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Which apparently has already occurred...

First off most of these 2000+ deities could just be seen as the "same" God. For example the Jewish God is the Christian God is the Muslim God... etc. They just have disagreements as to which text is the real "God's book", because obviously they can't co-exist. This is called "faith", and no, to believe one religion is not logically to believe all religions as you somehow seem to think it is. For example I will never believe the Hindu religion because Hindus believe that water rests upon and is filtered through a goddess's hair before it reaches the Ganje river, as one example. Pretty obvious that doesn't happen considering water vapour simply rests in clouds, gathers, and then falls back down to Earth without being "filtered" at all. It's like the Egyptian religion, it's like the ancient Greek religion, it's like the Norse religion -- it focuses on physical Earthly things and tries to explain how they happen, while Christianity instead focuses purely on God and the ethereal, and His interaction with man His greatest invention.

And then there's the concept that, through Christianity, it becomes obvious what other religions are. For example the ways of Satan described in the Christian Bible are basically a summarization of Islam, so it seems obvious to me what that religion is from a Christian perspective (and please, before someone says "teh writers of teh bibble wer just trynig 2 bash musloms", it was written thousands of years before Muhammad woke up on a rock drunk and told people that God showed him heaven and it became a religion).

Make life and death easier for people!? How the hell do you gather that?

By following a religion you must agree to follow an entire set of laws that go with it -- hardly making life or death easier. Especially the knowledge that dying without living in a way that God meant for you to live will result in your eternal damnation... I think it's not a very logical conclusion that religion exists to make death easier to grasp.

Hmm... well if humanity can live morally without religion they're doing a terrible job of proving it. After all I think most of us will agree "satanism" is the opposition of religion; yet the prime component of satanism is "do whatever benefits you, and f*** the rest". Also, who is more likely to steal/rape/murder (take your pick) -- a Christian trying his hardest to live life how his God asks him to; or an atheist who lives by the motto "do what makes you feel good"?

Not to mention I STILL don't see a logical reason one would ever act in the best interest of others, rather than just doing what pleases themself, without religion as a guide, a greater cause. I mean without an ultimate reward, there's no logical reason for a human to help another human. You're still going to die and be forgotten according to your godless philosophy. What difference does it make then how you lived?

As for the comfort of knowing there's an afterlife -- if, as you have expressed, it is relieving to think that our dead have gone on to a better (even perfect) life, considering the Bible states that very few will ever see Heaven shouldn't we feel anxiety that they likely ended up elsewhere? I really don't see how the concept of an afterlife with the common alternative being absolute banishment from existence would be comforting. We are meant to work toward being one of "God's elite", with the knowledge that we will fail if we disregard the right path. Please explain how that is comforting.

crap does this forum need more activity.

Anyway let me start by saying no religion is correct and god probebly just wants you to do the right thing, tell the truth, love your mommy and daddy, and respect and love your fellow man.

However..god has alot of precious babies...babies like you and me..and people from africa and germany...he's watched his little babies grow and evolve for millions of years..they faught they've loved and finally one day the begane to recognise god and he became physical in this world.

God cannot intervine with what his children do, as all his children are beautifull and special and want to do what they want to do. How would you feel if god had sided with the germans during world war 1? And using a series of freak accidents france fell and was conquared by the germans? It wouldn't be very bad, but it just isn't fair.

Thats why god cannot intervine...it wouldn't be fair but more importantly..no one is wrong, but no one is exactly "correct". We are all just trying to do whats best..and in that sense god is very proud of us and trys to do what little he/she can to help us out, but we make it difficult..We're always trying to kill each other...and we're always ruining the enviorment...the land god made for all his/her other precious children to live on together.

God isn't the problem. God is neutral and loves all the beautifull, miracoulas, and even somtimes god like things we do..looking down..with a sense of deep pride and passion and saying "I made them..I made those wonderfull horrible ugly and beautifull creatures."

We are the problem, but we are also the solution...now somebody give me a big ol' hug. 4laugh heart

I believe that there is one religion that is perfectly true; it is up to the one practicing it to make it perfect to a certain extent though. Besides, a Muslim would say the same thing about his/her religion. A Catholic would say the same. Everyone believes that there is one true religion, even 'atheists'. eek Yes, even atheists have a religion.

than what is gods job?
why do people pray to him if its not his job to fix things?
why not just skip the whole earth thing and have a heaven?
id like to know how you can be so sure of something that you cant find out *theoretically* until death.

First let me state that i am a ex catholic raised and schooled
When i attended school i had a big bulling problem, for YEARS i was beat weekly at school and the faculty failed to protect me this has left me bitter about the clergy.
I was almost molested by a priest
god if he exists is at BEST indifferant to human suffering and at his worst is histories greatest mass murderer
If you look carefully at the bible more than 1 million people die
If you take a little time look into astronomy the vastness of the universe is astonishing.
It is mans greatest hubris to think that if there is a god he cares about a slimy coating on a small world orbiting an almost insignificant star.
I do believe that great works have been accomplished in the names of various gods but also the greatest suffering has been inflicted to convert people to other religons.
Look up the spanish inquisitions i think they behaved worse than hitler in the name of god i thought its supposed to be love your nieghbor not pull out fingernails till u confess for sins you might not have commited.
now on a personal level i suffered a burst brain anyuersm in 2007 (think BIG stroke) it was devestating there is a 99% chance of death but i have recovered well i actually have a higher iq now than before it happenedwhen asked if i wanted a priest i told them the first on through the door was gonna get yelled at the thing that pulled me through it was i wanted to go fishing the next weekend i really love fishing
religon is just afterlife insurance with NO proof of payment upon death