Here I stand in the spotlight, losing my religion!

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I'm in between Christanity and Buddhism. Going to Buddhism, haven't told my parents yet though.

 

I guess from some people’s point of view, I should hate God, or simply not believe in Him because there’s no way He would allow what has happened to me, to happen, right?

- I mean my dad was diagnosed with MS when I was five. It got so bad, I had to go to a nursing home just to see him, and I was only seven. He eventually died.

- A dear friend of mine, and the best girl I have ever dated, was diagnosed with cancer and died not long after. I remember the last time I saw her. She had a gleam in her eyes and that beautiful smile. Cancer and Chemo couldn’t get her down to save their lives.

- This past Christmas I found out I had cancer growing my throat and had to have a cyst removed. In a month I am undergoing precautionary treatment.

All this and yet I don’t hate God, I don’t turn my back on him. Instead I embrace Him and I feel His love. Hardly anything gets me down. I walk around with a huge smile on my face all the time. Whatever Satan throws my way; I take it and go on. God’s love and acceptance is very powerful, more powerful then anything a punk like Satan could ever be or possess.

I am a Christian, a Jesus Follower, a child of God (everyone’s a child of God, just not everyone chooses to accept this fact), and a Believer, therefore a member of his glorious Kingdom. And no matter how many sicknesses, loss of loved ones, nightmares, and whatever else Satan sends my way, my belief will not falter. I know that my loved ones are Christians too, and I will see them again one day.

God loves me. I am so stupid sometimes, and make mistakes that seem so unforgivable. But I ask for forgiveness and bam, because of what God has done, sending His son, Jesus to the cross to bear all mankind’s sins and defy death and Satan, I am forgiven, just like that. After that, God dwells on it no more.

But Satan tries to get me to dwell on it. Tries to get me to down, pacified. He knows he has lost as far I am concerned, I am Christian and there’s no turning back. But he will try to pacify me as much as possible. But I’ve got news for him, it ain’t gonna happen. I’m not out to be a fanatic, I just want others to know God’s love and feel it too. So that the next time they cry it’s not tears of sorrow, but tears of joy.

In general, Satan tries to pacify the Church too. He makes sure the news gets out every time a pastor messes up and sins, perhaps sleeping with another woman, or stealing funds from the Church. He tries to cause and stir up dissension amongst the Church, over petty things like should women not be pastors, to more important things like should we baptize infants, or wait until they are older? He tries to make us forget, we’ll all in this together.

All through the Old Testament God promised He would send a Savior, to save man from his fall, a fall that was not brought about by God, but by Satan and his deception of man. And He did.

All through the New Testament God has promised Satan will get what is coming to him, and Jesus will return. I can’t wait to witness this. In the meantime, He has left us with His Word, the Bible. We must realize our time is not God’s time. When you have been around for all eternity, a few thousand years is less than a blink of an eye.

I believe Spiritual Warfare is very real. I believe in the power of prayer. I even believe in many charismatic beliefs, such that some gifted people can speak in tongues. I believe in the Bible, but I realize that because of translation and the passing of time that when reading it, one must keep an open mind. It is good to pray to God before reading it, asking for the wisdom to interpret the meaning He intended. It’s hard to pick a favorite book. They are all good. I am a big fan of Revelation though. All of Paul’s letters are fabulous. It’s cool knowing that Paul was one of the biggest unbelievers ever, a persecutor of Christians, essentially a pawn for Satan. And that just like that, God’s love worked through him, and he became a Christian, the very thing he used to scoff and roll his eyes at. And lived an interesting life. He was happy, and he got to travel. He was also in jail a lot though, yet he would sing praises to God. And God working through Paul brought many to come to know Him. Just like He has his people do now.

God is not a passive being that just created us and sat back. He wants us to enjoy our lives; they’re His gift to us. But He also wants us to know that there is something after life for us as well. We only need to return His love and have faith in Him. It’s not time yet for all this to end. Apparently there are more people who yet have lives to live. Otherwise, the events of Revelation would have occurred by now. He has sent prophets, His own Son, Jesus, a Savior, and He has left us with His Word. And He has given us life, what we choose to do with it, and what we choose to believe, is our decision.

