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General Chit-Chat Forum Discussion about general topics that are really off topic concerning corn snakes, or just about any old chit at all.

How do you feel about God.
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Old 11-22-2011, 11:31 PM   #91
possum_minister
thou shalt not count more than three.
 
Old 11-22-2011, 11:35 PM   #92
PAIN
Quote:
Originally Posted by possum_minister View Post
thou shalt not count more than three.
HA HA
 
Old 11-23-2011, 12:18 AM   #93
Kevin S.
It always amuses me to see people mention the "leap of faith," "blind faith," etc that we Christians allegedly require. I have a B.S. in Environmental Science and a M.S. in Biology, both obtained at a secular university, and quite honestly I don't have the blind faith necessary to be an atheist/agnostic. The level of intellectual dishonesty in the evolutionary sciences is astounding, but obviously that's all swept under the rug-you have to actually do some research of your own before the dirty little academic secrets start piling up.

That's really the problem though. If you don't question what you're taught in school but blindly accept anything in the curriculum, you'd naturally end up on the side of mainstream evolutionary theory. They don't let you in on the fact that even evolutionists acknowledge the inaccuracy of Haeckl's famous depictions of embryos for example-they just continue to leave it in the textbooks to fleece yet another generation of students. I made a conscious effort to weigh the evidence and decide for myself which camp had the more compelling argument in college.

Thankfully I had some excellent resources at my disposal and it became abundantly clear that the best science supported creation and my faith is much stronger now in large part due to my scientific experience. I'm not saying all creation science is valid or that all evolutionary research is incorrect-there are good and bad examples on both sides. When it comes to piecing it all together in a continuous framework, I've got no doubt whatsoever which is correct though.

For anyone who is actually open-minded enough to look into some creation science for themselves instead of dismissing it based on preconceived notions, I'd highly recommend checking out Dr. Walt Brown's website on the Hydroplate Theory. The material may sound radically different from what you learned in school, but if you stick with it, you'll probably be surprised how nicely everything fits together in that framework and how well it explains many of our modern geological features.

I'll hop off the soapbox now. I hope I didn't offend anyone since these topics do tend to ruffle feathers. I just wanted to add a little scientific perspective from my personal experience.
 
Old 11-23-2011, 12:45 AM   #94
schnebbles
I can't answer why God allows people (and animals) to be treated so horribly. It's human beings who do it and God allows it.

Nanci - what you said about switching faiths, I know! I had a friend who married a muslim so she had to switch to muslim. IMO, her original beliefs couldn't have been very strong. I could never, ever change what I believe.

Now, I do know a guy who was Christian and now he's agnostic. Not sure how that happens, maybe he was never truly Christian, I don't think you can become un-Christian. I don't know.

It's so complex. I am in a really bad place in my life right now and what keeps me going is knowing that God has a plan and it will happen just how it's supposed to happen. That's my faith in Him.

He sent his son to die on the cross to erase our sins IF we believe and accept Him into our lives. You have to ask.

But, I'm not out here to be a preacher, I'm just stating what I believe to be true. It's interesting to me to see how others think. When you're dead you're dead. I don't believe that but it's easy to see how people do. It's impossible for our human mind to imagine eternity, it's unfathomable for us. Same as God has always been here. I can drive myself crazy if I think on that one too much, so yes, it's easy to see how one might think totally opposite.

I don't think this thread has gone bad. I don't think anyone has been rude?

Yes, these topics can very easily ruffle feathers! I think it's going ok though.
 
Old 11-23-2011, 01:36 AM   #95
AliCat37
Quote:
Originally Posted by schnebbles View Post

Yes, these topics can very easily ruffle feathers! I think it's going ok though.
Ha! Here I come with my "all too literal like Bones" moment stealer!
Did you know birds actually ruffle their feathers when they feel good? It's a way they express feeling happy

