i expect you guys have done this a thousand times on this forum but humour me
all my adult life i have been an atheist , along with the tooth fairy Easter bunny (but not Santa this close to Xmas) i weighed it up i just could not see how one super being that has always been there could make everything just for man and then stand by and watch things just like world wars where evil men murder millions in gas chambers etc then there was the evolution thing and much more a few things have happened lately and my once blinkered mind is now open things i cant explain there has to be more god or whatever i just don't know i'm still thinking
i was having dinner with one guy who is an atheist and one a proper bible bash er me i'm in no camp what so ever listening they both had good points one being the missing link called Lucy just been found (sounds like my ex wife to me)
bible brasher says show me one piece of evidence to support man came from Lucy
atheist says show me 1 piece of evidence (apart from the bible) that there is a god
and so it goes on and on and on
then the atheist says the way you believe in your god and dismiss all others
is the way i dismiss your god and all others .its only brainwashing by your parents that you believe any way
there was much more said on both sides and the battle goes on between these guys by phone ,text email and whatever you cant win one way or the other
i was just wondering honest trusted friends on this forum how did you find your god why him and why not another faiths god
before the god squad comden my immortal soul I'd like to add i envy you your faith and wish i had some there is time for old jimbo yet
which god and how ?
-
cherandbuster
- Posts: 8594
- Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 11:33 am
which god and how ?
Jimbo 
I sometimes wonder if faith is just believing in something that you have no explanation for . . .
I was brought up to believe in God, but I don't feel strongly one way or the other, to be honest.
I'm a person of science and logic -- somebody *prove* it to me and then I'll believe :-6
I sometimes wonder if faith is just believing in something that you have no explanation for . . .
I was brought up to believe in God, but I don't feel strongly one way or the other, to be honest.
I'm a person of science and logic -- somebody *prove* it to me and then I'll believe :-6
Live Life with
PASSION!:guitarist
PASSION!:guitarist
which god and how ?
My God has evolved from that which my parents taught me to believe in, although they did always give me freedom to explore my own beliefs and supported my doubts, faiths, etc. However, since then I have made some changes in my life, including Recovery, and that has helped me find my God more than anything else
which god and how ?
Pinky wrote: I know a dyslexic athiest...he doesn't believe in Dog:D
You have a knack for making me giggle
You have a knack for making me giggle
which god and how ?
Hey jimbo. Yes I believe in a greater being. We can call him God if you like. I can't say I believe in the same God expoused by the bible thumpers though. I was brought up in a very religous family, Grandfather was a hell fire and brimstone Methodist preacher. I am not sure what happens when we die, but I have a feeling something is there. I just cant go along with the hell fire and wrath of God thinking. I think its gonna be pretty cool actually.
which god and how ?
YZGI wrote: Hey jimbo. Yes I believe in a greater being. We can call him God if you like. I can't say I believe in the same God espoused by the bible thumpers though. I was brought up in a very religous family, Grandfather was a hell fire and brimstone Methodist preacher. I am not sure what happens when we die, but I have a feeling something is there. I just cant go along with the hell fire and wrath of God thinking. I think its gonna be pretty cool actually.
honestly my friend a few things have happened since the death of some family members there is no logical explanation
my mind is opened the spirit thing sounds good to me
honestly my friend a few things have happened since the death of some family members there is no logical explanation
my mind is opened the spirit thing sounds good to me
which god and how ?
Well Jimbo, Ill just throw this out. Walk outside and really open your eyes. See what there is to see, smell what there is to smell and touch what there is to touch.
Spend some time truly awake, let your senses absorb your surroundings. Then think bigger, then bigger, then bigger. This tiny blue planet circling the sun, that provides us with just the right amount of sun and water to grow our crops to feed our people. Just the right amount of night for rest and just the right amount of day for work. Timber for shelter, oil in the earth for energy. The seasons come and they go in perfect harmony.
If you cant find a miracle a day my friend, well your just not looking then.
God is in us, in everything you see. Open wide Jimbo the answer is in the palm of your hand.
Spend some time truly awake, let your senses absorb your surroundings. Then think bigger, then bigger, then bigger. This tiny blue planet circling the sun, that provides us with just the right amount of sun and water to grow our crops to feed our people. Just the right amount of night for rest and just the right amount of day for work. Timber for shelter, oil in the earth for energy. The seasons come and they go in perfect harmony.
If you cant find a miracle a day my friend, well your just not looking then.
God is in us, in everything you see. Open wide Jimbo the answer is in the palm of your hand.
I AM AWESOME MAN
which god and how ?
Nomad wrote: Well Jimbo, Ill just throw this out. Walk outside and really open your eyes. See what there is to see, smell what there is to smell and touch what there is to touch.
Spend some time truly awake, let your senses absorb your surroundings. Then think bigger, then bigger, then bigger. This tiny blue planet circling the sun, that provides us with just the right amount of sun and water to grow our crops to feed our people. Just the right amount of night for rest and just the right amount of day for work. Timber for shelter, oil in the earth for energy. The seasons come and they go in perfect harmony.
If you cant find a miracle a day my friend, well your just not looking then.
God is in us, in everything you see. Open wide Jimbo the answer is in the palm of your hand.
I'll second that.
Spend some time truly awake, let your senses absorb your surroundings. Then think bigger, then bigger, then bigger. This tiny blue planet circling the sun, that provides us with just the right amount of sun and water to grow our crops to feed our people. Just the right amount of night for rest and just the right amount of day for work. Timber for shelter, oil in the earth for energy. The seasons come and they go in perfect harmony.
If you cant find a miracle a day my friend, well your just not looking then.
God is in us, in everything you see. Open wide Jimbo the answer is in the palm of your hand.
I'll second that.
which god and how ?
Nomad wrote: Well Jimbo, Ill just throw this out. Walk outside and really open your eyes. See what there is to see, smell what there is to smell and touch what there is to touch.
Spend some time truly awake, let your senses absorb your surroundings. Then think bigger, then bigger, then bigger. This tiny blue planet circling the sun, that provides us with just the right amount of sun and water to grow our crops to feed our people. Just the right amount of night for rest and just the right amount of day for work. Timber for shelter, oil in the earth for energy. The seasons come and they go in perfect harmony.
If you cant find a miracle a day my friend, well your just not looking then.
God is in us, in everything you see. Open wide Jimbo the answer is in the palm of your hand.
I'm almost certain that this couldn't have been said any better. Great post.
