I have given up on "god"

[Poopy Butt]

What I think

I know no one respects me on this board but here is what I think.

God and religion are two separate things.

Religion, Christianity for example, attempts to take the basic beliefs of the Holy Bible, and turn them into legalistic traditions.

Having faith in God is something different from the harsh rules governing Christianity. You will find when you know God for youself, that His plan for your life is not a book of rules that you must study, its something that is "written" inside of your heart. Pursue God and you will see that He's great. Pursue an organized, legalistic, religion, and you will get frustrated. Organized Christianity is worthless, but having a faith in God Almighty will do alot of good.

 

[Shrebly]

What I find most comical is the 'bible'. A book written over and over by hand - you know copy machines and carbon paper didn’t always exist.

If monks and other religious people were the ones who were making copies of the book by hand, can you say for sure that some of the information was not changed along the way to embellish 'god' - to make Jesus look like a miracle working madman? This is the book we are told to place out faith in, to read from and to use in time of comfort. How can someone who hasn't been brainwashed by the church look at this book and believe every word in it?

The bible is nothing more than a book of fiction - none of the events can be proven, none of the people can be documented and none of the events can be proven. So before you start talking about the Shroud or Noah's Ark - these were nothing more than coincidences. Millions of people were buried in tattered wrappings - and the impressions left on the cloth were from dirt, oil secreted from the skin during decomposition and man made oils that were rubbed over the body.

If someone can show me one solid piece of evidence that any event in the bible took place I will gladly rethink my stand on the subject. It’s all hearsay, word of mouth and stories that were twisted and rearranged to make for a good read.

The fact that there is Pope that rules the religion is offensive. If you are suppose to have a relationship with “god” why is there the need for a middle man that has a title of Pope or pontiff? Looks at the billions of dollars that this one religion rakes in every year and all the while they pass the collection plate begging for more. Look at the breaks they get when it comes to property tax, utilities, income tax [none], free housing etc.

Sorry but a religion that isn’t willing to change the rules to accommodate that changing world is outdated…. But let them drive around in expensive, parish provided vehicles, take trips to Rome “for business”, unlimited expense accounts etc … sure, that seems perfectly ok.

 

[Hannibal]

Ok I generally stear clear of religious debates as it is not my place to force my beliefs onto others. And that is not my intent here. But this post just really disurbs me. When ones faith in an omnipotent intetity is tested...some throw up their hands very quickly. If there were a God that was "small" enough for humans to understand...then how could he be LARGE enough to control all living things. And for those of you that do not believe in a God...what is your alternative?? If there is just LIGHTS OUT at the end...then why live a good life at all. Get everything that you can...because you can't take it with you.

As for my beliefs I will not go into great detail. But as for the WTC...I don't see why this tragedy would cause one to lose faith. If I believed in God...and my ultimate goal was heaven and the hereafter...then why would it matter if I died at 19 or 100. The hereafter that God offers to people is FOREVER. Even someone that lives 100 years has just scratched the surface. Death has always been an interesting topic for me. If I believe that people go to heaven when they die, because they believe, then why should I grieve for them?? Seems that the only person that I would be grieving for in that situation is myself...and that seems a bit selfish.

Now to say that God and organized religion are one and the same is rediculous. I have long since given up on organized religion. I do however have a relationship with God...and it does not make me insane as was suggested earlier. Everyone has to find their own way in this world...and I have mine.

 

[J-Ro]

What I find most comical is the 'bible'. A book written over and over by hand - you know copy machines and carbon paper didn’t always exist.

If monks and other religious people were the ones who were making copies of the book by hand, can you say for sure that some of the information was not changed along the way to embellish 'god' - to make Jesus look like a miracle working madman? This is the book we are told to place out faith in, to read from and to use in time of comfort. How can someone who hasn't been brainwashed by the church look at this book and believe every word in it?

Exactly, god doesn't write books (sorry Muslims). It is my belief that most of the bible and other like religious works came out of people's need to grasp the world around them. They wanted explanation of the creation of the world. They wanted to know how the sun set, and where the moon and stars came from. They were pretty much trying to make their existence in this massive universe, more important.

Out of ignorance, came the explanations. People wanted things rationalized. Since 99% of the world was illterate, it was most likely easy for the pen holders to make them believe the wild explanations that they could come up with. They had no grasp of science, so they came up with divine answers to knowledge that's common today. It's interesting to note that all of the world's major religions came at a point when the world was at it a very low point intellectually and scientifically.

