Nobody really knows

[VerbalAbuse]

If God is like her, he PRETENDS to like it.

makes no difference to me.

 

[Wilson23]

makes no difference to me.

That probably has some kind of theological implications.

 

[BrightShinyGirl]

Reread the OP. You can poke holes in ANY arguments presented for God's existence, but that will not settle the question. In both scientific and philosophical terms the existence of God can never be ruled out entirely -- partly, because the concept of God can never be defined with sufficient precision to falsify it.

Ask any believer: What would it take to prove to you God does not exist? What observable events would be definitely incompatible with his existence? You will get no meaningful answers.

Nah… @SkyBubble is just afraid his God can’t stand up to scrutiny. I’m not trying to disprove any conceivable conception of God, but specifically his conception in particular.

 

[rgraham666]

The question to be asked about any belief or belief system is, are these beliefs a guideline to be a better person or an excuse to be a dick to other human beings.

It's amazing how often humans confuse the two.

 

[Wilson23]

The question to be asked about any belief or belief system is, are these beliefs a guideline to be a better person or an excuse to be a dick to other human beings.

It's amazing how often humans confuse the two.

Many belief-systems have no implications either way.

 

[SkyBubble]

Whatever they told you, it was not that quantum mechanics implies God.

It pretty much was.

 

[BrightShinyGirl]

Many belief-systems have no implications either way.

Judaism is pretty much “how to live in harmony with other Jews”.

Then the Christians came along and inserted a bunch of extraneous stuff about belief, the afterlife, and salvation.

They took the rules for how to be a good Jew and ruined them by insisting everyone has to follow them and ignoring selected rules they personally didn’t like.

I understand the impulse … bacon cheeseburgers are pretty yummy. But if you’re going to be a stickler for Bronze Age rules you don’t get to pick and choose.

 

[Wilson23]

They took the rules for how to be a good Jew and ruined them

By substituting "Love thy neighbor"?

 

[BrightShinyGirl]

By substituting "Love thy neighbor"?

The Golden Rule is in Leviticus. Jesus didn't invent it.

Leviticus also commands us to treat strangers in our lands as we treat our fellow Jews.

 

[Wilson23]

The Golden Rule is in Leviticus. Jesus didn't invent it.

No, he just said it's all that matters. Love God, love your neighbor -- there is no third thing.

 

[Noor]

The Golden Rule is in Leviticus. Jesus didn't invent it.

Leviticus also commands us to treat strangers in our lands as we treat our fellows

Also Hillel on how to be a good Jew. Don’t do to your neighbors what you wouldn’t want done to yourself, all the rest is commentary.

 

[BrightShinyGirl]

No, he just said it's all that matters. Love God, love your neighbor -- there is no third thing.

Christianity as practiced both today and throughout history consists of a lot more dogma than just “love your neighbor”.

 

[Wilson23]

Christianity as practiced both today and throughout history consists of a lot more dogma than just “love your neighbor”.

Christian DOCTRINE -- what Christians are supposed to believe -- is complicated. It is complicated enough to have given rise to conflicting interpretations, heresies, schisms, even wars.

But Christian ETHICS -- what Jesus commanded Christians to do -- is simple: Love God, love your neighbor. Your neighbor being anybody and everybody who is not you. That's not EASY -- people are so inventive at coming up with reasons to hate them -- but it is simple. And there is no third thing. Just deal with everybody as if you love them, and nobody can fairly say you are not a good Christian in an ethical sense.

 

[BrightShinyGirl]

Christian DOCTRINE -- what Christians are supposed to believe -- is complicated. It is complicated enough to have given rise to conflicting interpretations, heresies, schisms, even wars.

But Christian ETHICS -- what Jesus commanded Christians to do -- is simple: Love God, love your neighbor. Your neighbor being anybody and everybody who is not you. That's not EASY -- people are so inventive at coming up with reasons to hate them -- but it is simple. And there is no third thing. Just deal with everybody as if you love them, and nobody can fairly say you are not a good Christian in an ethical sense.

I’m a Pragmatist. I don’t care about what Christians believe. I judge them by what they do.

 

[DraggonStone]

God is a verb

 

[Wilson23]

I’m a Pragmatist. I don’t care about what Christians believe. I judge them by what they do.

I believe that is called the heresy of Indifferentism.

 

[BrightShinyGirl]

I believe that is called the heresy of Indifferentism.

I believe that Judaism is superior to Christianity. It has a more robust tradition of open debate, and doesn’t try to convert nonbelievers.