK in the 1950's, I wasn't christened. My parents were both somewhere between atheist and agnostic and brought me up to ask questions about everything. I'm grateful to this day.
 
Religion aside, I absolutely love the architecture of English churches, and the sense of peace and calm to be found wondering around them. Cathedrals less so, because they are usually full of tourists. Give me the crenellated pinnacles or the reticulated tracery of a quiet English country church and I am a happy man.
 
Paganism was "killed" out of people. Christianity chose pagan holidays/celebrations to impose their religious holidays/celebrations. There is absolutely no proof that Christ was born on 12-25 or 25-12 for those that write dates this way. That date is very close to the pagan winter solstice.
:scratchhead:
 
CraigC said:
That date is very close to the pagan winter solstice.
:scratchhead:
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Just in case I forget mate. An early Solstice card for you
44969
 
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