This is a touchy subject for some!

Well, I duuno why, but I'm not worried about it anymore. Kinda a phase I go through every now and then. Looking, not looking....
I do believe Jesus walked this earth because of historical facts (not the bible).
But whos to say that this Jesus dude was in fact the son of god.. no one, thats who... Its not like you can trace a blood line or something ! LOL
Which brings me back to, is there even a god?
So, I know my questions will never have an answer.
And there for I end my journey of finding a faith...
It's been too long... and its always a endles circle...
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR INPUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
good point Buff! I was watching a re-run yesterday of Unsolved Mysteries, the first half was about the quest of finding the spot that Noah's Ark came to rest on. I just thought that was neat.

Why is the sky blue? Why is the grass green? (or brown in some cases lol) We could just as easily call the sky green and the grass blue...but we don't. I'm rambling and it probably doesn't make sense to others but in my mind it does. LOL! By the way, I don't believe that Jesus is God and vice versa. I believe that Jesus is God's Son.

Religion is about faith and beliefs. Without getting too deep into things, I know God exists because I BELIEVE he does. I don't need physical proof like seeing him. My life is my proof, as well as others around me. It is just as easy for me to believe, as it is for someone else to not. While you might say, "He couldn't have done this..." I would say "Why couldn't he have done this..." If you seek him, he will find you. Ok I'm done now lol
 
I can't believe that I missed this thread, b/c all of this is right up my alley!!!

I'm currently in the process of becoming an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church... I'm working on my masters at a Divinity School for that very reason! so all of what you guys have to say is so interesting, and i'm glad that we are having this conversation.

I have to be honest that although I am a Christian, heck, especially since i'm a christian who wants to be a minister, I still have doubts, and I still struggle with what exactly God wants from us and how to respond. While I know that God is behind all of our religious traditions, and rituals, and scripture, I also believe that God is bigger than who we say God is. So I try to be as faithful as possible to my own tradition - asking questions if necessary, challenging where appropriate - but at the same time, I also see God's work in the world in other places. I have atheist friends who have shown God to me more than some of my Christian friends... I know Buddhists who demonstrate more faithful living according to the will of God than I do myself (and most buddhists dont' believe there is a God!)... I'm currently in a class that is exploring how Judaism and Christianity split from one another - and it is interesting that as long as four centuries after Jesus died, in some communities, there was no distinction!

There was some discussion about the Trinity above, and that whole concept is just so strange and wonderful that it is hard to wrap your head around. I used to think of the Trinity as water... and that you can find it in three modes: ice, liquid, air... but I don't think that is exactly right either... I think it is supposed to be hard to understand - it is supposed to be a mystery... and our little human minds just aren't big enough to fully understand what exactly God is and how God (with Jesus and the Holy Spirit) acts in the world... I tend to just talk about God, and mean all three "parts" because I think that our society has really tried to separate God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit... we think of them as three different things, but I don't think they are... but they also aren't identical... oh geez, this is so confusing! words just aren't a good way of talking about something that is indescribable!!!

anywho... I need to go prepare a sunday school lesson now... oh! but if any of you are interested in the crazy ramblings of a divinity school student, check out my blog... i think it is listed when you click on my name and look at my profile.
 
religion :D good topic.I dont really have a real religion with a church and everything.. but i beleive there is a god.Well not the god that is shown in the bibles, instead of god the word creator comes to mind,the universe didnt just go poof and apear.I used to be a christian(went to church every single sunday from ages 2 to 10)lol.Church is fun and all you get to meet alot of nice people with similar interests but the bible is kinda hard to beleive..not that theres anything wrong with it but it says one thing and another religion says another.Theres heaven and theres hell when you think heaven people point up toward the sky when you think hell people point to the earth.It is pretty amazing because we will never know whats right you look up at the sky and see all the pretty stars and moon at night and wonder how they got there.The part that got me was when my friend said animals dont go to heaven, that seemed weird considering humans are animals sortof..and the thought of feeling pain from the eternal flames seemed weird because pain is from nerves in your body if you get in a accident you lose feeling.So if you lose feeling from just a accident,imagine without a body.Maybe god just gave everything free will to do what we want and when we die we just go in the ground.I had someone say i was a atheist for thinking like that but its not like i dont beleive in god.. so what am i :confused:

Choose what you think would be the most fun :D just speaking my mind hope i didnt offend anyone(wow i made a runon sentence!)
 
Wow, so much to respond to, lol, I"ll probably miss some, but....

Coastergirl...your right about how things are the way they are on earth (like colors ect) and we dont question them, we accept them. I think more people should have that attitude towards God and religion.

Amomono...I"m so glad to hear what road you've taken! It always pleases me to hear what fellow formites are christians. You hit some good points! My favorite was "I think it is supposed to be hard to understand - it is supposed to be a mystery... and our little human minds just aren't big enough to fully understand what exactly God is and how God (with Jesus and the Holy Spirit) acts in the world..." There is so much that we weren't made to understand. Our minds really can't comprehend it all. That is where faith comes in. Faith is such a valuable thing to have b/c it can be so hard to come to terms with it, to fully understand what 'having faith' means.

