What do you believe in?

[narcimund 0]

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The Bible is right....only a fool would deny something so obvious.

I think even you should be able to see that the truthfulness of your bible is not "obvious". It's a large, unobvious leap of faith. In fact, I've been told that's considered one of its virtues.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[chuteless 1]

Its true one must have faith, and such faith is supported by not only God's WORD, but His creation.

Once you have established faith, the truth of the rest is indeed obvious.

For one who does not have faith....it is impossible to see the truth that is in God's WORD.


Too many people only wish to acknowledge a god that is tailored to their individual desires. That is a false god, and one which requires no faith at all.

Bill Cole


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[Zenister 0]

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Its true one must have faith, and such faith is supported by not only God's WORD, but His creation.

THAT word is blindfold of of a single culture and a bloody guilt ridden one at that, Her creation can be experienced directly and his word heard by those with ears to hear. The meaning is the same without tying you to 'sin' and guilt in some cosmic crime of your hypothetical ancestors.

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Once you have established faith, the truth of the rest is indeed obvious.

For one who does not have faith....it is impossible to see the truth that is in God's WORD.

Too many people only wish to acknowledge a god that is tailored to their individual desires. That is a false god, and one which requires no faith at all.

leave the chain of your dogma behind and understand that the words 'false' and 'god' are mutually exclusive.
or have you no faith in creation and direct experience?

no carpenters blood is necessary for your 'salvation' when you were never lost.....

[billvon 2,426]

>Too many people only wish to acknowledge a god that is tailored to
> their individual desires. That is a false god, and one which requires
> no faith at all.

I also think too many people only wish to acknowledge the picture of god that appears on the stained glass windows of their particular church, or as described in their favorite psalm. They accept whatever that particular (very human) artist or writer perceives as god and makes it their own.

It's human nature to want a god like us, one who feels love and anger like we do, one to whom "father" and "son" have the same meanings as they have to us. But that's a god of _our_ creation. If that's the path one takes to enlightenment, that's great. But it's no more inherently valid than a god that looks like a snake, or has six arms.

Also, I think too many people have killed too many other people over exactly what the "true" god looks like. A god whose image, or form, or command is reason to kill is no god, but a bastardization of holiness for men who seek an easy justification for doing what they, rather than god, desire to do.

[rehmwa 2]

I treat it as 3 different things:

Faith (belief without fact, by definition)
Religion (rituals and practice to express Faith)
Church (organized structure to administer Religion)

I'm not religious or even faithful, I like facts. But faith can bring out the best and worst in people. So if it helps someone deal with their fears or life or even the simple things, more power to them.

The real problems are a result of the power structures which come with the 3rd item.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[FliegendeWolf 0]

One either has faith in God, or one has faith in a book with which he or she goes on to "prove" God's existence.

A One that Isn't Cold is Scarcely a One at All

[feuergnom 22]

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I believe in letting people CHOOSE whatever makes sence to them to worship as far as a diety goes. BUT when your beliefs extend BEYOND your life and you start shoving your beliefs down others throat.. you need to BTFU and remember WHO in the long run gets to do the judging concering how you did in your lifetime. You have no right whatsoever cramming your sence of morality into my or anyone elses life. If more human beings would adapt to the idea of religeous tolerance... pershaps war and most of the strife on this planet would finally dissappear... and we could all finally be at peace.

Jeanne

AMEN!

The universal aptitude for ineptitude makes any human accomplishment an incredible miracle

dudeist skydiver # 666

[livendive 8]

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I believe in letting people CHOOSE whatever makes sence to them to worship as far as a diety goes. BUT when your beliefs extend BEYOND your life and you start shoving your beliefs down others throat.. you need to BTFU and remember WHO in the long run gets to do the judging concering how you did in your lifetime.

My family and friends who outlast me?

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[chuteless 1]

Yes, the stained glass windows were done by an artist and directed by the church organization that is paying the artist for his depiction...according to the church.

The Catholic church pays to have windows done of Mary, and every other figure whose name is mentioned in God's WORD.

Yes it is indeed human nature to want a God patterned after ourselves, but we cannot create a God, ...it is God who created us.



The God who created us is well described in His WORD, and He ( definitely NOT she) intends for us to learn from His WORD.

Jesus said, "Search the scriptures, for in them ye have eternal life". He did not say to simply "read" the scriptures and skim over them like you would a novel, getting nothing for your efforts.

SEARCH, will provide a treasure that can be obtained in no other way.

[Cava 0]

I don't 'believe in' anything. I don't feel the need to. And further, I wouldn't presume to try and convert anyone to the I Don't Believe In Anything Church. I have a USPA card, but beyond that I'm not interested in any other memberships.

So what's my take on the meaning of life? Something weird is obviously going on and I have no idea what that is.

