In the past 10 days I lost 3 friends. One was quite young. I been doing lots of thinking about death, christianity etc. Enough thinking to realize I just don't understand christianity.
Somewhere, long ago, I read that the Christianity of today is nothing like the christianity of the early times, that it was hijacked by Todays christianity and considerably altered. The more I study on it, the more I believe it.
Didn't God say have no other gods before Him? so, why is it ok to pray to Jesus, Mary, the saints and who knows who else? didn't God also say He is a jealous God?
I was born and raised catholic. I just never could buy all that stuff or the explanations about the statues in the churches and plenty more. I pray to my God every day. Why isn't that right? Why must I pray to Jesus or through Jesus?
I hope I'm making sense right now. I just drank a bottle of vodka seeing off my 3 dead friends. I hope God understands because I don't anymore.
Confused
Confused
The answer, of course, lies in monergism. Praying into the teeth of God's righteous wrath isn't doing a blind bit of good.
Nullius in verba ... ☎||||||||||| ... To Fate I sue, of other means bereft, the only refuge for the wretched left.
When flower power came along I stood for Human Rights, marched around for peace and freedom, had some nooky every night - we took it serious.
Who has a spare two minutes to play in this month's FG Trivia game! ... My other OS is Slackware.
When flower power came along I stood for Human Rights, marched around for peace and freedom, had some nooky every night - we took it serious.
Who has a spare two minutes to play in this month's FG Trivia game! ... My other OS is Slackware.
Confused
I believe un Humanity, I cannot answer your questions on God, but I am very sorry for the loss of your friends and hope that you can find comfort in the memories of the time that you had with them.
Confused
Im so sorry to hear about your friends.......life can seem so hard at times.Religion is man made......pray to YOUR higher power if that brings you comfort and dont feel guilty and you believe in what ever makes you feel comfortable with as its your life and shouldn't be controlled by others beliefs.
Women are bitchy and predictable ...men are not and that's the key to knowing the truth.
Confused
Sorry to hear about your friends. That must be rough!
I believe in a good God, a God that is a friend and a God that can hear you everywhere and not just in a decorated church. I always pray directly to God and not to statues or anything like that but to each their own.
Death always makes us look closely at our own lifes and beliefs I think, especially when it's close to home. You're suddenly made aware of your own immortality.
I think what's important is that you try to be the best person you can be and you make peace with what God is for you in your heart.
Anyway that's just my two cents
I believe in a good God, a God that is a friend and a God that can hear you everywhere and not just in a decorated church. I always pray directly to God and not to statues or anything like that but to each their own.
Death always makes us look closely at our own lifes and beliefs I think, especially when it's close to home. You're suddenly made aware of your own immortality.
I think what's important is that you try to be the best person you can be and you make peace with what God is for you in your heart.
Anyway that's just my two cents
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Accountable
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Confused
hoppy;841944 wrote: In the past 10 days I lost 3 friends. One was quite young. I been doing lots of thinking about death, christianity etc. Enough thinking to realize I just don't understand christianity.
Somewhere, long ago, I read that the Christianity of today is nothing like the christianity of the early times, that it was hijacked by Todays christianity and considerably altered. The more I study on it, the more I believe it.
Didn't God say have no other gods before Him? so, why is it ok to pray to Jesus, Mary, the saints and who knows who else? didn't God also say He is a jealous God?
I was born and raised catholic. I just never could buy all that stuff or the explanations about the statues in the churches and plenty more. I pray to my God every day. Why isn't that right? Why must I pray to Jesus or through Jesus?
I hope I'm making sense right now. I just drank a bottle of vodka seeing off my 3 dead friends. I hope God understands because I don't anymore.
I've decided for myself that death isn't as terminal or as serious in the overall scheme of things as we'd like to believe. It's part of the journey, and we need to learn as much as possible along the way.
Of course if I'm wrong it doesn't matter.
Somewhere, long ago, I read that the Christianity of today is nothing like the christianity of the early times, that it was hijacked by Todays christianity and considerably altered. The more I study on it, the more I believe it.
