I'm questioning our existence on this Earth. (Please Read!)

scherzo · Post by **scherzo** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 4:32 pm

geekbait111 wrote:P.S I bet (not gambling) by the end of today or tomorrow, this thread will be lockified...

Yeah, it'll probably get out of control. But we can be civil about this.

You say that you believe in God and that if we don't we go to hell and so on, which is fine... but who have you gotten these ideas from? From other people, correct? What are the reasons that you believe this to be true?

See... If someone, let's say a friend, tells me something that I did not previously know and that they believe to be fact, it is at best second-hand information. If I trust this person to a certain degree, I might accept it as fact as well. Because if I trust him, why would he tell me a lie? But what if that information was acquired second-hand from someone else, and then in turn from someone else, and so on and so on?

So much of religion is based on the events and words of people who lived thousands of years ago. How can I be sure that what I'm told is true? I'm supposed to have faith, right? To believe without question. I find that difficult to do.

And I'm not this huge scientific freak either. No. The scientists' findings are only as good as their ability to perceive and to process that which they perceive. I'm a man of theories. I believe that what we accept as truth should never be pitched as more than our best guess.

However, I'm also not anti-religion nor anti-God. I'm somewhere in limbo when it comes to faith. The idea of faith to me is both comforting and scary and the same time. I can imagine how calming it is to have accepted God to exist, to trust that there is a creator, to know that he loves you, and to have peace of mind that there will be an afterlife of some sort.

But faith is also scary. Hasn't life taught us that it's dangerous to makes decisions without enough information. What if I decided to cross the street without looking to see if cars were coming? Pretty dangerous. What if I asked my mother standing next to me if cars were coming? Much safer. But what if I'm to find this information in a book written over two thousand years ago by someone I don't know? A book that has been translated, edited and that often contains very figurative passages that require interpretation?

Shouldn't I take my spiritual beliefs just as seriously as crossing the street? Or even more so?

sniper_spike · Post by **sniper_spike** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 4:43 pm

The fact that the Bible is so old, and that it has been translated over and over again, and changed from it's original state can be rather troubling to anybosdy. Though the thing is, God controls everything, why else would we call Him God? Comfort can be found from knowing that God wouldn't allow His word to be altered to someone that He does not accept.

What's the danger in believing in God? If you have any doubts, remember that you have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. Christianity is not just a religion, not just some belief and a set of rules to follow. It's giving everything to God (giving control of your life to Him), allowing him into your heart, and having a personal relationship with your creator, your Holy Father in Heaven.
Do you have MSN or something? You seem pretty interested.

Post by **Gamelver** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 4:44 pm

well, yes, it can be difficult to believe in God, especially with some of the stuff that can happen in our world....but why would we have come up with an idea of God? is it because of how we were created, and that psychologically we needed to come up with that? if that's the case, then one could argue that God made us that way, ensuring that we would have a need for him. Of course, on the other side of the argument, one could say that we just evolved that way.

There have been numerous miracles, though, and many have felt some experience of God of some sort, meaning that there is most likely at least SOMETHING like God, or outside this plane of existence. Since there most likely is, or it's possible to believe in that, then why can't those who experienced long ago be right?

blackbox_dev · Post by **blackbox_dev** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 4:54 pm

Yes Skyone! The first post you made was exactly what I was trying to say!

If I was a mod this would of been closed a long time ago.

sniper_spike · Post by **sniper_spike** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 4:55 pm

You say "experianced long ago," but in truth we are experiancing His miracles everyday (I'd say our existence is a biggy), and those who have found Him, experiance God directly everyday.

@Skyone, isn't the "soul" a concept, outside of science? I've never heard of souls floating around Earth in any science textbook either. That post sounds rather religiously inclined.

Post by **Gamelver** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 4:56 pm

well, I was referencing to scherzo's post

......he said he couldn't believe all the things that were set so long ago...and I said that since there are still miracles and experiences of God, that those people long ago could've been right, you know

?

