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Originally Posted by MOWERMAN2468

well that is your own personal choice. one day when you are burning in hell, perhaps you will believe in hell then.

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Originally Posted by NeedKarma

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I may need to borrow your little friends from time to time... would that be okay :D

I believe there is a big difference between believing in religion and believing in God.

Simple but true.

Do you have to believe in religion, no. Do you have to believe in God, No. It is a personal individual choice to believe or not believe.

Very simple. No need for arguing, judging or condemning anybody.

At the same time the original OP, in a general statement thinks that all religion or belief is the same, which it is not.

Well anyway, take care. Just wanted to post a couple of things.

Joe

I believe in life after death, and by me doing that it make that nap that I take so much more enjoyable.

I believe religion is primitive and leads to division among mankind.

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Originally Posted by Love-Life

I, as an idividual do not beleive in any religion. Sometimes it angers me when people get offended that I do not beleive in God, its my personal choice. I just think that religions start alot of conflict and don't make any sense. Am I wrong to feel this way?

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You are not wrong for feeling the way you do. I too do not believe in God or a higher power and I get a lot of slack from my family because of it.

I do believe that certain types of people give religions a bad name though. Some people who believe in God can do so and not let it effect people around them. Others have the need to scream it from the roof tops that all us non-believers are going to burn in hell. I use to go to church when I was younger. We were actually told by our preacher that people needed to hear the word of God whether they wanted too or not. Even if they wouldn't listen to you, at least you had tried to get the message out. I considered this ridiculous and later on gave up on religion all together.

I have learned to let their rude, judgemental comments slide (unless I am in a really bad mood that day. Ha ha) and move on with my daily life.
;)

There is religion, that is a belief system. Most religions teach that their way is the only right way. If we teach superiority, we are teaching intolerance and hate. Your religion is different? Yours teaches love? Then why, in the past 1000 years has every war been fought around intolerance, hate, selfishness and being the right ones?

There is belief in God, a great 'father in the sky.' Blind belief in this, can cause us to think that we do not have to be responsible for making choices. The sky father controls all. Most religions that recognize an earth mother are considered 'less than' and either pagan or heathen. Those are bad words. They mean wrong, misguided and untaught (not of Islamic, Jewish or Christian affiliation.) If these 'icky' folks are taught, they are no longer inferior.

Christianity does indeed allow God to reach us. The trouble is that God is already a part of us. We do not remember that we are connected. Our minds cannot grasp what we are. No wonder meditation is so effective. Our ego and intellect are useful, through them we can experience separateness. But we are not separate from, or superior to one another.

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Originally Posted by Love-Life

I, as an idividual do not beleive in any religion. Sometimes it angers me when people get offended that I do not beleive in God, its my personal choice. I just think that religions start alot of conflict and don't make any sense. Am I wrong to feel this way?

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You are never wrong for a feeling, however in my experience, people who claim they don't believe in god - have usually not taken the time or energy to really STUDY - whether it's the bible or any other book on the subject - I am a recent convert to christianity - and had done so because of my YEARS of study on NUMEROUS religions. I wouldn't say EVERYONE who really STUDIES the bible and associated commentaries will come to the same conclusion and take the same action as I did, but at least the person would then have a much greater education on which to go on rather than that of merely an opinion.

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Originally Posted by hic1957

you are never wrong for a feeling, however in my experience, people who claim they don't belive in god - have usually not taken the time or energy to really STUDY - wether it's the bible or any other book on the subject

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Yea I guess you missed the part where many atheists were once christians.

Not sure what the "separate" vernacular is referring to - please explain - as for being self taught - I prefer self educated! - as is true with a lot of subjects, there are those of us who prefer ignorant opinion rather than investing the time necessary to form an educated opinion - we are NOT all separate - we are however, not all inclined either, to limit ourselves to a rationale or lack thereof based upon ignorance - I'm only suggesting that having educated oneself to the extent possible would THEN enable one and put one in a much better position to discuss ANYTHING - first learn, then discuss.

Some of you that say you don't believe in religion have ever right t9o say that but I would love to be standing next to you when that terrible moment might come in you life that you have no control over, I would like to see who and what you turn to for comfort and peace.

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Originally Posted by letmetellu

Some of you that say you don't believe in religion have ever right t9o say that but I would love to be standing next to you when that terrible moment might come in you life that you have no control over, I would like to see who and what you turn to for comfort and peace.

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You mean like when my Aunt died (she was 55)? Or when my cousin's baby died the day before she was due? Or maybe when my dad died (he was also 55)? You mean those terrible moments, when I turned to my family and friends for comfort and peace? When I took stock of my own life and the things that are important and valuable to me, and I figured out how to make myself a better person and show those around me how much they mean to me?

