Religion?????

To many ads? Support ODJT and see no ads!
Status
Not open for further replies.
groovielou said:
*Not trying to derail the thread here but...*

You know, this is the ONLY place that I have been where there is 19+ posts into a religion topic and flame wars haven't started....

Congrats ODJT! There is patients and tolerance here, very scarce elsewhere.

Groovielou
Click to expand...
Thanks, Lou.

That's the stuff that killed the old Carvin bbs. We had a bunch of people proseletizing and beating each other up, day after day. The mods warned and warned but the preachers would not stop. Gosh, some of those guys would post forever. Delete members and they'd come back under aliases and start anew. Close a thread and another would be started to continue the battle. The Lounge forum was removed to stop it. The proseletizers simply took up the war in the other forums. The entire bbs site was finally shut down. :(

We've had some rather heated discussions here over the years, mostly in the debates forum. But I've got to give these folks credit for self-control. :)
 
knardini said:
This week I spent a lot of time with my Catholic family and took part in a lot of the church's ritualistic offerings and seemed to identify with it? Now understand this is a HUGE leap for me to even admit that I may be interested in church .....
Click to expand...

I had that feeling, for a short while, after attending a Lutheran service a few years ago. I refer to myself as a "recovering Catholic".
 
Is the Lutheran faith a carryover from German immigrants? Seems like I read that or heard it somewhere. :dontknow:
 
Fred Stewart said:
Is the Lutheran faith a carryover from German immigrants? Seems like I read that or heard it somewhere. :dontknow:
Click to expand...

Maybe, but what they REALLY are is a splinter group from Catholocism. Martin Luther was a Catholic priest who believed that people did not need priests to talk to God and ask for pennance. He was not only ostracized for it, put persecuted.

He also saw all the corruption in the church at that time and called them on the carpet about it.

As his followers grew in numbers the Catholic church tried to have him killed.... I don't think they ever did, but I could be wrong.
 
Fortunately, there's only one person in charge or responsible for your personal faith and salvation..you.

Find your faith if it matters. Nobody's going to do it for you or be quite comfortable in that being alive means you're nothing right now but unprocessed worm poop on two legs.
 
I was raised in one religion but could not accept it. I embraced another, albeit similar. For me, the issue has to include the understanding that we as humans can't be arrogant enough to think that we can figure out God. He must be revealed by Himself for anything close to assurance.

I agree with the poster who quoted the passage about walking with God. I believe because I know the guy. No amount of humanistic education can take away the fact that we are friends.

BTW, Davy, I used to debate evolutionists in college. I have to admit that I admire the amount of faith it takes to ignore the entire second law of thermodynamics, and leave small issues such as genders, speciation and percentage of failures out of the picture, and still say it's fact. lol

This is the best forum on the net. Dj related or otherwise. I feel honored to be a part.
 
For those of you on this board that don't know it, the "Deacon" in my stage name of DJ Deacon Blues is an actual office in the Catholic Church that I hold.

I have been a Catholic Deacon since 1997. Basically what that means is that I can perform weddings, baptisms, and funeral services. I may also deliver the Homily (Sermon). I cannot consecrate or perform reconciliation (confession).

I began my study in what I call my second enlightenment period. Before that I was just coasting and going through the motions of Catholicity. I guess I was a catatonic Catholic.

One day, just before my father passed, something changed. My faith kind of clicked back on. I dove back into the Bible and started talking to my Pastor. I got more involved with the church. Along the way my father did pass and shortly after that I met my wife. After we were married I started the studies to become a Deacon and in June of 1997 I was ordained.

Not too long ago many things happened in my life and I experienced a faith slip. I found I was back to the motions again and started looking for more. I then became involved in a group of Charismatic Catholics. To say that being involved with them is faith rousing is saying the least. When I need my spiritual batteries recharged, I celebrate Mass with them.

Others may have also heard me talk of some Eastern beliefs I have. I meditate and my wife and I are celibate, preferring to channel the sexual energy to the spirit. I have introduced prayer meditation to my Charismatic group with some very phenomenal results in regard to spirituality.

I once heard it said that man creates God in his own image. It is my firm belief that when God breathed life into the first man, that spark of life was a tiny piece of God.

