Man-made empiricism might provide tools to deconstruct the dogma, tenets and narratives of organised religion. However, when we stop anthropomorphising or localising concepts of a vast, interdimensional network of extra-universal consciousness and behold the notion of God as something intrinsic to our pre-linguistic understanding, then we are probably coming closer to realising the supreme nature of ourselves and our spiritual potentiality beyond language, beyond dictates of reason, and into the Infinite.
*Passes the spliff your way*
You really should give someone credit when you quote them.
I wasn't quoting anyone. It might come as a shock to someone of your limited experience in this world, but there are human beings of sentient skill and articulate intellect who can string a sentence together without recourse to quotations from popular culture. Now bow down and beg for forgiveness, before I get really verbose.
There is something that is pulling the strings....this isn't random. I don't care who or what you want to call it, but there is something there.....if anything going to school for a science based degree has made me believe it more.
It could be random. With all the galaxies in the universe, there's probably millions or more planets with intelligent life, but we're waaaaaaaaaaaay to far apart to get together... but still, because of the trillions of combinations of planetary matter and energy, it could be guided by nothing more than science.
I hope there's a god. I just don't know if they're a father figure or even know we exist. For me, because there was a beginning of time, and since the universe eventually has to have a physical boundary to it (even if it leads to multiple universes) is one glimmer of hope that there's an afterlife or something... or, it's all just turtle stacking. Turtles, all the way down.
ADD 5,200 to the post count you see, thank you.
*NYC 9/28/96 *NYC 9/29/96 *NJ 9/8/98 (front row "may i play drums with you")
*MSG 9/10/98 (backstage) *MSG 9/11/98 (backstage)
*Jones Beach 8/23/00 *Jones Beach 8/24/00 *Jones Beach 8/25/00
*Mansfield 8/29/00 *Mansfield 8/30/00 *Nassau 4/30/03 *Nissan VA 7/1/03
*Borgata 10/1/05 *Camden 5/27/06 *Camden 5/28/06 *DC 5/30/06
*VA Beach 6/17/08 *DC 6/22/08 *MSG 6/24/08 (backstage) *MSG 6/25/08
*EV DC 8/17/08 *EV Baltimore 6/15/09 *Philly 10/31/09
*Bristow VA 5/13/10 *MSG 5/20/10 *MSG 5/21/10
ive been an atheist since i was 11 years old. it was a decision i came to on my own after much questioning and soul searching and its a position ive not wavered from nor questioned in the ensuing 33 years.
Sounds a bit like me
Hey just try this
ask for a private miracle- but you have to really mean it- from your soul- don't be afraid be Open
I was shocked and was not expecting what happened but since (13 years now) I believe and have comfort in what has been proven to me. I am not afraid to die because we are just "leaving this world" and its ok.
On an entirely different subject for me- Jesus is the MAN
and religion does not = God
okay for starters asking for a miracle just isnt gonna happen. it would make a mockery of my atheism.
i believe jesus was an historic person. however i do not believe he was divine in any way shape or form.
hear my name
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
I was raised in a similar manner to the original poster. I had twelve years of(Catholic) theology classes. Belief in god is as normal as belief in ghosts. People who claim to have seen either surely where fearful. There is only one place gods exist and it is in the mind.
Why must people always associate ghosts with religion? They have nothing to do with one another. Ghosts can easily fall into the law of physics. Look up conservation of mass-energy.
I'm agnostic... with a heavy lean toward atheism. I can't declare myself atheist for the simple fact that there is no proof of existence or non-existence. It can't be tested.
However, what I know of ghosts is what I've personally experienced. I can believe in them because of that experience, and it has nothing to do with religion.
Pitt 98, Pitt 00, Cleveland 03, Pitt 03, State College 03, Toledo 04, Toronto 05, Pitt 05, Cleveland 06, Pitt 06 & Chicago 07, Chicago 1&2 09, Philly 2,3,4 09, Cleveland 10, Columbus 10, Alpine Valley 1& 2 11
I was raised in a similar manner to the original poster. I had twelve years of(Catholic) theology classes. Belief in god is as normal as belief in ghosts. People who claim to have seen either surely where fearful. There is only one place gods exist and it is in the mind.