 

[bignate73]

i like alot how freud sums up religion and god in the book "the future of an illusion". made alot of sense to me. may not for others but it worked well for my mind.

peace

 

[Shrebly]

i like alot how freud sums up religion and god in the book "the future of an illusion". made alot of sense to me. may not for others but it worked well for my mind.

peace

Who's the author?

 

[bignate73]

sigmund freud.

its a short "book" if you could call it that. i read it in about 3 hours.

 

[cyberflash]

GOD WAS SAYING .....

SORRY USA , PAYBACK TIME !

US waged war in early 1990s with the gulf war ... although not intended ... civilians in the middle east were also killed ... and this was war INSIDE their cities ... CIA also sponsored wars in other countries ...

2001 ... the Empire strikes back ... wage war INSIDE American cities (NY and Washington DC) .. to get back to us ... and make us realize what warzone is really like.

so if we wage war against them now ..... go after the perpetrators ... they hide .. they run ... but their sons and daughters live ...

there kids grow up ... another retribution in 2010 ? 2015? 2020 ? well ...

violence ... begets violence ... an endless cycle

hatred is not forgotten ... go to the Netherlands and France and they will still say they don't like the Germans. No sir, they have not forgotten World War 2 .. and that was 60 years ago.

WE SHOULD PRAY ...

 

[Shrebly]

Re: GOD WAS SAYING .....

SORRY USA , PAYBACK TIME !

US waged war in early 1990s with the gulf war ... although not intended ... civilians in the middle east were also killed ... and this was war INSIDE their cities ... CIA also sponsored wars in other countries ...

2001 ... the Empire strikes back ... wage war INSIDE American cities (NY and Washington DC) .. to get back to us ... and make us realize what warzone is really like.

so if we wage war against them now ..... go after the perpetrators ... they hide .. they run ... but their sons and daughters live ...

there kids grow up ... another retribution in 2010 ? 2015? 2020 ? well ...

violence ... begets violence ... an endless cycle

hatred is not forgotten ... go to the Netherlands and France and they will still say they don't like the Germans. No sir, they have not forgotten World War 2 .. and that was 60 years ago.

WE SHOULD PRAY ...

An eye for an eye and the world goes blind.

 

[HelenSL]

What I find most comical is the 'bible'. A book written over and over by hand - you know copy machines and carbon paper didn’t always exist.

If monks and other religious people were the ones who were making copies of the book by hand, can you say for sure that some of the information was not changed along the way to embellish 'god' - to make Jesus look like a miracle working madman? This is the book we are told to place out faith in, to read from and to use in time of comfort. How can someone who hasn't been brainwashed by the church look at this book and believe every word in it?

The bible is nothing more than a book of fiction - none of the events can be proven, none of the people can be documented and none of the events can be proven. So before you start talking about the Shroud or Noah's Ark - these were nothing more than coincidences. Millions of people were buried in tattered wrappings - and the impressions left on the cloth were from dirt, oil secreted from the skin during decomposition and man made oils that were rubbed over the body.

If someone can show me one solid piece of evidence that any event in the bible took place I will gladly rethink my stand on the subject. It’s all hearsay, word of mouth and stories that were twisted and rearranged to make for a good read.

The fact that there is Pope that rules the religion is offensive. If you are suppose to have a relationship with “god” why is there the need for a middle man that has a title of Pope or pontiff? Looks at the billions of dollars that this one religion rakes in every year and all the while they pass the collection plate begging for more. Look at the breaks they get when it comes to property tax, utilities, income tax [none], free housing etc.

Sorry but a religion that isn’t willing to change the rules to accommodate that changing world is outdated…. But let them drive around in expensive, parish provided vehicles, take trips to Rome “for business”, unlimited expense accounts etc … sure, that seems perfectly ok.

You don't have to be a Christian Shrebly but actually there is evidence that some stuff in the Bible took place and also when Jews made handcopies they would check them by doing stuff like counting the number of letters and checking the middle letter matched...if it didn't they'd bury that copy and start again.

So it hasn't changed much actually...

If you believe it's God's Words you aren't gonna mess with it -that's the other thing.

When they found a scroll of the book of Isaiah a THOUSAND years older than any they had to date, in the dead sea scrolls, it was very close to what they already had, confirming the accuracy of the coping...

If you wanted to look into these things there's lot's of stuff on the Internet. But you don't sound as if you want to right now, with all due respect. If you ever do, though, it's there...

love
Helen