Ya'll dont believe in God? (page 10)

Kaethra

Ashi,

First off...I'm a dudette! (High Elf Ice Bitch - ask Six of Seven)

Secondly, perhaps you are right about Ab's comments...but I have seen this same argument over and over from him and other atheists. I've never seen it qualified by a 'believers do good but not solely because of religious guilt'. It is always presented as though believers in anything beyond the scientifically provable are somehow doing good only because of the supernatural ramifications of their actions...as if the atheist, free of any ramifications good or bad, is somehow better for extending kindness to her fellow human.

Flower - glad I could help. (((Hugs))) to you!

Kaethra

Expatbrit,

"Doing good is its own reward"

For me, the reward is in knowing that I did something right, perhaps something that helped someone else, perhaps something that merely validated to me that I am living by my own code of ethics. I don't expect, need, or even want external validation for my good conduct. Despite my many doubts about the bible, I do believe in Jesus' words to not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. (maybe he was talking about masturbation...hell, I don't know!)

expatbrit

Kaethra:

Thank you. It seems that another way of putting your reply would be that the reward you receive from doing what you perceive to be good is pleasure within yourself. The pleasure gained from knowing that you did something right.

Expatbrit

Kaethra

Expatbrit

Yes...

Even being "self-sacrificing" (borg term *hack*) has its own reward....

I am reminded of a "Friends" episode in which Joey challenges Phoebe to perform one completely selfless act. Everything she came up with was wrong of course, because no matter what she sacrificed, she always ended up feeling GOOD about what she had done for someone else...so there was no truly selfless act.

expatbrit

Kaethra:

Yup! Bingo!

This concept of good and evil and why human behaviour is so inconsistent with it has occupied my thoughts lately.

I'm not sure if you saw a post I did a few days ago, but I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on it. http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=21395&site=3

Expatbrit

Kaethra

Expatbrit -

Don't mean to be a drag, but I'm logging off now....it's past my bedtime. I'll definitely have a look at your thread tomorrow. :)

expatbrit

Kaethra:

Sure thing!

Expatbrit

mommy

Sunbeam and Flower,
I will address both of you if you don't mind. I really don't think it is my place to say why a person does a certain thing, because we can never really know. If we start getting into this discussion too deeply I am afraid the points I was trying to make may get lost. My basic post on this subject I said it may sound extreme, but if you think about it you can see why I came to this conclusion. There are many things that I had to abanddon when I started on my journey, and one of them was thinking with emotions. Again another extreme statement, yet our feelings may guide us in a direction that is not always the most logical.

I had to look at things differently and in doing so I came to my own conclusions. Now I will ask you just a few basic questions. You don't have to answer here, but may if you wish. As I said I am not judging your character or intentions.

A person is saved at the age of 17, he lives a christian lifestyle for 4 years, then turns away from it. He steals, lies, and murders another human. Do you feel that his salvation has been won? He will go to heaven? Why or why not?

A pastor in your church is found to have commited adultry. How will the church handle that? If he decides to leave the church with this woman and never return, is his spot in heaven reserved? What if he goes to another church and preaches there?

A woman kills her own child, then she comes to church and is saved. She has no remorse about killing her child, even bragging about it. She claims she is saved and god has forgiven her because she was imperfect, yet she still feels she was right in killing her own child. Will this woman still go to heaven?

There are so many scenarios that can be played out. Nobody can say what is in a persons heart. But imo if you accept God as your creator, you are accountable to a certain extent to him. It is not enough that you believe Jesus payed for your sins. You must maintain a christian lifestyle according to his laws in order to recieve your reward.

Sunbeam I said before I know the love you feel and you feel it is a reflection of God's love for you. I have no problem with that, I thought the same way myself. What I want you to rememeber is that I was a christian, I know what you will say next so to speak lol If you look at it standing outside of the box, you can see why I came to the conclusions I did.

I really did not mean any harm or infer anything bad when I made those comments. And I hope that you weren't offended by it.
wendy

When I leave, you will know I have been here

DanielHaase

OK, this is a simple reply..Flower, are you from the south? I am. But I would never start a post with "yall". That makes us look more like morons. Thanks.

"Brother, you better get down on your knees and pay...a thousand more fools are being born every f***ing day" -Bad Religion

jesussaves

Hi Flower and everyone else. I guess from my screen name you all can see that I do believe in God. First off, let me say why I believe in God. I have faith, because he has answered my prayers. I believe God because I have seen what has occurred in the lives of people who have opened their hearts and embraced him. When I get on my knees in my prayer room, I feel his presence.

There were times in my struggle with leaving the JWs that I thought I couldn't make it mentally. I felt that all my strength was gone, and I just wanted life to be over. I didn't know how to pray, and I didn't pray. Other people in my life prayed for me, and I believe that God sustained me through those times. I'm not going to try and condemn anyone's belief system, but I'm happy with mine.

Some people here have commented on the 'Once saved always saved' doctrine of some Christian faiths. I don't accept this. I believe that God wants us to live holy as he is holy, but that we are unable to do this without HIM. The whole point of the apostle Paul's speech in Romans 6-7 was to prove that he was unable to live sinlessly without the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.

As far as proving that God exists, well that's an interesting study. How do you prove that your spouse loves you? Is it because of the things they do for you? Is it because of how they support you and make you feel? Well, the bible says that God is Love. I can prove that he loves me because of how he has blessed my life.

Alot of people use horrible things that happen, like the WTC bombings to try to prove that God doesn't exist. I believe in the bible and that God has left it up to mankind to choose HIM. The blood of innocent people that is shed does not go unavenged by God. I also feel that God's view of death is not like ours. If your soul is immortal, then death is not an end. Jesus never referred to anyone as being 'gone' when they died, but only sleeping. God may not stop bad things from occurring, but he freely gives his love to those hurting and will provide comfort.

Ya'll dont believe in God?

Share this