Didn't God say have no other gods before Him? so, why is it ok to pray to Jesus, Mary, the saints and who knows who else? didn't God also say He is a jealous God?
I was born and raised catholic. I just never could buy all that stuff or the explanations about the statues in the churches and plenty more. I pray to my God every day. Why isn't that right? Why must I pray to Jesus or through Jesus?
I hope I'm making sense right now. I just drank a bottle of vodka seeing off my 3 dead friends. I hope God understands because I don't anymore.
I've decided for myself that death isn't as terminal or as serious in the overall scheme of things as we'd like to believe. It's part of the journey, and we need to learn as much as possible along the way.
Of course if I'm wrong it doesn't matter.
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Clodhopper
- Posts: 5115
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Confused
Asking humans to understand God is a bit like asking a bacterium to comprehend the planet, only more so.
We just have to hope He is a Being of infinite compassion and mercy.
We just have to hope He is a Being of infinite compassion and mercy.
The crowd: "Yes! We are all individuals!"
Lone voice: "I'm not."
Lone voice: "I'm not."
Confused
hoppy, I am sorry you lost your 3 friends. Death dooes cause us to reflect on our belief system, but I say to you "pray to God (The Father,the Son, and the Holy Spirit), the God , and Only God and He can answer your prayers.
God's Peace be on you!
Bobby
God's Peace be on you!
Bobby
Confused
Thank you all for your kind and comforting words. I've been reminded of a few things I had forgotten. Today is a new day. Onward.
Confused
hoppy:-6
I'm terribly sorry to hear about your loss. Yes, it does make us face our own mortality.
You ask some very important questions that deserve to be answered as best as any human can.
Actually Christians do not generally pray to Jesus. We pray to the divine or God if you wish. We have been told that we can pray in Jesus name but the prayer is to God. You do not need to use the name Jesus if you do not care to.
When we speak of the divine we are speaking of a power beyond our comprehension and our language ability. Our language is not up to the task of defining or describing God. We must resort to metaphor. That is all we have. The Holy Trinity is in fact a metaphor for that which we do not understand. It represents the three ways in which man has experienced God. They are the three manifestations of the one God, if you so believe.
Death and suffering are part of life. A few years ago I lost an aunt, uncle and my father within the space of 7 weeks. God has never promised us an easy ride of it. What he did promise was to be there when we need Him for comfort and guidance. I recently read about an 11 year old lad that was hung by the Nazis during the war. Being so young he was not very heavy and hung on the end of that rope for about half and hour, conscious most of the time, before he died. When asked, where was God then, a theologian replied suffering on the end of the rope with that lad and guiding him through. I believe this is true. When I lost the three members of my family it was God that saw me through. Find the poem "Footprints" and read it. I carry a copy in my wallet but can no longer read it due to my visual impairment. It is indeed, a source of comfort.
Folks misunderstand the statues etc. in churches. They are simply physical aids to help folks pray to God. We often ask friends to pray for us. Folks also ask the saints, in heaven if you so believe, to pray for them as well. There is no real difference.
Generally in life there are more questions than there are answers. Our task is to live the questions and trust in the divine. Trust in God is not about right belief but about a relationship with God.
May God bless you and may your friends rest in His perpetual light.
I do hope this helps. No, I do not have all the answers. No one does. But I do enjoy living the questions.
Shalom
Ted:-6
I'm terribly sorry to hear about your loss. Yes, it does make us face our own mortality.
You ask some very important questions that deserve to be answered as best as any human can.
Actually Christians do not generally pray to Jesus. We pray to the divine or God if you wish. We have been told that we can pray in Jesus name but the prayer is to God. You do not need to use the name Jesus if you do not care to.
When we speak of the divine we are speaking of a power beyond our comprehension and our language ability. Our language is not up to the task of defining or describing God. We must resort to metaphor. That is all we have. The Holy Trinity is in fact a metaphor for that which we do not understand. It represents the three ways in which man has experienced God. They are the three manifestations of the one God, if you so believe.
