Poll: Americans' Belief in God Is Strong--But Declining

Does that mean that you're not a practicing Rastafarian?

I believe in hedging my bet. Lets say that you believe in God and it turns out that He doesn't exist. At least you have tried to live a good life and be a good person.

But what if you don't believe and then it turns out that there is a God? You are royally screwed! Imagine hanging upside down with your head in a bucket of boiling shit and vomit for all eternity while demons poke you with white hot pitchforks?

 

To me if there is truly a God, he cannot expect everyone to believe in him without offering something to us.


When I look at religion, I see all walks of life. I think their are good people all over. It doesn't make sense to me for a God to damn people for not believing. For example, if I was born in say, the middle east, I would be Muslim most likely. That isn't my fault as I would be the product of my family, and the family before me. Or if I was born into a family that didn't believe in a God, why is that my fault? Are we not a product of how we are raised?


I just try to be a good dude and do people right. If that isn't enough, then fuck it. If I ever get damned to a place of demons and all that shit, I will most likely just have to fight my way out. I am cool with that.

 

The problem many encounter is that they want for Determinism and Free Will to exist at the same time. Doesn't work that way. God may well be something that is truly beyond our comprehension instead of all these ugly neat packages that some religions and their respective denominations try to create. The Church is far from perfect. There was a time that you would have gotten your head chopped off (compliments of the church) for suggesting that the world was round. There was a time that someone who was actually mentally ill was considered "possessed by demons". In efforts to help this poor soul out, the poor bastard was tied to a post and a bunch of wood piled up around him and fire set to it to burn out those damned evil spirits. Problem with the approach was that the person roasted as well. Having a place to go to if you're good and one to go to if you're bad: it becomes quite obvious that all the wild, horny women are going to be in hell and all those ugly, boring bitches in heaven. Hell of a dilemma isn't it? Personally, I'll take the eternity with the wild, horny women. But that's just me.

I am pushing 60 and the older I have gotten, the more skeptical I get about most churches. Many exist for their own purposes and little more if any. They make a mockery out of spirituality. Many try to control their members minds and in some instances their bodies as well. Many will do whatever they have to do to accomplish their means without regard to who or what they hurt. Trust me, I know. My home and family was destroyed in the name of religion (adulterous minister). After I lost my wife and the kids their mother, we realized that we had no one except each other at that point. We got absolutely NO comfort or help from the church. We eventually pulled ourselves back up by our bootstraps - no thanks to the damned church. To this day, I cannot bring myself to join another church. My heart is just not in it.

The teachings of Jesus Christ are quite noble, as are those of the Buddah. Oddly, the latter showed up long before the former. Oddly, he was also 'in the wilderness for 40 days and nights' and also 'tempted by the evil one.' There are a number of things in the Christian religion taken from other religions. When you do a study of how the Christian Bible came to be, it makes you wonder about a number of issues.

Instead, of obsession over whether every word was perfect, perhaps we simply take things in context and look at what it all stands for - an attempt to help us be better people. Treat others as you would have them treat you. Love and respect others as well as yourself. Help those in need as you are able. Be honest in your dealings with others.

After all, which one is more effective? Telling a poor starving bastard that you are praying for him, or actually feeding that person to satisfy his/her hunger? I see far too much of the former and damned little of the latter.

 

Good points.

I do believe that science will never have an answer.


It's like every box you open, there is another box in it. Quite strange.