[Khadra]

Originally Posted by ThereIsHope

It's ridiculous because we're talking about religion here. Religion is the reason that a lot of people die all over the world everyday. It, for some people, depending on their beliefs, determines their eternity. Religion is a way of life for many, many people... And you're challenging that with a pot of gold who apparently has the ability to think?

So if lots of people died trying to get the pots of gold that didn't want to be found then it would be the same? Money and materialism is a way of life for money people. I fail to see the difference.

Originally Posted by ThereIsHope

Because if you can believe in God and put your trust in him based on what the Bible says, that's true devotion. But if you have to have everything displayed before you before you even think about believing, you would have never been devoted to God in the first place.

Again, would you trust a stranger? someone you've never met or talked to

Originally Posted by ThereIsHope

And Christians do talk to God. Prayer. In Christianity, you're meant to have a relationship with God. You pray and he answers, no, not verbally, but he answers. And as soon as this is read, some people will say, "Well, what about those people who pray for something and don't get it?" It's because God has a different plan. It's not about us, remember? Just because we want something doesn't mean we always get it.

If a five year old goes into a pet store and asks their father for a dog, does the father HAVE to get the child the dog? No. The child may not understand why daddy won't get them a puppy, but the father has his reasons.

Correction, christians talk AT god, and get no response. You can pretend something is a response or a "sign", but you have no proof that it is.

Originally Posted by ThereIsHope

It's different because I don't care whether or not you have five heads. If it was something that might change my life or future, then yeah, I'd care about it.

Whether you care or not is irrelevent though. It's the same thing. Just because you like something better it's allowed not to have proof? That's absurd.

Originally Posted by ThereIsHope

I did answer the first time. Here was my answer:



It's not about everyone getting to heaven. It's about those who follow God and believe in him by faith, like the Bible says. God would like for everyone to be able to make it into heaven, but unfortunately for them, there are people who need proof for everything, particularly religion.

So if you're an intelligent person who wants to be able to back up their claims you're not worthy to go to heaven? no matter if you're the nicest most honest and caring person in the world? How is asking for proof an "unfortunate" thing? How is blindly following something ever a good idea? If you met a stranger who said if you jumped off the bridge with them you'd go to a magical wonderful place called heaven, would you? no of course you wouldn't. Does that make sense to you because it sure doesn't to me. You wouldn't apply that same leap of faith to anything on earth, so how can you justify it in the case of an unprovable god?


EDIT: I apologize for the way I expressed myself. I realized after I wrote this that the tone of it is a little harsh. I'm not trying to criticize you. You have every right to believe what you want and the truth of the matter is that nobody knows for sure whether or not god exists. I'm just having a little trouble understanding the train of thought I guess. It seems a little hypocritcal to me to apply a different standard to the concept of god than to other things, but perhaps I'm just being a tad close-minded. I'd still like to hear what you have to say but I promise to be more respectful from now on.