I AM READING YOUR SHOUT OUT ON RELIGION.. I HAVE BEEN AN AVID CHURCH GOER MY
WHOLE LIFE.. MY RELIGION HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY "SPIRITUAL HIGH" I SIT AND
WONDER IF MY FAITH IS STRONG ENOUGH TO SURVIVE.. BUT THEN I BEGAN TO THINK..
WHAT AM I PUTTING MY FAITH IN? SOME SICK INDIVIDUAL COULD HAVE MADE UP THE
WHOLE STORY OF JESUS AND GOD AND EVERYTHING.. AND IF HE WERE ALIVE, HE WOULD
BE LAUGHING SO HARD AT THE MILLIONS OF STUPID PEOPLE WHO DEDICATE TERE LIFE
TO A LIE! HIS LIE.. I ASK THE QUESTION OF WHERE DID GOD COME FROM? MY
REPLY IS ALWAYS "HE HAS JUST ALWAYS BEEN".... THERE IS COUNTLESS NUMBERS OF
UNAWNSERABLE QUESTIONS ON GOD. AND I HAVE BEEN QUESTIONING MY FAITH LATELY..
SO I UNDERSTAND YOUR VEIWPOINTS.. BUT DONT BASE IT THAT HE HAS IGNORED YOUR
NEEDS.. EVERYONE HAS A CHOSEN TIME. DONT BLAME THAT ON HIM...
THAT IS MY
OPINION
Martin (martin@kcizone.com) has sent in his opinion. He writes...
Your question "I just wanted to know why you have such a strong beliefin God."
My answer; I believe in God because of Reason and Revelation.
Reason is sort of "the obvious". In science, we know that soothing can
not come out of nothing. In science we know that everything has a
beginning and everything will have an end. Let's think about the
beginning. Let's say that the world started with the Big Bang. Where did
that little speck of matter come from? What made it explode? Why did it
happen when it happened? It all points to someone who is not bound
through time, someone is all omnipotent, someone who had no beginning
and will have no end, someone who does not "go by" time like us, someone
who IS, not was and not will be. Is this too complicated? Not
complicated enough? I'm really sorry, I suck at explaining things.
The other reason is revelation -- to reveal. God (or others form heaven)
have revealed themselves to us on earth before. I wont tell you about
little ecstasies with perhaps one actually witnesses. I'll just tell you
one story of a miracle that had 40,000 witnesses. A little less then a
hundred years ago (90 I think) in this village called Fatima, a lady
from heaven revealed herself to three children. The children agreed to
tell no one. The youngest one, of course eventually had to tell her
parents. Her parents thought they were little baby fantasies.
Eventually, the whole village knew about this claim of an apparition.
The mother of the oldest child who saw The Lady did not believe her
daughter and punished her harshly although she never changed her story
or said that she lied. The mother eventually took her to the Parish
Priest and the priest himself scold her. Some other stuff happened (I'll
skip through) Earlier, The Lady promised that on a certain date, she
would give a miracle that people could see (Only the children themselves
could see the lady so far) On the day that she said she would give her
miracle, 40 thousand people came. Her mother, the priest were very
worried and hoped that they were really telling the truth, because if
they weren't, they would have to apologize to 40,000 people who walked
barefoot just to see this miracle. It was raining and many people
started to disbelieve in this claim that a miracle would occur. Why
would someone from heaven appear on such a lousy day? All of a sudden,
the sun started to spin around the sky (witnesses who are still alive
said the Sun Danced across the sky) then it came "falling" towards the
earth. People thought that it was the end of the world and that earth
was being pulled towards the sun. All the rain dried, ill people were
cured, etc. and then the sun went back it it's place. 40,000 people
witnessed this miracle (some of them are still alive to this day). The
Lady from heaven (who finally revealed herself as the Virgin Mary) said
that she would take the two younger children to heaven with her. A year
or two later, they died of unknown causes. (They have been recently
unburied and their un embommed (sp?) bodies and were found to be
uncorrupted, this is the first step to pronouncing someone a saint) The
oldest of the three children is still alive and is a nun at a Carmelite
Monastery. This is why I believe in God.
