What has God done in your life? on the Peoria.com Forums - Page 5

crodseth writes:
So stuff it.

TylerSutherland writes:

(Sorry if the cursing offends. It's not... like directed toward you, to upset you, it's just the way I talk/think. Yes, disgusting I know, lucky for all of us there's censorship on this board)

1. That is one definition of religion, yes. It's also the definition you'd use when people say things like "He goes running for an hour every day before work. He's religious about it."

I don't think it's really a fair comparison. I'm not betting anything on atheism, it's just the most logical answer I see. And it's not something I think about every day. It's not like I walk down the street, and I'm thinking "there is no god, there is no god, there is no god..."

I just don't attribute things to him the way some of you might. If something nice happens to me... I was probably lucky, or maybe it was the direct (and demonstrable) result of some action taken to cause my good fortune. When something bad happens, I ****ed up, or someone else did, or it was just bad luck/timing and yeah, **** happens.

2. You are trying to sell us your belief, sometimes in a passive way, other times directly. You talk about how people without god can't be complete, you speak of the risk of how we'll spend eternity, you make it sound as if we lack some mystical vision you have for the divine reality that is before you.

3. I've never hidden the fact that I think organized religion is a destructive force, and concrete religious belief, even on a personal level, can be counter-productive. It doesn't mean you should stop asking the questions.

Really, I don't mean to "make fun" of you. If I take a sarcastic tone sometimes it's because I'd like to explore the alternatives but I don't want to rip into you or your beliefs too hard. I'd just like to see people keep asking questions.

Yes, that goes for science, evolution and everything else.

If our information is incomplete, that doesn't mean "god must have done it." The lack of proof for one is not proof or even evidence of the other. They should have to stand on their own merit, and we should use our best possible methods for finding these answers so we can come as close to the truth as we can... not to justify the answer we'd like to find.

As much as I enjoy listening to EVERYONE'S personal testimony on just about anything... I mean, it's a big reason why I do what I do... I never take it as proof of anything.

We all lack the ability to perceive everything as it exists all the time... which is why I believe we invented religion in the first place (to explain the unexplainable)... but we do the best we can. And I do not fault you for that.

If my previous post was overly aggressive, I'm sorry. One sure way to piss me off is to gang up on someone, especially if I share some of their beliefs (but even if I don't, I feel the need to defend them)... and then tell me I don't have the right to contribute to a discussion.

I don't come into the religious discussion to be a turd in the punchbowl, although I know it can seem that way. I believe these discussions (even if they're heated) can be meaningful for all of us. This is the stuff we should be talking about... why are we here, where are we going (as a society), the meaning of life, how did we get to this point, etc.

I still don't know.

AV8R writes:

What a class act you are c.

froggy writes:
.........
I enjoy lively discussions/debates myself and I'm pretty open-minded, too, but as soon as the name calling starts I'm done..............

froggy writes:
Correct me if I'm wrong but this IS the "RELIGION" forum, which means it's basically for those of us who believe in something other than ourselves.

froggy writes:
Just for the record, I do not believe in "religion" either. I want to make it clear that Christianity is completely different than religion--they are most definitely NOT the same thing.

froggy writes:
Correct me if I'm wrong but this IS the "RELIGION" forum, which means it's basically for those of us who believe in something other than ourselves.

froggy writes:
One definition of religion: A pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance. Yes, atheism/agnosticism falls into that category, so welcome to religion.