Addicted to the almighty

[pajarito 0]

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Many people see the old woman in that picture before they can see the young woman. So I guess for those people, you could use the opposite analogy: They saw life as an old hag until they realized it was actually a pretty young woman (discovered religion). And there is no going back now that they have seen the illusion for what it really is.

The issue is not one of life enhancement, but one of righteousness. This misunderstanding is the reason for so many false converts in the church and why issues such as divorce, teen pregnancy, abuse issues, etc. aren't statistically much different inside or outside of it. It is a big reason for the existence of so much displayed hypocrisy. Many who profess to be Christians did not come to the Savior for the Biblical reasons that they’d sinned against God, were sorry for their sin and willing to change, and put their trust in Jesus to save them. Many claim the title of Christian because there were seemingly wholesome groups of people to associate with, because a new children’s center may have been built in the church with really cool multimedia entertainment, or because they just really dig gospel music and it gives them some spiritual high to be surrounded by the ambiance. Jesus said that in the end, many would call to Him saying that they’d followed Him declaring all the things they had done in His name, however, He would tell them to depart because He never knew them. In actuality, most who claim to be Christians in the world today are going to bust the gates of hell wide open because they persist in clinging for dear life to their own personal (maybe very private) sin when that is the very thing that is killing and will kill them.

[pajarito 0]

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I got a parking ticket once. I thought I was bound by the law so I must pay the fine. It wouldn't do me any good to simply refuse to believe in the ticket. It would catch up with me sooner or later. Imagine my suprise when I found out that the ticket had been issued by a bogus company that had no business issueing parking tickets. If I refused to pay, there would be no consequences because the ticket wasn't real. If I paid, all I would be doing would be lining the pockets of a fraudster.

It must be very comforting to make up your own reality and actually believe it. I guess that is very "blissful" and maybe even liberating if only in your mind. However, I suspect that you have a conscience which tells you something different. Even if you don't admit it on a public forum.

[JackC 0]

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It must be very comforting to make up your own reality and actually believe it. I guess that is very "blissful" and maybe even liberating if only in your mind. However, I suspect that you have a conscience which tells you something different. Even if you don't admit it on a public forum.

I assume you are insinuating that I am a closet theist. I can assure you, I am not. That reality exists only in your head, blissful as it may seem.

[TrophyHusband 0]

the difference is that the cop writing you a ticket actually exists. you can actually visit the jail you will go to if you break the law. can you send me the mapquest directions to heaven or hell? by the way, i don't "refuse to believe". it took me a about 3 years of internal struggle to actually admit what i truly believe. i didn't choose not to believe, its just the way it is.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[funkcanna 0]

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Jesus said that in the end, many would call to Him saying that they’d followed Him declaring all the things they had done in His name, however, He would tell them to depart because He never knew them. .

First off, shouldnt you rephrase and say "THE BIBLE said Jesus said..."?
Second off - doesnt Jesus appear to be a spiteful fecker if he would turn away someone for "not knowing him" when to be fair, he doesnt really make himself known? If thats what divinity means then ya can keep it..
And finally, dont you think the bible was just written by some clever people who covered alot of potential failings in the text? Like when people say "if there was a god, why allow children to be abused" and the Christian replies "ah thats cos it SAYS IN THE BIBLE that you will be judged in death"

What a big pile of shit.

im not saying there is not a higher being existing somewhere but religion is so messed up...a way of controling the SHEEPle...

To know requires proof
To believe requires evidence
To have faith requires neither.
If you stick with that, we'll never be confused again

[Shotgun 1]

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It must be very comforting to make up your own reality and actually believe it.

Probably no more comforting than believing in a reality that someone else made up for you.

[philh 0]

"His (Karl Marx) philosophy has really stood the test of time, hasn't it? "

Karl Marx was one of the founders of socialist economics. This is an attempt to redistribute the means of prouction to the wokers. It didnt work. Basically his economics was wrong. But its rather silly to extrapolate that to his views on religion. These are seperate issues, to try and link them is a very poor ad hominem attack. One should address the argument, not the arguer.

[Royd 0]

"His (Karl Marx) philosophy has really stood the test of time, hasn't it? "

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Karl Marx was one of the founders of socialist economics. This is an attempt to redistribute the means of prouction to the wokers. It didnt work. Basically his economics was wrong. But its rather silly to extrapolate that to his views on religion. These are seperate issues, to try and link them is a very poor ad hominem attack. One should address the argument, not the arguer.

Are you telling me that Marx' athiesm had no influence on his economic philosophy, or the mechanics involved in achieving his desired end?
Communism is based on Marxism and forced Atheism was part of the package. The State is the supreme power.

