It's been a struggle but now it's official. I'm what you may call an Atheist.
Now, I grew up in the church. My mother forced my sister and I to go to Bible Study as well as morning service EVERY Sunday. And on Wednesdays we went to J.A.M a program for preteen and teens. Don't get me wrong. My mother never had to drag me to go..I wanted to!! Oh man..I Believed. I believed so much that when I got saved I thought Jesus stood me up and walked me to the front of the church....
I'm a man now. I'm a man that has gone to college and gotten an education. My beliefs have changed. Through the study of World Religions and developing my own Philosophy on life. Did you all know that Shakespeare wrote a large portion of the Bible?? I mean Shakespeare!!
I’m not going to go into every reason I don’t believe but I remember the LAST time prayed....
"God, I couldn't even exist on this planet without you creating it..."
Then it dawned on me...
"But if you’re the God that created me as well as the planets....Who created you?? How, can a God just *poof* out of nowhere?"
Who thought of the idea of "God" any way. In the Hindu, religion there are thousands of "Gods". All in which have a symbolic meaning. You know morality, monogamy, faith etc..All of the Gods help the Hindu's live their life and manage in their area. The same could be said for Christianity. The faith in God, develops morality in people which helps us from killing ourselves to extinct. It also gives us faith that things will work out eventually.
You know, I didn’t lose my faith. I just lost my belief in the idea of "god"...
We think having faith means being convinced God exists in the same way we are convinced a chair exists. People who cannot be completely convinced of God’s existence think faith is impossible for them. Not so. People who doubt can have great faith because faith is something you do, not something you think...In fact, the greater ones doubt the more heroic they can be...
Since this has become a discussion I need to get clarification on a few things. Thunder, why do you think Christians believe what they believe? And what makes what we believe false?
Fear.
Fear drives more than can be explained. Why do people go to confessions? To confess you in fear of God's Wrath. People fear more for their mortal lives than their afterlife in every aspect, for if you really feared the Wrath of God, you would not bother committing any sins in the first place in fear of eternal damnation.
80 years of life on Earth to do what you please, in turn you must sacrifice yourself for eternal damnation? Hardly. If I'm going to be Christian, I am going to be Christian.
And what makes what you believe false?
The Koran, The Talmud, The Tipitaka, and The Vedas.
All of the above seem to fall in place with eachother, excerpt The Bible.
Thunder
I feel you on the fear part. Alot of people do become christians just cause they scared. I remember that y2k scare folk was RUNNIN to the church. I can admit I was the same way. I never was raised in the church or nothin. But I started goin w/ a friend at aronud 9. And as young as I was I comprehended and I didn't wanna go to hell. So I made the santcuary my home. I'm goin to make this as short as possible. But as long as I had that "I gotta do right so I won't go to hell" thing I was basically a christian by title and title only. Went to service but didn't live nothing. I started gettin older. Couldn't keep bein hypocritical. So I made some changes in my life. And as I started studyin and praying I noticed that my old approach was all screwed up. I know you are suposed to fear God, but your reason for serving him is not because you don't want to go to hell, but because you want to --willingly- live for him and do his will according to the word of God which we are suposed to read, of course, to discover this. So I guess that answer is somewhat valid. Applies to some but not all.
Your second answer referring to the talmud, the tipitaka, and the vedas I gotta admit I dont even know what them books are. I might of heard of them before [like the vedas I heard of somewhere] but I surely don't know the base message of any of them. The koran I know of course its just the other three. If you don't mind tho could you elaborate for me.
Since this has become a discussion I need to get clarification on a few things. Thunder, why do you think Christians believe what they believe? And what makes what we believe false?
Fear.
Fear drives more than can be explained. Why do people go to confessions? To confess you in fear of God's Wrath. People fear more for their mortal lives than their afterlife in every aspect, for if you really feared the Wrath of God, you would not bother committing any sins in the first place in fear of eternal damnation.
80 years of life on Earth to do what you please, in turn you must sacrifice yourself for eternal damnation? Hardly. If I'm going to be Christian, I am going to be Christian.
