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Our opinions don't matter Jimbo. All that matters is that you have found some relief from your pain. I also grew up with getting it shoved down my throat. I have never stopped believing but don't go much for the orginized side of it now days. That doesn't mean I wouldn't seek it out again in times of need though.

You’re not deluding yourself, however you are vulnerable.

If you had this kind of up bringing, then it is also in your roots, and the day could have set off a large number of emotions for you.

Don’t believe it is their religion doing this, if anyone sat you down and related to you and said to you to let go of you pain etc it would touch home, particularly if you have pain.

Many of these religions know exactly where people’s weaknesses are and direct their message at that.

I am sorry for your pain, I am sure that many people on line carry some kind of cross. I am not so much an atheist, but I believe that people have for power that they believe, and they also have a personal relationship with God. Jesus preached this, he said ‘heal yourself’.

If you find strength in yourself Jimbo and everything will work out, if you find strength in something outside your control, then you also surrender your control.

Be careful

I'm crying with tears of joy for you Jimbo!!:-4:-4



My prayers were answered and I am so thankful!

jimbo;720494 wrote:

so my fg friends what do you think am i deluding myself or what i know what i think but as always your thoughts and input are invited :-6



by the way this is not a jimbo joke i'm being very serious


You feel what you feel Jimbo and I for one am thrilled for you.

If visiting of joining Gatsey's church takes away your pain and heartache then go for it big time.

Your life has not been an easy one and you deserve every moment of peace you can find.

:-4

Jimbo, bad stuff happens to a lot of good people every single day, by wife’s best friend who does all sorts of charity work and who is a wonder, wonderful woman has just been diagnosed with Breast Cancer.

It is not the doing, or non-doing of God, it is just life.

I hope you find what you’re looking for, just don’t loose yourself in doing so.

You are today the person who is made up of all those experiences, good and bad. It makes you who you are, and from what we see, you’re a good guy. You need to embrace your whole life for what it is, it has made you. Celebrate it, even your tribulations, then you will be whole, and you don’t need a church to do it.

Firstly can I say, it sounds like you have you have had more than your fair share of bad luck and heartache. I do not know you but from your posts you come across as a happy go lucky game for a laugh type of bloke and thats commendable in itself if in reality your heart is weighted down with so much tragedy and childhood pain.

I am a complete athiest, although my views are my own and I always embrace and listen to all views and do not judge others for theirs.

If by going to that meeting made you feel so free of pain and heartache, its right for you. It might just be the right time for you to open up and let this faith in side your heart and try and heal it.

It does not matter what anyone else thinks, if you feel its right and its for the good of you and your family, I see no harm in embracing it with all your being.

Just be careful and remember who you are and whats important to you..



Ekkkkkkkkk chezzie went in deep

True faith is a very personal thing. No one can give it to you or make you feel it.

I am happy for you, Jimbo.

No...this girl doesn't think it's at all strange that this should happen to you now. Look at all you've been through. I've read a lot of posts by you questioning the notion of religion and faith in something bigger than ourselves. I have thought for some time now that the seed was there. Here's where I tell you what I think and you can take or leave any part of it, because you know I'm not a preachy one. I think the timing is right. You were looking for something, were open to something. Before you were not, so how could "God" get through to you? We all know you're a strong person and now I think you know that faith is not something meant for weak people. That's where you should take heed in what Mike says. You do want to be careful that a church or religion doesn't take advantage of you. God however, whatever or whoever you believe God to be, will never take advantage of you. It's okay to put your trust in God.

YZ is right. Our opinions don't matter in this. This is a personal issue between you and something bigger than you. It's all to do with timing.

Personally, I'm very happy about this. I respect anyone who doesn't have faith, although it's not anything I can understand; and I have been saddened many times knowing you did not have a touchstone of sorts, a place to go to become grounded; that you tried to handle way too much sorrow on your own when you didn't have to.

This just shows me that everything really does come in its own good time.

I'm happy for you, Jimbo. :-6

Jimbo,though still an Athiest myself,I think if it made you feel better than it can only be a good thing.I often look at folks who believe and are happy,and wish I could feel that way.Not saying I am miserable,but just wish I could believe there is something better to come.

I've said it before and no doubt say it again...I envy you. :-4

jimbo;720494 wrote: i dont even know how to say this so i'm just gona blurt it make of it what you will



my best mate gatsey is leader of the god squad ,for about 3 years now he has been going on about his faith and though i've been a fully fledged atheist since my gran rammed the watch tower and all things JW down my throat when i was a kid, i mean all the other children were playing football i was knocking on doors with my gran and promptly getting told to do one by everyone it kinda puts a young man off such things



so i went to his church just so i would stop hurting his feeling .. nothing more



gatsey had told me how the holy spirit came into his body and took all his pain away and he was living a happy life like he was on the best drugs money could buy



i knew gatsey would never lie to me but i thought to myself he is deluding himself..



and so i went expecting nothing just wanting to get it over with as soon as possible



but...



when we went to the church



the whole sermon thingy done by someone else ... we watched it on DVD related to me all of it and just me ,it could of been written just for me ..



