Religion/Christianity.... you thoughts ?
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tedvanfrehley
Your Favorite Uncle
THIS IS A GREAT THREAD, BRYANT!
I will put some thought into this and be back in a few before I post!
Ted
I will put some thought into this and be back in a few before I post!
Ted
StormSpell
Member
I'm somewhat agnostic too, like Bryant I suppose. Despite him, though, I dont think the organized religion is "necessary evil" - it is unnecessary in most cases imo. The religion is just a way of controlling and manipulating the masses, just a form of politics often taken to extreme - something I find hard to accept and agree with.
tedvanfrehley
Your Favorite Uncle
MAN, this is a loaded topic if there ever was one. It was Linus who once said, "There are three things in life I've learned never to discuss: Religion, Politics, and the Great Pumpkin." Well, maybe Charlie Brown's best buddy was right to some extent. Religion is something that most people feel so strongly about that there is NO changing their opinion one iota. It usually leads to an "I'm right, you're wrong, and here's why..." type of argument and whether or not you believe or do not believe, each side will be just as firm on why he or she feels as he does.
Well, I am certainly not out to change the world or change anyone's mind, but like all the posts before me, I am compelled to speak my thoughts. So with a fresh pinch of Copenhagen in, here goes:
I am a Christian. I like to think that I am a TRUE Christian, though, and not somebody who goes around forcing my views down everyone's throat. For one thing, I am not always a GOOD Christian, and I am not a hypocrite. The worst thing a Christian can do is "preach" and then show their ass. Second, lots of folks are immediately defensive and confrontational when you try to tell them about Christianity. I find it much easier and much more EFFECTIVE to LEAD BY EXAMPLE. In other words, if you were to spend time with me in any situation and say, "Gee Uncle Ted...you are always positive, etc. etc. etc. and any time I see you in a tough spot, you always make the best of it. How do you do it?" THEN and only then would I say, "Well, it's because of my faith. My faith carries me through."
Too many so called Christians try and push their views on the world and then show that they are just as bad or worse in character as their non believing peers.
I'm here to tell you boys and girls...Uncle Ted is a SINNNNNNNNNNNER! I have sinned, will sin, and will always sin. There's no way around it. The Bible says that ALL have sinned and fallen short from the glory of God. The only perfect sinless person was Jesus, and even HE was tempted. The Bible also says that all of our good works, no matter HOW good are still as filthy rags to the Lord. The only thing that allows us to be saved and to escape hell is God's GRACE. "For by Grace you are saved through FAITH, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift from GOD. Not by works....so that no man can boast." Ya hear that?? It doesn't matter how good a person ya are, it still means Jack if you dont' accept the gift of GRACE. Through FAITH and FAITH alone.
Now, I should say that I don'e necessarily believe in religion. I believe in a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus. In other words, I think you should try to live by the SPIRIT and not by works. Doing good just because you think you SHOULD do good is not the same as doing good because you WANT to do good because you're glorifying God to do so. Does that make sense?
FAITH
HOPE
LOVE
I think you have to have FAITH in God and in his grace through Jesus. This gives you HOPE that when you sin and fall short, you know you're forgiven, and that God still LOVES you. That's my equation, at least. You do the best you can and trust God to take care of the rest. That's all you can do....
There are two movies that I think really give good insight to the whole "thing" between God and even the Devil and how things work. BRUCE ALMIGHTY and THE DEVILS' ADVOCATE. Both of these movies make a good illustration that most of the things that happen in life happen because of FREE WILL. Good or bad. When Jim Carrey becomes "God" for a few days in Bruce Almighty , he is told that the only rules are that he can do no harm with his powers, and HE CANNOT CHANGE FREE WILL. Sam in the Devils' Advocate. Al Pacino plays Lucifer, and he basically tells a hopeless Kianue Reeves that the devil doesn't make you do anything. He merely sets the stage and then it's your FREE WILL to decide what to do. So I think a lot of the tragedies in life that people blame God for have to do not with God's will but because of somebody else's FREE WILL to do evil. Again, that's just my take.
