Sharia law here in Michigan. Unbelievable

[StevePerryHair]

Faith stunts critical thinking. How come when a sheep tells someone to burn down an orphanage..its schizophrenia....but when an invisible diety orders someone to feed the destitute...its religion?

Pumpkin, I will keep this pretty simple for you. Critical Thinking. One who uses critical thinking can think outside the box. Yet you cannot connect a thought that is outside of the box for you. You must only believe in what is in the box. I say there is a whole other world outside of the box. The box is not the whole universe. You claim because one can only see what is in the box, one cannot accept that there is anything or anyone outside of the box. What you see is what you get. That is not critical thinking. I see the complexities and simbiotic relationships of this world. I deduce that their is a natural order and design to the world. I wonder if a complex and infinite world could be by design. I believe because of all the evidences I see, through science and my own observation that there can be a designer that brought it all about. Now I don't expect you to ever think outside of the box. But it takes critical thinking, analysis, intuition, and observation to believe in a creator, and in creation of life. You see one must use a great deal of thought to conclude the complexities of the universe.

So you try to turn it around on us, who see the world as it is, not believing in some man made God, that can walk on water and create the world in 6 days. For fucks sake, Ginger - it doesn't take critical thinking, analysis or intuition to believe in something you can not see, feel, hear or prove through empirical methods. How the hell can you call yourself a teacher and hell, I even think you're saying you're conducting your own science, when you got no grasp at all about how science work?! All evidence you see? Yeah, right. You're delusional. It's blind faith Ginger, nothing more, nothing less.

Scientists have through centuries, and they still do, bring you things makes your, and our society a better place to be. Why don't you call up the guys that have turned skin cells to stem cells, and say that they should stop their research - cause hey, God is the omnipotent creator and he'll hear your prayers if you need help anyways. If your husband needs a new liver, those stem cells will in the near future be able to be turned into a functioning liver, without the usual anatomical risks involved - but fuck it. Scientists have no idea what they're doing, messing with "God's creation" and all that. We would still live in caves if it weren't for scientists and great ambitious men and women. When did ever God help anyone? Where's God when 20 % of African children die before the age of 5? Exactly.

Mind you that with a mindset like yours, you would never, ever get hired to any sort of educational school in France. You're not more of scientist than the guys that call 9/11 a conspiracy theory, or the people that "have proved" that ghosts are real. Give me a break.

You make me sick.

Plenty of doctors and intelligent scientific people believe in a higher being. You talk like all scientists carry your theories and its science against religion. My religion embraces science, and does not use it to discount God's existance. I worked in a hospital for a lot of years, and plenty of doctors out there believe in a God of some type. Being a science minded person myself, all it does is prove more to me that there is a God. We are so intricate. Life is so fragile. Yet we exist. Why? There is no way we were some accidental ball of cells that just one day appeared on the earth. Even if we accept evolution, we can accept is as a THEORY, as I do that and other theories, but not necessarily as fact. And I can do so while still believing that God had a hand in that. I am NOT a creationist. There is a difference. I don't know how we were created. But I believe there is a higher being I call God involved. You don't have to believe that. But I sure hope you plan to be more open minded for your patients sakes when you are a doctor. You should respect ALL people's beliefs and ideas and not be so quick to criticize. I hope you can use more restraint in your practice someday than you do here on a message board.

[parfait]

Faith stunts critical thinking. How come when a sheep tells someone to burn down an orphanage..its schizophrenia....but when an invisible diety orders someone to feed the destitute...its religion?

Pumpkin, I will keep this pretty simple for you. Critical Thinking. One who uses critical thinking can think outside the box. Yet you cannot connect a thought that is outside of the box for you. You must only believe in what is in the box. I say there is a whole other world outside of the box. The box is not the whole universe. You claim because one can only see what is in the box, one cannot accept that there is anything or anyone outside of the box. What you see is what you get. That is not critical thinking. I see the complexities and simbiotic relationships of this world. I deduce that their is a natural order and design to the world. I wonder if a complex and infinite world could be by design. I believe because of all the evidences I see, through science and my own observation that there can be a designer that brought it all about. Now I don't expect you to ever think outside of the box. But it takes critical thinking, analysis, intuition, and observation to believe in a creator, and in creation of life. You see one must use a great deal of thought to conclude the complexities of the universe.

So you try to turn it around on us, who see the world as it is, not believing in some man made God, that can walk on water and create the world in 6 days. For fucks sake, Ginger - it doesn't take critical thinking, analysis or intuition to believe in something you can not see, feel, hear or prove through empirical methods. How the hell can you call yourself a teacher and hell, I even think you're saying you're conducting your own science, when you got no grasp at all about how science work?! All evidence you see? Yeah, right. You're delusional. It's blind faith Ginger, nothing more, nothing less.

