Danno's Religious Questions

[Danno]

Let me begin by saying that I do not have any ill intent or desire to disrespect anybody here or their personal beliefs. I have questions and just looking for answers or at least a better understanding of what is written in the Bible. My questions might seem blunt or distasteful, but it may be that I just don't know how to word the question correctly. So again I mean no disrespect. So let's begin:

1. Why is there even a belief in the afterlife? Let me expand on this. I read where Jesus speaks about "things in heaven as they are here on earth". It seems to me that he was a man that had a vision of a better world. One without pain, suffering, greed, war, etc... It sounds like he understood the difficulty of changing man's sinful ways so he came up with this concept of heaven. If man believes he will have eternal life, then maybe that will sway him to live his life through God's will. Why wait for the afterlife? Why not just live this way now and make Earth like this place called heaven? I know this would take the entire human race to embrace this way of life, which seems impossible, but why just assume their is a heaven in our afterlife when we can have it here in our lifetime?

2. Is it possible that Jesus was just one man that had a vision? What proof is there that he was truly God's son. I know the immaculate conception should answer this and the rolling away of the stone after 3 days seems to answer this, but what if Jesus's father was Joseph? What if the stone was rolled by grave robbers trying to pillage and desecrate the tomb?

3. How can one believe in a place called heaven when there is zero proof or even details real about it? My father speaks of streets of gold, no sickness, being with all your loved ones, never having any wants, and living through God's will. What will we do in heaven? Will we continue to live life as we do here but just be in a place with true peace and harmony? God's will, seems the opposite of free will. Why give man free will to only take it away in heaven?

4. Who is God? Where did he come from? Something or someone had to have a thought of what he would be to create him correct? Did he just become God out of thin air?

Ok that's a start. Thanks in advance to anyone that spends the time to respond.

[MadHatter]

The more you think about it, the more you ask.
Been a lifetime of it for me.
Seems like we're just a form of artificial AI and it's all been done before.
Where we are in science right now is crazy, and if there's anything that would ever make me believe in God it's science.
2 prophets slain in the streets, the whole world will be watching - the internet.
Hornets and weird creatures in revelations - science can now build it.
Virgin birth - medical field can now do it.
Mark of the beast - entirely possible with a nano impregnated tattoo.
The worm dieth not - digital memory
On and on, there are many many more examples.
And that's only the tip of the iceberg.
Someone had all this knowledge to be able to write about these things 1000s of yrs in advance.
The whole story and premise behind it, is my hang up.
Makes 0 sense to me.
Living in a city of gold, and worshipping someone for eternity, is about as 180 away from anything I care about as you can get, and I'll never understand that appeal.
No fishing, hunting, etc..could it be any less appealing?
As the counter to hell, yeah it seems like a better choice, but not one I've ever cared about, it's just the "ONLY" choice allowed or burn forever.
Just my opinion but God is only God to us if he is real.
If he is real, there are more like him, but not over us.
There can be many universes, dimensions, etc..he just rules & created this one.
I swear we are just a form of the movie the Matrix.
Didn't really answer any of your questions, but it's a fascinating study regardless of whether you believe or don't believe.
In for the answers you get.

[WItoTX]

As you said, you mean no disrespect. So I would ask, respectfully, have you read the Bible?

Your questions get answered by reading it. However, be prepared, it's never a black or white answer. You have to apply the Bible to yourself and your questions.

Again, not trying to be rude. But imagine asking on this site, never shooting a bow, then asking what causes your arrows to not hit the target?

[MadHatter]

As you said, you mean no disrespect. So I would ask, respectfully, have you read the Bible?

Your questions get answered by reading it. However, be prepared, it's never a black or white answer. You have to apply the Bible to yourself and your questions.

Again, not trying to be rude. But imagine asking on this site, never shooting a bow, then asking what causes your arrows to not hit the target?

I've read it front to back 11 times in my life.
All I've found were more questions, and less belief in a sense.

[c3products20]

Danno. Look at the life of the guys that lived with Jesus and walked with Him. Every single one of the 12 disciples were killed or had someone attempt to shut them up about Jesus. Every single one of them!!!!! That in and of itself is enough proof to know how much they believed in who Jesus is.

[Shane]

If you need proof before you can believe, you'll never get there. There are LOADS of things that are evidence of a creator and all of that, but it's impossible to quantify, capture, and/or prove that there is a God and all of that. It requires faith.

Likewise, you will never be able to prove that God ISN'T real or that Jesus ISN'T who the Bible says he is, etc.... It requires faith to NOT believe the Bible too. You just have to decide where you're going to place your faith.