Why must people always associate ghosts with religion? They have nothing to do with one another. Ghosts can easily fall into the law of physics. Look up conservation of mass-energy.
I'm agnostic... with a heavy lean toward atheism. I can't declare myself atheist for the simple fact that there is no proof of existence or non-existence. It can't be tested.
However, what I know of ghosts is what I've personally experienced. I can believe in them because of that experience, and it has nothing to do with religion.
Many people claim to have met god or some other type of spirit personally. I don't doubt for a second that you believe you have experienced the presence of a ghost. The brain is powerful, complex and barely understood by man. Again in my undereducated opinion it's all in your head.
To address the age-old question of how God can exist when human suffering is present in this world...there's a very interesting chapter in Lee Strobel's book "The Case For Faith" that discusses that question. It's worth a read.
Chicago 2000 : Chicago 2003 : Chicago 2006 : Summerfest 2006 : Lollapalooza 2007 : Chicago 2009 : Noblesville (Indy) 2010 : PJ20 (East Troy) 2011 : Wrigley Field 2013 : Milwaukee (Yield) 2014 : Wrigley Field 2016
To address the age-old question of how God can exist when human suffering is present in this world...there's a very interesting chapter in Lee Strobel's book "The Case For Faith" that discusses that question. It's worth a read.
those arguments are enough if you're a believer (like I was) because it requires some leaps of logic. The problem of evil is one of the weakest points of the theodesis.
And sorry for my broken English
"The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it"
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Why must people always associate ghosts with religion? They have nothing to do with one another. Ghosts can easily fall into the law of physics. Look up conservation of mass-energy.
I'm agnostic... with a heavy lean toward atheism. I can't declare myself atheist for the simple fact that there is no proof of existence or non-existence. It can't be tested.
However, what I know of ghosts is what I've personally experienced. I can believe in them because of that experience, and it has nothing to do with religion.
The conservation of mass (ie energy/mass can neither be created nor destroyed) is a great tool to make the math simpler in physics but what does it have to do with explaining ghosts? When we die, our bodies either become nutrients as we decompose or it takes a great deal of energy to turn us into ashes. I don't remember any equations that have residual ghosts left over. That would be funny though:
Jimmy has died and he wishes to be cremated. Normally it takes 10,000 BTU to fully cremate a human body. However Jimmy also wishes to become a class 5 animator apparition. What BTU input is required during cremation to ensure that Jimmy gets his wish of being cremated and becoming a class 5 animator?
As to the notion of there being a god that supervises or oversees anything on earth, it is actually quite a laughable concept when you actually think about it -- god (or gods in some societies) was a concept that people made up to help explain the unknown. Organizing around these concepts always leads to widespread abuse of power and control and as the human population becomes more educated, the god notion will become more obsolete. If you like or need those concepts, all the power to you.
1/12/1879, 4/8/1156, 2/6/1977, who gives a shit, ...
I was raised in a similar manner to the original poster. I had twelve years of(Catholic) theology classes. Belief in god is as normal as belief in ghosts. People who claim to have seen either surely where fearful. There is only one place gods exist and it is in the mind.
Why must people always associate ghosts with religion? They have nothing to do with one another. Ghosts can easily fall into the law of physics. Look up conservation of mass-energy.
I'm agnostic... with a heavy lean toward atheism. I can't declare myself atheist for the simple fact that there is no proof of existence or non-existence. It can't be tested.
However, what I know of ghosts is what I've personally experienced. I can believe in them because of that experience, and it has nothing to do with religion.
Many people claim to have met god or some other type of spirit personally. I don't doubt for a second that you believe you have experienced the presence of a ghost. The brain is powerful, complex and barely understood by man. Again in my undereducated opinion it's all in your head.
I can completely understand your skepticism. Skepticism is healthy and believe me, I used vast amounts to try and explain my experiences however, there was no logical explanation. I'm still dumbfounded by those moments in my past, and I really wish they didn't happen.
