We are living in a world of illusion

[Koichos]

That doesn’t surprise me as you have already said that the “incarnated word” is a blasphemous concept

So to me none of your Hebrew has any power except what I’ve used in this thread

The 'Hebrew' words you think you are using are in fact Strongonese: 'melek', 'moab', etc., etc. As I have written before, a Hebrew word can almost never end with a 'b' sound. The terminal ב, with doghésh (i.e., בּ, corresponding to the sound of 'b' in English) is so rare that I can only think of a single word in all of T'na"ch that does: וַיִשְׁבְּ wayyish'b ('and he captured') in B'midhbor 21:1 and Yir'm'yohu 41:10, a truncated form of the third-person singular conjugation of verb-stem שבה (to capture) in the future tense (normally written in full יִשְׁבֶּה yish'bah ('he will capture')) with the וי״ו ההפוך wow ha-hippuch (i.e., prefixing the verb with ו, reversing the tense from future to past).

That said angels or moloch/melek...

First of all, the terminal letter ך, with doghésh (i.e., ךּ, corresponding to the sound of 'k' in English), does not normally occur at the end of a word (or even at the end of a syllable within a word)—its sound changes from 'k' (or ךּ), to a guttural sound made by vibrating the root of the tongue against the palate, which resembles a person clearing his throat: 'ch' (or ךְ). מֶלֶךְ, therefore,‎ is not pronounced 'melek' but melech (or malach) and is accentuated on the first syllable; this word functions as both the absolute form and the constructive case so that it can mean either 'king' or 'king of...'. The Hebrew word for 'angel' is מַלְאָךְ malʾach (or malʾoch), accentuated on the final syllable.

Secondly, מֹלֶךְ molech (or molach) [accent penultimate] is an idol, not an angel; namely, one of the Baʿalim that were worshiped by the autochthonous population of the land, some of whom continued living in the country. To give some context, גֵּיא בֶן־הִנֹּם ğeiʾ ban hinnom ('Hinnom's Son Valley'), but occasionally spelled as just גֵּיא הִנֹּם ğeiʾ hinnom ('Hinnom Valley'—the word גֵּיא ğeiʾ, 'valley', is sometimes spelled without the silent ʾalaf as גֵּי ğei), marks the course of a seasonal stream to the south of the city wall of the walled Old City of Y'rusholayim, running eastward from a point roughly 400 meters south of the southwest corner of the city walls until it meets נַחַל קִדְרוֹן Nahal Qidhron (Sh'muʾel B 15:23; M'lochim A 2:37, 15:13; M'lochim B 23:6, 23:12; Yir'm'yohu 31:39; D.H. B 15:16, 29:16, 30:14).

Hinnom (or Hinnom's Son) Valley is mentioned four times in Y'hoshuʿa (twice in 15:8 and twice more in 18:16), and also in M'lochim Béth 23:10; Yir'm'yohu 7:31, 19:2, 19:6, 32:35; N'hamyoh 11:30; Div'ré Hayyomim Béth 28:3, 33:6. The shrine of the מֹלֶךְ Molach idol, where unspeakably horrible rituals involving the burning of children alive were practiced, was situated at a place known as תֹּפֶת Tofath (which was in this valley; see, for example, M'lochim Béth 23:10). According to Yir'm'yohu 7:32, the valley will one day be turned into a burial-place (graves being considered 'unclean' in Jewish culture). Consequently, its name became associated in Jewish culture with a place of horror. However, it was not some mythological 'hell' but an actual, geographical placename spelled variously in the Scriptures:

גֵּי הִנֹּם ğei hinnom 'Hinnom Valley' (Y'hoshuʿa 15:8, 18:16)
גֵּיא הִנֹּם ğeiʾ hinnom 'Hinnom Valley' (N'hamyoh 11:30)
גֵּי בֶן הִנֹּם ğei ban hinnom 'Hinnom's Son Valley' (Y'hoshuʿa 15:8, 18:16; M'lochim Béth 23:10*; Div'ré Hayyomim Béth 33:6)
גֵּיא בֶן הִנֹּם ğeiʾ ban hinnom 'Hinnom's Son Valley' (Yir'm'yohu 7:31, 7:32, 19:2, 19:6, 32:35; Div'ré Hayyomim Béth 28:3)

