First off we are not just waiting around to die, although i am not afraid of death.I know one day I will be with Jesus and my parents again. What a sad life if you believe this is it. And God did give us laws but they are intended to set you free give you everlasting life not make you fell guilty or control you. When you ask Jesus in your Heart you change for the better you no longer want to do the bad thing you once did. You make that chose not anyone else. You see God also gave us free will. I choose what I do. And I choose to follow God. Do you realize Jesus Died on a cross was beaten and Humiliated first so you could be free. He did nothing to deserve that but love us. All he ask in return is that you believe in him. Love him and each other with all your heart. How hard is that. If it is certain churches that you have issue with, keep looking you will find one right for you. But please do not deny God. Your very soul depends on it. I hope to see you in heaven.

Jesus is coming soon... are you ready? that is all that matters

God was not invented. God created man and all that you can see. I would like to see science create a tree without a seed, water, dirt,or sunlight that is provided by _______?
We are bad people that use God as a means to help usand as you said to gain power or invoke evil.
We alter the Bible teachings and verses we have heard not read for ourselves!
We are a flock of free will!!!!
We do have a manual but it remains dusty! BIBLE
We make fun of the verses and avoid walking a good life
We were put here for a reason.
Our time is not used wisely
Our mind can be changed to be bad just as easy as it is to change a light bulb.
We allow those with the power to give us their rules!
We should learn to open our own play book more often! BIBLE AGAIN!
GOD IS NOT A CONSPIRACY THEORY!!!!!
Look at the ocean and you do not see man making that.....Touch the grass it is not fake!
Look into the eyes of a new born....That is pure love and we chose to make it good or evil.
We spit and litter the ground that holds so much beauty. We hurt others that love and nourish us when we are young.....We grow into cynical mindless idiots that government wants us to be.
We fall into drug induced stuprs blaming whomever we choose but not ourselves. We are the fools here!
Government has so much conspiracy but they chose to blame GOD for it....We are a society of hypocrits that are so stupid that we cannot see our way out of an open door or to answer when a savior knocks
You want character read it all the way to the end
Abundant life
John 10:10:
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Citizenship
Romans 13:1-7:
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Titus 3:1
Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good.

Cleanliness
2 Corinthians 7:1
Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Consecration
Romans 12:1,2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Contentment
Philippians 4:11-13
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

1 Timothy 6:6
But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Courage
Psalm 27:14
Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Diligence
Romans 12:11
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Duty
Luke 20:21-25
So the spies questioned him: "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
He saw through their duplicity and said to them, "Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?"
"Caesar's," they replied.
He said to them, "Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

Endurance
Luke 21:9-19
When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away."
Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
"But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. This will result in your being witnesses to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life.

2 Timothy 2:3
Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

Faith
Matthew 8:5-13
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering."
Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him."
The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.

Mark 11:22-24
"Have[a] faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Faithfulness
Matthew 25:23
His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

Forgiveness
Mark 11:25-26
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

Ephesians 4:31-32
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Freedom
John 8:31-36
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants[a] and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Fruitfulness
John 15:1-8
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Godliness
Titus 2:11-14
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Happiness
Matthew 5:3-12
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Holiness
1 Peter 1:13-16
Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

Honesty
2 Corinthians 8:21
For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.

Honor: Parents, others
Ephesians 6:1-3
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise— "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth

1 Peter 2:17
Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

Hope
1 Peter 1:13
Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Humility
Luke 18:9-14
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about[a] himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Philippians 2:3-11
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Joy
Luke 10:20
However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

John 15:11
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Kindness
Colossians 3:12-13
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Labor
John 9:4
As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.

Love
Luke 10:27
He answered: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[a]; and, 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'

1 Corinthians 13
If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Obedience
John 14:15-24
"If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"
Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

Acts 5:29
Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!

Overcoming
John 16:33
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Patience
Hebrews 10:36
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

Peacefulness
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Romans 12:18
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Perseverance
Mark 13:5-13
Jesus said to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains."You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit."Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Prayer
Luke 11:1-13
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."He said to them, "When you pray, say:
" 'Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.' "
Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'
"Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Ephesians 6:18
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Pure thinking
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Purity
Matthew 5:27-32
You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery

2 Timothy 2:22
Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Reading the Bible
John 5:39
You diligently study[a] the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me

Psalm 1:2
But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 119:97
Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.

Resolution
Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Righteousness
Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,for they will be filled.

Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Sincerity
Philippians 1:9-10
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,

Steadfastness
1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Stewardship
1 Corinthians 4:2
Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Temperance
1 Thessalonians 5:6-8So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

Trust
Psalm 37:3-5
Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Truth
John 14:6
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 17:17
Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

Ephesians 4:14-15
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Victory
1 Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 John 5:4
for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

Watchfulness
Mark 13:34-37
It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch."Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'

Worship
John 4:23-24
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

Zeal
Romans 12:11
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

If you don't beleive in God how do you get up in the morning. if this is all there is to life why not end it now. what about the people you have lost where are they? i could go on if i thought they were just decaying somewhere. what a sad life for all those who don't believe. you have never God. and i will pray that you do. He loves you enough to die for you and all he ask is that you accept that. how is that to blame for all that is wrong with this world? it isn't guilt we feel, once we know he we changed. we love one another and understand that all of this does not matter. i am here only to make sure you get to heaven with me.

