God and Religion

[GeoFisher]

So, I'm not a crazy bible thumper, but I do believe in God.......

My thoughts on the matter go something like this. If God exists, and I'm sure he does, I think I'm in his good graces, and will spend my eternity in Heaven. If God doesn't exist, which is a foolish premise to me, then I've wasted a "little" of my time on this great planet worshiping an living my life "correctly".

Now for all my atheist friends and non believing friends.......If God exists, I'm pretty certain you're gonna have a hard time of it. If God doesn't exist.....great, you dodged a bullet so to speak.

I really don't care what others think or believe, it is not my business. BUT I do care when folks try to take down very established norms in this country based on their false assumptions about what those before us thought about God and Religion.

[DJD]

So, I'm not a crazy bible thumper, but I do believe in God.......

My thoughts on the matter go something like this. If God exists, and I'm sure he does, I think I'm in his good graces, and will spend my eternity in Heaven. If God doesn't exist, which is a foolish premise to me, then I've wasted a "little" of my time on this great planet worshiping an living my life "correctly".

Now for all my atheist friends and non believing friends.......If God exists, I'm pretty certain you're gonna have a hard time of it. If God doesn't exist.....great, you dodged a bullet so to speak.

I really don't care what others think or believe, it is not my business. BUT I do care when folks try to take down very established norms in this country based on their false assumptions about what those before us thought about God and Religion.

I to believe in God. I pray most nights and at times throughout the day based on what I feel in my heart at the time. What changed my opinion on God the most was growing older and having children. Going through some tough times and searching for answers also helped shape my opinion of what this life is about. I don't push my opinion of religion on anyone nor do I get into discussions with folks who don't believe simply because I don't care what "proof " they have. I have faith and that alone brings me comfort in good times and bad.

I have a few things in my life's (must do list not bucket list) one is this...I don't want to be on my death bed or seconds before an untimely death and think oh crap there is a God and I'm seeing my maker appear before my eyes and I blew it. Secondly, but not lastly, I don't want to look back on my life and have a TON of ohhh I wish I would have don't that or tried that so I engage/challenge myself in many ways regardless of age. I see it as one life to live and make the most out of it.

My mom is a Buddhist and my dad wasn't much on religion but did attend the small Southern Baptist churches in rural Georgia where he was raised and of course we went too when we were visiting family. I really had zero guidance on God, religion or anything remotely tied to the idea of who we are and how did this world come to be.

At the risk of repeating myself....seeing a baby born and watching them grow, especially as infants to toddlers makes you KNOW God is good and exists. What a miracle to behold. That's my opinion.

[mhall]

I read both your posts carefully and I haven't much to add other than I feel the exact same way as you do. Both posts were well thought out and solidifies what I already knew about you both. I have seen things happen in my life I don't believe were just merely happenstance or coincidence. I don't go to church all the time but I talk to God often and pray for things very often. It eases my mind and makes me feel better, maybe that is what it is intended for.

I know non believers and I don't look down on them for it. Some I call friends, good friends so I don't push mine on them and they don't their's on me.

Hope and faith are wonderful things and I pray one day that I get to see my family again. Is this we have that is the here and now all there is, naw not for me I choose to not think that way. Did this earth and everything on it just happen, not for me it didn't.

God bless all of you even if you don't believe.

Mark B. Hall

[apb]

From an anthropological perspective, I find religion and belief systems interesting. I have had a number of insightful conversations on religion over the years with friends who had beliefs very different than mine. Respectful discussion and debate can be quite informative for all parties involved. I have never entered such conversations with the intent or desire to change someone else's views. Nor would I attempt such a conversation with someone who was not interested in learning about other belief systems. I have no problem being tolerant of other people's beliefs as long as they show me the same respect. People, religious or not, who try to cram their beliefs down the throats of others or purposely mock others beliefs are extremely annoying.

[kentuckykingfisher]

It's such a touchy subject. I'm not really the praying type. I rarely go to church. I find my faith to be the the only thing that matters. I truly believe there is a god and I've accepted him into my heart. That's all I need to know. I've seen some really incredible things and some truly awful things but there is a reason for everything. I believe as long as I hold on to that faith that I'll make it to heaven. I help serve the church wild game dinner with 100 filets of fish each year. That's really about all i do to help. Should I do more? Maybe.. But I do what I can and that's all that should matter.

