The Faith & Religion mega Thread

Metaphorically speaking we take pills every day, thoughts (and more) are drugs like actions...

Originally Posted by jamison20000e Metaphorically speaking{...}

What is your point? In real life we must and have to do something that will allow us to float boat(survive and live life) because it won't float by itself.

What is your point? Are you implying that some "god" makes it float (2x2?)

Originally Posted by sidzen {...}What does he mean?{...}

It means don't trust mainstream news blindly. Another example of lol:
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/02/he...baby-boy-girl/

Originally Posted by jamison20000e What is your point? Are you implying that some "god" makes it float (2x2?)

My point is simple. We have boat to float which was designed and produced by force we call "God". Just like car you drive or house you live in was built by someone|something. Rest is up to us.

And my counter-point ... and, please mind you, I claim myself to be a Christian(!) ... is that: we do not 'understand' God!

Fact is, we don't even know what boat "we float on." We don't even know if it's a boat at all. "The wisdom of Man is the foolishness of God." It would behoove all of us to soberly remember that.

Therefore ... "lean not to thine own understanding." Emulate the Publican, not the Pharisee of the parable . . .

Remind yourself of just who "you" are, versus just "Who" it is of which you speak. (You need not bury yourself in ashes, however.)

"The Human Condition™ ... sux!" However, this is the hand that we all have been dealt.

I prefer: "LifeAttachment 15980" Rocks "and Then We Die!"

I need input. My spouse is a pastor. He leads chapel on Wednesdays from 0810 to 0840 at our kids' school. April 1, 2015 is a Wednesday. Three battery or wind-up alarm clocks set for 0820, 0825, and 0830 hidden in the room. Should I or shouldn't I?

Originally Posted by sundialsvcs And my counter-point ... and, please mind you, I claim myself to be a Christian(!) ... is that: we do not 'understand' God! {...} "The Human Condition™ ... sux!" However, this is the hand that we all have been dealt.

If you would pay more attention to this discussion you would see that your post prooved my point and was not counter at all. However just because we do not understand God yet doesn't mean we can't understand "holy books". Unlike mysterious forces they can be studied; for example christianity.

On the contrary. Being human actually do not s*ck. Problem lies elsewhere - in system.

Originally Posted by vmccord I need input. My spouse is a pastor. He leads chapel on Wednesdays from 0810 to 0840 at our kids' school. April 1, 2015 is a Wednesday. Three battery or wind-up alarm clocks set for 0820, 0825, and 0830 hidden in the room. Should I or shouldn't I?

I think it might be more instructive to the parishioners if he just shows up whenever and explains that each night he spends up to two hours praying that God will awaken him on time.

10 people specifically picked of varying "faith" and not, study the "holey books," guess what happens?

Originally Posted by Arcane ... just because we do not understand God yet doesn't mean we can't understand "holy books". Unlike mysterious forces they can be studied ...

Absolutely, and they should be. "Holy Books" are human inventions, and they are not equipped with "digital error-correcting codes." Fact is, they are intensely-political documents that have been written and redacted and re-writ many times. There are numerous versions, "canonical" and otherwise. And, well, this is "what they are." This statement really is "undeniable." "Prima facie." Therefore: Plan Accordingly.™

It's possible for a "holy book" to become a symbol for the "certainty" that we (naturally) always want, in this great-big world that is full of uncertainty and of seemingly-random acts. We want: "God said it, I believe it, and That settles it.™" We want: "Complete. Inspired. Final.™" Yes, we may want that more than anything else in the world. But, like it or not, that doesn't jive with what we know to be true about this collection of words. The books are being pressed into being what they cannot possibly be.

And yet ... would it be "dead wrong" for me to get into someone's face and tell them, "you're wrong!" Uh huh. I definitely think so. I've no business doing that. I'm just a blind-man, too. All that I would be doing is "sinning against" you. Tearing you down where I should be building you up, or at the very least, tolerating you. "That's what 'the other side of the street' is for."

People do study and treasure these various "collections of words," as they have been doing for thousands of years, and I don't consider those people to be foolish, misguided, nor ignorant. No, they are Wise. Religion is a very, very personal thing, and it's deeply incised into human nature. Every human culture that we have ever discovered, past or present, has a strong, strong foundation of religion. All of them are different, and yet, I can't help but observe also how very similar they are. I think of them as different perspectives on the same great, unknown elephant. And the "holy books?" Well, they're a part of that, too. Warts and all. "They are what they are." And they are powerful, and precious.

Hmm, sundialsvcs, while I don't disagree with what you have said, I'm sure you are aware that the scripture has warnings about its use:

2 Peter 1:20-21: ...understanding this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy did not come in timespast by the will of man, but the holy men of God spoke being inspired by the Holy Spirit.

and also 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”[a] 20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. [a] Isaiah 29:14

As well as numerous other warnings...

Some of the books are full of "warnings," and I'm not going to speak for or against any of them. I fear no book. However, it would be wrong for me to pass my own personal judgments: with regards either the book itself, or to anyone's reading of it.

I strongly agree with the principle, set forth in a different book by the same (purported) author, to the effect that, "if by your words or actions you cause someone else to stumble, then you are in the wrong, even when you are 'right.'" (Or, not.) That makes perfect good sense to me, so that's what I will do here.

The irony is I'd never support war but what would produce more, some of us (like yelling at children) telling them to stop the faith train or continuing to properly undereducated more than 2/3rds of the planet (among other-things?))))

Sorry but, it's foolish to think an out of body experience would exclude your body; begin and\or end loop!