It does not matter how you believe that man came to be. I believe that every process in this universe has a Divine Hand in it and find a belief of an instantaneous creation of man just as compelling as an evolutionary process from microorganisms to more complex forms; both end in the birth of a complex organism called man that had to have at the root of it a Divine process. Whether you believe that the first man and woman were Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden or Lucy and Ricky in Olduvai Gorge, you have to admit that man has this certain self awareness that is just absent from most of the creatures around us. I firmly believe that self awareness is the result of that tiny spark of God given to us at the beginning.

Sorry, you have to take it all on faith.
 
GoodKnightDJ said:
For those of you on this board that don't know it, the "Deacon" in my stage name of DJ Deacon Blues is an actual office in the Catholic Church that I hold.

I have been a Catholic Deacon since 1997. Basically what that means is that I can perform weddings, baptisms, and funeral services. I may also deliver the Homily (Sermon). I cannot consecrate or perform reconciliation (confession).

I began my study in what I call my second enlightenment period. Before that I was just coasting and going through the motions of Catholicity. I guess I was a catatonic Catholic.

One day, just before my father passed, something changed. My faith kind of clicked back on. I dove back into the Bible and started talking to my Pastor. I got more involved with the church. Along the way my father did pass and shortly after that I met my wife. After we were married I started the studies to become a Deacon and in June of 1997 I was ordained.

Not too long ago many things happened in my life and I experienced a faith slip. I found I was back to the motions again and started looking for more. I then became involved in a group of Charismatic Catholics. To say that being involved with them is faith rousing is saying the least. When I need my spiritual batteries recharged, I celebrate Mass with them.

Others may have also heard me talk of some Eastern beliefs I have. I meditate and my wife and I are celibate, preferring to channel the sexual energy to the spirit. I have introduced prayer meditation to my Charismatic group with some very phenomenal results in regard to spirituality.

I once heard it said that man creates God in his own image. It is my firm belief that when God breathed life into the first man, that spark of life was a tiny piece of God.

It does not matter how you believe that man came to be. I believe that every process in this universe has a Divine Hand in it and find a belief of an instantaneous creation of man just as compelling as an evolutionary process from microorganisms to more complex forms; both end in the birth of a complex organism called man that had to have at the root of it a Divine process. Whether you believe that the first man and woman were Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden or Lucy and Ricky in Olduvai Gorge, you have to admit that man has this certain self awareness that is just absent from most of the creatures around us. I firmly believe that self awareness is the result of that tiny spark of God given to us at the beginning.

Sorry, you have to take it all on faith.
Click to expand...
And I firmly believe that Catholic priests should be allowed to marry,and women should be allowed to become priests.God created man and woman to enjoy one another and become one.
 
I respect everyone here. And you have to believe what you believe. But I guess I'm a little different. My life was different years ago and even recently. I had a troubled drug induced past and many problems with my kids.

My faith and God have saved me and made me understand what he has done for me and my own. When I hear all the comments on faith and not believing unless seeing this is the very reason faith has such value with God.

Because those that trust him and I really mean trust him are like gold to him. Remember religion is just orgainised worship not a magic pill that you take and suddenly your drinking cool aid and getting ready to off yourself (Jim Jones).

I would never attend a church that asks for blind faith. I read the bible sometimes and any pastor or church worth there salt would tell you to do the same. Listening to man will only take you so far but listening to God can take you "anywhere".

God has blessed my wife and myself including our DJ business. He gives my confidence because I feel I'm doing what he wants me to do. And yes I feel he wants me to DJ its such a wonderful thing to watch the smiles and see the love that people have for there friends and family.

I really don't expect many to understand its just the way it works. Am I a zealot? Nah I do quite a few things wrong and I'm probably one of the biggest sinners I know.

But one thing I have given my life to is that I know that God loves me and that his son loves me. It makes me humble and sometimes cry knowing that even though I deserve none of the things he has done for me or given to me.

As far as the person who started this thread. Get to know God he wants to get to know you. He really doesn't expect perfection, There is only one that has that title.

To all that don't believe, again you have your beliefs and I respect you all. But I will say this. If God every touches your life I can tell you with no dought that you will never be the same. :sqbiggrin:
 
Religion and the concept of god is a fantasy world created by human beings.

If a true god existed that is all powerful, all knowing and all seeing, so powerful that he created the universe and all within it, he would not create a world of brutality and depravity.

A supreme being would not allow the horrible things that occur daily among human beings. He would not allow a religious system where pedophiles and predators were allowed to conduct their disgusting crimes against other human beings, stealing their innocence and damaging them for their entire lives. This occurs within the religion itself without outcry from the hierarchy of those who hold themselves to be the very ones who are ostensibly religious leaders and charged with caring for their followers and fostering the actual religion and belief system, who should be an example of behavior and piousness.

