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+---- Thread: Faith (/Thread-Faith)
Faith - xxlt - 08-27-2015
Do you believe in a God or gods? You can say "yes" (Oh I'm a Believer! Not a trace - of doubt in my mind!),"no" (Oh Oh Oh it's magic, you know, never believe - it's not so!), or "undecided" (No song for you! You can be a hummer. And if there's such a thing as karma maybe you will get one too!)
If you would care to elaborate on your beliefs (Christian, Hindu, Rastafarian, etc.) or lack there of, please do.
RE: Faith - Belsnickel - 08-27-2015
I believe there is a god, and I follow the teachings of Jesus because they make sense to me as a way to live a good life. But I also follow ol' Odin One Eye, so there is that.
RE: Faith - xxlt - 08-27-2015
(08-27-2015, 08:39 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: I believe there is a god, and I follow the teachings of Jesus because they make sense to me as a way to live a good life. But I also follow ol' Odin One Eye, so there is that.
It's "election" day. Vote. Make it official.
RE: Faith - xxlt - 08-27-2015
I used to believe. Sometimes I almost felt certitude about it, other times I had doubts. The older I got the more I leaned agnostic. Then it was atheist for awhile. Now I am back to agnostic and feel very comfortable there. If forced off of that choice I would say atheist, because the evidence against is stronger than the evidence for to my way of looking at it. But, there is so much we do not understand about life and our universe that saying, "Shucks, I don't know" seems the most honest response. I don't feel a compulsion to believe or disbelieve, and feel comfortable saying I do not know if there is a God or gods, and while the idea and the mythologies are fascinating I find it rather unlikely. But I just don't know.
RE: Faith - jason - 08-27-2015
I spent most of my life as an atheist. I'm not going to get into why I had a change of heart. I'm probably not much of a Christian by Christian standards. I don't go to church, I don't like organized religion, I believe in evolution, I don't take much of the Bible literally (it's more of a lesson to me), I despise judgmental fire and brimstone types, and I believe that God (the one God) reveals himself to different people (of all faiths) around the globe in different ways. He doesn't speak to me, but he guides me. He doesn't intervene in my life, or make me throw interceptions in the Super Bowl, or help the Bengals win.
RE: Faith - Johnny Cupcakes - 08-27-2015
There are no such things as gods. It's like Bigfoot, ghosts, or the Loch Ness Monster, but we don't have any blurry photographs of him.
I really don't even see how such a high percentage of people believe in this. A claim with zero evidence or corroborating proofs is somehow believed by about 3/4 of the population. 74% of otherwise sane adults believe this, and it's mind-boggling.
Give me one piece of evidence. Just one.
RE: Faith - bfine32 - 08-27-2015
Bummer, I thought this thread was going to be about George Micheal. As to the question at hand: Yes. It is a personal relationship that continues to evolve.
RE: Faith - jason - 08-27-2015
(08-27-2015, 09:31 PM)Johnny Cupcakes Wrote: There are no such things as gods. It's like Bigfoot, ghosts, or the Loch Ness Monster, but we don't have any blurry photographs of him.Apparently somebody's never seen the grilled cheese sandwich with Jesus' face on it...
I really don't even see how such a high percentage of people believe in this. A claim with zero evidence or corroborating proofs is somehow believed by about 3/4 of the population. 74% of otherwise sane adults believe this, and it's mind-boggling.
Give me one piece of evidence. Just one.
RE: Faith - GMDino - 08-27-2015
I was born into an Italian, Catholic family. I went to Catholic school from 1st thru 12th and then attended a Catholic college.
I think I had a religion class every day until college and then I had to take nine credits in four years to graduate.
I've been out of college for 24 years now.
Its harder to separate the "catholic guilt" from "actual belief" anymore.
I got to church much less now. That came and went over the years. After being dragged there as a kid to not going while I was in college (except when I was dating someone in the choir) to forcing my own kids (who went to Catholic school until they were 12 and 8 respectively) to not missing it much at all anymore.
My problem is with the earthly church much more than believing in a divine being. I still think there is a higher power. But I do not pray every day anymore. I have found great comfort in leading my life now by pulling the good things I learned from all those years and what I have learned since the indoctrination stopped and leaving the guilt and pressure behind.
So my vote isn't in the list above. I believe in something. In my mind it is still the Christian God...but I do not believe like we are told (forced) to believe as I was growing up.
RE: Faith - bfine32 - 08-27-2015
(08-27-2015, 09:31 PM)Johnny Cupcakes Wrote: There are no such things as gods. It's like Bigfoot, ghosts, or the Loch Ness Monster, but we don't have any blurry photographs of him.Not sure you understand faith.
I really don't even see how such a high percentage of people believe in this. A claim with zero evidence or corroborating proofs is somehow believed by about 3/4 of the population. 74% of otherwise sane adults believe this, and it's mind-boggling.
Give me one piece of evidence. Just one.
RE: Faith - Johnny Cupcakes - 08-27-2015
(08-27-2015, 09:55 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Not sure you understand faith.
No, I completely understand it, and you're right, me asking for some sort of proof would not be a faith based belief. The OP went a bit farther into it than just the faith aspect though, so I went a bit farther with mine as well.
RE: Faith - Rotobeast - 08-27-2015
(08-27-2015, 09:31 PM)Johnny Cupcakes Wrote: There are no such things as gods. It's like Bigfoot, ghosts, or the Loch Ness Monster, but we don't have any blurry photographs of him.