Pitt 98, Pitt 00, Cleveland 03, Pitt 03, State College 03, Toledo 04, Toronto 05, Pitt 05, Cleveland 06, Pitt 06 & Chicago 07, Chicago 1&2 09, Philly 2,3,4 09, Cleveland 10, Columbus 10, Alpine Valley 1& 2 11
Why must people always associate ghosts with religion? They have nothing to do with one another. Ghosts can easily fall into the law of physics. Look up conservation of mass-energy.
I'm agnostic... with a heavy lean toward atheism. I can't declare myself atheist for the simple fact that there is no proof of existence or non-existence. It can't be tested.
However, what I know of ghosts is what I've personally experienced. I can believe in them because of that experience, and it has nothing to do with religion.
The conservation of mass (ie energy/mass can neither be created nor destroyed) is a great tool to make the math simpler in physics but what does it have to do with explaining ghosts? When we die, our bodies either become nutrients as we decompose or it takes a great deal of energy to turn us into ashes. I don't remember any equations that have residual ghosts left over. That would be funny though:
Jimmy has died and he wishes to be cremated. Normally it takes 10,000 BTU to fully cremate a human body. However Jimmy also wishes to become a class 5 animator apparition. What BTU input is required during cremation to ensure that Jimmy gets his wish of being cremated and becoming a class 5 animator?
As to the notion of there being a god that supervises or oversees anything on earth, it is actually quite a laughable concept when you actually think about it -- god (or gods in some societies) was a concept that people made up to help explain the unknown. Organizing around these concepts always leads to widespread abuse of power and control and as the human population becomes more educated, the god notion will become more obsolete. If you like or need those concepts, all the power to you.
It's all a transfer of energy that at this moment in time cannot be tested in such a way as to prove or disprove paranormal activity. However, one day it very well might be... unlike the existence of God which could never be tested. I think you may have watched Ghostbusters one too many times.
I never said that I needed any of those concepts. I simply choose to be Agnostic because I have no idea what happens when we die. We could cease to exist or we could not. No one, not even you, can answer that question with complete certainty... I just refuse to submit to a belief system (atheism included) that thinks they know what happens next because in all honesty, they don't.
Pitt 98, Pitt 00, Cleveland 03, Pitt 03, State College 03, Toledo 04, Toronto 05, Pitt 05, Cleveland 06, Pitt 06 & Chicago 07, Chicago 1&2 09, Philly 2,3,4 09, Cleveland 10, Columbus 10, Alpine Valley 1& 2 11
It's all a transfer of energy that at this moment in time cannot be tested in such a way as to prove or disprove paranormal activity. However, one day it very well might be... unlike the existence of God which could never be tested. I think you may have watched Ghostbusters one too many times.
I never said that I needed any of those concepts. I simply choose to be Agnostic because I have no idea what happens when we die. We could cease to exist or we could not. No one, not even you, can answer that question with complete certainty... I just refuse to submit to a belief system (atheism included) that thinks they know what happens next because in all honesty, they don't.
Nice catch on the Ghostbusters reference (it was an easy one though). Let's just say that I am 99% sure that the god thing isn't really going to pan out (the 1% is for my mom) and I am 100% certain that there is no such thing as ghosts. I do believe that people can create things like ghosts and gods in their head (especially since we are flooded with these images all the time) and that the manifestations that they create can seem 100% real to them.
I had this well-respected witch-doctor type of healer in our extensive Finnish community here look me in the eyes and tell me that I have the gift of being able to speak to the dead. He went off a little when I told him that I didn't believe in that sort of thing. I'm sure that if I bought into it and spent some time with the guy, I would be able to convince myself of this ability as well. But just because I'm in my head talking to the dead doesn't mean that I am actually talking to the dead. See what I'm getting at?
Anyway, the comment about needing these concepts was not directed at you mbangel -- it was more of a statement that I really don't care what other people believe at the end of the day. I should have been more clear about that.
1/12/1879, 4/8/1156, 2/6/1977, who gives a shit, ...
I was raised catholic (I swear... I had to backspace to change that 'c' from upper case to lower! but I'm not afraid I'll be struck by lightening for doing so ) and think that if there's anything I drew from my religious upbringing... it's my personal sense of conscience (which I now see as being completely secular). Being told 'there is someone watching everything you do and hearing every thought you have'... certainly makes you take pause before action and or question your motives... and though I now believe that I'm the one that's watching/listening... I'm the only one that truly gets to make 'judgments' ... I'm glad I learned the lessons of consequence and the practice of questioning my motivations.
