A few dozen quotes of religious conspiracy! “If it weren’t for you, Jesus, I’d be an atheist

Originally posted by chapter29

I don't know if God exists, but it would be better for His reputation if He didn't.

Jules Renard (1864 - 1910)

Have you ever thought something...?....than lived a few more years...and wondered why/how you could have thought/believed that?


Doesn't life and experience help us grow? See things more clearly?

OT

To complete my post which didn't seem to want to edit properly....

I can only answer why I no longer believe.

I was a christian for most of my life, which is well more than half over. I believed, was baptized twice but never felt comfortable with the trappings of religion and people at church...especially public prayer which seemed more like an oratory presented for peoples praise.

I started looking at alternative literature and it was a "feel good" trip, however it caused me to think more for myself and interpret scripture differently. The more I read the more I questioned. I gave up the love and light crowd as I delved deeper into well researched books looking for answers. After some time I realized it just was not true, at least the Old Testament. Much could be found in mythology, the Sumarian tablets and other scholars to show how the original had been changed and some things simply made up. Looking at how christianity was started by Constantine with his agenda, all the inconsistencies... too many things to mention.

I will say Jesus was the last remnant of my former faith to go. I will also say this is a lonely path I take and once I even wished I could go back and believe. I can't. I know too much now. There is no turning back once you learn. I never try to get anyone to move from whatever faith they have because I believe we are where we are for a reason.

Personally, in my search, I have found more that is not true than what is true. The bible is one of those things

reply to post by liveandlearn



Glad the post worked this time....

Appreciate your thoughts....

OT

reply to post by OldThinker

My idol, killed in the holocaust, Dietrich Bonheoffer said...

This guy....?

Excuuuuuse Me!

Deadly Dietrich Bonhoeffer
It’s not nice to kill the Furor.
Perhaps, a greater good than evil,
that is, if you’re one of Satan’s people.
Ohhhhhh, Pleeeease! Give me a break!
I don’t need to be raked over the coals
by all you Dietrich Bombhoeffer disciples.
Go argue it out with your Bibles!
Where will it all end?
Who decides what to defend?
Will you kill all Ku Klux Klansmen?
Will you pick up a rifle to kill Vietnamese?
Will you assassinate a President who disagrees
with one of your political ideologies?
Will you burn witches at the stake?
What if you crucify good people by mistake?
Who decides who is bad?
I’d sure hate to make you mad!

Yeah.... I heard of him.

1) What quotes do you agree with? And why?
2) What quotes do you disagree with? And why?
3) What is it that got you to the current level of faith or lack there of?

Great post. I am a Quote buff! I think bringing a great humans thoughts into a small sentence shows amazing complexity. Its like an entire novel or a book of poems or a whole music album all condensed into a sentence powerful enough to throw you back in your seat. Nitrous for the the human brain.

1) “oh dad, please no more of that conspiracy website stuff,” . LOL! I am not married and have no kids but I am very in tune with people of all ages and I think its funny! Exactly what I would have said to my father 15 years ago.

“I do not feel obliged to believe that same God who endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect had intended for us to forgo their use. We can deal intellectually…" AWESOME quote from an amazing human being. Using our senses to unravel the clues.

"If there is no God, then all abstractions are chemical epiphenomena, like swamp gas over fetid water. This means that we have no reason for assigning truth and falsity to the chemical fizz we call reasoning or right and wrong to the irrational reaction we call morality. If no God, mankind is a set of bi-pedal carbon units of mostly water. And nothing else. “ I think this is a powerful statement. Like that country song where the singer lets go of the wheel and prays for God to help her I think it involves letting go and realizing that something so small as the tiny lever of evolution ticking away and leveraging away for BILLIONS of years is something AWE inspiring and should be carefully studied and see where it leads.

It is true, though, that…”Nobody talks so constantly about God as those who insist that there is no God.” - Heywood Broun. This is very true. but I think people should not give up the search for God. But saying I CURRENTLY do not believe that god exists does not mean I will stop LOOKING for God. Some would say it is like looking for a pink unicorn flying around the sun but what the hell. We have to at least LOOK for the old guy I know it sounds dumb to look for something I do not believe is there.