Death and suffering are part of life. A few years ago I lost an aunt, uncle and my father within the space of 7 weeks. God has never promised us an easy ride of it. What he did promise was to be there when we need Him for comfort and guidance. I recently read about an 11 year old lad that was hung by the Nazis during the war. Being so young he was not very heavy and hung on the end of that rope for about half and hour, conscious most of the time, before he died. When asked, where was God then, a theologian replied suffering on the end of the rope with that lad and guiding him through. I believe this is true. When I lost the three members of my family it was God that saw me through. Find the poem "Footprints" and read it. I carry a copy in my wallet but can no longer read it due to my visual impairment. It is indeed, a source of comfort.
Folks misunderstand the statues etc. in churches. They are simply physical aids to help folks pray to God. We often ask friends to pray for us. Folks also ask the saints, in heaven if you so believe, to pray for them as well. There is no real difference.
Generally in life there are more questions than there are answers. Our task is to live the questions and trust in the divine. Trust in God is not about right belief but about a relationship with God.
May God bless you and may your friends rest in His perpetual light.
I do hope this helps. No, I do not have all the answers. No one does. But I do enjoy living the questions.
Shalom
Ted:-6
Confused
Thank you Ted, for your response. You and all who answered have been very helpful. Bless you all.
Confused
hoppy, all i can offer is my deepest condolences.
i also lost 3 friends just recently. they were older, yet the same questions circulate regardless, although losing a young one really smarts and brings up questions that are impossible to answer with any satisfaction.
i also lost 3 friends just recently. they were older, yet the same questions circulate regardless, although losing a young one really smarts and brings up questions that are impossible to answer with any satisfaction.
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Infinite Stop
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Confused
hoppy;841944 wrote: In the past 10 days I lost 3 friends. One was quite young. I been doing lots of thinking about death, christianity etc. Enough thinking to realize I just don't understand christianity.
Somewhere, long ago, I read that the Christianity of today is nothing like the christianity of the early times, that it was hijacked by Todays christianity and considerably altered. The more I study on it, the more I believe it.
Didn't God say have no other gods before Him? so, why is it ok to pray to Jesus, Mary, the saints and who knows who else? didn't God also say He is a jealous God?
I was born and raised catholic. I just never could buy all that stuff or the explanations about the statues in the churches and plenty more. I pray to my God every day. Why isn't that right? Why must I pray to Jesus or through Jesus?
I hope I'm making sense right now. I just drank a bottle of vodka seeing off my 3 dead friends. I hope God understands because I don't anymore.
Christianity has to be one of the most idolatrous religions ever conceived. The Bible says, "You shall have no other Gods before me." Christianity has thousands in the saints that are prayed to and worshipped, not to mention Christ and Mary. Let's face it, it's a magical system, born of ignorant and superstitious thinking. I'm a theist but I pray little. I'm too aware of the full-spectrum of the world's suffering to think that God is going to spare my pains.
Somewhere, long ago, I read that the Christianity of today is nothing like the christianity of the early times, that it was hijacked by Todays christianity and considerably altered. The more I study on it, the more I believe it.
Didn't God say have no other gods before Him? so, why is it ok to pray to Jesus, Mary, the saints and who knows who else? didn't God also say He is a jealous God?
I was born and raised catholic. I just never could buy all that stuff or the explanations about the statues in the churches and plenty more. I pray to my God every day. Why isn't that right? Why must I pray to Jesus or through Jesus?
I hope I'm making sense right now. I just drank a bottle of vodka seeing off my 3 dead friends. I hope God understands because I don't anymore.
Christianity has to be one of the most idolatrous religions ever conceived. The Bible says, "You shall have no other Gods before me." Christianity has thousands in the saints that are prayed to and worshipped, not to mention Christ and Mary. Let's face it, it's a magical system, born of ignorant and superstitious thinking. I'm a theist but I pray little. I'm too aware of the full-spectrum of the world's suffering to think that God is going to spare my pains.
Confused
God may not "spare your pains." It might be even that your "pains" will help you or someone who loves you to become a stronger person. But one thing's for sure: the belief in a higher pattern, a greater destiny and a Creator is infinitely more comforting that "stuff happens." Maybe that's good enough.
