Not a conspiracy theorist, however..

VaughanJB said:
God has never spoken to me. He's never visited, and never answered a prayer. No God ever has. Conclusion, I was howling in the night to empty air.
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Same here; it's always felt to me as if for years, people kept telling me that "God's in that room in there. Go in there and pray and he'll talk to you and answer your prayers." So I spent years going into that room so to speak, trying that, and nothing. And people would tell me, "Oh, did you sit very still?" "Yep." "Oh, okay, then, you should walk around while praying." And on and on with nothing ever working. So I came to the conclusion that sometimes an empty room is just exactly that, an empty room.
OlderThanDirt said:
I tell folks I didn't get the god gene.
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Same here, I think.

The branch of Christianity that I was mostly raised up in isn't usually considered one of the more extreme, "fire and brimstone" types but the way it was presented to me by one of my grandmothers is that the whole point of life (your life, everybody's life) is to not burn in Hell for eternity after you die.

That's it; that's the only thing you need to be concerned with, not love for anybody (even your own family), not even love for God (you only need to fear him, he doesn't want or need love, he only wants obedience), and it wasn't even from the standpoint of "Don't you want to go to Heaven when you die? It's a wonderful place." No, it was all the time all about staying out of Hell. And why the heck wouldn't a supreme being want his worshippers' love? Why would he only want fear? Phooey.
 
Timewise 60+ said:
I feel somewhat as you do, Mr. Ed. I have studied formal Christianity, and read a lot about Judaism, and Buddhism. As a young man I went to a Christian based college where we were required to take a certain number of hours of religious study. So that is where I had formal study of religions.

I consider myself a Christian, although many Christians would tell me I am not a Christian. I don't belong to or attend church. I have not been baptized. I have read much of the bible and other religious books. Yet, I consider myself a Christian, I accept Jesus Christ as my savior and know my soul will be ok when I die. This acceptance alone is why I believe I am a Christian. I have only come to this conclusion in my old age, it took lots of study, and soul searching. But I do believe.
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Nobody else can determine if you are a Christian or not. That is a personal thing between you and God. We don't have the right to judge each other in that manner. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than sitting in a garage makes you a car. The next time someone tells you that you aren't a Christian because you don't go to church tell them it's not their place to make that judgement.
 
Teacher Terry said:
I was raised in the Lutheran faith but as an adult realized it’s not possible for a God to exist. Religion has caused so much hate, pain, suffering and death.
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I'm sad for you. Apparently sitting in church when you were being raised didn't do you any good. It's not "religion" that has caused so much hate, pain, suffering and death, it's the devil and people who follow him instead of God. Good luck, you're going to need it. I'll put you in my prayers, you need a lot of work.
 
Knight said:
Questioning what is written in a bible isn't for everyone. For those with blind faith, comfort seems to be the answer.

Explaining why you feel the way you do may just be the catalyst for others to question how things can be.
While in the hospital for my last surgery I asked these questions to the Christian bible carrying person that visited me.
When & how did God become God.
When God flooded the earth & killed all but Noah & his family do you think that could be classified as premediated murder?
Since formal bible taught religion wasn't around during prehistoric times would mankind be eligible to go to heaven?
Since God flooded the earth & only Noah & his family were left to repopulate the earth why would the all knowing God not know that birth defects would result from inbreeding?
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I was once like you. For me, things changed after a road to Damascus experience while participating in an inservice for teachers that had nothing at all to do with religion. I experienced the eminence and the imminence of God. That shocked me to the core and caused me to rethink my certainties.
 
Ruth 1:16
And Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee; for whither thou goest, I will go, and where thou lodgest, I will lodge.

For me, this is the greatest story of love in the Old Testament. Love, loyalty, a bond between women through thick and thin.

Why not concentrate on messages such as this, dear Ed? There are so many acts of love, why concentrate on war?
 
Debrah N. said:
I'm not a believer in the God of Christianity, Judaism or Islam, but I believe that there is something far greater than us, that did bring our world into existence. We aren't 'accidental', nor does the 'something' care how we live our lives but just sets us up for the sake of experiencing this life in all it's myriad forms and ways.
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The bold. I have wondered my whole life if that is true. I have tried to imagine what that could possibly be. Every time I imagine something that I could understand, it vanished from my mind. The same with "feeling" the awe of the complexity/beauty of life, it has been temporary. Then the next time I have this Ah Ha moment it is different than before. Maybe we adapt our concepts of "that which is greater than us" spontaneously as all of life changes. For me I have to remain very flexible about this, because becoming sure of any concept and hanging on to it would be halting any other understanding.
 
Mr. Ed said:
Not a conspiracy theorist but there are questions in life that don’t add-up.
i calimed to be a christian based on upbrining, lack of exposure to any other type of belief system. I question the validity of faith and reality. It is said among believers that Jesus was sacrificed so believers can have communion with the father. Why do Christian’s praise Jesus for his love when there is no evidence of his to be had?