[*In M'lochim Béth 23:10 the name is written as גֵּי בני הִנֹּם (pl.) but still read גֵּי בֶן הִנֹּם (sg.) as normal; this reflects the k'thiv (the spelling used by our scribes for writing the T'na"ch text) as distinct from q'ré (how the words are to be pronounced according to our tradition): k'thiv and q'ré (or q'ri) are technical terms that refer to the occasional—and, in the vast majority of instances, very minor—variations that exist beween the way certain words are WRITTEN in ceremonial scrolls by a scribe and the way these same words are VOCALIZED when read aloud. See, for example, this reading of M'lochim Béth 23:10 (time-stamped verse, 2:17-2:27; notice the words בְּגֵי בני הִנֹּם b'ghei b'nei (pl.) hinnom at 2:21 are read as בְּגֵי בֶן הִנֹּם b'ghei ban (sg.) hinnom).]

Spoiler

​

In the above map, the name גֵּי בֶּן הִנֹּם ǧei ban hinnom ('Son of Hinnom Valley') can be seen printed in blue near the bottom of the extract (see No. 604), to the south of הַר צִיּוֹן Har Ssiyyon ('Mount Zion'), which is located in the upper third quadrant (see No. 394). The Valley קִדְרוֹן Qidhron can also be seen (again, printed in blue) at the extreme right of the extract, east of עִיר דָּוִד ʿIr Dowidh ('David's City') and south of the enclosed Temple Mount area located in the upper right-hand corner of the extract, which is marked (הַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה (הַר הַבַּיִת Har ha-Moriyyoh (Har ha-Bayyith) 'Moriah Hill (Temple Mount)'. As a matter of fact, 'Moriyyoh Hill', another name for the Temple Mount, is where ʾAvrohom ʾOvinu was ordered to 'take Yiss'hoq up [dressed] like an ʾoloh-offering' (see B'reshıth 22:2) during his 'test of faith'.

To me much of genesis is stolen so the idea that it was originally written in Hebrew may be a lie as well.

'Genesis' has never been written in Hebrew. B'reshιth, however, is and has always been written entirely in Hebrew, apart from the two words יְגַר שָׂהֲדוּתָא in B'reshιth 31:47 which are written in Aramaic. And, as it can be seen from B'reshιth 31:47, Yaʿaqov ʾOvinu spoke Hebrew (גַּלְעֵד) whereas his uncle Lovon (who is called an אֲרַמִּי ʾarammi in B'reshιth 25:20, 28:5, 31:20 and 31:24) spoke Aramaic (יְגַר שָׂהֲדוּתָא is the Aramaic equivalent of the Hebrew גַּלְעֵד). The Biblical figure אֲרָם ʾArom (ibid., 10:22) is the origin of the word 'Aramaic'.

 

[Koichos]

If I’m not mistaken phaniel or peniel means “face of god”

That pre-Torah world is different that’s for sure

Only just. Translating the Hebrew term פָּנִים ponim as 'face' loses some of the meaning (although English lacks any more suitable word). פָּנִים ponim is another one of those nouns that have a plural form (and are treated grammatically as plural) in Hebrew, even though they are singular in meaning: מַיִם mayim ('water') and שָׁמַיִם shomayim ('heaven') come readily to mind; but examples also exist in the case of the feminine plural ending ־וֹת -oth, בְּהֵמוֹת b'hémoth ('behemoth') being one such. The root this noun is derived from is the verb-stem פָּנָה ponoh, 'to turn'. So, פָּנִים ponim does literally mean 'face', but it is also used in other contexts: see, for example, ʾAstér 1:14 where there is mention of the advisors who רֹאֵי֙ פְּנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ roʾei p'nei hammalach 'saw the king's face'—i.e., who merited to 'enter the king's presence'.

 

[DoubleClutch]

Sacrifice is evil period, sacrifice as an idea is so misunderstood it’s not funny. But because of one page of the Bible you have people willing to murder to appease demons

The “concept” of an angel is always from the perspective of a person, so depending on where you’re reading it could be numerous things. But in ancient times they wanted to conjure these things via ritual

In orthodoxy it’s largely borrowed from Kabbalah the idea of cherubim/seraphim/malakhim etc

I take the position of this: Gods powers are gods powers and my powers are granted only from god. So what I think I see or know isn’t certain. What I do know is that the trinity is real. Everything else is patterned from that source

Despite my qualms with Judaism I trust them more than other understandings but I’m not afraid to call out the discrepancies without wholly invalidating the texts. From my perspective everything is “real” how they manifest in the world is the real mystery but they come from the spoken word which is still consistent with Egyptian thought

So you changed your stance?

