never ending treadmill poster depicting wt life.
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which way is up?
I like this quote:
“Though argument does not create conviction, lack of it destroys belief. What seems to be proved may not be embraced; but what no one shows the ability to defend is quickly abandoned. Rational argument does not create belief, but it maintains a climate in which belief may flourish.”
never ending treadmill poster depicting wt life.
.
which way is up?
still waiting MAVMAN
i've given alot of thought to this subject, myself.
i used to blame god for my horrible childhood, and i know alot of people that blame the devil for bad things that are clearly the result of something that they did themselves.
i do believe in the supernatural, unexplained events that go on in this world.
I think your post was BRILLIANT. You've truly hit the nail on the head. I know, I know, you doubters can now take your best potshost...I don't care, she's said almost 100% of what I believe.
Don't worry about changing your name...give the thread a little time to get going (either that or people are going to have a hard time responding to something so succinct.)
Everything in this world has balance, so if there is an Evil force such as the devil, then there must be a force for GOOD. I think that humans make the mistake of trying to rationalize and humanize GOD.That was what I was trying to say on the "GHOSTS" thread. That if GOD exists (I know He does) then there has to be a counter...like Yen and Yang....opposites...positive and negative - therefore a belief that demons are real. And conversly, if there truly is EVIL, than there must be the counter - GOOD (or GOD).
What if GOD doesn't intervene when people die, because what comes after is so incredible that all the pain and sorrow we felt in life is immediately forgotten? Something like how a woman goes through hours of agonizing pain to give birth to a child, but can feel nothing but joy once she sees what she has labored for. Do you think a caterpillar would want to go into that suffocating cocoon if the metamorphosis on the other side wasn't a beautiful butterfly?Exactly....we humans look at our 'miserable' lives and say how tough it is, not really understanding WHY we are put through these 80 odd years (if we're lucky, or unlucky as the case may be)... when the reality is this is just a fleeting moment for us in eternity.
I believe the bible, and that Adam and Eve (humankind) chose dominion over their own lives.Again, I'm with you there. I think GOD knew Adam and Eve would Fall...that's how to get His plan started with the human race. We are not born into Sin...but it sure doesn't take us long to figure that out.
People think too small when they think of God. If a person can believe that God COULD have created the universe then why can't they believe that he COULD solve their problems. My thing is, maybe in the whole grand scheme of things your problem is really not all that important. I have a four-year old daughter whose entire world is shattered when the head comes off of her Barbie doll. In my world, that is absolutely unimportant.That is very funny, but an excellent comparison. What is that scripture that says: "My thoughts are not your thoughts"... yet we always want to pidgeon hole God, and have our thoughts be His. We seem to have plenty of 'Barbie Dolls' to get upset about with God .
well at 29 years old, after a lifelong relationship/belief in/association with a higher power i called god, here i am very close to taking an athiestic or agnostic approach to the rest of my life.
it really hit me the other day although my doubts have been there but i just have been forcing myself to ignore them because i was afraid to give up that religious part of me because its all that i have ever been and i was afraid of the unknown.
but i realized after getting through another one of those weeks from hell that it makes no difference how much i pray or how much i believe.
And thats fine if you dont need to know answers to basic questions.
You've got to be kidding...ME... I want to know the answers to all things...like you I thrist and crave to know! Somethings I have got answers to, some, just clues, and most of the others...who knows, it might be down the road, at the end of my life or on the other side, but someday we'll all get the answers.
Maybe the watchtower messed me up so bad that I simply cant believe in anything that cant be proven anymore. If thats the case that wonderful, loving God of yours would understand right?Totally ... he's not judging you now ... He truly is awesome, and wonderful and caring (whether you believe it or not). Although it is obvious that atheists and I differ, I do like something that's been stated by them whenever I read some of their post. About being the best you can be and treating everyone fairly (love), not out of any "religious" commitment, but a "humankind" commitment. That is the same message that preached 2000 years ago... do THAT and the rest is really a distant second (faith, hope, etc.).
