Talk about God from a biology forum thread

[Pyrotex]

I would have to agree with MoontanMan.

I grew up in the "true church". I knew it was the true church because the church said so, my parents said so, and the bible said so. That makes it "true".

Funny thing, every congregation I was in eventually split over a difference in biblical interpretation. For example, at what age must a girl have a covering over her hair during church services? How much of the hair must be covered?

 

There is a big reason why there are so many non-compatible Christian denominations. It has nothing to do with folks "denying" god or "denying" the bible, or being "led astray" or "giving in to the temptations of the flesh".

 

It is because they CANNOT agree on how to interpret the Bible.

 

And the reason for this is: the Bible was NOT and IS not a "blueprint" for constructing a "true" church. While the OT has over 600 "Laws" to be absolutely obeyed, the NT has only between 10 or 15, and some of those appear rather trivial. Like the rule for women covering their head. The Bible leaves sooooo much undefined and unexplained, that believers are forced to derive their own interpretations and do the best they can.

 

One Christian's dogma is another Christian's belly laugh.

[modest]

i also gave an example of something we would all agree as being wrong.

 

There is a big reason why there are so many non-compatible Christian denominations. It has nothing to do with folks "denying" god or "denying" the bible, or being "led astray" or "giving in to the temptations of the flesh".

 

It is because they CANNOT agree on how to interpret the Bible.

 

I recall from my youth being in a Sundy evening service. It was a typical independent baptist church. They had this thing where the pastor would call on people to stand up and read some verse aloud to the congregation—the verse being a favorite of the parishioner or perhaps something involving whatever was going on in their life.

 

After each member read their little ditty the whole congregation would say "Amen!" "That's right brother" and other such shouts of elation (mind you, clapping was a no-no). So, this nice fella was called on and he read "First Corinthians 14, 39, Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not the speaking in tongues."

 

Well, speaking in tongues and prophesy were both strictly forbidden in our church which made this one simple little verse sound like an insult to everything "we" believed. Nobody said Amen, nobody shouted "Yes, Lord". There was complete silence. The pastor clearly wanted to move on—call on someone else—ignore the uncomfortableness of what just happened, but nobody had their hand raised. He had nobody to call on. People, it seemed, were genuinely in shock, all looking at this poor fella.

 

I got the rest of the story later from my older cousin who was very active in the church. It seems this guy hadn't attended our church very long. He was not only new to being Baptist, he was new to being christian. He hadn't yet learned that some parts of the bible don't work in whatever particular church you're attending, that some verses when read aloud say the exact opposite of church doctrine. :lol:

 

~modest

[Galapagos]

This is a cool video that demonstrates how religions evolve over time:

YouTube - Malignant Narcissism - Oficial http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=BbqD-SdeV-A

 

There is a better quality version on Neil Peart's site, but it requires flash(3rd item down):

NEP News

 

Also, I think this picture pretty well shows that people generally believe what their neighbors/parents(or colonists) tell them is true:

source

[Pyrotex]

It is exceedingly rare for a person to CHOOSE his or her religion.

It is even rarer for a person to CHOOSE a religion based upon some arbitrary, but RATIONAL, set of criteria.

It is even rarer still for a person to CHOOSE a religion based on a RATIONAL set of THEOLOGICAL criteria.

 

The vast, vast majority of humans INHERIT their religion.

And then, they are trained to BELIEVE that they CHOSE it.

[C1ay]

Moon- This is categorically untrue. There is no evidence that can be demonstrated by the scientific method (that I know of), but that certainly does not mean there is no evidence.

 

Could you list any examples of such evidence?

 

:lol:

[Moontanman]

Ahhh guys, what's the deal with covering the hair of women? That's a new one on me in Christian churches. Why would the hair need to be covered?

[Moontanman]

 

Clay, it has been a long wait, need some coffee? :cup: :coffee_n_pc: :cup:

[modest]

Ahhh guys, what's the deal with covering the hair of women? That's a new one on me in Christian churches. Why would the hair need to be covered?

 

1 Cor. 11,4-6

 

~modest

[Moontanman]

I remember reading somewhere a long time ago that either Muslims or Jews had to keep their womens hair covered up because it tempted angels to have sex with them or something like that but i didn't realize is was in the New Testament too. Goku, does your church follow this rule?

[Pyrotex]

This is a cool video that demonstrates how religions evolve over time:...

