Religion

[SlayersDestiny]

I am a Christian, I believe in God. I believe in Faith, Hope and Miracles!! Does that make me ingorant? If so then sign me up as the village idiot!!

I try to remain neutral when it comes to discussions like this, but Dzhugashvili your smart remarks have pissed me off. Go ahead and give me all the negative rep you can, I Dont CARE!! Instead of slamming others, why cant you live and let live. Peoples beliefs are their own and who are you to judge how they feel?

Faith has gotten me thru many hard times. When my mother passed away, when my husband had surgery and almost died.. faith was what kept me sane and helped me believe(know) that things would be ok. Faith gave me the strength to get thru each day.

You want to talk miracles? How about not knowing where you are going to obtain funds to make the bills.. when my husband had surgery and had to be off work for almost 11 months, I didnt know how we would be able to keep our house and feed our family with just my income(and I make a decent salary,just not enough). Unexpected funds showed up... additional tax refund, winning radio contest, insurance check, deposits for utilities applied to bills(we have lived here for 5yrs and the deposits were already refunded). To me all of those were miracles and blessings, I did not anticipate any of those.

How about this? My son was in a very bad wreck on May 11th. He struck a guard rail on the interstate head on at almost 50mph. My vehicle was totalled, and I mean that there was no front end left. The vehicle was picked straight up and almost went over the guard rail and down the embankment, it slammed back down and launched him back into traffic. He walked away with just bumps and bruises. A friend that is a retired fire fighter looked at the car and stated that he should have been injured worse than he was. My vehicle had a flaw from the factory.. the gas tanks explode when there is a wreck(btw, the gas tank was directly behind drivers seat,the impact broke both front seats). Guess what?! No explosion!!! In MY Heart, I know that he had a guardian angel cradle him and protect him from harm!!

To me those are Miracles and I know that Faith helped me in my greatest times of need. I may not be "schooled" in the Bible or about the deepest parts of religion. I know whats in my heart and what I believe. I dont put down anyone who thinks or believes differently from me, that is their choice. They are neither right nor wrong! That is their decision and opinion about personal beliefs. (I was going to say something really smart after this, but I refuse to stoop down to your level!!!!)

 

[Cohen]

That's horrible...well not horrible, cuz of the whole walking away with only bumps and bruises thing. But the whole wreck thing and your husband's surgery. And I totally agree with you. Faith helps you get through hard times. and it's also there in times of the good. its what keeps a lot of us alive. Cuz what would we live for if we dont BELIEVE in something. It may not be that someone believes in god. But as long as you have a belief in SOMETHING, then thats all that really matters, right?

In the series finale of Dawson's Creek, Jen tells her daughter:

God. I've never really believed in god. In fact, I've spent a lot of time and energy trying to disprove that god exists. But I hope that you are able to believe in god, because the thing that I've come to realize, sweetheart... is that it just doesn't matter if god exists or not. The important thing is for you to believe in something, because I promise you that that belief will keep you warm at night, and I want you to feel safe always.

And I guess that's why believing is so important. It keeps you alive.

 

[CrazyMary]

Faith helps you get through hard times. and it's also there in times of the good. its what keeps a lot of us alive. Cuz what would we live for if we dont BELIEVE in something. It may not be that someone believes in god. But as long as you have a belief in SOMETHING, then thats all that really matters, right?

I'm not telling you what you should believe in but if you need to believe in something believe in mankind,that would be wiser...people are REAL, you have to deal with them everyday,they're the only ones that can help you throught hard times,that's why family and friends are here...they're flesh and blood...but God (or anything like that)sounds like fairy tales...no evidences...if God really exists and love us and all why are there all those horrible things that happen everyday?...to me it's just life...sometimes it's good,sometimes it's bad...I don't see where are the miracles...

 

[Schillaci]

I am a Christian, I believe in God. I believe in Faith, Hope and Miracles!! Does that make me ingorant?

No, it makes you ignorant.

If so then sign me up as the village idiot!!

Ok, but sk8rj04 is also aiming for that position. You've got a fight on your hands.

I try to remain neutral when it comes to discussions like this, but Dzhugashvili your smart remarks have pissed me off.

Ah, mission accomplished then, I don't really need follow-up, but what the hell.

Go ahead and give me all the negative rep you can, I Dont CARE!! Instead of slamming others, why cant you live and let live. Peoples beliefs are their own and who are you to judge how they feel?

Godking of the primordium, shaper of things.

Faith has gotten me thru many hard times. When my mother passed away, when my husband had surgery and almost died.. faith was what kept me sane and helped me believe(know) that things would be ok. Faith gave me the strength to get thru each day.

Dipping into the classics, nice touch. The sympathy route, that always garners support from simpering morons.

You want to talk miracles?

