Why are there so many different religions and why are they based on the same (yet altered) bible? Why is your (or one) religion or bible right? Why do we have to go to church to prove our faith? Why do we listen to a preacher and get told what to understand or interpret from a verse/scripture, can't we think for ourselves? Why did God create us? Was he bored? And what did he do before he created the earth? Where did He come from? And what does he plan to do with us once the world ends?

**These are just my opinion**

I think there are the different religions because there are different perceptions of the same written word.

I don't believe you have to go to church to prove your faith. Church is a place of worship. I have never believed that you have to go to church to believe in God. Saying that, I do feel a closer connection to God when I am at church. It helps me put and keep my life on the right track.

I think that a preacher is a teacher. Put there to guide us in the right direction. He is not talking AT us. He is talking to us. He is not telling you HOW to interpret a verse, but maybe helping you understand it better.

The rest of your questions - I don't have an answer for. I am sorry. I answered what I could.

There many differnet gods and many different holy books. I subscribe to none. I try to be a good guy, good father, good husband, good workmate. It's working out OK for me so far. :)

Thanks for your answer. Maybe I should explain the diff bibles... I ask this because for example christians and jehovas witnesses share belief in the same God and have a very similar bible (I have compared the two) however JW do not believe in jesus being the son of God (like christians) only a prophet or something. How does this work? How is there two diff bibles? Did a different God write this bible? Which God is the real God? Doesn't make sense to me...

The age old question. Who's right? I guess you could get a lot of different answers. If someone that is a Jehovas Witness or someone that is Christian.

For me, I am a Christian. (Baptist) I do not believe that Jesus was just a man. There are a lot of good men in the Bible. But Jesus is different. Special. How do I know? Well - I have FAITH. That is the only way I know that I am right.
That is the only way, in my opinion, that anyone knows they are right. By faith.

I thought JWs used King James version... they did years ago.

The JWs stand on using blood to save ones life kind of freaks me out.

God didn't write the bible, the disciples of Jesus wrote the bible, right?

Okay, I believe in God, I do not go to church (one man's opinion on God) and I do not read the bible (written by man, not God). Why do I believe? I have seen too much in my life not to believe, that's why. Can I prove it? No. Having said that, I do believe, but unlike any other person I know.

Belief is the basis of religion, because no one can prove that God exists, at least not physically, but, having said that, no one can prove that God doesn't exist. The choice is yours, and yours alone.

Organized religion, well, everyone has a different perspective, even if viewing the same thing, maybe that's why there are so many different religions. Remember one thing, religion is man made, not God made.

Boy am I going to get in trouble for this one.:eek:

Religion is man's attempt at reaching God.

Salvation through Jesus is God's way of reaching man.

Matthew 27:50-52 (New Living Translation)
50 Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

The curtain was split top to bottom because God created the way for us to come to Him. He did the work.

Churches were used as a means of controlling society before there were laws, police, courts etc.If you didn't go to church you were practically banished from society or called a witch and were killed.Church - to me - seems superficial. The reasons behind them weren't Godly. My beliefs are similar to Altenwegs.

Why are there so many different religions and why are they based on the same (yet altered) bible?
Incorrect! All these religions are NOT based on the bible. The bible is based on many other religions, by containing many stories copied from other religions.
Just to give one example : Noah's flood is a copied story : identical to the story of the Gilgamesh myth (a much older epic poem from Ancient Mesopotamia).


Why is your (or one) religion or bible right?
Followers BELIEVE that, because they can not admit that what they BELIEVE may be wrong.
The pro-Christian "Pascal's wager" is based on the claim that Christianity is the only one "true" belief , and from there suggests that all other religions have to be incorrect.
However it excludes just the only logical valid possibility that every religion falls under that same wager, including the Christian religion itself ! Pascal's wager actually supports the possibility that all religions are invalid.


Why do we have to go to church to prove our faith?
You don't have to. Nowhere in the bible it is stated that you have to.


Why do we listen to a preacher and get told what to understand or interpret from a verse/scripture, can't we think for ourselves?
Mainly intended to keep the flock together (brainwashing) and to collect money from that flock !


Why did God create us?
That is a belief. No objective supported evidence exists for the creation claim.