My Mom (who I respect as a person and a parent) has 'refound' her religion in recent years... no longer a catholic...(she makes some kind of 'pffft' sound when I mention the organization and assures me that her church is the 'right one' nothing like the catholic church) ... ? She actually went on to elaborate recently, that I shouldn't judge her church by the 'old *what ever it's called*' that the current incarnation of the specific religion does not affiliate with the former... How can I not scoff at that? If there really was a God... a 'right way'... would that one entity not accept all others claiming themselves as such?
I respect and accept her choice (and everyone else who chooses what's best for them in this matter) to extend herself and her energies toward her newfound beliefs... I'd even say I'm thankful for her 'blind faith' as it seems to allow her to feel at peace with herself and the world to some extent. She tells me that she has no reason to question pain/suffering/war/etc... as God has a reason for everything and it's not for her/us to question... but to completely accept!! Personally, I believe the most important thing to believe in in this life is Yourself.
My Mom was here loving/nursing me back to health in the early spring after I got tossed into the medical/emotional blender that is Breast Cancer. On my first outing (about a week after surgery) we sat on a park bench just a couple of blocks from here after a short and shaky walk, that at the time felt like light years away. She launched into an enthusiastic conversation surrounding all of the prayers that were being said for me by all of the followers in her church. Told me about her prayer meetings on Thursdays focusing a part of their gathering on praying to God for my health and healing. I gave her my sincere thanks and told her that I truly believe in the power of others focusing energy on your well being... the power that can be transferred from one person to another by the mere knowledge of being Loved... cared for... She then expressed to me that if only everyone understood... that if they believed in God (her God!) and put their faith in him ... and followed his plan... that we would all be/go where we should be and receive our 'just rewards'...
I realized during that conversation, how important it is for each of us, in showing respect for someone we love... to be not only accepting but totally honest with them. I told my Mom that I completely respect her beliefs 'FOR HER' but that I needed to tell her that 'I don't believe in your God'. It was one of the toughest things I've ever said to someone I love.
I further explained by saying that Pearl Jam is very important to me... as more than a band creating music/lyrics that I identify with and love... but an organization of people with a common energy that come together to make things happen... that otherwise... without this central focus... would never be possible. I expressed that I was not trying to belittle her religious beliefs by comparing them to a rock band... but that it was the only way I knew of to relay to her how I felt about her expressing her ongoing desire for me to 'join the fold'... was to tell her that I didn't think she'd get any more juiced up about heading to her local record store to build her PJ boot collection... if every time we saw each other... I pressed the subject of conversation that if she'd only understood that 'she's completely missing the boat on the whole PJ thing' and should join the 10C... than I do about her telling me I'm going to be SOL on judgement day...
To each his/her own... whatever we believe in... that allows us to be at peace with ourselves... and allows us to truly love... that is what matters to Me
So my answer to the OP... No...I don't believe in One God... but I certainly believe it's important for every one of us to truly believe in something...
Exercising her will to lose control...
she lets go
while i have confirmed that i believe in god earlier int he post, i just want to make a point here.
the belief in god or the belief that there is none are one and the same thing. it's laughable that someone who is an atheist thinks that they are more rational for not believing in god. you have no proof that there is no god, just like i have no proof that there is.
there are only signs, and i know what they indicate.
please explain natural disasters to me... why would god create a planet that would kill the people on it via a natural disaster?
oh scary... 40000 morbidly obese christians wearing fanny packs invading europe is probably the least scariest thing since I watched an edited version of The Care Bears movie in an extremely brightly lit cinema.
while i have confirmed that i believe in god earlier int he post, i just want to make a point here.
the belief in god or the belief that there is none are one and the same thing. it's laughable that someone who is an atheist thinks that they are more rational for not believing in god. you have no proof that there is no god, just like i have no proof that there is.
there are only signs, and i know what they indicate.
please explain natural disasters to me... why would god create a planet that would kill the people on it via a natural disaster?
it's not for us to explain. or even try to.
