Is there a God?

[Alien Radio]

That is not why I'm a Christian, I was just saying that some of you were saying "religion doesn't work for me" or "I just didn't feel anything" and things like that, and I was saying, it's not whether or not you "feel" it, it's whether or not it's true. if it doesn't "work" for you, but it's true, you're still heading to the same place. Just saying.

 

You're talking like Christianity is the only religion

[getithom]

Hmm...I don't want to make such a fuss. And hearing your opinion does not make me think of you as any lower than me. After all, I like Coldplay and Keane and I disagree with them in quite a few areas, but they're great at what they do and I am not gonna hate them for not being Christians. In fact, as a Christian I'm supposed to love everyone, even the person who hates me.

 

As a Christian, as well, I am somewhat appalled that modern Christianity wants to replace this rule specifically, to fir their personal beliefs. I'm been a Christian all my life, and in recent years, it has not only become apathetic, but somewhat embarrassing to watch.

 

I can totally see why the world is turned off by Christianity, in some ways. I mean, when you hear a group of people saying YOU'RE GOING TO HELL FOR ______, that makes you think they're crazy.

 

Unfortunately, the minority speaks louder than the majority, and the retarded side of Christianity gets shown.

[the3jr]

As a Christian, as well, I am somewhat appalled that modern Christianity wants to replace this rule specifically, to fir their personal beliefs. I'm been a Christian all my life, and in recent years, it has not only become apathetic, but somewhat embarrassing to watch.

 

I can totally see why the world is turned off by Christianity, in some ways. I mean, when you hear a group of people saying YOU'RE GOING TO HELL FOR ______, that makes you think they're crazy.

 

Unfortunately, the minority speaks louder than the majority, and the retarded side of Christianity gets shown.

 

I agree, the defects are more prominent than the positives for some reason in society...

 

I'm not trying to shut people's opinions up or anything, but I'm just intrigued why we would discuss religion here? It's no doubt, a touchy and delicate subject, and things can go awry at any time... all I'm trying to say is: Watch what you say if you plan to carry on with this subject. The tiniest misunderstanding can make mortal enemies... You see that in today's world, go check the news...

 

Don't be stupid! :)

[Brent]

So I'm stupid for trying to have a conversation about the weather or which meme made me laugh today?

 

I think it's pretty cut-and-dry what is offensive and not, but apparently some users aren't so socially-keen. And I'm not the most tactful guy out there, by a long shot.

 

We've had pretty philosophical discussions before and everyone grew from it without being offended. And that kind of stuff is what I take from discussions with you guys. Not usually blatant rudeness, but evidently we're not above that.

[rainplay]

It's late, and I feel like sharing my thoughts to you bunch of strangers.

 

So, for anyone who cares, I've tended to take a lot of things in my life for granted. Especially my family, for whatever reason, have put up with all my bullshit.

 

The other day, at the beginning of my shift at work (a shoe store). A man in a surgical mask and bandana walks into my work, and robs us at gunpoint. Safe to say I was, and still am, a little shaken up after that.

 

Fast forward a few hours, and I'm at home talking to my parents. My parents and I had been fighting and not speaking for awhile, but I suppose this kind of circumstance warranted some conversation...Long story short, my mom tells me that she prayed for me the night before for God to give me a sign so I would stop and think about all of the blessings in my life, and be grateful for all I was given. And the next day, that happened at my place of work.

 

Now, I believe in coincidences, but I don't believe that was any coincidence. That really made me reevaluate everything in my life, and well, I got the memo that I should start being a tad more thankful. And although I have my doubts regarding religion and God and heaven and hell and all that fun stuff, I do not doubt the existence of a greater force...

 

And I really don't care what anyone else believes or doesn't believe. I just don't understand how some people can just write off the existence of anything.. It doesn't make any sense to me... But hey, maybe that's cause I blaze a little too much.

 

Haha, Imma shut up now.

[Wyrd]

Brent, why didn't you include the option 'dunno' or 'maybe' ?

 

LaurElizabeth, when you pray for people because they don't believe or not in the right way, how does that work? (I am not asking to critisize, I am just wondering about it, because I don't know how that works) Do you then pray to God to give us insight in how we should live? Or do you pray to God to not throw us in hell when we die? Or do you pray to God to let his spirit touch us?