The tricky part is this...."Well, then Ted, you dumbass", you might say,"does that mean that if I don't believe in Jesus then I'm going to hell?" I dunno. I suppose that some Christians might say absolutely. You are going to hell. But I am no scholar and I only think what I think. Which reminds me of a great joke..."What's the difference between a Christian and an Atheist? An atheist says 'there ain't no hell', ...a Christian says, 'The Hell There Ain't!!!' Anyways, I just don't know. I think that if you do know of Jesus and don't accept him, than it could be very hot for you in the afterlife, but who's to say....
Also, another tough one to sort out for non believers is this: "But what about bad things that happen to innocent people that is NOT a result of somebody else's free will?" Again, I dunno. This falls under the category of Faith. When a loved one dies, or is stricken with a disease like cancer or worse, I think a lot of folks would think, WHY???? And I know I would myself! Why do children get sick? Innocent children. Why do great people get hit with hard blows...I just don't know. It's sad. And again, I don't think it can be explained. You just have to have Faith that God will carry you through and that one day (even if it's in the afterlife) the sorrows will heal and there'll be peace.
I will close with this. I believe Religion, or my RELATIONSHIP with God to be a lot like a boat. Think of three boats: A rowboat, an all inclusive Cruiseship, and a sailboat.
If you set out to sea in a ROW BOAT, you will spend all your time and energy trying to get somewhere based on how hard you row. You may make it a few feet or even a couple miles, but the tides and waves can always set you back and you may even crash back on the shore.
When you set out to sea on a CRUISESHIP, you get all the amenities. You live in luxury and eat drink and be merry for as long as possible. This all seems like fun for a while but eventually you'll get fat, complacent, and long for home.
When you set out to sea on a SAILBOAT, however, you are relying on the WIND. You have the boat and all your equipment at the ready, but you gotta have WIND to get anywhere. And there is always just enough WIND to get you where you need to go if you are ready to harness it and steer it accordingly. I think that God is the wind.
God gives food to all the birds. But he does not put it in the nest.
That's my take on Christianity. He's given us all we need, even salvation from sin, death and the gift of everlasting life. All we have to do is try our best and trust Him to take care of the rest.
RELATIONSHIP - Not Religion
FAITH
HOPE
LOVE
God bless you and yours
Ted
Well, I am certainly not out to change the world or change anyone's mind, but like all the posts before me, I am compelled to speak my thoughts. So with a fresh pinch of Copenhagen in, here goes:
I am a Christian. I like to think that I am a TRUE Christian, though, and not somebody who goes around forcing my views down everyone's throat. For one thing, I am not always a GOOD Christian, and I am not a hypocrite. The worst thing a Christian can do is "preach" and then show their ass. Second, lots of folks are immediately defensive and confrontational when you try to tell them about Christianity. I find it much easier and much more EFFECTIVE to LEAD BY EXAMPLE. In other words, if you were to spend time with me in any situation and say, "Gee Uncle Ted...you are always positive, etc. etc. etc. and any time I see you in a tough spot, you always make the best of it. How do you do it?" THEN and only then would I say, "Well, it's because of my faith. My faith carries me through."
Too many so called Christians try and push their views on the world and then show that they are just as bad or worse in character as their non believing peers.
I'm here to tell you boys and girls...Uncle Ted is a SINNNNNNNNNNNER! I have sinned, will sin, and will always sin. There's no way around it. The Bible says that ALL have sinned and fallen short from the glory of God. The only perfect sinless person was Jesus, and even HE was tempted. The Bible also says that all of our good works, no matter HOW good are still as filthy rags to the Lord. The only thing that allows us to be saved and to escape hell is God's GRACE. "For by Grace you are saved through FAITH, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift from GOD. Not by works....so that no man can boast." Ya hear that?? It doesn't matter how good a person ya are, it still means Jack if you dont' accept the gift of GRACE. Through FAITH and FAITH alone.
Now, I should say that I don'e necessarily believe in religion. I believe in a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus. In other words, I think you should try to live by the SPIRIT and not by works. Doing good just because you think you SHOULD do good is not the same as doing good because you WANT to do good because you're glorifying God to do so. Does that make sense?
