What is religion

No.  Even though religion and god’s laws have never prevented all believers from stealing, murdering, etc…, it does have the effect of maintaining societal order in the vast majority of the populace.

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How exactly?

Salt, my Friend,

We disagree on several points.  The first, it all began when "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth"  (Genesis 1:1).

And, the sole purpose for the Christian faith is two fold:  First, to provide a path to eternal life for all who will, by grace through faith, believe and receive His precious gift.   Even refusing His gift -- one still has eternal life -- but, it is pure hell!

The second purpose of the Christian faith is to guide the believer through all the twists and turns of this Satan controlled earth -- helping us always keep our eyes on the real purpose of eternal life -- to spend that eternity in the glorious, joyful presence of God and all our fellow believers.

That, my Friend, is the Christian faith, God, Jesus Christ, and the Bible -- all in a nutshell!

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

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Religion maintains societal order in the vast majority of the populace by establishing supposed extreme punishments on any violators.  Most often, these punishments are death and eternal torture or eventual eternal torture.  The reward for obeying is an afterlife of eternal bliss in paradise.  For believers, the supposed promise of eternal bliss is far better than eternal torture. 

Salt, my Friend,

Some world religions, i.e., Islam, etc., imposes such punishment for breaking their laws.  We see that happening every day in our current world and society.  That is their Sharia Law.

However, Christianity does not do that.   God tells us what is pleasing to Him -- and because we love Him, we do our best to do as He wants.  That is called obedience and does not harm the believer.

However, when any of us transgresses the will of God -- we will have to eventually pay the piper.

You love your spouse -- and I would guess that you do things to please your spouse.  And, I would guess that you do not do things which you know displeases your spouse.  That is called love.

A person can do things against the will of his/her spouse -- cheat, lie, etc.   And, the person may get away with it for a long time.  But, one day, that person will get caught and have to pay the piper -- divorce, alimony, child support, etc.

The same with God.   One day all believers will have to stand before God (Jesus Christ) at the Believers' Judgment.  There we will all have to answer for all we have done (in word or deed) which is displeasing to God.  At that judgment seat, we will not lose our salvation -- for to be at the Believers' Judgment, we already are in heaven.   But, we will gain or lose rewards in heaven based upon what we do in this life.

Then, there is the Great White Throne Judgment for non-believers.  That judgment is indeed a judgment of punishment.   The person who stands before Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment has forfeited his/her eternal soul while in this life -- and has already condemned himself/herself to eternal punishment, by denying God, before mortal death. 

So, with God there is no threat of punishment; there are only the two doors -- heaven and hell -- and the free will to choose for yourself which you want to enter for eternity.

My Friend, eternity is a very, very long time -- as in NEVER ENDING!  So, while you still have the opportunity -- choose well, for there is no second chance after this mortal life.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

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And, in the modern rendition of this religion, it doesn't matter the scope of the sin, one still goes to heaven.  One could murder millions of people and just ask for forgiveness and its all good. 

Salt, my Friend,

I am not sure just which religion you have in mind.   But, in the Christian faith, we should ALL be happy that God is a God of mercy.   For in His mercy, He makes it possible for all people who will, by His grace through faith in Jesus Christ -- believe in Him and receive His gift of eternal life in Christ.

Would you rather He be a God who shows no mercy?  If that were true -- then NO ONE could ever be saved and have eternal life in Christ.  For NO ONE deserves life.  But, because of His mercy, we do not get what we deserve, death.  Instead, because of His mercy, He gives us His grace -- through which we can receive eternal life in Christ.

But, it seems that YOUR complaint is that those who are more guilty, and possibly those who wait until it is almost too late -- can still receive the same forgiveness as those who became believers early in life.    Once again, that is the mercy of God -- for which we all, especially atheist, should be grateful.   For YOU still have a chance.  Until that last breath in this mortal body -- YOU still have a chance.

However, once you have breathed that last breath in this mortal body -- all bets are off.  YOUR eternal fate is sealed.  And, NOTHING can change your eternal destiny at that time. 

So, my Friend, because eternity is a very, very long time -- choose well now while you have the opportunity.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

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I've been chewed up & spit out for saying that very same thing on here. Instead of just those that murder, I included those POS's that rape/sodomize babies & children.