Scientists have through centuries, and they still do, bring you things makes your, and our society a better place to be. Why don't you call up the guys that have turned skin cells to stem cells, and say that they should stop their research - cause hey, God is the omnipotent creator and he'll hear your prayers if you need help anyways. If your husband needs a new liver, those stem cells will in the near future be able to be turned into a functioning liver, without the usual anatomical risks involved - but fuck it. Scientists have no idea what they're doing, messing with "God's creation" and all that. We would still live in caves if it weren't for scientists and great ambitious men and women. When did ever God help anyone? Where's God when 20 % of African children die before the age of 5? Exactly.

Mind you that with a mindset like yours, you would never, ever get hired to any sort of educational school in France. You're not more of scientist than the guys that call 9/11 a conspiracy theory, or the people that "have proved" that ghosts are real. Give me a break.

You make me sick.

My did I strike a nerve? As for the 20% of children die before the age of 5 in Africa, your science has not fed them, clothed them, or tended to them. That takes people. People who are christians and non christians go to Africa as much as they can to help those children. A very corrupt governement over there keeps these people from helping because they believe in genicide. There is good and bad in the world and you want to blame God for it all. But as I said there is a bad side of this world too.

I would not go work as a teacher in France if you paid me. From the very behavior you show on this board, your condesending attitude, your pompous demeaner, your unwillingness to let anyone have a thought or an idea that does not mesh with your whole view of what is right in your little universe.

Attacking my profession? You say that because I can open mindedly beleive in a God, I cannot be a good teacher. Well darling, they knew full well I was a christian when they hired me. The superintendent happens to share the same faith as me. My husband has a biblical degree. Yes, unlike you I can think outside of the box. I have also read some of the Koran, and I have studied many religions. Do you even know anything about any religion at all except that you hate them all? Do you ever open your mind to any thought outside of your own simple thinking? I have studied science. I have had 6 1/2 years of college education. Many very learned people are believers in a God. Only in your country would they be so narrow minded and biggoted to not allow someone to teach because they have faith.

NO sir I would not like to live in France. Not if the people there are as narrow minded as you. At least Ari has the good sense to debate science with ideas and thoughts, not hatefulness and rudeness.

Yes, you did strike nerve. The hypocrisy of religious people pisses me off. You all pick and choose what to believe in, and yet have the audacity to say: hey, the world is really complexed and detailed - SOME DUDE WITH A BEARD IN THE SKY CREATED IT. I believe there's a omnipootent Jar of Crushed Tomatoes, that lives in the sphincter of buffalo in the sky, which control the world. And there's no facts in the world that you all can show me that will make me re-consider. If you got evidence, accumulated over hundred of years, then I'll just ignore. Come on; give me a break!

Do you want to know what the difference between me and you are, Ginger? Go back and look at every post I've made in this thread. Every "question you people have thrown at me, I've answered, methaphysical or not. What about the questions I have asked all you religious folks in here? You haven't managed to answer one god damn question. I don't avoid answering question because I actually got answers - something you people lack. It's all a bunch off dogmatic mumbo jumbo. Thankfully Europe and Asia is starting to realize what is real and what is fantasy; it's getting more and more secular.

I don't blame anyone or demand anything from anyone but myself, I take full responsibility of my actions and doesn't expect to be forgiven. I live my life to the fullest, without the hypocritical age old fantasy that is religion. "The icon God" has brought more death and confusion to this planet than any dictator ever has.

I accept people having faith in something, I accept that believe want to believe something. I also accept that people in development countries are religious, because they lack any education to make a rational empirically based opinion on it. What I don't accept is supposedly educated people like some of you that make absolutely horrendous and shameful quasi scientific claims.

There is no God - no innate kindness in every human. We won't have a after life. There's no such thing as destiny. I wouldn't have it any other way either.

[Sarah]

I can believe in a creator for the universe but one who takes special interest to our own particular species and separates the bad from the good, I don't believe in, especially one that would allow the stewardship over his own creations to become so neglectful as to allow his charges to garner the ability to destroy themselves on such a massive scale. I just don't buy it.

This is basically what I think too. I'm open to the possibility of an outside being triggering the creation of the universe (although I would probably call it an alien rather than a god) but the idea that humans are ~so special~ that a deity is keeping constant tabs on every individual is silly to me. Humans are probably not the most important things in the universe, not only is it an incredibly arrogant idea imo, but there's a really good chance that at least one of the galaxies seen through the Hubble telescope etc harbors sentient life.

[S2M]

Free Will vs. The Answering of Prayers

I'm still stuck on this concept. Would a religious type please explain this concept to me?

[Behshad]

Faith stunts critical thinking. How come when a sheep tells someone to burn down an orphanage..its schizophrenia....but when an invisible diety orders someone to feed the destitute...its religion?

