Zone1 do you believe in a god?

[toobfreak]

That's the first time I've heard that. God chooses who is saved and who isn't saved?

Really? I thought that was pretty common knowledge. Mankind is in a unique position of free will not shared by other beings. We all climb a ladder based on past events and current actions that advances the soul (or not).

At some point, some of us develop an inner yearning or need to know God, when we pray, we speak to God and God listens. If our hearts are pure, God may reach out and reveal some aspect of his unlimited self to us in a form we can understand.

That is our meditation. When we meditate, God speaks and we listen. But God always knows who is ready to know him again and who isn't. Call it what you want, but if God doesn't decide who is saved, then who does? If man did it, then most people would party like it was 1999 then choose to be "saved" on their death bed.

Your life actions decide your karma, and your karma factors into whether God ever accepts you as a sincere seeker to rejoin him again leaving the eternal karmatic cycle of life and death.

 

[MarathonMike]

our life actions decide your karma, and your karma factors into whether God ever accepts you as a sincere seeker to rejoin him again leaving the eternal karmatic cycle of life and death.

What if you are devoutly religious, but not Christian? Buddhist Monks for example. Does God accept them as sincere seekers?

 

[Grumblenuts]

Zebra saying he wasn’t sure is him stating what he believes. Maybe I should have said that instead.

Objectively speaking, you're both wrong referring to Zebra as a he/him, "personal relationships" with gods or none notwithstanding.

 

[ding]

Objectively speaking, you're both wrong referring to Zebra as a he/him, "personal relationships" with gods or none notwithstanding.

What?

 

[toobfreak]

What if you are devoutly religious, but not Christian? Buddhist Monks for example. Does God accept them as sincere seekers?

Sure, why not? There are no bad religions, only bad people. Every religion is based on legitimate perspectives of asking the question what the original cause of all creation was.

I was born and baptized a protestant, went to church every week, read the Bible, but as I got older, saw certain questions the Bible did not answer. I was ultimately drawn into 4-5 other religions much older, who try and succeed in answering much more.

Each religion is just a different viewpoint of the same thing, God, seen from a different vantage point. God is the destination whatever you wish to call him, and religion is just the vehicle you take to get there with.

But like I said, the Buddha was a man, and centrally, Buddhism is belief in (the potential of) man. So, a fully realized Buddhist will only see certain things while a Christian sees others, and a vedic scientist or hinduist sees yet others.

They are all sincere seekers, but God has infinite diversity and is a place of many destinations...

No religion nor practice allows us to see all. Today, we realize the Earth is not flat, orbits the Sun, just one of billions of stars in the Milky Way, itself just a small member of the Local Group, itself just a minor fraction of the Virgo Supercluster, which is just a tiny knot in the fabric of the known universe, yet we still know practically nothing and 99.9% of the universe is a total guess to us.

We stand infinitely greater than a Paramecium, but the Sun stands infinitely greater than us. Yet our galaxy is infinitely larger than any star, but the universe is infinitely larger than a galaxy. And we can't even guess the true dimensions and scope of the total universe much less what if anything lays beyond that.

Many people suggest what lays beyond is further infinity, filled with an infinite number of further universes.

And God lays infinitely far beyond that.

 

[MarathonMike]

Sure, why not? There are no bad religions, only bad people. Every religion is based on legitimate perspectives of asking the question what the original cause of all creation was.

I was born and baptized a protestant, went to church every week, read the Bible, but as I got older, saw certain questions the Bible did not answer. I was ultimately drawn into 4-5 other religions much older, who try and succeed in answering much more.

Each religion is just a different viewpoint of the same thing, God, seen from a different vantage point. God is the destination whatever you wish to call him, and religion is just the vehicle you take to get there with.

But like I said, the Buddha was a man, and centrally, Buddhism is belief in (the potential of) man. So, a fully realized Buddhist will only see certain things while a Christian sees others, and a vedic scientist or hinduist sees yet others.

They are all sincere seekers, but God has infinite diversity and is a place of many destinations...

No religion nor practice allows us to see all. Today, we realize the Earth is not flat, orbits the Sun, just one of billions of stars in the Milky Way, itself just a small member of the Local Group, itself just a minor fraction of the Virgo Supercluster, which is just a tiny knot in the fabric of the known universe, yet we still know practically nothing and 99.9% of the universe is a total guess to us.

We stand infinitely greater than a Paramecium, but the Sun stands infinitely greater than us. Yet our galaxy is infinitely larger than any star, but the universe is infinitely larger than a galaxy. And we can't even guess the true dimensions and scope of the total universe much less what if anything lays beyond that.

Many people suggest what lays beyond is further infinity, filled with an infinite number of further universes.

And God lays infinitely far beyond that.

Very nicely put. One of my favorite sayings is "We don't know what we don't know". All too often we as humans think we either know everything or must know everything, but that is clearly an impossibility.

 

[Chuz Life]

I wish you had a spot for agnostics on this. I am a realist, I go where the facts take me and I don't take anything on "faith" alone. That said, even as a realist, I have seen things like changes in people, that those people attribute to their faith. Powerful meaningful changes. In that sense, I see "God" or at least "faith" as a part of reality. Their reality though, more than my own.

