Why do you reject Religion?

[darin]

Without trying to stump for my particular faith, I'm curious why those of you who don't have a particular belief tend to reject religion? I've heard it from friends a lot: "...because look at all those hypocrites!"

I try to explain the fact that somebody is a hypocrite does not mean what they are saying is wrong.

Look at me - Some of you would call me a fornicator, a liar, a thief, and more - yet I claim Christ and Christianity. Those things about me 'were' true of me. Indeed. Yet my past does not mean what I'm saying now is invalid, ya know?

I'm curious if we can see replies from people who state their reasons without simply insulting the faithful or the religious. I know there are VERY smart folk who'd be able to state their reasons without ad hominem, etc.

So - anybody care to discuss? I won't preach to you or try to get you to convert, and hope OTHERS do the same. I'm genuinely interested in your reasons, though.

[Missileman]

Without trying to stump for my particular faith, I'm curious why those of you who don't have a particular belief tend to reject religion? I've heard it from friends a lot: "...because look at all those hypocrites!"

I try to explain the fact that somebody is a hypocrite does not mean what they are saying is wrong.

Look at me - Some of you would call me a fornicator, a liar, a thief, and more - yet I claim Christ and Christianity. Those things about me 'were' true of me. Indeed. Yet my past does not mean what I'm saying now is invalid, ya know?

I'm curious if we can see replies from people who state their reasons without simply insulting the faithful or the religious. I know there are VERY smart folk who'd be able to state their reasons without ad hominem, etc.

So - anybody care to discuss? I won't preach to you or try to get you to convert, and hope OTHERS do the same. I'm genuinely interested in your reasons, though.

Religion is dismissable for a myriad of better reasons than the existence of hypocrites. However, that there are "believers" who routinely place their standing with their deity at risk tells me that there are a lot of people who are either really stupid or they don't REALLY believe in their religion. Either way, hypocrites have no credibility.

[diuretic]

I dno't make value judgements about people who profess religion and act outside the tenets of their religion, that's between them and their conscience. I'm not religious because I don't believe in a deity, simple as that.

[Guernicaa]

It's hard for me to answer this question.

I don't "reject" all parts of religion.

There are parts of religion that I reject:
-Christianitys story of creationism.
-The bible contradicts itself WAY too many times, which suggests that they are merely stories, and not the true word of god:


Christians need to think:
In one area of the bible, it says no homosexuals, but do you know what else it says no too? Eating shelfish.
Does that stop Christians from eating shelfish?

[darin]

It's hard for me to answer this question.

I don't "reject" all parts of religion.

There are parts of religion that I reject:
-Christianitys story of creationism.
-The bible contradicts itself WAY too many times, which suggests that they are merely stories, and not the true word of god:


Christians need to think:
In one area of the bible, it says no homosexuals, but do you know what else it says no too? Eating shelfish.
Does that stop Christians from eating shelfish?

I deleted a LOT of what you posted because you didn't cite a course. And let me help you keep this thread about religion and NOT a thread so you can attempt to prove one particular belief to be false.

[PostmodernProphet]

The bible contradicts itself WAY too many times

that's some pretty sad shit you quoted, there Obama....I suspect I know where you got it and I am surprised you thought you could get away with it.....

not going to waste a whole lot of time with it, but for example....

"In that count how many fighting men were found in Israel?
(a) Eight hundred thousand (2 Samuel 24:9)
(b) One million, one hundred thousand (IChronicles 21:5)"

2 Samuel 24
9 Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand.

that makes a total of 1.3 million

1 Chronicles 21
5In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah.

ah you say, but that still leaves us 200,000 short....true, but in verse 6 it states that number did not include the men in the tribes of Levi and Benjamin


all the rest of the comparisons in the list can be handled similarly, but I refuse to take the time to do it again.....

[PostmodernProphet]

except this one, this one is one of my favorites....

How many stalls for horses did Solomon have?
(a) Forty thousand (I Kings 4:26)
(b) Four thousand (2 chronicles 9:25)

1 Kings 4
26 Solomon had four thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand horses.

1 Chronicles 9
25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horses

check it out if you don't believe me
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/...9;&version=31;

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/...4;&version=31;

gotta love it.....

[diuretic]

It's hard for me to answer this question.

I don't "reject" all parts of religion.

There are parts of religion that I reject:
-Christianitys story of creationism.
-The bible contradicts itself WAY too many times, which suggests that they are merely stories, and not the true word of god:


Christians need to think:
In one area of the bible, it says no homosexuals, but do you know what else it says no too? Eating shelfish.
Does that stop Christians from eating shelfish?

From memory the shellfish prohibition is in Deuteronomy. Actually it's highly practical. You know how dodgy shellfish can be even in a stable society with modern food hygiene practices it's always possible to get a bad prawn. So for a nomadic, desert-dwelling group, it would be wise to avoid food that is likely to make its members sick. Pretty horrible trailing around the desert with a severe case of food poisoning. In other words, you have to look at context and not fall for the fundie fallacy.

[avatar4321]

people reject religion because they lack personal experience with God. They dont do what it takes to get to know Him. So they dont.

[diuretic]

people reject religion because they lack personal experience with God. They dont do what it takes to get to know Him. So they dont.

Since you apparenty haven't rejected religion why do you feel it's necessary to chip in and make judgement on those who have been invited to explain some important personal views?

[avatar4321]

Since you apparenty haven't rejected religion why do you feel it's necessary to chip in and make judgement on those who have been invited to explain some important personal views?

because the truth is the truth no matter the source.

[manu1959]

people reject religion because they lack personal experience with God. They dont do what it takes to get to know Him. So they dont.

i belived in god for about 15 / 20 years....then too many bad things happend in my life that were explained as god's plan and god's will.....god seemed very mean and vindictive and everything was some sort of test to prove you were worthy.....

religion still interests me ..... but i am reluctant to enter into a realtionship agian.....

time will tell...

[diuretic]

because the truth is the truth no matter the source.

That's not a defensible statement, that's a meaningless cliche.

[diuretic]

i belived in god for about 15 / 20 years....then too many bad things happend in my life that were explained as god's plan and god's will.....god seemed very mean and vindictive and everything was some sort of test to prove you were worthy.....

religion still interests me ..... but i am reluctant to enter into a realtionship agian.....

time will tell...

Is it that your faith was tested? That's interesting. I didn't go through the same experience. I remember the day that I sat and thought about it and it just seemed to me to be irrational to believe in a deity. Nothing more than that.

[manu1959]

Is it that your faith was tested? That's interesting. I didn't go through the same experience. I remember the day that I sat and thought about it and it just seemed to me to be irrational to believe in a deity. Nothing more than that.

i was young....my family believed....when a half a dozen family members around me all died ..... all the nice kind ones......dad, grandpa, uncle, young cousin, aunt, grandma's.....

i was told it was god's will / plan ....

in my opinion god took all the good ones and left all the assholes ....

didn't seem like a very nice god ..... i moved on ....