[freethefly 6]

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"His (Karl Marx) philosophy has really stood the test of time, hasn't it? "

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Karl Marx was one of the founders of socialist economics. This is an attempt to redistribute the means of prouction to the wokers. It didnt work. Basically his economics was wrong. But its rather silly to extrapolate that to his views on religion. These are seperate issues, to try and link them is a very poor ad hominem attack. One should address the argument, not the arguer.

Are you telling me that Marx' athiesm had no influence on his economic philosophy, or the mechanics involved in achieving his desired end?
Communism is based on Marxism and forced Atheism was part of the package. The State is the supreme power.

To be fair to Karl Marx, he was not an atheist.
You should do some indepth research concerning Karl Marx's philosophey.
As noted by Quentin Lauer:
Marx is not out to get rid of God; he is out to free man--not free him from God but from himself and from his enslavement to religion, whlch is his own creation. It is not God but the belief in God which must go, if man is to be free.

Karl Marx rejected atheism as atheism is but an inverted religion. Karl Marx concern was the power in which the institution of religion held over society and the economics of society. Religion creates social tiers and hampers the advancements in society. Unless, of course, you adhere to the wishes of the church.

Karl Marx did not want to remove god but remove the power of the church.
Our founding fathers had the right idea to seperate government from the church. Religion has no place in the structure of economics.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[jakee 1,497]

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i had a different experience, i felt liberated. it was such a relief not to live in fear and guilt. i'm probably the exception though. i think that most people need some sort of faith to get through life, and that's ok.

That is incredibly patronising.

"I'm ok knowing the truth, but most of the sheep out there wouldn't be able to cope with living in the real world, the poor dears."

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[jakee 1,497]

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I got a parking ticket once. I thought I was bound by the law so I must pay the fine. It wouldn't do me any good to simply refuse to believe in the ticket. It would catch up with me sooner or later. Imagine my suprise when I found out that the ticket had been issued by a bogus company that had no business issueing parking tickets. If I refused to pay, there would be no consequences because the ticket wasn't real. If I paid, all I would be doing would be lining the pockets of a fraudster.

It must be very comforting to make up your own reality and actually believe it. I guess that is very "blissful" and maybe even liberating if only in your mind. However, I suspect that you have a conscience which tells you something different. Even if you don't admit it on a public forum.

That is even more patronising, not to mention utterly wrong.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[JackC 0]

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To be fair to Karl Marx, he was not an atheist.
You should do some indepth research concerning Karl Marx's philosophey.
As noted by Quentin Lauer:
Marx is not out to get rid of God; he is out to free man--not free him from God but from himself and from his enslavement to religion, whlch is his own creation. It is not God but the belief in God which must go, if man is to be free.

Karl Marx rejected atheism as atheism is but an inverted religion. Karl Marx concern was the power in which the institution of religion held over society and the economics of society. Religion creates social tiers and hampers the advancements in society. Unless, of course, you adhere to the wishes of the church.

Karl Marx did not want to remove god but remove the power of the church.
Our founding fathers had the right idea to seperate government from the church. Religion has no place in the structure of economics.

That's what I was going to say. It's not that Marx's atheism influenced his social theories, more that his social theories influenced his anti-religious stance. Marx wasn't an atheist as far as I can tell. He had no beef with god, just his earthly political wing. Even his "opium of the people" remark was just regurgitated from the writings of half a dozen or so earlier authors.

Not that an pro-religious stance would have made much difference to the success, or lack thereof, of Marxism.

[Shotgun 1]

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I thought that it raised a very interesting point in that are we as a species now so dependant on belief in an almighty being that this need has become biologically ingrained in most of us, and the removal of this belief if not done at an early age, can cause clinical depression.

I don't know if age has much to do with it. Some may lose their belief at an early age but still end up with clinical depression because of it. Though I think it's debatable whether lack/loss of belief is what truly causes the depression.

I'm surprised to hear this person saying that psychiatrists and psychologists have told him that "a belief in a 'higher-power' is essential to recovery," when referring to clinical depression. I doubt that is the norm in their profession, so I question whether his statement is true (or if he misinterpreted whatever they actually said to him).

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Is religion a drug? Are believers in denial and addicted??

Perhaps for some. Sometimes drug addicts are able to cure themselves by getting involved in religion. In some cases this may be simply trading one addiction for another, but that's not necessarily a bad thing if it means living a happier life.

And I don't think that everyone who loses their faith necessarily falls into depression or any other sort of psychological disorder, so I don't think that all believers are "addicted."