I never push my faith on anyone because I find it to be rude. I have no problems with non believers. They have the right to believe what they want and that's ok with me. My good friends don't believe and they have never tried to sway me towards their views. A mutual respect for both believes and that's the way I wish it was all the time. When someone comes up and bashes my religion i usually bite my tongue and walk away. It's a never ending battle if you argue about the topic.

[kygorski]

total agreement with your posts. I'm polite to thje adventists who come calling,the other christian folks who come to our door are not scorned or belittled.My last neighborhood was an example. It was orthodox catholic, roman catholic and baptist. I had a partial parochial education, my wife had a 12 year parocial. My children were both, parochial primary, public secondary, public university and private univbersity.. I pray often, but mostly to thank God for each blessing I receive. I'm a believer in THY WILL BE DONE, ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.

[kygorski]

I don't admire the guy who runs all over creation, posting the 10 commandments. I respect the ones that know them, and practise them.

[Hlleonard]

A belief in a diety and religion are separate.. I don't believe the first deals with the belief in god..
Religious practices and literature are way more dangerous than a belief in a diety of some kind...

[kygorski]

This "my Jesus is better than your Jesus" just baffles me.

[DJD]

This "my Jesus is better than your Jesus" just baffles me.

That's a great point. I have honestly struggled with that...how can millions and millions of people who believe in their own "Gods" be wrong? I could never come up with a comfortable conclusion so I just mind my own belief and respect the others right to believe in what they want.

[Hlleonard]

That's a great point. I have honestly struggled with that...how can millions and millions of people who believe in their own "Gods" be wrong? I could never come up with a comfortable conclusion so I just mind my own belief and respect the others right to believe in what they want.

--
We don't start having problems unless and until those who believe a certain way start attempting to push their belief on others... One of the reasons we have a good country is because those before us were wise enough to know that and put in place the first amendment.. Lots of folks today have a desire to rewrite/interpret this in a way as to allow their religion to be forced into our government...

[MrSplitshot]

That's a great point. I have honestly struggled with that...how can millions and millions of people who believe in their own "Gods" be wrong? I could never come up with a comfortable conclusion so I just mind my own belief and respect the others right to believe in what they want.

That's probably my biggest struggle too. A Christian, a Muslim, a Jew, a Bhuddist, an Agnostic, and an Atheist walk into a bar...the bar gets hit by an asteroid and kills everyone inside. Either all of them but 1 are pretty unhappy after the lights go out, or there's something about God that we just don't understand.

So here's my story...keepin it real...putting it all out there...

I consider myself a Christian, but I'll be the first to admit that I'm not sure about it all. I believe that there is something beyond this world that we don't understand. A God, yes, that created all of this. It didn't just happen for no reason. I believe it's this unknown that perpetuated humans to create varying forms of Gods and religions. I feel like religion is a product of man, created to cope with life, death, and that which can't be explained...and to get them closer to their version of God. I hear about Jesus and the whole story. I want to believe it. It seems awfully "out there" sometimes though, but I try to go with it. I don't believe that it all just goes black when it's over, but sometimes I'm scared that it might.

I envy those that believe so strongly, because I wish I did. It just hasn't come into my life yet with such clarity that I believe without a shadow of a doubt. Honestly, it scares me a little that I don't, but honestly I haven't tried that hard either. I have friends that are complete Atheists that would give you the shirt off their back and are great people. I have friends that are so devout that they tell me with 100% conviction how God literally speaks to them in the course of their daily lives and gives them guidance.

Do I pray? Yes. Most nights, during times of struggle, before a flight, holidays, etc. I pray to my God. I pray to Him to keep my family safe and bring me home to them. I thank Him for my blessings. I don't go to church. I try to do unto others as I know is right, be helpful, be humble, try to love, work hard, and be a nice guy. I don't cheat, murder, steal. Yes, I've told a white lie now and then for my own benefit or the benefit of someone I love. I cuss. I respect others. I want to make people happy, but don't always succeed. I guess I'm a human. I hope it's enough at the end of my time on Earth. To hear many, it will be. To hear many others, it won't.

That's the screwed up head of MrSplitshot, I reckon. lol