Muhammed mentioned in the Bible and Torah.

[MJRomeo81]

Assuming that God is all powerful and all loving and all that, why does he even care who worships him? Why is worship even necessary? Furthermore, are there any good reasons as to why people are punished for not believing?

John 3:16 -  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

[slothpomba]

Agree; I have no problem with religion but I have plenty of problems with organized religion.

Deism might be your thing then.

[Mao]

Assuming that God is all powerful and all loving and all that, why does he even care who worships him? Why is worship even necessary? Furthermore, are there any good reasons as to why people are punished for not believing?

John 3:16 -  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

If God loved the world so much, why not give everyone eternal life?

[MJRomeo81]

There is a difference between eternal life and immortality.

Immortality is to live forever as a resurrected being. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, EVERYONE will receive this gift.

Eternal life is the phrase used in scripture to define the quality of life that our Eternal Father lives. Eternal life, or exaltation, is to live in God's presence and to continue as families. Like immortality, this gift is made possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. However, to inherit eternal life requires our “obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.”

God never sends anyone to hell. People send themselves to hell if they do not believe the word of the Lord.

(I'm not trying to start a religious debate - I'm just answering some questions. I'm not the type of person who forces others to agree with me. I respect all beliefs).

[Russ]

God never sends anyone to hell. People send themselves to hell if they do not believe the word of the Lord.

That's a pretty thin argument for an omnipotent being.

Deism might be your thing then.

Yeah, Spiritual Deism. I flirted with Buddhism but it's not something I spend much time worrying about, so that was all.

[MJRomeo81]

As I've previously mentioned I don't want this turning into a "does God exist" debate. I can sit here for hours and preach the scripture but honestly I wouldn't expect anyone to change their mind.

I'm willing to discuss small things such as the OPs post though.

[Russ]

You might have misunderstood me, I wasn't attacking the existence of/the power of God. I was just saying that if he has the power to save people from hell, then he is sending them there by not doing so.

[MJRomeo81]

You might have misunderstood me, I wasn't attacking the existence of/the power of God. I was just saying that if he has the power to save people from hell, then he is sending them there by not doing so.

I see your argument and I understand the viewpoint. I guess it's kind of hard to explain without reading the scriptures. God is the creator of life and He has provided us with the opportunity to enter his kingdom. We were supposed to be a certain way, but then when The devil tempted adam and eve with the tree of knowledge of good and evil, he realized that we couldn't be the way he had intended for us because sin is our natural nature.

God saved us with the crucifiction of Christ. It's your choice on whether you believe in Jesus.

[pi]

God saved us with the crucifiction of Christ. It's your choice on whether you believe in Jesus.

Would like to add something here on the people 'saved' during the crusades, but I won't

[ninwa]

Immortality is to live forever as a resurrected being. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, EVERYONE will receive this gift.

Everyone??! I don't want it! :\ you'd get sooooo bored living forever

[Mao]

Immortality is to live forever as a resurrected being. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, EVERYONE will receive this gift.

Everyone??! I don't want it! :\ you'd get sooooo bored living forever

But but, ENDLESS scientific knowledge!

Oh wait, wrong thread.

[enwiabe]

MJRomeo, you could preach scripture at us all day. But at the end of the day, it's just endless white noise and fairy stories. Show proof for such an absurd claim.

You've been brainwashed into believing your fairy stories by either your parents or your school or your pastor or perhaps all three. I feel for the damage that has been done to your critical thought processes (abandoning the need for evidence of such a ridiculous claim, you wouldn't believe anyone who told you that balancing a spoon on your nose for 2 hours a day would improve your eyesight unless they could show proof), but I invite you to investigate the utterly stunning improbability that a book written 2000 years ago when humanity was still breaking out from the savagery which encapsulated it for 100,000 years is the word of 'God', much less that 'God' exists. A book which condones slavery, says explicitly that women are not allowed to teach or hold authority over men, condones stoning homosexuals to death.

The list goes on. It's disgusting and abhorrent.

[jacob_power]

MJRomeo,  how do you deal with all the contradictions in the Bible?

Have you looked at any of them?

Also, what makes you so sure that someone didn't just write the Bible and make the whole thing up?
How do you know that someone didn't? What makes you so sure and confident?

[MJRomeo81]

Have you looked at any of them?

Have you read the Bible? Or are you going off atheist fan pages who take things out of context?

Also, what makes you so sure that someone didn't just write the Bible and make the whole thing up?
How do you know that someone didn't? What makes you so sure and confident?

Once again, if you've actually read the Bible you would understand. Would you bad-mouth a text you have never read? Try reading it and you will find answers.

it's just endless white noise and fairy stories.

I thought Admins had more respect than that. Your statement is offensive and I doubt I'm not the only person offended when I read this. I don't go typing stuff like "you better believe son or i'll condemn you to hell!!!". Once again, I clearly said this is not the place to discuss the existence of God. So I am going to decline your invitation since your post is nothing more than an attempt to get me banned (I know you want me to go on a rant). Your mods probably had a cry in the carbon tax thread.

You've been brainwashed into believing your fairy stories by either your parents...

Highly offensive material. You must feel like a big man sitting behind the PC calling out my family like that...

 you wouldn't believe anyone who told you that balancing a spoon on your nose for 2 hours a day would improve your eyesight unless they could show proof)

Poor analogy. You're a bright one aren't you. Keep embarrassing yourself. Moving along...

but I invite you to investigate the utterly stunning improbability

And evolution isn't an utterly stunning probability?

What's disgusting and abhorrent Daniel is your pathetic attempt to get me banned. I specifically stated I wasn't on ATAR Notes to discuss the existence of God and then I see you insulting my views and challenging me to a debate.

I couldn't give a damn if you have no faith. We all know how religious debates end. No one changes their mind and the guy with less power gets banned. Well I'm not gonna turn it into that.

ATAR Notes (AN) will always be a safe community environment for all denominations of society. This means no racism, homophobia, or discrimination of any kind. Any comments making mass generalisations on the basis of sex, race, religion, or sexual preference must be supported by citable empirical evidence. AN takes a zero-tolerance policy to such bigotry.

You dun' goofed.

[ninwa]

Once again, if you've actually read the Bible you would understand. Would you bad-mouth a text you have never read? Try reading it and you will find answers.

Reading the bible is what turned me atheist. I would most definitely bad-mouth a text which tells me I'm inferior because I have a vagina, promotes incest, rape, murder, extreme bigotry and slavery, and expects people to mindlessly worship a vengeful, violent, jealous and heartless god.

Nobody is going to ban you for having an opinion. If you don't want to debate, then don't, but don't go making up excuses for it.