Not really, no.

How about not knowing where you are going to obtain funds to make the bills.. when my husband had surgery and had to be off work for almost 11 months, I didnt know how we would be able to keep our house and feed our family with just my income(and I make a decent salary,just not enough). Unexpected funds showed up... additional tax refund, winning radio contest, insurance check, deposits for utilities applied to bills(we have lived here for 5yrs and the deposits were already refunded). To me all of those were miracles and blessings, I did not anticipate any of those.

How about this? My son was in a very bad wreck on May 11th. He struck a guard rail on the interstate head on at almost 50mph. My vehicle was totalled, and I mean that there was no front end left. The vehicle was picked straight up and almost went over the guard rail and down the embankment, it slammed back down and launched him back into traffic. He walked away with just bumps and bruises. A friend that is a retired fire fighter looked at the car and stated that he should have been injured worse than he was. My vehicle had a flaw from the factory.. the gas tanks explode when there is a wreck(btw, the gas tank was directly behind drivers seat,the impact broke both front seats). Guess what?! No explosion!!! In MY Heart, I know that he had a guardian angel cradle him and protect him from harm!!

Meh, you're an idiot.

1: I'm a twisted bastard, I have no faith. The things and situations I've walked away from unscathed are "miraculous".
2: People with the same faith as you die all the time, in horrible tragic ways.

But no, I'm arrogant because I think you're an idiot. You're not arrogant, even though you believe "God" is watching over you. You think he protects little old you. I guess he put you in those positions to test your faith, huh?(Answer this question)

To me those are Miracles and I know that Faith helped me in my greatest times of need. I may not be "schooled" in the Bible or about the deepest parts of religion. I know whats in my heart and what I believe. I dont put down anyone who thinks or believes differently from me, that is their choice. They are neither right nor wrong! That is their decision and opinion about personal beliefs. (I was going to say something really smart after this, but I refuse to stoop down to your level!!!!)

It's a miracle you're still breathing.

 

[Angel's vision]

THAT'S enough! i am sick of your childish remarks, IF people want to believe in something other than people that's their perogative but i don't want to see people dictating what they should believe in and what they can't argue all you want but you should show resect for other people's beliefs.
It's a miricle your not banned.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

See the thing that I don't understand is why people have to draw strength from an outside force, Why can't they just draw it from yourself. I find the whole idea of god laughable, but I know that I could deal with an of the situations that someone with faith could, because I was built that way, we were designed to be perishable and to suffer, but we can also get over stuff and move on, and I don't need faith to do that.

if God really exists and love us and all why are there all those horrible things that happen everyday?...to me it's just life...sometimes it's good,sometimes it's bad...I don't see where are the miracles...

I agree with everything you said, but I just wanna play devils advocate for a moment(I in no way believe this 🙂), I was re-reading Angels and Demons a while ago and I love the answer that is given in that book. In it one character asks why God would allow bad things to happen to people, and another asks him that if he had a child, would he let him skateboard, knowing full well that the kid was bound to mess up and hurt himself, and the guy says yes he would because he would learn from it. It pretty much says god allows us to mess up so we can learn from our mistakes hoping we would lean from them.

Apparently god hasn't coped on that we don't seem to learn from our mistakes and keeps letting us fall off that skateboard 🙂

 

[Schillaci]

You seem to have strong opinions about this but you havent actually said what your belief is. I'm guessing Athiest or is there some other belief you have? I'm interested (p.s maybe try not being so mean)

I believe.. in... EVIL! dun dun dun:hehe:

I believe in truth.

Religion is a crutch. I have no need for it. I have no time for weak minded fools.

See the thing that I don't understand is why people have to draw strength from an outside force, Why can't they just draw it from yourself.

Exactly! Together we will cure the world of weakness. We might have to kill a few billion people, but whatever. It's only statistics, right. For the greater good!

 

[Lyri]

Dzhugashvili, why can't you accept that people have different beliefs than you, and let them live their lives as they see fit?
not everyone has to bow and scrape to meet your approval...just because you don't believe in something, doesn't mean the rest of us have to jump on the bandwagon.

i admit that i don't truely believe there is a God...but my best friend is a Christian, and a pretty strong one at that. She goes to chruch at least three times a week, and twice on a Sunday. she doesn't work on a Sunday, doesn't watch TV and sometimes doesn't even answer the phone. but we are still best friends, because we've learned to accept each others beliefs and not criticize the other one for what we do or do not believe in.

i've taken some heat for what i believe in, had people make fun of me because of it, but i don't let it get me down. what i believe in may not be for everyone, but it works for me. i'm not saying it's my own religion that i've created, or whatever, it's just certain things that i try to live by, things that work for me.