FAITH
HOPE
LOVE
I think you have to have FAITH in God and in his grace through Jesus. This gives you HOPE that when you sin and fall short, you know you're forgiven, and that God still LOVES you. That's my equation, at least. You do the best you can and trust God to take care of the rest. That's all you can do....
There are two movies that I think really give good insight to the whole "thing" between God and even the Devil and how things work. BRUCE ALMIGHTY and THE DEVILS' ADVOCATE. Both of these movies make a good illustration that most of the things that happen in life happen because of FREE WILL. Good or bad. When Jim Carrey becomes "God" for a few days in Bruce Almighty , he is told that the only rules are that he can do no harm with his powers, and HE CANNOT CHANGE FREE WILL. Sam in the Devils' Advocate. Al Pacino plays Lucifer, and he basically tells a hopeless Kianue Reeves that the devil doesn't make you do anything. He merely sets the stage and then it's your FREE WILL to decide what to do. So I think a lot of the tragedies in life that people blame God for have to do not with God's will but because of somebody else's FREE WILL to do evil. Again, that's just my take.
The tricky part is this...."Well, then Ted, you dumbass", you might say,"does that mean that if I don't believe in Jesus then I'm going to hell?" I dunno. I suppose that some Christians might say absolutely. You are going to hell. But I am no scholar and I only think what I think. Which reminds me of a great joke..."What's the difference between a Christian and an Atheist? An atheist says 'there ain't no hell', ...a Christian says, 'The Hell There Ain't!!!' Anyways, I just don't know. I think that if you do know of Jesus and don't accept him, than it could be very hot for you in the afterlife, but who's to say....
Also, another tough one to sort out for non believers is this: "But what about bad things that happen to innocent people that is NOT a result of somebody else's free will?" Again, I dunno. This falls under the category of Faith. When a loved one dies, or is stricken with a disease like cancer or worse, I think a lot of folks would think, WHY???? And I know I would myself! Why do children get sick? Innocent children. Why do great people get hit with hard blows...I just don't know. It's sad. And again, I don't think it can be explained. You just have to have Faith that God will carry you through and that one day (even if it's in the afterlife) the sorrows will heal and there'll be peace.
I will close with this. I believe Religion, or my RELATIONSHIP with God to be a lot like a boat. Think of three boats: A rowboat, an all inclusive Cruiseship, and a sailboat.
If you set out to sea in a ROW BOAT, you will spend all your time and energy trying to get somewhere based on how hard you row. You may make it a few feet or even a couple miles, but the tides and waves can always set you back and you may even crash back on the shore.
When you set out to sea on a CRUISESHIP, you get all the amenities. You live in luxury and eat drink and be merry for as long as possible. This all seems like fun for a while but eventually you'll get fat, complacent, and long for home.
When you set out to sea on a SAILBOAT, however, you are relying on the WIND. You have the boat and all your equipment at the ready, but you gotta have WIND to get anywhere. And there is always just enough WIND to get you where you need to go if you are ready to harness it and steer it accordingly. I think that God is the wind.
God gives food to all the birds. But he does not put it in the nest.
That's my take on Christianity. He's given us all we need, even salvation from sin, death and the gift of everlasting life. All we have to do is try our best and trust Him to take care of the rest.
RELATIONSHIP - Not Religion
FAITH
HOPE
LOVE
God bless you and yours
Ted
Jean-Pierre
Son of The Bitch
SickBoy
Croatian Panzer division
I personally don't like the way organized religions describe God as an almighty allknowing and allseeing entity and then at the same time write about its anger, love, need to confess your sins to the priest and so on.
The God as the big religions describe it is too human in many aspects.
I mean, why would the almighty entity be angry over anything any man does?
It would surely know all that we would do from the day we opened our eyes, so why be angry? We all know how many times there was display of God's wrath and might in the Bible.
Also, what's the point in confessing your sins to some priest? Why should HE be my link with the God? God should surely know I'm even about to sin, let alone I did sin... And he should be the first to know if I repented sincerely, even before I do. This whole concept of confessing is totally senseless to me...