Pumpkin, I will keep this pretty simple for you. Critical Thinking. One who uses critical thinking can think outside the box. Yet you cannot connect a thought that is outside of the box for you. You must only believe in what is in the box. I say there is a whole other world outside of the box. The box is not the whole universe. You claim because one can only see what is in the box, one cannot accept that there is anything or anyone outside of the box. What you see is what you get. That is not critical thinking. I see the complexities and simbiotic relationships of this world. I deduce that their is a natural order and design to the world. I wonder if a complex and infinite world could be by design. I believe because of all the evidences I see, through science and my own observation that there can be a designer that brought it all about. Now I don't expect you to ever think outside of the box. But it takes critical thinking, analysis, intuition, and observation to believe in a creator, and in creation of life. You see one must use a great deal of thought to conclude the complexities of the universe.

So you try to turn it around on us, who see the world as it is, not believing in some man made God, that can walk on water and create the world in 6 days. For fucks sake, Ginger - it doesn't take critical thinking, analysis or intuition to believe in something you can not see, feel, hear or prove through empirical methods. How the hell can you call yourself a teacher and hell, I even think you're saying you're conducting your own science, when you got no grasp at all about how science work?! All evidence you see? Yeah, right. You're delusional. It's blind faith Ginger, nothing more, nothing less.

Scientists have through centuries, and they still do, bring you things makes your, and our society a better place to be. Why don't you call up the guys that have turned skin cells to stem cells, and say that they should stop their research - cause hey, God is the omnipotent creator and he'll hear your prayers if you need help anyways. If your husband needs a new liver, those stem cells will in the near future be able to be turned into a functioning liver, without the usual anatomical risks involved - but fuck it. Scientists have no idea what they're doing, messing with "God's creation" and all that. We would still live in caves if it weren't for scientists and great ambitious men and women. When did ever God help anyone? Where's God when 20 % of African children die before the age of 5? Exactly.

Mind you that with a mindset like yours, you would never, ever get hired to any sort of educational school in France. You're not more of scientist than the guys that call 9/11 a conspiracy theory, or the people that "have proved" that ghosts are real. Give me a break.

You make me sick.

My did I strike a nerve? As for the 20% of children die before the age of 5 in Africa, your science has not fed them, clothed them, or tended to them. That takes people. People who are christians and non christians go to Africa as much as they can to help those children. A very corrupt governement over there keeps these people from helping because they believe in genicide. There is good and bad in the world and you want to blame God for it all. But as I said there is a bad side of this world too.

I would not go work as a teacher in France if you paid me. From the very behavior you show on this board, your condesending attitude, your pompous demeaner, your unwillingness to let anyone have a thought or an idea that does not mesh with your whole view of what is right in your little universe.

Attacking my profession? You say that because I can open mindedly beleive in a God, I cannot be a good teacher. Well darling, they knew full well I was a christian when they hired me. The superintendent happens to share the same faith as me. My husband has a biblical degree. Yes, unlike you I can think outside of the box. I have also read some of the Koran, and I have studied many religions. Do you even know anything about any religion at all except that you hate them all? Do you ever open your mind to any thought outside of your own simple thinking? I have studied science. I have had 6 1/2 years of college education. Many very learned people are believers in a God. Only in your country would they be so narrow minded and biggoted to not allow someone to teach because they have faith.

NO sir I would not like to live in France. Not if the people there are as narrow minded as you. At least Ari has the good sense to debate science with ideas and thoughts, not hatefulness and rudeness.

Yes, you did strike nerve. The hypocrisy of religious people pisses me off. You all pick and choose what to believe in, and yet have the audacity to say: hey, the world is really complexed and detailed - SOME DUDE WITH A BEARD IN THE SKY CREATED IT. I believe there's a omnipootent Jar of Crushed Tomatoes, that lives in the sphincter of buffalo in the sky, which control the world. And there's no facts in the world that you all can show me that will make me re-consider. If you got evidence, accumulated over hundred of years, then I'll just ignore. Come on; give me a break!

Do you want to know what the difference between me and you are, Ginger? Go back and look at every post I've made in this thread. Every "question you people have thrown at me, I've answered, methaphysical or not. What about the questions I have asked all you religious folks in here? You haven't managed to answer one god damn question. I don't avoid answering question because I actually got answers - something you people lack. It's all a bunch off dogmatic mumbo jumbo. Thankfully Europe and Asia is starting to realize what is real and what is fantasy; it's getting more and more secular.

I don't blame anyone or demand anything from anyone but myself, I take full responsibility of my actions and doesn't expect to be forgiven. I live my life to the fullest, without the hypocritical age old fantasy that is religion. "The icon God" has brought more death and confusion to this planet than any dictator ever has.