Some would say God has a detailed plan for our lives. I believe God has a sovereign will (the big picture) and a moral will (general guidelines for life). I do not believe God necessarily has an individual will for us. He gave us minds of our own. He knows what path we will take, but that is not the same as saying “He makes us take that path.” He makes us do nothing. He just knows the outcome. I like this analogy; often God compares Himself as a Shepherd and us as His Sheep. Does a shepherd care for his sheep? Yes. Does a shepherd tell each sheep exactly what blade of grass it must eat? No. Yet, for every sheep’s safety, the shepherd has a fence (moral will). If a sheep gets loose, the shepherd will not rest until it is found and cared for. I can speak for no one else but me. I know that my decision is the best thing that ever happened to me, and happens to me every day. It will affect me for all eternity. I never have to feel down, and I never have to feel sad. Depression? Loneliness? Fear? What’s that? I have God.


[This message has been edited by Big B (edited February 03, 2002).]

 

Your acceptance of your fate sickens me...though I do not imply any offense, Big B.

If, one day, God appears before me and thoroughly convinces me of his existence. I shall look him straight in the eye and scream into his face.
" Die, you bastard!"
I would then draw whatever weapon I had at hand, or failing that, pull back my fist and attack him, heedless of the consequences. He is answerable for every atrocity that has taken place since the beginning of time.

Allow me to introduce this theory assuming the Christian GOd really exists.
He gave humanity free will, yet demands that they love him. He piles loads of shit and crap on them, torturing them with his whims and still insists on their affection. Those proud and few who refuse are sent to an eternity of torment in the afterlife.
I, for one, will not stand for such behavior. Not even from a divine being who is suppossedly our creator. To me, the Christian/Muslim/Jewish/Monotheistic god is nothing but an insecure, despotic and extremely, extremely sadistic individual. Never will I bow in submission to his will, which if it is as omnipresent as Christians claim it is, then it is God's fault that I am against him and that I am going to hell.


I shall burn proudly, if so. If there is a God, he is the greatest enemy of humanity. Piety? Compassion? Godliness? I have Hate. That is enough for me to wage my personal war against God and his followers.

 

I will pray for you

 

I guess, to some people, it look so cool to be evil. What a sad waste of energy.

 

Wow!!! I thought THIS thread would be buried or deleted for being racy... but I like the return! I feel Like im getting to know you guys(and lovely ladies) on a deeper level.

For you Shura, unlike the others, I dont hate or pity you, and I will do no praying. Part of my belives insist that you get to live your life however you will. But I do have to dissagree... God is resposible for nothing. Even under a christian for muslim, buddist, taoist, whatever, saying god is responsible for ANY atrcities is passing the buck... and blaming the devil is worse.

I dont feel like I made myself very defined before. I only think something sreated us and is leaving us to our devices... and the Morning Star, or satan to all you non christians, is a fantasy to blame our baser impulses on. There Is NO ONE responsible for ANYTHING you do but YOU! No god made me steal, no god made men(emphasis MEN) crash planes into my country, MEN make drugs and bombs, anthrax and sarin gas, rape and murder. NOT EVEN THE POPE HIMSELF can tell me he saw god kill childeren. it was HUMANS. And while I dont belive any of this will be punished when we all die. Those who did it will know what they did, and they will never forget. That is worse than any fires of brimstone a preacher with a storybook can conjure.



[This message has been edited by ShadowDaemon (edited February 03, 2002).]

 

From a friend:

If there exists some lord, all powerful to fulfil,
In every creature bliss or woe, action good or ill,
That lord is stained with sin. Man does but work his will.


He who has eyes can see the sickening sight
Why does not God set his creatures right?
If his wide power no limits can restrain
Why is his hand so rarely spread to bless?
Why are all his creatures condemned to pain?
Why does he not give all happiness?
Why do fraud, lies and ignorance prevail?
Why triumphs falsehood-truth and justice fail?
I count your God one the unjust among,
Who made a world in which to shelter wrong.

