Would like to introduce myself and see what it’s like inside, but not sure why. More out of interest in the building architecture to be honest.

You can pop in for a look.

In response to OP, as an atheist I have no questions I wish to ask.

When I was in sixth form we had a series of “informal meetings” with religious leaders from our area. Sadly it wasn’t the success our school expected as the little sister of one of our best friends had recently been hit by a car and killed so there were a lot of questions around that.

When asked where God’s place was in this tragedy, 1 of the 4 representatives of their religion gave us a “sometimes shit stuff happens”. The rest doubled down on God having a plan for the family. I’ve not been super interested in most of their viewpoints from that time onwards.

If it was a Christian specifically, ask whether you have to believe in the Christian god to get into heaven. If so, that’s a bit unfair to all the people who lived prior to 0AD or after that date people that lived outside the Roman Empire and its latter offshoots in Europe.
If god is so omnipotent and “loves us” why did he only make himself known to the Jews initially. Bit unfair to Celts; Frankish tribes; Norse; Native Americans; Native Australians; Asians; inhabitants of Africa?

I’d also like to know why he allowed my son to be starved of oxygen at birth so he’s now got quadriplegic cerebral palsy and epilepsy.

I did have to bite my tongue when the hospital chaplain did her visits last week when my wife was having her first chemo session.

Cougar – Moderator
Why is the image of Jesus and his family localised, and how / when did that come about? Would Xtianity have been as popular in the West if we’d portrayed the virgin Mary et al as historically accurate figures from the Middle East?

Not just Jesus.
Robin Hood, King Arthur, Santa etc.
Communities seem to create the same myths and shared stories independently throughout history.
How and why they evolve independently and simultaneously is a topic you can lose yourself in very easily.

Nice thread op.
🙂

When you pray does god talk to you? If so, how does it differ from introspection in other people. If not, do you look for actions from god and how do you distinguish them from coincidence?

Does it make you personally happy and not harm anyone else? If so, crack on!

Another one on a similar vein to my first – if god sent Jesus to redeem us when the first shower he created went to shit, when is the next Jesus going to come along and rid us of the shower we (collectively worldwide) have in charge?

And following on from Murray – if god will answer personal prayers why doesn’t he play the bigger hand and not let the bad shit happen in the first place?

I’m genuinely increduluos that people still believe in religions. In my youth I imagined, given the state of our current knowledge, that belief in religion would wither and die.

Fair enough, but can’t you and others just save it for all the other threads. I suppose its naive to think this thread would be different but I did have hope even though I couldn’t manage faith 😉

Do you believe in fairies too?

Was Jesus the first major weed dealer?

Why do you need faith? Does the possibility of no after life scare you?

Has dog ever spoken to you? In fact why do you need to have faith.

Does god stick to speed limits?

What tyres for BPW in February?

yunki – Member

I’d ask if they’d like a cup of tea probably..

remember they might not want a cup of tea nsfw sound on the link

Nah, you’re good, I’m not particularly interested

taxi25 – Member

Fair enough, but can’t you and others just save it for all the other threads. I suppose its naive to think this thread would be different but I did have hope even though I couldn’t manage faith

I agree. answer the OP in the spirit intended

Does god stick to speed limits? x infinity.

Not just Jesus.
Robin Hood, King Arthur, Santa etc.

I’m not seeing the connection – they were all (allegedly) born here? Are you saying that in the Middle East they have a brown Robin Hood?

Nah, you’re good, I’m not particularly interested

But interested enough to read the post and reply saying you’re not interested? Do you ring up radio phone-ins to say “no comment” too?

Bizarre behaviour.

How do you balance the history of religion being so heavily linked to atrocities in both ancient and modern times to your faith?

Edit – oh and while you are at it can you ask God why my dad was a priest, as I haven’t spotted a religious bone in his body

If you could talk to a religious (specifically Christian) know-it-all, and ask anything at all about faith generally, or Christianity in particular, what sorts of things would you ask?

I’d ask them how to identify a witch

Do you believe God intervenes in the universe, or does he sit back and let it all play out?

Many of these questions have been answered on the many religion threads and the askers seem to have ignored the answers. I wonder why?

I wonder why?

Because they’re nonsense?

Catholic Atheist here.
🙂

Still find it all endlessly fascinating, love poking round old places of worship.

Visit all the places of worship you can – everyone’s the same, fundamentally, although I think the Muslims just shade the Quakers when it comes to putting a spread on.
Manchester Synagogue is a really good visit if you like local history and there’s an excellent Jewish Museum up the road in Cheetham Hill.