[Playa]

Danno. Look at the life of the guys that lived with Jesus and walked with Him. Every single one of the 12 disciples were killed or had someone attempt to shut them up about Jesus. Every single one of them!!!!! That in and of itself is enough proof to know how much they believed in who Jesus is.

By this measure, should we also consider Islam? They clearly are willing to die and martyr themselves for their religion, so if force from opponents and willingness to die for a cause is proof, then Islam wins in the modern day

[c3products20]

Genetics is another reason to support creation. Our genes and DNA are so complex and the odds of them accidentally lining up, just perfect, to support life are gazillions to one!!! Dr. Stephen Meyer has some awesome videos supporting his theory about creation. It's really cool stuff. I would suggest you read some of C.S. Lewis' books. Mere Christianity is a good one for a person who has an educated background looking for educated answers about God.

[c3products20]

By this measure, should we also consider Islam? They clearly are willing to die and martyr themselves for their religion, so if force from opponents and willingness to die for a cause is proof, then Islam wins in the modern day

There is a big difference. The islamic terrorist kill themselves to kill other people or eliminate any opposing religion. Jesus and His disciples were killed trying to save other people. Remember that verse about greater love hath no man than two lay down his life for another. Islam teaches to force others to believe and if they don't believe kill them.

[c3products20]

Also, the disciples actually walked and talked with Jesus. They knew him personally and they were killed for it.

[Pushbutton2]

I've read it front to back 11 times in my life.

All I've found were more questions, and less belief in a sense.

This might sound simplistic but it's not.
I believe our life is the sum of the choices we make. Choosing not to make a choice is still making a choice.
Choices in the context I used it is a verb. A word of action, think of it like a river. A River is water, and has fish in it. Are those Biblical references? To me yes. Are they to you? The path of the river is never the same and it can't be stopped. A dam you say? When enough water gets stopped up behind what will happen to it? It'll overflow and tear the dam apart. Think of what Gabriel said to Daniel after he explained the Vision. So to the algorithm of our life always changes. The SUM always changes. Left say you take the fork to the left at it's a turbulent tributary. Are you stuck there?

We have been given free choice. Why? Would you rather have someone working with you in west Texas in July cutting shooting lanes and clearing fences because they HAVE TO or because they want to be there? To me this question asks about the heart issue. If I one HAS TO be there in the heat they'll be bitchy grouchy and sullen and no fun fun to be around and that will spread like wildfire. On the other hand if they want to to be there it'll still be hot and sweaty but everyone will work in harmony to achieve the goal.

I know I didn't answer your questions. I can't. Didn't even specifically try to.

The Bible is called The LIVING Water for a reason. A passage might touch me in this way and the same passage doesn't even register for you and vice versa.

Finally,
I'd like to discuss this question

Do you choose to believe The Bible?
Why or why not?


When we go to God by prayer, the devil knows we go to fetch strength against him, and therefore he opposeth us all he can.

R. Sibbes

[MadHatter]

This might sound simplistic but it's not.
I believe our life is the sum of the choices we make. Choosing not to make a choice is still making a choice.
Choices in the context I used it is a verb. A word of action, think of it like a river. A River is water, and has fish in it. Are those Biblical references? To me yes. Are they to you? The path of the river is never the same and it can't be stopped. A dam you say? When enough water gets stopped up behind what will happen to it? It'll overflow and tear the dam apart. Think of what Gabriel said to Daniel after he explained the Vision. So to the algorithm of our life always changes. The SUM always changes. Left say you take the fork to the left at it's a turbulent tributary. Are you stuck there?

We have been given free choice. Why? Would you rather have someone working with you in west Texas in July cutting shooting lanes and clearing fences because they HAVE TO or because they want to be there? To me this question asks about the heart issue. If I one HAS TO be there in the heat they'll be bitchy grouchy and sullen and no fun fun to be around and that will spread like wildfire. On the other hand if they want to to be there it'll still be hot and sweaty but everyone will work in harmony to achieve the goal.

I know I didn't answer your questions. I can't. Didn't even specifically try to.

The Bible is called The LIVING Water for a reason. A passage might touch me in this way and the same passage doesn't even register for you and vice versa.

Finally,
I'd like to discuss this question

Do you choose to believe The Bible?
Why or why not?


When we go to God by prayer, the devil knows we go to fetch strength against him, and therefore he opposeth us all he can.

R. Sibbes

I grew up in it, in a way few will ever know anything about.
I believed it all without question until about the age of 10.
At that point I could not, and still can't find any reason I ever believed other than I was indoctrinated in it, it was all I ever knew.
It start a lifelong journey of seeking without ever finding anything that made sense.
It's all too much to type or explain in a forum, but I would welcome a campfire discussion anytime.
It is something that has always fascinated me.

