If God Is...?

[occupied]

Can't decide if I am an atheist or just incredibly pissed of at God. I can't accept that any God that gives a damn about us would allow what happened to a woman as selflessly giving and widely adored as my mother, she died after long and horrible suffering, can't forgive him/her/it for that, easier to just consider the universe empty and meaninglessly chaotic.

I stopped blaming God for what we do to each other with free will, long ago.

Oh yes, I forgot to include that one in my list of cop-outs to explain why such a lazy, negligent God allows so much needless suffering.

 

[Intense]

Can't decide if I am an atheist or just incredibly pissed of at God. I can't accept that any God that gives a damn about us would allow what happened to a woman as selflessly giving and widely adored as my mother, she died after long and horrible suffering, can't forgive him/her/it for that, easier to just consider the universe empty and meaninglessly chaotic.

I stopped blaming God for what we do to each other with free will, long ago.

Can't ask God either their is so much inhumanity, it's humans doing it, not God.

My question would be, To what end? What comes next, or is this it? If this is just a small part of the Journey, I can understand it better. If what happen here is just part of the process, then there are meanings yet to be revealed. Are we all in the same boat? Is cause and effect part of the equation? Are we being made ready? On who's terms are we even here?

 

[Moonglow]

Can't decide if I am an atheist or just incredibly pissed of at God. I can't accept that any God that gives a damn about us would allow what happened to a woman as selflessly giving and widely adored as my mother, she died after long and horrible suffering, can't forgive him/her/it for that, easier to just consider the universe empty and meaninglessly chaotic.

I stopped blaming God for what we do to each other with free will, long ago.

Oh yes, I forgot to include that one in my list of cop-outs to explain why such a lazy, negligent God allows so much needless suffering.

Have you any children that you have raised? If so you can see why God can't intervene when it is the children that can't be controlled.

 

[Intense]

Can't decide if I am an atheist or just incredibly pissed of at God. I can't accept that any God that gives a damn about us would allow what happened to a woman as selflessly giving and widely adored as my mother, she died after long and horrible suffering, can't forgive him/her/it for that, easier to just consider the universe empty and meaninglessly chaotic.

I stopped blaming God for what we do to each other with free will, long ago.

Oh yes, I forgot to include that one in my list of cop-outs to explain why such a lazy, negligent God allows so much needless suffering.

I'll tell you what. Let's take a walk out at Robert Moses State Park, on the beach, during a Lightening Storm, and you can expand on how lazy you think God is. My point here, is there are things in our lives, that humble, and put things into better perspective. We have enough arrogance going around. I don't confuse laziness with patience and compassion. When was the last time you put God first in all things? When was the first time?

 

[Moonglow]

I stopped blaming God for what we do to each other with free will, long ago.

Can't ask God either their is so much inhumanity, it's humans doing it, not God.

My question would be, To what end? What comes next, or is this it? If this is just a small part of the Journey, I can understand it better. If what happen here is just part of the process, then there are meanings yet to be revealed. Are we all in the same boat? Is cause and effect part of the equation? Are we being made ready? On who's terms are we even here?

Looking at the written history of mankind there are two demensions that seem to repeat. War and peace.
Destruction or creation of civilization.
Hatred or love.
empathey or anti empathy.

There is nothing new about what humans are doing, except, for the introduction of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction that can literilly if used in large quantities would and could end the entire human presence.

 

[occupied]

I stopped blaming God for what we do to each other with free will, long ago.

Oh yes, I forgot to include that one in my list of cop-outs to explain why such a lazy, negligent God allows so much needless suffering.

I'll tell you what. Let's take a walk out at Robert Moses State Park, on the beach, during a Lightening Storm, and you can expand on how lazy you think God is. My point here, is there are things in our lives, that humble, and put things into better perspective. We have enough arrogance going around. I don't confuse laziness with patience and compassion. When was the last time you put God first in all things? When was the first time?