Spend some time truly awake, let your senses absorb your surroundings. Then think bigger, then bigger, then bigger. This tiny blue planet circling the sun, that provides us with just the right amount of sun and water to grow our crops to feed our people. Just the right amount of night for rest and just the right amount of day for work. Timber for shelter, oil in the earth for energy. The seasons come and they go in perfect harmony.
If you cant find a miracle a day my friend, well your just not looking then.
God is in us, in everything you see. Open wide Jimbo the answer is in the palm of your hand.
I'm almost certain that this couldn't have been said any better. Great post.
which god and how ?
I found my God, Higher Power, Oneness whatever you wish to call it by traveling to the depths of imcomprehensible demoralization (a state from which you must cheer up from before you can commit suicide :wah: ) and despair. For some reason I was brought in touch with some vast loving spirit and spared a state worse than death. Instead of getting what I deserve I got a life of quiet contentment, love and friends (like those I've met here and others). Oh yeah jimbo there is something greater than ourselves that loves us in a way the human brain cannot understand...
Gets down off the soapbox and walks away pumping a fist in the air
Gets down off the soapbox and walks away pumping a fist in the air
You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted, then used against you.
which god and how ?
Nomad wrote: Well Jimbo, Ill just throw this out. Walk outside and really open your eyes. See what there is to see, smell what there is to smell and touch what there is to touch.
Spend some time truly awake, let your senses absorb your surroundings. Then think bigger, then bigger, then bigger. This tiny blue planet circling the sun, that provides us with just the right amount of sun and water to grow our crops to feed our people. Just the right amount of night for rest and just the right amount of day for work. Timber for shelter, oil in the earth for energy. The seasons come and they go in perfect harmony.
If you cant find a miracle a day my friend, well your just not looking then.
God is in us, in everything you see. Open wide Jimbo the answer is in the palm of your hand.
I'll third that.
I have found so much contentment in God, who I sense so close to me. But Jimbo I know that all people are different and your contentment is where you choose to find it.
Spend some time truly awake, let your senses absorb your surroundings. Then think bigger, then bigger, then bigger. This tiny blue planet circling the sun, that provides us with just the right amount of sun and water to grow our crops to feed our people. Just the right amount of night for rest and just the right amount of day for work. Timber for shelter, oil in the earth for energy. The seasons come and they go in perfect harmony.
If you cant find a miracle a day my friend, well your just not looking then.
God is in us, in everything you see. Open wide Jimbo the answer is in the palm of your hand.
I'll third that.
I have found so much contentment in God, who I sense so close to me. But Jimbo I know that all people are different and your contentment is where you choose to find it.
miriam:yh_flower
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.
.................Charles Mingus
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/enter.cfm?
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.
.................Charles Mingus
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/enter.cfm?
which god and how ?
Nomad wrote: Well Jimbo, Ill just throw this out. Walk outside and really open your eyes. See what there is to see, smell what there is to smell and touch what there is to touch.
Spend some time truly awake, let your senses absorb your surroundings. Then think bigger, then bigger, then bigger. This tiny blue planet circling the sun, that provides us with just the right amount of sun and water to grow our crops to feed our people. Just the right amount of night for rest and just the right amount of day for work. Timber for shelter, oil in the earth for energy. The seasons come and they go in perfect harmony.
If you cant find a miracle a day my friend, well your just not looking then.
God is in us, in everything you see. Open wide Jimbo the answer is in the
palm of your hand.
good point and why is it your god that created it and not any one else's
and i suppose Satan went round the world liberally throwing fossils around just to tempt the faithful into believing into evolution yeah right
nomad i respect your wit and intelligence i really do i always look for your posts
so I'll repeat my question which god and why yours is the real one mate
i want to believe buddy but saying things like its a miracle ain't gonna do it for me
Spend some time truly awake, let your senses absorb your surroundings. Then think bigger, then bigger, then bigger. This tiny blue planet circling the sun, that provides us with just the right amount of sun and water to grow our crops to feed our people. Just the right amount of night for rest and just the right amount of day for work. Timber for shelter, oil in the earth for energy. The seasons come and they go in perfect harmony.
If you cant find a miracle a day my friend, well your just not looking then.
God is in us, in everything you see. Open wide Jimbo the answer is in the
palm of your hand.
good point and why is it your god that created it and not any one else's
and i suppose Satan went round the world liberally throwing fossils around just to tempt the faithful into believing into evolution yeah right
nomad i respect your wit and intelligence i really do i always look for your posts
so I'll repeat my question which god and why yours is the real one mate
i want to believe buddy but saying things like its a miracle ain't gonna do it for me
which god and how ?
jimbo don't look in the world for your proof, look at your realtionships..
You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted, then used against you.
which god and how ?
I think his point jimbo is that God is in all of us. In everything. The hills, trees etc etc. And this ( God ) is not your God , their God or my God. It is every thing you see hear or experience. In other words it is every ones God. Some just choose different ways of worshipping him.
which god and how ?
Hi jimbo, kinda not really the kinda thread for this part of the forum, but ah well. I studied science so I guess I'd be pretty much atheist material, but over the years the more I get to understand about the incredible nature of the universe that we exist in, I am pretty much sure that there is a "god" for use of a better term and he expresses himself in the creation we see around us, and of which we are a part. Its becomming pretty clear that life is probably abundant throughout the universe and that the fact that, over the billions of years of the universe, matter has managed to organize itself from a ball of superhot gas into stars, planets, seas, deserts, trees, insects, apes, humans and in our case (at least) a state of conciouness, that would suggest to me that there is some sort of organizing principal in the way the universe works that we percieve dimly perhaps from inside, but don't understand intellectually. That said, that doesn't mean there is a personal god like in the major religions, or that there is some sort of afterlife, but its my opinion that there its certainly not unreasonable or illogical to suppose there is a divine purpose, it just probably isn't something that we could really understand.
Anyway, back to the football.
Anyway, back to the football.
"We are never so happy, never so unhappy, as we imagine"
Le Rochefoucauld.
"A smack in the face settles all arguments, then you can move on kid."
My dad 1986.
Le Rochefoucauld.
"A smack in the face settles all arguments, then you can move on kid."