Has anyone ever read "the purpose driven life"? Its such a WONDERFUL book! It says in the book, no one will ever feel compeletely comfortable on earth. There will always be something 'wrong' its b/c this is not our home. No one is comfortable in someone else's home.

Christina...I know I said I was done since you wanted to end the thread. Being a christian though, I can't help but jump in on the disscussions that have come up. Hope you don't mind :)
 
I really dont mind. I am actually very glad that the thread is still going!

You ALL have suck good points... I'm glad to see that everyone can state their points with no one getting offended.

You all are right in what you've said.... And there will always be questions.

Someone once told me that the bible is life instruction manual, and to live by gods word, you ill live a happy and fulfilled life.

Sounds good. but I just dont know still. I believe in a God.... I considr myself Christian, I believe in Christ. But there are just soooooo many questions....

I wish I had more time to get into this right now..... I will come back when I do, until then keep posting if you come up with some more GOOD POINTS! Which I've said, you all have!
 
Christina,

Hi, I am new to this site (and having a tought time navigating it) but Isaw this post today..and I feel the same way...and have been having this discussion with some friends....it is an interesting topic..I too was raised Catholic and struggle with how to continue doing that with my kids...the older I get (42) the more I question...
 
Its hard to decide... there are som many religions.. How can just one of them be "the right one" and all the rest be wrong? Whos to say which is right and which is wrong? Everyone has their faith in their religion, basically cause they nothing about the others... Phewy! They all come down to the same thing though... "this is a sin, here is your God, obey him, and worship, honor and love" .... blah blah blah.... LOL
 
I hear you Christina! I don't know what to do about the matter. I was raised in a certain relgion that I'll not name, but I totally dont believe in it. I keep waiting for a sign as to what church to go to. So for now, I guess I'm just spiritual, but not necessarily choosing any sides. lol
 
Some people really hate when I say this, but I'm agnostic. Which, for the dictionary-impaired means that I think maybe there's a God, and maybe there's not. In one of my philosophy courses, we were introduced to Nietzsche, which really struck a chord with me. Among other topics, he discusses the existance or non-existance of God, and comes to the conclusion that it really shouldn't matter. The actions that we take, and the things that we do should be for their own sake and not for the sake of "earning" your way into something that's after the fact.

A really good example that was given was a very good little boy. If a little boy is being so very good over his summer vacation when he really doesn't have as much reward or punishment going on, then he really is a good boy. He's being good because he likes to be. Whereas another boy is being very good and well behaved in December because he knows that Santa is coming and he wants those goodies and presents and not a lump of coal, then that boy really isn't as good - he's only being that way to earn a reward after the fact, not because being good is good in its own sake.

Does that make any sense? I like to think I have a good moral compass, and I do many things just because I like to be nice to people because of the way it makes me feel inside. I'm not doing it to earn a ticket to a heaven that might not even exist.

Like I said, some people don't like me for holding that belief, so I don't really talk about it that often :)
 
For me, it's easy. I'm an atheist, so I don't have to choose between any of the deities or religions.

And I feel perfectly at home here on earth, for the record, haha.
 
I like to say that the only difference between me and a theist is that I believe in one less god. :D
 
Beagle...I think the difference in your story and being a christian, is that God knows your heart. If you are being good or going through the routine (praying, church, ect) for any other reason than your love for God, he knows it.
 
i consider myself to be spiritual - i believe that there is something there waiting for us - i think a lot of religion is man made and god wouldnt want us spending billions of pounds on churches on every street when that money could be spent on going to people in need children or cancer research!
i remember years ago the catholic church lost millions of pounds on the stock exchange - its all a big business - my father was an atheist but you could never meet a more christian man - i know that sounds like an oxymoron but he never hurt anyone was honest and was a good father and husband - and if there is a god up there how can he condemn someone who has been a good person. My husband is an atheist too and is exactly the same.
i think there are many religious people who are hypocrytes and speaking of that anyone see trading spouses last night?
that woman was absolutely mental!!
and if thats supposed to be a christian then i dont want it lol
i respect other peoples beliefs but i dont respect it the constant brainwashing you hear if you dont do this or believe this you will go to hell - putting fear in young children is not something i believe god would want!

just my opnion lol
 
Very well said, Sez!
I watched that Trading Spouses, wow, what a meltdown. I see a lot of people with the same attitude that woman has, here in Texas.
 
Joining this thread a little late

I don't discuss my religious beliefs often because I live in a very conservative christian area. I was baptised Presbyterian but christianity was not for me. I am a Pagan.

An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will
)0(
 
I was soooooo close to becoming a Jehovahs Witness... but after hanging out with them for 2 years, I have decided that they are a hypocritical GIANT cult. No offense to anyone I hope.... Really... Half my family are Witnesses...
 
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