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I think it's sort of a brainwashing tool. Anything man-made a group uses to influence people into conforming to their chosen way of life is just plain brainwashing or mass intimidation.

There are so many versions of rights and wrongs linked to pretty much the same "higher power" that no one can honestly say for sure, which one is the right one to follow and which isn't. *if there is such a thing as a right and wrong one*

Which leads us to question the agendas behind each religion. confused

I don't really think faith and religion are connected that much, at all... faith is believing without needing justifications or validations... it's just what you feel is right and what you feel deep inside is really there... where religion bases itself on all of the supposed miracles and cruelties that happened back in the day to people that didn't worship whatever it was that each religion considered the "right" God. I guess it all depends on how you define "faith." Since some people say "faith" is religion.

I'm not saying that every single person that chooses to practice a religion these days, has an alternative motive... since now days, we're free to believe in whatever we see fit as well as seek out our own truths without worrying about being exiled... but I think the people that laid the foundations for the majority of the organized religions way before our time... did have alternative motives. confused

well, but we have to believe in something and the most sence things is christian, followers of God, because i know that in the bible dident say dinosaurs, But life was created in 7 days and before 7 days could be 7 years.. 7 thousand years 7 thousand millions years is not as now the fist promise that God gives to apostol John that israel im not sure some1 say this, that israel will be united with other countris, and that happened 20 years ago then.... it will pass 70 weeks nobody knows just God know how much time is that, well later that the 70 weeks pass Jesus come again to earth and everyone that fallows him will go with jesus (read bible apocalypsis)

The Bible is the letter God sent to mankind, telling us of His existence. The reason there is no mention of ancient extinct animals is because they are irrelevant when God is trying to tell you how to achieve immortality, don't ya think?

And just so we're all clear, here, I believe in the Bible and I also believe in science. *gasp* right? Wrong!

I seem to be alone in this endeavor, but I believe that if God created our universe and there are random dinosaur bones laying around and mammoths frozen in iceburgs, He had to create them to. Yes, Satan may be the author of confusion, but he doesn't have the power to create anything other than lies.

Aw crap...I told a lie. The Bible - I can't stress this one enough - MAY mention dinosaurs. In the book of Job, when Job asks God why all these bad things are happening to him and that God hates him, God steps in and asks Job a buch of questions like, "Where were you when I laid the cornerstone of the earth?" and "What is the way to the abode of the light? and where does darkness reside?.....Surely, you know for you were already born! You have lived so many years!" (Sarcasm is much better when it somes from God, as illustrated here...) and then God asks Job where Job was when He decided to make the leviathan, and asked if Job could rope it up and catch it like God could.

The leviathan - some including myself - believe is a mention of the dinosaurs. Very brief, very vague, but it does hint to something. Something else. Something huge. Something that isn't one of the ordianry animals God set upon this earth.

I'd like to add that religion is extremely and utterly manmade. I am a christian and I hate religion. And calling myself a christian. (I just do it because it's easier to type than typing Follower of Christ everytime...)

If you look at the word religion from either the Latin or the Greek root, it means a re-binding. Religion is man's attempt to reattach themselves to God.

Another thing I'd like to add is that the brainwashing aspect that most people would like to believe comes from cults - LDS, Manson, Jim Jones - people like that. They were not teaching their followers the true message of the Bible.