My dad 1986.
which god and how ?
jimbo wrote: good point and why is it your god that created it and not any one else's
and i suppose Satan went round the world liberally throwing fossils around just to tempt the faithful into believing into evolution yeah right
nomad i respect your wit and intelligence i really do i always look for your posts
so I'll repeat my question which god and why yours is the real one mate
i want to believe buddy but saying things like its a miracle ain't gonna do it for me
My God is your God or anyones God. Im not so smug or sure or pompous as to assume I Nomad have the one true definitive answer for your concern. I can call my God Allah or I can call my God Fred, its of no concern to me how you or the peoples of Guiyang or Borneo or Uruguay choose to make your journey. Thats for you to decide and for you to choose whom to affiliate yourself with. I myself dont affiliate myself with Presbyterians or Muslims or Hindu or Hare Krishnas.
God for me is personal and I couldnt possibly translate to you how he lives in me. Choose away but keep in mind were neighbors. We all are and we all live in close proximity to one another. Our oceans and deserts and plains are infinitesimal compared to the vastness that surrounds us and our creation we cant comprehend.
My meaning is we are all brothers and sisters and we all walk the same Earth. So as different as we seem to think we are our differences exist only in the mind.
and i suppose Satan went round the world liberally throwing fossils around just to tempt the faithful into believing into evolution yeah right
nomad i respect your wit and intelligence i really do i always look for your posts
so I'll repeat my question which god and why yours is the real one mate
i want to believe buddy but saying things like its a miracle ain't gonna do it for me
My God is your God or anyones God. Im not so smug or sure or pompous as to assume I Nomad have the one true definitive answer for your concern. I can call my God Allah or I can call my God Fred, its of no concern to me how you or the peoples of Guiyang or Borneo or Uruguay choose to make your journey. Thats for you to decide and for you to choose whom to affiliate yourself with. I myself dont affiliate myself with Presbyterians or Muslims or Hindu or Hare Krishnas.
God for me is personal and I couldnt possibly translate to you how he lives in me. Choose away but keep in mind were neighbors. We all are and we all live in close proximity to one another. Our oceans and deserts and plains are infinitesimal compared to the vastness that surrounds us and our creation we cant comprehend.
My meaning is we are all brothers and sisters and we all walk the same Earth. So as different as we seem to think we are our differences exist only in the mind.
I AM AWESOME MAN
which god and how ?
Hi Jimbo,
Speaking for myself I can't say that my God is the right one or that my God would be yours either. I think our faith in a higher being if you will, must come from our own search. What rings true to your heart? How do you treat others in your life and the planet you live on? What example do you set for them? What just makes sense to you? Only you can decide that. I do not believe in organized religion. I don't need someone behind a pulpit to tell me how to lead my life or what book to read and follow. I don't believe in heaven or hell nor do I believe that death is the end. I prefer to think of it as a new beginning. But that is just me.
I wish you good fortune on your journey and may you find those things you need the most. :-6
Speaking for myself I can't say that my God is the right one or that my God would be yours either. I think our faith in a higher being if you will, must come from our own search. What rings true to your heart? How do you treat others in your life and the planet you live on? What example do you set for them? What just makes sense to you? Only you can decide that. I do not believe in organized religion. I don't need someone behind a pulpit to tell me how to lead my life or what book to read and follow. I don't believe in heaven or hell nor do I believe that death is the end. I prefer to think of it as a new beginning. But that is just me.
I wish you good fortune on your journey and may you find those things you need the most. :-6
At Christmas I no more desire a rose
Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled mirth;
But like of each thing that in season grows. -Shakespeare
which god and how ?
jimbo wrote: good point and why is it your god that created it and not any one else's
and i suppose Satan went round the world liberally throwing fossils around just to tempt the faithful into believing into evolution yeah right
nomad i respect your wit and intelligence i really do i always look for your posts
so I'll repeat my question which god and why yours is the real one mate
i want to believe buddy but saying things like its a miracle ain't gonna do it for me
Jimbo
You won't find God out there anywhere or from somebody else. You have to find God inside yoursefl. And you gotta do it yourself. No one else can do it for you., You have faith.....you just haven't found it yet.
and i suppose Satan went round the world liberally throwing fossils around just to tempt the faithful into believing into evolution yeah right
nomad i respect your wit and intelligence i really do i always look for your posts
so I'll repeat my question which god and why yours is the real one mate
i want to believe buddy but saying things like its a miracle ain't gonna do it for me
Jimbo
You won't find God out there anywhere or from somebody else. You have to find God inside yoursefl. And you gotta do it yourself. No one else can do it for you., You have faith.....you just haven't found it yet.
miriam:yh_flower
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.
.................Charles Mingus
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/enter.cfm?
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.
.................Charles Mingus
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/enter.cfm?
which god and how ?
thanks dr gallbally that's the sort of answer i'm looking for
i'm not trying to convince any one there is no god far from it
my gran was a jehovah's witness i was taken every Saturday and had to go tell people of the great news of the after life etc every Sunday it was the kingdom hall don't get me wrong very nice people if you could face having the watchtower shoved down your throat every 5 seconds
but I'll get back to my seemingly forgotten point why did you believe in your god
Christians you have to have Christ right so any religion without Christ you cant believe in right ?
so how did you come to believe was it a conscious decision like yep thatll do for me or was it you were just brung up to believe in that religion because your parents did
i really do believe in a creator and we go some where after death ' when my atheist mate asked the bible basher this question i actually thought those guys on my forum they will be able to answer this
well maybe you cant
i'm not trying to convince any one there is no god far from it
my gran was a jehovah's witness i was taken every Saturday and had to go tell people of the great news of the after life etc every Sunday it was the kingdom hall don't get me wrong very nice people if you could face having the watchtower shoved down your throat every 5 seconds
but I'll get back to my seemingly forgotten point why did you believe in your god
Christians you have to have Christ right so any religion without Christ you cant believe in right ?
so how did you come to believe was it a conscious decision like yep thatll do for me or was it you were just brung up to believe in that religion because your parents did
i really do believe in a creator and we go some where after death ' when my atheist mate asked the bible basher this question i actually thought those guys on my forum they will be able to answer this
well maybe you cant
which god and how ?
Okay lets try this a different way. Q. Which God? A. They are all the same. Q. How? How ever you happened to have found your beliefs, Put all yor experiences into a basket toss them up into the air and however they land, thats how. Your athiest mate. Well thats his God. His ( God ) is his not believing in God. Thats just the way he rolls.
which god and how ?
thanks buddy i think i got it only one god every one worships different way
bingo
so the holy wars were fought by two sides worshiping the same god but differently
i give up i'm not posting any more on this stupid thread that was posted in the wrong place any way stupid idjut jimbo:-5
bingo
so the holy wars were fought by two sides worshiping the same god but differently
i give up i'm not posting any more on this stupid thread that was posted in the wrong place any way stupid idjut jimbo:-5
-
jbbarker1947
- Posts: 515
- Joined: Thu May 11, 2006 7:59 am
which god and how ?
cherandbuster wrote: Jimbo
I sometimes wonder if faith is just believing in something that you have no explanation for . . .
