Topic: How did you reach your current state
no photo
Fri 08/22/08 06:54 PM


Someone asked me once if right now......right this very minute God asked you to die for him, would you? I did not even hesitate YES YES YES



so then based on this exerpt, you must admire those people who blow themselves up for their god..they love him just as much as you love yours....



I don't know if I would die for someone who claimed to be God. He had better have an iron clad identification card and a damn good reason. laugh

Even then, I am a skeptic. I don't know if I would believe him or her.

JB

feralcatlady's photo
Fri 08/22/08 06:59 PM



Someone asked me once if right now......right this very minute God asked you to die for him, would you? I did not even hesitate YES YES YES



so then based on this exerpt, you must admire those people who blow themselves up for their god..they love him just as much as you love yours....



I don't know if I would die for someone who claimed to be God. He had better have an iron clad identification card and a damn good reason. laugh

Even then, I am a skeptic. I don't know if I would believe him or her.

JB



ahhh you hit it right on the nose JB.....You think he "claims" to be God.....I "KNOW" he is.

And again that pesky word that you all hate so much.....My faith in God.....Is all I need.......

no photo
Fri 08/22/08 07:02 PM




Someone asked me once if right now......right this very minute God asked you to die for him, would you? I did not even hesitate YES YES YES



so then based on this exerpt, you must admire those people who blow themselves up for their god..they love him just as much as you love yours....



I don't know if I would die for someone who claimed to be God. He had better have an iron clad identification card and a damn good reason. laugh

Even then, I am a skeptic. I don't know if I would believe him or her.

JB



ahhh you hit it right on the nose JB.....You think he "claims" to be God.....I "KNOW" he is.

And again that pesky word that you all hate so much.....My faith in God.....Is all I need.......



rofl rofl rofl

Only fools are positive.

Any shinny light being could walk up to you and do a few magic tricks, raise a few people from the dead and you would believe him and go die for him as per his request.

You are so easy. rofl rofl

feralcatlady's photo
Fri 08/22/08 07:05 PM


Someone asked me once if right now......right this very minute God asked you to die for him, would you? I did not even hesitate YES YES YES



so then based on this exerpt, you must admire those people who blow themselves up for their god..they love him just as much as you love yours....





There is a lot of scripture where God tests people as far as their love for him....And in the end it never come to fruition......So then we have hmmmmmm let's say Japanese Kamakazee pilots....who thought if they crashed into anything and gave their life....they would be guaranteed a spot in heave..........ahhhhhhhhh wrong. Ok then maybe your talking about in the name of Ala and all that.....first off were talking about a God that says kill yourself for me and I will give you thousands of wives....now of course people can believe as they choose......But God says only worship me......He created Adam, Eve, not Adam, Eve, and trudy.......so wife not wives....So that then would lead me to believe they died for a hopeless cause.....jmo

feralcatlady's photo
Fri 08/22/08 07:14 PM

I was raised Catholic on my dad's side and Baptist on my mom's side. I was baptised as a baby in accordance with the Catholic religion and saved in accordance with the Baptist religion. When I spent time with my dad's family I went to Catholic church when I was at home with my mom I did Sunday school at the Baptist church.

I actually sailed along most of my young life believing in god. I collected different bibles as a hobby when I was younger.

I started questioning when I was going to catachysm, I think that is what it is called when you have your first communion which I refused to have. Then I had my son and needed help from the local Catholic church for food one time and he asked me alot of questions about my life and proceeded to tell me that if I did not get my son a father he was going to grow up to be a rapist. Put me back a bit. My bible collection got ruined in a pipe break in the basement I was storing them in so I lost those.

Over time I began to analyze the bible without the reverence given it by the teachers of the bible and started to see it for what it was. A story book. A book of parables with a moralistic twist designed to further the beliefs of say one man or a few. My childrens father is Mormon so I had a taste of Mormonism. I studied with Jehovah's witnesses for a bit. I read up on Wicca. Had a talk with some devout Muslims. Had someone teach me the chant for Buddhism and explain basics on it.

But it wasn't until I got so sick with the MS and had been so sick for so long that I begged to die that I had an epiphany. I then let go of the ball and chain of Christianity that I had been hauling around for everyone elses peace of mind and examined me, my spirit, my emotional status, my position in life, my path, my desires for mental growth. I came to the conclusion after analyzing how I felt that I am connected to all living things through this energy I feel within me and around me, that I am an influence on all life just by being alive, positivity within onesself radiates to the world through our attitude, actions and "aura" or the energy we emitate, my purpose is a humble one to live to the best of my ability, etc...

I have found this "place" for me to be most satisfying spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically. I am growing on many levels daily and I welcome it. I am about as free as one person can be from where I am at.bigsmile


that was very beautiful and thanks for the share....


now I have a question for you......just for curiosity and I just want to know how you feel about it.

