dlazz wrote: Sure don't. People who divulge themselves in religion seem like they are trying to cope with something they can't fathom: dying alone

I think it has more to do with humans always seeking to find an answer for things they can't explain. At one time God(s) were the reason for earthquakes, famines, volcanoes, thunder, etc. It's the same regardless of the time period.

sleeper wrote: Yeah me too. I don't understand why God has to be all mythical with this faith bullshit. Why not do some real miracles and convince the masses so that people can be saved? Seems like God is an egotistical jackass to me and if he exists I can't wait to meet him, I'd humble him guaranteed.

I'm sure that'd go over well.

"I'm one of 6.5 billion people living on a planet that, were it the size of a grain of sand, would be dwarfed by a universe that you created to the scale of a star that's 800 times the diameter of the Sun. Are you ready to be humbled?"

Absolutely!

In the sense that organized religion teaches? Not a chance.

There might be some force out there undiscovered or incomprehensible to the human mind, but it isn't an omnipotent being judging my every move. And I don't envision my soul spending eternity with the souls of tens of billions of other dead people from the past million or so years.

Absolutely I do.

Boris, there's no guarantee that humanity is going to be around long enough to witness the sun exploding.

Without a doubt God exists.

Absolutely! I really do.

Upper90 wrote: I do, of course. But just not in the sense that there's someone "up there", sifting through prayers on a daily basis, and deciding which ones to honor, and which ones to pass on. That's a little bit outside my reach of logic.

i agree, i like to think of myself as the type of person that needs proof, am i wrong for this, i dunno, but i have a hard time believing that if there was a god, how could there be so much bullshit in the world. it has to be more than just faith to me

BORIStheCrusher wrote: Serious question for those who answered yes. (I didn't answer because I don't have one)

Anyway, as we all know the earth will not be around forever, (while it may be a long time from now), the sun will eventually die, which will kill off the human race (I feel really bad for the people who are going to experience that). So what will god do then?

I believe the Bible says, and this is IF you believe what the Bible says, that the end of the world will come after the rapture, which is the point where everyone that has accepted Christ as their savior will go to heaven and the rest of the people will remain on earth.

At that point, the Anti-Christ will be the ruler of the world and the people who remain on earth will have the option of following the new leader and accepting the "mark of the beast" (666) or accepting Christ which would be basically the last shot at heaven before the end of the world.

If you'd like to read how Christians believe the world will end, read the last book of the Bible, Revelation.

I'm only speaking from memory so if I've misspoken at all, I welcome anyone to correct me. Also, I'm not trying to push beliefs here. I'm just answering the question based on what Christians believe.

Mr Pat wrote: Boris, there's no guarantee that humanity is going to be around long enough to witness the sun exploding.

I know, but my point was that at some time earth WILL be gone, and it's people too. So what was the point of god putting people on earth for just a brief period of time; some experiment?

BORIStheCrusher wrote:

Mr Pat wrote: Boris, there's no guarantee that humanity is going to be around long enough to witness the sun exploding.

I know, but my point was that at some time earth WILL be gone, and it's people too. So what was the point of god putting people on earth for just a brief period of time; some experiment?

Who told you the sun was going to explode? If God is big enough to create the sun and the universe, I would imagine God is big enough to keep the sun from exploding.

yes i do

Absolutely and unequivocally.....

ss7 wrote:

BORIStheCrusher wrote: Serious question for those who answered yes. (I didn't answer because I don't have one)

Anyway, as we all know the earth will not be around forever, (while it may be a long time from now), the sun will eventually die, which will kill off the human race (I feel really bad for the people who are going to experience that). So what will god do then?

I believe the Bible says, and this is IF you believe what the Bible says, that the end of the world will come after the rapture, which is the point where everyone that has accepted Christ as their savior will go to heaven and the rest of the people will remain on earth.

At that point, the Anti-Christ will be the ruler of the world and the people who remain on earth will have the option of following the new leader and accepting the "mark of the beast" (666) or accepting Christ which would be basically the last shot at heaven before the end of the world.

If you'd like to read how Christians believe the world will end, read the last book of the Bible, Revelation.

I'm only speaking from memory so if I've misspoken at all, I welcome anyone to correct me. Also, I'm not trying to push beliefs here. I'm just answering the question based on what Christians believe.

There are numerous Christian views on the book and one isn't generally more accepted than another.