Then, why would such an almighty and highest form of existence want some puny low life creatures like ourselves (which he created, in fact) to pray to him and do things in his name? Isn't that a bit...self-indulgent? A bit...human-like?
These are some of the things I don't like in religions. I'm really sorry if someone got offended by my views, but that's how I feel.
And I really can't stand when someone from church does things like child molesting, raping or whatever. Recently a priest in Croatia spent some $28000 parish money on hotlines and his parish wanted him to stay with them, opposed to the decision of the Church to transfer him somewhere else. There was a scandal in Caritas, where retarded kids have been molested and raped, and the personnel was totally unfit for their duties educationwise. Not to mention that the word about it reached our cardinal, but he (surprise, surprise!) didn't do a thing about it... And it's just the tip of the iceberg, who knows how many similar cases were covered up.
Just my .02
The God as the big religions describe it is too human in many aspects.
I mean, why would the almighty entity be angry over anything any man does?
It would surely know all that we would do from the day we opened our eyes, so why be angry? We all know how many times there was display of God's wrath and might in the Bible.
Also, what's the point in confessing your sins to some priest? Why should HE be my link with the God? God should surely know I'm even about to sin, let alone I did sin... And he should be the first to know if I repented sincerely, even before I do. This whole concept of confessing is totally senseless to me...
Then, why would such an almighty and highest form of existence want some puny low life creatures like ourselves (which he created, in fact) to pray to him and do things in his name? Isn't that a bit...self-indulgent? A bit...human-like?
These are some of the things I don't like in religions. I'm really sorry if someone got offended by my views, but that's how I feel.
And I really can't stand when someone from church does things like child molesting, raping or whatever. Recently a priest in Croatia spent some $28000 parish money on hotlines and his parish wanted him to stay with them, opposed to the decision of the Church to transfer him somewhere else. There was a scandal in Caritas, where retarded kids have been molested and raped, and the personnel was totally unfit for their duties educationwise. Not to mention that the word about it reached our cardinal, but he (surprise, surprise!) didn't do a thing about it... And it's just the tip of the iceberg, who knows how many similar cases were covered up.
Just my .02
Griffin-
Leather Rebel
hehe well I didn't mean individuals, I meant humanityJean-Pierre said:I'm living proof that this statement is wrong.
JonnyD
Chef Metal
I dont believe in Deities(sp) I dont think there is some guy up in the sky who has nothing better to do than critique on how I live my life ... if there is he/she is mighty bored I believe in Ghosts and Aliens but not in a place called heaven, I believe Jesus was probably a real person that exsisted and inspired people, but the thought of him being resurected 2,000 some odd years later is laughable. I just think when you die your energy gets recycled back in to the universal energy matrix thingy ... and not to a place where you burn for eternity in some lake of fire or anything else ... BUT I dont have anything against religion or ppl who practice it Humans need something to believe in and that is what it is there for
I believe in Ghosts and Aliens but not in a place called heaven, I believe Jesus was probably a real person that exsisted and inspired people, but the thought of him being resurected 2,000 some odd years later is laughable. I just think when you die your energy gets recycled back in to the universal energy matrix thingy ... and not to a place where you burn for eternity in some lake of fire or anything else ... BUT I dont have anything against religion or ppl who practice it Humans need something to believe in and that is what it is there for
Trans-Siberian Outcast
Savaholic
I am agnostic for the most part. Being a lowly human being I haven't the ability to know whether God truly exists or not. From my experiences I lean far toward NOT. I do have an appreciation for what religion has done and continues to do for certain parts of our society. It brings peace and meaning to so many people's lives and I wouldn't begrudge them that luxury at any price. I wish I could find such solice. Unfortunately my mind doesn't work that way. I can't believe in anything I can't see, feel, touch, smell, hear.
Religion was actually a very important part of the growth of our current civilized world a few hundred years ago. Fabricated though it was, it instilled some order in a world that was mostly dominated by savages. One only needs to read the history texts to see that. But I think its purpose has been served in most parts of the world. Once the common sense of right and wrong is recognized by a society (goodbye barbarism, and good riddance), worship of a man-made diety is no longer necessary. If you look at the ten commandments and most of the teachings of the bible, it really just boils down to two things: common sense and 'do unto others as you'd have them do unto you'. In that respect I can see the worth of the Bible. But organized religion as it exists today is nothing but big business. It's all about filling the collection plates and keeping the corporation rolling.