PS: Your statement is rather sadistic and screams of arrogance.

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Originally Posted by letmetellu

When I was layng in a foxhole and three of my buddies laying dead there beside me and blood squirting out of my leg, I turned to GOD. There was no family of friends there to turn to.

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How come god didn't help your three buddies?

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Originally Posted by letmetellu

When I was layng in a foxhole and three of my buddies laying dead there beside me and blood squirting out of my leg, I turned to GOD. There was no family of friends there to turn to.

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I'm sorry for your experience, and I'm glad you found comfort in turning to god. The point of my post, however, is that it is very arrogant of you to think that just because someone is experiencing a horrible event that they will turn to a higher power instead of seeking power and strength in themselves. It is also massively, massively sadistic that you want to stand there when someone has a tragedy so you can thumb your nose at them and say, "I told you so!" or "Don't you wish you believed in god now?"

You find your strength in god. I find my strength in myself. I like it that way.

Whom do you think gave you that strength in the first place?

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Originally Posted by hic1957

whom do you think gave you that strength in the first place?

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Strength comes from within. It isn't given to you. You have to build it on your own. I find strength in myself every day. I look for it in myself instead of looking too a god to give it too me.

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Originally Posted by hic1957

whom do you think gave you that strength in the first place?

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If you are a person of faith, and I assume you are, there is no possible way I can convince you the strength came from ME. I did it, I always do it. Since I can't convince you of that, I can only tell you that is how I feel and hope you accept that. You can think my strength comes from god and I just don't know it, it doesn't bother me. But I know the strength I have comes from me.

If we presume for a moment that you are correct, and strength or any other facility comes from you and you alone - what happens when you fail? - I know a an extremely intelligent person with numerous degrees who has built numerous successful companies and acquired mega wealth - despite these strengths, his daughter is STILL dying of an unknown disease and he blames himself not for the disease, but because despite all his power, all his money, all his resources, all his strength - he cannot help her - I once asked him why he takes all the credit for everything good in his life instead of thanking and praising god - akin to you, he said he didn't believe! - I said I accept this, but what has he got to lose, especially where his daughter is concerned? - I asked him if there WAS a god, would he be willing to risk her life by purposely NOT taking the risk of getting down on his knees and asking for mercy for his daughter? - I said you say you have done everything you could for her, but your really haven't done EVERYTHING! - I said you need not believe - but if there is a god, he surely believes in YOU and if this IS a test are you willing to give up your daughter's life to prove a point? - even if I COULD do EVERYTHING myself and didn't NEED anyone's help for anything - why would I WANT to live that way?
We are a social people and if there is anything out there remotely that would willingly share the burden, I'd be inclined to at least see what it's all about.
Thank you for listening!

One last comment on this - I do not fault anyone for not believing - whether it is in god or anything else - that's their choice and I accept and respect them for it - I only take exception when a choice is made in ignorance - I know an elderly jewish woman who feels life starts and stops with the old testament. Seems to me, that the old testament is akin to that of high school; whereas the new testament may be likened to that of additional (not superior or better, just "more") education such as college and/or graduate school, etc.
I had to ask: why is it that many people read JUST the old testament / go to high school and then STOP? They KNOW that education continues PAST high school, just as they KNOW the bible continues with the new testament - do you suppose people are SO presumptuous as to think they've learned EVERYTHING they ever needed or will ever need in high school and they have no NEED to learn anything else? Wouldn't one consider that just a tad short sighted? Likewise, why would anyone just read the old testament and STOP? Do they too presume it is all inclusive and they have nothing ever left to learn?
I tend to postulate, that people are just to frightened of what they "might" read, or might learn, or might think! I think that, in truth, people are so scared to have ANYTHING to do with ANYTHING that even in the slightest of ways would not MAKE them, but ENABLE then to perceive something differently than what they're used to. I find that sad, really, to be so frightened about what one might learn and how that learning may affect one's current opinions that one would completely disregard that education as useless and irrelevant! It's almost childlike in the way they "KNOW" they won't like something before they even taste it! Usually by the time we're 20, we've been subject to so many conflicting opinions about so many things that in truth, we don't know WHAT we believe - we know what OTHER people believe - we know what other people WANT us to believe - but how many of us an honestly say we've really taken the time to examine our beliefs and see if they are in fact OUR beliefs and how they stack up in a practical sense? - all I'm suggesting, is that one educates themselves to the extent possible before deciding to accept ANY belief on ANY subject.

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Originally Posted by hic1957

i do not fault anyone for not believing - whether it is in god or anything else - that's their choice and i accept and respect them for it - i only take exception when a choice is made in ignorance

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Why should you care what people choose to believe? It's a personal thing. You live your life and let others live theirs.