Chad (Gagarin@aol.com) sent me his opinion. He writes...
My belief and faith stops where the Dogmatic Laws and Dogmatic beliefs begin.
For example, certain churches give "extra rules" to thier congregations.
One church I am aware of forbidded a woman to wear pants, and forbidded a man
to have long hair. What does this have to do with ANYTHING?
It's commonly thought that Jesus was an only chid. He wasn't. His brother
James, and it's stated several times "Jesus' brother James". The catholics
refuse to believe this, because their dogmatic law says that Mary remained
"pure". Well, what does having children have to do with being unpure? Why
would she continute to be a virgin? She had a husband.
Much of the Catholic belief system is based on "saints". For some reason, I
doubt the sanctaty of a person who was chosen by a currpot and greedy
political/religious leader like the early Popes.
Ohh, yeah. The pope, completely made up by Catholic dogmatic law.
I do not take the bible writings for face value, I attempt to look deeper.
When people stop having ideas is when we will lose what is left of our humanity.
I am babbleing. Watch Kevin Smith's film "Dogma", it expresses all of my
opinions.
Derek (TheDerekH@aol.com) sent me his opinion. He writes...
My opinion is one of atheism. Like Governor Jesse Ventura, I believe
organized religion is a like "crutch," surpressing the truth in an effort to
deny that there is an end. Religion was created for one reason, to the
explain the things people weren't capable of knowing at the time. People
wish to think they know it all, so they create mythological stories and
explanations in an attempt to make themselves appear superior. However, as
scientific knowledge began to explain things, religion has become to be less
and less important in the existence of humanity. As time passes, you'll find
the complexity of religion dwindling, from thousands of gods that the very
first civilizations worshiped, to a few hundred, then to around 20 or 30,
then down to 5 elemental spirits, then to one god. And religions such as
Christianity exist now only to try and answer the two questions we still have
yet to discover. "Where did we come from?" and "What happens after we die?"
In time, I believe that the first question will be answered by science. The
second question will still linger though, for one simple reason. Humans by
their very nature are scared of death. They're scared of having a living.
They don't want this to be it, because chances are they screwed up in their
lifetime. We all wish immortality, and the concept that this is the only
shot we have and that there is nothing after this frightens the beejees out
of us. Yet, I believe that there is nothing after death, and therefore I've
tried to live my life to the best of my ability, and to accept that death
eventually will occur. When humanity as a whole finally accepts this, then
there will truly no longer be a need for religion, and it will fade away
completely.
Silvia (growth00@flash.net) told me her opinion. She writes...
I would like to start off by saying that I don't have religion. I have
faith and everlasting life because of Jesus. Anyone can have religion,
but unless you are born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God. The
reason I believe in God is because I have a personal relationship with
Jesus Christ. Ever since I got saved, my life has turned around. He
makes my life complete and provides all the joy in the world for me. It
hurts me that so many of us are lonely and depressed. I was the same
way until I started living my life for Jesus. Jesus gave his life for
all of us. He is offering you a free gift of salvation. He is only
asking that you live your life for him and accept him as Lord and
Saviour. Admit to him in prayer that you are a sinner. Be willing to
turn from sin. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you, was buried and
rose from the dead. Invite Jesus into your life to become your personal
saviour and you will be saved!! It won't be easy but it will be better
than living an eternity in HELL with the devil and his angels. Don't be
fooled. There is a such thing as heaven and hell. Receive Christ's
free gift. He's coming back soon!!!! You may say that I am a big Jesus
freak and I thank you for the compliment because I am. I only tell you
all this because I love everyone and wish everyone to find the joy thatI have.
Thank you very much for sending in your opinions. I value them. If you send me your opinion I will post it here.