Edit: and before you can say it, yes, it could NOT be real, but since it's felt through al humans, it's reasonable that it IS real.

you are right, though. I can't prove you wrong completely, and you can't prove me wrong completely. which is encouraging, because it gives us reason not to fight, and let us be ourselves

.

sniper_spike · Post by **sniper_spike** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:05 pm

Right, let's just leave this question for all non-believers: "What is the meaning of life?"
Age old, but still a very stimulating query.

Now.. Let's get back to portablizing, wee!

Post by **Skyone** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:12 pm

sniper_spike wrote:@Skyone .... That post sounds rather religiously inclined.

Like everyone else's...

Post by **Gamelver** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:14 pm

ok, for the meaning of life (besides 42...) it must be stated that we can never really now it. Those who believe in God simply believe it is to go to heaven. others believe there IS no meaning, and that we're all just a whole bunch of crazy ape-descendants wandering around aimlessly. we have intellect, sure, but in the end it doesn't matter.

happiness could be the meaning of life. or perhaps for us to love as much as possible. I don't really know, I just know what's right, wrong, and how to live. That's good enough for me, so I'll just go with it. Whatever happens, happens, because that's the way it's meant to be. There will only be one path we all go on, and that's because we choose that path. meaning that we are all fated for one road in life...but it is we who set it. if you believe in God, then you might believe he has a plan for all of us, as well. we may or may not choose that path, however.

heh, we should discuss free will vs. fate, too

....

sniper_spike · Post by **sniper_spike** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:15 pm

Skyone wrote:
sniper_spike wrote:@Skyone .... That post sounds rather religiously inclined.
Like everyone else's...

Yes, but you said you weren't religious.

Post by **Skyone** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:16 pm

sniper_spike wrote:Yes, but you said you weren't religious.

Shhh I'm invisible.

Post by **marshallh** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:17 pm

iam7805 wrote:If I was a mod this would of been closed a long time ago.

And this insightful discussion would never had the opportunity to take place.
Don't just blindly follow rules, understand WHY they were put into effect. Then, you can follow the intentions of the rule's creator without being limited by the rule's attempt to encompass all possible situations.

sniper_spike wrote:Right, let's just leave this question for all non-believers: "What is the meaning of life?"

If anyone believes they came into being solely as the result of a spontaneous reaction, it's pretty hard to see any value in life.
If you believe you are only here to simply reproduce like animals and ravage the environment, it's tough. And that's what most people end up thinking. Lots of people try to ignore that though. They try to push out that impending fear, a sense of "what am I here for" with stuff that really doesn't do them any good.

This is a challenge to anybody who wants to see to it - Why do you think YOU are here? Hard to answer, no?

Krepticor · Post by **Krepticor** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:21 pm

before all things are considered,

please, research Roman records, they reference that a man named Jesus was crucified for the Pharasees

Also, it was said that the Dead walked in the streets...also, consider reading the book Who Moved the stone It refrenced that there as more proof that a man named Jesus Christ was Crucified, buried in a tomb and rose three days later than that there was a man named George Washington

I say research is the world's greatest asset
Try it

bioniclebert · Post by **bioniclebert** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:21 pm

I dont know if you guys dont really like religous topics, but I'm all for it. I'd say if you wanted to talk just send a PM or something.

PS. (I already believe)

Post by **Gamelver** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:24 pm

hmmm....Why am I here?

you know, I really don't know

...but I know that as long as I try and follow what I know is right (and yes, what God has said, which is what I generally agree to be compeltely true. Some things the church says, though, I could maybe be against)...then whatever I was for will happen. and if not, then such is the way of things *shrugs*

and yes, this is discussion of religion and stuff, but as marshallh said, it's intellectual and non-flamey. as long as we don't get into a huge fight (which is why the no religion rule was implemented) it's all right. as soon as one person says something stupid and irrational and another retaliates...this thread will get locked.