I am not going to say I disagree with ANY of the quotes because I think they are all powerful statements.

I am currently an Atheist searching for something more. I got there since about a day ago. I got out of the Air Force last May and I have a bunch of money saved up and have been living the good life doing absolutely nothing but research for the past year. And it seriously took me that long to come to my conclusion.

I want to leave you with one of my favorite quotes.

"If the only we reason we are good is because we fear punishment or seek reward, then we are truly a sorry lot". -Albert Einstein

Originally posted by KOGDOG
reply to post by OldThinker

 

My idol, killed in the holocaust, Dietrich Bonheoffer said...

This guy....?

Excuuuuuse Me!

Deadly Dietrich Bonhoeffer
It’s not nice to kill the Furor.
Perhaps, a greater good than evil,
that is, if you’re one of Satan’s people.
Ohhhhhh, Pleeeease! Give me a break!
I don’t need to be raked over the coals
by all you Dietrich Bombhoeffer disciples.
Go argue it out with your Bibles!
Where will it all end?
Who decides what to defend?
Will you kill all Ku Klux Klansmen?
Will you pick up a rifle to kill Vietnamese?
Will you assassinate a President who disagrees
with one of your political ideologies?
Will you burn witches at the stake?
What if you crucify good people by mistake?
Who decides who is bad?
I’d sure hate to make you mad!

Yeah.... I heard of him.

ooookkkkk!!!

one more time there.....



OT

Originally posted by TurkeyBurgers
......I am currently an Atheist searching for something more. I got there since about a day ago. I got out of the Air Force last May and I have a bunch of money saved up and have been living the good life doing absolutely nothing but research for the past year. And it seriously took me that long to come to my conclusion.

I want to leave you with one of my favorite quotes.

"If the only we reason we are good is because we fear punishment or seek reward, then we are truly a sorry lot". -Albert Einstein

Good post....


Balanced....


Glad your enjoyed the posts/quotes....


Regarding your appiphany (sp?)....ok....have you researched Dr. Lawrence Kolberg?

OT

Originally posted by TurkeyBurgers
.......I got out of the Air Force last May......

whoa!


thank you for your service there sir/maam!!!!!!


OT honored and appreciate your protection!

reply to post by OldThinker


Thank you kind sir! Thanks for contributing to my salary through taxes to allow me to save up money and go on my spiritual journey

Originally posted by TurkeyBurgers
reply to post by OldThinker

 

Thank you kind sir! Thanks for contributing to my salary through taxes to allow me to save up money and go on my spiritual journey

very good....

if you only knew....


I'm a LEAN SIX SIGMA....DON....Master Black Belt....

OT

You are to be TAKEN ARE OF...from now on...because of your service....JC is looking out for you!!!! And OT is praying for you...


Hey, there are greater forces at work here...that we know not of...be patient here ok?

OT
Phil 1:3

PSS: Please learn all you can from ATS...it's the modern day search for truth...the CHURCH...and don't even know it...yet

Originally posted by Tyler 720
reply to post by OldThinker

 

Bravo! I am ever in search of people who can put into words the things I can barely percieve but know to be true.
I have found such a person today.

OK T....


what brought you to ATS>>>?

OT

Originally posted by bilmerys
I LOVE JESUS TOO, IM A BELIEVER AND I THINK THAT NATURE ITSELF BEARS WITNESS TO GOD AS A CREATOR.......

Nature, huh?

Right...scriptue itself backs that up, tooo...have you seen the Apostle Paul, where he said to the folks in Rome...."

Romans 1:20 (New International Version) For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

source: Bible, NT

OT

reply to post by OldThinker


Look, I like reading your posts because they are generally reasonably well written and thought out and even include a bit of eccentricism.

I don't agree with you, however and think that is is very easy to cherry pick quotes and place them out of context to mean something different or to push a view that the original author didn't intend.

Having said that, I appreciate the chance to reconsider my position and thank you for making my personal beliefs even stronger.