I was brought up to believe in God, but I don't feel strongly one way or the other, to be honest.
I'm a person of science and logic -- somebody *prove* it to me and then I'll believe :-6
May the God of your choice bless you.
I sometimes wonder if faith is just believing in something that you have no explanation for . . .
I was brought up to believe in God, but I don't feel strongly one way or the other, to be honest.
I'm a person of science and logic -- somebody *prove* it to me and then I'll believe :-6
May the God of your choice bless you.
which god and how ?
Or as the Irish comedian Dave Allen used to say, "goodnight, and may your god go with you"
"We are never so happy, never so unhappy, as we imagine"
Le Rochefoucauld.
"A smack in the face settles all arguments, then you can move on kid."
My dad 1986.
Le Rochefoucauld.
"A smack in the face settles all arguments, then you can move on kid."
My dad 1986.
which god and how ?
jimbo wrote: thanks buddy i think i got it only one god every one worships different way
bingo
so the holy wars were fought by two sides worshiping the same god but differently
i give up i'm not posting any more on this stupid thread that was posted in the wrong place any way stupid idjut jimbo:-5
I don't think you should consider this thread stupid, because it's not. It's never wrong to explore the greater good. One problem is to not confuse religion with spirituality, which is God given (your soul, you're born with it, it's inside you - your being). Religion is a set of doctrines written by men, and subject to interpretation, which causes even more trouble. JMHO
bingo
so the holy wars were fought by two sides worshiping the same god but differently
i give up i'm not posting any more on this stupid thread that was posted in the wrong place any way stupid idjut jimbo:-5
I don't think you should consider this thread stupid, because it's not. It's never wrong to explore the greater good. One problem is to not confuse religion with spirituality, which is God given (your soul, you're born with it, it's inside you - your being). Religion is a set of doctrines written by men, and subject to interpretation, which causes even more trouble. JMHO
which god and how ?
Maybe God meets everyone at their own level of need and understanding..God started out as a doorknob for me..
You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted, then used against you.
-
Adam Zapple
- Posts: 977
- Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2005 3:13 am
which god and how ?
I think the questions are legitimate but the presentation leaves a lot to be desired. Religion is a man-made entity. It is an organizedand flawed attempt to understand and relate to God, but that relationship must ultimately be a personal one. My spiritual foundation was laid by my parents. Had they not introduced me to spiritual matters and raised me in church I may have never explored these things. But I think it is unfair to say that people of faith are only people of faith because they have been brainwashed. It is a lifetime journey that requires diligence and a deep desire to find spiritual truths I will never fully understand and comprehend the character of God in this life but it is a personal connection with God that makes it worthwhile. I do not believe all religious doctrines are equal and I do not believe that we all worship the same God. Some people faithfully observe the rituals of their religion while never seeking God on a personal level. Others have no connection with religion and find God in a very personal way.
You ask what makes me think I am right and all other religions wrong? It's not that simple. I don't think all religions are wrong in all things but my belief would be rather worthless if I thought it had no more valueor validity than any other. My faith is not bolstered by symbolism, rituals, or dogma but by life experiences and searching for God in an intimate, emotional and personal way. I certainly don't have all the answers and there is much to learn and understand, but I do believe as a follower of Christ I am on the right path. Others believe differently as is their perogative. We can't all be right, we can only strives to find the answers.
You ask what makes me think I am right and all other religions wrong? It's not that simple. I don't think all religions are wrong in all things but my belief would be rather worthless if I thought it had no more valueor validity than any other. My faith is not bolstered by symbolism, rituals, or dogma but by life experiences and searching for God in an intimate, emotional and personal way. I certainly don't have all the answers and there is much to learn and understand, but I do believe as a follower of Christ I am on the right path. Others believe differently as is their perogative. We can't all be right, we can only strives to find the answers.
which god and how ?
adamzapple thank you
out of all the replies yours was the one that reached out me and made me
think i got it
i didnt hear what you said i felt what you said and it was beautifull thank you
if i end up on the right side of them pearly gates it will beceause i felt god fill
every cell of my body as i read your reply
thank you:-6
out of all the replies yours was the one that reached out me and made me
think i got it
i didnt hear what you said i felt what you said and it was beautifull thank you
if i end up on the right side of them pearly gates it will beceause i felt god fill
every cell of my body as i read your reply
thank you:-6
which god and how ?
Hi thereI was christened a Catholic because my father was Irish and that was the way it was. Gradually as I became older my family stopped going to church. My father was the last one and did not like the way the Catholic church brought in the shaking of hands between the congregation. He liked the old fashioned ways of a latin mass etc.
I am now 48 and my father has passed on. I believe in something, not sure what. Maybe it is God but I feel you can call the higher being what you like. You do not have to worship someone in a building I feel. Every night I try to pray to God and the angels. I give thanks for another day. God or whomever took my hubby at the age of 39 without warning or time to say goodbye. I hated him then. However I learned to overcome this. I still pray to a higher power but now my mind is more open. I try to read tarot cards, angel cards, look at other religions. My auntie who is a nun thinks I'm a heathen and I must turn back to catholicism. Why? I feel strongly that the powers that be would have wanted me to explore and be open minded about the world in general.
I make no judgements about people. I just accept them for whatever they are, be it race, colour, creed, sexuality, whatever. I feel that if everyone did the same maybe we would all get along a little better. My brother has cerebal palsy. His mind is strong & capable, even though he walks differently. I walk beside him and we have a laugh. I see nothing different about him. Should I? He doesn't believe in God and says he has seen the Grim Reaper. He often has chats with my hubby who has been gone these past 10 years. Should I, therefore, shun him for his beliefs. No I shouldn't. It's not the way I was bought up. I will always be open minded and will not change my views.
Right off my soapbox! Sorry for the ramblings again.
which god and how ?
annie58 wrote: Hi there
I was christened a Catholic because my father was Irish and that was the way it was. Gradually as I became older my family stopped going to church. My father was the last one and did not like the way the Catholic church brought in the shaking of hands between the congregation. He liked the old fashioned ways of a latin mass etc.
