(Wag @ Jun. 06 2007,19:12) Dustin and Michelle, you may find Carl Sagan's book, "The Demon-Haunted World" to be of interest. In fact, Ron, you might find it so as well, though you may also find it to be a little offensive to your beliefs.
Just tossin' that out there.
--Wag--
I have all my life tried to keep and open mind about things. However I have come to a realization as of late.
I am happy with my life. I pretty much (for the most part) like who I am.
I have an awesome wife, I have three boys that seem to be turning into good men.
I "think" I am respected by most people (I might not be liked lol. but I think mostly respected).
Soooo for me, what I have been doing is working, it works for me, for my family and in my life all is good.
So if something is working why change? why seek something else?
In yours and Nan's lifes what you two were experiencing wasn't working for you, you searched and you found what did work for you and you both are content with what you have found.
And I know a little from Michelle about where she is coming from (not a whole lot, like she has said before, I really dont know as much as I think I do lol. and it is true) but I think I have a pretty good understanding as to why she is not sure (not trying to judge you Michelle, just from what you have told me from what you have experienced and from what you have said on the board you have had a bad experience with religion and I think I can understand why you are where you are, in your shoes I honestly would probably be in the same place)
If I had gone through what Michelle has, or if I had gone through what you Lou, and Nan have gone through, honestly I probably would be in the same place you are all of you are.
So.. I guess the black and white of it for me is I believe what I believe. I try to do good, I "try" to follow the word. I try to listen to what I feel is God whispering to my heart.
And in the end, my belief I feel makes me a way better person than I would have been if I didn't have my faith. I know in my heart if I didn't have my faith, and I didn't believe in what I believe in I would probably be a very bad person.
If I thought all there was to life was this life, and there was nothing after it, and if I felt there wasn't a God and all we had was this pitiful existence for 80 years or so and that was it, that was the only chance you had. honestly, I would probably go through this life with gloves off. And it probably would not be pretty...
So for me, the worse case scenario, I go through life trying to be good, following what I feel is in my heart and when I die if there is no God, no heaven no nothing after this life then guess what? no harm no foul, I will be dead and it wont matter to me. end game. and hopefully I will be remembered as a good person. but in the end there was no harm done because all I tried to do was be good.
I feel that is a better alternative than going through life not believing in God, acting as though this is the only chance we have and doing what feels good to us, then dying and finding out there really is a God, you really will live for eternity in a different form, you had your chance to believe in him and you didn't, you rejected him and because of this the rest of your eternal life will be spent in misery.
I know the people who don't believe in God and don't believe in He11 wont be phased by the possibility because to them it just doesn't exist.
But the truth my friend is none of us really know, Christians cannot really prove to non believers that God exists and non-believers really have no way to prove God doesn't exist. no matter what people say on either side, for the most part no one can prove anything. we can all assume, and guess but the truth is, none of us on this planet will ever know while we are still alive.
In the end we will either find out there is a God, or we wont know anything.
And when push comes to shove, You can never really prove something doesn't exist, but you can prove something does exist. meaning God could show himself to the world in a miraculous way and all will know God exists.
But if God doesn't exist, there will never be a way to prove it.
So I guess Lou, in my opinion if a person lives their lives believing in God (and I don't mean convincing everyone you believe in God, but honestly believing) AND (this is a big and) you follow the bible as it is meant to be followed, not in some corrupt way where you do evil in the name of the Lord, but in the true way where you do no harm to anyone and you only help those you can, then the worse thing that will happen is you will live as a good of a life as you can and when you die you wont know any better.
Am I living my life because I am afraid there might be a God and I am afraid to go to he11? nope. I truly believe in God and regardless of where he puts me after my flesh dies I still want to serve him.
If I die and he feels I need to go to he11 anyway, so be it. not my preferred place but I am not afraid of it.
if I die and there really is "the pearly gates" and I am to spend eternity outside the gates looking in and never step foot inside of heaven.... so be it.
I don't seve the Lord because I am afraid of where I will go when I die.
I don't serve the Lord because I want anything in Heaven. Heck I was a Marine for 10 years. I have slept in tents and worked in tents when there was snow on the ground, I have walked a mile in the snow in shorts to get to the shower tent to take a cold shower.
I have been in the desert in 120 heat sleeping in tents and A-frames with scorpions crawling on the ground.
I have slept in trees on branches.
I really don't care where I sleep , where I dwell, what kind of house I have.
So the "promises of rich's in heaven" don't effect me. don't really care.
So if I don't serve the Lord out of fear and if I don't serve the Lord for rich's or wealth or power that I perceive I might receive when this flesh dies why do I serve the Lord ?
One word..
Love...
And when I talk to people about the God I believe in, it is not because I am pridefull and want to be right and want to make everyone believe what I believe.
it is not out of arrogance
But again it is out of love.. for all those in this world.
You know me Lou, for the most part I care about everyone until someone gives me a reason not to (yeah I know "well THAT is not very Christian like!! lol well bite me
) and out of that caring comes concern.
I don't think I am a prideful person, and when I am wrong I will almost always admit it, so if I argue with someone about something and especially religion, I don't do it because of pride nor domination I do it out of honest concern for the person I am talking with.
So I just want to say, I apologize if I have offended anyone lately, it wasn't my intent. But my actions honestly do stem from caring about all of you more than any of you will probably ever know.