The part that pisses me off most about religion is how fucking judgemental they are. They have NO PROOF of anything they preach, it is a system based on "blind faith" of the intangible. Yet they are adamant that if you don't believe you will GO TO HELL. One of the most popular quotes from the bible is "judge not, lest ye be judged" and yet their whole practice is based on judging others. Little Joey is listening to Mercyful Fate and is doomed to an eternity in Hell. Lisa Loosehips just got an abortion, she has the devil in her soul. Don and Mary are having sex out of wedlock, they are scorned in the eyes of God and the church. Who the fuck are they to say what God wants? It's all about interpretation. Man wrote the Bible that way on purpose and many different religions were spawned off those words. Each one believes they're right and everyone else is wrong; again a belief system based on judging others when they should be worried about their own back yard.
Personally, I'm not a person who has to have something to believe in. I made my peace with "not knowing" a long time ago. If I believed there were answers to the question Does God Exist? I would seek them out. However, countless men, some much smarter than I am, have already wasted their entire lives in search of the truth...only to come up empty-handed. Besides, I don't need a God to be a good person. I follow most of the rules of the Bible, not because they are God's Word, but because they make sense in a civilized world (don't lie, steal, kill, boink the neighbor's wife, etc.).
And if Uncle Ted's God will banish me to the fires of Hell just because I don't believe in Him, then so be it. He's the one that gave me the intelligence to question and reason all facets of life. I can't just make myself believe. It doesn't work that way. I was introduced to God (religion) in my early teens. I wanted to believe but in the end I found nobody there.
Religion was actually a very important part of the growth of our current civilized world a few hundred years ago. Fabricated though it was, it instilled some order in a world that was mostly dominated by savages. One only needs to read the history texts to see that. But I think its purpose has been served in most parts of the world. Once the common sense of right and wrong is recognized by a society (goodbye barbarism, and good riddance), worship of a man-made diety is no longer necessary. If you look at the ten commandments and most of the teachings of the bible, it really just boils down to two things: common sense and 'do unto others as you'd have them do unto you'. In that respect I can see the worth of the Bible. But organized religion as it exists today is nothing but big business. It's all about filling the collection plates and keeping the corporation rolling.
The part that pisses me off most about religion is how fucking judgemental they are. They have NO PROOF of anything they preach, it is a system based on "blind faith" of the intangible. Yet they are adamant that if you don't believe you will GO TO HELL. One of the most popular quotes from the bible is "judge not, lest ye be judged" and yet their whole practice is based on judging others. Little Joey is listening to Mercyful Fate and is doomed to an eternity in Hell. Lisa Loosehips just got an abortion, she has the devil in her soul. Don and Mary are having sex out of wedlock, they are scorned in the eyes of God and the church. Who the fuck are they to say what God wants? It's all about interpretation. Man wrote the Bible that way on purpose and many different religions were spawned off those words. Each one believes they're right and everyone else is wrong; again a belief system based on judging others when they should be worried about their own back yard.
Personally, I'm not a person who has to have something to believe in. I made my peace with "not knowing" a long time ago. If I believed there were answers to the question Does God Exist? I would seek them out. However, countless men, some much smarter than I am, have already wasted their entire lives in search of the truth...only to come up empty-handed. Besides, I don't need a God to be a good person. I follow most of the rules of the Bible, not because they are God's Word, but because they make sense in a civilized world (don't lie, steal, kill, boink the neighbor's wife, etc.).
And if Uncle Ted's God will banish me to the fires of Hell just because I don't believe in Him, then so be it. He's the one that gave me the intelligence to question and reason all facets of life. I can't just make myself believe. It doesn't work that way. I was introduced to God (religion) in my early teens. I wanted to believe but in the end I found nobody there.