science can tell us how disasters happen. and why, if you look at physical reasons. but i don't know the question to your answer.
why would he create a world where everything is perfect and you have no choices to make?
why create an imperfect world? if you're god then why create a world where earthquakes happen and death and destruction rain down upon good christians simply because of their proximity to a fault line in San Francisco... or Ukraine... or wherever. his planet is so poorly designed in that respect that it kills the very people who worship him... no-one else find that particularly evil?
also... you say we have no choice? surely if the planet was perfectly constructed then the choices we make are therefore to do with emotions, morals, etc... not whether a family in Uzbekistan have enough donkeys to move their family 17 miles north just to avoid one of gods own geological mistakes.
oh scary... 40000 morbidly obese christians wearing fanny packs invading europe is probably the least scariest thing since I watched an edited version of The Care Bears movie in an extremely brightly lit cinema.
Believe in God.
But don't believe in the Church system.
I don't need to kiss the altar for everyone to see then live life how God didn't intend.
God is inside you.
Adelaide 17/11/2009, Melbourne 20/11/2009, Sydney 22/11/2009, Melbourne (Big Day Out Festival) 24/01/2014
while i have confirmed that i believe in god earlier int he post, i just want to make a point here.
the belief in god or the belief that there is none are one and the same thing. it's laughable that someone who is an atheist thinks that they are more rational for not believing in god. you have no proof that there is no god, just like i have no proof that there is.
there are only signs, and i know what they indicate.
well i see no signs... so what does that indicate??? and when i see no signs of something is usually means something doesnt exist...
hear my name
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
I believe in God, always have. Sure, there are times when If I belive in God how could this happen . . . or If God exists how could that happen . . . still hasn't affected whether I belive or not.
There is no such thing as leftover pizza. There is now pizza and later pizza. - anonymous The risk I took was calculated, but man, am I bad at math - The Mincing Mockingbird
I don't believe in a God...or in gods. I believe that we are just as divine as what others worship...look into yourself for the solution to questions and focus on the earth - what you can do as an individual and when we band together. I believe that the individual is a powerful force within nature.
Additionally, I believe that everything has a form of energy, and power whether actualized or in potential form - I feel that we can harness this powerful energy. I believe in the integrity of the circles...birth to death is only half of the cycle of the soul...but I don't presume to know what the other half is...I am confident that eventually I will know - but probably when it no longer matters.
The question of why the world is in this state - regarding an omnipresent deity...is a bit of a cop out. "how could god let this happen" removes responsibility from your hands, which is cool since we all need to make car payments and save for concert tickets...it's a hidey hole tho' - take "god" out of that question and the blank spot is you. this is your earth, this is your life. as far as we all know, it's the only one we will have - so, you can hide from it, you can blame an invisible man for it, or you can change it.
having said that - I respect others beliefs, and respect their right to voice them...I do not respect, however when beliefs are used to badger, harm, or infringe upon another's right to live their life. I think that the question of "God" has become (in the U.S at least) a question of Christian-based piety used to govern an antiquated concept of morality. In the U.S. it appears that those who align themselves with a dogmatic view of Jesus have cornered the market on morality...to the detriment of basic civility, and active discourse.
(hey...no cock joke! I even surprised myself with this post)
A most excellent post. Thank you, failed. You summed things up beautifully.
Comments
I wasn't quoting anyone. It might come as a shock to someone of your limited experience in this world, but there are human beings of sentient skill and articulate intellect who can string a sentence together without recourse to quotations from popular culture. Now bow down and beg for forgiveness, before I get really verbose.
HAHA. Good luck with that buddy. I had a couple friends who just took it past few days too and they were crazy stressed out.
It could be random. With all the galaxies in the universe, there's probably millions or more planets with intelligent life, but we're waaaaaaaaaaaay to far apart to get together... but still, because of the trillions of combinations of planetary matter and energy, it could be guided by nothing more than science.
I hope there's a god. I just don't know if they're a father figure or even know we exist. For me, because there was a beginning of time, and since the universe eventually has to have a physical boundary to it (even if it leads to multiple universes) is one glimmer of hope that there's an afterlife or something... or, it's all just turtle stacking. Turtles, all the way down.