[MadHatter]

This might sound simplistic but it's not.
I believe our life is the sum of the choices we make. Choosing not to make a choice is still making a choice.
Choices in the context I used it is a verb. A word of action, think of it like a river. A River is water, and has fish in it. Are those Biblical references? To me yes. Are they to you? The path of the river is never the same and it can't be stopped. A dam you say? When enough water gets stopped up behind what will happen to it? It'll overflow and tear the dam apart. Think of what Gabriel said to Daniel after he explained the Vision. So to the algorithm of our life always changes. The SUM always changes. Left say you take the fork to the left at it's a turbulent tributary. Are you stuck there?

We have been given free choice. Why? Would you rather have someone working with you in west Texas in July cutting shooting lanes and clearing fences because they HAVE TO or because they want to be there? To me this question asks about the heart issue. If I one HAS TO be there in the heat they'll be bitchy grouchy and sullen and no fun fun to be around and that will spread like wildfire. On the other hand if they want to to be there it'll still be hot and sweaty but everyone will work in harmony to achieve the goal.

I know I didn't answer your questions. I can't. Didn't even specifically try to.

The Bible is called The LIVING Water for a reason. A passage might touch me in this way and the same passage doesn't even register for you and vice versa.

Finally,
I'd like to discuss this question

Do you choose to believe The Bible?
Why or why not?


When we go to God by prayer, the devil knows we go to fetch strength against him, and therefore he opposeth us all he can.

R. Sibbes

I grew up in it, in a way few will ever know anything about.
I believed it all without question until about the age of 10.
At that point I could not, and still can't find any reason I ever believed other than I was indoctrinated in it, it was all I ever knew.
It start a lifelong journey of seeking without ever finding anything that made sense.
It's all too much to type or explain in a forum, but I would welcome a campfire discussion anytime.
It is something that has always fascinated me.

[AZ&F'sDaddy]

1. Why is there even a belief in the afterlife? Let me expand on this. I read where Jesus speaks about "things in heaven as they are here on earth". It seems to me that he was a man that had a vision of a better world. One without pain, suffering, greed, war, etc... It sounds like he understood the difficulty of changing man's sinful ways so he came up with this concept of heaven. If man believes he will have eternal life, then maybe that will sway him to live his life through God's will. Why wait for the afterlife? Why not just live this way now and make Earth like this place called heaven? I know this would take the entire human race to embrace this way of life, which seems impossible, but why just assume their is a heaven in our afterlife when we can have it here in our lifetime?

The Trinity (God exists as a plural unity: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That is not something explicitly spelled out in the Bible. We Christians have worked it out, over time. But I digress....) The Trinity said, "We cannot keep what we have to ourselves. We must share this glorious, abundant life with someone. This is what we will do: We will create a family with whom we can share adventure-filled life. We will create them in a form in which we, too, can exist so that we can share this life with them and so that they can know the level of our commitment to them; because we will live with them as one of them. We will create them as free-will, shapeable, relational, storied creatures. We will not coerce them into loving us. We will not make them as puppets or automata. We will give them the choice of loving us, or not. If they choose to not love us, we will lovingly grant them non-existence ("hell" - another discussion for another time). To those who willingly choose to live in relationship with us, we will grant abundant, glorious, adventure-filled, everlasting life. But because we will create them as free-will creatures, relational betrayal ("sin") will be a possibility. We must eliminate that possibility, but not by divine fiat or by coercion. We must call them. We must woo them. We must relationally draw them. We must get them to willingly choose to reject "sin." Otherwise, the life we have in mind will not be possible. So, how will we do this? Once they choose betrayal, we will impose a redemptive curse, wherein they will experience, first hand, what betrayal does to life, up to, and including, "death", the ultimate sign of what "sin" means. And to demonstrate our commitment to them, we will become one of them and experience this curse right along with them; not instead of them; with them. And, going forward, the one of us that exists as one of them will experience everything they experience. That way, they will know our commitment is true and that we can be trusted."

And that is precisely what they have done. That is the Christian Story. God had to eliminate Sin in a way that honors us as free will beings. In this phase of our existence, "sin must needs be" (Matthew 18:7). But Jesus became one of us and experienced the redemptive curse of suffering with us, so that we would trust him.
"And he died for all, that ("that" means purpose) those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him, who for their sakes died and was raised."

[lovemylegacy]

Question #1. If you go back to Genesis, you will see that GOD did exactly that. Made a world free from sin, hurt, pain, strife, war, etc. Yet man still fell, still committed sin. Your question has already been answered. In the Beginning, GOD put man in the exact place you are talking about.
You are correct, he understood the difficulties of changing mens hearts and minds, HE was/is GOD in the flesh, you are right, he understood this. HE has changed minds and hearts, billions of them.