 

[Mr. Pointy]

Uncle Joe Dzhugashvili - there is no need for you to insult other members when discussing religious beliefs. I do not wish to close a discussion that people may find interesting, so please restrain your baser impulses. I thought that your recent enforced absence may have given you a chance to contemplate the advantages of playing nice but it seems I may have been wrong.

 

[Cohen]

I'm not telling you what you should believe in but if you need to believe in something believe in mankind,that would be wiser...people are REAL, you have to deal with them everyday,they're the only ones that can help you throught hard times,that's why family and friends are here...they're flesh and blood...but God (or anything like that)sounds like fairy tales...no evidences...to me it's just life...sometimes it's good,sometimes it's bad...I don't see where are the miracles...

Which is why I said what's important is to believe in something, if not God. If you need evidence, honestly, I can't give you any. People can give you testimonies of their faith. Some say they're coincidences. Others say it's a miracle.

if God really exists and love us and all why are there all those horrible things that happen everyday?...

I believe God gave us free will. It's like creating a computer game. Probably like the Sims...tho ive never played so i dont really know. But from what I understand, you create a characters and they interact...you have...limited...control. Same with God. He created a world. He creates people. But other than that, he has no control. That's what free will is all about. At least, that's what I understand from what I've read and can deduce from what I've been taught.

 

[zombie.apparatus]

See the thing that I don't understand is why people have to draw strength from an outside force, Why can't they just draw it from yourself. I find the whole idea of god laughable, but I know that I could deal with an of the situations that someone with faith could, because I was built that way, we were designed to be perishable and to suffer, but we can also get over stuff and move on, and I don't need faith to do that.


I agree with everything you said, but I just wanna play devils advocate for a moment(I in no way believe this 🙂), I was re-reading Angels and Demons a while ago and I love the answer that is given in that book. In it one character asks why God would allow bad things to happen to people, and another asks him that if he had a child, would he let him skateboard, knowing full well that the kid was bound to mess up and hurt himself, and the guy says yes he would because he would learn from it. It pretty much says god allows us to mess up so we can learn from our mistakes hoping we would lean from them.

Apparently god hasn't coped on that we don't seem to learn from our mistakes and keeps letting us fall off that skateboard 🙂

thats well put, I agree with what you have written... I defintely believe in myself!

 

[SpikedBuffy]

All that needs to be said is this: Whatever you believe, you believe. As long as you stick up for your personal opinions, and do so with grace, honor and respect, then more power to you and your beliefs.

Life's questions and inquiries cannot be answered through attacking others for not only disrespecting the freedom of religion but also through verbally attacking those who attack you.

Remember Christian feeling people: if someone strikes you on the cheek, turn the other. Take those ideas of less respectful and thoughtful people and wash them from your life. Only they can deal with their own words and actions and face whatever type of afterlife they believe in.

oh, and btw....I am heavily religious! 🙂 And whatever is said about it, I just let it roll off me. When we die, I guess we'll all know the truth, right? I just choose to believe in a higher, gracious power which makes the thought of living decently in the sometimes screwed up world a little bit nicer. So, I believe that mankind was saved by Jesus. That's a heck of a lot better than believing in nothing.

 

[nerd4hire]

There's a problem with discounting faith on the grounds it's not logical. The premise itself is not logical.

It's possible to logically pick apart existence to the point "the self is the only thing that can be known and verified". There's a philosophical discipline called solipsism which does just that. You see, to believe in the existence of anything other than yourself isn't logical. It requires faith. You postulate things are a certain way, then you choose to have faith in that premise.

When you look about the world and make decisions about it you're calling upon a requirement of faith that says things are the way you understand them. If you're bashing faith, you're bashing your own world view, then suggesting it's superior. This isn't logical. Actually the only true atheists in the sense that they have a total lack of faith are probably in mental wards.

 

[*Darla Masters*]

Well... unlike the lot of you... I'm not Christian, and I'm not an Atheist or an Agnostic... I'm a Wiccan... or, to put it another way... I'm a Witch. Now, first, you had better not go on about "devil worshipping" or any of that crap. to worship the devil, you first have to believe in the devil, and the only ones who believe in the devil as such, aka satan or whatever, are Christians... I don't worshop the devil, i don't dance around naked... and i don't kill anything except flies, and other such pests... and yes, while you need to believe in something, do you really need to yell at others for pointing out the illogical in your beliefs... yes, there is illogic there and Christianity is renowned, not for it's rationality, but in PAST TIMES, it's blind hatred and ignorance of other beliefs... every day when you wake up... that's not a miracle, that's part of nature... Jesus was just a man who preached love, tolerance and understanding. Coincidentally, Jesus was a Jew and taught from the Torah.

