Farmerstrong13: are you a preacher? Are you an Evangelical born again Christian? It seems rather presumptuous to promise someone, that with God’s help things will get better or that God will even help them. The key to recovery and good mental health is not found in a church but in a persons’ ability to grasp reality and run with it, and even accept it. Reality is not in a church pew or in a preacher’s sermon. Most of the time people can find a way out of their distress by logic, good friends, a change of location and a different point of view…or even antidepressants.
You may have guessed that I have a problem with clergy, well you are correct.Clergy and the Church have handed down the same dogma and superstition for thousands of years and have kept the population a slave to their BS. It is OK to think outside of the box, but it is much better to think outside of the church. Yes, I know that you have been told by your church, you must preach the word of god to all that want to listen, However there are many many people that do not want to listen. Please lighten up a little. :) DR
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I’m bisexual and the first time I tried to kill myself I was about 13. I took 60-something sleeping pills. I did this because I felt like I was a sinner and was going to go to hell if I didn’t kill myself before the “age of accountability”. I thought that if I died, I was still young enough to be able to get into heaven, even despite my attraction to other girls. Religion and the church could NEVER save my life, when they are one of the very reasons I want to die. I’m glad that I realized it was all illogical bullshit and became a nontheist; had I not, I known I wouldn’t be breathing right now.
BlackWidowQueen: Although I am straight, there is nothing wrong with being either bisexual or gay in my book.
Get the pleasures out of life that you can and remember that you are far from alone. Religion is around so it can keep you in line by threatening you with a nonexistent damnation. The only damnation in the universe is what you personally create in your own mind or what those sick minded clergy invent. Take your mind off damnation today and go see a good movie…with popcorn. 🙂
My dad tried exorcising a demon out of me once. I simply wanted to change churches. He thought I was possessed. Shortly after that I spiraled into a deeper depression. I was told from a young age by my dad that Armageddon was around the corner. It fucked me up. I’ve gone over every religion and philosophy. I kinda like Buddha’s teachings. The core anyway. Existence is suffering and we have no eternal soul.
I’m sorry but I disagree totally by both above responses. First of all, when you have witnessed a grapefruit sized tumor in a child on one day and a few days later it is completely gone..no doctors can explain it but call it a miracle..then I would say that God was there. I would also add that if a doctor orders a medication and it doesn’t work..r u going to get up and leave your doctor as well or are you going to search to find the cure to the problem? I can tell you that noone is perfect except for God..I’m so sorry that you are in the dark..there are so many different churches as well. @blackwidowqueen..I’m sorry as well that you’ve had bad experiences with a church but it doesn’t make all people that way..people use to treat the black people the same way..and look at us now..I had a church that was embarrassed to allow gay couples come in..that has all changed too. I know many and I see them in church so I don’t want racism to be brought up no more..you all need to live..love & laugh! If I were you id pray too!
chrissie: So you are saying if something happens that cant be explained it must obviously be “God?” 🙂
Please, it was thinking like this that kept us in the Dark ages for 400 years, when the church forced its dogma down everyone’s throat and prevented everyone from thinking for themselves or even permitted them to ask questions. I suppose that since we can not explain UFO’s they must be God also. Unknown or unexplained (at this time) does not equal God or the Devil.
Look, I think in the rules this site should also not allow the bashing of religions, philosophies, or anything of that sort.
YOU may have problems with church, religion, and their beliefs, but some find comfort in it. I’m agnostic, I don’t particularly like churches or what they preach and some of the negative effects I think it gives people. However, I don’t feel that gives me the right to bash them ( Unless they are blatantly harming someone ). I understand there are instances like BlackWidow( Which I’m sorry for by the way, and I’m glad you don’t believe you’re a sinner and see nothing is wrong with being bisexual ).
Anywho, I hope I’m not breathing life into this debate – for I’d rather it just end, and not get too hostile. This isn’t a place to be debating religious beliefs or lack thereof. People believe and find relief in what they want, and you can share an opinion and why you think it’s right – but no right to impose.
Thanks.
I have no problem with people seeking out religion as a refuge and taking comfort in it, if it is their own wish and their own decision. For some, the security blanket of religion works well for them and I am glad it makes them happy.
What I have noted on this site are a few people that constantly preach god to everyone and don’t let up. That is the equivalent to trying to cram it down my throat. Everyone has heard of God and probably most of the things attributed to Him; people are not in the dark here and those that are spiritual in nature should not be prevented from asking religious questions of this group, nor should people be prevented from answering. I have a problem with people that introduce God as a solution for every question. If there is a God, he certainly does not have a plan for me nor does He even know I exist. That is my belief.
I certainly do not wish to get hostile. You believe and I do not, and neither of us will convince the other. Modus Vivendi.
Where I live, there are religious billboards up the wazoo; no matter where you go you are swamped with unwanted messages and threats from churches. I am going to hell, I am going to meet God when I die, God can read my mind, I must love Jesus and thousands of other terroristic threats. Yet if one single atheist or agnostic billboard goes up, all the religious people cry foul.
Do I not have a right to be free of religion as you have the right to believe in it??? What ever happened to praying in your closet? Remember, that is where Jesus prefer that you pray, not on a street corner. Matthew 6: 5-6, Matthew 6: 1-34.
