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How do you feel about God.

This is gna be a long one.

according to the math of the bible the world was created, and i could be off by a little bit, on october 23rd 4004 b.c. mathmaticians have actualy done the math. i know, crazy right? so by that thinking the earth is only approximately 6000 years old.give or take. look it up.
so in the last 6000 years we've had dinosaurs, cavemen, lucy, ice ages, and calculus? really? carbon dating, radioactive isotope half life, evolutionary theory , and fossils are all chalked up to fiction? dig up a t-rex and then tell me how u feel.

religion has never solved any problems. ppl may think that is has in their own lives, but it hasnt. religion did not cure polio, science did. religion did not cure syphillis, science did. religion did not make space travel possible, science did. the only thing religion seems to do is make ppl blinded to the real problems of this world. and then tells them to pray about it so that all their problems will be solved. religion is a scape goat folks. sorry im the one to tell yall. and as a species that is known for its "higher thinking" the fact that religion still exists is an affront to our intelligence. its an out dated method. we know why things happen now. we know how chemistry, and physics, and biology work. granted that we dont know all there is to know but we have a damn good idea.

why can science explain so many things but religion can't? why don't people live to be 900 years old now like they did in the bible(and penicillin wasnt created until the 1950's). why are there no talking snakes now (i have 30 snakes and they have never spoken a word). why doesnt it rain for forty days and forty nights (cause it cant happen). why dont god and the devil gamble liked they used to (like they did with job, and u cant tell me that that story wasnt horrible).

Accept it folks, its all just a fancy story. just like the story of the greek gods, and we all know they aint real. i mean, those stories are just too crazy. right? im just a closed minded guy from arkansas, what the hell do i know. right?

it seems like a useless debate to me beacause religious ppl will just deny science because their religion demands that they do. but when they get sick the always seem to run to the doctor. they dont just pray about it. if god didnt want u to be sick then why would you circumvent him and get antibiotics? if u want to be a pariah then at least have the guts to see ti through. dont ask science to help out.
hypocrites.
 
kathylove said:
http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Science-Behind-Spiritual-Experiences/1

What do you think?
Click to expand...

I've read a book pertaining to such (a few actually) and one of the most popular forms of belief, it seems, is that we are all interconnected somehow; be it energy or what have you. Makes sense. Which is mostly what I was trying to get at before. Whatever the answer is, it's much greater than we are right now.
If there's a heaven and hell, it's not going to be physical. It's not going to be somewhere that you just 'go to' to be prodded by pitchforks or fly around in the clouds.

There are a few really good books that explore consciousness on a whole, one being "The Feeling of What Happens" and "The Self Aware Universe".
 
Um no, all religious people don't deny science. Or take the bible literally. Are you familiar with the concept of metaphors?
 
There is absolutely no definitive time lines provided in the bible. There's a lot of conjecture and theories but no actual provided dates. Not only that, counting back then was completely different than what it is now and interpreting it is all based on speculation (obviously it's different as our numeral system now is fairly 'new').
 
I just don't see why Science and God can't coexist... Why does it have to be one or the other? Science can explain a whole lot of things, but not everything, because our understanding of it is not complete. Also, our understanding of a higher power is not complete.
Not only does the Bible not give us dates, it tells us that the universe was created in 6 days and God rested on the 7th. Why on earth do we think that those 6 days are our 24 hour periods? An earth day, is much different than a Jupiter day, which is different still than a Pluto day. A day to God can very well be 100's of millions of years long, or billions or trillions of years long. Because we look at it as an earth day, many Christians believe that 7 days literally means 7 days. I have had this argument with many of my relatives, some of which are actually pastors of various religions. Only a couple think that my thoughts on the matter are possible.
The whole, "Its God, or Science" argument, should really cease, even though I know it wont. In my opinion, God gave us the ability to find out and understand the universe, I doubt that s/he would give us that ability if s/he didn't want us to eventually discover everything. We are unique in the animal kingdom, at least here on earth, we have been given a gift. Whether you believe we are some random mutation, or believe that we were created this way, our intelligence, and curiosity is a gift, but it is also a curse. Look a what we are doing to our planet, and to each other. We wage wars in the name of religion, well, religions are man made. If we all looked at it at face value, The common belief in God, I believe that the world would be better. The bloodiest wars in history were fought because someone didn't like the way someone else worshiped God. I doubt that this is the plan that God has for us.
But, what do I know, I am just a Christian who also believes in evolution.
 
possum_minister said:
religion has never solved any problems.
Click to expand...

