One for the atheists as well as the religious folk whatever your denomination to help with a story I'm writing.
Imagine this scenario.
A few months from now you switch on your TV after dozens of phone notifications tell you to 'turn the TV on now!!!'
You switch on the news and every channel (yes, even Dave) is reporting that we have been contacted by life from another planet. In the following weeks the beings/entities etc arrive on this planet in a huge spaceship and tell the world that we were created by their ancestors hundreds of thousands of years ago in a science experiment and the reason for the visit of our 'makers' was to conduct another experiment and see how mankind in 2016 would handle hearing the truth of our creation.
So the questions are as follows.
For the religious folk.. Would that shake your faith immeasurably?
For the atheists... Would these revelations give you any comfort and what would be the existential fallout for you?
I think even the most stoic of atheists would be a bit disheartened to learn we were a science experiment. Perhaps some religious people would consider it all a test of faith.
A question of faith
posted on 8/9/16
comment by thebluebellsareblue (U9292)
posted 27 seconds ago
comment by Zlatanariyan (U19849)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by thebluebellsareblue (U9292)
posted 5 minutes ago
The idea of a christian caliphate in europe is interesting....alongside humanist one's, of course.
Perhaps we could do a people swap with christians in muslim lands, and vice versa, so we can live happily apart, as that is what a muslm caliphate, under sharia suggests to me???
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Far from it IMO. Living together isn't an issue. Even having own laws isn't an issue.
If Muslims followed proper Islam and Christians proper Christianity then there is little.dispute really
Its the versions that cause the conflict
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Actually, that is so true, if only we put into action what is preached, rather than distorting to hate and divide.
I doubt the truly devout muslim or jew or christian are attacking each other?
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Unfortunately too many people out there with power who ultimately benefit from conflict and use religion to masses who are in essence uneducated even in what they claim to follow
posted on 8/9/16
comment by Zlatanariyan (U19849)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by thebluebellsareblue (U9292)
posted 1 minute ago
There are plenty of gay folk in the wider reformed church, some in the catholic church, but virtually none in islam.
We have openly clergy in protestant churches, and gay marriage in what was RC Eire.....and in traditionalist NI.
All about tolerance, respect and love dudes, as God is love😁
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Strange thing is the biblical God is less about love from scripture
Female mosques and gaay mosques exist too
But the issue is one of why not be gaay but accept then it isn't either of these religions. Or in the case of Islam, which I have studied in greater detail tbh, being an alcoholic or adulterer in itself doesnt make you a disbeliever. Its saying it is allowed within the faith that does.
This gets missed out a lot IMO.
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Old testament tends to have a stronger message on many issues, such as eye for an eye, and no shellfish, or man laying down with anothr man,,but the New Testament is more God is love.
I have been told about gay mosques, but there is a hardline attitude to homosexuality among many followers of islam, n comarison to wider society, surely
In belfast we have the same viewsby some protestant and catholic conservatives, and I know more orhodox jews have similar opinions on gay matters.
posted on 8/9/16
comment by Zlatanariyan (U19849)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by thebluebellsareblue (U9292)
posted 27 seconds ago
comment by Zlatanariyan (U19849)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by thebluebellsareblue (U9292)
posted 5 minutes ago
The idea of a christian caliphate in europe is interesting....alongside humanist one's, of course.
Perhaps we could do a people swap with christians in muslim lands, and vice versa, so we can live happily apart, as that is what a muslm caliphate, under sharia suggests to me???
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Far from it IMO. Living together isn't an issue. Even having own laws isn't an issue.
If Muslims followed proper Islam and Christians proper Christianity then there is little.dispute really
Its the versions that cause the conflict
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Actually, that is so true, if only we put into action what is preached, rather than distorting to hate and divide.
I doubt the truly devout muslim or jew or christian are attacking each other?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Unfortunately too many people out there with power who ultimately benefit from conflict and use religion to masses who are in essence uneducated even in what they claim to follow
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yup, the religous wars in Eurow, Spanish inqusition, anti and pro-reformation massacres, civil strife in NI and Eire, muslim v christian in Africa and the ME, jew v arab muslim in Israel and Palestine, sunni v shia to this day, the Ottoman empire and slaughter of Armenians by turks.
Foreign policy from blair and bush, combined with crazy leaders such as Saddam, Gadaffi and Assad have allowed islamist extremists to stir the pot too.
posted on 8/9/16
I see the conversation has moved from alien gods then.
posted on 8/9/16
comment by Genius_AppleCart_Space_Dude_Featuring_Zorak (U19099)
posted 9 minutes ago
I see the conversation has moved from alien gods then.
-----
I was gonna chime in in relation to the original post... but I guess there's no point to that anymore
posted on 8/9/16
comment by Genius_AppleCart_Space_Dude_Featuring_Zorak (U19099)
posted 9 minutes ago
I see the conversation has moved from alien gods then.
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Yup, we are on muslim v jew vulcans now.
posted on 8/9/16
For what it's worth though, aliens shouldn't shake anyone's faith...
The creation of man is insignificant to the rest of what's out there... so the existence of aliens shouldn't knock a religious person's socks off...
As for aliens calling themselves Gods... they can do one... Many men have claimed the same in the past... so they'd something more original
posted on 8/9/16
comment by Memphis_bleek #United (U20611)
posted 38 seconds ago
comment by Genius_AppleCart_Space_Dude_Featuring_Zorak (U19099)
posted 9 minutes ago
I see the conversation has moved from alien gods then.
-----
I was gonna chime in in relation to the original post... but I guess there's no point to that anymore
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Fair point.
I would find out if the aliens on said OP spaceship were good Rangers supporting Protestants, loyal to faith and Queen, and if not, why not?
Then I would tell them what to believe and how to think, and if that failed, start a war with them, repent and live in peace.
posted on 8/9/16
This thread title sounds like a really dull panel based game show...
posted on 8/9/16
comment by thebluebellsareblue (U9292)
posted 2 hours, 26 minutes ago
comment by Zlatanariyan (U19849)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by thebluebellsareblue (U9292)
posted 27 seconds ago
comment by Zlatanariyan (U19849)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by thebluebellsareblue (U9292)
posted 5 minutes ago
The idea of a christian caliphate in europe is interesting....alongside humanist one's, of course.
Perhaps we could do a people swap with christians in muslim lands, and vice versa, so we can live happily apart, as that is what a muslm caliphate, under sharia suggests to me???
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Far from it IMO. Living together isn't an issue. Even having own laws isn't an issue.
If Muslims followed proper Islam and Christians proper Christianity then there is little.dispute really
Its the versions that cause the conflict
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Actually, that is so true, if only we put into action what is preached, rather than distorting to hate and divide.
I doubt the truly devout muslim or jew or christian are attacking each other?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Unfortunately too many people out there with power who ultimately benefit from conflict and use religion to masses who are in essence uneducated even in what they claim to follow
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yup, the religous wars in Eurow, Spanish inqusition, anti and pro-reformation massacres, civil strife in NI and Eire, muslim v christian in Africa and the ME, jew v arab muslim in Israel and Palestine, sunni v shia to this day, the Ottoman empire and slaughter of Armenians by turks.
Foreign policy from blair and bush, combined with crazy leaders such as Saddam, Gadaffi and Assad have allowed islamist extremists to stir the pot too.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
lets be honest from the crusades to the ireland conflict its never really been about religion