I am now 48 and my father has passed on. I believe in something, not sure what. Maybe it is God but I feel you can call the higher being what you like. You do not have to worship someone in a building I feel. Every night I try to pray to God and the angels. I give thanks for another day. God or whomever took my hubby at the age of 39 without warning or time to say goodbye. I hated him then. However I learned to overcome this. I still pray to a higher power but now my mind is more open. I try to read tarot cards, angel cards, look at other religions. My auntie who is a nun thinks I'm a heathen and I must turn back to catholicism. Why? I feel strongly that the powers that be would have wanted me to explore and be open minded about the world in general.
I make no judgements about people. I just accept them for whatever they are, be it race, colour, creed, sexuality, whatever. I feel that if everyone did the same maybe we would all get along a little better. My brother has cerebal palsy. His mind is strong & capable, even though he walks differently. I walk beside him and we have a laugh. I see nothing different about him. Should I? He doesn't believe in God and says he has seen the Grim Reaper. He often has chats with my hubby who has been gone these past 10 years. Should I, therefore, shun him for his beliefs. No I shouldn't. It's not the way I was bought up. I will always be open minded and will not change my views.
Right off my soapbox! Sorry for the ramblings again.
the voice of reason 2 the sequel
that's almost exactly what i think but different
thank you
Hi thereI was christened a Catholic because my father was Irish and that was the way it was. Gradually as I became older my family stopped going to church. My father was the last one and did not like the way the Catholic church brought in the shaking of hands between the congregation. He liked the old fashioned ways of a latin mass etc.
I am now 48 and my father has passed on. I believe in something, not sure what. Maybe it is God but I feel you can call the higher being what you like. You do not have to worship someone in a building I feel. Every night I try to pray to God and the angels. I give thanks for another day. God or whomever took my hubby at the age of 39 without warning or time to say goodbye. I hated him then. However I learned to overcome this. I still pray to a higher power but now my mind is more open. I try to read tarot cards, angel cards, look at other religions. My auntie who is a nun thinks I'm a heathen and I must turn back to catholicism. Why? I feel strongly that the powers that be would have wanted me to explore and be open minded about the world in general.
I make no judgements about people. I just accept them for whatever they are, be it race, colour, creed, sexuality, whatever. I feel that if everyone did the same maybe we would all get along a little better. My brother has cerebal palsy. His mind is strong & capable, even though he walks differently. I walk beside him and we have a laugh. I see nothing different about him. Should I? He doesn't believe in God and says he has seen the Grim Reaper. He often has chats with my hubby who has been gone these past 10 years. Should I, therefore, shun him for his beliefs. No I shouldn't. It's not the way I was bought up. I will always be open minded and will not change my views.
Right off my soapbox! Sorry for the ramblings again.
the voice of reason 2 the sequel
that's almost exactly what i think but different
thank you
which god and how ?
jimbo wrote:
i was just wondering honest trusted friends on this forum how did you find your god why him and why not another faiths god
I was brought up a Methodist (my Grandfather was a Methodist lay preacher) but I argued myself out of it very early on. So whilst I have not changed from my families God to a different God it is not just a case of following your early training.
I guess the start of my downfall was the organised church and their responsibility for so much evil in the world. At that age it's difficult to separate the message from the messenger.
i was just wondering honest trusted friends on this forum how did you find your god why him and why not another faiths god
I was brought up a Methodist (my Grandfather was a Methodist lay preacher) but I argued myself out of it very early on. So whilst I have not changed from my families God to a different God it is not just a case of following your early training.
I guess the start of my downfall was the organised church and their responsibility for so much evil in the world. At that age it's difficult to separate the message from the messenger.
which god and how ?
Nomad wrote: Well Jimbo, Ill just throw this out. Walk outside and really open your eyes. See what there is to see, smell what there is to smell and touch what there is to touch.
Spend some time truly awake, let your senses absorb your surroundings. Then think bigger, then bigger, then bigger. This tiny blue planet circling the sun, that provides us with just the right amount of sun and water to grow our crops to feed our people. Just the right amount of night for rest and just the right amount of day for work. Timber for shelter, oil in the earth for energy. The seasons come and they go in perfect harmony.
If you cant find a miracle a day my friend, well your just not looking then.
God is in us, in everything you see. Open wide Jimbo the answer is in the palm of your hand.
The universe is infinite (nearly) and, somewhere in the universe there will be a planet orbiting in a very nearly circular orbit at just the right distance from the primary to have the right amount of sun. The initial atmosphere is corrosive and poisonous but condusive to generating an organic chemical soup - this is not a function of anything but the interstellar medium from which the planet was formed.
This could well have happened a million times across the universe. Say it's a one in a million chance that this will lead to life - you will have a planet with life on it saying "there must be a God otherwise how come conditions are so perfect for life".
I'm sorry, but yor argument does not stack up against the infinite.
Spend some time truly awake, let your senses absorb your surroundings. Then think bigger, then bigger, then bigger. This tiny blue planet circling the sun, that provides us with just the right amount of sun and water to grow our crops to feed our people. Just the right amount of night for rest and just the right amount of day for work. Timber for shelter, oil in the earth for energy. The seasons come and they go in perfect harmony.
If you cant find a miracle a day my friend, well your just not looking then.
God is in us, in everything you see. Open wide Jimbo the answer is in the palm of your hand.
The universe is infinite (nearly) and, somewhere in the universe there will be a planet orbiting in a very nearly circular orbit at just the right distance from the primary to have the right amount of sun. The initial atmosphere is corrosive and poisonous but condusive to generating an organic chemical soup - this is not a function of anything but the interstellar medium from which the planet was formed.
This could well have happened a million times across the universe. Say it's a one in a million chance that this will lead to life - you will have a planet with life on it saying "there must be a God otherwise how come conditions are so perfect for life".
I'm sorry, but yor argument does not stack up against the infinite.
which god and how ?
good point my learned friend
there are 10,000 billion billion stars
and the amount of planets that are in the perfect position from there suns for life wait for it 10 billion yup 10 billion
if any one is interested when i finish work I'll put the rest of the info downwhen i finish work its a good read
how it affects my point i don't know
how it affects the if i don't kill an atheist i wont go to heaven group i don't
know i guess I'll read on this post when i get home from work wont i :-3
there are 10,000 billion billion stars
and the amount of planets that are in the perfect position from there suns for life wait for it 10 billion yup 10 billion
if any one is interested when i finish work I'll put the rest of the info downwhen i finish work its a good read
how it affects my point i don't know
how it affects the if i don't kill an atheist i wont go to heaven group i don't
know i guess I'll read on this post when i get home from work wont i :-3
which god and how ?
