Dr. Guy, Marcie, Angela and Ziggystyles did well in their responses.

"What an immature, egotistical asshole he must be."Yeah...man...What a stupid God he is if he lets us do what we want. Prick.

I don't mean because he lets us do what we want, I mean because he demands love and worship.

God doesnt want you to love him out of Force

Of course he does! He says love and worship me or you go to hell.

Isn't religion supposed to make us feel warm and fuzzy instead of scaring us?

Of course he does! He says love and worship me or you go to hell. Isn't religion supposed to make us feel warm and fuzzy instead of scaring us?

YOu are confusing the old testament with the new.  One sprang from the other, but the God of the new Testament is one of love, not jealousy and vengence.

Well, I don't have much to add, except to say that the JU Jesus pimpers are in full form.

It seems that you believe in God, you just don't worship him. That's an interesting viewpoint to take (if I'm correct), and I've written quite a bit on the subject.

I love it when people try to witness using personal anecdotes, because you can find an anecdote to fit any viewpoint. Anecdotal proof isn't proof of God.

YOu are confusing the old testament with the new. One sprang from the other, but the God of the new Testament is one of love, not jealousy and vengence.

But in the NT, Jesus talked of hell more than it was ever mentioned in the OT.

It seems that you believe in God, you just don't worship him

You are correct. I believe that there at least used to be some kind of supreme being because the theory of evolution doesn't explain everything.

I love it when people try to witness using personal anecdotes, because you can find an anecdote to fit any viewpoint. Anecdotal proof isn't proof of God.

That gets you an insightful.

There's a type of belief system that I forgot what it's called. I heard about it and thought, "THAT'S ME!" Maybe you know. It's when someone believes that God created the universe, set it in motion, and everything since then has been the result of evolution.

There's a type of belief system that I forgot what it's called

when i used to be a jehovah's agnostic, we'd go knocking on people's doors at 530am on weekends to tell em we'd witnessed something but we werent sure what it was.

when i used to be a jehovah's agnostic, we'd go knocking on people's doors at 530am on weekends to tell em we'd witnessed something but we werent sure what it was

You should have said it was a flying saucer.

It's when someone believes that God created the universe, set it in motion, and everything since then has been the result of evolution.

is that the theory of revolution?

is that the theory of revolution?

Thanks for causing a Beatles song to run through my head.

"Imagine your wife chooses not to love you. so you punish her for making that choice. what kinda love is that?"
I was comparing God to man, not man to man (or a female to male). Your wife wont have eternal life with you. If she chooses that she does not love you, then you shouldnt punish her for making that choice. But you also didnt die for her so that she could live forever. God did. For those that can see what God did, love is a side affect of realizing that he died for all, so that ALL could enter heaven. But only those who see this, and ask for forgiveness of their sins are the ones who will enter.

"Again, the Buddha is not a god. People seem to have Buddhism confused with Hindusim.
We don't worship the Buddha, we respect him because he was enlightened.....just as we show respect to any enlightened being. We don't worship him."

Dharma, you are right....Buddha is not a God, but still some people follow that way of life believing and trying to find enlightenmen. With Buddhism, when you die, you are dead...and possibly you could go into anyone of a number of after life places.

"I don't mean because he lets us do what we want, I mean because he demands love and worship."
What kind of parent would yo be if you didnt want your kids to love you? If your kids didnt love you and follow you, then they arent making the right choice. God created you, he wants you to follow him. He does love you, more than you can imagine. He wants to you love him and worship him so that you can connect with him and be closer to him. Cant be close to someone if you dont love them. Also, worship is a form of communication. Prayer is one way...you pray to God. That works....but worship is when you really sit down and spend time with him, listening to what he has to say, praying and recieving.

"Of course he does! He says love and worship me or you go to hell."
Really? Where? Would you let a stranger into your house? No....seriously. Would you let a stranger into your house, you never saw them, never heard from them...and one day they just show up demanding entry because you have a house and you should let them in. I dont think you would. Why should God let someone into heaven, if that person never took time to get to know Him, lived their life their way...the way they wanted, denied God for their entire life and never trusted Him? The only way to get to know God is to love him (which is natural when you realize that he died for you so that you could have eternal life after death....instead of just death) and worship with him so you can strengthen your relationship with him.

"Isn't religion supposed to make us feel warm and fuzzy instead of scaring us?"
No. If it offends you, makes you realize you are wrong, at fault and need to change, and that you can't do it on your own...then you know it is doing what it is supposed to do.

Myrr...dont know who you are talking about...so I wont reply to your comment...or a couple fo them. Of all the Joe users out there...about 5% seem to actually profess a believe in Christ...and of those...only a few actually talk about their beliefs. Outside of those people...the rest of JU are people who blame everything on Democrats; and people who have an issue with, and slam Christianity.

"Imagine your wife chooses not to love you. so you punish her for making that choice. what kinda love is that?"I was comparing God to man, not man to man

I think kingbee was using a metaphor.

"Isn't religion supposed to make us feel warm and fuzzy instead of scaring us?"No. If it offends you, makes you realize you are wrong, at fault and need to change, and that you can't do it on your own...then you know it is doing what it is supposed to do.

Religion is supposed to comfort people.

Ziggy, I find you even stupider and more annoying than your sexless girlfriend. And that's saying a lot.

Buy a fucking clue, will ya?

Iconoclast, was Deism the belief you were looking for?

de·ism(dzm, d-)
n.
The belief, based solely on reason, in a God who created the universe and then abandoned it, assuming no control over life, exerting no influence on natural phenomena, and giving no supernatural revelation.

-dictionary.com

It might be, Axis. Thanks. My dictionary defines it as "a movement or system of thought advocating natural religion based on human reason rather than revelation, emphasizing morality, and in the 18th century denying the interference of the Creator with the laws of the universe."

Myrr,
stupider? Id like to know where you are coming from...didnt think I was posting anything directly against what you were saying...sure as heck didnt mean to pinch a nerve in your ass. Sorry there buddy....have a cup of hot chocolate...with marshmallows!

Iconoclast,
Kingbee was, I think, trying to compare people who dont love God, to wives who dont love their husbands. Thats how I interpreted it.
Religion isnt supposed to comfort people. Lots of people say Christianity is a crutch because it is for weak minded people who are strangling for answers and some proof there is a God. Since I opened my eyes and turned my life around, I have a new peace and feel stronger in many different aspects of my life. People cant understand and then jump on the bandwagon saying that 'its doing its job...its a comfort to those people' Well...in a sense...I find comfort...but thats not because I am a Christian...its because I follow Christ. People also cant understand that and yep...they will flame me because of that. But I dont care...I know what I have in my heart and what I follow is true. Those who constantly try to prove God doesnt exist are the ones strangling for answers.