The book is complete garbage anyways and I've never understood why Christians put so much value into it.

The best explanation I've heard for the book of revelation was actually in a theology elective I took my senior year at Toledo. The idea was that it's much less a book about the end of the world and much a more a subversive text against the rule of Rome, written mainly in code and weird analogies.

yes indeed

Fer shizzle.

eersandbeers wrote:

ss7 wrote:

BORIStheCrusher wrote: Serious question for those who answered yes. (I didn't answer because I don't have one)

Anyway, as we all know the earth will not be around forever, (while it may be a long time from now), the sun will eventually die, which will kill off the human race (I feel really bad for the people who are going to experience that). So what will god do then?

I believe the Bible says, and this is IF you believe what the Bible says, that the end of the world will come after the rapture, which is the point where everyone that has accepted Christ as their savior will go to heaven and the rest of the people will remain on earth.

At that point, the Anti-Christ will be the ruler of the world and the people who remain on earth will have the option of following the new leader and accepting the "mark of the beast" (666) or accepting Christ which would be basically the last shot at heaven before the end of the world.

If you'd like to read how Christians believe the world will end, read the last book of the Bible, Revelation.

I'm only speaking from memory so if I've misspoken at all, I welcome anyone to correct me. Also, I'm not trying to push beliefs here. I'm just answering the question based on what Christians believe.

There are numerous Christian views on the book and one isn't generally more accepted than another.

The book is complete garbage anyways and I've never understood why Christians put so much value into it.

Christians put value into the Bible because it is everything that Christianity is based on.

I'm done with Christianity as an organized religion, but i still do believe in God.

Terrible experiences growing up in the Church, lost faith in the church and many of my fellow Christians, so i've decided to maintain a completely personal relationship with God, i feel much better about myself and my faith as a result.

Probably not fair of me, but it is what it is. I don't identify with the teachings of many Churches and denominations today, so i'll stick to exploring on my own and growing in that regard.

Just can't reconcile myself to what i perceive to be the perverted and simply bigoted views that many Christians today hold, that i believe to go against the true teachings of Christ and God. I don't want to associate myself with those folks, as i don't believe they are acting in the true spirit of Christianity.

100% Agree Cbus. No need whatsoever for church or people that identify themselves as part of some organized belief structure, but it doesn't mean that I've stopped believing in God

I believe in God, but I don't have any affiliation with any organized religion. I'm just a Deist.

BORIStheCrusher wrote:

Mr Pat wrote: Boris, there's no guarantee that humanity is going to be around long enough to witness the sun exploding.

I know, but my point was that at some time earth WILL be gone, and it's people too. So what was the point of god putting people on earth for just a brief period of time; some experiment?

Yes the earth will be gone eventually, with it's people too, but why does that surprise you? Life is guaranteed to nobody, the world could erupt into WW3 and all nuclear missiles could be fired and we'd die that way. Just like humans, the sun doesn't last forever.

Majorspark, God is powerful enough to make the earth not explode, he's all powerful enough to make no humans die ever, the sun will die just like humans. My personal thoughts are that God gives us free will and let's us do our thing much like he does with all his creation (planets, suns, stars). Death is an unavoidable part of life no matter how it ends. I mean if God didn't give us free will and controlled everything, including planets, life would be spent in Church and there would be no dissention. I personally prefer the free will with the chance of dieing over a life mapped out for me.

Then again, not everybody agrees with me.

definitely believe in God

Mr Pat wrote: My personal thoughts are that God gives us free will and let's us do our thing much like he does with all his creation (planets, suns, stars). Death is an unavoidable part of life no matter how it ends. I mean if God didn't give us free will and controlled everything, including planets, life would be spent in Church and there would be no dissention. I personally prefer the free will with the chance of dieing over a life mapped out for me.

Never said anything about your life being mapped out for you, but I'm just curious as to why he would create human life only to have destroyed after a brief moment in time. And I'm curious as to what happens after that. Are we done forever?

I was speaking in general terms when I said the mapped out thing. Dieing is a part of life, for one thing Earth isn't big enough to hold everybody if nobody ever died. God put us here so we can enjoy life, but we can't stay forever. We're here to try to make it to Heaven, if you believe in God you believe that if you were a good person you will live forever with God in Heaven. However the world ends I'm sure the same rule applies.