Confused
Saint_;1390919 wrote: God may not "spare your pains." It might be even that your "pains" will help you or someone who loves you to become a stronger person. But one thing's for sure: the belief in a higher pattern, a greater destiny and a Creator is infinitely more comforting that "stuff happens." Maybe that's good enough.
I agree with that
I agree with that
Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answers...Rainer Maria Rilke
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fuzzywuzzy
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Confused
I don't Theia, (with respect)
I was brought up strict Roman Catholic so I understand where Hoppy was coming from. Then I changed to JW. Two completely different takes on Christianity.
One thing held true though . both religions and indeed all christian religions and belief systems think and preach the same thing. That God/jesus/and all the rest will take care of everything. So I decided that I'll go with "stuff happens". Becasue god knows best and he knows what he's doing so I leave it all up to him and got rid of all religion in my life.
what's interesting is that I'm not so anxious or worried anymore about anything.
I was brought up strict Roman Catholic so I understand where Hoppy was coming from. Then I changed to JW. Two completely different takes on Christianity.
One thing held true though . both religions and indeed all christian religions and belief systems think and preach the same thing. That God/jesus/and all the rest will take care of everything. So I decided that I'll go with "stuff happens". Becasue god knows best and he knows what he's doing so I leave it all up to him and got rid of all religion in my life.
what's interesting is that I'm not so anxious or worried anymore about anything.
Confused
fuzzywuzzy;1390922 wrote: I don't Theia, (with respect)
I was brought up strict Roman Catholic so I understand where Hoppy was coming from. Then I changed to JW. Two completely different takes on Christianity.
One thing held true though . both religions and indeed all christian religions and belief systems think and preach the same thing. That God/jesus/and all the rest will take care of everything. So I decided that I'll go with "stuff happens". Becasue god knows best and he knows what he's doing so I leave it all up to him and got rid of all religion in my life.
what's interesting is that I'm not so anxious or worried anymore about anything.
I think, in a way, Fuzzy, we are all three saying the same but with slightly different wording or emphasis?
I'm at the stage in my life where I feel as if I know nothing about God or whatever but I have this strong feeling that the life I've led has been perfect up to this point and will continue to be perfect until I die. Not perfect by my standards or by the world's standards, but still perfect or beautifully designed in ways I could never understand. Sadly this hasn't stopped me worrying and i go through the most awful anxiety states...but maybe even these are, well, perfect.
I was brought up strict Roman Catholic so I understand where Hoppy was coming from. Then I changed to JW. Two completely different takes on Christianity.
One thing held true though . both religions and indeed all christian religions and belief systems think and preach the same thing. That God/jesus/and all the rest will take care of everything. So I decided that I'll go with "stuff happens". Becasue god knows best and he knows what he's doing so I leave it all up to him and got rid of all religion in my life.
what's interesting is that I'm not so anxious or worried anymore about anything.
I think, in a way, Fuzzy, we are all three saying the same but with slightly different wording or emphasis?
I'm at the stage in my life where I feel as if I know nothing about God or whatever but I have this strong feeling that the life I've led has been perfect up to this point and will continue to be perfect until I die. Not perfect by my standards or by the world's standards, but still perfect or beautifully designed in ways I could never understand. Sadly this hasn't stopped me worrying and i go through the most awful anxiety states...but maybe even these are, well, perfect.
Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answers...Rainer Maria Rilke
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fuzzywuzzy
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Confused
maybe you need to do something that will cause you so much anxiety that you'll look at your life after it and think everything is a complete breeze. (like hike to the top of a mountain or jump out of a plane)
I think perfection has many different forms we just have to notice it I guess.
I think I got to a point where I needed to challenge myself to give up god . I was terrified at first but then it got easier and easier. And the stress of the world began to fall off my shoulders. When i looked at science, the same thing was being preached.... 'if you don't believe in us then there's something wrong with you ' 'If it doesn't fit our way thinking, again 'there's something wrong with you .' So I gave up on that as well.