#1_Droogie
Member
tedvanfrehley said:
well lets see, for some part that could be true....but what if we are born with something that nobody in the whole world deserves no matter what they do? i didnt do shit before my birth, so how did i get this birth defect ive grown to loath so much? well anyways, i do see that you say "a lot" so i guess some of us are just unlucky
(again, im not going to talk about my birth defect in the open thread, but if you want to know about it, ill be open to talk about it through pm's, thanks)
#1_Droogie
Member
Religion is pretty complexe. There are a lot of angels to it. I guess the bottom line is that religion started as a way for man to explain the unknown. It started innocently enough, but humans tend to be clever bastards and it wasnt long until an enterprising motherfucker realized it could be used to control people who used it to give their life a solid foundation as to what is right and wrong.
Personally, I dont believe in anything. People that say their life has meaning or a purpose are full of shit. Its just about experiences. There is no set good or bad, its all personal and relative to the situation. It will be interesting to see what happens when you die. If I go to heaven, well, I hope its not as boring as it sounds, if I go to hell, at least I'll be around people who werent afraid to live and enjoy life. If theres nothing, at least i had a good time
Personally, I dont believe in anything. People that say their life has meaning or a purpose are full of shit. Its just about experiences. There is no set good or bad, its all personal and relative to the situation. It will be interesting to see what happens when you die. If I go to heaven, well, I hope its not as boring as it sounds, if I go to hell, at least I'll be around people who werent afraid to live and enjoy life. If theres nothing, at least i had a good time
#1_Droogie
Member
Winner said:Religion is pretty complexe. There are a lot of angels to it. I guess the bottom line is that religion started as a way for man to explain the unknown. It started innocently enough, but humans tend to be clever bastards and it wasnt long until an enterprising motherfucker realized it could be used to control people who used it to give their life a solid foundation as to what is right and wrong.
Personally, I dont believe in anything. People that say their life has meaning or a purpose are full of shit. Its just about experiences. There is no set good or bad, its all personal and relative to the situation. It will be interesting to see what happens when you die. If I go to heaven, well, I hope its not as boring as it sounds, if I go to hell, at least I'll be around people who werent afraid to live and enjoy life. If theres nothing, at least i had a good time
i like what was said there, a real "live every day to the fullest" attitude
as im still unsure, seeing everybody else's views on it has kind of influenced my own decision, i havent quite made a choice yet, so im still thinking about it....but once i decide ill be sure to post!
tedvanfrehley
Your Favorite Uncle
Hey #1 Droogie! What's up, sir? First off let me say I am sorry for whatever difficulty you're facing from birth. And I understand your statement! But maybe you didn't read all of mine. (or maybe you did...) I also mentioned that the unexplainable is when something bad happens to somebody, innocent, that is NOT by someone else's free will to do evil. Like your birth defect or like an innocent child that comes down with cancer...these are things that are just TRAGIC and cannot be explained. My heart goes out to you and to anybody suffering. I was just saying that in my case all I can rely on is faith and that when bad things happen to good people all you can do is hope that things will one day be rectified. I think those who suffer the most on earth will be rewarded the greatest in the afterlife...
And to my homeboy TRANS-SIBERIAN OUTCAST - hey man...Uncle Ted never said his God was gonna cast you into hell or anywhere...I just said that SOME FUNDAMENTALISTS would say that he would do so if you refused to accept Christ. But who am I to say that the Good Lord in all his infinite wisdom can't read your heart and think that you're worthy of heaven no matter what...that's where I think a lot of Christians go wrong. You are right in that Christianity is 100% based on faith. JUDGEMENT on humans part has no part in it. But if I believe the Bible to be God's word to me, then I gotta go by that. For MY life, at least. But you do what YOU want, by all means! You have the right and the FREE WILL and when it's all said and done let the chips fall where they may! I hope to see you on the other side, myself.
And again I want to add that I don't think the Lord sends anybody to hell for listening to Mercyful Fate! I listen to Mercyful Fate! It's no different to me than watching Texas Chainsaw...it's entertainment and I don't take the lyrics to heart. But if little Johnny listens to Mercyful Fate and then decides to "bring me the blood of a new born child, yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah" as the song states...well, THEN there may be a permanent residence in the "smoking section" of the afterlife for him. But again, who am I???