There is no evidence that faith-based religions produce the promises and solisitation asked for by humans. I think prayer is something other than religious duties of organized religions. It has nothing to do with religion, prayer is a time to reflect, restore balance and ground yourself in the moment. I view this as communicating with life and whatever is managing all that is or god.

Most of my life I have tried to conform to church religion, preacher religion, organized religion to realize none of these religious variants work for me and was led to believe it was my fault for thinking differently.

When I post something of this nature on SF, members have told me to get over it and reprimanded my actions out of disgust for my thoughts and words. I am sorting things in my attic and writing them down helps me take out the trash.
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You have the rights of expressing your views. Granted! However, you've to know that not everyone will agree with you. The eternal balance of darkness and light, black or white et al.

Myself, I grew up in two religions but I've settled in a third in my early adulthood and it's comfortable. I quite enjoy it as it brings ne in line with nature and all around us.

I still believe in the principles learned from an early age, but at the end of the day, I decided that it was best to let people choose their own paths. Simply, to each his own...

My choices have been frowned upon, but it's just water off the duck's back. Live and let live... Too many are controlling and not always with good results. Meh! To paraphrase this very much used expression.

Questions unanswered, causes doubts and linger into beliefs, that something's not quite right!

Best to take it with a grain of salt, throw said salt over your shoulder and live as you wish within the lighter side of life.

Blessed be!
 
My scandalous take has slowly evolved as I've grown older. I've never been religious, although I am baptized.

I have come to believe that religion is merely man's word on God and as with everything else, is subject to whatever whims the "men of God" want us to obey In other words, 'God's Word' has become so perverted over the last 2000 years that I have to doubt He had in mind what they preach. I personally believe that the God I worship and respect would be horrified by people using His name to perpetuate all of the disgusting crimes done 'in the name of God'.

And if He does condone it, all the more reason to turn away.

But as it is, I look to Him for guidance and comfort and I don't need someone in a funny hat and robe to tell me how to worship.

Just my 2 cents. If others find what they need spiritually from church, I'm glad of it but I don't have any inclination to join in.
 
Mr. Ed said:
I question the validity of faith and reality. It is said among believers that Jesus was sacrificed so believers can have communion with the father. Why do Christian’s praise Jesus for his love when there is no evidence of his to be had?
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Lee Strobel felt the same way, doubting the reality of the resurrection. Until he, as an (atheist) investigative reporter did some serious inquiry. To read his story, read “The Case For Christ” or see the movie about him by the same name.
 
Explain “LIVES” serious inquiry” Is that like living daily within the realm of serious inquiry? But seriously folks
 
Paco Dennis said:
The bold. I have wondered my whole life if that is true. I have tried to imagine what that could possibly be. Every time I imagine something that I could understand, it vanished from my mind. The same with "feeling" the awe of the complexity/beauty of life, it has been temporary. Then the next time I have this Ah Ha moment it is different than before. Maybe we adapt our concepts of "that which is greater than us" spontaneously as all of life changes. For me I have to remain very flexible about this, because becoming sure of any concept and hanging on to it would be halting any other understanding.
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I used to know a man, a very serious guy, a very smart guy who spent his life working in Canada's prison system. He told me about having an out of body experience once and only once, that he swore was real. As a result, I started reading about the topic and came across a series of books by a man named Robert Monroe. He was a successful business man in the radio industry and in 1958, he started having OBE's spontaneously which lasted throughout the rest of his life. His books describe his fascinating experiences.

In fact for a few years, Monroe went on to work with the US military on remote viewing experiments at the research institute that he built as a result of his experiences and the resulting knowledge that he gleaned from them.

That led me then, to researching books on NDE's and reading countless testimonials of all kinds of people which has convinced me that there is definitely more than this life experience. I also came across an a 1997 movie with Eric Roberts where he filled the role of a guy named Dannion Brinkley, a man who starts out as a vile community bully who has an NDE as a result of an accidental electrocution and is completely changed by the experience. If you're interested, you can watch it here...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_sB7xrRpd4
 
Gary O' said:
Yeah, I don't hold much with organized religion

Jesus had a lot of trouble with the Sadducees, Rabbis, and Pharisees in His time

Just as corrupt as today

However
I do firmly believe in The Bible
It's proven itself to me
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I'm curious how the Bible has 'proven itself to you' if you don't mind my asking. I was in the church for a number of years so I'm not unfamiliar with church and the Bible, so just wondering what you are thinking of.
 
In response to @Debrah N. I was just talking to my wife this about thoughts I am experiencing from depression. I said. "it’s not as if I wish I were dead, I just want to escape from how I feel”. I don’t want to experience negative desires to remove myself from my present state of being, to stop myself with the only option I know non-life.

Living like this is difficult, my thoughts are an active part of me, I cannot escape from myself to another self less disturbed. I am what I am so I am thinking about life in the hereafter. I do not believe in judgement day or the reward and punishment system dividing saved and the unsaved. As a matter of fact, I have doubts about salvation based upon the acceptance of Jesus in one’s life. Got off on a rabbit trail.

I don’t know after this life ends if there any recognizable traits or spiritual awareness that might identify me from other spirits or entities. If so, I will be the one with a smile on his face.
 
