Do you believe; and why?

[Lucidus]

(05-15-2019, 09:42 PM)Nebuchadnezzar Wrote: Since you don't believe it it may mean nothing to you but I have to say that even after the Hebrew saw the plagues in Egypt, saw the parting of the Red Sea, saw water come from rock, was fed every morning with Mana and every evening with fowl, they still rebelled. From Judges, Kings and Prophets, they still turned from God. Even after all the miracles performed by Jesus Christ, the Jews still rejected and it wasn't until the execution of Stephen that Salvation was preached to the gentile.

By the way, I hate televangelists and all those con men out there. Like the guy who said that God wanted him to have a private jet or those that say if they send them $100.00 they will pray for them. How about these fake faith healers? If they could actually heal, they should be down at Children's Hospital curing children left and right.

I'm ranting and on different topics, sorry.

In response to your first paragraph, the obvious question from most skeptics would be -- how can you know that any of that actually happened and is anything more than allegory? It seems to me that for these examples to have any merit beyond the metaphorical, it must first be established that the deity actually exists. If the deity doesn't exist or lacks evidence for it's existence, therefore leaving me with a lack of belief, the stories seem rather unimportant in any sense other than a literary appreciation.

As to your second paragraph, I agree. Whether one believes in a God or not, I think they can clearly see the disgusting lengths dishonest people will go to exploit and take advantage of within the "flocks". I believe most religious people are good, decent human beings. I just disagree with what they've chosen to believe; mostly for the reasons they chose to believe it. Those are disagreements we can discuss and debate though, and in doing so, we don't have to dislike or treat each other badly.