Was pretty ballzy, but he is a cameraman and he is trained not to flinch knowing there were barriers in front of him. I would have pissed myself though.
Unfortunately, I think you represent what religion should be about, but most religious people have lost your way of thinking and have made religion an overall bad thing. I can see where you're coming from and maybe if religion hadn't become filled with nuts I'd look into it like you say I should. However, I see the major world religions as the source for most of the conflict in the world and for giving people a reason to be ignorant.
You probably also feel safe believing things like Iraq had ties to Al-Qaeda and that the war is making us safer instead weaker. When you accept religion you are changing the way you act according to others, not just covering your ass in case a God exists.
"If we believe absurdities, we shall commit atrocities." -Voltaire
I also have "faith" that the world is round and gravity exists. Of course those are just theories too so they have as much backing as a virgin birth or a resurrection. *cough* *cough*
So, he gives the intelligent people arguably no proof that he exists and then expects people like me to throw out all their logic in order to worship him and if I don't he won't save me from hell? This life is so short compared to eternity, why wouldn't he make sure we all joined him in heaven instead of letting Satan win? If it is like a videogame as you say and he doesn't want it to be easy, that is a pretty rotten God to let an intelligent and loving person like myself suffer for the rest of eternity because he didn't make himself obvious to me. If you're following God's plan and he doesn't exist, whose plan are you really following... ?
If he really wanted to have a relationship with us and it was an automatic ticket to heaven, why wouldn't he make it obvious he exists? One itty bitty conclusive miracle would make 99.9999% of the world believers yet they never happen. According to the supposed word of God (The Bible) he has spoken to people, so why can't he speak to me one time? I cannot completely deny that something intelligent may have made me, but if that thing had wanted me to worship it than it should let me know. Until than, I'll stick to logic and reason and not spend this one life have for sure doing what other people want and tell me to do.
Better to rely on a book written by men 2000 years ago than to fall back on scientific research? Sure, science has had incorrect theories and still does, but atleast it is trying to find the answers instead of sticking to one belief and throwing out everything that contradicts it.
You mean the Earth really isn't surrounded by water and that is why the sky is blue like the Bible says? It was really just written by men before science came along and contradicted nearly every claim in it? That's crazy.
Thank you User. To be a Christian and an intelligent person you have to throw out the Old Testament and nearly all of the new Testament and say the stories never actually happened. What you're left with is no reason to worship a God.
People will believe anything if they are in fear or ignorant or both. Heck, L. Ron Hubbard created a religion that is followed by thousands if not millions to this day.
El Scorcho, you seem to be a reasonable guy, but God would have to be pretty complex to create other such complex things. So, what created God if God is so complex?
Explain my tail bone, useless molars, useless body hair, why my ribcage would better suited if I walked on all fours instead of upright, kidney, etc. Almost nothing about us is "perfect" ie "the image of god" and that is why we have evolved over millions of years and will continue too.
I'll explain evolution better when you can give me an explanation for dinosaurs.