ANYWAY, I have no real input to this conversation other than what I previously stated. I believe that everything can be explained through natural processes, even the moment of the start of life itself. With billions of years behind us, evolution makes far more sense to me than the Young Earth theory. We obviously have fossils from creatures that lived here long before we did and died out before our time. There have been 5 major mass extinctions in earth's history, and we are in the middle of the 6th one, and there will surely be different life forms to take our place when we are gone. While I don't really believe in a god, I believe that human evolution took place much quicker than other animals, so something had to help us evolve so quickly around 3,000 years ago. I believe that we evolved naturally along with other hominids, of which there were 7 other species that we coexisted with. These other species disappeared for no apparent reason. Including neanderthal, which many people mistakenly believe that we evolved from. Everyone is searching for a missing link in our evolution, but I feel that there is none. We got to a certain point in our evolution in which an intelligent being, a god, or whatever you would like to label it, interfered with our genes to create Homo sapien. I also find things within the Bible difficult to fathom, such as Noah's ark. It is impossible to hold two animals of every species within the dimensions given. Not to mention that this would show in the genetics of animals today, everything would be virtual clones of each other like seen in cheetahs. There are other explanations to the ark idea that I find more appealing, such as a genetic bank of every animal. Of course, this is not the only thing I have issue with that is found in the Bible. I get confused as to where all the other people came from, Adam and Eve's children get married, but where did those people come from? Now I am getting off track! Anyway, as I stated before in my other post, "It's like one minute we're all sitting around in caves munching on bananas and the next we're building pyramids." I have no problem with people believing in God, gods, nothing, or whatever they so choose. I only have problems when I get told I deserve to get raped because of wearing tight clothing, or my soul is going to burn because I do not believe what others do. I was told both of these by church members at CSU in Fort Collins when I went there. My grandmother also had a still born baby, and her mom told her that the baby would burn in Hell for not being baptized. If this is the God many of us are to believe in, I don't want him to be my God. My God (if there is one) is all loving, I don't believe that good people go to Hell while rapists, murderers, and other evil doers are accepted into Heaven simply by asking for forgiveness. That is not a God I want to believe in.

Hmm, I guess I did have more to say than I thought o.o
I by no means am trying to degrade anyone for their beliefs, I am very accepting of everyone, I just don't like others trying to press their beliefs onto me- and unfortunately I have been met with a lot of that. I had an ex that flipped out on me if I even mentioned the possibility of aliens, and he'd say that evolution was the stupidest f-ing thing he had ever heard of and anyone who believed otherwise was an idiot. Needless to say... he is no longer around. There is never any reason to put someone down because their beliefs do not match with your own.
 
Old 11-23-2011, 02:15 AM   #96
MysticExotics
Quote:
Originally Posted by schnebbles View Post

Now, I do know a guy who was Christian and now he's agnostic. Not sure how that happens, maybe he was never truly Christian, I don't think you can become un-Christian. I don't know.
IMO, you can become non Christian, after being raised as a Christian. I did it.
It's not like your race, where you're born with Scottish heritage, for example. It's a religious path, or choice of faith.

I was raised as a Christian from my childhood. I walked away from Christianity several years ago, because I got tired of the general judgemental attitude of Christianity (I know not all Christians are, & I do *not* assume that anyone who is Christian, is going to be that way, but when a good majority of experiences are judgemental, I got tired of it & walked away.

I was drawn to the Native American beliefs, & how they honored nature & all living things. I started looking into the various paths of Paganism, & guess what? They're NOT satanists/devil worshippers, as the Christian lies said they are. I now follow a Pagan (Wiccan) path, & I have never felt more at peace. The devil/satan has no part in Paganism, as "he" is a Christian deity.

I do not believe that Paganism is the only way. I knew as a Christian, that Christianity was not the only way, but when all you hear from other Christians, is that non believers are going to hell, etc., it gets really old, fast. No one has the right to make that judgement call, IMO.

Who's to say that the god you chose to believe in, is not the same as another god someone else choses to believe in, just by another name?

I believe, that each person has the right to believe in whichever deity they want to, or none at all.
 
Old 11-23-2011, 03:04 AM   #97
Shiari
I was raised christian. I sincerely believed. But from a very young age I had problems with hell, and thanks to fundie relatives was terrified that I'd do something to make this "loving" god mad enough to send me there.

