[Cool Hand Linc]

Ailrickson, you’re not by yourself here. Not totally anyway.

I believe but I do differ in that I do not define God. Man created an idea of God that he could understand. I am just a man and can not place a definition of God on my higher power.

That is what I have. A higher power.

I also kind of like what Conan the Barbarian said. My God is the ever lasting sky. Your God lives beneath. Krum (Did I spell his name correctly?)

A little more seriously, I do choose to believe. I don’t go to church. I never seem to get along with organized religion long term.

I’ve been going to classes every Thursday night at a Catholic church. I do want to learn. I am going to study the Bible. Again, I have found reason to not agree totally with the church. The Priest was asked a question about different churches. He did as most churches do. The ‘our church is right and all the others are wrong’ stuff.

I openly said I was an atheist for several years then agnostic for years now I simply choose to have a higher power as I understand him.

While waiting for my class I did as I often do and opened the Bible up to read. Letting the page just open on its own and began reading.

DEUTERONOMY 23

He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into congregations of the Lord.

The version at the church read

He that has had his testacals smashed, or his penis cut off, shall not enter into the congregations of the Lord.


Funny what I read in the Bible sometimes.

[KiddieKorral]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ailrickson73', 'I') believe in God.
gee, and I'm the only one in this thread so far.
look out!

[Specop_007]

Mix of diest/agnostic, depending how my day has gone.

[ailrickson73]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('KiddieKorral', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ailrickson73', 'I') believe in God.
gee, and I'm the only one in this thread so far.
look out!

[KiddieKorral]

Don't worry about it. The jellybean thing is an inside joke; you'll learn our inside jokes with time.

[khebab]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ailrickson73', '
')To be an atheist is easy, it is the lowest common denominator. It takes a really clear mind and spirit to belive (without being brainwashed of course, but genuinely believe).
.

[Coolman]

I believe in God, but I don't believe God will save us from Peak Oil.

[Guest]

I am a tourist. I was sent here by mistake. Help!

[kambei]

I'm just an hardcore atheist. I don't believe in anything supernatural at all. No higher power, no spirit, no soul...

[Specop_007]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('KiddieKorral', 'D')on't worry about it. The jellybean thing is an inside joke; you'll learn our inside jokes with time.

[somethingtosay]

I believe in God, but not any religion. Religion is what gets us into trouble as a species, whenever God is packaged and marketed to you in some way and you are told to conform or you are not worthy.

God gave us this planet (and the universe) for us to husband and experience life with. We are doing a terrible job of it at the moment. That’s why God gave us a free thought and free will - because we are to use it. We are the only species on earth that has it and God has no intention of taking it away from us. Its his gift to us, never to be taken away. (And no other human can take it way too) Whatever happens on this earth it is up to us to do something about it or live with the mess that we create. We are suppose to think for ourselves.

I don't believe in the bible 'as gospel' as many Christians do. It’s a collection of wisdom and human experiences that are of great interest, written by people before us, out of their own free will. The bible (or any other religious text) is NOT commission from God as we are told; as that goes against Gods Gift to us of free will.

I believe Jesus was a really important person, possibly God, but all he wanted all of us to understand that we are loved and respected and if we can make the world better for others then we are on the right track.

Jesus Died on the cross, not to forgive our sins, but to show us how much God loves us. Period. If God wanted to, he could have ended the Universe at that moment and say - fuck these humans! - I'm starting creation all over again so I get the respect I deserve! (God obviously has the power to do that - at any time) He didn't do that but asked the Father to forgive us instead - as he was crucified.

Many people, particularly the Christian right in the USA, believe that the end of times is upon us with the Second Coming imminent, where we are to be judged. Jesus may come again. If he does come then He isn't going to judge us the way they hope. The believers will be surprised when Jesus says and does the same things he did the first time he was here, and then dies again, simply because humans didn't understand the point of his first visit in the first place. I say that because that is the only thing that is consistent with the past, the present and the future of mankinds experience here on earth, when you factor in Gods promise and gift to us. Anything else is inconsistent.

My definition of hell verses heaven is simply: people who fear God or fear what god is going to do to them, just don't get to meet him in person right away and those people that don't fear him, but love and respect him, get to party with him right away….

Peak Oil is a man-made problem that we must face and deal with ourselves. Praying for a miracle or giving sacrifice to ones God isn't going to fix it.

Thats it in a nutshell. Sorry for the long post, first time I've put my convictions to words.

[Cool Hand Linc]

Spec

Tyler Durden believes in God. He most if he makes such a statement.

[Aaron]

I'm with George Carlin on this one...

I worship the sun.

It provides life for our planet, and has one really big advantage over other gods.

You can actually see the sun.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Religions teach me that there is an invisible being who lives in the sky.

And he has a list of things he does not want me to do.

And if I do those things he has a place he will send me where I'll burn for all eternity in pain...

& that he loves me.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As far as I'm concerned, any belief system which teaches that god will intentionally punish nonbelievers is immoral.

If such a god exists, I may be in for rather unpleasant eternity, but I can tell you for a certainty that if this punishing god really does exist... I would not want him over to the house for dinner.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And finally...

If there really is a little bit of god inside each of us, I hope he likes pizza & beer... cause that's what he's getting.

[Cool Hand Linc]

Aaron write of the God that man made. I don't believe in the Gad that man made.

Aaron you can actually see the sun butt I would not look at it. It will burn your eyes out.

I still like what Conan said. My God is the everylasting sky. You God lives beneith it. In case of the sun God. You God lives inside of my God.

Isn't it funny how man is in relation to God. All men must attempt to place our ideas of what God is on God.

God is the Sun is pretty great too. Then God gives life and can take it away. Just imagine what would happen if The Sun God turned the light out.

[Chicagoan]

In order to find god, one must go to the original texts, take into account cultural biases and traditions, and compare it to other spiritual traditions. If you elliminate contradictions, you can get to the core truths. My spirituality is a combination of eastern and western religious philosophy.

[Cool Hand Linc]

Chicagoian. This whole post is about discussing what we think. I would like to hear what any person wants to share with us all. I have never researched back.

I actually looked at what religions are today and thought. Would a loving caring God want this? Again I was placing my ideas as a man on God.

I would really like everybody to tell more about what they think and feel about their higher power. Not judging you or me just agreeing to tell what and how we feel.

I actually am surprised everybody has been acting mature here. When God or religion come into play. Most people lose it. Having deep seated strong feelings involved with this subject has proven to be the way of man.

Being just a man I do feel compeled to question why a loving caring God would allow the things that mankind has done throughout history in the name of God to have occurred.

[Kingcoal]

Being a humanist, I become more optimistic with age. I believe in people, certain ones, not all. I guess that means I'm an atheist. I've found it much more rewarding to invest in people than God.

[Cool Hand Linc]

I think I understand. When I invest in people I seem to get screwed pretty often. I have found very few people that have been trust worthy and proven themselves long term to be honest trustworthy people. So my faith in people is not that great.

[Bytesmiths]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MissingLink', 'W')hen I invest in people I seem to get screwed pretty often. I have found very few people that have been trust worthy and proven themselves long term to be honest trustworthy people. So my faith in people is not that great.

[Cool Hand Linc]

It is sad I guess.

Got to admit I made a bad choice when I married!

Many of the choices are not the type that I can change much. I have found some that are trustworthy on a suppreficial basis. If I don't place any high standards than many become trustworthy.

I have decided to not lower my standards and have a smaller group of people in my inner circle. I do have a few but not many. I am OK with this.

It does seem as the years go by that more people want to draw me to their inner circle.