Jesus Christ

To elaborate on BAWB2’s point. The version of belief that we (in the Christian world) have accepted are just the versions that the Church chose to adopt out of them all.

The First Council of Nicea met in 325 because the (still unbaptised Roman Emperor Constantine) wanted one version of the various faiths and cults that had spread in the Empire (and beyond) around Jesus. They decided then on ‘our’ version which has Jesus as the son of god etc, and promptly went about persecuting all those who refused to follow this.

What we call Christianity* was a state sponsored religion, agreed upon 300 years after the events that it claimed happened, and was used to bring order to an empire. It was very successful in wiping out the other versions including their public memory (but were still referenced in documents).

* some of the memory of the other cults/religions are retained by Islam. Muslims believe that Jesus was a very good man but not a deity. They use the same formula as they do with Mohammed when mentioning his name.
Mohammed PBUH
Jesus, PBUH. i.e. Peace Be Upon Him

Doesn’t mean he existed though because Islam came 600 years AD.

Quoted from ginnywings

Or go back further and ask where did God come from?

Religion is complete and utter bunkum and it staggers me that so many people believe. Never has something caused so many wars, deaths and subjugation of people in the entire history of mankind.

I'm with Penn Jillette in saying that I'm not even an atheist, as that suggests there is something to be opposed to and there isn't. He says:-

"Religion cannot and should not be replaced by atheism. Religion needs to go away and not be replaced by anything. Atheism is not a religion. It's the absence of religion, and that is a wonderful thing."

Atheism doesn’t replace anything it’s just a rejection of so called Gods. It’s only fair to criticise religion as it’s responsible for so much evil in the world past present and no doubt future.

There are times I wonder just maybe that there is something out there that will reveal and explain all when we die. So I live a win win life by rejecting all religious nonsense no praying or wasting time in church, then if I happen to be wrong then it’s a welcome bonus.

If you believe in the Nicene Creed, you basically believe in something that became dominant because of the equivalent of the Stalinist purges which ‘removed’ all the other versions of socialism in that empire.

Believe what you believe. But don’t claim historical evidence for it as there is none.

Quoted from LH

Why would any god create the earth and all it’s living things and then send deadly viral illnesses, famines and natural disasters while allowing wars, genocides, sexual violence/crimes etc to happen?

I believe that many of the things you mention are man made mainly by tyrants/dictators call them what you like wanting power/money and a selfish obsession. You also have to factor in the greed of people who create problems like climate change, know what the problem is and continue to ignore it for their own selfish greed ( destruction of Amazon rain forests etc.)The realignment of tectonic plates are a natural disaster for the people who suffer from their actions, but it could be argued that this is evolution or realignment of creation.

As I said  before it's all a matter of our own personal choices what we believe.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

The First Council of Nicea met in 325 because the (still unbaptised Roman Emperor Constantine) wanted one version of the various faiths and cults that had spread in the Empire (and beyond) around Jesus. They decided then on ‘our’ version which has Jesus as the son of god etc, and promptly went about persecuting all those who refused to follow this.

What we call Christianity* was a state sponsored religion, agreed upon 300 years after the events that it claimed happened, and was used to bring order to an empire. It was very successful in wiping out the other versions including their public memory (but were still referenced in documents).
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I think it goes deeper than that Kingston. The essence of the Catholic church is they tried to preserve the pureness of Jesus's message as it was being watered down and argued upon like you have loosely pointed out above in the years after his death . Its why you get different strands now of Christianity eg Mormonism, protestants etc . Its a sort of deviation from Jesus's message. Its why vicars in the church of England can get married and have children where the Catholic clergy cant. You get other seriously devout members of the Catholic church as well who follow Jesus and the deeper message of trying to follow the divine. Think of  Cistercian monks . Their day starts with getting up at 3.15 am to pray and at various points throughout the day alongside work which maintains their abbey.

Quoted from ginnywings

Or go back further and ask where did God come from?

Religion is complete and utter bunkum and it staggers me that so many people believe. Never has something caused so many wars, deaths and subjugation of people in the entire history of mankind.