I remember crying myself to sleep while praying. When I was 5 years old. No *child* should experience such terror. Admittedly, I was a little odd. I've understood what death entails from the time of 4 or 5 years old. But that just made everything far worse, truly understanding that I was mortal, and would actually someday *die*.

And then... at 13... I read the bible for the first time. I read it through, cover to cover. And I was appalled. God taking away free will? Stoning kids to death for mocking their parents? Massacring entire villages, down to infants, or maybe keeping the young virgins to rape? God ordering these atrocities to glorify his name? And much of this after the whole "thou shalt not kill" commandment which apparently had a hidden amendment of "other jews" that failed to get written down. A man who offered up his daughters for gang rape is virtuous? Or killing someone's children as a test of their faithfulness? And how about the inconsistencies? What was the order of creation? How many people were in these various armies? Can we eat fatty meat or not? Which of the 4 groups killed Saul for real? Did solomon have 4,000 or 40,000 horses? Who did the angel talk to? Did Herod slaughter infants or not?

I could go on for *hours*, so yes. It is eminently possible for someone to have been "a real christian" and later decide that christianity is the wrong path, at least for themselves.

http://www.infidels.org/library/mode...istencies.html
 
Old 11-23-2011, 03:51 AM   #98
enchantress62
schnebbles;1386155]I can't answer why God allows people (and animals) to be treated so horribly. It's human beings who do it and God allows it.

Nanci - what you said about switching faiths, I know! I had a friend who married a muslim so she had to switch to muslim. IMO, her original beliefs couldn't have been very strong. I could never, ever change what I believe.

[quote=Now, I do know a guy who was Christian and now he's agnostic. Not sure how that happens, maybe he was never truly Christian, I don't think you can become un-Christian. I don't know.Quote]

It's so complex. I am in a really bad place in my life right now and what keeps me going is knowing that God has a plan and it will happen just how it's supposed to happen. That's my faith in Him.

He sent his son to die on the cross to erase our sins IF we believe and accept Him into our lives. You have to ask.

But, I'm not out here to be a preacher, I'm just stating what I believe to be true. It's interesting to me to see how others think. When you're dead you're dead. I don't believe that but it's easy to see how people do. It's impossible for our human mind to imagine eternity, it's unfathomable for us. Same as God has always been here. I can drive myself crazy if I think on that one too much, so yes, it's easy to see how one might think totally opposite.

I don't think this thread has gone bad. I don't think anyone has been rude?

Yes, these topics can very easily ruffle feathers! I think it's going ok though.

If ever you want to test your faith do research into the history of Christianity and the Bible. I suggest the website Religion.Org and there are various books like "Who's Bible is it anyway" and The Catholic Bible which includes the writings left out by the Niceine (sp) Counsel. plus many many more books I can't even remember right now. I don't know if God exist's or not but what I believe is that religion is mankind's way of explaining that which is unexplainable. That said, I find that most religious people don't know where their sacred books come from. What kind of people wrote them? Who decided the stories were truth? and... Why? Still I think religion, if taken seriously, is a great way to give life meaning and direction not to mention a rock to hang onto when times are dark.
 
Old 11-23-2011, 08:54 AM   #99
knox
to answer the questions on why God sends good people to hell. He doesn't. no one is good. we have all sinned and are separated from a holy God. Man's best goodness is filthy rags on his own, apart from the redeemed work to wipe his sins away. on the contrary, God sends sinners to heaven. sinners who have been redeemed by the blood of christ.

that is what the Bible has to say on the topic.
 
Old 11-23-2011, 08:57 AM   #100
Shiari
Quote:
Originally Posted by knox View Post
to answer the questions on why God sends good people to hell. He doesn't. no one is good. we have all sinned and are separated from a holy God. Man's best goodness is filthy rags on his own, apart from the redeemed work to wipe his sins away. on the contrary, God sends sinners to heaven. sinners who have been redeemed by the blood of christ.

that is what the Bible has to say on the topic.

So I'm more merciful than God. I would never, no matter how badly my child acts, nor how evil an act he performs, desire to torture my child for ever. If a human being did that they would be called sadistic and evil. But if a god does it, it's good and loving?

No. I'm sorry. That flies as well as a lead brick.
 

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