God is a question, not an answer

I apologise if I have offended anyone.

I'm sorry people have had a bad experience with so-called Christians. As you say, jug, it is extremely unkind of them, as people, leave the Christianity angle of it

To be a good person is certainly not the prerogative of Christians - look at the Dalai Lama. I believe he probably has a better chance of the "other place" than many Christians, me included. And, I too prefer the thought of believing there is a better place to go to once dead, than not, be there a God or not. But - it is my own belief and opinion!

I do believe in God and happen to be a Christian. Even if I didnt believe in God the teachings of Christianity are a good way to live. Although having said that all faiths including Christianity have fundamentalist leanings which is very divisive and off putting.

IA friend once told me she would rather die believing in God and then find out there wasn't one rather than not believe in God and find out there is one !!

anniebach was just thinking more about the last bit you said and the other side of the equation struck me as in 'what do we achieve then by not following that'?
For example, I would just make myself unwell as I can't deal with confrontation or arguments. I can manage a well reasoned discussion but even then I need to back off or else it wipes me out.
Another example is that perhaps someone gets really entrenched in their own opinion because they are protecting their position rather than the veracity of the facts. Perhaps in the process that person doesn't get a chance to think about your words and of course that can happen even if kindly put. Often it can take a long time for that person to recall (even what was said kindly) but eventually they may well do so.
In the end all that matters is giving someone something different to think about and 'winning the argument' shouldn't even enter into it. Even if we mistakenly perceive that we have won It is not even 'our' victory since it is just a reasoned debate or discussion. Many discussions are just hot air as there is no way anyone will 'win'. No point getting a head of steam really, save your energies!
It is interesting to read what people think or their opinions of events or situations and even beliefs as it gives clues as to where they are coming from and often, dare I say, why they are in the situation they are in!

Well, that has 'done me in' so am off to put the kettle on. Have a with me!

Anyway, the point of the OP was not to challenge anyone's beliefs/faith. It was really just agreeing that god is a question not an answer. Surely I can appreciate that and agree with it without someone getting upset?

ab, why should I not challenge a belief or idea (whatever it is) that I don't hold? Would you say the same thing about, say, a political belief?

You are equally free to challenge a belief that I hold and that you don't, e.g. that god's do not exist. You would not be attacking me as a person, only the belief I hold.

People have rights; ideas and beliefs don't. All ideas and all beliefs can be questioned and such questioning, or challenging, is not an attack on any person: it's an attack on a belief or belief system. Criticising a belief or an idea is not ramming anything down anyone's throat. It's just explaining why one disagrees.

Just as it would be in a political discussion, or one discussing something else, like one's preference for certains foods over others.

Spmeone being argumentative about atheism doesn't hurt me. The most it can do is make me think about what other people believe. I think that's the same when someone is argumentative/challenging about theism and all its associated ideas.

Faith may not be an idea, but it is certainly something based on ideas, just as atheism or one's political stance is. All those ideas, yes, all of them, are up for challenge and discussion, and none of that challenging or discussing is an attack on people.

anniebach That isn't the point though.

Whether you believe or not has nothing to do with being a decent human being. Just because I believe in God doesn't mean I don't respect those who don't or think that my belief makes me a better person. We are all guided by our conscience.

I once did an action that was pretty charitable and cost me a bunch of ££, because it was the right thing to do, and affected many people that I know. (Not selling a house to someone who would have been a bad neighbour.) I was then told that this was a christian thing to do. Very very annoying. No, it was a decent human thing to do.
.

Synonymous, if it's the proverb I think it is - a gentle word etc, doesn't work on this forum with all,

God is indeed a question not an answer.

No-one KNOWS, not even those with a firm faith. Belief and knowledge are two different things.

I do not know whether God exists "and I try to live my life as well as possible and set an example by being kind and helping people. I wouldn't dream of ramming my beliefs down anyone else's throat, so why should anyone criticise mine? Live and let live!"

I believe in God and I try to live my life as well as possible and set an example by being kind and helping people. I wouldn't dream of ramming my beliefs down anyone else's throat, so why should anyone criticise mine? Live and let live!

Someone (I can't remember who) posted a while ago on a thread about secular schools (that is, schools which do not specifically teach religion as a faith to be followed or not followed, but leave it to personal and family decisions) to say that they would not like their child to be taught by an atheist.

Is that not the same as Juggernaut's experience of being rejected for her missing faith?

obieone I have - you should look at it too! Thank you.

Anniebach Prov 15:1

Is it not just another term for agnosticism?

Juggernaut, how unpleasant to have that said, people do have odd ideas, you get - you being a nice person was an act, if I get involved in a discussion which gets rather heated and I say something because I am irritated I get - that's not Christian. No pleasing some

thatbags, belief is more than an idea , why should you challenge my faith? It doesn't affect you in anyway just as your atheism does't affect me , I respect your non belief and don't think I have any right to challenge it, . I think it arrogant.

grandMattie
I'm an atheist, always have been, but I have never rubbished anyone's belief, nor do I want to ban any sort of religion!
However, in the course of my career, a client whom I had known for over twenty years, and had a good, friendly relationship with, upon discovering that I was an atheist, refused to be served by me, and wrote to my superiors, asking why they saw fit to employ a 'heathen', and demanding that I was removed from their employ with immediate effect! Needless to say, they ignored her!
On another occasion, a colleague of ten months, upon realising that I have no particular faith, said, "Oh, you always seemed so nice but obviously that was all an act"!
So, according to those two people, an atheist is by dafult a horrible person, and shouldn't be allowed near 'believers'.......I wouldn't call that a very Christian attitude to take!

I have found atheists more to the fore for airing their belief in no God than JW's , JW's don't mock , some atheists do. I have been mocked and it has no effect but there was a post on this forum sometime ago which really hurt, comparing belief in God with belief in the tooth fairy , never understood the need to take mockery to this extreme . Perhaps I am fortunate in only having encountered polite JW's who accept - no thank you. Little experience of Mormans.

I respect people of faith or no faith so yes, live and let live

I agree, *GMattie, that it's completely wrong to 'rubbish' people whatever their beliefs are.

I don't think it's wrong to 'rubbish' (I prefer criticise) beliefs though. Beliefs are ideas and ideas are, or should be, always open to criticism, whatever those beliefs happen to be. That means, of course, that atheists' ideas are just as criticisable as religious ones.

That's a very good way of putting it, synonymous. I never have experienced faith so I guess I can't really imagine it.

My opinion? i believe in God, I 'm happy to believe in Heaven as a concept - but I would never push it on to other people and ram it down their throats.
What annoys me are the people like the Jehovah's Witness or Mormons who ram religion and "saving" down your throat. Even more annoying are the atheists who rubbish your beliefs and want to forbid any sort of "religion". Why don't they live and let live? Some people believe that crystals will keep them safe. I don't but it is not my place to rubbish them...

thatbags it is all about faith and so hard to know what you need when you have never experienced such a thing.

lizzy very likely.