I don't judge anybody...If you wanna have ass sex with a goat then go right ahead so long as it doesn't rub off on me. It's your life. Do whatchalike! But there will be a time when we are ALL judged. And we are all sinners...even the priests...even your mama, even YOU and I! God knows this and that's why he provided a way out.
Just my take....you ain't gotta love it.
I'm just a fatass redneck in Kentucky. But the thing about me is that I truly accept everybody for what they are, and if you don't hurt me or mine then we are cool as far as I'm concerned. I'm no better than anybody else...probably a lot worse than most! But I know there's hope for me because of my faith. That's all you've got.
As the great Ray Charles said, "May as well give your soul to God...he owns your ass anyway!"
And to my homeboy TRANS-SIBERIAN OUTCAST - hey man...Uncle Ted never said his God was gonna cast you into hell or anywhere...I just said that SOME FUNDAMENTALISTS would say that he would do so if you refused to accept Christ. But who am I to say that the Good Lord in all his infinite wisdom can't read your heart and think that you're worthy of heaven no matter what...that's where I think a lot of Christians go wrong. You are right in that Christianity is 100% based on faith. JUDGEMENT on humans part has no part in it. But if I believe the Bible to be God's word to me, then I gotta go by that. For MY life, at least. But you do what YOU want, by all means! You have the right and the FREE WILL and when it's all said and done let the chips fall where they may! I hope to see you on the other side, myself.
And again I want to add that I don't think the Lord sends anybody to hell for listening to Mercyful Fate! I listen to Mercyful Fate! It's no different to me than watching Texas Chainsaw...it's entertainment and I don't take the lyrics to heart. But if little Johnny listens to Mercyful Fate and then decides to "bring me the blood of a new born child, yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah" as the song states...well, THEN there may be a permanent residence in the "smoking section" of the afterlife for him. But again, who am I???
I don't judge anybody...If you wanna have ass sex with a goat then go right ahead so long as it doesn't rub off on me. It's your life. Do whatchalike! But there will be a time when we are ALL judged. And we are all sinners...even the priests...even your mama, even YOU and I! God knows this and that's why he provided a way out.
Just my take....you ain't gotta love it.
I'm just a fatass redneck in Kentucky. But the thing about me is that I truly accept everybody for what they are, and if you don't hurt me or mine then we are cool as far as I'm concerned. I'm no better than anybody else...probably a lot worse than most! But I know there's hope for me because of my faith. That's all you've got.
As the great Ray Charles said, "May as well give your soul to God...he owns your ass anyway!"
Trans-Siberian Outcast
Savaholic
You're a good egg, Uncle Ted. You are the kind of Christian I have respect for because you hold true to your beliefs without mindlessly accepting whatever that puppet behind the pulpit tells you every Sunday. If there is a God in the Heavens, and he is a good and just fellow, then I am sure we'll be seeing each other on the other side despite my lack of faith. Rock on Uncle Ted!tedvanfrehley said:
#1_Droogie
Member
tedvanfrehley said:
thanks
i guess i shouldnt be so "complainy" about myself...i was born this way, and i might as well live with it. It does make things hard, but i guess i can pull through.
as said before Ted, your a "good egg". and i respect you for your beliefs
This is a good thread.
I am not a very religious person. I fall under the spiritual category that has been talked about. I believe there is a God like figure up there that watches over everything. When I find the need to I pray or talk to this god in the comfort of my own bed room. I don't do the organized religion or church thing. I just believe that you have to be a good person in life. No killing, stealing, cheating on your loved one, etc. I believe in being a good person and living life to the fullest. If you do good you will live a good after life, if you do bad maybe not so good of an after life.
As far as metal goes I don't believe I am gonna burn in hell for listening to death metal or black metal or anything else that opposes religion. It is entertainment and I don't take the lyrics to heart. Behemoth has a song that I love, it is called "Christians To The Lions". Because I like the song does not mean I hate Christians or think they should be fed to lions. If I yell "Hail Satan" at a Mercyful Fate concert I don't think that I will be doomed and am gonna burn. Metal is entertainment and a hobby of mine to buy cd's and go to concerts.