Awesome video. :coffee_n_pc:

 

But the skinny branches only went up to "Protestant Reformation" -- I think there were two branches at that point. What I would REALLY like to see is the detail (twigs and leaves) that grew from there to the present.

 

Protestant Reformation

...Lutheranism

...Calvanism

...Episcopalian

...Baptist

...Baptist, Church of Christ

...Baptist, Reformed Church of Christ

...Baptist, Southern

...Baptist, Southern, Reformation of 1840

...Church of Christ, Baptist

...Church of Christ (congregational)

 

Now, my childhood church's "tree of faith" would look something like that. But when I was a kid, the preachers claimed that this was our "tree of faith":

 

Jesus

...Church of Christ

...Church of Christ (in hiding from the Romans)

...Church of Christ (in hiding from the Catholics)

...Church of Christ (in hiding from the Dark Ages)

...Church of Christ (in hiding from the Renaissance)

...Church of Christ (in hiding from the Protestant Reformation)

...Church of Christ

 

:cup: :cup: :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

[pamela]

originally posted by Moon

I remember reading somewhere a long time ago that either Muslims or Jews had to keep their womens hair covered up because it tempted angels to have sex with them or something like that but i didn't realize is was in the New Testament too. Goku, does your church follow this rule?

I remember that too, but it was tempting the angels because of beauty, not sex.

The source may have been Catholicism.Being raised Catholic, I remember wearing a lace scarf on my head for church . This was in the 1960's, but not in the 1970's. Some of the traditions started to dissipate in the church after the Second Vatican Council

[Moontanman]

I remember that too, but it was tempting the angels because of beauty, not sex.

The source may have been Catholicism.Being raised Catholic, I remember wearing a lace scarf on my head for church . This was in the 1960's, but not in the 1970's. Some of the traditions started to dissipate in the church after the Second Vatican Council

 

I thought the beauty was tempting the angels to have sex with the women kind of like the sons of god and the daughters of men thing in the old testament? I guess angels are bald and envy women 's hair maybe? I never heard the details of the reasons behind it. I know that in some Pentecostal, Holiness, churches the women are forbidden to wear make-up, in others they wear so much they look like hookers. They make fun of each other all the time. Calling each other pale-faces and street-walkers, not sure i understand any of it really.

[Turtle]

I remember reading somewhere a long time ago that either Muslims or Jews had to keep their womens hair covered up because it tempted angels to have sex with them or something like that but i didn't realize is was in the New Testament too.

 

those horny devils!!! :eek2: god is if nothing else in these stories, an avid voyeur. :eek2: :hyper: here's a bit on the islamic superpowered "netherworldians" from a christian source. i don't know enough about islam to figure what dig the christians are after here, but it does seem to kill the islamic polytheism accusation against christianity a bit. pot calling the kettle black. :singer:

 

Background of Islam

Angels-- The chief angel is Gabriel, who was instrumental in revealing the visions to Muhammad. Different than angels are the jinn (jeanies or demons). The leader of the jinn is Shaitan (Satan).

[pamela]

originally posted by Moon

I thought the beauty was tempting the angels to have sex with the women kind of like the sons of god and the daughters of men thing in the old testament? I guess angels are bald and envy women 's hair maybe? I never heard the details of the reasons behind it. I know that in some Pentecostal, Holiness, churches the women are forbidden to wear make-up, in others they wear so much they look like hookers. They make fun of each other all the time. Calling each other pale-faces and street-walkers, not sure i understand any of it really.

Maybe it originated there in the OT, but I think the angels got stripped of that pleasure long before the New testament came about.

Never heard about angels being bald;)

There are many diversities among the different sects of Christianity.

Some for example, don't believe in dancing: while others are so wild, you wonder where the disco ball is. There is much backbiting in an amongst them that it has led to a general feeling of hypocrasy from onlookers.

[Pyrotex]

I remember that too, but it was tempting the angels because of beauty, not sex....

Having read the NT, and if I remember correctly, it was in one of Paul's letters; the covering was to symbolize her subordination to God (or to "Man"). Something close to that.

[pamela]

modest posted that earlier in the thread. What Moon and I heard was some spin off from that and not likely scriptural but some old wives hanging out and spinning tales.

[Pyrotex]

modest posted that earlier in the thread. What Moon and I heard was some spin off from that and not likely scriptural but some old wives hanging out and spinning tales.

Old wives are indeed prone to that kind of activity. Especially if their old husbands are still alive and being pains in the ***.