[rehmwa 2]

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as atheism is but an inverted religion

although very true, that'll get under the skin of a handful of the zealous atheists here

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[beowulf 1]

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as atheism is but an inverted religion

although very true, that'll get under the skin of a handful of the zealous atheists here

I don't think that is accurate. I am not aware of any atheists organizations whos goal is to make the world atheist or to convert people to atheism. As far as I can tell
there is not much in common between atheism and religions.

[Andrewwhyte 1]

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I thought that it raised a very interesting point in that are we as a species now so dependent on belief in an almighty being that this need has become biologically ingrained in most of us, and the removal of this belief if not done at an early age, can cause clinical depression.

I don't know if age has much to do with it. Some may lose their belief at an early age but still end up with clinical depression because of it. Though I think it's debatable whether lack/loss of belief is what truly causes the depression.

I think the depression brought on by the loss of faith is similar to the hopelessness of natives who lose their way of life. The shocking death rate in London due to alcohol during the period of the enclosures is a similar case of people losing their cultural identity. Old communists in Russia and eastern Europe would have similar psychological issues, as would Baltimore Colts fans on a more trivial scale. The longer such a system of identification is ingrained in someone the more traumatic the separation will be. With the example of native North Americans there is evidence to suggest it can last many generations.
Richard Dawkins refers to religion as a virus being passed from parent to children.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skEJ008jjY8&NR=1

[masterblaster72 0]

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most who claim to be Christians in the world today are going to bust the gates of hell wide open because they persist in clinging for dear life to their own personal (maybe very private) sin when that is the very thing that is killing and will kill them.

...no, you don't judge people.

Not in the least.

And just in case you respond with the cookie-cutter "G-d judges, not me" response, -- BULLSHIT.

What you wrote above is hateful, Taliban-esque spew.

I used to be "born again" just like you. Then I was born again back into reality.

Be humble, ask questions, listen, learn, follow the golden rule, talk when necessary, and know when to shut the fuck up.

[SpeedRacer 1]

I'm not sure I entirely trust the sincerety of that letter. He's 32 years old and only NOW challenging his faith??

When I read that letter I got the impression that it was actually written by an atheist/agnostic, as a caracature of how he believes a Christian would actually react if he were to one day "open his eyes."

Here's a news flash: At least some of us DO challenge ideas and have arrived at our faith thoughtfully.


(And incidentally, Christian faith is not about fear and guilt. If you're moping around & wallowing in guilt, you're not doing it right!)

Speed Racer
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[TrophyHusband 0]

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i had a different experience, i felt liberated. it was such a relief not to live in fear and guilt. i'm probably the exception though. i think that most people need some sort of faith to get through life, and that's ok.

That is incredibly patronising.

"I'm ok knowing the truth, but most of the sheep out there wouldn't be able to cope with living in the real world, the poor dears."

its just my opinion based on my observations and in-depth conversations i've had with people close to me reguarding the subject.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[jakee 1,497]

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as atheism is but an inverted religion

although very true, that'll get under the skin of a handful of the zealous atheists here

It's not true.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[Royd 0]

as atheism is but an inverted religion

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although very true, that'll get under the skin of a handful of the zealous atheists here

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I don't think that is accurate. I am not aware of any atheists organizations whos goal is to make the world atheist or to convert people to atheism. As far as I can tell
there is not much in common between atheism and religions.

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Why is it, then, that Christianity has to remain underground in countries like China?

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[beowulf 1]

Communism doesn't equal atheism

[br0k3n 0]

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Here's a news flash: At least some of us DO challenge ideas and have arrived at our faith thoughtfully.

What exactly have you done to "Challenge" ideas to arrive at your faith thoughtfully????

If Christianity is challenged there is only one logical outcome...

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--+ There are 10 types of people in the world: Those who understand binary, and those who don't.. --+

[DSE 5]

It must be very comforting to make up your own reality and actually believe it. I guess that is very "blissful" and maybe even liberating if only in your conscience. However, I suspect that you have a mind which tells you something different. Even if you can't admit it on a public forum.

[georgerussia 0]

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I got a speeding ticket a couple of weeks ago. I would feel very liberated if I didn't have to pay it. However, I was shown my violation and am bound by the law. I must pay the fine. It does me no good to simply refuse to believe in the law. It will catch up with me sooner or later.

You seems to miss an important point - that law is not there just because it was written by someone in an old book. The law is there because the people like you asked (with their votes) for it. And nobody is telling you that law is perfect, because the person who wrote it heard so from the God. And you could change or repeal the law if the whole community agrees to it. That makes HUGE difference.

* Don't pray for me if you wanna help - just send me a check. *