Joe Jonas Lover PROBABLY

True what you say, in some way what humanity really needs is respect and love, for life, for nature, for themself, Religions again are not that bad, if you look for the Pros and Cons of religion you will see it has more Pros, and you are attacking all religions, you cannot judge all of them for the Fear and chaos that the Catholic church put on the world, there are a lots of religion that do not embrase or used fear as a way of control, insted they teach balance, how to control your inner self and how to get enlightment via meditation, science and doing positive actions, they tell you that every actions you do is energy and that this same energy will come back to you in different ways (like it is said in science every action has a reaction), which I think is true, what is really wrong with christian releigions is that either you accept Jesus as the way to save yourself or you are doom for eternity (which for me looks like a lot of time), also that they tell you how to live your life (basically restricting you from pretty much anything that is not on their laws, but the goverments also do that, only that they kill you or put you in jail, and take a lots of money from you), also the theory of the Devil and evil that they tell you, every single act you do could be considere good or bad depeding the point of view, the good and evil is inside of you, and both can be manage by you depending what your belives are (like you said) and in general religion teach you so really good thing, (like not to kill, not robe, not to lie, etc.), apart from this religions gives you a sense of a healthy comunity (that is far bether than kids doing drugs in an ally or gangs, kids having sex, or what ever other destructive actions that you will see kids doing this days) People that are out of church has more probability of been drug abusers, killers, thiefs, or any other behavior that again in most people points of view (including the law) are wrong, also they teach love, love is the most powerfull force on the universe, for it people can do wonderful things, most of the humanity really wonderfull creations where made because of love, love to a person, love for art, love for job, love for a profesion, everything is better when you put love to it,and is what is missing in this world, love, that in fact is their main teach, which is not bad. Other than that people might not need relegions but they will always need a God (or that force of balance, not control), or less put it in other words, they will always need a place to go or reach after their current existense, is really a human need for inmoratality that will always be there.

God does exist, it is a force like gravity, like electricity, is force of balance not of control, it something that lives inside of you and that links us all together, is where we go when we die, we are all matter, and matter does not disapear it changes, I do belive there are more levels of existence, but not the ones that relegions tells you, for example, heaven and hell, what if I do not want to go eitheir place? do I have an options, and also the day of judgment, if I have a supposed free will, why Im been judge for the things I did? that just does not make any sense, God is not an human figure, or control, instep in balance. And relegion will always exist this is until the humans finds a way to become inmortal, inmortallity is mans disire since the beggining of time, religion and the soul theory is just way to acomplish this, by giving themself and inmortal soul they acomplish this dream in theory that makes men a feeling of belonging, that they are part of something bigger, you guys can say wathever you want but apart from the control you mentioned, the political power (not that much power any more) and money that it generates, religion gives a hope to some lose poeple, also is healthy way to stay out of situations that might damage you in a lots of ways, drinking, having sex without marrige, drugs, homosexuality, and all those thing are not bad thing in some way but when you go over the board with this, that is what makes them bad or not good for you, so religion gives this type of restriction that humanity really needs, without the feeling of fear humanity will destroy themselve really fast, that is why you see that the respect for life is decreasing, people kill people for nothing.

Elin

Good job on the subject of this thread. God is not only a conspiracy theory, it is the biggest most manipulated human mistake in history. God doesn't exist, only religion does-religion that has been used and abused by the clergy for centuries to control people. By using fear(that they created) and promising escape and protection from that fear, they have placed themselves in the position of power. The world is waking up, albeit very slowly. In a century or two historians will look back on this time with humor and shake thier heads. "How could they have been so blind?" How many millions have died for God already--enough is enough.

Jeff-

How many Christians can claim they have read the Bible all the way through? I'm a firm atheist, but I have read the majority of your holy writ. I know all the stories and can still recite many of the verses I memorized in Sunday school. Many Christians can't claim the same. I know the Bible and I think many of its messages are good in origin, but they have been twisted over the centuries. I stand by Gandhi on this one; "I like your Christ, but I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

Christianity, and indeed any religion, does not match up to science in my eyes. I've found far more joy in learning that whales have rudimentary femur bones than in learning that Jesus theoretically died on a cross for my sins, so please do not degrade my version of faith.

Also, your comment about philosophers, doctors, and scientists means absolutely nothing. Plato? Socrates? Thomas Jefferson? Benjamin Franklin? Ernest Hemmingway? Charles Darwin? Voltaire? Gandhi? You are insinuating that all of these men were idiots, when nothing could be farther from the truth. Not to mention that I could easily use the above list to say you are an idiot for believing in God, considering so many brilliant people didn't.

Bottom line, don't insult my intelligence and my lack of faith, and I won't insult yours. Do unto others, yes?

I'm curious... How many people posting about God, religion, and theology have actually read the Bible all the way through? Most people are good at repeating things they hear others say, but have a difficult time thinking for themselves. While several are accusing Christians of that, I would invite you to think for yourself and consider the claims that Christianity is making. Not the claims of televangelists or some megachurch pastor, but listen to the claims of Scripture and then think about them rather than just dismissing them. Too many people would rather dismiss something that goes against their belief than explore the possibility of being wrong and I would encourage everyone in this forum to use their God-given intellect for the reason that God has given it to us. A vast number of philosophers, doctors, and scientists throughout the centuries have been intellectually convinced of Christianity and unless you consider yourself smarter than the brightest people in history, I invite you to consider and weigh things for yourself.
Grace and Peace,
Jeff

What good does it do to tell other people to believe or not to believe, let folks make up their own mind. We spend way to much time in telling other people they are wrong & how to live their lives, thats why we are fighting with other countries, they tell us what to believe & how to live & we tell them the same. What did they or we prove.....? I'm right & your wrong theory.

Exactly !! oh you know some people still believe that god created man, rejecting evolution theory...lol !!
Humans should believe in themselves, in humankind than in a god, even if it s always easier to pray for all their problems to a spiritual father.