A question for people that DO believe in God:

[ruffilb]

I ask this question in response to the other thread, because I'm of the opinion that people aren't born into the world with a Christian/Muslim/Jewish/etc worldview, and that they have to acquire it over time. Were you simply taught to believe by your parents or community? Did you really believe then, because you were told to, or did it take something else to make you really believe?

Again, not trying to offend anyone.

If you have not already done so, please answer My poll.

 

[ViviTheMage]

I never went to church or study such things, so im neither here nor there

 

[us3rnotfound]

i just had an out of body experience!: i saw my guardian angel. it was tite.

 

[McGyver]

I KNEW IT!!! SOMEBODY WOULD BE ORIGINAL ENOUGH to come up with this double.

 

[ruffilb]

Originally posted by: ViviTheMage
I never went to church or study such things, so im neither here nor there

But you are religious? Do you believe in your own interpretation of some holy text?

Originally posted by: McGyver
I KNEW IT!!! SOMEBODY WOULD BE ORIGINAL ENOUGH to come up with this double.

Thanks. I try, but it's hard.

 

[saymyname]

It all started when I saw the virgin mary bleed out of her buthole.

 

[ViviTheMage]

Originally posted by: ruffilb

Originally posted by: ViviTheMage
I never went to church or study such things, so im neither here nor there

But you are religious? Do you believe in your own interpretation of some holy text?

never looked into it...so ill have to say no

 

[miniMUNCH]

We have physical laws that say that matter and energy can be neither created or destroyed...only converted from one form to another.

So where did all this mass and energy come from...why is it here?

 

[saymyname]

Originally posted by: miniMUNCH
We have physical laws that say that matter and energy can be neither created or destroyed...only converted from one form to another.

So where did all this mass and energy come from...why is it here?

Any cosmology course will end at a point where science can't explain it anymore.

That of course doesn't mean that the obvious conclusion is that there is a god who had his son immaculately conceived on our ball of rock and that he died, was resurrected, and that people should spend their whole lives worshipping him.

If you study religion you'll see that all religions are basically the same. If you want to use them as a model to build structure in your children's life then I guess I can't argue with that (although I would hope you'd have the cognitive ability to do it without the lame brainwashing stories).

You have to ask yourself why we have religion in this country. Could it be for the money? They don't pay taxes and collect tons of money from loyal sheep. Could it be for the power? Church leaders have a lot of power (and unfortionately use their position to abuse people in many ways from taking their money, to brainwashing, to sexual abuse).

 

[us3rnotfound]

Originally posted by: miniMUNCH
We have physical laws that say that matter and energy can be neither created or destroyed...only converted from one form to another.

So where did all this mass and energy come from...why is it here?

i have teh answer just paypal me some money and i'll tell ya

 

[ruffilb]

Originally posted by: saymyname

Originally posted by: miniMUNCH
We have physical laws that say that matter and energy can be neither created or destroyed...only converted from one form to another.

So where did all this mass and energy come from...why is it here?

Any cosmology course will end at a point where science can't explain it anymore.

That of course doesn't mean that the obvious conclusion is that there is a god who had his son immaculately conceived on our ball of rock and that he died, was resurrected, and that people should spend their whole lives worshipping him.

If you study religion you'll see that all religions are basically the same. If you want to use them as a model to build structure in your children's life then I guess I can't argue with that (although I would hope you'd have the cognitive ability to do it without the lame brainwashing stories).

You have to ask yourself why we have religion in this country. Could it be for the money? They don't pay taxes and collect tons of money from loyal sheep. Could it be for the power? Church leaders have a lot of power (and unfortionately use their position to abuse people in many ways from taking their money, to brainwashing, to sexual abuse).

Actually, we have religion in this country because religious people came over from England, and the religion just persisted.

The money and the power of the Church leaders are both frightening byproducts of the whole issue.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I went to church...was baptised and actually tried to believe. Ultimately, it's all a bunch of horse sh!t.

 

[BigToque]

This is something that just happened very recently (like in the last 1-2 months), so I haven't come to understand everything about my views yet.

My entire life I had no exposure to religion. Not through family, friends, school or other. Up until I was 20, I was a complete athiest.

Then I met my (now ex) girlfriend. She was catholic. I was always hard on her, but I asked many questions and we talked about religion/spirituality in general for many hours over the 3 years we were together.

There were times when I wished I could have believed in God, and sent out prayers just asking for a sign, or anything that might convince me. I never got anything, but I did start to become much more tolerant of other views and viewpoints.

I think the biggest change came with a book I read for one of my university clases. It was called "social psychology from a sociological perspective" and the book was called "Symbolic Interactionism".

I'm generalizing here, but it seemed like it talked about how things were all connected, and different views of reality, how there may not be any one "true" reality, but rather we all have our own perspective of the truth, etc... (which doesn't have to do with my story really)

Anyway, at one point in the book, the author talks about free will versus fate (as in everything past, present and future is already determined through an infinite cause effect relationship and cannot be changed - as opposed to talking about fate where there are certain events that are just supposed to happen).