I grew up in a fundamentalist christian home. Until my mid twenties I was pretty devout and came to my current beliefs through living and witnessing some of most horrible occurrences anyone can have in the modern western world. If we do not try to make the world a better place it is clear that God is not going to do a thing about it and it seems many so-called christians are satisfied to follow God's example and not do a thing about it either.

 

[Steelplate]

I stopped blaming God for what we do to each other with free will, long ago.

Oh yes, I forgot to include that one in my list of cop-outs to explain why such a lazy, negligent God allows so much needless suffering.

I'll tell you what. Let's take a walk out at Robert Moses State Park, on the beach, during a Lightening Storm, and you can expand on how lazy you think God is. My point here, is there are things in our lives, that humble, and put things into better perspective. We have enough arrogance going around. I don't confuse laziness with patience and compassion. When was the last time you put God first in all things? When was the first time?

I still have a lot of trouble with that...putting God first, that is. Take church for instance...I have a good paying job, however, working with the Developmentally disabled is a 24/7 proposition. I get one weekend off/month and on that one Sunday, I find it a very difficult thing to get up and drag myself to our 9AM service.

Next Sunday (the 19th), our church is starting an evening service. That will broaden my opportunities and I am hoping that those new opportunities will develop into a habit. The only thing I am concerned about is that the evening service is going to be a Contemporary service. I've always gone to Traditional services, so I'm not sure if I'll feel comfortable with it. I do play guitar and sing on a semi-professional basis, so I'm looking forward to trying to get more involved that way.

Now, I know that one does not need to be in a brick and mortar church to be a Christian. But I do think that those of us who don't tend to focus harder on our everyday lives than on God....at least that's the way it is for me.

 

[AVG-JOE]

When the Holy Ghost touches the heart and mind and testifies to the truth, it's impossible to deny without serious consequences.

That's me... Serious consequences in the flesh.

 

[Steelplate]

Oh yes, I forgot to include that one in my list of cop-outs to explain why such a lazy, negligent God allows so much needless suffering.

I'll tell you what. Let's take a walk out at Robert Moses State Park, on the beach, during a Lightening Storm, and you can expand on how lazy you think God is. My point here, is there are things in our lives, that humble, and put things into better perspective. We have enough arrogance going around. I don't confuse laziness with patience and compassion. When was the last time you put God first in all things? When was the first time?

I grew up in a fundamentalist christian home. Until my mid twenties I was pretty devout and came to my current beliefs through living and witnessing some of most horrible occurrences anyone can have in the modern western world. If we do not try to make the world a better place it is clear that God is not going to do a thing about it and it seems many so-called christians are satisfied to follow God's example and not do a thing about it either.

That's why....and I don't mean to offend Conservatives here....I find more in common with liberals. My faith points me in that direction. As far as personal sins like abortions and homosexuality? I'm a sinner too....we all are. Their sins are no worse than anyone else's. We are all trying to get through this life and we all sin.

So I don't try to judge people....well....that's a lie....I do it quite often on here. But in real life? I try to do the best I can. Places like this are an environment which breeds animosity and anger...I'm really not an angry person in person.

I just believe that we are our brother's keeper and God wants us to take care of each other...even if we don't feel they deserve it.

 

[Foxfyre]

If God is, doesn't it make sense that She's WAY bigger than all of the Ancient Stories put together, let alone any one of them?

Google Search: Books considered 'Holy'



Is your preferred Ancient Story really the LAST word on God? Really?

Absolutely. The ancients who wrote the holy books back then and the theologians of today are totally limited by their own experience, their ability to reason and understand, their perceptions, their language, and their cultural conditioning. The best that mortal man can do is write within all those limitations and that 'best' is totally inadequate to define or describe the God they believe created them.

When you think about it, any God that we would be able to explain, describe, or define would be a pretty puny God. Nevertheless, the small glimpses and relatively limited understanding that we do have are totally awesome.