I am not a very religious person. I fall under the spiritual category that has been talked about. I believe there is a God like figure up there that watches over everything. When I find the need to I pray or talk to this god in the comfort of my own bed room. I don't do the organized religion or church thing. I just believe that you have to be a good person in life. No killing, stealing, cheating on your loved one, etc. I believe in being a good person and living life to the fullest. If you do good you will live a good after life, if you do bad maybe not so good of an after life.
As far as metal goes I don't believe I am gonna burn in hell for listening to death metal or black metal or anything else that opposes religion. It is entertainment and I don't take the lyrics to heart. Behemoth has a song that I love, it is called "Christians To The Lions". Because I like the song does not mean I hate Christians or think they should be fed to lions. If I yell "Hail Satan" at a Mercyful Fate concert I don't think that I will be doomed and am gonna burn. Metal is entertainment and a hobby of mine to buy cd's and go to concerts.
Not religious, not spiritual. Skeptic since birth, and when I realized no religion could really stand up to my skepticism, I took path B. Plan on remaining an atheist until I can see some sort of undeniable manifestation of the power of something "beyond" which, I really doubt I'll ever see. But hey, here's to hoping.
USMC0341
Dead Cold Day
I think organized religion was created in the first place for the sole purpose of controlling people. In my opinion - religion should be a personal thing and almost like a philosophy, instead of a list of rules used to opress, judge and ostracize anyone who doesn't agree with you. I would also point out that more people have been killed in the name of all religions than every war, plague and natural disaster combined.
For me personally - I think it's a little outdated to believe that thousands of years ago, a woman became pregnant without having sex with a man...that just doesn't happen in the natural scheme of things. Turning blod into wine and magically making a single fish turn into many? Sorry - David Copperfield would live to be able to really do that.
I believe in evolution - there's a hell of a lot more documented proof of that than the creation side of things. It's amazing that in this day and age, there is still that much animosity from people against teaching evolution. It's like they refuse to acknowledge what a lot of documented scientific facts suggest.
I believe that a MAN named Jesus lived, and I believe that he cared about all human beings. But I also believe he was just a man, not the son of some god, and I believe he stood up against the institution and was persecuted for it. If he walked out of that cave - then he wasn't dead when they put him there. Thousands of people were crucified in those days, not just him.
I think the simple fact that there are SO many versions of the same basic story points to the fact that none of them are right.
I don't need some old dusty book to teach me how to be a good person. I treat people the way I would like to be treated. I believe in myself and my familiy and friends. I don't believe in fairy tales and I believe we make our own path in this life.
That's my 2 cents...take it or leave it.
PS - I went to catholic school for 6 years, so it's not like I am ignorant to the whole religion thing...been there, done that - didn't buy one bit of the story.
For me personally - I think it's a little outdated to believe that thousands of years ago, a woman became pregnant without having sex with a man...that just doesn't happen in the natural scheme of things. Turning blod into wine and magically making a single fish turn into many? Sorry - David Copperfield would live to be able to really do that.
I believe in evolution - there's a hell of a lot more documented proof of that than the creation side of things. It's amazing that in this day and age, there is still that much animosity from people against teaching evolution. It's like they refuse to acknowledge what a lot of documented scientific facts suggest.
I believe that a MAN named Jesus lived, and I believe that he cared about all human beings. But I also believe he was just a man, not the son of some god, and I believe he stood up against the institution and was persecuted for it. If he walked out of that cave - then he wasn't dead when they put him there. Thousands of people were crucified in those days, not just him.
I think the simple fact that there are SO many versions of the same basic story points to the fact that none of them are right.
I don't need some old dusty book to teach me how to be a good person. I treat people the way I would like to be treated. I believe in myself and my familiy and friends. I don't believe in fairy tales and I believe we make our own path in this life.
That's my 2 cents...take it or leave it.
PS - I went to catholic school for 6 years, so it's not like I am ignorant to the whole religion thing...been there, done that - didn't buy one bit of the story.
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