If god can create the universe, he can create a world where people behave humanely towards each other and where greed and corruption don't rule. Think about it.

A god so powerful that he knows your every thought, every action and deed and who will judge you when you die would create noble creatures who respect the sanctity of human life and promote dignity, honor and freedom. Is that what you see in the world?

A large portion of the world's population lives in poverty and ignorance. If you were the supreme creator of the universe would you create that? It makes no sense.

Believe what you want, what you have been programmed to believe, but you will live in a fantasy world. Religion is contrived and created by man. The purpose of religion is to control people and their behavior.

Hate me and what I say because I speak the truth and say what others do not dare to say because they will be ostracized.

I don't care anymore, I speak the truth and I am willing to suffer the anger of those that cling to mythical ancient tribal fables passed down through the ages repeated over and over until they become ingrained in the minds of the tellers and the ones that listen.

People lie to themselves everyday, it's a way of life. They can't handle not knowing or understanding so they cling to religion as a crutch to rationalize their existence, pablum for the masses who live lives of dreary desperation and oppressive poverty. This world is so bad for so many that their only hope is a better life in the next world.

People are animals and act like it much of the time. I wish it weren't so, but it is. Reality is harsh and painful. Truth is stark and cruel. Live lies and repeat them to yourself and to others, it's much easier and it's soothing. Amen and Amen
 
I honestly wish that this discussion would never have been started and that I had the self control to not participate. I don't want to be reviled and disliked, but I can't help myself. I said what I said, those of you who are spiritual or religious won't like it. I'm sorry, it's the way I feel. I've given this a lot of thought and debated it before. Say what you want, think of me as the devil if it makes you feel better. It's the truth as I know it. Am I sure? Hell no. Are you? How can you be? How can you know more than anyone else? Do you really think Billy Graham knows any more about god that you do? Why? He's nothing more than a real good salesman.
 
The Wizard Of OZ said:
I honestly wish that this discussion would never have been started and that I had the self control to not participate. I don't want to be reviled and disliked, but I can't help myself. I said what I said, those of you who are spiritual or religious won't like it. I'm sorry, it's the way I feel. I've given this a lot of thought and debated it before. Say what you want, think of me as the devil if it makes you feel better. It's the truth as I know it. Am I sure? Hell no. Are you? How can you be? How can you know more than anyone else? Do you really think Billy Graham knows any more about god that you do? Why? He's nothing more than a real good salesman.
Click to expand...

My son,

You do a lot of typing but you don't say very much. :)
 
Not choosing a side one way or the other but Ron Wiz my good Florida buddy. Though you type with zeal and intelligent banter. Its apparent your points are presented without having cracked open a bible or discussed this issue with many and Im not belittling or degrading in any way remember Im on the fence here and I know the book and have discussed this very topic numerous times. Lets shorten the thought to one point of knowledge I have come to understand within this religious concept in my lifetime.

1. Being a just and Fair God it would not be correct to make cloned yes robots. Choice is the key. It would in fact be very boring. I think the power that be must be humorous as well increasing the thought that boring wasnt an option. Look at funny things just within or on the human body and bodily functions produced by the human body. I could type all night alone just on this sector of my response.
However I will spare you.
Have a nice evening or morning in East Coast time.
 
God, if you could read you might not say that. You're just a troll anyways, that's obvious.

I said a hell of a lot more than you did. Got an intelligent argument? Care to refute what I said? Do you even know what that means? Let's hear it. I doubt that you would bother, you strike me as very lazy and not very smart.
 
So Jon you're saying that god isn't powerful enough to give man free will and a good and positive nature? I thought god is all powerful?

God created man to live in poverty and ignorance like most people have lived throughout the history of mankind and still to this day?

He created man in his image, but gave him a cruel nature that can inflict terrible pain and suffering on others? He created human beings who are mentally ill? Born with terrible deformities? Capable of barely imaginable cruelty? We were put on this earth to suffer, to be humiliated, to lie, cheat and steal because we lack self control? This is free will? As the supreme engineer he could have created a much better creation, don't you think?

I as a simple man, of average intelligence can see this. How much more intelligent is god?

There must be a plan that god has. WHY? Because someone told you so? Because it was written in a book? Who wrote the book? Does anyone REALLY know? you have been programmed to believe all of this and if you had been born in another culture you would belive something entirely different.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom
Back