If you believe in the “trinity” then you believe in the Father who was first know in Judasim and to Israel as YHWH

Other wise we’d have no conception or standard by which to judge the false Gods and pagan idols

So you are against ANIMAL sacrifice?

 

[MMS]

The 'Hebrew' words you think you are using are in fact Strongonese: 'melek', 'moab', etc., etc. As I have written before, a Hebrew word can almost never end with a 'b' sound. The terminal ב, with doghésh (i.e., בּ, corresponding to the sound of 'b' in English) is so rare that I can only think of a single word in all of T'na"ch that does: וַיִשְׁבְּ wayyish'b ('and he captured') in B'midhbor 21:1 and Yir'm'yohu 41:10, a truncated form of the third-person singular conjugation of verb-stem שבה (to capture) in the future tense (normally written in full יִשְׁבֶּה yish'bah ('he will capture')) with the וי״ו ההפוך wow ha-hippuch (i.e., prefixing the verb with ו, reversing the tense from future to past).


First of all, the terminal letter ך, with doghésh (i.e., ךּ, corresponding to the sound of 'k' in English), does not normally occur at the end of a word (or even at the end of a syllable within a word)—its sound changes from 'k' (or ךּ), to a guttural sound made by vibrating the root of the tongue against the palate, which resembles a person clearing his throat: 'ch' (or ךְ). מֶלֶךְ, therefore,‎ is not pronounced 'melek' but melech (or malach) and is accentuated on the first syllable; this word functions as both the absolute form and the constructive case so that it can mean either 'king' or 'king of...'. The Hebrew word for 'angel' is מַלְאָךְ malʾach (or malʾoch), accentuated on the final syllable.

Secondly, מֹלֶךְ molech (or molach) [accent penultimate] is an idol, not an angel; namely, one of the Baʿalim that were worshiped by the autochthonous population of the land, some of whom continued living in the country. To give some context, גֵּיא בֶן־הִנֹּם ğeiʾ ban hinnom ('Hinnom's Son Valley'), but occasionally spelled as just גֵּיא הִנֹּם ğeiʾ hinnom ('Hinnom Valley'—the word גֵּיא ğeiʾ, 'valley', is sometimes spelled without the silent ʾalaf as גֵּי ğei), marks the course of a seasonal stream to the south of the city wall of the walled Old City of Y'rusholayim, running eastward from a point roughly 400 meters south of the southwest corner of the city walls until it meets נַחַל קִדְרוֹן Nahal Qidhron (Sh'muʾel B 15:23; M'lochim A 2:37, 15:13; M'lochim B 23:6, 23:12; Yir'm'yohu 31:39; D.H. B 15:16, 29:16, 30:14).

Hinnom (or Hinnom's Son) Valley is mentioned four times in Y'hoshuʿa (twice in 15:8 and twice more in 18:16), and also in M'lochim Béth 23:10; Yir'm'yohu 7:31, 19:2, 19:6, 32:35; N'hamyoh 11:30; Div'ré Hayyomim Béth 28:3, 33:6. The shrine of the מֹלֶךְ Molach idol, where unspeakably horrible rituals involving the burning of children alive were practiced, was situated at a place known as תֹּפֶת Tofath (which was in this valley; see, for example, M'lochim Béth 23:10). According to Yir'm'yohu 7:32, the valley will one day be turned into a burial-place (graves being considered 'unclean' in Jewish culture). Consequently, its name became associated in Jewish culture with a place of horror. However, it was not some mythological 'hell' but an actual, geographical placename spelled variously in the Scriptures:

Spoiler

​

In the above map, the name גֵּי בֶּן הִנֹּם ǧei ban hinnom ('Son of Hinnom Valley') can be seen printed in blue near the bottom of the extract (see No. 604), to the south of הַר צִיּוֹן Har Ssiyyon ('Mount Zion'), which is located in the upper third quadrant (see No. 394). The Valley קִדְרוֹן Qidhron can also be seen (again, printed in blue) at the extreme right of the extract, east of עִיר דָּוִד ʿIr Dowidh ('David's City') and south of the enclosed Temple Mount area located in the upper right-hand corner of the extract, which is marked (הַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה (הַר הַבַּיִת Har ha-Moriyyoh (Har ha-Bayyith) 'Moriah Hill (Temple Mount)'. As a matter of fact, 'Moriyyoh Hill', another name for the Temple Mount, is where ʾAvrohom ʾOvinu was ordered to 'take Yiss'hoq up [dressed] like an ʾoloh-offering' (see B'reshıth 22:2) during his 'test of faith'.


