Are you religious?

[Elle]

I'm intensely spiritual, I've always had a very deep love for God, even as a child. But growing up in the church left me conflicted because I didn't believe in it- so was I anti-God because I was anti-church? That was my confusion for a while...

I don't judge anyone for their religious preference or lack of preference, i can understand both sides.

 

[Rio Fantastic]

I am an atheist. That's how I justify smoking and drinking etc =D

 

[Kate51]

Some people know there are UFO's... they see them all the time. Do you believe in UFO's? Not picking on you... just some food for thought.
My best,
-VP

I'm always looking for one but haven't seen it yet! But one should always be ready to see what is there, not what you can explain.

 

[Wildsky]

Sorry, I tend to write novels when it's a subject I'm interested in.

Very good, and very much along the lines of what I believe as well.

 

[bigeyes]

spiritual, but very anti-organized religion. Too much like government for my taste, and about as messed up, imo.

 

[Vapor Pete]

Hehehehe....sorry, but when I see stuff like this, I gotta comment

It's too obvious there is a GOD..we weren't an accident..

If it were too obvious... everyone would agree, no debate, no atheists, no agnostics, no muslims, no hindus, no rasta's. I assumed you are speaking of the x-tian god. If you meant god in a general term, then there would thousands of gods. So I dont see how its obvious, and you know what? Accidents do happen.

For example, food doesn't just "happen" to taste good to us.. What if the only thing we could eat was charcoal? GOD gave us taste buds and awesome foods that taste good..that wasn't some "accident".

So you've given up rational thinking because you cant explain taste-buds?
If your idea of god gave us taste buds, he also gave us this dumb tail bone which serves no purpose.

A higher being obviously planned out every living creature and its perfect design.

What is that makes a creature designed? I can give you dozens of examples of animals who would beg to differ in their less than perfect circumstances with regards to their "design".

Just because you can't see something (GOD) doesn't mean he's not there. You can't see "gravity" but it exists..

I agree with the first sentence, conversly, just because I cant see "him" doesnt mean I should blindly believe anything. As to your second point about gravity: thats a common x-tian remark, however, gravity is a scientific theory based on provablity. Your god is not. Science can test the theory of gravity, and repeat it to come to the same result. I cant see the forces that bring two magnets together. But its there. And testable.

Plus anyone that has actually read the old testament and the new testament knows it is NOT a coincedence that the puzzle pieces fit together and that over 4 dozen prophecies come true about the arrival of Jesus hundreds of years before he even appeared....

The first sentence above only means you've attempted to prove the bible with the bible. Secondly, even some of the most uneducated of christians know that the new testament, and its books, statements, prophesies, witnesses, and stories, were INDEED added 100 to 1000 years AFTER jesus's supposed time on earth. Making the prophesies vs. come true, very very coincidental. I can add anything to anybodies life story after they are dead in order to fulfill something they said in life.

A couple of years ago I would've believed anything,

with the utmost respect... you still do.

Sorry again... these are how I see things. I did not pick apart your post to just bash it. Its as if we were having a conversation, these would be my responses. I respect your position, but when folks throw around words like "obvious"... or "truth"... I want to know what that person means, and call them out on it.
My best,
-VP

PS: your avatar is still one of the sexiest on the ECF btw!

 

[Tallgirl1974]

It's too obvious there is a GOD..we weren't an accident..

For example, food doesn't just "happen" to taste good to us.. What if the only thing we could eat was charcoal? GOD gave us taste buds and awesome foods that taste good..that wasn't some "accident".

A higher being obviously planned out every living creature and its perfect design.

Just because you can't see something (GOD) doesn't mean he's not there. You can't see "gravity" but it exists..

Plus anyone that has actually read the old testament and the new testament knows it is NOT a coincedence that the puzzle pieces fit together and that over 4 dozen prophecies come true about the arrival of Jesus hundreds of years before he even appeared..