I am not religious but I do think that religion can help certain people. I mean if people who are caught up in some bad things like drugs or gangs or whatever can find religion and change their behavior then that's a good think religion has done. I don't know if it is the feeling that you are cleared of all your sins, or that you have a group of people who are wholesome people who will accept you despite your past, or the support that you get from those people (probably all 3 and more), but religion can be a positive factor in many people's lives and allows them to change their lives around for whatever reason.
 
Great good and terrible evils have both been perpetrated in the name of one religion or the other. Some people have gotten their lives in order and helped others after finding religion, while others have committed mass murder and terror in its name. It has certainly been a double edged sword.

Actually, the first time I watched Star Wars, I thought the whole idea of "The Force" had a lot of validity to it. It really rang true after seeing the energy auras exposed in Kirlian photography and the effects of changing electrical energy paths in human and animal bodies via acupuncture. Maybe it could account for some of the ESP type experiences some have had.

Whether there is a supreme being directing all of this, I don't know. But the idea of some kind of energy connecting everything is kind of comforting. Too bad it isn't as connected here on Earth as it was on Pandora in the movie Avatar.
 
Don't sharks sense energy fields on fish to find their prey? So, like, electrical energy? Around everyone? That'd be cool.
 
heres a thought.

The idea of an afterlife seems really selfish to me. We are given, at best, about 80 years here on this planet. That seems like a fair deal to me. we are born, we reproduce, and we die. and we try to have a good time while we're here. the fact that a lot of folks think that we deserve more is kind of pompous. why do we deserve more? why do we "deserve" everlasting "life". why do we only have two choices as to where we spend "eternity". greed is a normal human emotion and it exists in every aspect of our life including religion. i do not feel that i "deserve" eternity in "heaven". i am a mammal just like a dog or a cat or a tiger or a pig. we all came from a common ancestor. why do ppl have a DNA sequence that is almost 98% the same as a chimp. its obvious that humans and the great apes look a lot alike. and btw, ppl did not evolve from monkeys, monkeys and humans shared a common ancestor. there is a difference.

the people that wrote the bible were extremely superstitious and had no understanding of things like chemistry, or biology, or physics. i mean the telescope wasnt invented until the 1500's. and they condemned galileo for doing it.
religion is not progressing our species. it is trying to keep us in the dark ages. devolution if you will. when we left england it was to escape religious persucution. and it seems we have come full circle. it is a disease folks. and it is very infectious. even the founding fathers of this country had a lot of contempt for religion. especially Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. the quotes are there all u gta do is look em up.

i do not like religion but that doesnt mean that i dont like religious ppl. as a matter of fact most of my best friends are christian. they are good ppl. but as an atheist i think that they are misguided. anybody can be a bad egg regardless of religious affiliation.

the fact is is that religion is here to stay whether the atheists like it or not. but dont doubt that atheism is here to stay regardless of whether or not religious ppl like it. such is life. we will always disagree. atheism was the best thing that has ever happened to me and i have never regretted my decision. eternity no longer scares me. im not scared of a vengeful god anymore. i know that i will just rot in the ground like every other mammal on the face of the earth. i do not have a soul to worry about. and until youre an atheist you will never know how comforting that is.
 
I guess my biggest problem with some religious ideals is that there's so much certainty about life. When, in my opinion, nothing is for certain. So on the reverse, I would naturally have to take a problem (or question) in someone's idea that they 'know' that we'll all just rot into the ground and fade into nothingness. At the very least, I believe that our energy would have to go somewhere. It's not arrogant to think that we came from, and will go, into eternity, somehow. Whether it's someone's hope that eternity is a tangible place, or that it's just a transfer of energy into space and time, it's just a belief. And to me, it can be the most humbling experience to feel like there's a bigger picture, of which we are all a small part when we're apart from, and a large part when we're a part of.

That's not an arrogant belief, or that people are guaranteeing that they'll be wined and dined in a golden palace in the sky when they die, but more in the strong belief that they have been granted life, used it in whatever way they choose, and hope that good and positive energy will continue as a powerful source that life will carry on from. And it doesn't conflict with the knowledge that we're also physical beings, very capable (and responsible) for caring for the earth, all of the creatures in it, and everything that came before it. Or that there are things before our time that remain a mystery.
 
Michael823 said:
I guess my biggest problem with some religious ideals is that there's so much certainty about life. When, in my opinion, nothing is for certain. So on the reverse, I would naturally have to take a problem (or question) in someone's idea that they 'know' that we'll all just rot into the ground and fade into nothingness. At the very least, I believe that our energy would have to go somewhere. It's not arrogant to think that we came from, and will go, into eternity, somehow. Whether it's someone's hope that eternity is a tangible place, or that it's just a transfer of energy into space and time, it's just a belief. And to me, it can be the most humbling experience to feel like there's a bigger picture, of which we are all a small part when we're apart from, and a large part when we're a part of.

