Part 4: A thesis of sorts…

[chadicus]

Here’s what I really think, and there’s nothing profound about this statement, I think most everyone realizes this to some extent, but it sometimes gets forgotten when debates get heated and arguments become long winded and overly-focused on obscure specificities: ultimately, people are going to believe what they want, and once they feel that way,

Comments

[kram006]

Alright, I won't type much since I don't have a desk to sit at and this is uncomfortable, but this question sort of establishes more-so how I act as a Christian. I am not your stereotypical "go to church every Sunday"-type Christian, and I do not believe all of the historical facts in the Bible, because I find some things quite ridiculous, especially if you take them literally. I guess I sort of just let my actions speak for me. Before I was a Christian, I really was much more of a jerk, and didn't let things bother me that would bother me now. I'm a lot more honest. I'm nicer. I don't know, there's a small part of me that feels like I'm judged. Some would view that as a bad thing, but I think it ends up being a good thing... other people see me as a nice, honest person. Not 100% of the time or anything, but much much more than before I became a Christian. Now, would it be completely possible for me to be this same way without being a Christian? Absolutely, and to those are agnostic or atheists that sort of follow the same

[chadicus]

Haha, yeah, I remember the never ending debate on Ryan’s lj. It’s funny because you guys lived right across the hall from each other while you were having this big debate online.
I didn’t think about it before, but you’re sort of me reversed. Well, I don’t know how you were brought up, but it seems like you entered the Christian world around the time I was departing. I feel I’ve changed a lot for the better since I was a Christian, but I attribute that more to natural maturation and the desire to be a kinder person than my changing beliefs. I’ve definitely become more open minded, in part because being raised that way and told what to think from a very young age can be very limiting. I definitely have a lot more respect for your beliefs as someone who made the conscious decision rather than just following unquestioningly in your parents’ footsteps.

[kram006]

I was definitely brought to church and raised as a Lutheran, but really didn't believe in it. I used to argue *on Ryan's side* versus Christians who believed all the stuff like Noah's ark and such. I was able to argue both sides, probably the anti-Christian side moreso. But yeah, I have three things that happened that are nowhere close to being explained/reproduced that finally made me realize that there has to be a God of some sort. I suppose I picked Christianity partially because of my upbringing, and partially because the "do-good" type things that I'd hear about how people should treat each other seemed right. The people I talked with didn't pick out the passages about pillaging and such like Ryan always seems to point out, they picked out the ones that make people better people. I'm, by no means, saying other religions don't do the same thing, or people with no religion at all.

[i_am_ryans_lj]

Your morals are really your own. It's funny how people talk about "Christians morals." Have you read the bible? There's some pretty screwed up shit in there. God demands blood and animal sacrifices in the bible. It explicitly says that you should beat your children in Proverbs