I so agree with you on so many levels of what you said...And pretty much took a lot of the same paths. Here is my question...

so through all that you learned you live your life......and I have used this example on many occasions.....

So your born.......

You grow........

You go to school.......

you get a job.......

raise a family.....and are happy......


get old........

die.......

What then?

Is that it for you.......Now I will say for me.....a lot of the in between is what God has chosen for my life.....Helping women of other nations.....helping children......doing instead of just existing...I am here to serve no only God but all I come into contact with....But then sometimes I think if this is all there is to life......Why......what is the purpose....And this is not to take away from wonderful lives, families, friends, etc......just what then is the purpose?

Lord_Psycho's photo
Fri 08/22/08 07:45 PM
The Lord is here pray to ur Lord!!! My minions!!! LOL

feralcatlady's photo
Fri 08/22/08 08:18 PM
laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh



Your a bad lil boy.......I think you need to be grounded for a month.

feralcatlady's photo
Fri 08/22/08 08:25 PM





Someone asked me once if right now......right this very minute God asked you to die for him, would you? I did not even hesitate YES YES YES



so then based on this exerpt, you must admire those people who blow themselves up for their god..they love him just as much as you love yours....



I don't know if I would die for someone who claimed to be God. He had better have an iron clad identification card and a damn good reason. laugh

Even then, I am a skeptic. I don't know if I would believe him or her.

JB



ahhh you hit it right on the nose JB.....You think he "claims" to be God.....I "KNOW" he is.

And again that pesky word that you all hate so much.....My faith in God.....Is all I need.......



rofl rofl rofl

Only fools are positive.

Any shinny light being could walk up to you and do a few magic tricks, raise a few people from the dead and you would believe him and go die for him as per his request.

You are so easy. rofl rofl




No sweet lady faith.....that is all it takes....and you either have or you don't.........not something your born with.....And easy no.........enlightened.....yes

Belushi's photo
Fri 08/22/08 09:04 PM
The reason I was asking, was that I was doing the usual google thing - refuting some ridiculous claim by a god-squadder, when I stumbled upon this ...

I do not believe that any man can be justly punished or rewarded on account of his belief.

But I do believe in the nobility of human nature; I believe in love and home, and kindness and humanity; I believe in good fellowship and cheerfulness, in making wife and children happy.

I believe in good nature, in giving to others all the rights that you claim for yourself.

I believe in free thought, in reason, observation and experience. I believe in self-reliance and in expressing your honest thought. I have hope for the whole human race. What will happen to one, will, I hope, happen to all, and that, I hope, will be good.

Above all, I believe in Liberty." - Robert Ingersoll


It struck a chord

So I delved a little deeper, and found this ...

The Essence of the Humanist Ethical Tradition

In three words: freedom / happiness / virtue

In one sentence: The World is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion - Thomas Paine

We live in a natural universe, and supernatural beings like gods, devils, ghosts and witches either do not exist. Nor does Heaven or Hades exist. Everything that does exist and everything that happens occurs through chance, necessity and choice.

While atheism is merely the absence of belief, humanism is a positive attitude to the world, centred on human experience, thought, and hopes.

The British Humanist Association and The International Humanist and Ethical Union use similar emblems showing a stylised human figure reaching out to achieve its full potential.

Humanists believe that human experience and rational thinking provide the only source of both knowledge and a moral code to live by.

They reject the idea of knowledge 'revealed' to human beings by gods, or in special books.

Humanism is a democratic and ethical life stance, which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives.

It stands for the building of a more humane society through an ethic based on human and other natural values in the spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities.

It is not theistic, and it does not accept supernatural views of reality.


International Humanist and Ethical Union


So ... I think I will read some more about this ... sounds kind of interesting drinker

no photo
Fri 08/22/08 09:22 PM
I'm all in favor of humanism.

I don't like those non-human galaxy aliens. laugh

Seriously, I love you because you're human.drinker

Belushi's photo
Fri 08/22/08 09:25 PM

I'm all in favor of humanism.

I don't like those non-human galaxy aliens. laugh

Seriously, I love you because you're human.drinker


Oh yeah??? smooched

How much do you love me? ... want a biscuit with that coffee? [shuffles closer along the bench] bigsmile

Ruth34611's photo
Fri 08/22/08 09:33 PM
I was raised Christian from infancy. My father was a minister most of my younger years. When I married my husband I converted to Catholicism for him (they're both Christian, but the ritual side of it is very different). I became a very devout Catholic studying everything I could get my hands on. I studied Catholic history and Catholic saints all they way back to the beginning of Christianity. Then I went back further and discovered Paganism. Paganism answered all the questions Christianity couldn't and I have stayed here. I have briefly looked into other religions such as Buddhism, but found they gave me more questions than answers. And, that is how I got here.