I really don't even see how such a high percentage of people believe in this. A claim with zero evidence or corroborating proofs is somehow believed by about 3/4 of the population. 74% of otherwise sane adults believe this, and it's mind-boggling.
Give me one piece of evidence. Just one.
I've only seen one on your list.
As long as it wasn't a trans-dimensional being, it was a ghost.
So, after that I started thinking about my own immortal soul a little more.
I know, I'm a whacko.....whatever.
Fact is that I've been a paranormal investigator for 7 years and the only time I seen anything was on my honeymoon in broad daylight, in Gettysburg.
Apart from that tidbit, as a critical thinker you certainly have to give a bit of credibility to the benefits of faith, do you not ?
The neurochemical perks alone can foster a much longer life.
No matter the source of that stimulation, it seems to be good for the subject.
(unless they try to force it upon another, of course
)
RE: Faith - Nately120 - 08-27-2015
Even if you believe in a god or gods it is unlikely you believe in all of them. Everyone chooses to "not believe" in god in some capacity.
RE: Faith - Johnny Cupcakes - 08-27-2015
(08-27-2015, 10:17 PM)Rotobeast Wrote: I've only seen one on your list.
As long as it wasn't a trans-dimensional being, it was a ghost.
So, after that I started thinking about my own immortal soul a little more.
I know, I'm a whacko.....whatever.
Fact is that I've been a paranormal investigator for 7 years and the only time I seen anything was on my honeymoon in broad daylight, in Gettysburg.
Apart from that tidbit, as a critical thinker you certainly have to give a bit of credibility to the benefits of faith, do you not ?
The neurochemical perks alone can foster a much longer life.
No matter the source of that stimulation, it seems to be good for the subject.
(unless they try to force it upon another, of course
I don't deny that faith can be good for certain people. If it gives you a positive mindset, then sometimes that could be all you need to get you through some bad shit in life. In the same vein, it could be a bad thing for people who believe that they'll be healed due to their faith. Stage 3 lung cancer requires medical attention, not faith in a god.
As for your experience,...I don't believe it was genuine. Not that I'm calling you a liar, but maybe more of a misidentifier. I won't take your personal anecdotal evidence as proof of the supernatural. I'll believe that stuff once it's scientifically proven. I could see it myself, and if it goes against what science explains, I'm gonna wonder if I'm hallucinating rather than seeing evidence of ghosts.
RE: Faith - Nately120 - 08-27-2015
People believe in god the same way football fans believe in a backup QB who has never seen action; less evidence means more room to inject your own wild bias.
RE: Faith - Rotobeast - 08-27-2015
(08-27-2015, 10:50 PM)Johnny Cupcakes Wrote: I don't deny that faith can be good for certain people. If it gives you a positive mindset, then sometimes that could be all you need to get you through some bad shit in life. In the same vein, it could be a bad thing for people who believe that they'll be healed due to their faith. Stage 3 lung cancer requires medical attention, not faith in a god.
As for your experience,...I don't believe it was genuine. Not that I'm calling you a liar, but maybe more of a misidentifier. I won't take your personal anecdotal evidence as proof of the supernatural. I'll believe that stuff once it's scientifically proven. I could see it myself, and if it goes against what science explains, I'm gonna wonder if I'm hallucinating rather than seeing evidence of ghosts.
Understood and agree on both accounts.
I still question myself, but I know exactly what happened and my wife seen the exact same thing.
I expect you to remain a skeptic, until you see it face to face.
No worries.
RE: Faith - Belsnickel - 08-27-2015
(08-27-2015, 10:45 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Even if you believe in a god or gods it is unlikely you believe in all of them. Everyone chooses to "not believe" in god in some capacity.
Maybe some day I will expand on my actual beliefs in the divine. Long story short, I believe in all gods. From Acan to Yakushi Nyorai.
RE: Faith - Nately120 - 08-27-2015
(08-27-2015, 11:03 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: Maybe some day I will expand on my actual beliefs in the divine. Long story short, I believe in all gods. From Acan to Yakushi Nyorai.
You sir, are one interesting exception. I just find it a bit off-putting that someone can ask me how I can not be concerned with dying and seeing Jesus and then look at me like I'm nuts when I ask how he/she can not be concerned about dying and seeing Vishnu.
RE: Faith - Belsnickel - 08-27-2015
(08-27-2015, 11:05 PM)Nately120 Wrote: You sir, are one interesting exception. I just find it a bit off-putting that someone can ask me how I can not be concerned with dying and seeing Jesus and then look at me like I'm nuts when I ask how he/she can not be concerned about dying and seeing Vishnu.
Yeah, my opinions on faith and all are a bit interesting. I have had enough experiences with enough different religions that to deny any level of legitimacy to them seems exceedingly arrogant. If you are, yourself, a person of faith that is.
RE: Faith - Nately120 - 08-27-2015
(08-27-2015, 11:12 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: Yeah, my opinions on faith and all are a bit interesting. I have had enough experiences with enough different religions that to deny any level of legitimacy to them seems exceedingly arrogant.
Meh, people repeat what they've been told. When someone suggests I believe in Jesus to avoid having a "homina homina homina" moment when I die and see him for myself I can only assume that is one of the things he/she was told that worked on him/her.
![[Image: HominaI.jpg]](http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq131/byrnesry/Smilies/HominaI.jpg)