How do you think we got here. How did the earth begin?

OK, as you changed the subject yet again, I think it’s time to close this thread and continue the discussion via email.

Just goes to show (again) – religion is stupid.

If you have no religion, there’s no purpose in life. I guess we all just magically appeared and do whatever we want until we die and then we’re just gone. A world without religion is a world with chaos. Everyone would be doing whatever whenever if they had nothing to live by. Why follow law? If we’re just going to end up in a grave with nothing, why not just have fun while we can? Religion fixes this by giving us purpose.

Just because you’re a slave doesn’t mean you’re not equal. Equal isn’t about where you are on earth.

Ah, well this is where we differ…. I’m quite shocked and appalled by your comment.

That is equality, my friend.

No, that’s a story about equality being provided in another life. A story which has been used to justify the continued oppression of people in the only life we can be sure we genuinely have – this one. By promisingly downtrodden people “pie in the sky” in the afterlife, Christianity has been used to keep them in quietly in submission.

OK, so the Sri Guru Granth Sahib is far from perfect by modern standards when it comes to women’s rights, but compared to earlier religions, it has some ethical insights they lack.

Just because you’re a slave doesn’t mean you’re not equal. Equal isn’t about where you are on earth. God sees everyone of us as one of His children that His only begotten son died for and He loves very much; and no matter who you are, He sees your sins and let’s you repent and has mercy for you and forgiveness. That is equality, my friend.

Women’s rights didn’t come from the Bible. It came from women chaining themselves to railings and throwing themselves under carriages. When sympathy was won for their cause, Christians had to re-interpret how the read the Bible. Twas ever thus…

“13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. Further, Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and transgressed. 15 But she will be saved through motherhood, provided women persevere in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.”

At the risk of going off the subject of Sikhism and onto your religion, I’ll address your comment.

Everyone ( in my Christian belief ) is equal!

Well, you can believe what you like, but the Bible is far from clear on this issue. Consider Leviticus 25:44-46 (NIV)

44 ” ‘Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. 45 You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. 46 You can will them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly.

The NT may have some nice stuff about people being all one in Christ, but it also contains misogynistic verses like this: “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.” 1 Timothy 2:12.

The US Declaration of Independence certainly says all people are created equal, but this phrase wasn’t taken from the Bible.

In a way I’m glad that Christians are ignoring the nasty bits of the Bible or “reinterpreting” them in the light of modern ethics, but I also wish they’d look at those bits and realise how flawed the whole book is.

Sikhs do not believe they are a chosen people of god. Anyone, they say, can reach salvation. In fact they’re quite adamant that all people, male and female, are equal, which contrasts with Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and no doubt many others.

Which contrasts to Christianity! Everyone ( in my Christian belief ) is equal! Everyone can be led to salvation! I’m sorry, but that does not go against the Christian belief. Now, I’m not sure about the other beliefs, but it most certainly doesn’t contrast to Christiany ( that part right there at least ). The only part that I disagree with is this part…

Sikhs do not believe they are a chosen people of god.

We are all chosen people of God. He has a plan for every single one of us. He knew our name before he even made the earth.