This post is designed to help think about the key issues in the comparison. I will highlight a few and score each side hopefully helping me discover which side I lean towards because right now i am just sitting on the fence.
GENESIS vs KABOOM!
Understanding how the World came to be is hard as it simply cannot be proven. It depends on the individual and what makes more sense to them. The thought of a sudden BANG! resulting in the creation of the universe seems very far fetched to me. Things do not just happen all of a sudden, there is a process to every occurrence on this planet. My friends Matt and Gabriel highlighted this point to me with the analogy of the box. A box does not just move on its on. Some sort of force or some sort of action goes into moving it otherwise nothing happens. This would suggest that there would be some sort of higher power responsible for the big bang (If it happened). Here, I think the story of GENESIS wins!1-0 GOD
The BIBLE vs The TEXTBOOK
The main problem I have with the bible is that it is supposed to come directly from God but the stories and lessons within it come from man. I would be so much happier if the story of the bible is that it just appeared in the holy land under the spotlight of the North Star or some sort of magical occurrence. As things stand its origins are not clear, and for all we know we have fallen victim to the worlds greatest game of CHINESE WHISPERS!
For thousands of years the Bible has been used as a tool to control the masses. Since ancient times the bible doubled up as not only religious testament but also the constitution for many nations. The bible set out the rules that governed entire empires! It was therefore inevitable that rulers and dictators started manipulating the sacred book to control the people. This is why I believe that there are so many different forms of Christianity today. The fact that a lot of original differences in Christianity had geographical origins is NO COINCIDENCE.
God takes an early 2-0 lead
ANCIENT vs MODERN
Many argue that religion and the bible was designed for ancient times and have little relevance in today's society. Atheists will tell you that the way they live their lives is morally correct and appropriate for society today. To an extent I agree. Atheists do not have direct rules and restrictions like the ones religion imposes on the rest of us. They know the difference between right and wrong and do not need direct laws to govern their lives.
Many religious laws are outdated and simply do not apply to society in 2011. It does not make sense that our society today share the same laws and rules with medieval society. With all the progress man has made and human advancement it is ridiculous to suggest that the same laws apply. My favourite example here is the idea of sex before marriage! Sex before marriage was an extremely easy law to adhere to in biblical times as the average age for marriage was 14/15!! If you were having sex before that age then you really were a "tainted woman" Things are very different today. The average age of marriage in the UK is 29. I believe it is ridiculous to expect anyone to hold out for that long, especially in a generation dominated by sex! Just the other day I was told a story about a woman who refused to partake in sex before marriage. However this did not stop her and her partner exploring other sexual avenues! How can you avoid sex before marriage in order to be pure and then perform acts far more "impure". For this reason the score here has to go to the Atheists!2-1 to God
MIRACLES vs ANOMALIES
FINAL TOTAL: The BIG MAN UPSTAIRS 3 - 1 The BIG BANG THEORY
You could discuss these topics for days. This is just a brief post to get us thinking about where we really stand on the subject instead of just sitting on the fence! As you can see I am definitely a believer in God but perhaps not in the conventional Christian way. I believe that God created this universe and everything in it. Where I differ from your average Catholic is that I do not think he answers our prayers on a personal level. He created man with the intelligence and capacity to fend for itself. I do not think we turned out the way he quite expected as our thoughts turned to greed and jealousy and we began to sin. This was why Jesus had to come down and save us. Since then God has seemed to adopt a hands off approach and lets us get on with it!
Quite an interesting post, and I do see where you are coming from, However I disagree with your last statement " Since then God has seemed to adopt a hands off approach and lets us get on with it". Obviously you have your opinions and I have mine, and I'm not here to shut you down, But think about this, if God had really decided to let us get on with it, we will all be dead, or even worse living a life without meaning, a life full of sin, evil, trust me if God did decide to leave us to our abilities, this world will be a messed up place.
ReplyDeleteAnd even though Jesus came down from Heaven thousand of years ago, that doesn't mean he saved us then, and thats it.. He is still saving us, and He will continue doing so until the end of time. I have so much to say about this topic but I think its best I stopped now..
