The Faith & Religion mega Thread

God is a programmer. The Sefer Yetzirah tells us He created everything using the numbers 1 to 10 and the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet (no curly braces or semicolons?). I haven't seen the source-code, but His creation is full of bugs, poorly maintained, unpatched. Maybe someone could rewrite it in a more up-to-date language? Like C? I'm no programmer, but shouldn't it start something like this?

#include <light.h>

Originally Posted by brianL God is a programmer. The Sefer Yetzirah tells us He created everything using the numbers 1 to 10 and the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet (no curly braces or semicolons?). I haven't seen the source-code, but His creation is full of bugs, poorly maintained, unpatched. Maybe someone could rewrite it in a more up-to-date language? Like C? I'm no programmer, but shouldn't it start something like this? #include <light.h>

I've asked for sudo rights before, but no luck so far.

Has bluegospel wandered off into the Wilderness for 40 days and nights, or what?

Originally Posted by brianL God is a programmer. The Sefer Yetzirah tells us He created everything using the numbers 1 to 10 and the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet (no curly braces or semicolons?). I haven't seen the source-code, but His creation is full of bugs, poorly maintained, unpatched. Maybe someone could rewrite it in a more up-to-date language? Like C? I'm no programmer, but shouldn't it start something like this? #include <light.h>

A doctor, an architect, and a computer scientist were arguing about whose profession was the oldest. In the course of their arguments, they got all the way back to the Garden of Eden, whereupon the doctor said, "The medical profession is clearly the oldest, because Eve was made from Adam's rib, as the story goes, and that was a simply incredible surgical feat." The architect did not agree. He said, "But if you look at the Garden itself, in the beginning there was chaos and void, and out of that, the Garden and the world were created. So God must have been an architect." The computer scientist, who had listened to all of this said, "Yes, but where do you think the chaos came from?"

(Yes, the text was copy and pasted from a website. This joke went viral so long ago, however, that I just don't see a need to link to it).

A Layman's Reflection

Originally Posted by bluegospel A Layman's Reflection

...which contains TWO statements that contradict themselves. Not very compelling arguments.

ought still to strive constantly to do good, in order to receive the richest praise from God

You should do good for its own sake, not to get rewards from mythical creatures.

Believers will be praised for the good we've done—if one deed. Unbelievers will be condemned for the good they've refused to do—if one deed.

That comes down to: A believer has only to do one good thing to be praised and can be bad the rest of his live, since only the good actions count. An unbeliever can do good for all of his life but will be condemned for the one good thing he has not done.

I can't believe that anyone bases his faith on such an immoral statement.

Originally Posted by TB0ne ...which contains TWO statements that contradict themselves. Not very compelling arguments.

Nope. No contradiction.

Originally Posted by brianL You should do good for its own sake, not to get rewards from mythical creatures.

Actually, I am not pretending there is a God. And if you were more wise than smart you wouldn't pretend otherwise.

Originally Posted by TobiSGD That comes down to: A believer has only to do one good thing to be praised and can be bad the rest of his live, since only the good actions count. An unbeliever can do good for all of his life but will be condemned for the one good thing he has not done. I can't believe that anyone bases his faith on such an immoral statement.

If Johnny Beau Bart is so ambitious that he builds an empire and commissions the finest and purest philanthropists, scientists, engineers and physicians to establish justice, peace and good works universally, except that Johnny despises one poor fellow panhandling on the next block, he's essentially done that to Christ.

If the same panhandler stumbles along all through life, cheating people, stealing, getting by however he can, and then one day it hits him, "What good thing can I do for someone else? What good turn can I make in my life?" And he does it, yes, he should be commmended and the first guy condemned.

Originally Posted by bluegospel Actually, I am not pretending there is a God. And if you were more wise than smart you wouldn't pretend otherwise.

You are essentially alienating people from your cause by your arrogant statements.

Originally Posted by bluegospel And he does it, yes, he should be commmended and the first guy condemned.

If you knew anything about the belief system you are trying to discuss you would know that condemnation is not yours to give.

There is no possible way for you to claim higher moral ground when you make comments like this.

Originally Posted by bluegospel Actually, I am not pretending there is a God. And if you were more wise than smart you wouldn't pretend otherwise.

Actually, I'm not pretending there isn't a god. I'm completely sincere in my disbelief in any god. There's not much wisdom in believing that the god of any one mythology is any more real than any other.

Originally Posted by bluegospel Nope. No contradiction.

Really?

Originally Posted by bluegospel The first, and ultimate basis on which we are judged is not what we've done, but what we are—children of God (here called "sheep"), versus children of the world (here called "goats").

...then....

Originally Posted by bluegospel Believers will be praised for the good we've done—if one deed. Unbelievers will be condemned for the good they've refused to do—if one deed.

So...part one is it doesn't matter what you DO...part two it does??? Yet those don't contradict each other? And according to that link you posted, doesn't that also imply that a non-believer that spends their entire life doing well, will be favored? And why should it be OK for a 'believer' to spend their life being a total jackass, and doing ONE good thing is enough?

And according to things I've read...aren't we ALL supposed to be children of God? Not just the 'select few', or doesn't that contradict what's in the bible elsewhere?

Seriously, guys.... as much as I like literature, arguing about (in)coherence of some works of mythology is probably the last thing I'd like to do on a lovely doomsday like we have today.

May all future doomsdays be as good as this one!!!