I accept people having faith in something, I accept that believe want to believe something. I also accept that people in development countries are religious, because they lack any education to make a rational empirically based opinion on it. What I don't accept is supposedly educated people like some of you that make absolutely horrendous and shameful quasi scientific claims.

There is no God - no innate kindness in every human. We won't have a after life. There's no such thing as destiny. I wouldn't have it any other way either.

The difference between you and the rest of us is your ignorance and arrogance. You say its "my way or the long island express highway"..... We debate and respect eachothers opinions as well as beliefs. You dont know how to debate. You have not given any answers, what you have provided with us, are some crap without any PROOFS.... you're a follower, not a leader,,, your entire life consists of believing in what scientists say. You never realize that more than half of what science and scientist has provided to us was results of trial & error. In your tiny mind , you believe in it IF the scientist have a THEORY about it. You never question anything because you rely too much on THEORIES....

As usual you have managed to prove to the rest of us that youre a spoiled brat with the "Im the best and you guys know nothing" attitude....
No one is forcing you to accept what the rest of us believe in,,, but once and for all show some respect and SHARE your opinions without putting down others faith and beliefs.

[Michigan Girl]

These threads are very interesting to me because I have never personally known
anyone who did not believe in God, therefore; have never had these conversations nor have I had my faith questioned. It's almost like meeting an alien and finding out that they're just
normal people with a very different way of thinking!!
Perhaps I should know more than I do, have more answers, but I don't.
I do know that I have spent many desperate moments on my knees and I do not always get what I reeeeallllly want, but, thus far, I have always gotten what I reeeaaaallly needed, when I needed it. I have questioned God, I have wondered and if I am to be completely honest, I have doubted and have been angry. But then something
always happens to let me know he is there. I think it is very personal and very
different for every single believer of Christ ...there is just no one way to explain it and the
real beauty is that we don't have to prove it to you or you or you ...it is a personal
relationship and I guess I just don't really care how anyone else perceives it.

[BobbyinTN]

I understand. Just realize that not all christians share the same views. Was Mother Theresa a bad person? I can think of no better example of a religion in a person's life working for the good of mankind.

How can you believe in God without believing in 'religion' and the 'bible'? It's a serious question, I don't understand how you can separate Him from them. It doesn't matter what religion you practice, to my knowledge all of them have some sort of a bible. But I don't get how you can believe in God without a means to reach Him (religion). Religion and the bible don't take advantage of people... PEOPLE take advantage of people. Each of us gets out of it what we put into it.

I admit that I have all the same questions you guys have brought up, and struggle with them almost daily. I have no answers for you. And at the end of our days if I'm proven wrong, then the joke will be on me. It's simply a matter of faith. Some have it, some don't.

Donnaplease, I admit there are some wonderful Christians and I admire them and have many friends that are good Christians. I do believe the good Christians should denounce those who want to exterminate others or tell others how to live, but yes, you're right, there are good ones and I'm not talking about them when I get pissed at the "Christians". Maybe I should refer to the bad ones as x-tians.



One more caveat, any Christian that thinks they speak for God or can judge for God, is wrong and on my shit list.

[BobbyinTN]

I'm on my phone and can't fix I put my response in the wrong place
This is my response to B's last post: true! The day I see a lion holding a machine gun is the day I'll believe they are light years ahead and if we evolved from apes, let's ask these evolutionists why we still have apes

That's the biggest misonception about evolution. Just because you make biscuits doesn't mean you won't have flour left. The apes you see today are descendants just as we are, we just took a different evolutionary path. It's not hard to understand, and really for me, it's the greatest example of why there could be a God.

So we are just a genetic mutation? A bunch of apes mutated to become us and some are descendants? Yeah, ok!

Yes, it is a mutation, just as blue eyes are.

[BobbyinTN]

[you can separate Him from them. It doesn't matter what religion you practice, to my knowledge all of them have some sort of a bible. But I don't get how you can believe in God without a means to reach Him (religion). Religion and the bible don't take advantage of people... PEOPLE take advantage of people. Each of us gets out of it what we put into it.

I admit that I have all the same questions you guys have brought up, and struggle with them almost daily. I have no answers for you. And at the end of our days if I'm proven wrong, then the joke will be on me. It's simply a matter of faith. Some have it, some don't.

Fun fact: Mother Theresa lost her faith for a long time, which is revealed in several letters that she wrote to family and friends.

Shortly after beginning work in Calcutta's slums, the spirit left Mother Teresa. "Where is my faith?" she wrote. "Even deep down… there is nothing but emptiness and darkness... If there be God — please forgive me."

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1655415,00.html


Now, what disturbs me the most isn't that some of you soldiers of God claims that he created women out of the rib of a thieving retard, but that none of you people have given me props for my last post. It has to be the best post ever - I'm like a roided up Stephen Hawking on a bulldozer (with some boyish charms, of course)

What's really amazing is they think the male would have been created first. Ask any DNA scientist and they will tell you after a few generations the male's DNA is untraceable but the female DNA can be traced back to the first human to walk upright.