I'm with Penn Jillette in saying that I'm not even an atheist, as that suggests there is something to be opposed to and there isn't. He says:-

"Religion cannot and should not be replaced by atheism. Religion needs to go away and not be replaced by anything. Atheism is not a religion. It's the absence of religion, and that is a wonderful thing."

I absolutely agree with you. That is why I said I am a Christian and NOT a member of any religious group. Over the centuries various groups have hijacked Christianity for their own evil ends making out that whatever they do is in the name of God.

For example the C of E whinge about the poor whilst being one of the richest organisations in the country. Why don't Catholic priests from the Pope down marry? The first Pope, St Peter, had a wife. It is recorded in the book of Mark that Jesus healed Peter's mother in law.

I could go on and I am sure you also could quote many reasons about religion being bad. To me believing in the ways of Jesus Christ is totally different to bring religious.

I cannot answer where did God come from nor can you answer which came first the chicken or the egg. Unfortunately none of us know the answer to some questions so we just have leave them their.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

DB don’t confuse the scientific term ‘theory’ (ie a hypothesis with lots of evidence to support it as a good working explanation for the way things are or the way things work, but leaving just enough room for a better explanation that is supported by better evidence) with an opinion or a belief that has no proof. There is no equivalence between the theory of evolution and creationism. The latter is just a story. A myth if you like, that might hold a hidden meaning, but for which there is no proof.

The Big Bang theory isn’t about two worlds colliding either. It’s about all matter, space and time starting very very rapidly  from a singularity (at which point I get lost). If you’re going to dismiss a theory, understand what it is first. The Big Bang Theory does, as I understand it, allow for a ‘god’ to have started it off. Although some cosmologists think that our Big Bang might not have been the first.

If they assume God started if off, how can Dawkins &co. say their is no God? If you go back to time immemorial some thing had to be created. Matter, atoms, gases call it what you like had to be created from something are by someone.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

To elaborate on BAWB2’s point. The version of belief that we (in the Christian world) have accepted are just the versions that the Church chose to adopt out of them all.

The First Council of Nicea met in 325 because the (still unbaptised Roman Emperor Constantine) wanted one version of the various faiths and cults that had spread in the Empire (and beyond) around Jesus. They decided then on ‘our’ version which has Jesus as the son of god etc, and promptly went about persecuting all those who refused to follow this.

What we call Christianity* was a state sponsored religion, agreed upon 300 years after the events that it claimed happened, and was used to bring order to an empire. It was very successful in wiping out the other versions including their public memory (but were still referenced in documents).

* some of the memory of the other cults/religions are retained by Islam. Muslims believe that Jesus was a very good man but not a deity. They use the same formula as they do with Mohammed when mentioning his name.
Mohammed PBUH
Jesus, PBUH. i.e. Peace Be Upon Him

Doesn’t mean he existed though because Islam came 600 years AD.

You are correct about the First Council of Nicea. It is at that point that religion also began misusing Christianity as it message.

Quoted from ginnywings

Or go back further and ask where did God come from?

God has always been there

Quoted from ginnywings

Religion is complete and utter bunkum and it staggers me that so many people believe. Never has something caused so many wars, deaths and subjugation of people in the entire history of mankind.
"

Saddened you think like that Ginny. Perhaps when your on your death bed and contemplating the great unknown you may change your tune.

Religion has done more good than bad though. Gives people a focus /community/role models/hope in a often evil word.

From a scientific  view the closest thing to religion in my view is energy. Love. good, kindness etc etc. Its all examples of how humans if they choose can become more like that and make the world a better place.

Everyone has a choice but if we choose to try to live a good life we are becoming in tune more with that divine energy source which started it off and create a better society for all. Jesus, Guru Nanak  and other religious leaders eg Abraham the patriarch of the three Abrahamic faiths loosely embodied this view as well .

Quoted from KingstonMariner

If you believe in the Nicene Creed, you basically believe in something that became dominant because of the equivalent of the Stalinist purges which ‘removed’ all the other versions of socialism in that empire.

Believe what you believe. But don’t claim historical evidence for it as there is none.

I think this is a bit extreme comparing Jesus Christ to Stalin. There is evidence from an historian (off hand I cannot remember his name but I will let you know when I do) at the time of Jesus who confirmed the miracles of Jesus.