My "Prodigal Son" tale.

[PredFan]

I was born in 1955. I was raised Catholic, was an altar boy for years, went to Catechism on Saturday and Church on Sunday. When I reached the age of 18, I showed up on Sundays, almost never.

A movie came out about then called "The Chariots of the Gods". I watched the movie and had a life changing experience. The movie tried to prove that the earth had been visited in the past by space aliens and those aliens were viewed as Gods by the primitive peoples. They showed the lines of Nazca and proposed that they were landing strips for space vehicles, they showed the Easter Island Statues and showed how they never could have been done by humans of the time, and on and on with example after example.

I was convinced that Jesus and God were aliens. That's how the virgin birth was achieved (artificial ensemation), how all of the miracles were done and so on. I still believed in God and Jesus, I just looked at them differently.

Then one day I was sitting at home on a Saturday morning with nothing to do and I was watching PBS. A show came on where a group of scientists were debunking the movie and it's so-called facts. When I realized I'd been duped, another life-changing event happened. I became a skeptic. Completely, totally. I vowed that I would never be duped again. For many many years I remained atheist. I had a great number of discussions and debates with people over everything and anything meta-physical.

Over time, life began to eat at the iron curtain of my dis-belief. Even having two degrees in medicine, a scientific discipline, I still saw the wonder of creation. I softened my stance to agnostic (literally meaning "doesn't know"), and quit trying to convince people that religion was a fairy tale.

These days, I still don't claim to know the answers. I call myself a Catholic again, and I do this proudly. The reasons for that are a lengthy discussion itself. I have not fully returned home, I don't believe that the Bible is the word of God, nor do I believe that the earth is >10k years old, but I do believe in God and I have seen his presence in my life. I recognise that he was there even when I denied it. I attend church on occasion, and I think God for the gifts he has given me despite what I've done. That is where I satnd these days.

Of alien visitation, ESP, ghosts and such? Total bullshit.

 

[uscitizen]

ESP bullshit? So God talks to no one?


In any case each must decide on this issue.
I chose not to decide, works for me.
I have no proof that god or an afterlife exists so it does not until proved otherwise.
I also have no proof of aliens, although I think it arrogant to assume that we are the only life in the universe.
whether or not you believe in god.
And why would aliens want to visit us? Maybe study of primitive cultures?

 

[Againsheila]

I believe in ESP because I have experienced it. Don't know about ghosts or aliens but I will keep an open mind. I do not believe any of these things threaten my belief in God.

I was born in 56. I was raised Methodist. I saw Chariots of the Gods and it didn't change my belief in God, nor did it change my belief in aliens visiting this planet. I still think that's possible. if your faith was so shallow that it could be changed by a movie, you seriously needed to examine your faith. And if it was changed back by someone discrediting that movie, you still haven't done your homework.

You kind of remind me of a friend I had once who claimed there could never be life on other planets. When I asked why she said "Because we're God's children and he wouldn't do that to us."

I looked at her and said "You're an only child aren't you?"

She said "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, I have 4 brothers and sisters and I know my parents don't love me any less just because of the 3 that came before me or the one that came after, how much more infinite is God's love?"

She never could answer that question.

 

[PredFan]

ESP bullshit? So God talks to no one?

Do you know the difference between those two?

ESP bullshit? So God talks to no one?


In any case each must decide on this issue.
I chose not to decide, works for me.

I'm happy for you.

I have no proof that god or an afterlife exists so it does not until proved otherwise.

Absence of proof is proof of absence?

I also have no proof of aliens, although I think it arrogant to assume that we are the only life in the universe.

that's why I specifically said alien visitation.

whether or not you believe in god.
And why would aliens want to visit us? Maybe study of primitive cultures?

I don't know, why don't you start a thread on it?

 

[PredFan]

I believe in ESP because I have experienced it. Don't know about ghosts or aliens but I will keep an open mind. I do not believe any of these things threaten my belief in God.

I was born in 56. I was raised Methodist. I saw Chariots of the Gods and it didn't change my belief in God, nor did it change my belief in aliens visiting this planet. I still think that's possible. if your faith was so shallow that it could be changed by a movie, you seriously needed to examine your faith. And if it was changed back by someone discrediting that movie, you still haven't done your homework.

You kind of remind me of a friend I had once who claimed there could never be life on other planets. When I asked why she said "Because we're God's children and he wouldn't do that to us."

I looked at her and said "You're an only child aren't you?"

She said "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, I have 4 brothers and sisters and I know my parents don't love me any less just because of the 3 that came before me or the one that came after, how much more infinite is God's love?"

She never could answer that question.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...........................

 

[uscitizen]

Do you know the difference between those two?

Nope since God has never spoken to me.
I thought he told me to vote for Obama but that can't be right?

I have never heard voices in my head.

 

[xsited1]

I believe that the earth is <10k years old.

