ClumsyMonkey.net

I believe in God as a matter of rationalization - the cosmological arguement. I think that most organized religion is a bunch of crock and does nothing but fan segregation and hatred in the world, but that's got nothing to do with God. Alright, that may be a little unfair, I think some of the morals that religions teach are good and important, but I shy away from anything that purports supreme knowledge of Everything. I'm agnostic in that respect - no one was there at the birth of creation, nearly every person claiming to hear the voice of God is cracked, and most every religion acknowledges that men are falliable and perfectly capable of lieing, so I'll stick to what I can find out for myself empirically, and not trust others to tell me what's what when it comes to the most important questions in life. And that's what I plan on devoting my life to: trying to find as much sense as I can.

christa lynn wrote:

Axtech wrote:<- Atheist/Scientist

The way you have it there it seems that you imply that scientist = atheist. Because someone is a scientist does it does not always follow that they are an atheist. I would consider myself a scientist, but I'm a strong Christian.

Einstein and Newton were religious.

What I meant was both. I didn't mean that they were the same.

I am curious about something though... As a scientist and Christian, how do you feel about scientific theories and/or facts that go against religion, the biggest one being evolution?

Axtech wrote:What I meant was both. I didn't mean that they were the same.

I am curious about something though... As a scientist and Christian, how do you feel about scientific theories and/or facts that go against religion, the biggest one being evolution?

Well, look at the example of Galileo. "The Bible tells us how to go to heaven not how the heaven goes." The Bible is never meant to be a science text book and we shouldn't rely on the Bible as physical facts on the real world. It's meant to be stories to teach us how to go to heaven (if heaven exist at all) and cultivate us spiritually. Just like the Bible said that the earth was the center of the universe. But we shouldn't interpret it as if it's the physical truth of the world, but it's a way to have faith in...(insert plausible interpretation here).

Did you know that there are some professors and teachers who think the grand canyon was caused by a great flood? They think it was created in a couple of days.

I really think that some people do not know where to draw the line between science and religion.

Watch Penn and Teller's Bullshit! on...Showtime, I think. It's the best show ever.

I'm another person who doesn't know what to put, I go to church and all, but I wouldn't say that I worship god, and I always question stuff, while always going back to just being "christian", yet so much of what they teach seems like it has to be wrong, I don't just blindly follow, but yet I question almost every word they say, as with almost anything in life, just like how they say that you go to heaven, but who's to say what exactly heaven looks like or what it is, maybe heaven's whatever we imagine it to be, or maybe it isn't there at all, maybe we're re-born (forgot the word for that) as another form of life (which I seem to believe more than the whole heaven thing) since wouldn't heaven run out of room if everyone's forgiven if they're truly sorry for their sins, and the death rates & birth rates for all living things (not just people) seems as if it would be the same (not sure on that one though, as I'd guess nobody really is), and as said before, you can't take the bible word for word blindly, especially since for so long the average person was not allowed to own or read a bible on their own, just the kings/rich people and priests or whatever they were called then, they could have completely changed the whole wording and beliefs that are in the bible... I always seem to like learning about different religions, but seem to forget to do it, ya know.

Probably in conclusion, I believe in a whole mixture of beliefs from various religions while constantly changing my mind on stuff that I question... hmm.. this and that parallel universe one I was reading earlier would combine really well ... if we could go to the parallel universe that shows the beginning of time, then we could know, but I guess that would take all the fun out of life now wouldn't it

Wow.

My outlook has changed a lot in the last couple of years. No doubt thanks to the philosophy course I took a few months after this thread.

Mine has too. First, my whole life up until 14 I was an unquestioningly faithful catholic. Then I rebelled into atheism etc. Now i'm back on track, practising and being happy with Faith. It makes me feel complete.

I have always, however, been a firm believer in believing in what makes you feel good. I have no ill-will against anyone of other religions as long as they hold the same respect for mine. As long as you're happy and healthy, your beliefs shouldn't be up for debate against others.

I like it.

believe that your truth is not my truth
believe that god can exist with many different faces at one time.

what are you doing lisa?
praying to buddha, jesus, spongebob. there's no time to be picky.
squill her!!

gokirk72

I'm going to answer your questions/observations from the standpoint of a practising Christian. (Which I am)

who's to say what exactly heaven looks like or what it is, maybe heaven's whatever we imagine it to be

The short answer is the Bible. The entire concept of heaven stems from the Bible. Heaven isnt really associated with any other religion but the Abrahamic Faiths. What we can learn about heaven can be read from the Bible. A lot of people like the concept of heaven but don't want to buy into "all that other stuff" so they choose to make up their own version while disregarding the very place it came from.

wouldn't heaven run out of room if everyone's forgiven if they're truly
sorry for their sins, and the death rates & birth rates for all living things

No. While everyone's forgiven, most don't except it or don't buy into Christianity. From the Christian perspective, a person who rejects God goes to hell. Why? Because hell by definition is the complete absence of God. Essentially by sending those who deny God to hell, he's giving them exactly what they want. Thus not everyone is going to Heaven. Secondly it would be reasonable to assume that God has designed Heaven to hold everyone who ever has followed God and ever will.

you can't take the bible word for word blindly, especially since for so long the average person was not allowed to own or read a bible on their own, just the kings/rich people and priests or whatever they were called then, they could have completely changed the whole wording and beliefs that are in the bible

The Bible of today is said to be 99.5% accurate in comparision to the original Greek and Hebrew scripts. We know this by comparing today's Bible with the earliest manuscripts on record. The assumption that large portions of the Bible were added to over time is largely scoffed at by Biblical and Secular scholars alike.

it won't let me vote, am i just drunk or is it closed?

No it let me vote.

this thread is 2 years old. i'm assuming it's closed.

or not.

really? how did i not know about it? or did i vote already an forgot?

Probably. It's been revived.

lol cool i have't actually read any of it, i just wanted to vote, sorry i'm to drubnk to be online

I AM ME wrote:it won't let me vote, am i just drunk or is it closed?

That seems to be about the funniest thing i've ever read.

But otherwise You probably voted like a year or two ago. That would be why you cannot do it again.

don't ask why wrote:what are you doing lisa?
praying to buddha, jesus, spongebob. there's no time to be picky.
squill her!!

I loved that.

Also... holy old thread, Batman.

Oh my gosh Nikki. I was going to say the same thing!

Well I don't fit any of those categories...so I won't vote anyhow.