Was he bored? And what did he do before he created the earth? Where did He come from? And what does he plan to do with us once the world ends?
When you ask specific questions like that you almost always get the reply "God's ways are inscrutable (i.e. the believers don't know neither).

:rolleyes:

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.... because no one can prove that God exists ... but ... no one can prove that God doesn't exist.
Correct. Just note that it would be trillions of times easier to prove god's existence than it would to prove god's non-existence. So that still makes the "existence of god" claim rather "hot air winded".
Besides that : science provides no support at all of any religious claim. Nor does any other method support religion with even the slightest iota of objective supporting evidence.

:rolleyes:

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Just note that it would be trillions of times easier to prove god's existence than it would to prove god's non-existence.

Not true Cred, it is impossible to prove God's existence, otherwise someone would have already proven it. It's also impossible to prove that God doesn't exist, especially if you are trying to prove it to someone who does not believe in the bible, someone like me.

Now don't get mad, I'm trying to have a rational discussion with you, okay? Really, not being sarcastic, so let's try this.

My reasons for believing are because of things that have happened in my life, also because of my family, who did not push God down my throat, but talked about their experiences.

My father was Catholic, my mother Lutheran. Back when they were married there were problems because of their different religious beliefs. Even though neither side was active in their church, they still wanted to get married in a church. My father's church was beautiful, so they went to the priest and told him of their intent to marry, and that they wanted to be married in the Catholic church. The Catholic priest said that my mother would have to convert to Catholicism in order to marry my father in the Catholic church. My mother said no, she wasn't willing to do that. The priest informed them that they could not marry in his church unless she did. So my mother said, fine, we'll get married in the Lutheran church then. The priest informed them that they would not be legally married in the eyes of God unless they married in the Catholic church, all their children would be considered bastards. My mom and dad said fine, so be it, toodles.

They got married in the Lutheran church, and that was that.

Now, my friends all went to Catholic school, so I begged to go to the same school to be with my friends, my parents agreed. There were many times were we as a school would go to services at the church. While my friends went up to receive communion, I sat back in the pews, unable to go up because I'm not Catholic. I was teased because of this, made to feel less than I am, I went home and told my parents. Dad went to the church, asked why I was being ostracized from the rest of the class, after all, in the grand scheme of things, it's only a wafer, not actually the body of christ, what's the big deal in letting me go up to receive communion once or twice a year? Nope, not allowed unless I convert.

Just a bit of background so you can better understand why I do not follow a specific religion. Church is man made and man run, not God made and God run, because I believe that God would never turn someone away because of their specific faith. To those that do have a specific religion, I do not begrudge you that choice, if that is what you believe then that's wonderful, for you, it's just not for me. :)

So, after all that, why do I believe? My mother was like a cat, she really did have 9 lives, and she spent them all. Two times in her life, before her actual death, she did die legally, for a matter of minutes each time. What she saw during those minutes proves (to me) the existence of God. Also after my Dad died a few things happened that to me proves the existence of God. I base my belief on those and other episodes, and I will always believe because of those episodes.

Maybe now you can better understand my beliefs. Also, perhaps, you can understand that I don't begrudge you your belief, or non-belief, I really, honestly don't. I do hope to have kind, caring rational discussions about our differing beliefs, and I understand that to you it's frustrating because you don't believe, but it's frustrating to me too because I do believe.

Is this making any sense?

So, let's discuss. :)

Alty very good post... heres your greenie:D

Thanks Bushg, right back at you. :D

Altenweg, have you ever considered visiting an Assembly of God? You might get a whole new perspective.

I was in the Assemblies of God when I was a born again Christian.

Altenweg, have you ever considered visiting an Assembly of God? You might get a whole new perspective.

That may be, but I really don't feel the need to belong to a specific religious group, nor do I find the need to go to church. I believe, that's enough for me, and for my family. Thank you though. :)

I was in the Assemblies of God when I was a born again Christian.
That's an interesting revelation. I note that you say "when I was a born again Christian".
To square with your present position shouldn't you say "when I BELIEVED I was a born again Christian"? What proofs can you give that your present belief is correct? If you were wrong before, how do you know you are right now? Maybe you were RIGHT before, after all. I will try to remember to pray for you.

No, when I was a born again Christian. Pray all you want, you're talking to yourself. :D

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