h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I think you have a point here Mangadora,

Wouldn't hell for a fundamentalist christian be a place where everyone believed in what they wanted to and peoples of all races and genders etc. etc. got on in peaceful harmony, free from being judged by self-righteous bigots.

Heaven would be a place where only one type of belief system is tolerated and everyone else is excluded and marginalised. Homosexuals are forced to be straight and Judgement is delivered to the "lost souls" without prejudice. And country music plays constantly.

Hmm, such a choice...

Ste

Buggrit, got your name wrong, many apologies Mandragora.

ne'er mind, I'll add it to the list...
at least yours is easy to spell, even when drunk.

Unusually quiet...

Oh, Caleb.

"i beleive that the spell checker is another way we get the machines to think for us so we don't have to i don't use it because if we can't think for ourselves we are not realy human are we? so what i do is i just spell as closely as possible for a informal thing like this." - I learned to spell. It helps, and it's not really that difficult. Maybe your english teacher could help....

"i also have decited not to use a calculator any more" - I hope your maths is better than your spelling, or you're going to have a lot of fun when you go shopping.

"no, paul was a teacher of the gospel not the founder of the religion. he only taught to the church of the corinth what jesus had taught.i don't hava a bible handy right now but i will get back to you with a specific refrence." - I wonder if you're missing my point on purpose. Here it is again, in words as simple (and correctly spelled) as I can manage....

Christians believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Paul's teachings are in the Bible; therefore they are the inspired Word of God. You cannot simply say that some portions of the Bible were meant only for Corinth, or Ephesus, or wherever; either the Canon of Scripture is the inspired Word of God or it is not. You can't have it both ways. Romans 10v9 is still relevant, isn't it? "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." On what grounds is this still relevant when Paul's instruction for women to be silent is not? They're both contained in letters to specific churches.

In addition, if you DO explain away parts of Paul's teachings as not relevant to modern Christians, then you establish a precedent. Other people can then say that the anti-homosexual stuff is no longer relevant.

There, I've said it. Homoesxuality is not really condemned in the Bible because the scriptures were written for a different time and culture.

Prove me wrong, Caleb. (Or Josh:- I've not heard from you in a while)

I agree. There are only three points of view concerning any holy book:

I) It is completely true and all aspects of it shall be followed. In which case we get back to not wearing two different types of cloth and women being quiet in church.

II) There is no reason for any of it to be true. In which case you may as well adopt the morality of your choice without seating it in faith.

III) There is a heart of truth, but some aspects are incorrect or no longer relevant. The writers of the various books were just as likely to twist their writings to their own ends as modern interpreters of the book are. In which case, you can take any part of the book you disagree with and ignore it. It becomes a matter of personal choice what passages to follow.

I take the second viewpoint. Most of the Christians I know take the third. Both groups seem pretty well-adjusted and happy. I only personally know a few from the first category, and without exception they have been miserable and unpleasant, causing more problems for other people when they solve.

There is a paradox at the heart of Christianity; the teachings of Christ say that followers should tolerant and considerate of other people so they in turn will receive mercy when judged. Therefore, it encourages Christians to do unselfish things for very selfish reasons.

I'd be interested to hear caleb or Josh say what they think will happen to someone who lives a good life, helping others all the way, but was never baptised and never acknowledged Christ. Is he damned for failing to 'come to the fold'? Or is he granted heaven for all the good work he has done?

I d'no, Queex- I'd say that the 3rd is a better one, in that some things in the Bible obviously are truthful, i.e. 'Be nice'.
I'm a non-Christian trying to live a christian (small 'c') life.

"...I'm a non-Christian trying to live a christian (small 'c') life."

non-christian:- therefore going to Hell.
christian life:- absolutely no fun at all.

Boy, you get it in the neck both ways, don't you?

BTW, anyone see where the fundamentalists went? They don't seem to be here anymore.

I think we scared them away

This is now my longest h2g2 thread

Oh, I'm having plenty of fun... spesh'ly here.

we wam't amd accept all in "my heven". i know people who i don't like that will be there when i am there. this doesn't mean that i wan't them to go to hell. i beleive heven is a big place, much bigger than we could ever fathem, if there is someone that you don't like then you don't have to see them. it is possable to live in total solitude.

just because i am a christian doesn't mean that i like country music. in fact i can't stand it!!!!!!!!!

he would be "damned". your actions don't get you in to heven. you must beleive in the lord jesus christ and profess him as your savior. following the lord in baptisim is not necessarily required but it is a way of publicly professing that you are a christian. you can ask jesus into your life and still lie cheet steel kill and continue sinning until the day you die, but unless you ask for forgiveness and you are truly sorry, you would be held acountable for all of your sins.

this is not entirely true.
non-christian: going to hell unless they accept christ as their savior
christian life: lots of fun. just because your are trying to lead a good life doesn't mean that life has to be boring. just go to a baptist revival sometime. good food great friends. of cours what you think constitutes fun is getting drunk cursing up a storm and haveing sex with three girls and four guys you've never met before and never care to meet again. i goe to parties but i don't drink,or smoke any thing to "get high " some get high on lsd some on pcp but i get high on G-O-D

I picked this one up in my cyber travel through the Bible Belt in the US.
<quote>
Dear Dr. Laura,
Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's unchangeable law. I have learned a great deal from you, and I try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind
him that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate.