'Genesis' has never been written in Hebrew. B'reshιth, however, is and has always been written entirely in Hebrew, apart from the two words יְגַר שָׂהֲדוּתָא in B'reshιth 31:47 which are written in Aramaic. And, as it can be seen from B'reshιth 31:47, Yaʿaqov ʾOvinu spoke Hebrew (גַּלְעֵד) whereas his uncle Lovon (who is called an אֲרַמִּי ʾarammi in B'reshιth 25:20, 28:5, 31:20 and 31:24) spoke Aramaic (יְגַר שָׂהֲדוּתָא is the Aramaic equivalent of the Hebrew גַּלְעֵד). The Biblical figure אֲרָם ʾArom (ibid., 10:22) is the origin of the word 'Aramaic'.

Listen: the lord taught me how to draw water from the wilderness and streams from desolate places @ThiefyPoo

While you are consumed with grammar I am consumed with the waters of the lord, waters that never dry

So you changed your stance?

If you believe in the “trinity” then you believe in the Father who was first know in Judasim and to Israel as YHWH

Other wise we’d have no conception or standard by which to judge the false Gods and pagan idols

So you are against ANIMAL sacrifice?

yes, I am also against animal sacrifice

To me, sacrifice as you know it is to appease the dead

 

[DoubleClutch]

Listen: the lord taught me how to draw water from the wilderness and streams from desolate places @ThiefyPoo

While you are consumed with grammar I am consumed with the waters of the lord, waters that never dry



yes, I am also against animal sacrifice

To me, sacrifice as you know it is to appease the dead

So all the times in the Bible when God requires/allows animal sacrifice, who is that talking?

And what were his people doing for forgiveness?

What is the point of having a system of sacrifices in Judaism at the time?

Or was it all just “part of the story” we can learn from today?

Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."

Maybe @Koichos can answer?

 

[MMS]

So all the times in the Bible when God requires/allows animal sacrifice, who is that talking?

And what were his people doing for forgiveness?

What is the point of having a system of sacrifices in Judaism at the time?

Or was it all just “part of the story” we can learn from today?

Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."

Maybe @Koichos can answer?

Some truths and realities would bother and upset most believers

That’s why I say unto you: Put on the whole armor of god

 

[ObsidianDev]

I wish I could believe, but for some reason I just can't. So far this year I've read several books in the NT along with reading the OT from Genesis up to Leviticus in an attempt to become a Christian, and it just doesn't hit me or "move" me in any way; it just feels like I'm reading an old fairy tale.

This world is and always has been "Heaven on Earth" for those with wealth, few morals, and sociopathic tendencies. The classic excuse is that those who deserve to be punished for their misdeeds will EVENTUALLY get their comeuppance, but ONLY once they die and get judged. Until then, they basically get to live it up. Meanwhile, those who are suffering now but don't deserve it have to live in "Hell" until they die, ironically.

Especially with the past two recent shootings, the truth appears to be one of two possibilities:

1. There is no God, there is no karma, nothing you do in this world matters, whether good or bad, and as long as you're able to avoid the law you can be as heinous and evil as you want to and fear little to no repercussions.

2. There is a God, but the "God" that exists is simply a creative force, not an entity that actually gives a damn about what happens to human beings -- its own creations.

This is not meant as a diss to any of the Christians/religious people in this thread, in a way I envy you guys. But overall, religion just feels a coping mechanism for making sense out of a seemingly nonsensical existence to me.

 

[Marks]

I wish I could believe, but for some reason I just can't. So far this year I've read several books in the NT along with reading the OT from Genesis up to Leviticus in an attempt to become a Christian, and it just doesn't hit me or "move" me in any way; it just feels like I'm reading an old fairy tale.

This world is and always has been "Heaven on Earth" for those with wealth, few morals, and sociopathic tendencies. The classic excuse is that those who deserve to be punished for their misdeeds will EVENTUALLY get their comeuppance, but ONLY once they die and get judged. Until then, they basically get to live it up. Meanwhile, those who are suffering now but don't deserve it have to live in "Hell" until they die, ironically.