Man wrote and edited the Bible and wanted MEN to be the most powerful and the smartest and all that crap. They considered women inferior.They thought women had no right to do anything but what their men told them to do. Women that accept that kind of bullshit really need a reality check or at least some self-pride.

[StevePerryHair]

Free Will vs. The Answering of Prayers

I'm still stuck on this concept. Would a religious type please explain this concept to me?

We were never told our prayers would be answered. We were only asked to pray. It's a spiritual thing. And if you've never experienced it or understood it, it's too hard to explain. Everyone has their own journey and path. I really don't believe personally God is there to give me things and a better life. He's there for strength and he's in the people around me for strength when it's needed most. He works through people.

[Angel]

Plenty of doctors and intelligent scientific people believe in a higher being. You talk like all scientists carry your theories and its science against religion. My religion embraces science, and does not use it to discount God's existance. I worked in a hospital for a lot of years, and plenty of doctors out there believe in a God of some type. Being a science minded person myself, all it does is prove more to me that there is a God. We are so intricate. Life is so fragile. Yet we exist. Why? There is no way we were some accidental ball of cells that just one day appeared on the earth. Even if we accept evolution, we can accept is as a THEORY, as I do that and other theories, but not necessarily as fact. And I can do so while still believing that God had a hand in that. I am NOT a creationist. There is a difference. I don't know how we were created. But I believe there is a higher being I call God involved. You don't have to believe that. But I sure hope you plan to be more open minded for your patients sakes when you are a doctor. You should respect ALL people's beliefs and ideas and not be so quick to criticize. I hope you can use more restraint in your practice someday than you do here on a message board.

Very good points Lynn. In my experience, doctors and scientists have first hand seen proof that there is a God. There are so many times when things happen that have no other explaination except that the hand of God was involved.

I remember a time when I was at work and walked into the room to check on a patient. As I stepped into the room I felt something actually stop me from walking in the room and I suddenly had an overwhelming feeling to leave the room and go into the next room. The next room was a patient that I was not caring for-her nurse had just left the department for a few minutes and I really knew nothing about her except that she had delivered her baby about a half an hour ago and her nurse told me she was doing fine. I walked in the room and everything appeared normal. I asked if she was OK and she said she was fine. The dad was holding the baby in the corner so I just casually asked "and how's the baby?" He said she was fine. As soon as he said that I got another overwhelming feeling that I needed to check on the baby and that something was very wrong. I turned on the baby warmer and asked him to bring her to me- and he did. As he was unwrapping her I turned on the oxygen and hit the "code blue" button-I had no idea why-it was just automatic. I looked at her and she was gray, she was not breathing and had a heart rate of 20 beats per minute so I started CPR and waited for the code team to arrive. We were able to resuscitate her within a few minutes and although she did stay in the NICU for awhile she did live.

Now, if there is no God, explain to me how I knew to go into that room? how did I know to check the baby more carefully? how did I know to call for help and turn on the oxygen before I had ever even seen the baby? There is no scientific explaination.

[Lula]

One more caveat, any Christian that thinks they speak for God or can judge for God, is wrong and on my shit list.

right on!!!

i am so tired of people calling themselves christians and acting the opposite! wealth, judgemental, hypocrisy, etc..... not Christ like at all!!!

i was raised catholic and appreciate having the foundation, but i do not practice catholicism as an adult. i go to church because i want to have a community and fellowship. i read the bible because i want to know and learn. i believe in the Trinity and try to live as God would have us. pretty simple for me.

[AlteredDNA]

One more caveat, any Christian that thinks they speak for God or can judge for God, is wrong and on my shit list.

right on!!!

i am so tired of people calling themselves christians and acting the opposite! wealth, judgemental, hypocrisy, etc..... not Christ like at all!!!

i was raised catholic and appreciate having the foundation, but i do not practice catholicism as an adult. i go to church because i want to have a community and fellowship. i read the bible because i want to know and learn. i believe in the Trinity and try to live as God would have us. pretty simple for me.

Wealth?

[Angel]

Free Will vs. The Answering of Prayers

I'm still stuck on this concept. Would a religious type please explain this concept to me?

We were never told our prayers would be answered. We were only asked to pray. It's a spiritual thing. And if you've never experienced it or understood it, it's too hard to explain. Everyone has their own journey and path. I really don't believe personally God is there to give me things and a better life. He's there for strength and he's in the people around me for strength when it's needed most. He works through people.

I personally think our prayers are always answered-it's just that we don't always get the answer we expect or want. God knows what is best for us but we don't always know what's best for ourselves.

