Can you believe in evolution and the bible at the same time?

[Farbin Kaiber]

^ Fucking This!!!!

We are in agreement. The end is Near.

[KenC]

The important thing is that you try your best to follow that archetype that Jesus represents.

So be kind/charitable/forgiving? If you need "Jesus," "God," or a fear of "Hell" in order to be a nice guy, then you have some serious psychological deficiencies.

I'm an absolute athiest, and live by those principles every day.

[LBJefferies]

So be kind/charitable/forgiving? If you need "Jesus," "God," or a fear of "Hell" in order to be a nice guy, then you have some serious psychological deficiencies.

I'm an absolute athiest, and live by those principles every day.

Read what I said again. I said you don't even have to believe Jesus was a real guy, it's about the archetype that he represents.

I'm an atheist as well, but I don't deny that Jesus, whether he actually existed or not, was a good person. He was perhaps the best person. Do you see what I am getting at?

[ACMF74]

the part that i bolded here is a really good point and something that i really didn't think of much until now.

I attended a protestant church on a semi-regular basis when i was a kid. I was lucky enough to attend a church full of really great people who were very giving. They never had anything bad to say about any other person or any life experience. They were always very positive. They also never preached too much about morality and such. It was always just "love thy neighbor" basically. All anybody ever talked about was jesus.

So, i think jesus is really the only thing that matters. Everything else can be questioned and dismissed as crap. Most of the bible is just that, crap. It is fundamentally flawed because it was written by men and passed down through generations and translated countless times. It cannot be perfect.
As far as personal beliefs, you can be a deist if you want and believe that jesus was just a man. You don't even have to believe that he actually existed. It doesn't really matter. The important thing is that you try your best to follow that archetype that jesus represents.

as corny as it sounds, imagine if everybody in the world loved everybody else. Things would be better wouldn't they?

Amen

[KenC]

Read what I said again. I said you don't even have to believe Jesus was a real guy, it's about the archetype that he represents.

I'm an atheist as well, but I don't deny that Jesus, whether he actually existed or not, was a good person. He was perhaps the best person. Do you see what I am getting at?

Although I quoted a select section of your post, my reply wasn't meant as a retort; more of an addition.

Most of the Ten Commandments are great tennets to live by; I just wish society didn't have to deal with the rest of the shit that comes along with religion.

[E30Kaiser]

I just wish society didn't have to deal with the rest of the shit that comes along with religion.

Like people judging you? That part is just funny.

[KenC]

Like people judging you? That part is just funny.

I was referring more to wars and religion-based social policies.

[E30Kaiser]

I was referring more to wars and religion-based social policies.

I guess, though I wouldn't say fuck religion because of those. Dedicated secularization can take care of the latter, and the former will happen regardless.

[ACMF74]

Fanatics will always use religion as a reason for war/personal gain.

[ck_taft325is]

Fanatics will always use religion as a reason for war/personal gain.

The same Fanatics can always use ANYTHING, even anti-religion as their rallying point to gain power. It's not "religion" (in this context, God's) fault that bad shit happens. Let blame lay where blame is deserved. People in general suck.

KenC, you said you live by those base principles in regards to morality everyday, yes? Yet don't "need God, or a belief in Hell" to go about it? I'll challange that this makes you (in general) self-righteous. Just based off your "if you need this then you're fucked up" phrasing of the statement. I commend it none the less and in spite of you being a bit of a high-horsed douche. Read C.S. Lewis' "The Last Battle". The whole last half of the book reminds me of your general (seeming) character.

[Farbin Kaiber]

Speaking of C.S. Lewis, I enjoyed the Screwtape Letters very much.