 

[Leweman]

If God is then God should only be referred to as God.

 

[Swagger]

My preferred 'story' concerning religion is actually an account of a real person from Alexandria in the 5th century. Hypatia, a woman, has often been credited with being the first mathmatician who hypothesised and sought to prove that the earth is a sphere, as opposed to being flat. But her teaching and theories offended the rising dominance of Christainity under Constantine. She was murdered and her school was trashed after refusing to capitulate to the bishop of Alexandria's will. These were the events that precipitated the burning of the Library of Alexandria, the single largest source of knowledge in the known world at the time.

The Agora is the movie. Terrible how early christians were vandals and murderers.

A sizable portion of the UK's old grammar school curriculum focused on the classics. That's where I first read about Hypatia, amongst many others. But yes, I have seen the movie you speak of.

I suppose the point I was alluding to was that if the ancients theorised over such a drastic contradiction to what was upheld up to a thousand years later, who knows how far advanced we'd be today if the Christians didn't take such offense at scientific and mathematical investigation. Who knows, we might've reached the Moon by the Middle Ages, as opposed the '60s.

 

[Avatar4321]

yeah I know all about the holy spirt/ghost. I was raised up in a holy roller church (Assembly of God).
God never once spoke to me.
16 years.

Im sorry to hear that. Though in my own experience, when I had the specific moment where I recognized the Holy Spirit for what He was, I realized He had been trying to talk to me many times before then and that I just wasnt prepared to listen or recognize His influence.

Maybe it's the same for you. Maybe not. I don't know all the ways God works. All I know is He is there and loves us.

I realize how comforting that feeling can be, whether it is true or not.

I do not believe in any form of afterlife or supreme being.
I have lived over 2 years past my doctors expectations, when I die I just expect to cease to exist mentally since my "being" is based on my biological processes and my experiences in life.

Well, when you get to the other side and realize you havent ceased mentally, there are going to be some people to talk to you, listen to them.

 

[Foxfyre]

I think the 'other side' is going to hold a lot of surprises for all of us. I fully epect to be surprised at how little interest there will be in my theology; less surprised to find out how silly we are in our concepts of the correct way to 'do church'. I fully expect to be surprised in various ways we have been wrong in some of our interpretations of religious teachings.

I do think the most surprised of all, however, will be our Atheists.

 

[Steelplate]

I think the 'other side' is going to hold a lot of surprises for all of us. I fully epect to be surprised at how little interest there will be in my theology; less surprised to find out how silly we are in our concepts of the correct way to 'do church'. I fully expect to be surprised in various ways we have been wrong in some of our interpretations of religious teachings.

I do think the most surprised of all, however, will be our Atheists.

Yeah....I understand where you're coming from. All of this stuff we talk about everyday will probably seem pretty silly. I find near death experience testimony interesting, skeptics say it's a chemical release....but I don't necessarily believe it.

I must admit that I also have a "guilty pleasure" fascination with the paranormal shows...like Ghost Hunters, and Long Island Medium.....I am a huge skeptic, of course....but, like I said.... a guilty pleasure.

But anyway...I agree with you.

 

[Foxfyre]

I think the 'other side' is going to hold a lot of surprises for all of us. I fully epect to be surprised at how little interest there will be in my theology; less surprised to find out how silly we are in our concepts of the correct way to 'do church'. I fully expect to be surprised in various ways we have been wrong in some of our interpretations of religious teachings.

I do think the most surprised of all, however, will be our Atheists.

Yeah....I understand where you're coming from. All of this stuff we talk about everyday will probably seem pretty silly. I find near death experience testimony interesting, skeptics say it's a chemical release....but I don't necessarily believe it.

I must admit that I also have a "guilty pleasure" fascination with the paranormal shows...like Ghost Hunters, and Long Island Medium.....I am a huge skeptic, of course....but, like I said.... a guilty pleasure.

But anyway...I agree with you.

