GOD doesn't mean BIBLE

[SEN D-F]

I'd just like to state that when someone believes in [a] God they don't necesarily believe in the Bible. A lot of people tend to jump to the conclusion that when soemone mentions God they must believe in the Xian God.

For example someone will mention God, and someone else will come back talking about how certain parts of the Bible don't make sense, or how something in the Bible doesn't necesarily require God to have happened.

I don't know, but it just annoys me. I believe a God most likely exists, and I've said that to many people who then come at me about the Bible. Guess what? I think the Bible is a bunch of stories and misunderstandings about a world people knew little about.

I have no religion, I have no holy book, I have no specific God, yet I believe one exists and I know many other people are on the same level. I'm also sure they probably get a bit annoyed when people assume they're Christian based simply on the fact that they believe in a God.

So just a tip.....

God doesn't mean Bible. God doesn't mean religion. God doesn't mean Christian. Usually Christians, or for the most part soemone of any faith makes it quite clear that they are in fact part of whatever religion, so don't instantly assume a believer is a follower.

[Trippy_McGee]

They call it agnostic. Get over yourself.

[SEN D-F]

No, they don't. Agnostic means you believe that theres a likely chance there is or isn't a God. While I leave myself open, I feel the chances of there not being a God are very unlikely, I just don't like to close my mind off to possibilities.

And even still, my specific beliefs have nothing to do with people assuming God means Christian God.

[NewDude]

quote:Originally posted by SEN D-F:

I'd just like to state that when someone believes in [a] God they don't necesarily believe in the Bible. A lot of people tend to jump to the conclusion that when soemone mentions God they must believe in the Xian God.

For example someone will mention God, and someone else will come back talking about how certain parts of the Bible don't make sense, or how something in the Bible doesn't necesarily require God to have happened.

I don't know, but it just annoys me. I believe a God most likely exists, and I've said that to many people who then come at me about the Bible. Guess what? I think the Bible is a bunch of stories and misunderstandings about a world people knew little about.

I have no religion, I have no holy book, I have no specific God, yet I believe one exists and I know many other people are on the same level. I'm also sure they probably get a bit annoyed when people assume they're Christian based simply on the fact that they believe in a God.

So just a tip.....

God doesn't mean Bible. God doesn't mean religion. God doesn't mean Christian. Usually Christians, or for the most part soemone of any faith makes it quite clear that they are in fact part of whatever religion, so don't instantly assume a believer is a follower.

So you made up your own god?

[Hexadecimal]

It's better to find what you honestly believe rather than being spoonfed the shit as a kid. I'd rather search myself for years and find the possibly wrong answer, knowing it's what I honestly feel, than be told everything as the one and only truth by priests, rabbis, monks, etc. with no decision for myself.

I'm under the idea that it's great for people to believe, so long as they searched themselves for that belief and know it is theirs.

[theBishop]

I agree with you Hexadecimal. I was raised without any religion, but i became interested in God later when i was dating a Mormon girl. A few years later i became a Christian, and somewhat suprisingly my parents were kinda pissed, my mom would use it against me when we would argue and my dad never wanted to talk about me going to church or anything.

With that said, don't be too quick to think that just because someone was raised beliving something, they are blind followers or don't know anything, sometimes what's true for your parents ends up being true for you, that's just not how it worked out in my case.

[Craftian]

It's simple, SEND-F.

If you live in a western society and you say you believe in God, people are going to assume you mean the Christian one because the vast majority of theists in these countries are Christians.

If you don't want people to get the wrong idea, clarify your beliefs. It's not the rest of the world's responsibility to read your mind.

[---Beany---]

quote:Originally posted by Craftian:

If you don't want people to get the wrong idea, clarify your beliefs. It's not the rest of the world's responsibility to read your mind.

"Thou shall not judge" is a good peice of advice.

The only reason people don't know how popular other religeons are in the western world, is because they all preume otherwise.

This forum contains intelligent people who are interested in god, not christianity.

[Fuck]

I fully agree with everything said in the first post, couldn't have said it better myself.

But, eh. People are ignorant and don't know shit, whaddya gonna do... "God" means christian god to many, "religion" means christianity to many as well. Just how they were raised and what they know, I guess.

[SEN D-F]

quote:Originally posted by NewDude:

So you made up your own god?

Ummm, no. Where did you get that idea? I didn't 'make up' any God. Its not like I worship 'Hibbuba the God of the sky' or soemthing [infact I don't even worship God]. I simply believe in God, but don't necesarrily believe God is what is depicted in religious texts.

quote:Originally posted by Craftian:

It's simple, SEND-F.

If you live in a western society and you say you believe in God, people are going to assume you mean the Christian one because the vast majority of theists in these countries are Christians.

If you don't want people to get the wrong idea, clarify your beliefs. It's not the rest of the world's responsibility to read your mind.

That seems a bit backwards to me. I should have to specify my exact beliefs everytime I mention God to keep people from assuming Im Christian? And if I don't its my fault for assuming they can read my mind? I don't expect anyone to read my mind, but that doesn't mean people should jump to conclusions.

quote:Originally posted by Fuck:

But, eh. People are ignorant and don't know shit, whaddya gonna do... "God" means christian god to many, "religion" means christianity to many as well. Just how they were raised and what they know, I guess.

You got it. People think that because the majority of people believe one thing, everybody else does. And I fail to see why anyone should have to get into specifics about their beliefs because others find it necesarry to jump to conclusions, as Craftian suggested. It seems more logical to me that people stop assuming things.

And just a note for anybody wondering. No Im not expecting everybody in the world to stop assuming believers are Xians, but it'd be nice not to have to deal with such things on a board with intelligent people [for the most part of course, though most idiots don't tend to stick around to long].

[This message has been edited by SEN D-F (edited 03-02-2004).]