One thing that I had to question was the idea of free will and what it REALLY meant. The idea of free will (as best as I can think to myself) is beyond something that science can "prove". It's not testable. You can only see it's effects. I came to decide that I very much believed that I did indeed believe in free will.

I think this was the single biggest turning point because I now believed with all my mind, something that simply could not be proven. I had to take it on blind faith.

In the past several months I've learned a lot and come to realize a lot of things about life that just never saw before. I started to feel an incredible attachment and oneness with absolutely everything in this universe. All life, all matter, everything is connected, and I feel it. I began to feel so peaceful and happy with myself.

Then one day while I was at work, walking down the hallways. I felt something in my heart and mind. I just stopped, and I felt warm all over and couldn't stop smiling. What I felt, I can only describe as the purest sense of love I've ever felt, and that doesn't even begin to do the feeling justice.

I felt "God". Whoever, or whatever that was, that force that I could tell connected everything, touched me. I was in absolute bliss for the entire day. This was on tuesday June 5, 2006.

I believe God was revealed to me only when I became ready. I can't explain my feelings in anyway that could convince anyone else. I think it's something that will be different for everyone.

I'm not trying to convince anyone to believe anything I say, but I'm saying it so that others can maybe understand that people can and do change.

 

[saymyname]

Originally posted by: BigToque
This is something that just happened very recently (like in the last 1-2 months), so I haven't come to understand everything about my views yet.

My entire life I had no exposure to religion. Not through family, friends, school or other. Up until I was 20, I was a complete athiest.

Then I met my (now ex) girlfriend. She was catholic. I was always hard on her, but I asked many questions and we talked about religion/spirituality in general for many hours over the 3 years we were together.

There were times when I wished I could have believed in God, and sent out prayers just asking for a sign, or anything that might convince me. I never got anything, but I did start to become much more tolerant of other views and viewpoints.

I think the biggest change came with a book I read for one of my university clases. It was called "social psychology from a sociological perspective" and the book was called "Symbolic Interactionism".

I'm generalizing here, but it seemed like it talked about how things were all connected, and different views of reality, how there may not be any one "true" reality, but rather we all have our own perspective of the truth, etc... (which doesn't have to do with my story really)

Anyway, at one point in the book, the author talks about free will versus fate (as in everything past, present and future is already determined through an infinite cause effect relationship and cannot be changed - as opposed to talking about fate where there are certain events that are just supposed to happen).

One thing that I had to question was the idea of free will and what it REALLY meant. The idea of free will (as best as I can think to myself) is beyond something that science can "prove". It's not testable. You can only see it's effects. I came to decide that I very much believed that I did indeed believe in free will.

I think this was the single biggest turning point because I now believed with all my mind, something that simply could not be proven. I had to take it on blind faith.

In the past several months I've learned a lot and come to realize a lot of things about life that just never saw before. I started to feel an incredible attachment and oneness with absolutely everything in this universe. All life, all matter, everything is connected, and I feel it. I began to feel so peaceful and happy with myself.

Then one day while I was at work, walking down the hallways. I felt something in my heart and mind. I just stopped, and I felt warm all over and couldn't stop smiling. What I felt, I can only describe as the purest sense of love I've ever felt, and that doesn't even begin to do the feeling justice.

I felt "God". Whoever, or whatever that was, that force that I could tell connected everything, touched me. I was in absolute bliss for the entire day. This was on tuesday June 5, 2006.

I believe God was revealed to me only when I became ready. I can't explain my feelings in anyway that could convince anyone else. I think it's something that will be different for everyone.

I'm not trying to convince anyone to believe anything I say, but I'm saying it so that others can maybe understand that people can and do change.

I see someone who is very needy looking for something, anything, out there.

 

[BigToque]

Originally posted by: saymyname
I see someone who is very needy looking for something, anything, out there.

You can call it whatever you want. I'm not trying to convince you of anything.

 

[saymyname]

Fair enough

 

[The Batt?sai]

i believe in a higher entity. no one knows what it is though, if its God or something else

 

[Rudee]

I believe this thread is going nowhere.

 

[zanieladie]

OP, I voted in the poll and posted in your other thread!

As far as being a Christian (born again believer), I was raised in church; however, it wasn't until I was 6 years old that I felt convicted that I needed to "accept Christ." Christians will know what I mean...others probably don't care.

I have raised my children by setting an example of Christianity - but they each have had to make their own profession of faith - because it's not something that you can force upon a person. Each of them has made a profession of faith, gone forward in church, and been baptized (by submersion).

Since conversations involving religious beliefs often develop into arguments and/or flamewars, anyone can feel free to PM if he/she wants to know anything else.

 

[HN]

sure, why not.
1. if there ends up being no God, then fine whatever, let the creep crawlers have me.
2. if there IS a God, would you really want to be mocked for eternity, like, "Haha! bet you wish you believed in me before, don't ya?"