I'm not religious but I can never understand why people ask the question. If you believe in a monotheistic religon i.e. there is only one god, then if someone worships in a different way they must still be worshipping the same god because there is only one not there can only be one with the winner decided by battle.
If there is only one in the first place there is no right or wrong god.
All religious conflict are basically over the right way to worship-you would think having acquired the same basic belief all else would be irrelevant, but no, religons the world over pick fights with other religons over daft things like whether there is only one right way to worship and cheerfully slaugter each other all in the name of god.
If you condemn another religon for worshipping a false god the implication is that god is insane with multiple personalities and religous war is about deciding which lunatic is right.
If you insist there is no god then you have a belief equally as irrational as those who belive in one since neither can prove the other wrong or themselves right. Have fun making up your own mind about religon and let everybody else do the same-if only we all would do so but there are control freaks everywhere.
If there is only one in the first place there is no right or wrong god.
All religious conflict are basically over the right way to worship-you would think having acquired the same basic belief all else would be irrelevant, but no, religons the world over pick fights with other religons over daft things like whether there is only one right way to worship and cheerfully slaugter each other all in the name of god.
If you condemn another religon for worshipping a false god the implication is that god is insane with multiple personalities and religous war is about deciding which lunatic is right.
If you insist there is no god then you have a belief equally as irrational as those who belive in one since neither can prove the other wrong or themselves right. Have fun making up your own mind about religon and let everybody else do the same-if only we all would do so but there are control freaks everywhere.
which god and how ?
gmc wrote: I'm not religious but I can never understand why people ask the question. If you believe in a monotheistic religon i.e. there is only one god, then if someone worships in a different way they must still be worshipping the same god because there is only one not there can only be one with the winner decided by battle.
If there is only one in the first place there is no right or wrong god.
All religious conflict are basically over the right way to worship-you would think having acquired the same basic belief all else would be irrelevant, but no, religons the world over pick fights with other religons over daft things like whether there is only one right way to worship and cheerfully slaugter each other all in the name of god.
If you condemn another religon for worshipping a false god the implication is that god is insane with multiple personalities and religous war is about deciding which lunatic is right.
If you insist there is no god then you have a belief equally as irrational as those who belive in one since neither can prove the other wrong or themselves right. Have fun making up your own mind about religon and let everybody else do the same-if only we all would do so but there are control freaks everywhere.
genius
from now on you will known as god of the much cleverer GMC for short and people will go to war deciding which way to worship you
that sounds funny right and it would if millions of people had not slaughtered each other doing pretty much just that
thanks a lot gmc honestly that is just well genius mate
If there is only one in the first place there is no right or wrong god.
All religious conflict are basically over the right way to worship-you would think having acquired the same basic belief all else would be irrelevant, but no, religons the world over pick fights with other religons over daft things like whether there is only one right way to worship and cheerfully slaugter each other all in the name of god.
If you condemn another religon for worshipping a false god the implication is that god is insane with multiple personalities and religous war is about deciding which lunatic is right.
If you insist there is no god then you have a belief equally as irrational as those who belive in one since neither can prove the other wrong or themselves right. Have fun making up your own mind about religon and let everybody else do the same-if only we all would do so but there are control freaks everywhere.
genius
from now on you will known as god of the much cleverer GMC for short and people will go to war deciding which way to worship you
that sounds funny right and it would if millions of people had not slaughtered each other doing pretty much just that
thanks a lot gmc honestly that is just well genius mate
-
Adam Zapple
- Posts: 977
- Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2005 3:13 am
which god and how ?
Let me remind you that more people have been slaughtered under atheist, totalitarian regimes whose official position was that there is no god, than from so-called religious wars - Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot. Also most "religious" wars are really fought for land acquisition and political power; religion just an attempt to find moral justificaiton for the greed of kings, sultans, etc.
gmc wrote: If you condemn another religon for worshipping a false god the implication is that god is insane with multiple personalities
I'm not sure I understand this statement. Here's a bad analogy - a porterhouse steak is a porterhouse steak. I can eat a porkchop and called it a porterhouse but that doesn't make it so. Just because I called it a porterhouse doesn't mean that suddenly a porterhouse has many different definitions or that all meats are equal. It means I am mistaken and don't know a porkchop when I eat one. Same goes for God. I worship the God of Abraham, others may worship a cow. We are not worshiping the same God. I defend their right to worship who or what they will, but it's silly to say we are worshipping the same God. Assume there is only one God. We'll even assume that Christianity and Judaism is wrong and that the one actual God is Re, the Egyptian sun god. A Christian worshipping a non-existant God of the Bible is not by any stretch really worshipping Re. Does that make sense? It doesn't mean Re, or Jehovah (who is the one true God btw 
imo) is schizophrenic, it just means someone is worshipping a non-existant god.
gmc wrote: All religious conflict are basically over the right way to worship
I would like an example of a violent religious conflict that is really, really fought over religion and not really for other reasons such as those I mentioned above. I'm not saying there aren't any, I'm just saying they are not as prevalent as many seem to believe. And compare the deaths of these wars to the deaths incurred by the Roman empire, the Mongols, Stalin, Pol Pot, Mao....How is it that we have come to the conclusion that religion is the worst killer in history?
gmc wrote: If you condemn another religon for worshipping a false god the implication is that god is insane with multiple personalities
I'm not sure I understand this statement. Here's a bad analogy - a porterhouse steak is a porterhouse steak. I can eat a porkchop and called it a porterhouse but that doesn't make it so. Just because I called it a porterhouse doesn't mean that suddenly a porterhouse has many different definitions or that all meats are equal. It means I am mistaken and don't know a porkchop when I eat one. Same goes for God. I worship the God of Abraham, others may worship a cow. We are not worshiping the same God. I defend their right to worship who or what they will, but it's silly to say we are worshipping the same God. Assume there is only one God. We'll even assume that Christianity and Judaism is wrong and that the one actual God is Re, the Egyptian sun god. A Christian worshipping a non-existant God of the Bible is not by any stretch really worshipping Re. Does that make sense? It doesn't mean Re, or Jehovah (who is the one true God btw
imo) is schizophrenic, it just means someone is worshipping a non-existant god.gmc wrote: All religious conflict are basically over the right way to worship
I would like an example of a violent religious conflict that is really, really fought over religion and not really for other reasons such as those I mentioned above. I'm not saying there aren't any, I'm just saying they are not as prevalent as many seem to believe. And compare the deaths of these wars to the deaths incurred by the Roman empire, the Mongols, Stalin, Pol Pot, Mao....How is it that we have come to the conclusion that religion is the worst killer in history?
which god and how ?