Belushi's photo
Fri 08/22/08 09:35 PM

I was raised Christian from infancy. My father was a minister most of my younger years. When I married my husband I converted to Catholicism for him (they're both Christian, but the ritual side of it is very different). I became a very devout Catholic studying everything I could get my hands on. I studied Catholic history and Catholic saints all they way back to the beginning of Christianity. Then I went back further and discovered Paganism. Paganism answered all the questions Christianity couldn't and I have stayed here. I have briefly looked into other religions such as Buddhism, but found they gave me more questions than answers. And, that is how I got here.


Thanks Ruth.

What questions were answered by paganism, that christianity failed to?

Ruth34611's photo
Fri 08/22/08 09:40 PM


I was raised Christian from infancy. My father was a minister most of my younger years. When I married my husband I converted to Catholicism for him (they're both Christian, but the ritual side of it is very different). I became a very devout Catholic studying everything I could get my hands on. I studied Catholic history and Catholic saints all they way back to the beginning of Christianity. Then I went back further and discovered Paganism. Paganism answered all the questions Christianity couldn't and I have stayed here. I have briefly looked into other religions such as Buddhism, but found they gave me more questions than answers. And, that is how I got here.


Thanks Ruth.

What questions were answered by paganism, that christianity failed to?


Well, the biggest problem I had with Christianity was the teaching that God created the human race and yet only a very few are chosen to spend eternity in heaven with him while the rest will reject him and burn in hell.

I guess they weren't so much questions as the concepts just didn't make sense. There's so much....

Belushi's photo
Fri 08/22/08 09:48 PM



I was raised Christian from infancy. My father was a minister most of my younger years. When I married my husband I converted to Catholicism for him (they're both Christian, but the ritual side of it is very different). I became a very devout Catholic studying everything I could get my hands on. I studied Catholic history and Catholic saints all they way back to the beginning of Christianity. Then I went back further and discovered Paganism. Paganism answered all the questions Christianity couldn't and I have stayed here. I have briefly looked into other religions such as Buddhism, but found they gave me more questions than answers. And, that is how I got here.


Thanks Ruth.

What questions were answered by paganism, that christianity failed to?


Well, the biggest problem I had with Christianity was the teaching that God created the human race and yet only a very few are chosen to spend eternity in heaven with him while the rest will reject him and burn in hell.

I guess they weren't so much questions as the concepts just didn't make sense. There's so much....

How does paganism answer that initial paragraph, or was it just that it doesnt make sense?

How do you perceive the beginning of the earth based on your belief?

Ruth34611's photo
Fri 08/22/08 09:55 PM
Paganism answers that question by the mere fact that there is no such thing. There is no hell. I believe, as do most pagans, in reincarnation.

There has to be some meaning to life, otherwise it's pointless and not worth living. However, if every life we live here is a process we have to go through to learn and become better than it's worth doing.

How the world was created? By a divine being (my personal opinion) neither male nor female, but both. And, again my opinion, we are all a part of that divine being. I know I'm not doing a very good job of explaining my beliefs. It's been a long day and I'm very tired. I hope that was kind of clear.

Belushi's photo
Fri 08/22/08 09:56 PM

Paganism answers that question by the mere fact that there is no such thing. There is no hell. I believe, as do most pagans, in reincarnation.

There has to be some meaning to life, otherwise it's pointless and not worth living. However, if every life we live here is a process we have to go through to learn and become better than it's worth doing.

How the world was created? By a divine being (my personal opinion) neither male nor female, but both. And, again my opinion, we are all a part of that divine being. I know I'm not doing a very good job of explaining my beliefs. It's been a long day and I'm very tired. I hope that was kind of clear.


Its ok, I get the gist.
Thanks again

no photo
Sat 08/23/08 08:46 AM






Someone asked me once if right now......right this very minute God asked you to die for him, would you? I did not even hesitate YES YES YES



so then based on this exerpt, you must admire those people who blow themselves up for their god..they love him just as much as you love yours....



I don't know if I would die for someone who claimed to be God. He had better have an iron clad identification card and a damn good reason. laugh

Even then, I am a skeptic. I don't know if I would believe him or her.

JB



ahhh you hit it right on the nose JB.....You think he "claims" to be God.....I "KNOW" he is.

And again that pesky word that you all hate so much.....My faith in God.....Is all I need.......



rofl rofl rofl

Only fools are positive.

Any shinny light being could walk up to you and do a few magic tricks, raise a few people from the dead and you would believe him and go die for him as per his request.