[Jana]

Free Will vs. The Answering of Prayers

I'm still stuck on this concept. Would a religious type please explain this concept to me?

We were never told our prayers would be answered. We were only asked to pray. It's a spiritual thing. And if you've never experienced it or understood it, it's too hard to explain. Everyone has their own journey and path. I really don't believe personally God is there to give me things and a better life. He's there for strength and he's in the people around me for strength when it's needed most. He works through people.

I personally think our prayers are always answered-it's just that we don't always get the answer we expect or want. God knows what is best for us but we don't always know what's best for ourselves.

Really? God knows it's best to have a child disfigured for life with burns covering their body or a beautiful young girl or boy paralyzed from the neck down after a diving accident? God knows what is best for a young girl to be raped and brutalized? God knows what is best for children in third-world countries to be starving to death?

[Lula]

One more caveat, any Christian that thinks they speak for God or can judge for God, is wrong and on my shit list.

right on!!!

i am so tired of people calling themselves christians and acting the opposite! wealth, judgemental, hypocrisy, etc..... not Christ like at all!!!

i was raised catholic and appreciate having the foundation, but i do not practice catholicism as an adult. i go to church because i want to have a community and fellowship. i read the bible because i want to know and learn. i believe in the Trinity and try to live as God would have us. pretty simple for me.

Wealth?

wealth is fine, i should have been more clear, my apologies.

wealth as in glutton or being selfish. i don't see any problem with working hard and making a great life, but there is something to be said about those touting themselves as christians and living the opposite. we all should be able to create our comforts with honest work, but let's not lose sight of compassion and caring for one another. i know many here will disagree with me and that's fine. these are my beliefs.

[Angel]

Really? God knows it's best to have a child disfigured for life with burns covering their body or a beautiful young girl or boy paralyzed from the neck down after a diving accident? God knows what is best for a young girl to be raped and brutalized? God knows what is best for children in third-world countries to be starving to death?

Yes. See we only know this life. We only have part of the story. We don't remember life before we came to earth and we don't know what the afterlife holds. I truly believe that one day we will see God's plan and understand why some things happened the way they did.

[AlteredDNA]

One more caveat, any Christian that thinks they speak for God or can judge for God, is wrong and on my shit list.

right on!!!

i am so tired of people calling themselves christians and acting the opposite! wealth, judgemental, hypocrisy, etc..... not Christ like at all!!!

i was raised catholic and appreciate having the foundation, but i do not practice catholicism as an adult. i go to church because i want to have a community and fellowship. i read the bible because i want to know and learn. i believe in the Trinity and try to live as God would have us. pretty simple for me.

Wealth?

wealth is fine, i should have been more clear, my apologies.

wealth as in glutton or being selfish. i don't see any problem with working hard and making a great life, but there is something to be said about those touting themselves as christians and living the opposite. we all should be able to create our comforts with honest work, but let's not lose sight of compassion and caring for one another. i know many here will disagree with me and that's fine. these are my beliefs.

Thanks for clarifying - I agree with this...

[artist4perry]

Parfait, I have one more thing to say, I don't care if you think I am unqualified to teach because I believe in God. I do not teach my faith to the children I teach art. My faith helps me to love them even when they are rude, when they are combatitive, and when they need my care. I try to teach them to be good people, to love others, to be respectful, and to think aobut other cultures, ideas, and places that are different from their own.

I guarantee that the other people like myself, doctors, lawyers, nurses, teachers, professors, and other educated people will not loose one bit of sleep because you do not think they are qualified to do their jobs because they happen to also have a faith in a higher power. You don't get to make that decision. This is not your land or your dictatorship. Thank goodness we have the freedom to think for ourselves in this land of ours, and it is written in our constitution that we are free to exercise the expression of our religion. Or not. That is freedom.

As I said, you are free to remain one minded. You don't have to streatch your thoughts in any way. I listened to what you had to say, even if I did not readily respond to it. I read the article you put up. Did you watch the twilight episode I provided? How dangerous it is to not allow the freedoms of thought?

I have studied science, and I do not reject all science. I just do not agree with all theories. I have studied plants and animals, how the bones work, muscles work and fur and tissue. To draw you have to understand all these things. I also love the history channel, discovery channel, and animal planet. I learn as much as I can about the animals, plants, and environment around me. I am not doing my own science. I never claimed that. I said I learned from science. You are such a hot head you didn't even read what I said correctly. There are christian scientists .........supprise! Scientists who believe in the possibiltiy of the existance of design in the universe. Because unlike yourself they open their minds to all possibilities instead of worshiping at the alter of one Theory. Did you know that one scientist theory was that an alien came down and planted DNA and that is what caused the earth to come about?