Bryn Mawr wrote: The universe is infinite (nearly) and, somewhere in the universe there will be a planet orbiting in a very nearly circular orbit at just the right distance from the primary to have the right amount of sun. The initial atmosphere is corrosive and poisonous but condusive to generating an organic chemical soup - this is not a function of anything but the interstellar medium from which the planet was formed.
This could well have happened a million times across the universe. Say it's a one in a million chance that this will lead to life - you will have a planet with life on it saying "there must be a God otherwise how come conditions are so perfect for life".
I'm sorry, but yor argument does not stack up against the infinite.
Hi. not sticking up for a mystical view of things, but strictly speaking the Universe is finite, and its leading edge is about 14 billion light years away from our point in it, both in space and in time. There are about 400,000,000,000 galaxies of which our milky way is one, and each contains roughly 400,000,000,000 stars (give or take a bit). That means there is a lot of universe (its unimaginably massive and contains well a lot of stars and planets), and the probability of their being life on other worlds was recently stated to be about 1 (i.e. there is). However, that doesn't exclude their being a god or a purpose to such a place, to my mind it suggests the opposite.
This could well have happened a million times across the universe. Say it's a one in a million chance that this will lead to life - you will have a planet with life on it saying "there must be a God otherwise how come conditions are so perfect for life".
I'm sorry, but yor argument does not stack up against the infinite.
Hi. not sticking up for a mystical view of things, but strictly speaking the Universe is finite, and its leading edge is about 14 billion light years away from our point in it, both in space and in time. There are about 400,000,000,000 galaxies of which our milky way is one, and each contains roughly 400,000,000,000 stars (give or take a bit). That means there is a lot of universe (its unimaginably massive and contains well a lot of stars and planets), and the probability of their being life on other worlds was recently stated to be about 1 (i.e. there is). However, that doesn't exclude their being a god or a purpose to such a place, to my mind it suggests the opposite.
"We are never so happy, never so unhappy, as we imagine"
Le Rochefoucauld.
"A smack in the face settles all arguments, then you can move on kid."
My dad 1986.
Le Rochefoucauld.
"A smack in the face settles all arguments, then you can move on kid."
My dad 1986.
which god and how ?
dr g whats E T short for ?
which god and how ?
jimbo wrote: dr g whats E T short for ?
Entertainment Tonight? Or maybe "Emergency Trauma!" (a new medical/forensic/cop/laywer show from micheal crighton?).
I suspects a trap one way or touther.
Entertainment Tonight? Or maybe "Emergency Trauma!" (a new medical/forensic/cop/laywer show from micheal crighton?).
I suspects a trap one way or touther.
"We are never so happy, never so unhappy, as we imagine"
Le Rochefoucauld.
"A smack in the face settles all arguments, then you can move on kid."
My dad 1986.
Le Rochefoucauld.
"A smack in the face settles all arguments, then you can move on kid."
My dad 1986.
which god and how ?
Mystery wrote: I don't think you should consider this thread stupid, because it's not. It's never wrong to explore the greater good. One problem is to not confuse religion with spirituality, which is God given (your soul, you're born with it, it's inside you - your being). Religion is a set of doctrines written by men, and subject to interpretation, which causes even more trouble. JMHO
What Mystery says here
is no mystery to me. It makes a lot of sense and is worth thinking about Jimbo.
What Mystery says here
is no mystery to me. It makes a lot of sense and is worth thinking about Jimbo.
miriam:yh_flower
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.
.................Charles Mingus
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/enter.cfm?
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.
.................Charles Mingus
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/enter.cfm?
which god and how ?
Galbally wrote: Entertainment Tonight? Or maybe "Emergency Trauma!" (a new medical/forensic/cop/laywer show from micheal crighton?).
I suspects a trap one way or touther.
very good dr g whats e t short for he has little legs ha ha
I suspects a trap one way or touther.
very good dr g whats e t short for he has little legs ha ha
which god and how ?
Nomad wrote: Well Jimbo, Ill just throw this out. Walk outside and really open your eyes. See what there is to see, smell what there is to smell and touch what there is to touch.
Spend some time truly awake, let your senses absorb your surroundings. Then think bigger, then bigger, then bigger. This tiny blue planet circling the sun, that provides us with just the right amount of sun and water to grow our crops to feed our people. Just the right amount of night for rest and just the right amount of day for work. Timber for shelter, oil in the earth for energy. The seasons come and they go in perfect harmony.
If you cant find a miracle a day my friend, well your just not looking then.
God is in us, in everything you see. Open wide Jimbo the answer is in the palm of your hand.
This is a good way to put it!:-6
Spend some time truly awake, let your senses absorb your surroundings. Then think bigger, then bigger, then bigger. This tiny blue planet circling the sun, that provides us with just the right amount of sun and water to grow our crops to feed our people. Just the right amount of night for rest and just the right amount of day for work. Timber for shelter, oil in the earth for energy. The seasons come and they go in perfect harmony.
If you cant find a miracle a day my friend, well your just not looking then.
God is in us, in everything you see. Open wide Jimbo the answer is in the palm of your hand.
This is a good way to put it!:-6
-
nvalleyvee
- Posts: 5191
- Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 8:57 am
which god and how ?
I do not believe in the Christian God............just do not. I do not believe in the Islam, Muslim, Buddist or Taoist God (s). I think I covered most of the world. I doubt the weak thinking of most of humanity. Why does mankind - all religions - need to think they are better than this life? Do you think animals are sooooooo concerned about their afterlife? We have been told we are so much higher than animals and we must be on a higher plane and therefore gifted with an afterlife!!!
The growth of knowledge depends entirely on disagreement..........Karl R. Popper
which god and how ?
Hi jimbo
Good question!
I’ve always considered myself an atheist too. Any discussions or arguments about religion that I’ve been involved in I was always in there defending my own beliefs, or disbeliefs, against others defending theirs. I would say things like well who wrote this book called the Bible anyway? Did it start out as a story that someone had written all those years ago that has somehow evolved into what it is today? Where are all the drawings of the amazing things that happened at that time; if a sea parted today to allow someone to walk through it there would be an incredible amount of interest and millions of pictures taken of the event so I’m sure different people would have drawn something to show what happened at the time as well as just writing about it and surely there would be more than one account of what happened.