Especially with the past two recent shootings, the truth appears to be one of two possibilities:

1. There is no God, there is no karma, nothing you do in this world matters, whether good or bad, and as long as you're able to avoid the law you can be as heinous and evil as you want to and fear little to no repercussions.

2. There is a God, but the "God" that exists is simply a creative force, not an entity that actually gives a damn about what happens to human beings -- its own creations.

This is not meant as a diss to any of the Christians/religious people in this thread, in a way I envy you guys. But overall, religion just feels a coping mechanism for making sense out of a seemingly nonsensical existence to me.

You definitely have to move away from any idea about God as some sort of benevolent father figure in the sky. I don't think any kinda sound adult reasoning mind can support one. No one can tell you what to replace that with, you gotta figure that out for yourself (and thats for the better) but I definitely thinking moving away from God as that father figure is a smart and healthy thing to do to better operate in this world.

 

[ObsidianDev]

You definitely have to move away from any idea about God as some sort of benevolent father figure in the sky. I don't think any kinda sound adult reasoning mind can support one.

I approached the concept of "God" in the Christian sense as more of an authoritative force versus the usual "sky daddy" image pushed by televangelists and the like. But the problem is, if one is to view "God" as real and present, but neither authoritative nor benevolent, then what cause is there for one to worship said "God"? The same "God" that allows children to be slaughtered in their own classrooms, innocent people to be massacred while grocery shopping, and the descendants of slave owners and robber barons to continue living in the lap of luxury for the past 100+ years? That "God"?

 

[Marks]

I approached the concept of "God" in the Christian sense as more of an authoritative force versus the usual "sky daddy" image pushed by televangelists and the like. But the problem is, if one is to view "God" as real and present, but neither authoritative nor benevolent, then what cause is there for one to worship said "God"? The same "God" that allows children to be slaughtered in their own classrooms, innocent people to be massacred while grocery shopping, and the descendants of slave owners and robber barons to continue living in the lap of luxury for the past 100+ years? That "God"?

As for all the bad/evil stuff in the world and why some psychopaths seem to get away with everything? Here is what I've come to in my understanding. There is no such thing as good or bad. Those are judgements we place on things. To God, everything just is. Everything is an experience. It doesn't get labeled as ideal or better. If God is some ultimate life force everywhere and everytime all at once then being a rich playboy or a poor crippled abused beggar means nothing, they're just different experiences. This is what created our fall in the Garden when we ate from the tree of knowledge, thats what we gained. We began to judge and differentiate experiences and it fukked us up. This is why Jesus tells us to give no thought for the morrow and worry not. Our thought fuels our suffering. Our thought is full judgement. This is why sometimes its best to just give shyt a break, to turn away.

Psychopaths seem to prosper because they give no thought to their actions. As in they don't "think" what they're doing is evil or some terrible thing. It's just something they can do to get X result. That's all that matters to them. They don't stay up late racked with guilt, they give it no thought, they give it no energy. Whereas if you do something you know/believe to be wrong, you comprise yourself, you go against god (yourself) and you will be judged for it. Nothing escapes god because you cannot escape yourself.

I guess and easier way to say all this is that god isn't the one shooting up classrooms and shopping malls. We are. We chose this and we continue to choose it. We do these atrocities to each other and it shouldn't have to take a vindictive and cruel punishing god father for us to choose better.

 

[Sleepy Floyd]

I approached the concept of "God" in the Christian sense as more of an authoritative force versus the usual "sky daddy" image pushed by televangelists and the like. But the problem is, if one is to view "God" as real and present, but neither authoritative nor benevolent, then what cause is there for one to worship said "God"? The same "God" that allows children to be slaughtered in their own classrooms, innocent people to be massacred while grocery shopping, and the descendants of slave owners and robber barons to continue living in the lap of luxury for the past 100+ years? That "God"?

You're still thinking of God as just a big human in the sky with human thoughts and ideas. The Bible itself states that you will be literally unable to comprehend how God works. All this "allowed bad stuff to happen" talk is just you still thinking that God is some human on a throne

 

[ObsidianDev]

You're still thinking of God as just a big human in the sky with human thoughts and ideas. The Bible itself states that you will be literally unable to comprehend how God works. All this "allowed bad stuff to happen" talk is just you still thinking that God is some human on a throne

Be that as it may, when one looks around and sees how fukked up the world is and how nothing seems to really matter, how is one supposed believe in God, regardless of whichever religious lens they choose to view their "God" with? How can a non-religious person be convinced that there really is something greater out there, when the past 1,000 years has basically shown us that having a "Might Makes Right" and "By Any Means" approach to life while pushing morality and care for one's fellow human beings to the side is a surefire way of establishing security for one's self and their descendants on this giant floating rock that we call "Earth".