We're all told that one day we are going to die. Every single thing on this earth has to die at some stage. Science/religion can't stop it . Which puts it under the realm of "stuff happens" . I don't look for meaning in death when I watch a David Attenbourgh wildlife show when a seal pup gets eaten by an orcar whale. So why would i find meaning in death when a person dies. I don't like suffering I don't like pain but I never question it because it would eventually send you insane.
I think perfection has many different forms we just have to notice it I guess.
I think I got to a point where I needed to challenge myself to give up god . I was terrified at first but then it got easier and easier. And the stress of the world began to fall off my shoulders. When i looked at science, the same thing was being preached.... 'if you don't believe in us then there's something wrong with you ' 'If it doesn't fit our way thinking, again 'there's something wrong with you .' So I gave up on that as well.
We're all told that one day we are going to die. Every single thing on this earth has to die at some stage. Science/religion can't stop it . Which puts it under the realm of "stuff happens" . I don't look for meaning in death when I watch a David Attenbourgh wildlife show when a seal pup gets eaten by an orcar whale. So why would i find meaning in death when a person dies. I don't like suffering I don't like pain but I never question it because it would eventually send you insane.
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AnneBoleyn
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- Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2011 3:17 pm
Confused
It distressed me to see, fuzzy, where you said: "When i looked at science, the same thing was being preached.... 'if you don't believe in us then there's something wrong with you" & "science/religion".
Science & religion are not the same. Science doesn't preach--they report Facts based on experimentation & data. Lately, in general society, it has become all too common to disrespect science. I can't understand it, when science/medicine/technology have improved our lives so much. The Hubble has brought us the most incredible awesome stuff of life! What is it about science that you disapprove of?
Science & religion are not the same. Science doesn't preach--they report Facts based on experimentation & data. Lately, in general society, it has become all too common to disrespect science. I can't understand it, when science/medicine/technology have improved our lives so much. The Hubble has brought us the most incredible awesome stuff of life! What is it about science that you disapprove of?
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fuzzywuzzy
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Confused
I'm comparing the two along the lines of societal pressure. And the good and evil of both . I take it you're a true believer in science can fix everything? Well it can't, but there is the premise that without it we're all doomed. I think of science in terms of it doing good ....but then i have to think of the raping of the worlds resources, the bombs/missiles, famines, psychological torture implements . The constant state of preparedness for doom that scientists have us in desperate fear of . The genetic modifying of our food so that eventually only a few will have a monpoly on it......gosh I could go on . A scientist is behind every single one of those things.
People will say that religion has caused so much pain and distruction and wars etc etc .....well it needed help and a trusty scientist with a new discovery was right there and still is there to help. Science will sell it itself to goverments just like religion to get it's funding . (yes even medical science) think of all the pills popped around the world .......for the good of the people. there is no money in cures that are sitting right there before us but there's shitloads of money in keeping people comfortable and this goes for religion to.
People will say that religion has caused so much pain and distruction and wars etc etc .....well it needed help and a trusty scientist with a new discovery was right there and still is there to help. Science will sell it itself to goverments just like religion to get it's funding . (yes even medical science) think of all the pills popped around the world .......for the good of the people. there is no money in cures that are sitting right there before us but there's shitloads of money in keeping people comfortable and this goes for religion to.
Confused
AnneBoleyn;1390931 wrote: The Hubble has brought us the most incredible awesome stuff of life!
I beg to disagree. It`s the electron microscope not the Hubble.
15 Beautiful Microscopic Images from Inside the Human Body
I beg to disagree. It`s the electron microscope not the Hubble.
15 Beautiful Microscopic Images from Inside the Human Body
Om namo bagavate vasudevaya, " God is the Cause of All causes."
Confused
I thought Ted was one of the best and kindest people I've ever met online. I hope he's well.
Confused
SnoozeAgain;1390957 wrote: I thought Ted was one of the best and kindest people I've ever met online. I hope he's well.
I`m confused you changed your avatar pic.
I`m confused you changed your avatar pic.
Om namo bagavate vasudevaya, " God is the Cause of All causes."