 

Shura, your friend is deep, eh? Misguided I think, but deep. Too much cynicism for my liking. Emotive stuff tho'. However, equating people's wrong doing with God's will (ANY God) is the same as saying we're just pieces on a greater chess board. Whichever way you swing in the religion stakes, that is plainly just a copout. Or you believe in the Discworld Deities.

I'm personally undecided on the matter of higher beings, but I do not believe that your actions as a human being can ever be excused as "God's will". Take responsibility for what you do wrong. Take credit where you do good. Just don't tell me that religious interpretation makes it RIGHT. Live with your fellow man, do things to help him because you can.

Religion becomes less important to people, as we are getting more affluent. We don't need a God in the way we did before, because we have most things we need (Industrialised parts of the world). I just hope that one day perhaps we will spend more time and effort making sure everyone has that option, coz it sure as hell isn't the case now. Not that people shouldn't have the option of religion if it fulfills them, but it would stop being a politcal powerbase which is what it is now in large parts of the world.

 

Shura, will you please read what I've posted up there? I've just added a word "weapon" to make it more understandable to you.

[This message has been edited by Extremist (edited February 03, 2002).]

 

This is why I'm leaning towards Buddism. Just work your way up the ladder till you join Karma(not sure if thats how you spell it). If you drop you drop. No painful hell, no happy ever after.

It's like gia if you'v ever watched Final Fantasy The Spirts With In.

 

Just a few remarks...

Movie is called "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within".
It rocks and I advise it to Shura just to spot that nice cool military leader inside the movie.

The spirits are not part of gia but GEA - the name was copied from Greek mythology.

 

I want to watch that...I'm a hard-core Final Fantasy fan, but I missed it when It came to the movies so I have to watch it on video.

Extremist, do you mean Gaia? It's a word meaning "earth"; in Greek mythology the earth-goddess who was mother of the world.

 

Christian? Catholic? Who needs it? Not I.

I'm not, nor have I ever tried to claim that I necessarily have answers, insofar as answers can only exist within each individual. There is no worldwide truth, nor global communion. For me, in my world, through my eyes, I do not need the complications nor sublimations inherent with a god. I am doing just fine on my own, as I have been, as I hope to always do- and I do not feel the slightest bit empty or lonely. I have the kindness of my fellow race, and more importantly to me, my loved ones, to keep me company.

As for Shura- right on, brother man. Not for simply your hatred, but for your insight that there is no absolute, and that evil and hatred is just as viable a solution as good. Can the multitude of wise minds on this board be blinded by righteousness to such a degree as to not realize that if we had come to being in a different condition we may well worship hate and cruelty over love and compassion? Perhaps it is just speculation, and things did not turn out that way for the majority- but can it not still hold true? Is love and nurturing not an instinct that runs through animals because of the fear in a pack mentality? If we were born self-sufficient, without regard to parenting or family, would we be so loving? If we were exposed from early childhood to territorial disputes and competition, where others sought our lives to continue there's- if all the world was cannibalistic- would we be so jovial a people? No, we would be a bloodthirsty, vengeful people, wherein the outcasts would be those unfit to survive, or those with kind hearts who showed weakness through charity.

In essence- do not pray for those who embrace hatred. Pain and joy are not so different, it simply depends on your point of view. Most people cannot understand this- or think it is sick... you are welcome to that view if you so desire. Pain and hatred do not interest me, but I can envision the possibility that a person could. It IS possible, god or no god. And if this is so- how can god be so much greater than satan? Flip a coin.

Amon-Ra

 

I'll add my comments here.

I was raised... well, not raised, slightly poked rather, to be Christian. I was that for about ten years of my life. I actually read the bible seven times before I was ten. (I have no idea how I managed to do that...)
Then, there were a couple of years of slipping away, and when I was twelve, I became an atheist. That phase lasted for an year or so, until I became an agnostic. After another year, I became a neo/pagan. Now, two years later, I am a complete mess of agnostic/neopagan/jedi/skeptic depending on what sort of a day I have.