then the guy said let go of your pain and feel peace





the hairs on my arms stood on end and every bit of pain in my aching heart (quite a lot at the moment) left me my whole body felt great .. clean un-aching and great



i have been twice since and twice similar feelings have taken place



i never said anything but gatesy must of noticed and he came up to me squeezed my arm and said i told you .. and indeed he had but i never believed him , it was the single most great thing that has ever happened to me



i have always mocked god and ridiculed all religion



i felt so good without all my pain that i wanted my aunt jane jesse's mum (since the murder of her son sam she has been living a horrible existance that only a greiving parent could even begin to understand )to feel pain free also ,i cant tell you how much nerve it took to go round her house and tell her what had happened to me and i begged her to go to the church .. imagine someone being an atheist for 30 .her sister my other aunt is a born again christian and i have openly mocked her for years and years



and now i was round the house begging her to give it a go



my aunt has not felt like me as far as i know but she looks 10 years younger and seems at peace more with the world



so thanks to gatesy and FG'S Ted his unbiased posts really made me keep an open mind



i am a changed man



so my fg friends what do you think am i deluding myself or what i know what i think but as always your thoughts and input are invited :-6



by the way this is not a jimbo joke i'm being very serious


It's a very personal thing-find your own way and good luck.

That's how things are, jimbo. Goodness knows there are enough people down the ages who have described just the same things, I've no idea why anyone would say such experiences aren't real. Of course they're real.

On the other hand I've met people who say they know why these experiences happen, or that their belief is the only one which can truthfully explain what the experiences mean - that (for example) they only occur as a result of an external higher being operating benevolently on a part of his creation. These people are snake-oil merchants and they're low manipulative creatures. They know it happens to people, they even know how to make it more likely to happen to people, but it doesn't half get up my nose when they say their explanation of it is true and it gets even further up my nose when they say everyone else's explanations of it are false.

If you can find meaning in it as well as wonder and comfort then that's good. The advantage of accepting someone else's meaning is that you get a pre-packaged advanced understanding along with it that's taken a lot of thought by a lot of impressive thinkers. They've likely constructed a meaning which is more coherent and bigger than anything you're likely to fathom out without help. The disadvantage of accepting someone else's meaning is that you can absolutely guarantee that they're wrong, their supporters are quite likely to be bigoted and intolerant about it and they'll all likely want you to chip in toward their income.

A good question to ask is "does your explanation of what happened to me imply that some people suffer the torments of eternal hellfire". Be especially wary of anyone who says no meaning yes.

Sometimes that's the way it goes, the most resistant, anti-God people are the ones who find the most peace when they least expect it.



I am happy for you and I hope that this peace and calm lasts for you.







but you have to still annoy me, my life will be empty without it!!!!:D:-4

jimbo;720698 wrote: as always a great thought provoking post spot old buddy :-6





did i like it yes





do i mean no and am saying yes or do i mean yes



i mean yes .... meaning yes ......


as no meaning no then its a yes in the yes sense of the yes word no

I dont know if you are deluding yourself and i dont care:) its just so good to know that you feel better and at peace. Its what you needed and you have found it yay! :-4

jimbo;720494 wrote: i dont even know how to say this so i'm just gona blurt it make of it what you will



my best mate gatsey is leader of the god squad ,for about 3 years now he has been going on about his faith and though i've been a fully fledged atheist since my gran rammed the watch tower and all things JW down my throat when i was a kid, i mean all the other children were playing football i was knocking on doors with my gran and promptly getting told to do one by everyone it kinda puts a young man off such things



so i went to his church just so i would stop hurting his feeling .. nothing more



gatsey had told me how the holy spirit came into his body and took all his pain away and he was living a happy life like he was on the best drugs money could buy



i knew gatsey would never lie to me but i thought to myself he is deluding himself..



and so i went expecting nothing just wanting to get it over with as soon as possible



but...



when we went to the church



the whole sermon thingy done by someone else ... we watched it on DVD related to me all of it and just me ,it could of been written just for me ..



then the guy said let go of your pain and feel peace





the hairs on my arms stood on end and every bit of pain in my aching heart (quite a lot at the moment) left me my whole body felt great .. clean un-aching and great



i have been twice since and twice similar feelings have taken place



i never said anything but gatesy must of noticed and he came up to me squeezed my arm and said i told you .. and indeed he had but i never believed him , it was the single most great thing that has ever happened to me



i have always mocked god and ridiculed all religion



i felt so good without all my pain that i wanted my aunt jane jesse's mum (since the murder of her son sam she has been living a horrible existance that only a greiving parent could even begin to understand )to feel pain free also ,i cant tell you how much nerve it took to go round her house and tell her what had happened to me and i begged her to go to the church .. imagine someone being an atheist for 30 .her sister my other aunt is a born again christian and i have openly mocked her for years and years



and now i was round the house begging her to give it a go



my aunt has not felt like me as far as i know but she looks 10 years younger and seems at peace more with the world



so thanks to gatesy and FG'S Ted his unbiased posts really made me keep an open mind



i am a changed man



so my fg friends what do you think am i deluding myself or what i know what i think but as always your thoughts and input are invited :-6



by the way this is not a jimbo joke i'm being very serious


No delusion--------I think that you have personally found something that you need.