I have had to put up with so much crap frojm people who claim to be true Christians, but lie, cheat, steal, or violate at least one of the 10 commandments. I have had to put up with so much ignorance from "true Christians" and i say get over it!! Your God is no better than any other God or Goddes, mine included.... so quit the crap and ditch the ignorance...

Blind faith is a killer people...

 

[Black Eye Guy]

Coincidentally, Jesus was a Jew and taught from the Torah.

This I don't get at all! I mean how do you worship someone who founded your religion when he wasn't even of the same religion.

A friend of mine is a protestant, and that religion I just don't get all. The founder of that religion is the King of England, who's main reason for creating it was so he could get divorced!!

I have had to put up with so much crap frojm people who claim to be true Christians, but lie, cheat, steal, or violate at least one of the 10 commandments. I have had to put up with so much ignorance from "true Christians" and i say get over it!! Your God is no better than any other God or Goddes, mine included.... so quit the crap and ditch the ignorance...

Blind faith is a killer people...

That also annoys me as well, It doesn't make sense that people believe in something that tells them what they have to do, but don't listen to half the stuff is says!!

 

[Angel's vision]

I believe that so called Christains are a bad witness, yes even the witch hunts i think were aborrant.

The Jewish faith requires that people sacrifice a lamb to take their place, reg the penalty for sin which is death,according to the Torah, Jesus fullfilled the law, by willingly being the sacrifice himself is what i believe.


The protestant church you talk about BEG is the anglican church, which i feel the foundations which it is based on are also aborrant.Not honouring Christ at all.

I have nothing against wiccans and i am a christian.I believe the best witness is practicing what you preach!

 

[slayerpower]

I was brought up Jewish and that's my religion. My family isn't super religious about it. No synagogue, no sabbath, just celebrate the holidays.
Recently, I have discovered I am very religious. I think I realized this after seeing The Exorcist. Good movie, just really hard to watch. I'm really glad The Da Vinci Code got bad reviews because I was iffy about seeing it.
I believe that God/fate makes everything happen for a reason. That makes me see that everything that happens is done so a good outcome will happen.
One thing I hate is forcing your belief upon others. That's why I don't go to synagogue and I don't like people protesting something related to religion. To me, you can have your opinion, but don't go around demanding that other people believe it, too.
I do believe, however, that God has a sense of humor. So when The Daily Show, for example, makes jokes about God, it's okay because it's just jokes.
I don't think anyone in my family is as religious as I am. I wonder why certain people are religious and certain people are. I mean, my brother is an atheist, as well as my dad. My dad used to be a Catholic, but he hated it and was a Jew when he was married to my mom and I think that was mostly because we were Jewish, so he might as well be. Now that he's remarried, he and his wife aren't any religion.

 

[Cohen]

People who claim to be "true Christians" and "righteous" are liars. Nobody is righteous. Everybody sins. I can't stand those kind of christians.

 

[buffetofsporks]

Being that I lived in the South most of my life. The "Bible Belt", if you will. It's forced me to either question the idea of a God or embrace Him entirely. Well ... I chose the former. I still don't know quite what I believe, but I am searching. I'm not defined by any religion or belief. I think the only thing I can believe in right now is mankind and whether or not it's truly an entity of good.

I have a lot of life to live, so I'll get back to you on the whole concept later.

😉

 

[goldenboy]

Hmm. I love trying to approach things sideways, figure out who thinks what, and why that might be.

I always thought Einstein was interesting. He was in the minority for a scientist in that he believed in some form of "God". He seemed almost like a deist or pantheist, something...

Although Einstein had a positive attitude toward religion, he was not active during adulthood in any organized religious group. It seems that as an adult he was only once a dues-paying member of a Jewish congregation. Most sources indicate that he clearly did not believe in a personal God, and that when he talked about God he was speaking in a more Spinozan sense, and was not speaking of a strictly Judeo-Christian Biblical conception of God. He wrote of his belief in a noble "cosmic religious feeling" that enables scientists to advance human knowledge. A famous quote: "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."

"The most beautiful and profound emotion we can experience is the sensation of the mystical. It is the source of all true science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. To know that what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty, which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their primitive forms -- this knowledge, this feeling, is at the center of true religion."

http://www.adherents.com/people/pe/Albert_Einstein.html

I thinking that I've heard that cosmologists tend to be just a little more religiously inclined, biologists less so. It seems like the cosmologists detect some sense of order, design, elegance; biologists see more randomness, messiness, maybe...

Surveys published in Nature in 1997 and 1998, showed little change since 1916, with only 39 percent of all scientists declaring a personal belief in God. Belief among "leading" scientists, however--defined in this case as members of the National Academy of Sciences--was far lower: only seven percent in 1998. Curiously, among scientists, mathematicians were the most likely to believe in God and biologists the least likely.

http://www.uchospitals.edu/news/2005/20050622-religious.html