Why do people worship their favorite imaginary deity out of fear?

@Grateful4you I'm believing in the after life thing. If I'm wrong no harm done. If I'm right and been a bad sport I'll land up spending eternity with my kids it something

@kentex35 Can you cite one biblical verse that says that people will be together with their kids in the golden cube called New Jerusalem?

@kentex35 I agree. Even though an atheist, I know that even science has determined that consciousness and our energy is not diminished with brain death. An eternity spent with your kids? Dang, what kind of god would torture a soul with that?

My idea of heaven? A cat on my lap, crab cakes and bottomless Mimosa's with ice cold orange juice and Dom Perignon soaking my toes surf side and white sand.

@Grateful4you You might get that in another religion but you are out of luck as far as the biblical version goes.

@Grateful4you sounds like Eden. Oh mostly just one kid he's a narcissist. If take a bullet for him but other than that leave me alone please. He's just lost somehow and won't go to work lol.

@Diotrephes Biblical version. Heaven is whatever you want it to be. Well not a bunch of horny virgins waiting on martyrs. But how woulda know that? I wish someone would send back a report.

@Diotrephes And of course as per usual, your religion has god on it's side naturally.

@Grateful4you of course who wants a bum religion

@kentex35 Me, I'm always in favor of the underdog.

@Grateful4you a sign of morals and ethics. The basis for religion. Someone had it to start it . I'm guessing in debate I'm sticking with my faith the in learned are forgiven. Ignorance of the Bible is a legal excuse. But not in the military or civilian law

@kentex35 The Bible does not teach morality or ethics. It teaches total obedience and complete loyalty to the Boss (God, the chief priest, the emperor, the king, and the family father). Disobedience to any of them warrants the death penalty.

@Diotrephes I don't think so. The old testament is the law and punishment the letter. The new is the word and Jesus showed us how to behave. God or not if you lived like Jesus was portrayed you're a damn good human being. He doesn't talk about burning in hell he talks about the spent that's trying to get you in hell. The word devil, Lucifer is never used in the King James Version always called the serpent. Jesus showed you can be forgiven. That you only have to choose God there is a lot that you can have fun with. Now I would never be Baptist because you can't have sex standing up someone will accuse you of dancing. Humor

@kentex35 Perhaps he is a late starter? I actually failed all through my early school years. Oddly, I managed the motivation to get my GED, relundantly, filed for admissions to a college. One semester in, I suddenly had an epiphany, suddenly in love with learning, ignored all other activities than studies. Made perfect grades and ended up validictorian of my class.

I spent my career dedicated to management and the art of empowering the employee's I managed. I loved seeing them grow and become managers on their own and asking my advice on how to improve work settings and a satisfied, dedicated team. I was asked to teach classes on employee empowerment and loved it. Hopefully your son will find his way with your encouragement and discover his own gift he hasn't yet discovered.

@Diotrephes I'm with Christopher Hitchens. "Religion poisons EVERYTHING"

@Grateful4you thank you for that. I am not without blame. I did the same thing kinda, I dropped out at the end of tenth grade almost and joined the marines. Whoopy do, I saw my record book and it did ninth grade last completed. Embarrassed. Then a second lieutenant calls me in the office an accused me of cheating to get my GCT score whatever that is, either way it impossible to cheat. Impossible. But I got my GED before I got out and went to junior college and pulled Bs. Mostly psych and fine art but it was easier courses. Went to UK, Kentucky, and was blown away. 200+people in a geology class was incomprehensible to me. I'm thinking rocks are for throwing aren't they? I get the honors teacher I don't know which book he's reading or teaching. The sculpture teacher said you know this material cost money. Painting teacher looked at me like I ate all my crayons, the drawing teacher I guess didn't like my stick men or birds that look like flying Vs in the sky. I wanted to work out doors anyway and got on a framing crew building houses and that's all I needed. Maybe my son could learn from me, but he doesn't seek advice, I'm thinking because it would look like someone was telling him what to do. Yes spent and a danger to himself and others mostly my old ass. He denies I even worked, when I took him with me. On sick days. His mom a big principal. Anyway so I'm just trying to live drama free and enjoy my right to the persuit of happiness. He falls between the cracks. For government help. He self medicates . Knows everything and I can't remember him passing a test after fifth grade. His mother was principal. He took advantage of that. Boo hoo sorry about all this

@kentex35
Maybe I've missed something but I have never read a passage in the Bible that says heaven is whatever you want it to be. In the Bible heaven is described as a 1,500 mile-sided golden cube called New Jerusalem behind a wall over 200 feet high on a waterless planet that doesn't have any darkness.

It seems like the story-teller might have been on drugs because in one passage he said that all of the bad people whose name wasn't written in the book of life would get tossed into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:11-15 (NKJV) ="11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before [a]God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second [b]death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."

Then in Revelation 22:15 (NKJV) it says that bad people are on the planet but they they can't enter the golden cube = "15 [a]But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie."

So, which passage is the lie? Revelation 20:11-15 says that if your name isn't written in the book of like you will get tossed into the lake of fire.

Revelation 22:15 says that some bad people get to exist on the waterless planet that is home to the golden cube but they they can't enter it and eat from the tree of life or drink the water of life that flows from under God's throne (his piss?) . So, evidently, you can avoid the lake of fire and you can even exist forever but you won't be able to get your one piece of fruit from the tree of life each month nor will you get any water for eternity. Therefore, maybe you will be able to spend eternity with your family but you will have nothing to eat or to drink. The lake of fire might be a better deal under those conditions. That constant light would get on my nerves for sure.

@kentex35 I have no need for bibleical guidelines to determine appropriate standards for morality/ethics. I was somehow gifted with the miracle of common sense and reason. I inherently realized early on that it is immoral for me to impose my own will upon the will of another either humankind or beast I need to respect and honor the will of others.

I have no time for a jealous, blood- lusting "God" who would test my devotions by commanding I stab my son to death in order to prove my love and devotion.

I would never commit mass genocide for some perceived transgression by flooding an entire planet, and all it's living things with the exception of one boatload of millions of "kinds" of species. If a god created me in his own image then I would already have an innate sense of right and wrong and the ability of self control and basic common sense.

@kentex35 The new testament and the old testament have nothing in common. How these two are together in one binding called the Bible makes no sense. It's like watching a double feature of Goodfellas and Bambi.

@Diotrephes You said it all! Thanks that was brilliant!

@summersmiles The New Testament is about the resurrection religion. It uses the Old Testament for credibility but it runs counter to the Old Testament by introducing a character who is worshiped as a primary deity in violation of the Old Testament doctrine.

Gentiles have no logical reason to get involved in any of it since the Old & New Testament deities don't really give a damn about them. It makes as much sense as an Eskimo or a Pygmy believing in Islam.

@Grateful4you
Thanks for the kind words. But remember, everything is just an opinion so always express your own. I have been discussing this issue for decades and learn more about it every day.

@Diotrephes I can appreciate that. Even at my advanced age I'm still in the process of learning. I am often humbled by those who are able to get through my thick skull and teach me something new.

@Grateful4you Sometimes we need a friend to show us the path and other times we need a good adversary to help us through the brambles. Investigate the issue and reach your own conclusions but always be willing to think for yourself.

@kentex35
IMO, based on the words attributed to Jesus, he was an ethnocentric bigot who didn't give a damn about anyone except for the Jews/Hebrews/Israelites who followed him.

People who hold Jesus up as a good role model ignore most of his teachings so they are only deluding themselves.