that's why i like you funches. we don't know and will probably never know. again, all i have is faith. the bible was written by man (with man's views and prejudices) so i don't study it and i don't necessarily accept it as the final word of g-d. i just believe without having to see because i associate g-d with hope. just as i believe that there is a g-d, i believe there is a trickster causing us to lose faith, question g-d's existence and so on. i would hope that g-d would not ask me to kill anyone but i pray that if someone comes at me, he'll give me the strength to kill them first. of course, g-d would have an army of angels. he's a leader who must assure the protection his people but i've never seen an angel and i've never seen one slay anything or anyone so i can't really speak on that

i don't agree, there's nothing about consequences in free will. it about free choice "the ability or discretion to choose". consequences don't apply since they come after. if you're gonna choose to do bad things, bad things will happen to you (the law of karma; ever action has an equal reaction rule) which makes good sense to me.

interesting that you would say that. ever seen the movie "Frailty". good film, you should check it out. on another note: god knows how i feel about killing so he wouldn't ask me, but if someone were to come at me, i'd pray i'd have the strength to kill them if necessary. is that bad? i've alway questioned that story in the bible. how do we know it was g-d who asked the man (whose name slips my mind) to sacrifice his son. what if it was the trickster disguising his voice to seem like g-d?

i like you, Funches. i think you're fine as you are. i think there's more to you than you're letting on but i like you just the same. i guess because you can't understand why g-d allows suffering, you cannot accept him. i understand that. i, too, have questioned it but remember who runs this world (man). man is a very flawed creature who has caused suffering (pick up any history book) all because we have free-will. some choose to do cruel things. others suffer because of those cruel acts. what keeps us is hope, hope that the suffering will end. question: do you believe in gravity? i do, but i don't understand it either.

you're right, i guess i did get too old, but Funches, i never had a chimney growing up. I had fire escape and we had gates on the windows so there was no way to get in without a key. i saw pictures of santa growing up but never one of g-d. all i had as a child was hope (faith). i don't believe good souls go to hell whether or not you believe in the Christian-Catholic/jewish/muslim god, hindu gods or other. i don't necessarily agree with the practices of organized religions as they have proven to be the cause of wars and brutality

true. but, would man be able to do it without the resources or the brain that g-d provides?

so Funches, are you saying i have a cult member's mentality? i could've been like my ex who was a protestant who became an atheist. why was i so different. he went to church more than i did. i always make my holiday stops but i still believe. i believed in santa claus when i was a kid but i don't now. how do you explain that?

no, but seeing someone suffer from those afflictions may inspire someone to find a cure

oh, like the g-d on the simpson show, right?

we were never meant to understand him, we just trust him to know and do what's best. we do have peanut brains that over the years have doubted his existence in a world that's run on speed, technology and tangible facts. we can all pray for a cure or a miracle which may never come but think about how this world tests our faith and our strength everyday. i have my own experiences which have assured me that there is a g-d all because i prayed (as a child)to know that there was something worth praying to. now i can't deny him even i wanted to.

Funches is right. i've never seen G-d, Christ or the universe other than in pictures. even in pics, G-d has always appeared as just a light. all i have is my faith to go on.

why can't G-d be the universe? the whole idea of G-d is hope. remember, a little something about him being all around us? Funches, he may not have cured the amputation but he's probably helped your dad cope in an unfair world with his family by him.

this may sound a bit crazy but i was always taught that my G-d was a powerful yet caring being with no face/color/size/sex. i look at him as being a father though and we were made in his image. here's a little food for thought: you ever seen someone who looks like someone else who's unrelated? well, everyone looks like someone else who looks like someone else and it goes on and on.