*NYC 9/28/96 *NYC 9/29/96 *NJ 9/8/98 (front row "may i play drums with you")
*MSG 9/10/98 (backstage) *MSG 9/11/98 (backstage)
*Jones Beach 8/23/00 *Jones Beach 8/24/00 *Jones Beach 8/25/00
*Mansfield 8/29/00 *Mansfield 8/30/00 *Nassau 4/30/03 *Nissan VA 7/1/03
*Borgata 10/1/05 *Camden 5/27/06 *Camden 5/28/06 *DC 5/30/06
*VA Beach 6/17/08 *DC 6/22/08 *MSG 6/24/08 (backstage) *MSG 6/25/08
*EV DC 8/17/08 *EV Baltimore 6/15/09 *Philly 10/31/09
*Bristow VA 5/13/10 *MSG 5/20/10 *MSG 5/21/10
okay for starters asking for a miracle just isnt gonna happen. it would make a mockery of my atheism.
i believe jesus was an historic person. however i do not believe he was divine in any way shape or form.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
Why must people always associate ghosts with religion? They have nothing to do with one another. Ghosts can easily fall into the law of physics. Look up conservation of mass-energy.
I'm agnostic... with a heavy lean toward atheism. I can't declare myself atheist for the simple fact that there is no proof of existence or non-existence. It can't be tested.
However, what I know of ghosts is what I've personally experienced. I can believe in them because of that experience, and it has nothing to do with religion.
those arguments are enough if you're a believer (like I was) because it requires some leaps of logic. The problem of evil is one of the weakest points of the theodesis.
And sorry for my broken English
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Why not (V) (°,,,,°) (V) ?
Jimmy has died and he wishes to be cremated. Normally it takes 10,000 BTU to fully cremate a human body. However Jimmy also wishes to become a class 5 animator apparition. What BTU input is required during cremation to ensure that Jimmy gets his wish of being cremated and becoming a class 5 animator?
As to the notion of there being a god that supervises or oversees anything on earth, it is actually quite a laughable concept when you actually think about it -- god (or gods in some societies) was a concept that people made up to help explain the unknown. Organizing around these concepts always leads to widespread abuse of power and control and as the human population becomes more educated, the god notion will become more obsolete. If you like or need those concepts, all the power to you.
I can completely understand your skepticism. Skepticism is healthy and believe me, I used vast amounts to try and explain my experiences however, there was no logical explanation. I'm still dumbfounded by those moments in my past, and I really wish they didn't happen.
It's all a transfer of energy that at this moment in time cannot be tested in such a way as to prove or disprove paranormal activity. However, one day it very well might be... unlike the existence of God which could never be tested. I think you may have watched Ghostbusters one too many times.
I never said that I needed any of those concepts. I simply choose to be Agnostic because I have no idea what happens when we die. We could cease to exist or we could not. No one, not even you, can answer that question with complete certainty... I just refuse to submit to a belief system (atheism included) that thinks they know what happens next because in all honesty, they don't.
Nice catch on the Ghostbusters reference (it was an easy one though). Let's just say that I am 99% sure that the god thing isn't really going to pan out (the 1% is for my mom) and I am 100% certain that there is no such thing as ghosts. I do believe that people can create things like ghosts and gods in their head (especially since we are flooded with these images all the time) and that the manifestations that they create can seem 100% real to them.
I had this well-respected witch-doctor type of healer in our extensive Finnish community here look me in the eyes and tell me that I have the gift of being able to speak to the dead. He went off a little when I told him that I didn't believe in that sort of thing. I'm sure that if I bought into it and spent some time with the guy, I would be able to convince myself of this ability as well. But just because I'm in my head talking to the dead doesn't mean that I am actually talking to the dead. See what I'm getting at?
Anyway, the comment about needing these concepts was not directed at you mbangel -- it was more of a statement that I really don't care what other people believe at the end of the day. I should have been more clear about that.