I for one cannot blindly believe anything without evidence and answers anymore.That's ok. If you can't, you can't. Relax, live life, do the best that you can and see what happens (I think you'll be pleasantly surprised).
my boss posted this question and i cannot find the answer...anyone know... what is the one sport where the observors and the participants do not know the leader or winner until it is over?
In the Tour d' France I don't think you do know who the leader is since it's based on adding continuous time of each leg of the race. So, someone crossing the line as "first" might in reality be "behind" someone as far as time goes.
at this time of easter christians celebrate the foundation of their faith, the resurrection of jesus christ.
without the resurrection, the rest of the christian faith is in vain, with it, the whole plan of god is fulfilled and validated.
in other words, if the resurrection occurred it proves the existence of god and his plan for salvation.. with that in mind, i offer the proof that the resurrection is a historical fact that be relied upon:.
There's no "historical" record that my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather lived... but he did ... I'm here, a product of his life.... so too are the followers of Christ.
i've been studying with the jw's for about a year now.
i know that by nature (or nurture!
) i have an addictive personality so i have tried to be real careful that i'm doing the right thing by getting involved with them.
I've checked out other churches/religions in my area, and no one seems to teach the Bible except
You've got to be kidding...man, are you looking in the wrong places.
at this time of easter christians celebrate the foundation of their faith, the resurrection of jesus christ.
without the resurrection, the rest of the christian faith is in vain, with it, the whole plan of god is fulfilled and validated.
in other words, if the resurrection occurred it proves the existence of god and his plan for salvation.. with that in mind, i offer the proof that the resurrection is a historical fact that be relied upon:.
AHHHH, but what a DREAM if it IS real!
well at 29 years old, after a lifelong relationship/belief in/association with a higher power i called god, here i am very close to taking an athiestic or agnostic approach to the rest of my life.
it really hit me the other day although my doubts have been there but i just have been forcing myself to ignore them because i was afraid to give up that religious part of me because its all that i have ever been and i was afraid of the unknown.
but i realized after getting through another one of those weeks from hell that it makes no difference how much i pray or how much i believe.
and if we have enough faith we can alter those events, and miraculous things like the car stopping on the cliff is a direct result of divine intervention
1. For me, not anyone else, my experience WAS devine intervention, PERIOD. Everyone elses opinion doesn't really matter because they didn't experience it, it's hearsay to them...let them get their own 'experience' to doubt if they want.
2. I can't speak for all Christians, only for myself, I agree with what you said..."things just are the way they are and sometimes things happen the way they happen. Sometimes we can control it and sometimes we can't" --- true, true, true.
3. What is also true (for me) is that I know GOD is REAL and does care about us.... but I also know He's not going to micro-manage our lives...that's for us to figure out. I just gave you one experience that I've had...I've had a few others (not because I'm special, but mainly because I think I've lived longer than you) that are even more profound for me....I cannot deny them, nor would I want to.
christians would have you believe in the 'power of prayer'That must be because it was effective for them, so why wouldn't they proclaim it. Even modern scientists and doctors agree that there is a "power" in prayer, whether it is Devine or not. Major magazines have written articles about it. I can only speak for myself (see posts above).
The problem with the internet is that these are written words, and can only convey so much, unlike a personal sitdown, eye-to-eye discussion where more can be felt and understood. I really do wish you well ... whether you continue the "quest" or not.
at this time of easter christians celebrate the foundation of their faith, the resurrection of jesus christ.
without the resurrection, the rest of the christian faith is in vain, with it, the whole plan of god is fulfilled and validated.
in other words, if the resurrection occurred it proves the existence of god and his plan for salvation.. with that in mind, i offer the proof that the resurrection is a historical fact that be relied upon:.
And Jesus himself said that the greatest show of love is when you sacrifice you own life for someone else. Perhaps he convinced an apostle to take his place.
That's the point, He showed the greatest love by sacrificing his life. Besides, all the apostles were accounted for, including the defunked Judas.