 

I have read this whole thread, I am just so curious to what people believe and how they feel about it and/or reason behind it. I guess it's tough to write your believe on here, because it's the internetz... there might always be people saying something bad.

 

Eh, don't know what I am trying to say. Maybe just that I like the conversations going on now and that I approve.

[Troxley]

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[Troxley]

Brent, why didn't you include the option 'dunno' or 'maybe' ?

 

LaurElizabeth, when you pray for people because they don't believe or not in the right way, how does that work? (I am not asking to critisize, I am just wondering about it, because I don't know how that works) Do you then pray to God to give us insight in how we should live? Or do you pray to God to not throw us in hell when we die? Or do you pray to God to let his spirit touch us?

 

I have read this whole thread, I am just so curious to what people believe and how they feel about it and/or reason behind it. I guess it's tough to write your believe on here, because it's the internetz... there might always be people saying something bad.

 

Eh, don't know what I am trying to say. Maybe just that I like the conversations going on now and that I approve.

Okay, since you asked. (please people, don't get all offended)

I pray that God would come into their lives and that they would honour him in everything they do, and live their lives wholly for him. And I thank God that he saved me and just express that I acknowledge that we are all sinners and that I also would honour him in everything I do) that's pretty much how this prayers go. But they're always a bit different.

[Wyrd]

thanks for the answer :)

 

Don't feel unwelcome! There's always some friction between people, but it's all just temporary. I've had my share of dissagreements with people, hahaha, doesn't make me hate them or wish them gone from the forum.

 

May I try to see how the comment was meant? The way I interpreted it, was that LaurElizabeth was not wishing or threatening anyone into hell. She was just telling that in her worldview (in which many people go to hell), which she believes to be the real one (not saying here that it's not, I am just trying to get this into perspective) it doesn't matter whether people believe in God or not, because hell is there anyway so if you don't believe in hell it does not make hell suddenly non-existent. Then her next reasoning was that if you don't know whether there is a hell or not, then why would you take the risk of ending up there if indeed it happen to exist?

[Troxley]

^ you where quite close to what I was saying. Thanks.

 

I edited that post. I hope you don't find it offensive anymore.

[Brent]

Brent, why didn't you include the option 'dunno' or 'maybe' ?

 

I did that on purpose. I thought about it, but I really wanted there to be two finite choices, because it's qualitative, not quantitative.

 

LaurElizabeth, despite what I considered to be pretty offensive (she said something that many churchgoers think, and not say) did have a point. That modern religion does have kind-of an "all-or-nothing" approach to it. Which I (and evidently many of you) find wrong. And she, like many churchgoers, has been poisoned with the idea that we are nothing but scared puppets, mastered by some judgmental despot on cloud nine.

 

So I think it's safe to say that a lot of us believe that god exists, but don't believe in the tenants of a religious document. You can't tell me that God hates me because I don clothes composed of wool and linen. That's a stupid rule. And I'm not going to hell for it. But the Bible says I am.

 

So the reason I did that, I guess, is because it symbolically mimics religion's weirdly finite discretion of religion/faith/fairy-tales meets arbitrary governance. You're in, or you're out. Heaven, or hell.

[Crests]

There are many Christians however who believe that nobody goes to an eternal hell, including me. Once you discard that idea is when I feel you've really been set free and you can think clearly about everything and understand so many aspects of Christianity that came along with it that you felt you had no choice but to do and now be genuine about it.

 

Idk, disagree all you want but it's what works for me.

[Spider-Man]

I personally don't believe in a so called "God". Religion in my eyes is man made. It's just like war, it's a hot topic for debate and they're might be no one answer. But...I believe in science and technology. There could be something out there we don't know about...who knows. But saying some dude snapped his fingers and said let their be light. That's cheesy as hell and not possible. There is no heaven or hell, unless it's a drug like Soma from Brave New World, it doesn't exist. It's all in our heads. When we die(with all due respect) we will all get buried in the ground in the earth. After that who knows. But what I like to think about is, what came before the Big Bang? What existed before nothing?

[Mrk]

I personally don't believe in a so called "God". Religion in my eyes is man made. It's just like war, it's a hot topic for debate and they're might be no one answer. But...I believe in science and technology. There could be something out there we don't know about...who knows. But saying some dude snapped his fingers and said let their be light. That's cheesy as hell and not possible. There is no heaven or hell, unless it's a drug like Soma from Brave New World, it doesn't exist. It's all in our heads. When we die(with all due respect) we will all get buried in the ground in the earth. After that who knows. But what I like to think about is, what came before the Big Bang? What existed before nothing?