 

[Avatar4321]

Never stop seeking God. You will find Him.

Do you pray regularly?

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

I was born in 1955. I was raised Catholic, was an altar boy for years, went to Catechism on Saturday and Church on Sunday. When I reached the age of 18, I showed up on Sundays, almost never.

A movie came out about then called "The Chariots of the Gods". I watched the movie and had a life changing experience. The movie tried to prove that the earth had been visited in the past by space aliens and those aliens were viewed as Gods by the primitive peoples. They showed the lines of Nazca and proposed that they were landing strips for space vehicles, they showed the Easter Island Statues and showed how they never could have been done by humans of the time, and on and on with example after example.

I was convinced that Jesus and God were aliens. That's how the virgin birth was achieved (artificial ensemation), how all of the miracles were done and so on. I still believed in God and Jesus, I just looked at them differently.

Then one day I was sitting at home on a Saturday morning with nothing to do and I was watching PBS. A show came on where a group of scientists were debunking the movie and it's so-called facts. When I realized I'd been duped, another life-changing event happened. I became a skeptic. Completely, totally. I vowed that I would never be duped again. For many many years I remained atheist. I had a great number of discussions and debates with people over everything and anything meta-physical.

Over time, life began to eat at the iron curtain of my dis-belief. Even having two degrees in medicine, a scientific discipline, I still saw the wonder of creation. I softened my stance to agnostic (literally meaning "doesn't know"), and quit trying to convince people that religion was a fairy tale.

These days, I still don't claim to know the answers. I call myself a Catholic again, and I do this proudly. The reasons for that are a lengthy discussion itself. I have not fully returned home, I don't believe that the Bible is the word of God, nor do I believe that the earth is >10k years old, but I do believe in God and I have seen his presence in my life. I recognise that he was there even when I denied it. I attend church on occasion, and I think God for the gifts he has given me despite what I've done. That is where I satnd these days.

Of alien visitation, ESP, ghosts and such? Total bullshit.

Great read man. Very similar to some of my experience in the area of religion and faith.

My difference from you is I was raised without any religion in my life at all. My parents never told me god was real, they never told me god didn't exist. My one experience going to church was when I stayed with my aunt for a week and she took me with her, then dragged me out when I yelled out "that's not what the book is saying to me" when he was interpreting something in the bible. All I remember about that day is how mad she got at me and how she told my parents she would never take me to church again.

I came to gain a disdain for religion as i went through my teen years coming to the conclusion that religion may be great for some people but it wasn't for me. I also feel that people have allowed their relgions to cause a lot of harm in the world in addition to all the good inspired by them.

A little later I think I saw the same thing you did about the aliens visiting and basically got the same ideas you had about how "god" was aliens and all that.

However, over time, I've come to feel that there is a higher power which is active in the universe and our daily lives. I don't know what to call it so, in the interest of not being confusing to friends and family, I call that higher power God.

I still don't have a religion, I don't identify with any, but I also don't begrudge anyone for having one. I call myself a faithist as I believe in a power greater than us all and I believe that power is active in our lives.

 

[PredFan]

Never stop seeking God. You will find Him.

Do you pray regularly?

No. But I talk to Him regularly.

 

[PredFan]

I was born in 1955. I was raised Catholic, was an altar boy for years, went to Catechism on Saturday and Church on Sunday. When I reached the age of 18, I showed up on Sundays, almost never.

A movie came out about then called "The Chariots of the Gods". I watched the movie and had a life changing experience. The movie tried to prove that the earth had been visited in the past by space aliens and those aliens were viewed as Gods by the primitive peoples. They showed the lines of Nazca and proposed that they were landing strips for space vehicles, they showed the Easter Island Statues and showed how they never could have been done by humans of the time, and on and on with example after example.

I was convinced that Jesus and God were aliens. That's how the virgin birth was achieved (artificial ensemation), how all of the miracles were done and so on. I still believed in God and Jesus, I just looked at them differently.

Then one day I was sitting at home on a Saturday morning with nothing to do and I was watching PBS. A show came on where a group of scientists were debunking the movie and it's so-called facts. When I realized I'd been duped, another life-changing event happened. I became a skeptic. Completely, totally. I vowed that I would never be duped again. For many many years I remained atheist. I had a great number of discussions and debates with people over everything and anything meta-physical.

Over time, life began to eat at the iron curtain of my dis-belief. Even having two degrees in medicine, a scientific discipline, I still saw the wonder of creation. I softened my stance to agnostic (literally meaning "doesn't know"), and quit trying to convince people that religion was a fairy tale.

These days, I still don't claim to know the answers. I call myself a Catholic again, and I do this proudly. The reasons for that are a lengthy discussion itself. I have not fully returned home, I don't believe that the Bible is the word of God, nor do I believe that the earth is >10k years old, but I do believe in God and I have seen his presence in my life. I recognise that he was there even when I denied it. I attend church on occasion, and I think God for the gifts he has given me despite what I've done. That is where I satnd these days.