Personally, I would very much like to meet God and ask some very serious questions about what i have seen and experienced in this "life."

 

[Eman623]

Isn’t it more important to know what is true? To see reality?

If you can prove logically, conclusively, irrefutably that God does not exist, then please share.

And even if you can, can you show what is the harm in believing in God?

 

[Grumblenuts]

What?

Zebra is a she, dummy.

 

[ding]

If you can prove logically, conclusively, irrefutably that God does not exist, then please share.

And even if you can, can you show what is the harm in believing in God?

A manifested relationship with God is the most powerful tool at our disposal. Only good can come from it. Peace, joy and happiness.

 

[ding]

Zebra is a she, dummy.

How do you know?

 

[ding]

Zebra is a she, dummy.

Zebra’s profile page lists Zebra as male, dummy.

 

[toobfreak]

I wish you had a spot for agnostics on this. I am a realist, I go where the facts take me and I don't take anything on "faith" alone.

I am a realist, too, Chuz. I have never been one to go on anything based on pure faith. But there are degrees of religious conviction: I suppose some people simply believe or trust on faith alone, me, it took several powerful, personal experiences when I was young, and meeting the right people.

Personally, I would very much like to meet God and ask some very serious questions about what i have seen and experienced in this "life."

The crazy thing is that if you were to actually meet him, asking questions would be the farthest thing from your mind because you would already know.

 

[Chuz Life]

I am a realist, too, Chuz. I have never been one to go on anything based on pure faith. But there are degrees of religious conviction: I suppose some people simply believe or trust on faith alone, me, it took several powerful, personal experiences when I was young, and meeting the right people.


The crazy thing is that if you were to actually meet him, asking questions would be the farthest thing from your mind because you would already know.

I wish I could count on my ability to report back to you on that.

 

[toobfreak]

I wish I could count on my ability to report back to you on that.

OK, I'll tell you what I rarely tell others except in special circumstances, but if you are a real seeker who really wants to know and are ready to plug into reality, I highly recommend reading this.

Pardon Our Interruption...

I got my copy used and worn and falling apart in the 1970s. For a mere $15.00, I'm tempted to buy this one new and unread.

It is in three sections. The first is just reading about the author's life but contains a few very interesting facts (the author was a former Harvard Professor), the middle main section is the trippy part where each page is a "lesson," and the third section is the heavy section which gets into some incredible stuff that might just blow your mind away.

This book can change your life.

 

[Chuz Life]

OK, I'll tell you what I rarely tell others except in special circumstances, but if you are a real seeker who really wants to know and are ready to plug into reality, I highly recommend reading this.

Pardon Our Interruption...

I got my copy used and worn and falling apart in the 1970s. For a mere $15.00, I'm tempted to buy this one new and unread.

It is in three sections. The first is just reading about the author's life but contains a few very interesting facts (the author was a former Harvard Professor), the middle main section is the trippy part where each page is a "lesson," and the third section is the heavy section which gets into some incredible stuff that might just blow your mind away.

This book can change your life.

Thanks and much respect for your views. I don't think I am a seeker, where religion is concerned. I think I know what you mean by "changing my life" (changing my perceptions and how that affects things going forward.) But there are things in my life that can't be changed, and no amount of wisdom (from a book or anywhere else) is going to make it all ok.

I don't mean or want to discourage anyone else from their views. I don't even mind if they don't care about what my views are. So, I can't promise that I'll check out your book, but I have it bookmarked, in case I get curious about it later.

 

[toobfreak]

Thanks and much respect for your views. I don't think I am a seeker, where religion is concerned. I think I know what you mean by "changing my life" (changing my perceptions and how that affects things going forward.)

Well, the interest has to be there. If you have the interest and curiosity and ever come across the book, I recommend you have a look at it, you may be surprised.

 

[Hafar1014]

There are two choices:

You are either believe in God or Satan.
There is nothing between

I prefere to believe in God.

BTW, there is only one True God, all another 'gods' have been created by leftist fluffy-bunny-hippie-dippie communist propaganda

Most religions dont have a devil its a Christian belief that comes from dualism the war between light and darkness. There is no devil in the Old Testament

 

[Hafar1014]

I admit I see no need to believe in god or tree spirits or any other great and powerful deity i do feel that more people actually need to follow a number of the teachings of churches. Kind of a do unto others thing.

Atheism is a valid belief. I would ask why, what is the emotional truth of your Atheism? Its question we ask in psychology when we search for what is really motiving us. Ask yourself what would I be like if I did believe in god. What would that say about me? That will bring it out and ask the reverse what does it mean that I choose not to believe

 

[MarathonMike]

I wish you had a spot for agnostics on this. I am a realist, I go where the facts take me and I don't take anything on "faith" alone. That said, even as a realist, I have seen things like changes in people, that those people attribute to their faith. Powerful meaningful changes. In that sense, I see "God" or at least "faith" as a part of reality. Their reality though, more than my own.

Personally, I would very much like to meet God and ask some very serious questions about what i have seen and experienced in this "life."

I'm curious what your definition of 'agnostic' is. I assume you don't mean 'atheist'.