And what makes what you believe false?
The Koran, The Talmud, The Tipitaka, and The Vedas.
All of the above seem to fall in place with eachother, excerpt The Bible.
Thunder
I feel you on the fear part. Alot of people do become christians just cause they scared. I remember that y2k scare folk was RUNNIN to the church. I can admit I was the same way. I never was raised in the church or nothin. But I started goin w/ a friend at aronud 9. And as young as I was I comprehended and I didn't wanna go to hell. So I made the santcuary my home. I'm goin to make this as short as possible. But as long as I had that "I gotta do right so I won't go to hell" thing I was basically a christian by title and title only. Went to service but didn't live nothing. I started gettin older. Couldn't keep bein hypocritical. So I made some changes in my life. And as I started studyin and praying I noticed that my old approach was all screwed up. I know you are suposed to fear God, but your reason for serving him is not because you don't want to go to hell, but because you want to --willingly- live for him and do his will according to the word of God which we are suposed to read, of course, to discover this. So I guess that answer is somewhat valid. Applies to some but not all.
Your second answer referring to the talmud, the tipitaka, and the vedas I gotta admit I dont even know what them books are. I might of heard of them before [like the vedas I heard of somewhere] but I surely don't know the base message of any of them. The koran I know of course its just the other three. If you don't mind tho could you elaborate for me.
I'm just taking a rather misguided approach to trying to open people up to other religions. Daoism interests me the most, but by no means would I ever be able to abide by their theocratic laws. Just trying to open eyes amongst those who have them closed. If you do not care to change faith, it is not my intention to do so...but to point that there are religions for everyone, and that if you are having some identity crisis; you might not be searching for God.
You might be searching for a faith.
Expand your boundaries. If you really care about your faith, then what does it take to sit with a Muslim orator and be explained some minor teachings of the Muslim religion. Or how about sit in a few of those Mormons that come across your door and listen to what they have to say? Everyone has questions, and sooner or later they will come to you. You should not have to look for the answers to vigorously.
Religion to me is a gigantic stigmata in the U.S. Christianity is the recognized faith. Sure, whatever, majority rules. But the arrogance is often sickening upon my ears and the ignorance is dissappointing to say the least. Not calling you ignorant or anyone else, but take a look at some other religions. Really sit down and talk with some people about them.
To each his own, but don't limit it to one option.
Plus, how can you hate a book named The Tipitaka?
Thunder
Since this has become a discussion I need to get clarification on a few things. Thunder, why do you think Christians believe what they believe? And what makes what we believe false?
Fear.
Fear drives more than can be explained. Why do people go to confessions? To confess you in fear of God's Wrath. People fear more for their mortal lives than their afterlife in every aspect, for if you really feared the Wrath of God, you would not bother committing any sins in the first place in fear of eternal damnation.
80 years of life on Earth to do what you please, in turn you must sacrifice yourself for eternal damnation? Hardly. If I'm going to be Christian, I am going to be Christian.
And what makes what you believe false?
The Koran, The Talmud, The Tipitaka, and The Vedas.
All of the above seem to fall in place with eachother, excerpt The Bible.
Thunder
I feel you on the fear part. Alot of people do become christians just cause they scared. I remember that y2k scare folk was RUNNIN to the church. I can admit I was the same way. I never was raised in the church or nothin. But I started goin w/ a friend at aronud 9. And as young as I was I comprehended and I didn't wanna go to hell. So I made the santcuary my home. I'm goin to make this as short as possible. But as long as I had that "I gotta do right so I won't go to hell" thing I was basically a christian by title and title only. Went to service but didn't live nothing. I started gettin older. Couldn't keep bein hypocritical. So I made some changes in my life. And as I started studyin and praying I noticed that my old approach was all screwed up. I know you are suposed to fear God, but your reason for serving him is not because you don't want to go to hell, but because you want to --willingly- live for him and do his will according to the word of God which we are suposed to read, of course, to discover this. So I guess that answer is somewhat valid. Applies to some but not all.