The more you meet people face to face, the more you realise, if you need to, that we’re pretty much all the same.

How does picking and choising from a religious text work.

Its either the one true text and you believe all of it or you don’t agree with some of it and therefore you must admit it could all be nonsense.

Or you are a hipocrit.

Thats my question its genuine although i recognise it a question of religion rather than faith i think it would produce some interesting answers.

Many of these questions have been answered on the many religion threads and the askers seem to have ignored the answers. I wonder why?

Not just here really. Most of these questions are ‘classic’ questions that have long been asked. The problem with a lot of the answers is that it does depend a bit on your viewpoint. A bit like the YouTube vid of Rowan Williams talking with Richard Hawkings. What you take out of it depends a lot on the direction you are looking

1 Most of the world’s population, billions of innocent people, are suffering in hunger and poverty, now and throughout history.
2 Evil is allowed to exist, run rampant, go unpunished, and attain positions of power more often than not. The world is unjust and life is unfair. Good people suffer and die young. And animals have to kill each other for food.
God is all-powerful and all-good, yet allows #1 and #2 to exist, both now and throughout history.

All three of the above CANNOT logically co-exist at the same time. The only logical possibilities are:

a) God/the Creator is not all powerful and cannot stop evil and suffering. (if so, then how did he create the whole universe?)
b) God/the Creator is evil, or not good, or doesn’t care. Or he has an evil side as well as a good side, like we do.
c) God doesn’t exist.
d) God/the Creator is nothing like what you think he is, or is something beyond your comprehension.
e) God/the Creator lets suffering and evil exist for reasons beyond your comprehension, and/or does not have the same morals that you do.

from http://www.debunkingskeptics.com/Christian_Problems.htm

I’d ask why I need god/religion when I’m happy enough without it?

The question raised to the catholic church about distributing it’s wealth more fairly is a good one btw.

Most of the world’s population, billions of innocent people, are suffering in hunger and poverty, now and throughout history.

Not now, we’ve made incredible progress in just the last 10 years. It’s more like 10% now. Here…

This thread needs a graph.

Not that religion can take any credit obviously. That would be capitalism. Quite possibly a deadly sin.

Any question?

How to break the speed of light? How to marry quantum mechanics and classical physics? Any question at all, truly anything and you will answer?

OK, here’s my question: Would you like some toast?

Cougar – Moderator

I’m not seeing the connection – they were all (allegedly) born here? Are you saying that in the Middle East they have a brown Robin Hood?

Not born here, sorry.

Pretty much everywhere has their own Robin Hood story.

Most cultures historically portrayed things they wished to encourage in their own image, but things they saw as negative in the image of someone outside the community.
Reinforcing the positive on one hand and the fear of the outsider on the other.

@Cougar (and anyone else wondering):

Right now, I am just soliciting questions. But my intention is to “answer” them as best I can in short order.

Keep ’em coming.

Piers Morgan?

OK, here’s my question: Would you like some toast?

No thanks, I’m a waffle man.

Oh, very well. Here’s my second question: Would you like a crumpet?

Hey Saxon Rider

As an unread layman who likes a bit of church action… Can I join the God Squad ?

Hoping not to muddy your waters, I’ll just give my personal experience ??

Not a question from me for those who believe in a deity, but one for the deity itself.

Does he/she/it still believe in us, after all the promise we showed and squandered? As we sit here, planet falling apart, squabbling among ourselves over money, land, status, putting our trust in princes to lead us into further mayhem, killing each other over nothing, was it worth the effort of creating us?

Does he/she/it still think we have a chance, and are worth saving?

Why is Jesus, a Jewish man born in the middle east, always pictured as having white, European skin?

His father was from Yorkshire.

He was, then, truly blessed 🙂

Sorry, as you were.

If Jesus was a Yorkshireman, he wouldn’t have been giving those fish away.

😉

So just saw SR last post… I’ll keep quiet until He has spoken 🙂

Not born here, sorry.

Pretty much everywhere has their own Robin Hood story.

The point he was making was that every culture’s ‘variant’ of Jesus comes from Bethlehem and hung out in that part of the world but is an aesthetic mirror of the people who are being told the story. The fact that every culture has their own version of the Robin Hood story of a local (to them) taking on the local rulers is really quite different.

I honestly don’t know what you mean, Ro5ey.

As an unread layman who likes a bit of church action… Can I join the God Squad ?

What does this mean, and why are you asking me?