Confused
SnoozeAgain;1390964 wrote: Better?
Yes! I love it.
Yes! I love it.
Om namo bagavate vasudevaya, " God is the Cause of All causes."
Confused
hoppy;841944 wrote: In the past 10 days I lost 3 friends. One was quite young. I been doing lots of thinking about death, christianity etc. Enough thinking to realize I just don't understand christianity.
Somewhere, long ago, I read that the Christianity of today is nothing like the christianity of the early times, that it was hijacked by Todays christianity and considerably altered. The more I study on it, the more I believe it.
Didn't God say have no other gods before Him? so, why is it ok to pray to Jesus, Mary, the saints and who knows who else? didn't God also say He is a jealous God?
I was born and raised catholic. I just never could buy all that stuff or the explanations about the statues in the churches and plenty more. I pray to my God every day. Why isn't that right? Why must I pray to Jesus or through Jesus?
I hope I'm making sense right now. I just drank a bottle of vodka seeing off my 3 dead friends. I hope God understands because I don't anymore.
Sorry for your loss and hope the head doesn't hurt too much. I've lost a few people close to me recently as well but I have no answers - I decided religion was not the answer some time ago and I will spare you the trite platitudes which trip off the tongue so easily. I think just mourning for a while is the best way to deal with these things, getting pissed as well if it helps. You need to say goodbye in your own way people pretending nothing is wrong or it is all for the best does not help imo. I could tell you why you must pray to jesus or through jesus if you are a christian but it wouldn't help.
Somewhere, long ago, I read that the Christianity of today is nothing like the christianity of the early times, that it was hijacked by Todays christianity and considerably altered. The more I study on it, the more I believe it.
Didn't God say have no other gods before Him? so, why is it ok to pray to Jesus, Mary, the saints and who knows who else? didn't God also say He is a jealous God?
I was born and raised catholic. I just never could buy all that stuff or the explanations about the statues in the churches and plenty more. I pray to my God every day. Why isn't that right? Why must I pray to Jesus or through Jesus?
I hope I'm making sense right now. I just drank a bottle of vodka seeing off my 3 dead friends. I hope God understands because I don't anymore.
Sorry for your loss and hope the head doesn't hurt too much. I've lost a few people close to me recently as well but I have no answers - I decided religion was not the answer some time ago and I will spare you the trite platitudes which trip off the tongue so easily. I think just mourning for a while is the best way to deal with these things, getting pissed as well if it helps. You need to say goodbye in your own way people pretending nothing is wrong or it is all for the best does not help imo. I could tell you why you must pray to jesus or through jesus if you are a christian but it wouldn't help.
Confused
fuzzywuzzy;1390928 wrote: maybe you need to do something that will cause you so much anxiety that you'll look at your life after it and think everything is a complete breeze. (like hike to the top of a mountain or jump out of a plane)
I think perfection has many different forms we just have to notice it I guess.
I think I got to a point where I needed to challenge myself to give up god . I was terrified at first but then it got easier and easier. And the stress of the world began to fall off my shoulders. When i looked at science, the same thing was being preached.... 'if you don't believe in us then there's something wrong with you ' 'If it doesn't fit our way thinking, again 'there's something wrong with you .' So I gave up on that as well.
We're all told that one day we are going to die. Every single thing on this earth has to die at some stage. Science/religion can't stop it . Which puts it under the realm of "stuff happens" . I don't look for meaning in death when I watch a David Attenbourgh wildlife show when a seal pup gets eaten by an orcar whale. So why would i find meaning in death when a person dies. I don't like suffering I don't like pain but I never question it because it would eventually send you insane.
You have clearly never experienced a full blown panic/anxiety state. And I can say I'm glad that you haven't because they are horrendous and not something I would wish on anyone...being gripped with an inner terror and having nowhere to run, because the terror is within you, is fairly horrific. That said, I can still see these as part of the perfection of my life.
I think perfection has many different forms we just have to notice it I guess.