There are some general things, though:

I prefer chaos to order.

Open mind is extremely valuable.

Free will is important. If only one option, be it good, evil or neutral is offered, things don't work.

Evil exists, as does good, but I do not believe there is a personification of either.

Balance is important.

Ara
(I hate mondays... no staring at my English teacher 'cause he's sick....)

 

I have to take issue with Amon-Ra over the 'equivalence' of good and evil. Animals may kill and fight for territory (although few kill more than they can eat and most territorial fights within species are non-lethal) - but we are supposed to be a bit more civilized.
Look what the endless cycle of violence has achieved in the Middle East, Balkans, N. Ireland etc.
By the moral choices we make every day we can all make this world at little more 'heavenly' or a bit more 'hellish'. Bully, cheat, extort and you may make short term gains but you create bitter unhappy enemies. Treat people with respect and compassion and you increase your circle of real friends.
By all means roleplay evil to see how it feels, in Real Life there is only one sensible choice.

 

I have a question for Shura, worshipper of murder and violence. Have you actually killed anyone yet?

 

Heh, from previous posts, some of you should recognize my view on this sort of question.

I believe that there is a God. I believe in the Catholic faith whole heartedly. Even if I am wrong, that there is no God, or he is a twisted freak as several of you seem to be suggesting, then what difference will it have made? If I hold true to the teachings of the Church, which advice me to be a good and honest person, then what detriment is that to society?

See, God gave us free will. By free will he would not interfere with our lives. The sufferings spoken of thus far are for the most part human wrought.

Big B - my father has had MS since he was 9.
He also had an inherantly(sp?) bad back. I suffer from the same bad back. My family has a history of skin and lung disease, heart failure, MS, fatal reactions to pain killers, and I inherited almost all of them to some degree. I have watched as my family members were stripped away from me - through death, alcohol, drugs, and the like.

I am one of ten children. For eight years, we twelve (mom, dad, 10 kids) survived on less than 30,000 US dollars...all through welfare. All of our cars have been donated to us. They might as well name the local food pantry after my family. Yet I don't mourn. Elie Wiesel, a Jew who lived through the terror of the concentration camps in World War 2, argued that his still strong belief in God rests in the knowledge that he cannot interfere and maintain the gift of free will.

'For suffering contains the secret of creation and its dimension of eternity; it can be pierced only from the inside. Suffering betters some people and transfigures others. At the end of suffering, of mystery, God awaits us...' - Elie Wiesel, "The Gates of the Forest"

 

Keep truckin' Sapiryl. I am motivated by your words. May you find joy and peace throughout the rest of your life, and I look forward to getting to meet you one day .

 

/me loves Arwen

 

Hey arabwel! Your little thing about free will got me thinking...

I only have mormonism-like teachings to remember hazily... but If I remember right the bible claims that after the good god made this rock, he decided we were already hopelessly screwed and now needed a savior. Satan jumps up and yells "HEYY, pick me pick me! Ill make everyone be good and makesure they all come back!" "Jesus sez, Ill do whatever you want dad... Free will? ok free will it is!" So, for wanting us all to be good, The morning star was condemed to a realm of utter blackness, where even the most vile of criminals wont even go. Then they come down here and say we all have the free will to make a choice in our life. But we have this list... of TEN THINGS WE DO NOT WANT YOU TO DO! And if you do any of these things, we make your 'brother' and 'lord god' Bleed a drop of blood in the most painful execution device we cna imagine. So unless you want to go to hell, burn for eternity, and all of that. You must NOT under ANY circumstances do these things!!

Is it just me or is organized religion a bane to free thinking? when I say these things, why do all the good mormons call me a blasphemer and heretic... instead of doing like they're 'savior' and loveing me any way?

Why wont my grandfather talk to me.......