I really feel sorry for you. As a doctor your going to have to deal with people of faith. I go to doctors when I am ill. I use medicine that scientists have made. Because I don't believe in the Big Bang theory it does not mean I do not believe in science, or that I would not seek care from health professionals. Where did you get that idea.......Einstien? I have told people on this board I am under a care of a doctor. My doctor believes in God. Amazing. He is one of the best around here too. He hasn't sold me any snake oil, or sprinkled fairy dust on me or anything.

His teacher in college and I were talking one day. She said he was one of the most brilliant doctors she had ever met, and that I was lucky to have him as a doctor. Imagine that, a brilliant person believes in a God. You see, we are professionals in our job, but happen to believe in a God. I pray and it comforts me. I help others as much as I can. I obey the laws of the land. And I am a TEACHER. I serve my community as much as I can. Now do non christians do these things? Yes, they do. And I am glad they reach out as well. But you see my faith does not hinder my profession.

I don't care if you hate me. I don't hate you. I just wished you would treat others with respect. You upset me earlier, because you did not just share your thoughts, you ran over mine with a freight train. Not with wisdom, but arrogence and spitefulness.
I did not call S2M Pumpkin because I did not like him, it was affectionate in term, as I would a friend. I was trying to explain how I saw things. I am not from Missouri the "show me" state. Do christians believe in faith? Yes. Faith springs eternal, it comforts, it guides, and it strengthens my heart, my soal. It helps me to be a good wife, mother, and teacher. I am not ashamed of my God. Even though you have chosen to use intimidation to silence me. It won't work. As the man said in the Twilight Zone episode. "There is A GOD!" "YOU CANNOT ERASE GOD WITH AN EDICT" You don't have to believe. But try and take away my right to believe and I will stand up against you or anyone else who tries. I will not deny him even if it were against the law or punnishable by death.

[donnaplease]

One more caveat, any Christian that thinks they speak for God or can judge for God, is wrong and on my shit list.

It's my belief that any person who thinks they can judge for God is on God's shitlist!

[artist4perry]

[you can separate Him from them. It doesn't matter what religion you practice, to my knowledge all of them have some sort of a bible. But I don't get how you can believe in God without a means to reach Him (religion). Religion and the bible don't take advantage of people... PEOPLE take advantage of people. Each of us gets out of it what we put into it.

I admit that I have all the same questions you guys have brought up, and struggle with them almost daily. I have no answers for you. And at the end of our days if I'm proven wrong, then the joke will be on me. It's simply a matter of faith. Some have it, some don't.

Fun fact: Mother Theresa lost her faith for a long time, which is revealed in several letters that she wrote to family and friends.

Shortly after beginning work in Calcutta's slums, the spirit left Mother Teresa. "Where is my faith?" she wrote. "Even deep down… there is nothing but emptiness and darkness... If there be God — please forgive me."

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1655415,00.html


Now, what disturbs me the most isn't that some of you soldiers of God claims that he created women out of the rib of a thieving retard, but that none of you people have given me props for my last post. It has to be the best post ever - I'm like a roided up Stephen Hawking on a bulldozer (with some boyish charms, of course)

What's really amazing is they think the male would have been created first. Ask any DNA scientist and they will tell you after a few generations the male's DNA is untraceable but the female DNA can be traced back to the first human to walk upright.


Man wrote and edited the Bible and wanted MEN to be the most powerful and the smartest and all that crap. They considered women inferior.They thought women had no right to do anything but what their men told them to do. Women that accept that kind of bullshit really need a reality check or at least some self-pride.

Uh........Have you read the bible? I have, many times and I never read that women were inferior. Mostly I read that a good woman was of great value. They likened a virtuous woman one to be as precious as rubies. She held a job, two in fact. She was great at running the household, and helping her husband. She brought him pride in the marketplace. She dressed well, and took good care of her children. The children all were well cared for and well dressed. They speak of her as a great helper and an asset to his life. Men are not to bully women but to love them as themselves as a matter of fact as Christ loved the church..........to the extent he was willing to lay down his life for it. My husband helps me around the house. He finds me to be inteligent, and the best thing in his life. He calls me his most precious blessing. He does not order me around. He asks me for help when needed.

[RedWingFan]

You know what parfait, that just goes to show you how literal and ridiculous with what you will call facts. Mother Theresa did not lose her faith. What she did was showed how completely HUMAN she is. How there were times even HER faith was shaken. That's no fun fact. That is how a woman with total faith in God helping the poorest of the poor felt for a moment in time. I bet there were several times she asked God why, just like we all do. But then wanted forgiveness because she knew it was a weak moment for her. How can you blame her for all she saw and endured. That woman was the biggest saint we've had walk the earth in our lifetime. And trust me, she died with total faith and the love of god in her heart. Just the fact you'd try to do what you just did just ticks me off get your facts straight. Every faithful person in this world questions their faith. Even JESUS did on the cross while suffering. That was our human example. Get a clue!!!!