That's not an arrogant belief, or that people are guaranteeing that they'll be wined and dined in a golden palace in the sky when they die, but more in the strong belief that they have been granted life, used it in whatever way they choose, and hope that good and positive energy will continue as a powerful source that life will carry on from. And it doesn't conflict with the knowledge that we're also physical beings, very capable (and responsible) for caring for the earth, all of the creatures in it, and everything that came before it. Or that there are things before our time that remain a mystery.
Click to expand...

Somewhat off topic, but have you ever read The Message From Water by Masaru Emoto? It's really quite interesting and has a bit to do with people's energy affecting physical matter. This tells a bit about it: http://www.wellnessgoods.com/messages.asp

Also, I think (if you haven't read it) you might like The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield. Its been a while since I've read it, but again has a lot to do with human energy. I might have to go reread it now that I'm thinking about it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Celestine_Prophecy
 
"My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind."

Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind.

Albert Einstein
 
It makes you think, right? I mean, it seems so normal to me to have gay friends, and I don't differentiate between them and my straight friends, like, it's just another aspect about them, just one of the billion characteristics that make up the person. It's sad to read about someone who loses each friend he has ever made if he tells them. That's crazy.
 
This is a quote from that blog:

Now, I’m not religious. I’m also not gay. But I’ll tell you right now that I’ve sought out religion. I’ve looked for what I believe truth to be. For years I studied, trying to find “it”. Every major religion had good selling points. Every major religion, if I rewound far enough, had some pretty incredible base teachings from some pretty incredible individuals.

Check this out, and feel free to correct me if I get this wrong…

According to Christians, Jesus taught a couple of interesting things. First, “love one another.” Second, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (“Her” being a woman who cheated on her man.)

According to Buddhists, Buddha taught a couple of thought-provoking things. First, “Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.” Second, “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”

According to Hindus, a couple of fascinating teachings come to mind. First, “Do not get angry or harm any living creature, but be compassionate and gentle; show good will to all.” (Krishna) Second, “Love means giving selflessly, excluding none and including all.” (Rama)

According to Muslims, Muhammad taught a couple interesting things as well. First, “A true Muslim is the one who does not defame or abuse others; but the truly righteous becomes a refuge for humankind, their lives and their properties.” Second, “Do you love your creator? Love your fellow-beings first.”

According to Judaism, their scriptures teach a couple remarkable things. First, “Love your neighbor like yourself.” Second, “Examine the contents, not the bottle.”

The greatest spiritual leaders in history have all preached love for others as the basis for all happiness, and never did they accompany such mandates with a list of unlovable actions or deeds. They never said, love everybody except for the gays. Love everybody except for the homeless. Love everybody except for the drug users. Love everybody except for the gang members, or those covered in ink, or the spouse abusers. They didn’t tell us it was okay to love everybody with the exception of the “trailer trash,” those living in poverty, or the illegal immigrants. They didn’t tell us it was okay to love everybody except for our ex-lovers, our lovers’ ex lovers, or our ex-lovers’ lovers. The mandate was pretty damn clear, wasn’t it?

Love others.

Period.
 
Round of applause for Nanci from me.

The great thing is that you don't need God to love other people - you can do it with or without, as you choose.
 
Amazing article! I recently found out that even in my country, in a large city that I considered modern, as in not rural, multiple gay couples have been bullied by their own neighbours, sometimes as bad as making them move to another place. I really can't wrap my head around it... I knew in the small, merely Christian ,rural communities in my country gays are frowned upon but that it also happens in large cities... maybe these neigbours came from rural area's but still... I can't imagine why you'd care about someone's sex preferences when it comes to befriending them. I don't even know whom I could approach I look down upon right now. Except maybe those telling me I go to Hell because I don't believe... but at the moment I don't know anybody whom fits that criterium.
 
Thanks for the post Nanci. That's a great article and one I wish everyone could read. It's one I am going to print out and share with everyone I can. I've always been, or tried to be an advocate of "love the sinner, not the sin" regardless of belief or what someone considers 'a sin', or lack there of because.. it's personal! It's true! It has nothing to do with you, or me or anyone other than that individual. Why do people feel such a need to judge others. It must be, as he (the article writer) said, the need to be, or feel that they are better than said person. I guess it's humanity, but something I've never really understood although, we as humans always do it; and it's from all spectrums, not just religious or non religious people!
Very very well written. I know quite a few people who need to read this. Again, thanks Nanci for finding and posting this.
 
I would imagine that God is a whole lot less concerned with how I feel about him than I should be about how God feels about me.....

Is there really a God? I don't know. But would it really hurt to live your life under the premise that there just might be?
 
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