I don’t know enough about any religion to really make comprehensive comments regarding it’s validity so the questions I asked about the Bible and Jesus were probably borne from this naivety so forgive me if my ‘facts’ are wrong about the sea parting or there being no drawings or other accounts of the events written in the Bible or the origin of the Bible.
All I really know of religion is what I have experienced during my own lifetime; singing hymns and saying prayers in school, learning about religion during R.E lessons at secondary school, Jehovah witnesses knocking on my door early on a Sunday morning waking me up, church bells ringing inconsiderately disturbing the peace, (I’m sure if I was to go out and ring bells in the street I’d be considered annoying!), wars and killings starting that have religious overtones, people dying of disease, tragedy’s occurring that have made me think that if there is a ‘God’ why do people die in this way, why do innocent children die, why do natural disasters occur killing thousands, to name but a few.
It is a great shame that people seem to be so divided where religion is concerned and the fact that there are so many debates and arguments about it highlights to me how much we have allowed religion to manifest itself in our lives in such a way that it sometimes dictates to us, sometimes against our better judgement, for fear of offending others with differing beliefs.
My favourite colour is pink and it will be for lots of people but there are others for whom pink will be considered an awful colour but we accept that others will like different colours from the vast range of colours that there are. We all have our own personal preference and I think the world would be a much happier place if we considered religion in the same light.
If I want to go to church I will, championing the cause on my door step or handing me leaflets in the street will do nothing more than annoy me in just the same way as the double glazing salesman who advertises this way. I consider promotion of religion disrespectful and desperate.
I have always been accepting of other religions and at times even tolerated it considering some antics of some hardcore religious fanatics but as I‘ve got older I have started to open my mind to religion more. Maybe that comes with maturity anyway or maybe I’ve succumbed to the ‘brainwashing’ and am too tired now to ‘fight’ my corner as I once did, I don’t know, but questions such as is there a God after all or, is there really life after death that I’ve not considered entertaining previously have some how managed to creep into my mind expanding my thoughts on the subject which in turn has invited that element of doubt now and made me start to question my own beliefs and look further into why, where, when, how and beyond. I still can’t get past the thought of how can anyone know if there is life after death as surely we won’t find that out until we die and, why should I go against the scientific fact of evolution and believe that a ‘God/greater being’ created the universe.
If we are not already familiar with a particular religion then perhaps some of us will eventually reach a stage in our lives where we feel vulnerable or feel the need to clutch on to something that can perhaps explain these and other things to us and provide comfort to us when nothing else can. It’s a very personal thing that I feel runs deep within us and just feels right when the time is right and we will embrace whatever belief feels right to us at the time, what ever it may be.
This is just how I see things and I no doubt expect I have a lot to learn where religion is concerned but there are not many of us who truly understand all aspects of all religions so I do feel that we can only go along with what we experience and feel for ourselves as individuals. I don’t doubt that there are those that jump on a particular ‘bandwagon’ just to cause trouble in much the same way that football hooliganism exists but wouldn’t it be nice if we could all just live and let live!
Good question!
I’ve always considered myself an atheist too. Any discussions or arguments about religion that I’ve been involved in I was always in there defending my own beliefs, or disbeliefs, against others defending theirs. I would say things like well who wrote this book called the Bible anyway? Did it start out as a story that someone had written all those years ago that has somehow evolved into what it is today? Where are all the drawings of the amazing things that happened at that time; if a sea parted today to allow someone to walk through it there would be an incredible amount of interest and millions of pictures taken of the event so I’m sure different people would have drawn something to show what happened at the time as well as just writing about it and surely there would be more than one account of what happened.
I don’t know enough about any religion to really make comprehensive comments regarding it’s validity so the questions I asked about the Bible and Jesus were probably borne from this naivety so forgive me if my ‘facts’ are wrong about the sea parting or there being no drawings or other accounts of the events written in the Bible or the origin of the Bible.
All I really know of religion is what I have experienced during my own lifetime; singing hymns and saying prayers in school, learning about religion during R.E lessons at secondary school, Jehovah witnesses knocking on my door early on a Sunday morning waking me up, church bells ringing inconsiderately disturbing the peace, (I’m sure if I was to go out and ring bells in the street I’d be considered annoying!), wars and killings starting that have religious overtones, people dying of disease, tragedy’s occurring that have made me think that if there is a ‘God’ why do people die in this way, why do innocent children die, why do natural disasters occur killing thousands, to name but a few.
It is a great shame that people seem to be so divided where religion is concerned and the fact that there are so many debates and arguments about it highlights to me how much we have allowed religion to manifest itself in our lives in such a way that it sometimes dictates to us, sometimes against our better judgement, for fear of offending others with differing beliefs.
My favourite colour is pink and it will be for lots of people but there are others for whom pink will be considered an awful colour but we accept that others will like different colours from the vast range of colours that there are. We all have our own personal preference and I think the world would be a much happier place if we considered religion in the same light.
If I want to go to church I will, championing the cause on my door step or handing me leaflets in the street will do nothing more than annoy me in just the same way as the double glazing salesman who advertises this way. I consider promotion of religion disrespectful and desperate.
I have always been accepting of other religions and at times even tolerated it considering some antics of some hardcore religious fanatics but as I‘ve got older I have started to open my mind to religion more. Maybe that comes with maturity anyway or maybe I’ve succumbed to the ‘brainwashing’ and am too tired now to ‘fight’ my corner as I once did, I don’t know, but questions such as is there a God after all or, is there really life after death that I’ve not considered entertaining previously have some how managed to creep into my mind expanding my thoughts on the subject which in turn has invited that element of doubt now and made me start to question my own beliefs and look further into why, where, when, how and beyond. I still can’t get past the thought of how can anyone know if there is life after death as surely we won’t find that out until we die and, why should I go against the scientific fact of evolution and believe that a ‘God/greater being’ created the universe.
If we are not already familiar with a particular religion then perhaps some of us will eventually reach a stage in our lives where we feel vulnerable or feel the need to clutch on to something that can perhaps explain these and other things to us and provide comfort to us when nothing else can. It’s a very personal thing that I feel runs deep within us and just feels right when the time is right and we will embrace whatever belief feels right to us at the time, what ever it may be.
This is just how I see things and I no doubt expect I have a lot to learn where religion is concerned but there are not many of us who truly understand all aspects of all religions so I do feel that we can only go along with what we experience and feel for ourselves as individuals. I don’t doubt that there are those that jump on a particular ‘bandwagon’ just to cause trouble in much the same way that football hooliganism exists but wouldn’t it be nice if we could all just live and let live!