My Mom (who I respect as a person and a parent) has 'refound' her religion in recent years... no longer a catholic...(she makes some kind of 'pffft' sound when I mention the organization and assures me that her church is the 'right one' nothing like the catholic church) ... ? She actually went on to elaborate recently, that I shouldn't judge her church by the 'old *what ever it's called*' that the current incarnation of the specific religion does not affiliate with the former... How can I not scoff at that? If there really was a God... a 'right way'... would that one entity not accept all others claiming themselves as such?
I respect and accept her choice (and everyone else who chooses what's best for them in this matter) to extend herself and her energies toward her newfound beliefs... I'd even say I'm thankful for her 'blind faith' as it seems to allow her to feel at peace with herself and the world to some extent. She tells me that she has no reason to question pain/suffering/war/etc... as God has a reason for everything and it's not for her/us to question... but to completely accept!! Personally, I believe the most important thing to believe in in this life is Yourself.
My Mom was here loving/nursing me back to health in the early spring after I got tossed into the medical/emotional blender that is Breast Cancer. On my first outing (about a week after surgery) we sat on a park bench just a couple of blocks from here after a short and shaky walk, that at the time felt like light years away. She launched into an enthusiastic conversation surrounding all of the prayers that were being said for me by all of the followers in her church. Told me about her prayer meetings on Thursdays focusing a part of their gathering on praying to God for my health and healing. I gave her my sincere thanks and told her that I truly believe in the power of others focusing energy on your well being... the power that can be transferred from one person to another by the mere knowledge of being Loved... cared for... She then expressed to me that if only everyone understood... that if they believed in God (her God!) and put their faith in him ... and followed his plan... that we would all be/go where we should be and receive our 'just rewards'...
I realized during that conversation, how important it is for each of us, in showing respect for someone we love... to be not only accepting but totally honest with them. I told my Mom that I completely respect her beliefs 'FOR HER' but that I needed to tell her that 'I don't believe in your God'. It was one of the toughest things I've ever said to someone I love.
I further explained by saying that Pearl Jam is very important to me... as more than a band creating music/lyrics that I identify with and love... but an organization of people with a common energy that come together to make things happen... that otherwise... without this central focus... would never be possible. I expressed that I was not trying to belittle her religious beliefs by comparing them to a rock band... but that it was the only way I knew of to relay to her how I felt about her expressing her ongoing desire for me to 'join the fold'... was to tell her that I didn't think she'd get any more juiced up about heading to her local record store to build her PJ boot collection... if every time we saw each other... I pressed the subject of conversation that if she'd only understood that 'she's completely missing the boat on the whole PJ thing' and should join the 10C... than I do about her telling me I'm going to be SOL on judgement day...
To each his/her own... whatever we believe in... that allows us to be at peace with ourselves... and allows us to truly love... that is what matters to Me
So my answer to the OP... No...I don't believe in One God... but I certainly believe it's important for every one of us to truly believe in something...
she lets go
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Why not (V) (°,,,,°) (V) ?
please explain natural disasters to me... why would god create a planet that would kill the people on it via a natural disaster?
why create an imperfect world? if you're god then why create a world where earthquakes happen and death and destruction rain down upon good christians simply because of their proximity to a fault line in San Francisco... or Ukraine... or wherever. his planet is so poorly designed in that respect that it kills the very people who worship him... no-one else find that particularly evil?
also... you say we have no choice? surely if the planet was perfectly constructed then the choices we make are therefore to do with emotions, morals, etc... not whether a family in Uzbekistan have enough donkeys to move their family 17 miles north just to avoid one of gods own geological mistakes.
+1
Very well thought out and stated Lisa
In regards to the original post, I personally don't spend too much time (none really) thinking about god or beliefs.
However, I have always loved this saying, "There aren't any atheists in foxholes" :shock:
Perhaps, when I'm in the proverbial foxhole, I'll ponder the question more deeply
But don't believe in the Church system.
I don't need to kiss the altar for everyone to see then live life how God didn't intend.
God is inside you.
well i see no signs... so what does that indicate??? and when i see no signs of something is usually means something doesnt exist...
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
The risk I took was calculated, but man, am I bad at math - The Mincing Mockingbird
on the contrary without pearl jam there would be no gods! :P
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Why not (V) (°,,,,°) (V) ?
A most excellent post. Thank you, failed. You summed things up beautifully.