A couple of years ago I would've believed anything, but than I sat down and decided to read the Bible and its too undeniable..I encourage everyone to read it for yourself instead of just "assuming" it is a bunch of crazy made up stories..

God Bless xoxo

I dislike when people assume I haven't read it. Several times. Several versions. I found very many inconsistencies, and some of the stories are so vulgar and disturbing I dont want to believe they could be true. And the gore- it needs to be rated pg-13.
Before Jesus in your bible, there were stories of the same person in other myths legends and religions. I cant deny that fact, so it makes it impossible to dismiss it and trust in a revamped version.

 

[surbitonPete]

I read it on the internet so it must be true = I read it in a book so it must be true ...lol

 

[prof beard]

I can't get my head around belief in a god - to me it makes as much sense as belief in Santa or the Easter Bunny.

But, if it makes your life better and you don't bother me with it - believe away

 

[Kate]

 

[wanderlust]

VaporPete, of course the "tailbone" serves a purpose. If you've ever cracked it you learned real quick not to do the same stupid thing again. And, who wouldn't change things about themselves if they could (many are with surgeries today) but we are the way we are for a purpose or because of a reason. And accidents don't just happen, they are causative. Too many people want to blame bad luck on their mishaps when in reality it usually comes back to the choices we make. It's too easy a cop out to blame everything on circumstances and not take responsibility (not saying you're doing this but many people do). Look at the Black Sea Deluge Theroy, Irreducible Complexity (back in the debate again), Dead Sea Scrolls, book of Isaiah almost entirely, and examine the current thought of ID that the probability of everything just happening correctly is less than likely. If I fill up my garage with BMW parts and come back a million years later do you think I will have a vehicle or just a bunch of rusted out parts? Ahh, forgive me the ramble. I need a hot java. Don't know why it's not ready. The coffee and filter and pot of water are all sitting right there on the counter.

 

[Vapor Pete]

I can't get my head around belief in a god - to me it makes as much sense as belief in Santa or the Easter Bunny.

But, if it makes your life better and you don't bother me with it - believe away

Your right about santa. The only thing seperating santa and jesus is that
your parents eventually tell you santa isnt real.

But yes, if it makes you feel better, carry on...
My best,
-VP

 

[Richie G]

I believe in every God that is known to man and some that haven't been identified yet. My plan is to cover every f**king base there is so that when my time comes I don't have some St Peter-ish figure looking down at me, wagging his finger and saying; "Nope, sorry. Can't come in here. You picked the wrong one!"

Momma raised me as a Catholic but more than that she didn't raise a fool.

I think my karma runneth over my dogma, anyway. =)

 

[wanderlust]

Richie, I'm afraid Jesus is exclusive, John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." It's about Jesus not any particular religion per se.

 

[wanderlust]

Hey Kate this really turned out to be an interesting thread. At least it's making people evaluate their own value systems. Way to go. It's interesting that few people seem to actually sit down and think about what they really believe. Thanks.

 

[Kate]

It is a great thread, I'm enjoying hearing all the different viewpoints and beliefs. It shows how very tolerant most people are too. Just as long as we all agree that we are free to make our own minds up about what it's all about then it's all good

 

[surbitonPete]

'My' belief is the truth
no it isn't... 'my' belief is the truth
no no ..'my' belief is the truth..
oh nooo you have all got it wrong 'my' belief is the truth.
oh well.

 

[wanderlust]

Amen from the back row. People should make informed decisions and those decisions should be respected. This is where tolerance should be expected. Whatever happened to the old values? It seems today that everything is "relative" and that's an excuse to do or not do just about anything a person wants. I remember a time when people stood up for what they believed; whether right or wrong it somehow seemed more honorable than all the wishywashy dribble. The Japanese (I think) had a thing called bushido. Do we have anything resembling that today?

 

[surbitonPete]

I am not sure people standing up for what they 'believe' and tolerance go together.

 

[wanderlust]

Of course they do. It's called respect.