[FliegendeWolf 0]

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The God who created us is well described in His WORD, and He ( definitely NOT she) [emphasis mine] intends for us to learn from His WORD.

Hooboy.

A One that Isn't Cold is Scarcely a One at All

[whocares 0]

the Bible says:
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation, for the prophecy came not in old time by the "will of man" but of holy men of God (chosen by God Himself) spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2nd Peter:20,21)


Psalms 14:1 says, " The fool hath said in his heart there is no God"


Of course there is one God and only ONE. Take the time to look around you and see His work of creation.


The miracle of the human being, how its developed, and grows, all His work.

The Bible is right....only a fool would deny something so obvious. ***

Please find me the names of the people who wrote this book?

[FliegendeWolf 0]

Are you replying to me?

A One that Isn't Cold is Scarcely a One at All

[Zenister 0]

'God' is so far beyond simple concepts of gender that your statement is laughable and childishly naïve, but of course being tied to the mythos of a misogynistic culture you are incapable of imagining a divinity that isn’t confined by such petty human distinctions.


the "god" who created you is not described in what refer to as ‘his word’, that word containing a description of god imagined, reinvented, and manufactured thru continual editing, cut and pasting, the mythos of multiple pre-Israelite tribes (not to mention numerous Mesopotamian /Arkadian/Sumerian influences where your foundational myth originally appeared) who as can be plainly seen from modern CNN, have no monopoly on truth or salvation...

Nor do your gospels create a god, they simply reinvented one from previous mythologies, but hey if your belief in that mythos helps you sleep comfortably at night with Jehovah watching over you then more power to you...pretending you have the only path to light, truth and divinity is however mistakenly, ignorantly arrogant..

SEARCH and you will see that all the answers are not written in your continually edited work of man, wisdom it may contain however

Truth belongs to everybody

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SEARCH, will provide a treasure that can be obtained in no other way.
What your mind can conceive
and in your heart you believe
You CAN achieve

and you can do it all without submitting yourself to the guilt of christianity...when you look with your own eyes, hear the voice of life with your own ears, unclouded by the words of men whos feet never left the ground, and lack the basic understanding of how things really work an enterprising 8 year old now has...

____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[beowulf 1]

holy men of God (chosen by God Himself) spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2nd Peter:20,21)
I see this the same way that I see the televangilists on TV healing people.
Everyone sees things differently. The odds of anyones religious beliefs being changed by what anyone says here in these forums is very very slim to none. I didn't start this poll so that you could have a chance to change my beliefs or anyone elses. I am happy to agree to disagree. The reason that I started this poll is that I was curious as to what others think and believe. I have no intrest in changing what everyone believes in. What I believe in could very possibly be wrong. But it is how I believe and I am comfortable with that.

"The Bible is right....only a fool would deny something so obvious."
I don't mind being called a fool. Who knows you could be right and I could be wrong. I don't think so, but you never know.

[Dumpster 0]

I Believe!

Yes I Do!!!

Really!!!

I BELIEVE I'M GOING TO HAVE SOME MORE BEERS!!!!!

WooHoo!!!!

Tell me how much I owe and put me on the next load!

Easy Does It

[Vertifly 0]

"My religion is best described as...When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad."

-Abraham Lincoln

I think Abe had a pretty good handle on things. I went to Catholic school for 12 years. My mother is an ex-nun and my uncle is a former priest. The whole family is formerly linked in some way.

Through the years of influence, I've determined one unconditional truth about "faith" and "religion". Joint faith in religion is the best product anyone ever came up with. 1) You have to renew your subscription every week. 2) It isn't a physical commodity so there is little overhead and there isn't a better profit margin on the planet. And 3) The warranty on collaborative faith expires the moment you are gone from the earth - at the very same time it is suppose to pay off. Interesting.

This, of course, is a very derogatory way of looking at it. But does it seem coincidental? Like I said, my religion is best described as... When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad.

I just hope that I get to freefly and swoop in the afterlife (should one exist).

[freeflygoddess 0]

I beleive in my Sabre and if it goes to shit I trust in my PD126 and if they both go to shit, then I beleive that gravity will kick in and I will soon be one with the ground....meant as a joke btw well sort of...

[happythoughts 0]

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"The Bible is right....only a fool would deny something so obvious."
I don't mind being called a fool. Who knows you could be right and I could be wrong. I don't think so, but you never know.

Well, you're going to have to agree with him. He has a book. That's kind of a rule for anything. If someone has a book, then they are right... unless someone else has another book that is better and then they are right.

Usually, the method of deciding which book is correct is to invade the country, burn their book and kill their priests. In the Old Testament, that is how they decided that the Canaanites had the wrong book. I think that method was used for American Indians, Aztecs, etc also.