Of alien visitation, ESP, ghosts and such? Total bullshit.

Great read man. Very similar to some of my experience in the area of religion and faith.

My difference from you is I was raised without any religion in my life at all. My parents never told me god was real, they never told me god didn't exist. My one experience going to church was when I stayed with my aunt for a week and she took me with her, then dragged me out when I yelled out "that's not what the book is saying to me" when he was interpreting something in the bible. All I remember about that day is how mad she got at me and how she told my parents she would never take me to church again.

I came to gain a disdain for religion as i went through my teen years coming to the conclusion that religion may be great for some people but it wasn't for me. I also feel that people have allowed their relgions to cause a lot of harm in the world in addition to all the good inspired by them.

A little later I think I saw the same thing you did about the aliens visiting and basically got the same ideas you had about how "god" was aliens and all that.

However, over time, I've come to feel that there is a higher power which is active in the universe and our daily lives. I don't know what to call it so, in the interest of not being confusing to friends and family, I call that higher power God.

I still don't have a religion, I don't identify with any, but I also don't begrudge anyone for having one. I call myself a faithist as I believe in a power greater than us all and I believe that power is active in our lives.

Very similar. I don't know where the journey will take me from here, but I'm looking forward to it.

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

I was born in 1955. I was raised Catholic, was an altar boy for years, went to Catechism on Saturday and Church on Sunday. When I reached the age of 18, I showed up on Sundays, almost never.

A movie came out about then called "The Chariots of the Gods". I watched the movie and had a life changing experience. The movie tried to prove that the earth had been visited in the past by space aliens and those aliens were viewed as Gods by the primitive peoples. They showed the lines of Nazca and proposed that they were landing strips for space vehicles, they showed the Easter Island Statues and showed how they never could have been done by humans of the time, and on and on with example after example.

I was convinced that Jesus and God were aliens. That's how the virgin birth was achieved (artificial ensemation), how all of the miracles were done and so on. I still believed in God and Jesus, I just looked at them differently.

Then one day I was sitting at home on a Saturday morning with nothing to do and I was watching PBS. A show came on where a group of scientists were debunking the movie and it's so-called facts. When I realized I'd been duped, another life-changing event happened. I became a skeptic. Completely, totally. I vowed that I would never be duped again. For many many years I remained atheist. I had a great number of discussions and debates with people over everything and anything meta-physical.

Over time, life began to eat at the iron curtain of my dis-belief. Even having two degrees in medicine, a scientific discipline, I still saw the wonder of creation. I softened my stance to agnostic (literally meaning "doesn't know"), and quit trying to convince people that religion was a fairy tale.

These days, I still don't claim to know the answers. I call myself a Catholic again, and I do this proudly. The reasons for that are a lengthy discussion itself. I have not fully returned home, I don't believe that the Bible is the word of God, nor do I believe that the earth is >10k years old, but I do believe in God and I have seen his presence in my life. I recognise that he was there even when I denied it. I attend church on occasion, and I think God for the gifts he has given me despite what I've done. That is where I satnd these days.

Of alien visitation, ESP, ghosts and such? Total bullshit.

Great read man. Very similar to some of my experience in the area of religion and faith.

My difference from you is I was raised without any religion in my life at all. My parents never told me god was real, they never told me god didn't exist. My one experience going to church was when I stayed with my aunt for a week and she took me with her, then dragged me out when I yelled out "that's not what the book is saying to me" when he was interpreting something in the bible. All I remember about that day is how mad she got at me and how she told my parents she would never take me to church again.

I came to gain a disdain for religion as i went through my teen years coming to the conclusion that religion may be great for some people but it wasn't for me. I also feel that people have allowed their relgions to cause a lot of harm in the world in addition to all the good inspired by them.

A little later I think I saw the same thing you did about the aliens visiting and basically got the same ideas you had about how "god" was aliens and all that.

However, over time, I've come to feel that there is a higher power which is active in the universe and our daily lives. I don't know what to call it so, in the interest of not being confusing to friends and family, I call that higher power God.

I still don't have a religion, I don't identify with any, but I also don't begrudge anyone for having one. I call myself a faithist as I believe in a power greater than us all and I believe that power is active in our lives.

Very similar. I don't know where the journey will take me from here, but I'm looking forward to it.

As long as we keep our minds open the journey will go well in my opinion .

Oh and I don't "pray" to God either but I do talk on occasion...no voice talking back in my head but I still will say things out loud like "Watch over my friend today he has a lot on his plate" sometimes.

 

[Avatar4321]

Never stop seeking God. You will find Him.

Do you pray regularly?

No. But I talk to Him regularly.

That's prayer my friend

 

[PredFan]

Well, I guess the answer is yes then.