Another great post, Lynn!! I find that many men/women of science do not believe in god. They
have to see it and have the ability to prove it or it just isn't ...and if god did exist, he would take away
their glory.

I agree. Knocked another one out of the park. I think I'm falling for her.

[fredinator]

Really? God knows it's best to have a child disfigured for life with burns covering their body or a beautiful young girl or boy paralyzed from the neck down after a diving accident? God knows what is best for a young girl to be raped and brutalized? God knows what is best for children in third-world countries to be starving to death?

Yes. See we only know this life. We only have part of the story. We don't remember life before we came to earth and we don't know what the afterlife holds. I truly believe that one day we will see God's plan and understand why some things happened the way they did.

This is easy to say when you are not that child. I've always wondered about those people in Rwanda that were hacked up if they thought that that was God's plan for them.

[RedWingFan]

Free Will vs. The Answering of Prayers

I'm still stuck on this concept. Would a religious type please explain this concept to me?

We were never told our prayers would be answered.

Sometimes God decides to calm the seas. Sometimes he chooses to ride the storm with us!

[Saint John]

Really? God knows it's best to have a child disfigured for life with burns covering their body or a beautiful young girl or boy paralyzed from the neck down after a diving accident? God knows what is best for a young girl to be raped and brutalized? God knows what is best for children in third-world countries to be starving to death?

Yes. See we only know this life. We only have part of the story. We don't remember life before we came to earth and we don't know what the afterlife holds. I truly believe that one day we will see God's plan and understand why some things happened the way they did.

This is easy to say when you are not that child. I've always wondered about those people in Rwanda that were hacked up if they thought that that was God's plan for them.

You don't know that they feel one ounce of pain. It could be God's way of testing our compassion, kindness and selflessness. I've often wondered if what we consider "reality" is anything but that ... and it's just God's way of seeing how we react and what type of people each of us are at the core. That our lives are like a movie, nothing is "real" and God is testing our judgment to see what level we operate with deep within our souls. Just a thought.

[artist4perry]

Really? God knows it's best to have a child disfigured for life with burns covering their body or a beautiful young girl or boy paralyzed from the neck down after a diving accident? God knows what is best for a young girl to be raped and brutalized? God knows what is best for children in third-world countries to be starving to death?

Yes. See we only know this life. We only have part of the story. We don't remember life before we came to earth and we don't know what the afterlife holds. I truly believe that one day we will see God's plan and understand why some things happened the way they did.

This is easy to say when you are not that child. I've always wondered about those people in Rwanda that were hacked up if they thought that that was God's plan for them.

I don't believe it is Gods plan or Will. I believe there are evil, sick, sadistic people on this earth. God gives us free will, wich means a choice to serve him or not. Those who do those kind of things though will suffer his wrath. The children will be comforted. As for illnesses, as I said, people were not made to last forever. God does care when people suffer. He wants us to help them as much as we can. Hopefully they have something to comfort them through trials. I have God to love me and comfort me. He gives me strength when mine is gone. He cares when I hurt. And when I die I will feel no pain, no sorrow, and no sickness. The same for these ones he holds most precious and dear.

Even if there is no God as some say. These children suffer with no hope of an afterlife. No hope for a better tomorrow. They suffer and die. Their very existance is pain and death. They have no chance to know what happiness is.

[fredinator]

Holy shit, are you talking about the Rwandan's "not feeling pain?" I don't think I understand your post.

[StevePerryHair]

Free Will vs. The Answering of Prayers

I'm still stuck on this concept. Would a religious type please explain this concept to me?

We were never told our prayers would be answered.

Sometimes God decides to calm the seas. Sometimes he chooses to ride the storm with us!

yep!! and what I was trying to say I guess was that sometimes that comes in the form of people sent into our lives just when we need them. I really believe prayers are answered in a lot of different ways. And it's not always clear until you look back and realize it later.

[RedWingFan]

Holy shit, are you talking about the Rwandan's "not feeling pain?" I don't think I understand your post.

I know. Made me wonder if St. John's ever stubbed his toe or banged his shin on a piece of hard furniture?

[Angel]

Really? God knows it's best to have a child disfigured for life with burns covering their body or a beautiful young girl or boy paralyzed from the neck down after a diving accident? God knows what is best for a young girl to be raped and brutalized? God knows what is best for children in third-world countries to be starving to death?

Yes. See we only know this life. We only have part of the story. We don't remember life before we came to earth and we don't know what the afterlife holds. I truly believe that one day we will see God's plan and understand why some things happened the way they did.

This is easy to say when you are not that child. I've always wondered about those people in Rwanda that were hacked up if they thought that that was God's plan for them.

We all have our trials in life-some are worse than others. My point being that sometimes we understand why we have those trials and sometimes we don't understand it-but there is a reason behind all of it.