Originally posted by aorAki
reply to post by OldThinker

 

Look, I like reading your posts because they are generally reasonably well written and thought out and even include a bit of eccentricism.

I don't agree with you, however and think that is is very easy to cherry pick quotes and place them out of context to mean something different or to push a view that the original author didn't intend.

Having said that, I appreciate the chance to reconsider my position and thank you for making my personal beliefs even stronger.

aorAki,

hey...

where have you been lately? busy...?


yes, I agree....these quotes were placed (where-ever) in time , context, place, etc...

OT simply grabbed them and made a thread...good point....but can you discount my thesis?

Any thoughts/post on my questions...

OT

reply to post by OldThinker


I'm realy new to computers and ATS. I've got some spare time and a girlfriend with a computer. I put these together with a curiosity about Bible codes,(a=6,b=12,c=18..... specificaly) and ended up here.

I can't seem to nail down anybody as interested in the specific codes I am so I just read and try to keep up.

Originally posted by Tyler 720
reply to post by OldThinker

 

I'm realy new to computers and ATS. I've got some spare time and a girlfriend with a computer. I put these together with a curiosity about Bible codes,(a=6,b=12,c=18..... specificaly) and ended up here.

I can't seem to nail down anybody as interested in the specific codes I am so I just read and try to keep up.

nah, you are doing fine....you have great pts....


the Bible Code...wow...that's a whole 'nuther' thread for sure...here's some perspective... www.letusreason.org...

Originally posted by OldThinker

Originally posted by aorAki
reply to post by OldThinker

 

Look, I like reading your posts because they are generally reasonably well written and thought out and even include a bit of eccentricism.

I don't agree with you, however and think that is is very easy to cherry pick quotes and place them out of context to mean something different or to push a view that the original author didn't intend.

Having said that, I appreciate the chance to reconsider my position and thank you for making my personal beliefs even stronger.

aorAki,

hey...

where have you been lately? busy...?

yes, busy I'm afraid, unfortunately I am one of us who needs to work to pay the bills so that my menagerie can live

Originally posted by OldThinkerthoughts/post on my questions...

OT

yes, eventually, but I have a post to place the the 'Tibet' thread first and that is not easy to compile yet.

Oh, too little time too little time!

Originally posted by aorAki

Originally posted by OldThinker

Originally posted by aorAki
reply to post by OldThinker

 

Look, I like reading your posts because they are generally reasonably well written and thought out and even include a bit of eccentricism.

I don't agree with you, however and think that is is very easy to cherry pick quotes and place them out of context to mean something different or to push a view that the original author didn't intend.

Having said that, I appreciate the chance to reconsider my position and thank you for making my personal beliefs even stronger.

aorAki,

hey...

where have you been lately? busy...?

yes, busy I'm afraid, unfortunately I am one of us who needs to work to pay the bills so that my menagerie can live

Originally posted by OldThinkerthoughts/post on my questions...

OT

yes, eventually, but I have a post to place the the 'Tibet' thread first and that is not easy to compile yet.

Oh, too little time too little time!

bills, huh?

I hate that William dude....for sure....


pls post where you may....I'm just glad you joined me....


pls go do what you have to....and I'll cu when you return/have time...

reply to post by Simplynoone


what Simplynoone said. Perfect. Love you Oldthinker, you eloquently describe and catagorize all the religious thinking I'd ever need to, so i can fill my day with stocks and taxes! (hehe) and my giiirlfriend.

thats why God invented other people

Originally posted by vonholland
reply to post by Simplynoone

 

what Simplynoone said. Perfect. Love you Oldthinker, you eloquently describe and catagorize all the religious thinking I'd ever need to, so i can fill my day with stocks and taxes! (hehe) and my giiirlfriend.

thats why God invented other people

V!

U2!

Glad you enjoyed the OP....


And the quotes....real wisdom there!

Wonder why my critics have been so silent tonight?

OT

Come on guys u out there? or sleeping? it's late...somewhere....


It's getting close to late here....I'm about to retire....too.