I don't have faith when used in context with a specific religion. And I don't feel that I am a lousy person...so I don't think that quite works as a generalization to classify if a person is good or lousy. And many good people have faith in different religions...some of those people are good, some are lousy. Many people have faith in nothing, some of those people are good and some lousy. In the end, I don't believe it's the faith or the religion that defines if a person is good or bad.

I suppose I would. As I don't believe there is a "God" in the sense that it was portrayed in this question, I don't look for guidance from that source.

No, I don't feel that it makes me less of a person to ask for guidance or help if I need it. But, I feel that one should look within one's self first for the answer.

To try to better explain my personal belief, please bear with me a minute I believe in a higher being, by whatever name it has been called through the different religions and through history. But I don't believe that higher being/essense has emotions in the sense that mankind gives them emotions. That's a way of humanizing something we don't understand, which is completely normal to do. Even wild animals have emotions and personalities, though humans are of the opinion they are not intelligent on the same level we are. Emotions are a weakness and I don't believe that any higher being has those emotions in the sense that humans give them emotions.

I beleive that higher beings are more like trees (to provide an example lol) They are there, and present, providing requirements for life. But I can no more ask a tree how to live my life or for guidance or to make sure something goes my way, or give me and my family this, etc etc...than I could from the powers that be. Well...I could, it just wouldn't do any good lol We were given the ability to problem solve, think for ourselves, make our own choices, etc and should use them. Before you ever go to your meeting, you prepare. You make sure you've done all your homework, put together a presentation, know all your facts, have covered any questions that might come up from every angle, etc etc. Now you can ask that things go well, that the people you're having the meeting with will be influenced by your presentation...but in the end, it's what you've done before you walk through the door that will make the difference. You can ask for guidance and the swaying of minds/hearts all you like...but if you havn't done your end of things...nothing is going to happen.

So that's sort of where I stand. Is there something far greater than anything we have ever or will ever come across in our living lives? Yes. Is that something God? Not in the defined terms, no.


No. Again, we are humanizing something we have no real understanding of and something that can not be humanized. By saying that satan/the devil/lucifer and God/Jesus, Jesus (I always get confused on if that is the same being or different beings...it seems to vary) have wars amongst themselves and are, in essence.."out to get us" (speaking in the terms of a devil) or "out to save us" (speaking in terms of the god/jesus, jesus?) again puts humanity upon something that is anything but human. Those are human atributes. Plain and simple. And I think it's something humans have placed upon a higher being in a struggle to understand and rationalize that is beyond our realm of comprehension.



Hope that answered your questions from my standpoint :) I'm sure there will be a lot of people that will disagree with me...but, you ask for us to answer the questions in our understanding or from our own personal belief system....so there it is

Precisely! Nail on the head! I was raised Mormon, given no choice in it what-so-ever, and the day I turned 18 and was finally granted my own choice I left and never went back. Now, mind you, I started learning and reading about other religions secretly through books in the library and the internet when I was 13. But I don't think religion is something you can force on someone, it's a highly personal experience and only that person can really be intune and recognize what it is. For some it's one religion, for others it's another...and I don't think it's right or wrong. It simply is. :)

And same here, all 3 of my children were born out of wedlock, and people can point and judge all they like. But they don't know the circumstances, they don't know my life and they don't know why I've made the choices I have. What they should know, though...is that when I found out I was pregnant with all 3 of my children. I had 3 choices each time. Abortion. Adoption. Responsibility.

Thank you hon :) But truely, the credit goes to my son lol Were it not for my children, I would never be able to keep things in perspective.

mm well..to each their own. I was just slightly confused about that...thank you for answering my question though :)

lol sorry hon :P Forgive me...

edit* lol true :P But really...it does sort of confuse me slightly...and as these posts tend to take minds of their own and go astray...I didn't think you'd mind /edit

If he doesn't need worship, then how come everyone is always telling me to convert and worship him and telling me that he says people should worship him and only him and to convert as many people to worshipping him as possible???

(Sorry...just struck me as odd, didn't mean to hi-jack your thread there BB )

lmao isn't that the truth!! I wish they could stay little forever

Oh me too!! As well as his siblings :) Hopefully they can pass it on as well! lol

You know, personally, I think I have a highly refined sense of spirituality...capable of encompassing people of all religions without judging them or damning them only because their faith differs from mine. I think it makes one more "Godly" (for lack of a better word or phrase) to be able to listen with an open mind, realize that the other's faith/opinion isn't wrong...only different...and accepting the fact that I don't know everything...will never know everything...and some things are supposed to remain a mystery. Questions without answers. Unless you look at the answer from the most simplest of views.

When I asked my 7 year old son what the meaning of life was, he responded: "Meaning of life? You mean...why there is life? Or what our life means?" I told him either, he said: "There's life because there's supposed to be life." I asked him why. He said, "Because there just is." He said it so matter of factly, like I should already know that. When I asked him about the other, he said: "Our life means being good to each other and loving everybody and just..living." I couldn't have said it better myself.

I think as adults we over-analyze everything...there is only "one" answer to any equation...and some answers arn't acceptable, so we spend our lives trying to prove them wrong. If only we were all 7 year olds again. How much simpler and happier the world would be...oh wait...except when it comes to sharing the toys.

Because there are different creed's they are wanting an opinion about? Not just the one in the bible...as some are rather long I can understand why they make different posts for the different religion's creeds rather than slapping them all into one post and then asking for the variations (if any) people would make.

woohoo! ty ty!!

aaah...now that makes sense, referring to the definitions you found for me :) Much easier when I can see them like that. I had just never heard the word before until tonight lol

Could you quote it please? Because, I'm genuinely confused here. No where did it say that "carnal" meant "to be born again" or to be "lower than God, incomplete"....?

lmao well apparently I'm already going there..? So what's one more "scinn" lmao But seriously though, "Scinn" is actually from a very hard time in my life when I was younger and it's a word me and my sister created to get us through the hard times together when it seemed like each other was all we had. It was like our little code word to each other without the rest of the people around us knowing what we were talking about.

I think I'm confused. Do you have a different definition for "carnal" than dictionaries? Because you keep saying "man's definition, not God's" in reference to that...and you use the word a lot...

I looked the word up...it had a most clear meaning...but you keep saying it's wrong? So...what's the definition for "carnal" and it's variations? (carnality...etc)

lol Actually "Scinn" holds special meaning to me...the double "n" is a part of that :) hehe As for "sensse" lol Only BB knows ;)

I fully agree hon :) I just find it curious, (and I'll leave it at that for people's minds to interpret as they will lmao)

lol I don't mind And it's good to see some more humor back on this thread

lol sounds good