 

I don't want to sound rude but I think that Big Bang happened, life was born on Earth (and on other planets), fish came out of the water and evolved into more complex creatures and that the whole human history happened because of a huge coincidence is impossible. That's how I view it.

 

Also, I didn't get the whole drug part :inquisitive:

[Mark]

I personally don't believe in a so called "God". Religion in my eyes is man made. It's just like war, it's a hot topic for debate and they're might be no one answer. But...I believe in science and technology. There could be something out there we don't know about...who knows. But saying some dude snapped his fingers and said let their be light. That's cheesy as hell and not possible. There is no heaven or hell, unless it's a drug like Soma from Brave New World, it doesn't exist. It's all in our heads. When we die(with all due respect) we will all get buried in the ground in the earth. After that who knows. But what I like to think about is, what came before the Big Bang? What existed before nothing?

 

What I will say, is that Christians will never know the way of God. You just have to have faith. Religion is, to some degree, unexplainable.

 

It's late, and I feel like sharing my thoughts to you bunch of strangers.

 

So, for anyone who cares, I've tended to take a lot of things in my life for granted. Especially my family, for whatever reason, have put up with all my bullshit.

 

The other day, at the beginning of my shift at work (a shoe store). A man in a surgical mask and bandana walks into my work, and robs us at gunpoint. Safe to say I was, and still am, a little shaken up after that.

 

Fast forward a few hours, and I'm at home talking to my parents. My parents and I had been fighting and not speaking for awhile, but I suppose this kind of circumstance warranted some conversation...Long story short, my mom tells me that she prayed for me the night before for God to give me a sign so I would stop and think about all of the blessings in my life, and be grateful for all I was given. And the next day, that happened at my place of work.

 

Now, I believe in coincidences, but I don't believe that was any coincidence. That really made me reevaluate everything in my life, and well, I got the memo that I should start being a tad more thankful. And although I have my doubts regarding religion and God and heaven and hell and all that fun stuff, I do not doubt the existence of a greater force...

 

And I really don't care what anyone else believes or doesn't believe. I just don't understand how some people can just write off the existence of anything.. It doesn't make any sense to me... But hey, maybe that's cause I blaze a little too much.

 

Haha, Imma shut up now.

 

Reading this really made me feel like I wasn't alone. I've prayed and wished and hoped for things that don't come, but when I've needed a sign, I've got it. And often, you brush off those experiences, but reading this, and after something that happened to me yesterday, you've opened my eyes to something. So thanks :)

[Coeurli]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8-hU4UiJOA]Michael Stipe & Coldplay - In The Sun[/ame]

 

:heart:

[LoryABjerre]

for my part God is to be found in the bliss of pure love sincere in front God higher force .... :D

[coldlocked]

Only one way to find out... Death.

[Prospector]

^ Well I'm not thinking about trying that any time soon... :uhoh2:

[Prospector]

wow.

 

I was trying to put my finger on what's wrong with modern Christianity, but I think you just hit the nail on the head.

 

That is the most judgmental, offensive thing I've seen on here. And someone called me a "fag" once.

 

Holy shit.

 

 

Luke 6:37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned."

 

:nod:

[Troxley]

Here's a quote by Chris.

 

"I definitely believe in God. How can you look at anything and not be overwhelmed by the miraculousness of it?" 

 

The end.

[getithom]

Here's a quote by Chris.

 

"I definitely believe in God. How can you look at anything and not be overwhelmed by the miraculousness of it?" 

 

The end.

 

I love that quote.

[Brent]

Can we please keep Coldplay out of this? Oh yeah. We can't. Chris Martin is credible because he is a scientist, an engineer, a minister, and the pope. He's also the leading religious anthropological researcher based in Eurasia. That explains why we can't seem to dislodge our heads from his ass.

 

How about Dawkins, who has dedicated his life disproving the existence in God, and improving lives because of it? He's said to people like Martin: "I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world."

 

But of course he's less credible. Because this is Coldplaying.

 

Please keep Coldplay out of your reasoning. You look like an ass. Please. For the love of lowercase-g god.

[MaxRide]

^ thank you

[Troxley]

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