And as for your sex before marriage, there are people in this modern age that can and will wait, obviously the numbers are less than before and as you mentioned some of this people do carry out impure acts, but I actually believe that there are many people out there that can hold out till their married, and its something I greatly respect.
And on that note, I am going to stop, before my comments become another blog post.
Andre Charles Thestallion >>>>>> The bit about pre-marital sex...I'd love to pick and choose the bits of the Bible that don't make me feel like I'm a compromising Christian but...I can't. And I am. The Bible doesn't put those things in there to par us, it's there to steer us from the complications that sin brings, of which pre-marital sex has many. I wasn't strong enough of a Christian to avoid that bit but that's just me init...
ReplyDeletemilly Rigby>>>>>>>>
ReplyDeleteYesterdayMilly Rigby
Loved that you presented the argument with the 'versus' structure, I wish more believers/journalists/religious figures would discuss faiths in a more modern way where people who read Heat (myself included) can actually get their heads around it as opposed to being frightened off by big words + religious propaganda.
Science vs religion all sort of goes over my head as so much of it as you said is hear say, wouldnt know where to begin! But the 2 things which despite not having an exclusive faith I do esteem from religion (partly learnt from a young age in the days of being the naughtiest little shit in Sunday school is): the 10 commandments modern day influence + 'love thy neighbour..' reoccurrence in all religions.
The 10 commandments are the only laws that are perfectly suited for all nations; these basic values cover human life, integrity, love, the family etc and if interpreted correctly prove to be a formidable back bone for all societies’ moral standings. ‘The golden rule’ of ‘love thy neighbour...’ is also equally applicable to all religions/cultures/nations as it stands for a modern concept of human rights. There is no coincidence in the consistent reference from Islamic to Buddhist texts, which I also think if applied could have major influences on our somewhat fractured basic ethics!
Excuse the essay! Would you call yourself an exclusive ‘Catholic Christian’ despite the questions you have??
xxx
In the Qur'an, which was revealed fourteen centuries ago at a time when the science of astronomy was still primitive, the expansion of the universe was described in the following terms:
ReplyDeleteAnd it is We Who have constructed the heaven with might, and verily, it is We Who are steadily expanding it. (Qur'an, 51:47)
The word "heaven," as stated in the verse above, is used in various places in the Qur'an. It is referring to space and the wider universe. Here again, the word is used with this meaning, stating that the universe "expands." The Arabic word "moosiaaoona" in the term "inna lamoosiaaoona," translated into English as "it is We Who are steadily expanding it", comes from the verb "evsea," meaning "to expand." The prefix "la" emphasises the following name or title and adds a sense of "to a great extent." This expression therefore means "We expand the sky or the universe to a great extent." This is the very conclusion that science has reached today.
The Qur'an contains a great many verses concerning the creation of the earth, the heavens and what lies between:
We did not create the heavens and earth and everything between them, except with truth. The Hour is certainly coming, so turn away graciously. (Qur'an, 15:85)
Everything in the heavens and everything on the earth and everything in between them and everything under the ground belongs to Him. (Qur'an, 20:6)
We did not create heaven and earth and everything in between them as a game. (Qur'an, 21:16)
Scientists today are able to observe the formation of stars from a hot gas cloud. Formation from a warm mass of gas also applies to the creation of the universe. The creation of the universe as described in the Qur'an confirms this scientific discovery in the following verse:
He placed firmly embedded mountains on it, towering over it, and blessed it and measured out its nourishment in it, laid out for those who seek it-all in four days. Then He turned to heaven when it was smoke and said to it and to the earth, "Come willingly or unwillingly." They both said, "We come willingly." (Qur'an, 41:10-11)
The Arabic word for "smoke" in the above verse is "dukhanun," which describes the hot, cosmic smoke in question. This word in the Qur'an, in pinpoint fashion, describes this smoke very accurately for it is a warm body of gas containing mobile particles connected to solid substances. Here, the Qur'an has employed the most appropriate word from the Arabic language for describing the appearance of this phase of the universe. Let us note that only in the 20th century have scientists discovered that the universe emerged from a hot gas in the form of smoke. 5
The fact that such information about the creation of the universe is given in the Qur'an is nothing short of a miracle of the Qur'an.
please read more on:
http://www.harunyahya.com/miracles_of_the_quran_p1_02.php