Your second answer referring to the talmud, the tipitaka, and the vedas I gotta admit I dont even know what them books are. I might of heard of them before [like the vedas I heard of somewhere] but I surely don't know the base message of any of them. The koran I know of course its just the other three. If you don't mind tho could you elaborate for me.
I'm just taking a rather misguided approach to trying to open people up to other religions. Daoism interests me the most, but by no means would I ever be able to abide by their theocratic laws. Just trying to open eyes amongst those who have them closed. If you do not care to change faith, it is not my intention to do so...but to point that there are religions for everyone, and that if you are having some identity crisis; you might not be searching for God.
You might be searching for a faith.
Expand your boundaries. If you really care about your faith, then what does it take to sit with a Muslim orator and be explained some minor teachings of the Muslim religion. Or how about sit in a few of those Mormons that come across your door and listen to what they have to say? Everyone has questions, and sooner or later they will come to you. You should not have to look for the answers to vigorously.
Religion to me is a gigantic stigmata in the U.S. Christianity is the recognized faith. Sure, whatever, majority rules. But the arrogance is often sickening upon my ears and the ignorance is dissappointing to say the least. Not calling you ignorant or anyone else, but take a look at some other religions. Really sit down and talk with some people about them.
To each his own, but don't limit it to one option.
Plus, how can you hate a book named The Tipitaka?
Thunder
I'm in it for the long run. Its really ride or die for me cause if I wasn't livin for God I would have no reason to live. He empowers me to do everything I do and leads me. Too late to turn back. But in all truth you have some truth to what you were sayin. Christianity in its pop form is disgusting. If you hit up my first post on here I talked about the way it's become so diluted. All the denominations and stuff. The compromisation. Christianity in some forms is no longer no different from people who don't claim anything. The new evangelicals had a part in this. They ditched the fundamentalist and said "Hey. We gone to go out and were gone to be some REAL witnesses. We gone compromise if we have to. Do a little bad to get a little good. We binded with the catholic church. And guess what. They became diluted to. The ecumencial movement. Infiltration not separation. Doctrine is now useless". Christianity is becoming diluted. Just another titled religion. But is that suprising? Na. Its prophesized. Real worshippers are here though, no doubt. Anyway I gotta do alot more studying on the ecumencial movement, the nwo, and all because it's so much that's happening undercover. I hope the government don't start stalkin me
personally i find religion to be a waste of time and energy. my main problem with 3 most celebrated religions is that you can live a life like say...ghandi, giving ur life to helping people, yet if you pray to the wrong invisible man in the sky, you go to hell or antartica or whatever your religion tells you to put fear into you to make u do right. then we have the two big Christian holidays, Christmas and Easter, both of which were taken from paganism.
In around 530CE, a monk called Dionysus Exigus fixed the birth of Jesus at December 25th. The date was chosen to keep in line with other pagan beliefs at the time, for example, the Roman god of Mithra was born on December 25th. Other pagan 'gods' born on Dec. 25th are: Hercules the son of Zeus (Greeks); Bacchus, 'god' of wine (Romans); Adonis, 'god' of Greeks, and 'god' Freyr of Greek-Roman pagans. Jesus' birth was moved tactically so it would get the right kind of exposure amongst non-Christians, particularly distant Pagans in Europe, such as England.
Easter is a very old pagan festival, which celebrates the victory of light over darkness, so it made sense to have Jesus' death at this point in the calendar (again, it got good exposure amongst the non-Christian pagans). Ironically, the word 'Easter' is taken from the Goddess Eostre (where the name for the female hormone estrogen comes from). Eostre's chief symbols was the bunny rabbit (for fertility and her worshippers were said to have seen a hare in the full moon) and the egg (symbol of creation). Her main holiday was the Eostara and was held during the Vernal Equinox Full Moon. Now, the Catholic Church doesn't celebrate full moons, which is why Easter was always placed the Sunday after the first full moon.
personally i find religion to be a waste of time and energy. my main problem with 3 most celebrated religions is that you can live a life like say...ghandi, giving ur life to helping people, yet if you pray to the wrong invisible man in the sky, you go to hell or antartica or whatever your religion tells you to put fear into you to make u do right. then we have the two big Christian holidays, Christmas and Easter, both of which were taken from paganism.