You are so easy. rofl rofl




No sweet lady faith.....that is all it takes....and you either have or you don't.........not something your born with.....And easy no.........enlightened.....yes


Oh there is nothing wrong with faith. But I doubt that anyone has seen or heard God tell them what they should do, least of all tell them to die for him, so any entity that would tell me to die for him I would question.

Having faith in God, for me is feeling that I have free will to make my own choices. God would not ever tell anyone to die or kill for him. For you to say you would die for him if he asked means that if some entity convinced you he was God you would die or do anything he asked without question.

For you, all he would have to do to prove he was God is glow around the head a little or manifest a host of butterflies or raise someone from the dead or some other magic trick.

That is why I said you are easy. Easy to convince. Satan himself could easily convince you he was God with some small miracle and you would die for him.

So you might want to question .. just a little more, lest some magician convince you he is God.

JB

Kleisto's photo
Sat 08/23/08 09:01 AM


Was baptized Lutheran though never really practiced, as my mom's side has never been terribly religious or went to church much (my late grandfather aside). Became Catholic at the behest of my dad in 2002 (had been going t church with him somewhat regularly before that, dad's side very devout), and stayed that way till last year or so, when I became skeptical of Catholicism and what it taught.

After thinking about it some, decided to leave as I felt I couldn't in good conscience remain in it. Now I'm not sure what I believe, I do believe in God still, but not sure about churches. Very skeptical of them, since it seems like they all teach different things. It's hard to know who is speaking truth and who's not in that sense.



Why did you become catholic because of your dad?
Did you believe in the catholic edicts?


At the time I didn't really know any better. I was 14 or so, didn't exactly have any objections at the time, as I had already been going to masses with him every so often anyway. So I decided to go along with it, and for a while I believed it, until I finally saw the truth of it all in my mind.

no photo
Sat 08/23/08 10:55 AM
Edited by voileazur on Sat 08/23/08 11:00 AM
I was raised in an almost exclusively catholic environment. The whole world might as well have been WHITE, FRENCH, AND CATHOLIC, up until I was 7 or 8, that was all I knew, in spite of traveling and meeting all kinds of poeple, we were all french (some spoke it funnily), white (some had darker shades of white), and for sure all catholics!!!

Around that time frame (7 yrs old), I attended an elemantary private school.

Before christmas break of grade 3, a new student landed in our classroom. His skin was a darker shade of white, which didn't matter much to anyone. His accent was 'different', which was interesting. And he just became part of the'gang' at recess around a game of 'ballon chasseur'!!!

I grew found of Tarek. The stories of his childhood, his native country, Egypt, his colorful and so exotic experiences: desert camping, eating with his fingers, talking about the pyramids, so fascinating for the white-french-catholic little boys we were.

Then, one morning in March, Sister Marie-Lina, our head teacher, informed us that Tarek wouldn't be back in our class, and wouldn't be back to our school.

WHAT!?!?!? Tarek?!?!? My new buddy. I wouldn't see him again. Not even a good bye??? No reason! No explanations! 'Won't be back!!!' That's it!!!

I raised my hand immediately (I raised my hand a lot), and asked WHY???

There is no WHY! I was told. Tarek simply was not coming back to our school! End of discussion.

What?!?!? End of discussion!?!?!? Can't be, I thought in all my 7 year old might!!!

'... But why is not coming back?!?!?...' Did something happened to him? Was he hurt? I thought to myself.

'... OUT!!!...' Ordered Sister Marie-Lina. I was kicked out of the classroom for asking WHY!!!

It was a funny feeling, being alone in the hall, away from my gang of friends, but somehow I felt proud. I wanted to know what had happening to 'MY FRIEND'!!!

Back at home, later that evening, around the dinner table, my mom asked me what had happened. Wat had I done to be kicked out?

NOTHING!!! I replied. I DID NOTHING!!! I asked the same question twice about Tarek (Mom liked Tarek a lot; he was so polite!!!), and never got an answer.

'... What happened to Tarek???...' My mom asked.

Well to make a long story short, with my mom's help, I got the answer I was looking for.

Some 'parents' were questionning Tarek's origins, and religious upbringing. Apparently, Tarek was not christian, and those parents demanded that he be expulsed from the school. Based on some foggy article of the school's charter, the school proceeded with Tarek's expulsion.

But the school didn't know my mom.

She raised 'hell' in her own (teacher herself) wise, just, patient, and methodical way.

Following a school wide petition, many discussions with the principal of the school, and a general referendum to parents, Tarek was re-instated as a full-fledged student of our school, ... with the school as a whole presenting formal apologies for the administrative 'mistake'!!!

I probably had unconscious pre-dispositions, but I am clear I progressively became a conscious 'dissenter' and questionner of 'authoritative edict' from that point on.

Ironically, thank 'god' for Tarek!!!