The Christian Thread

Diaby wrote: Epignosis wrote: Diaby wrote: Thank you for your kind posts. He's better this day than he was tomorrow – that's a hopeful improvement.   Robert: I hope once I will be like you, somebody who has always fully trust in God. I wish He sends you solutions for those hardships you're going through. Forget people who say faith is "blind belief."  I only have faith because God has helped me in the worst of circumstances. Just know Jesus will care for you also, friend.  I will also be praying for you grandfather, and for you as well.   Lots of thanks, my friend.   My grandfather passed away on Monday. I'm sad but also grateful to God because He didn't let him suffer too much. He is in a better place now I know.

As someone who recently lost a grandparent, you have my sincerest condolences and prayers.  God bless his soul.

StyLaZyn wrote: Vibrationbaby wrote: I just eliminated myself from this thread because I would just stir up unecessary s***. Like, how come there isn't an atheist , Hindu, Judaism, Islam, etc...thread? You never see those threads do you.

Apparently no one took the initiative to make one.

Epignosis wrote: StyLaZyn wrote: Vibrationbaby wrote: I just eliminated myself from this thread because I would just stir up unecessary s***. Like, how come there isn't an atheist , Hindu, Judaism, Islam, etc...thread? You never see those threads do you. Apparently no one took the initiative to make one.

Wasn't The Atheist Thread (despite not being an "appreciation" thread from the beginning) quite enough?

Ricochet wrote: Epignosis wrote: StyLaZyn wrote: Vibrationbaby wrote: I just eliminated myself from this thread because I would just stir up unecessary s***. Like, how come there isn't an atheist , Hindu, Judaism, Islam, etc...thread? You never see those threads do you. Apparently no one took the initiative to make one. Wasn't The Atheist Thread (despite not being an "appreciation" thread from the beginning) quite enough?

I must have missed that thread. Although a Gnostic Thread could be very interesting. Atheists believe in nothing, so it would be either an empty thread or a thread dismissing all other religions.

Slartibartfast wrote: StyLaZyn wrote: I must have missed that thread. Although a Gnostic Thread could be very interesting. Atheists believe in nothing, so it would be either an empty thread or a thread dismissing all other religions. A common misconception that atheists don't believe in anything or believe in nothing, they just dont belive in a the.

It was actually a tongue in cheek comment. about the nothing. Athiests come in various colors. I am almost an atheist, in that I believe if there is a divine being, it has never played any direct part in our lives and it has no conscious like ours. Some atheists are out to crush all religions. Others just live their lives with select input because it strengthens their views. And other still, evade all discussions on faith. Like you say, it's not that they don't believe in anything. I'm sure they believe in human existence as a result of chance. That is a belief, just not a religion.

Epignosis wrote: StyLaZyn wrote: Slartibartfast wrote: StyLaZyn wrote: I must have missed that thread. Although a Gnostic Thread could be very interesting. Atheists believe in nothing, so it would be either an empty thread or a thread dismissing all other religions. A common misconception that atheists don't believe in anything or believe in nothing, they just dont belive in a the. It was actually a tongue in cheek comment. about the nothing. Athiests come in various colors. I am almost an atheist, in that I believe if there is a divine being, it has never played any direct part in our lives and it has no conscious like ours. Some atheists are out to crush all religions. Others just live their lives with select input because it strengthens their views. And other still, evade all discussions on faith. Like you say, it's not that they don't believe in anything. I'm sure they believe in human existence as a result of chance. That is a belief, just not a religion. Then you're almost a Deist, not an atheist.

That depends on the point of origin. I used to be a hard core Christian. I am moving away from organized religion.

Deathrabbit wrote: Me too. I'm doing my darndest tho not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. It's easy for me tho, all my life I've felt God. Perhaps, I'm just insane, but you know that feeling when someone is like looking over your shoulder? With a few exceptions, I've always felt that. I feel sometimes that in the faith game I have an unfair advantage. Unfortunately, this feeling/madness does have it's downsides. Occasionally, I have almost paralyzing attacks of conscience where I can barely function.

The mind arms itself with powerful self-preservation modes, as can be exemplified with the fight or flight impulse. The idea of the afterlife works in just that way, serving as comfort against absolute mortality. And interestingly, religion provides it's own concepts which are almost akin to survival of the fittest. For this reason, I sometimes rationalize that religion is a type of mental evolution, and not so much reality. An attempt for the subconscious to preserve itself. With respect to someone looking over your shoulder, why would a fair God chose one human over another?

Theory says, it's the human's choice, not God's.

StyLaZyn wrote: Deathrabbit wrote: Me too. I'm doing my darndest tho not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. It's easy for me tho, all my life I've felt God. Perhaps, I'm just insane, but you know that feeling when someone is like looking over your shoulder? With a few exceptions, I've always felt that. I feel sometimes that in the faith game I have an unfair advantage. Unfortunately, this feeling/madness does have it's downsides. Occasionally, I have almost paralyzing attacks of conscience where I can barely function. The mind arms itself with powerful self-preservation modes, as can be exemplified with the fight or flight impulse. The idea of the afterlife works in just that way, serving as comfort against absolute mortality. And interestingly, religion provides it's own concepts which are almost akin to survival of the fittest. For this reason, I sometimes rationalize that religion is a type of mental evolution, and not so much reality. An attempt for the subconscious to preserve itself. With respect to someone looking over your shoulder, why would a fair God chose one human over another?

No offense, but that has nothing to do with why I am a Christian.

Job says "though He slay me, yet will I praise Him."

If God is the ultimate creator of the world, then whom else can I praise completely?  God is worthy of all honor that there is, and I none, so whether or not I live on doesn't matter really.

And if you look in the Bible, the only reason we do live on is to glorify Him forever.

TGM: Orb wrote: Theory says, it's the human's choice, not God's.

The Bible clearly says otherwise.