In around 530CE, a monk called Dionysus Exigus fixed the birth of Jesus at December 25th. The date was chosen to keep in line with other pagan beliefs at the time, for example, the Roman god of Mithra was born on December 25th. Other pagan 'gods' born on Dec. 25th are: Hercules the son of Zeus (Greeks); Bacchus, 'god' of wine (Romans); Adonis, 'god' of Greeks, and 'god' Freyr of Greek-Roman pagans. Jesus' birth was moved tactically so it would get the right kind of exposure amongst non-Christians, particularly distant Pagans in Europe, such as England.
Easter is a very old pagan festival, which celebrates the victory of light over darkness, so it made sense to have Jesus' death at this point in the calendar (again, it got good exposure amongst the non-Christian pagans). Ironically, the word 'Easter' is taken from the Goddess Eostre (where the name for the female hormone estrogen comes from). Eostre's chief symbols was the bunny rabbit (for fertility and her worshippers were said to have seen a hare in the full moon) and the egg (symbol of creation). Her main holiday was the Eostara and was held during the Vernal Equinox Full Moon. Now, the Catholic Church doesn't celebrate full moons, which is why Easter was always placed the Sunday after the first full moon.
Yea thats what I meant by christianity and how it has become diluted. People are tryn to do all type of stuff to make it pop even if they have to compromise. Even back in those days there were still alot of true christians who didn't follow after the majority. They were the ones who were getting put to death for not following after things like the trinity, which was man made. The things that aren't pure should be separated from the things which are tho cause all christians aren't following after the right things cause they aren't in the Bible. Every Christian can't be blanketed and put into one group.
Just commenting though. I don't have any intent on attacking your personal opinion.
Exactly what Neckbone said in the first 2 sentences. I refuse to pray to any one God if some manmade text tells me that if I don't I will surely be cast into the depths of Hell where the flesh will be torn from my bones until my bones are dry for the infernal feasting of Satan.
That's why I like D(T)aoism. They encircle everthing. It isn't about going and taking action yourself, it's about letting the world do it with you. It's all so appealling. But I don't know what life would be like without my XBox. I can't fathom...
Let me stop there.
Thunder
To comment on the exploration of other religions/gods:
I have sat in the company of people who practice other faiths, seeing as this comes with the territory of having a culturally diverse group of friends. I've talked extensively with Mormons, Catholics, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, & Athiests. I've asked and answered many questions and came to only one conclusion: For me there is and will always be one God for me. The true and living God. So no, not all Christians are blind or closed-minded. Some of us are just actually solid in our faith and our belief in God.
Also, I don't "pray to any one God" because "some manmade text tells me that if I don't I will surely be cast into the depths of Hell." I personally pray because of the conviction that I have. I believe in God because He's done to much in my life NOT to. Just my personal, unchanging, opinion.
Exactly what Neckbone said in the first 2 sentences. I refuse to pray to any one God if some manmade text tells me that if I don't I will surely be cast into the depths of Hell where the flesh will be torn from my bones until my bones are dry for the infernal feasting of Satan.
That's why I like D(T)aoism. They encircle everthing. It isn't about going and taking action yourself, it's about letting the world do it with you. It's all so appealling. But I don't know what life would be like without my XBox. I can't fathom...
Let me stop there.
Thunder
I never understood the whole argument that God is good. Nor that statement. If God is almighty and omnipotent he can be neither good, nor bad. Doing either in excess of the other would make it a hypocritical statement.
But that is why we created the Devil. God, therefore is not omnipotent if every bad action is caused by the Devil. If God is not omnipotent, then the theory of he has always been can no longer hold water seeing as how there is an equal and opposite reaction to hisself which in turn FOLLOWS THE RULES OF THE UNIVERSE.
God is neither good, nor bad; which the Old Testament solidified. Then all the sudden God becomes some loving gentle soul is the New Testament? And Satan has the the power the God does not posses?
Errrr.
Thunder
