The biggest beef I have with religion is it answers big questions, but tells you not to question the answers?

I disagree with you, I see NO religion that states you can't question the answers. In the Bible the Bereans were praised for questioning everything. The Dali Lama has said that we should question everything. Many Jewish Rabbis and Muslim Imams have spent there lives questioning, and studying. Do you know how many scientists and inventors were religious.

Making cute little generalizations is seldom accurate.

Not all religions teach that, or at least only the representatives for a particular belief do. The 'problem' isn't necessarily what a religion is teaching regarding unanswered questions, it's more the fact that a lot of people are easily satisfied by the answers provided whether or not they make any sense. Some people take the attitude that if an answer isn't present, that any answer will do kind of thing which I would agree a lot of religious groups do encourage, but not necessarily forbid question and doubt.

I woke up at like 5pm and it's currently 3:28am here in Australia. Not much of a day!

Edit: Let me revise my answer, I kind of contradicted myself at the end there. I mean it's an awfully big assumption to say that -all religion- agree with such a thing.

Me too. That's why I've been reading some of Brian McLaren's books... "A New Kind of Christianity" and "Everything Must Change."

They're about when the world's biggest problems and Jesus' Good News collide. Everyone senses something's not quite right... we've missed some important issues and incorporated some traditions into Truth that don't do the Gospel justice.

BQ: My day is awesome. Just got some rain, and it reminded me to pray that it would also rain in Colorado, while the sun starts working overtime in Japan. Earth needs to balance out.

it really is a lot to respond to, yet right here is going: a million. The essence of "Islam" is "Submission" to the favor of God. One won't be able to put up if one does no longer have the loose will to voluntarily put up. different religions exist because no longer all put up. 2. back, one must be able to make the alternative. a suitable existence in heaven skill no wondering, no decision to reveal to Allah. 3. i need to admit it really is a secret, even if it has something to do with the nature of religion. truth destroys faith. If lets coach for particular that God exists, then we would all attempt to get on his good side, and all conversion must be insincere. There must be the opportunity of doubt. question: How did you know that "God gave us existence"? The medical data shows that existence propagates on its own, and particular arose spontaneously from organic chemical interactions. -The Qur'an does no longer have "a lot of technology that Scientists are merely researching now". it really is an idea promoted to make the Qur'an look "medical". What fairly takes position is that some Muslim student digs by the Qur'an to discover some imprecise verse that sounds clone of an already conventional medical idea (in case you do not analyze it too heavily). earlier the medical discovery, the verse must be interpreted a diverse way. And the adjacent verses seldom keep up the recent metaphor. it truly is a determined stretch. yet don't sense undesirable, Christians are conventional to do it too with the Bible. it truly is no longer the scientists researching the medical understanding in the Qur'an, yet fairly the Qur'an being twisted to help properly-conventional medical theories so as that the Qur'an can declare some type of perception it would not fairly have. the concept that heaven has a gadget of "stages" signifies that you've gotten extra proper happiness or a lot less proper happiness. It would not make sense, and it makes God look petty. to boot, it would not eliminate hell. back, don't sense undesirable. The Catholics invented purgatory for similar motives. i am hoping your search for brings you peace.

You know I went to a pretty strict Catechism class in the Lutheran church as a teenager, and they never once asked me to stop questioning things.

In fact they put up with my constant questions, the likes of which would fascinate the atheists on this site.

I think atheists have it worse, because they are expected not to question their set opinions, uphold them at every juncture, and sneer at anyone who doesn't share those beliefs.

That's going the extra mile, isn't it?

And oh, bonus question. . . Happy to have a day off, went out and mowed one acre on the riding mower.

Now 'm hiding inside from the heat, 100 degrees again today.

I think that depends upon the religion in question. Some religions are all about constant thinking, examining and questioning.

If you look carefully, religions DON'T answer any "big questions" at all, they just pretend to by substituting "God did it" for "I don't know".

"God did it" tells you nothing unless it's specified HOW God did it.... and somehow they never tell you that, it's all "just magic".

BQ:

Lovely, thanks. The sun is out, the tide is in, and I see sailboats from my window.

Relgion is like having someone hand you a fresh, warm, smelly pile of cowshit, and telling you not to go "Ewwwwwww"

Me too...I'm having a meowiful day so far...yourself?

You aere right.