Mr. Ed said:
In response to @Debrah N. I was just talking to my wife this about thoughts I am experiencing from depression. I said. "it’s not as if I wish I were dead, I just want to escape from how I feel”. I don’t want to experience negative desires to remove myself from my present state of being, to stop myself with the only option I know non-life.

Living like this is difficult, my thoughts are an active part of me, I cannot escape from myself to another self less disturbed. I am what I am so I am thinking about life in the hereafter. I do not believe in judgement day or the reward and punishment system dividing saved and the unsaved. As a matter of fact, I have doubts about salvation based upon the acceptance of Jesus in one’s life. Got off on a rabbit trail.

I don’t know after this life ends if there any recognizable traits or spiritual awareness that might identify me from other spirits or entities. If so, I will be the one with a smile on his face.
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I have gone through times like you describe, where always, my last thought at night was 'I wish I could die'. That went on for years actually. And like you, not because terrible things were going on in my life, I was just tired of (in my case) being in a world where there is so much pain and hurt going on all around.

I think what helped me start to feel better is I began to wonder if I had just worked myself into a habit of feeling blue all the time. Gradually over time, I've learned to say to myself, when those intruding thoughts and sadness try to creep in, "I don't want to think about that".

I think there's something about saying those words to myself that helps to create new pathways in my brain, so right after I say that, I make a point of putting my mind on something that can make me feel good. A good memory, a song that makes me smile, a video I find inspiring, someone I love, anything as long as I don't follow that little creeping grey shadow that's trying to pull me in. Maybe something like that would help you.🙂

As to the rest of your comment, if you want to have a chat about that sometime, that would be an interesting conversation and one that I'd certainly be up for.
 
Debrah N. said:
I'm curious how the Bible has 'proven itself to you' if you don't mind my asking. I was in the church for a number of years so I'm not unfamiliar with church and the Bible, so just wondering what you are thinking of.
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The prophecies
They're so precise, covering hundreds/thousands of years
Mainly the books of Daniel and The Revelation
 
officerripley said:
Same here; it's always felt to me as if for years, people kept telling me that "God's in that room in there. Go in there and pray and he'll talk to you and answer your prayers." So I spent years going into that room so to speak, trying that, and nothing. And people would tell me, "Oh, did you sit very still?" "Yep." "Oh, okay, then, you should walk around while praying." And on and on with nothing ever working. So I came to the conclusion that sometimes an empty room is just exactly that, an empty room.

Same here, I think.

The branch of Christianity that I was mostly raised up in isn't usually considered one of the more extreme, "fire and brimstone" types but the way it was presented to me by one of my grandmothers is that the whole point of life (your life, everybody's life) is to not burn in Hell for eternity after you die.

That's it; that's the only thing you need to be concerned with, not love for anybody (even your own family), not even love for God (you only need to fear him, he doesn't want or need love, he only wants obedience), and it wasn't even from the standpoint of "Don't you want to go to Heaven when you die? It's a wonderful place." No, it was all the time all about staying out of Hell. And why the heck wouldn't a supreme being want his worshippers' love? Why would he only want fear? Phooey.
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Right? And why would anyone worship that dude? He sounds like a schmuck!
 
Pepper said:
Ruth 1:16
And Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee; for whither thou goest, I will go, and where thou lodgest, I will lodge.

For me, this is the greatest story of love in the Old Testament.
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The elephant in the room is that there are some heinous things done in the Old Testament. It's so bad and inconsistent that we apparently needed a new covenant with God. As such, picking and choosing which parts of the Old Testament are okay or not seems somewhat suspect.

One of the alarm bells for Christianity is that it condemns non-believers. If you don't believe in the same God, it's hell and damnation. Not very good, is it? If I don't comply with a set of standards - standards many professed Christians don't meet - I'll suffer eternally. I mean seriously. It's a bit harsh!

I am also confused by the idea of free will. The point of free will was so we had a choice to follow Gods word, or choose not to. Fair enough, but since the penalty paid for not following is extremely harsh, it's like we don't have free will at all - who would choose burning in hell forevermore? Since God gave us the ability to choose - a God-given right - why punish us on the back end if we go east instead of west?

But I'll tell you the one thing that REALLY bothers me about Christianity - it's use in politics. I don't want to get this thread off topic, but just about every politician proclaims to be a Christian. Yet we know the things they do, vote for, etc. Let alone the scandals. For them, religion has turned in a vehicle to virtue signal. It's not sincere, and it's not honest.

If I were a God who could create worlds and beings, there is much I'd do differently.
 
Debrah N. said:
I'm not a believer in the God of Christianity, Judaism or Islam, but I believe that there is something far greater than us, that did bring our world into existence. We aren't 'accidental', nor does the 'something' care how we live our lives but just sets us up for the sake of experiencing this life in all it's myriad forms and ways.
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I mean, I have all those questions too, but I'm pretty good with letting the mystery be a mystery. Perhaps I'll find out someday, probably not. Meanwhile, it seems that science enables us to learn a lot about our universe. I'm sticking with science.
 

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