I do need, however, advice from you regarding some of the specific laws and how to best follow them. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord. (Lev. 1:9) The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them at all. How should I best deal with this?
I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as it suggests in Exodus 21:7, but in this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanness (Lev. 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.
Lev. 25:44 states that I may buy slaves from the nations that are around us. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans but not Canadians. Can you clarify?

I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination (Lev. 10:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?

Lev. 20:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear prescription glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.


Alji

(who got modded?)

Caleb, thankyou for your definition of conservative Christian life; not so for the hugely insulting depiction of the rest of us. You honestly believe that?
'Of cours (sic, please learn to spell. Illiteracy is nowt to be proud of and I'm losing the patients to wade through your mistakes.) what you think constitutes fun'- what are your sources on this?
-'getting drunk'- I don't drink much. Mostly cos I don't have the money and most drinks I don't like (brew your own, it's much better.) I don't think getting drunk is either fun or a viable social activity.
-'cursing up a storm'- swearing? I only swear when I'm either in pain or extremely annoyed beyond words. This thread is making me swear. Otherwise, unnecessary swearing means you're not literate enough to come up with a proper way of putting it. (or, in your case, haven't got a proper argument so you revert to baseless insults.)
-'sex with 3 girls and 4 guys'- I take it this is meant for me since I'm bi- I wish mate! actually, no, I wouldn't have the time. Besides, it'd be a logistical nightmare.
-'you've never met before and never care to meet again'.- I would never have sex with someone I didn't know, like and trust. Obviously, it seems if it's outside marriage it can't be any of these things. For your information, just to put you straight (heheh...) I am in a serious relationship (with Queex up there, 'n fact) have been for 3 years, and promiscuity does not appeal to me. I don't currently have a girlfriend but if I did I would be faithful to both. In any case, I take sex partners from my circle of friends.
You basically just called me a slut (and everyone else too, if it was a general insult). tho judging from your 'keep her legs closed' comments you don't seem to have that high an opinion of women anyway.
Where did you get that o-so-clever jingle? Charming. (the Devil has all the best tunes, it's true.)
As for drugs, there are some I'd do and some I wouldn't. I would never smoke cigarettes (avoiding British slang for sake of subject matter..., drink to get bladdered or take anything that I'd end up doing out of compulsion rather than free will. I did my own research and came to my own conclusions, rather than simply copying.
You can get high on laughter, too- I'm having a ball...
That post was easily the most insulting thing I've ever read onsite. Unpleasant assumptions about those who don't agree with you is not valid- grow up, lad! age is no excuse for bad manners.

Mandragora , please tell a "biggot" such as myself what do you people think constitutes "fun". you think just because i am a christiani don't have any "fun",and yet you say that you take part in none of the "sinful activities" that i implied. so what can you do that is fun that i as a christian cannot, please tell me, because if you have nothing then you have proven my point.





oh and rockett man i am still waiting on your reply on post 77

caleb

Caleb,
the main reason why i didn't reply to your posting was because it was so incoherant that i lost interest. I cannot be bothered to try to present a balanced argument to you, because i think you're an idiot. That doesn't have much to do with your religious beliefs, just the way that you argue them.

<>

I'm quoting all of this, because i cannot see what your point is.

I'm not offended by you accusing me of being gay. I'm just pointing out that i, and everyone else on this thread, can see how narrow minded you are.

Please don't refer to us as 'you people', from your mouth it sounds derogatory. All of us who are disagreeing with you have different opinions and ideas of fun. None of us are daft enough to really think that Christians have no fun THAT WAS A JEST.

I don't think that Christians have no fun, I know several who do.
Sinful activities- I refuted your arguments 'cos they were daft. You accused me of drug abuse, promiscuous and (presumably) unsafe sex, and generally being a lout. If you think that all non-Christians are like this, you really should get out more... have any of us made such an insulting generalisation?
What I do, that you find so offensive to your beliefs, is have unmarried sex, support women's right to choose as regards abortion, and I'm attracted to both sexes. Not everyone, of course, would find this fun (and no one would consider the second as such.) You suggested entirely without evidence that I was an antisocial moron.
Presumably your type of Christian misses out on fun in that they judge others by things which in no way affect their personalities. This could lose you a lot of friends.