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Took me a few minutes to get up off the floor. 

The person you just agree with has a great surprise awaiting him at those Gates. I hope you don't really believe the junk he's putting out here? He would be the LAST person to get thru said gates.

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There's some serious flaws in both of your logics.

You both assume that A.) There is a single god, and B.) Everybody believes in that god, and C.) People actually travel somewhere after they're dead.

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There's an old gospel song called "I'll Fly Away", wouldn't that be considered as travel?

Who, on this forum, fits both 1 & 2?

Of course guys. Come on in. Me casa is you casa!

Ya'll want some coffee or a drink? 

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Excuse me, could I use your phone, my wife is about to have some babies...

How many kids do you have?

Ok, ok....question for those of you arguing from a position of moral superiority:

What good is it to hit the "Cosmic Easy Button" (tm) ---as in 'ask a made-up skyboss for forgiveness and assume it is given because you 'said the right magic words' for doing something wrong to another person JUST TO COVER YOUR OWN ASS in an imagined afterlife, when to actually admit wrong/apologize/make restitution/make 'right' to the actual person you've wronged is the right and proper thing to do?  Huh? "What? You mean 'face the actual music???? F--- that!  Where can I get my easy button!?". Pfft. Ya, right? Somebody please 'splain the logic behind that, willya?  I already know it, but I wanna hear it from a believer.... Actually, I want other believers to hear it from a believer. 

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I understand where you're coming from but I don't think the answer will satisfy either one of us. I'm still waiting for an answer to my questions in my topic "What's Your Opinion" but there is no answer to be given, at least not a logical one.

James 1:27

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Its religion.  You won't get a logical answer, only double-speak mumbo jumbo.

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Bill's "opinion," in the matter you placed before us, is that there is no such thing as a "backslidden state."  Thus, whatever that hypothetical "saved" person might do or not do will in no way affect his/her salvation.  Bill will also opine that a person who is persistently and impenitently becomes deeply enmeshed in grievous sin probably was "never saved in the first place." Perhaps Bill totes around a salvation detector with which to distinguish between these two classies of persons. 

Bill himself is so deeply entrenched in his Calvinistic doctrine of perseverance that he blithely dismisses any and all scriptures that contradict his OSASininity or, as in the case of my recent challenges to him (relative to Colossians 1:23 and Hebrews 6:4-6) he makes an insupportable pretext that he has already successfully answered those challenges, when in fact he has done nothing but evade them. Bill antes up an additional and laughable  excuse that his aged computer impairs his ability to respond, all the while hanging around the forum and discoursing at length on numerous other matters with which he feels more at ease.

Bill is a slippery weasel,  but his weaselhood is evident to those alleged  "friends" upon whom he dumps his little sarcastic cartoons and epigrams and his insincere "Bless your _____hearts." 

I keep answering ya, Semi...  Even if it's just "my opinion." Religion is an imaginary disease dreamed up to sell you an imaginary cure.  In regard to the "What's your opinion" post- No. No, there is no "saved" because there is no skydaddy. WE ARE ALL WE HAVE.   No cosmic easy button.  Even if there was, common sense would tell ya that if following the rules is required to get the goodies- and you are NOT following the rules- then ya aren't entitled to the goodies.  Anybody who says otherwise is trying to change the rules in mid-game so that the odds are in their favor,(called 'cheating') which doesn't even make any sense if the same people profess that a separate entity invented and enforces the rules. (Called 'delusional). Asking skyboss for forgiveness does nothing for the actual person we have wronged. Only we can make it right.  Prayer is the most effective way to do absolutely nothing and still feel like you're helping....

  So it stands to reason that religion is pretty much made up on a whim and added to as soon as some dried-up old man figures out another way to repress women or just be a killjoy, and as such carries no weight or credibility with anyone capable of closing their mouth to breathe and who can actually stop, think, and get the big picture, which is extortion and crowd control perpetuated by false advertising.

Simply put, it's all 

I don't think it can be put any plainer than that, eh?

Ya, good point.  I'll wait witcha... lemme go get some more popcorn.