This shyt just feels like a video game where those born into fortune or even a solid middle-class upbringing get to prosper, while the rest of us have to toil and grovel just to acquire basic shyt and survive and feel like our lives actually mean something outside of the fact that our parents didn't use protection when we were conceived.

 

[Sleepy Floyd]

Be that as it may, when one looks around and sees how fukked up the world is and how nothing seems to really matter, how is one supposed believe in God, regardless of whichever religious lens they choose to view their "God" with? How can a non-religious person be convinced that there really is something greater out there, when the past 1,000 years has basically shown us that having a "Might Makes Right" and "By Any Means" approach to life while pushing morality and care for one's fellow human beings to the side is a surefire way of establishing security for one's self and their descendants on this giant floating rock that we call "Earth".

This shyt just feels like a video game where those born into fortune or even a solid middle-class upbringing get to prosper, while the rest of us have to toil and grovel just to acquire basic shyt and survive and feel like our lives actually mean something outside of the fact that our parents didn't use protection when we were conceived.

The fact that you have a conscience, feel emotions and are struggling with an existential crisis doesn't convince you that there's a god?

 

[ObsidianDev]

The fact that you have a conscience, feel emotions and are struggling with an existential crisis doesn't convince you that there's a god?

I'm an agnostic, not an atheist, so I don't simply posit that "God" doesn't exist, as that would be illogical, since one would need to be able to prove that God doesn't exist, which is impossible. In the same breath, one cannot objectively prove the existence of a God outside of relying on whichever religious text that they subscribe to. It is illogical for anyone to claim whether God does or doesn't exist -- claiming that God simply doesn't exist falls on the side of arrogance, claiming that God does exist, is ultimately based on faith, which cannot be objectively measured and is personal and unique to an individual.

The conscience that I have and emotions that I feel convince me that I live in a world where money and power are the be all and end all. The fact is that I know two people: one of them essentially did the right thing a long time ago and got fukked over, and I've watched them suffer for it everyday for years behind sighs of despair, tears of frustration and numerous near-mental breakdowns. The other person, the one who screwed over the first, many years later now lives a life with a far better financial standing than the person that they hurt, has plenty of connections, and is viewed as a role model to their friends and associates who don't know this person's secret. Ironically enough, this same person has the nerve to post messages about "being a good person" and "trusting God" on social media.

So no, I'm not convinced that there's a God, but I am becoming more and more convinced that nothing in this world truly matters. My own struggles have taught me that.

 

[DoubleClutch]

I'm an agnostic, not an atheist, so I don't simply posit that "God" doesn't exist, as that would be illogical, since one would need to be able to prove that God doesn't exist, which is impossible. In the same breath, one cannot objectively prove the existence of a God outside of relying on whichever religious text that they subscribe to. It is illogical for anyone to claim whether God does or doesn't exist -- claiming that God simply doesn't exist falls on the side of arrogance, claiming that God does exist, is ultimately based on faith, which cannot be objectively measured and is personal and unique to an individual.

The conscience that I have and emotions that I feel convince me that I live in a world where money and power are the be all and end all. The fact is that I know two people: one of them essentially did the right thing a long time ago and got fukked over, and I've watched them suffer for it everyday for years behind sighs of despair, tears of frustration and numerous near-mental breakdowns. The other person, the one who screwed over the first, many years later now lives a life with a far better financial standing than the person that they hurt, has plenty of connections, and is viewed as a role model to their friends and associates who don't know this person's secret. Ironically enough, this same person has the nerve to post messages about "being a good person" and "trusting God" on social media.

So no, I'm not convinced that there's a God, but I am becoming more and more convinced that nothing in this world truly matters. My own struggles have taught me that.

You’re right about one thing. It’s “ultimately based on faith”.

Seems like you’re looking for reasons NOT to believe.

But I gotta give you credit seeing you started with the Bible and NOT the Quran

Also you probably shouldn’t be looking for answers in this thread. It’s liable to leave you even more confused