I think I got to a point where I needed to challenge myself to give up god . I was terrified at first but then it got easier and easier. And the stress of the world began to fall off my shoulders. When i looked at science, the same thing was being preached.... 'if you don't believe in us then there's something wrong with you ' 'If it doesn't fit our way thinking, again 'there's something wrong with you .' So I gave up on that as well.
We're all told that one day we are going to die. Every single thing on this earth has to die at some stage. Science/religion can't stop it . Which puts it under the realm of "stuff happens" . I don't look for meaning in death when I watch a David Attenbourgh wildlife show when a seal pup gets eaten by an orcar whale. So why would i find meaning in death when a person dies. I don't like suffering I don't like pain but I never question it because it would eventually send you insane.
You have clearly never experienced a full blown panic/anxiety state. And I can say I'm glad that you haven't because they are horrendous and not something I would wish on anyone...being gripped with an inner terror and having nowhere to run, because the terror is within you, is fairly horrific. That said, I can still see these as part of the perfection of my life.
Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answers...Rainer Maria Rilke
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Accountable
- Posts: 24818
- Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 8:33 am
Confused
theia;1390984 wrote: You have clearly never experienced a full blown panic/anxiety state. And I can say I'm glad that you haven't because they are horrendous and not something I would wish on anyone...being gripped with an inner terror and having nowhere to run, because the terror is within you, is fairly horrific. That said, I can still see these as part of the perfection of my life.:yh_clap:yh_hugs:yh_worshp:yh_clap
Confused
Saint_;1390919 wrote: God may not "spare your pains." It might be even that your "pains" will help you or someone who loves you to become a stronger person. But one thing's for sure: the belief in a higher pattern, a greater destiny and a Creator is infinitely more comforting that "stuff happens." Maybe that's good enough.I've found the explanation in this post to be common among religious fundamentalists. It's the practice of deliberately constructing thoughtful sentences about one's own religious beliefs followed by the suggestion that a secular outlook on life is trivial & shallow by characterizing it as "stuff happens". Religious arrogance!
Secularists such as myself seek to explore the natural relationship between life and events and explain them in terms of reality in order to understand existence instead of relying on the unrealistic, unprovable and far too often unexplainable concept of a supernatural, God-directed creationism.
Secularists such as myself seek to explore the natural relationship between life and events and explain them in terms of reality in order to understand existence instead of relying on the unrealistic, unprovable and far too often unexplainable concept of a supernatural, God-directed creationism.
“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities,â€
Voltaire
I have only one thing to do and that's
Be the wave that I am and then
Sink back into the ocean
Fiona Apple
Voltaire
I have only one thing to do and that's
Be the wave that I am and then
Sink back into the ocean
Fiona Apple
Confused
SnoozeAgain;1390957 wrote: I thought Ted was one of the best and kindest people I've ever met online. I hope he's well.
Agreed, he never pushed, he just gave his perspective and left it at that.
Agreed, he never pushed, he just gave his perspective and left it at that.
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fuzzywuzzy
- Posts: 6596
- Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2009 5:35 pm
Confused
theia;1390984 wrote: You have clearly never experienced a full blown panic/anxiety state. And I can say I'm glad that you haven't because they are horrendous and not something I would wish on anyone...being gripped with an inner terror and having nowhere to run, because the terror is within you, is fairly horrific. That said, I can still see these as part of the perfection of my life.
Oh you said anxiety ..not attacks . Well that's different then .
Oh you said anxiety ..not attacks . Well that's different then .
Confused
Ah, panic attacks, my favorite high fever + medications side effect (or alot of caffeine to my knowledge, but have not experienced such). It is truly horrible, the body chemistry going haywire and frantically sending signals for your spinal cord to switch to instincts due to grave danger. Bonus points are awarded when that actually happens, and you suddently see only in black and white for a few moments, as color vision is not prioritized over other brain functions during escapes and self-defense. I don't wish it to anyone to experience it, its a nightmare with eyes open.
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seekyetheLord
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Sat Jul 14, 2012 2:56 pm
Confused
I know it's been many years since you posted this. You said you'd read that Christianity today is nothing like it was in early times. I believe you are right! The things you mentioned here are very relevant and deserve answers. Did you get any?