Amen!!!!

////////
When I was 12 my Grandmother (who was very much like my Mother) died suddenly and I was heart broken . I prayed for God to show his presence to me . I devoted myself to the church hoping that this God I had been taught about would heal my heart . For 3 years I prayed and nothing happened so I suppose I became mad at God . For 2 more years I felt I was lost and wandering in the dark .
///////

Which is very typicall in why christians stop believing, as i did for a while. I wanted my blessing to to come forth, and if i didnt get my blessing i would turn my back on him. This is very common but its seems that in the end of time you'll look back on it and say "oh that was why". God has a way of working things out, its sad though that being a christian you were self-fish enough to want you Grandma in this world.

////
i agree with you on one thing and that's about the Catholics.

sorry people but i don't like Catholics,there's things in their beliefs that i don't understand,like the confession thing,why confess to a priest?do they think God can't hear you?you don't need a middle man when talking to God.2,Catholics seem to think they're the only ones going to heaven,where did they get this idea at?
////

i agree in alot of aspects to this, why im not catholics for these reasons. However, anyone who is not saved and believes in Jesus died on the cross for your sins is not going to Heaven, this however includes christians and Catholics. Just becasue you renouced Christian/Catholic, doesnt mean that you are.

Age seems to affect maturity in this post.....

i agree with you on that Kala,just because someone claims to be Christian doesn't mean they are.it's in your actions and your words that make you what you are

I once asked someone "Do you believe in God?", they said "no". I asked "why?". They said. "God let my mother suffer before she died and my nephew die at the age of 4". I said, "so, it's not that you don't believe in God, it's just that you are mad at Him". He looked at me and said, with a confused but suddenly enlightend look, "yeah".

I believe that a belief, in any form, gives strength to get through the obsticles that this life gives us. It is soooo, much easier to coop, believe that!

Yep we get mad at God, and walk away from him, this happens. What happens to most atheists is in fact they were once Christians, in my experience. They just kept walking, and this makes them happy, which would make me happy true, we as humans run from our problems and this allows us to hide the hurt inside us. We are happy but we have secrets that hurt too much to talk about. After i walked i came back and my secrets are no more. I am much happier now than i have ever been, and only feel sorry for those who have not experienced what i have.

Yes but some people will take my words and act as though i am judging others. Or they want to know what a "Christian" is. This is not determined by be, nor do i have the right to judge.

Isn't that the cool part - we walk away, but as soon as we turn around, He's right there, loving us as much as He ever did...

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

I know that's going to earn me a flame, or a comment from someone, "yea if you beleive in the Bible.." Well, I do... and it gives me encouragement, wisdom, peace, all kinds of stuff I can't find anywhere else...

I had a philosophy professor, BRILLIANT man. He'd come into class, yell at us, "God Doesn't Exist." etc... and make us argue with him... Turns out, he deeply beleived in God. A brilliant man, with all the secular credentials in the world, in a profession that questions God ALL the time... and he was Convinced that there IS a God...

The debate is great - but when folks talk about how "stupid" it is to beleive in God, I just chuckle... I know I'm not stupid - I'm very well educated, and a lot of people I know and respect who are very well educated beleive in God... the "you're stupid" argument doesn't hold any water...

But the premis of the thread is great - it's when we question we get our best answers... just like my college Philosophy professor did for us...

This is not correct all the time. I was raised Catholic and Baptist, different religions in the family. My separation from the church came from creationism, the beginning of man from incest, I could not fathom that thought. I believe had someone told me, instead of take it and believe it or die, that it was symbolic or something, MAYBE I would have been able to stomach it. And then the figurative, blame the woman for the sins of the world, did not sit well. Then the fact men were allowed to do pretty much whatever they wanted and women are to just take it with no recourse, did not sit well with me. ETC............

I believe my problem has always been I refuse to follow blindly, so if someone cannot make it make sense to me, I do not believe it. I never accept the status quo, I will rock the boat and see what falls out.

I called myself agnostic for years in hopes of proof of god at some level but god is a leap of faith, there is no solid proof. So now I must admit to my atheist beliefs. Although, I am a spiritual person in that I believe in the life force of everything on earth though so I still have a magical quality to life, it is not just black and white. I just do not believe in big brother looking over my shoulder judging me.

"Yep we get mad at God, and walk away from him, this happens. What happens to most atheists is in fact they were once Christians, in my experience. They just kept walking, and this makes them happy, which would make me happy true, we as humans run from our problems and this allows us to hide the hurt inside us. We are happy but we have secrets that hurt too much to talk about. After i walked i came back and my secrets are no more. I am much happier now than i have ever been, and only feel sorry for those who have not experienced what i have."

He that will not reason is a bigot; he that cannot reason is a fool; he that dares not reason is a slave. -- William Drummond

I don't think I was selfish in wanting my heart to be healed by God . I did not want my Grandmother back . I wanted God to fill the hole in my heart made by her loss .
Now I know that I do not have to pray to some silly fictional "God" to heal myself .

I respect your opinion... however, respect is a two-way street... if someone beleives in something, perhaps calling it silly like that isn't the way to gain respect for your opinion...

Right so it isnt done in a timely manner, you reject him and now back talk the same person you once believed in. This sounds not only typicall of most christians that dont get thier way, but this applies to friendship as well. Poor friendship doesnt last. I understand

Bravo.

Well at the same time? Judging you? YOu have read the bible in Matthew 17 about judging others? You seem on a fence at the moment yet it sounds as though think about spiritual belifs yet you do nothing to find them, but you have the ability to find them. Yet you are on these posts calling God big brother, that interests me.

Yet again i notice some other mans words comming out your mouth... Have we not the ability to voice our own opinions on such a form?

Oops sorry guys didn't mean to be disrespectful .

You are entitled to believe as you wish and I would never disrespect someone , judge or push my beliefs on them . I am glad that you find joy and peace in your belief in God . I unfortunatley do not find the same and i'm okay with that .

"People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs" -- Unknown

I didn't know that vadakin was a country...???