DR
It is better to be wrong than find out later there is a God..you have nothing to lose by believing..you have everything to lose by not believing. God has given me the gift to see many things in my life. Yes, there are sad things in this world..ive been through many..if you feel like living on this earth is hell well its not hell. Life is a test and you are going to have to answer to God one day..yes you will do what God wants you to do..I fear God..because he can make you do things that you may not want to do. Seeing is believing and when he comes knocking at your door in the middle of the night..you look out and noone is there..don’t tell me there is no God. Ive seen too much to not believe. Something else ill share that I don’t normally do because its hard for me sometimes to come to grips with it..I believe in ghost and I believe in ufos. Not so much like the movies but ive seen ghosts..quite a lot of them. I asked God to take that gift away from me cause it really scared me at times..some of them spoke, some were very evil. I saw a Ufo once and it was during the daytime..many people were with me but I left them behind cause I was scared..my memory erased by a light so bright I could not see. Years later I remembered it. I know you think I’m crazy now..I thought I was too. But Ive learner to except what I saw because it was totally real..some believe, some do not and I wouldn’t expect they would unless they were there..same goes with suicide. Unless your there you don’t know. I do know this..God is a loving God..enjoy your life while your here..listen to Leonard Lewis, footprints in the sand. Listen to. Beyonce, I was here. Listen to many songs that have God in them..look at money that says in God we trust. You will see..you just have to look harder and ask God to help you see him.
chrissie: So there you go, God, the thought of god and heaven and maybe even hell make you happy and give you comfort. I am truly pleased for you. However in your zeal to “spread the word” you make me unhappy by trying to convince me to believe what you believe, even though every fiber of my being disagrees with your conclusions.
The “What have you got to loose” question that you pose is known as Pascal’s Wager and suggests an answer that is not necessarily true. A lot of it comes down to the price you are willing to pay for things. In the early centuries when both your god and the law recognized slavery as being perfectly acceptable and legal, there were slave owners out there that did not beat their slave and treated them reasonably good as compared to the other slave owners; still the slaves ran away. Why? Because they preferred freedom over having a roof over their heads and food in their belly.
My personal thought, and no insult intend to your personal beliefs, I view God as a slave owner. In order to seek his favor, you are expected to kiss his butt every single day otherwise he will get angry and punish you for disobeying Him. If you read the Bible cover to cover as I have many times trying to make sense of all this, you will see that god is no paragon of virtue, and smites and kills on just a whim become someone has pissed him off. (I actually do not believe that.) Now if you take the same rules and laws described in the Bible as those of god, that he expects me to observe, I then have the same right to expect god to observe the same rules that he set for me and it is my obligation to and right to judge god by those same rules and standards.
In that regard, I have judged god and found him wanting. Might does not make right and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
If I am wrong at the end of my time here on earth and it turns out there is a god as described in the old testament, of course I will have egg on my face, but I will have no fear in my heart because I chose to not be a slave. What do I have to lose by believing in god? A lifetime of freedom. By believing I permit myself to be a willing slave to the questionable whims of god.
I also believe that if I am wrong, that any god will not be nearly as nasty or unforgiving as the Biblical tyrant. Therefor, I repeat, that I have no fear either way about the existence of any god. I know in my heart of hearts and with all my mind that the Bible was written 100% by men with an agenda, without any input from any deity. If I am wrong and I meet god in the end, I have every expectation that he will shake my hand and praise me for thinking for myself. I take comfort in this.
This argument has been going on since the beginning of time and neither you or I will are lightly to convince the other.
I live my life based upon the golden rule which is something that no god needs to spell out for mankind. Man makes his own morality based upon what base actions he is willing to resist, in exchange for others doing the same thing. Morality is not a Divine decree but a social contract worked out between men (and/or women 🙂 )
If God and religion gets you through the day…GREAT, I am glad for you, go ahead and pray and read the Bible more often if that makes you happy. If you don’t have SOME happiness here on earth, this becomes a depressing place…so what ever it takes for you. Just remember that others are not you. Do not make me unhappy in an effort to elevate your own well-being.
Go to a movie with popcorn and have a laugh. 🙂
hey guys…wanted to put my two cents in…..remember there is a big difference between religion and spirituality or the religion of self…beliefs are not doctrine…but not all are critical thinkers…ie…rather avoid themselves and fit in …lol….not bad…just not good for those who think outside the box…have looked at many religions, beliefs, practices etc. i personally would be considered Gnostic….self-knowledge being its only concept…and Jesus was Gnostic…not Christian…Christianity was formed by the Romans to control the followers of Jesus and others that opposed them and yearned for self rule…so that being said the church is about control…the religion….not so much…truth in everything and all that
don’t mind a preacher myself….but what’s with giving his e-mail out to every Tom Dick And Harry….lol….that being said…known to preach a wee bit myself after and epiphany…maybe that’s all it is….lmao
Namaste
Amakua
Chrissie, why are you here?
Chrissie,
Religion, which is essentially mans thoughts on a higher realm at a partocular point in time, have positive and not so positive insights. Pro’s and cons if you will. Their intention whilst admirable also has elements of faillibility because man devised and essentially ‘concept borrowed’ eleents from each prior religion.
But then science does this too. It’s called evolving or evolutionary thought. All knowledge must evolve, religion is no exception if people require that.
Science will admit its failings (not always) its usually only government and religion that believe they are infallible, which is also why you see so many issues evolve from adherents of these two doctrines.
Try have some respect and balance on matters.
Creation of the entire universe for me i evidence of a creator/s, but religion is just our interpretation of what the creator/s is or i not.
Take Care
Well said Adastra. I have only one question and I do not mean it to be argumentative. If you believe that the universe needed a creator then that would mean you are correct and a creator exists. However since by that logic everything must have a creator, who created your creator? I think that is a fair question. It is difficult for me to fathom how something comes out of nothing, unless of course our definition of “Nothing” is flawed. Damned human brains, I want a refund for mine. 🙂
pft excuse typos