=========
the above is not an original comment from me. heard it somewhere, howard stern maybe. i myself have no firm opinion on the matter in either direction.

 

[jupiter57]

Originally posted by: zanieladie
OP, I voted in the poll and posted in your other thread!

As far as being a Christian (born again believer), I was raised in church; however, it wasn't until I was 6 years old that I felt convicted that I needed to "accept Christ." Christians will know what I mean...others probably don't care.

I have raised my children by setting an example of Christianity - but they each have had to make their own profession of faith - because it's not something that you can force upon a person. Each of them has made a profession of faith, gone forward in church, and been baptized (by submersion).

Since conversations involving religious beliefs often develop into arguments and/or flamewars, anyone can feel free to PM if he/she wants to know anything else.

I too, am a Born-Again Christian. (Jan. 17, 1987)
I have experienced first hand the spiritual "conversion" eveyone will experience when it happens to them.
Your life will change, you'll get a little warning just before you do something sinful, it will be your choice to obey God or "override" that feeling and sin anyway.

It will not cure laziness, obesity, nor will it make you stop smoking, etc. but it will give you some help in the Lord if you truly want the help.

It will take away the fear of death. Help you search for some good in even the most evil of persons. It will help you to understand that some of those "unexplainable" happenings you have witnessed can only be attributed to a miracle.
The list goes on and on, but I'm beginning to sound like a preacher!

Just felt I should give a brief overview of true Christianity, might help someone.

 

[Lonyo]

Originally posted by: BigToque
One thing that I had to question was the idea of free will and what it REALLY meant. The idea of free will (as best as I can think to myself) is beyond something that science can "prove". It's not testable. You can only see it's effects. I came to decide that I very much believed that I did indeed believe in free will.

I think this was the single biggest turning point because I now believed with all my mind, something that simply could not be proven. I had to take it on blind faith.

I'd say you are wrong there.

IMO to believe in fate you have to believe there is something up there controlling us.
If I may liken it to something else, I would say you have either free will or fate, much like you have either a higher being (god) or no higher being (no god).

Thus it is a leap of faith to believe in fate (something controlling our destiny) but free will (the lack of fate I think) is the opposite, and thus if you don't believe in fate you must believe in free will.
It's a lack of faith, IMO, that leads to free will (a lack of belief/faith in fate).

Now yes, you can have a belief in free will if you are religious, or if you are not, but I don't believe you can have a belief in fate without a belief in something higher (god of some sort). Ergo, belief in fate is like belief in god, and belief in free will is like a lack of belief in god, as free will is not in and of itself osmething, but a lack of fate, much like athiesm is a lack of god.

That's my view anyway, and I also don't believe at all in god/religion.

 

[loic2003]

this thread again... another bunch of lamers looking for direction who don't have the balls to figure it out for themselves and so lean back on the belief of a deity so they can just let 'god' do all the work for them.

Seriously, the mental attitude/thought process of the religious is on par with that of a 10 year old kid. Stop believing in fairtytales and move on. Yes, we don't know everything, but that doesn't mean there must be a god. A fair while back, people believed thhunder/lightning was the strike of Thor, the norse god's hammer. Do we still believe this? No. would you look like a fvcking tool if you did still try and drone on and on that "no really, we're not sure about lighning, it must be a god"? Yes you would. As the human race has evolved religions have died out. As we evolve further, so will christianity and islam.

Grow the fvck up and stop thinking like a child. There is no santa, there is no tooth fairy, there is no god/higher being. Get over it.

/religion.

 

[BigToque]

Originally posted by: loic2003
this thread again... another bunch of lamers looking for direction who don't have the balls to figure it out for themselves and so lean back on the belief of a deity so they can just let 'god' do all the work for them.

Seriously, the mental attitude/thought process of the religious is on par with that of a 10 year old kid. Stop believing in fairtytales and move on. Yes, we don't know everything, but that doesn't mean there must be a god. A fair while back, people believed thhunder/lightning was the strike of Thor, the norse god's hammer. Do we still believe this? No. would you look like a fvcking tool if you did still try and drone on and on that "no really, we're not sure about lighning, it must be a god"? Yes you would. As the human race has evolved religions have died out. As we evolve further, so will christianity and islam.

Grow the fvck up and stop thinking like a child. There is no santa, there is no tooth fairy, there is no god/higher being. Get over it.

/religion.

What a well thought out and convincing post.

:roll:

 

[icarus4586]

Personally, I'm a Christian, born and raised in a Baptist church. I'm 20 now, and in the last couple years my views have changed a bit, but I'm still a Christian.

It's stupid to argue about doctrine and the small differences that make denominations and even whole religions different, since religion is based on faith and faith is by nature something that can't be proven. What's important is that there is a God, that he loves us and wants us to love him back and to put our future in his hands, since we obviously have no idea what's going on in the grand scheme of things. Also, from Jesus' "Sermon on the mount" in Matthew:

You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best?the sun to warm and the rain to nourish?to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.