Yes I also have an interest in the paranormal--ghosts, angels, demons, and such--and while I have never encountered one with full awareness anyway, there are enough credible people who say they have so I cannot rule out any possibilities entirely. Same with UFOs.

But I also believe we understand such a tiny fraction of all that there is to know, to rule out anything just because we have not personally experienced it is to be exremely narrow and shortsighted.

 

[uscitizen]

I think the 'other side' is going to hold a lot of surprises for all of us. I fully epect to be surprised at how little interest there will be in my theology; less surprised to find out how silly we are in our concepts of the correct way to 'do church'. I fully expect to be surprised in various ways we have been wrong in some of our interpretations of religious teachings.

I do think the most surprised of all, however, will be our Atheists.

How can one who does not exist be suprised?
Neither can they be dissapointed

 

[uscitizen]

I think the 'other side' is going to hold a lot of surprises for all of us. I fully epect to be surprised at how little interest there will be in my theology; less surprised to find out how silly we are in our concepts of the correct way to 'do church'. I fully expect to be surprised in various ways we have been wrong in some of our interpretations of religious teachings.

I do think the most surprised of all, however, will be our Atheists.

Yeah....I understand where you're coming from. All of this stuff we talk about everyday will probably seem pretty silly. I find near death experience testimony interesting, skeptics say it's a chemical release....but I don't necessarily believe it.

I must admit that I also have a "guilty pleasure" fascination with the paranormal shows...like Ghost Hunters, and Long Island Medium.....I am a huge skeptic, of course....but, like I said.... a guilty pleasure.

But anyway...I agree with you.

I have seen the light, no angels, etc just a bright light. Somethintg about my optic center shutting down or something I expect it was.
the brain does not completly shut down for a bit after official death.

 

[Foxfyre]

My preferred 'story' concerning religion is actually an account of a real person from Alexandria in the 5th century. Hypatia, a woman, has often been credited with being the first mathmatician who hypothesised and sought to prove that the earth is a sphere, as opposed to being flat. But her teaching and theories offended the rising dominance of Christainity under Constantine. She was murdered and her school was trashed after refusing to capitulate to the bishop of Alexandria's will. These were the events that precipitated the burning of the Library of Alexandria, the single largest source of knowledge in the known world at the time.

The Agora is the movie. Terrible how early christians were vandals and murderers.

A sizable portion of the UK's old grammar school curriculum focused on the classics. That's where I first read about Hypatia, amongst many others. But yes, I have seen the movie you speak of.

I suppose the point I was alluding to was that if the ancients theorised over such a drastic contradiction to what was upheld up to a thousand years later, who knows how far advanced we'd be today if the Christians didn't take such offense at scientific and mathematical investigation. Who knows, we might've reached the Moon by the Middle Ages, as opposed the '60s.

Compared to the medieval doctines and superstitions, do you think people now are less self-limiting, less dogmatic, less tied to the current theories and dogma, less likely to make a religion of the current accepted wisdom re science, phenomena, and speculation?

 

[Borillar]

If God is, doesn't it make sense that She's WAY bigger than all of the Ancient Stories put together, let alone any one of them?

Google Search: Books considered 'Holy'



Is your preferred Ancient Story really the LAST word on God? Really?

I am a Christian, but find many of the notions of organized Christianity to be pretty far-fetched. But my beliefs and faith, however another person may perceive to be irrational or illogical, is based upon my own life experiences and observations. YMMV.

"The most preposterous notion that H. sapiens has ever dreamed up is that the Lord God of Creation, Shaper and Ruler of all the Universes, wants the saccharine adoration of His creatures, can be swayed by their prayers, and becomes petulant if He does not receive this flattery. Yet this absurd fantasy, without a shred of evidence to bolster it, pays all the expenses of the oldest, largest, and least productive Industry in all history."
- "The Notebooks of Lazarus Long" Robert Heinlein http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/8365-the-most-preposterous-notion-that-homo-sapiens-has-ever-dreamed