Crap Like This Really Makes Me Question the Existence of God - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

A264172 · #31 11-29-2007, 01:55 AM

Hope against what has come to pass is foolishness.
If god gave you an instrument, would you refuse to let it sound?

Matt SD300 · #32 11-29-2007, 02:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A264172

Hope against what has come to pass is foolishness.
If god gave you an instrument, would you refuse to let it sound?

What has come to pass?...

...Are you sure??...

A264172 · #33 11-29-2007, 02:13 AM

I trying to think of a way we could get vaguer here... but I'm having trouble comming up with a way.

How about yes and no.

mgburg · #34 11-29-2007, 02:21 AM

Swamp:

You feel bad because what you know is young and carefree...and something bad has happened to them and you're helpless to prevent the bad.

We all have times like that in our lives...and it's particularly hurtfull when the hurting is being directed to the defenseless. Small children and animals. Little old ladies and the infirmed.

When there are tragedies in our lives, there are stages that we all go through.

Questioning a higher authority is always one of the stages.

Why them? Why me? Why anything?

I survived a head-on back in '83. Why?

I don't know.

Guilt?

Why do I continue to live and such young, wonderfully innocent, children die slow, horrible ways...

All we can do is offer a shoulder for the griefing to rest on, and ear to listen and a knowing eye to guide them through the darkness that is enveloping them...and to a similar degree, us as well...

Death is all around us...whether it be a disease, car accident or an incident of man's inhumanity to man...

And then, there's the survivors...us.

Comforting the victims' survivors...and we all need some degree of help there.

Always...

aklim · #35 11-29-2007, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whiskeydan

Some could say he was calling them home rather than killing them.

Still, call it what you want, it causes us grief.

SwampYankee · #36 11-29-2007, 09:14 AM

Thank you all for letting me bend your "ears". Today is a better day. We're in the planning stages for a dinner/auction fundraising event for my son's friend. It's helped to have something to focus on besides the gloom and doom and keeps my mind from getting too much idle time.

P.S. I think we're all shocked at Dee's past.

Although it shouldn't surprise me. We have a close family friend who entered the seminary as a young man. For whatever reason he decided it wasn't for him. Now, you don't want to be between him and a bottle of Scotch. Hmmm...maybe that's the common link.

SwampYankee · #37 11-29-2007, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by omegabenz

Neuroblastoma is pretty rare. Did she have it in one eye or both? Sorry to hear.

Neuroblastoma is a cancer that forms in your nerve tissue. It usually begins in the adrenal glands. It may also begin in your neck, chest or spinal cord. I think your thinking of Retinoblastoma, although Neuroblastoma can and does spread easily and can effect about every body part with nerve tissue in it.

And thanks!

Dee8go · #38 11-29-2007, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A264172

I trying to think of a way we could get vaguer here... but I'm having trouble comming up with a way.

How about yes and no.

Maybe . . .

#39 11-29-2007, 09:41 AM

Sorry to hear about it, but sometimes it takes a bit of reality for people to come to their senses and stop believing in fairy tales.

There is no invisible man in the sky to whisk people away when they die, we are living organisms just like every other lowly animal on the planet. When we die, we just plain die. That's it. Sad, but 100% true and no story book can change ever that.

Also, if you really read the bible, you would know that 99.9% of everyone that dies would actually go to hell rather than heaven. Most people ignore that completely because they don't want to think of their loved ones burning in torture and agony for all eternity.

Through time, this silly agnostic stage will pass. You will look back and realize how much time was wasted talking to yourself thinking you were communicating with some "god" and how much money will no longer be stolen from you by the churches.

aklim · #40 11-29-2007, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ForcedInduction

There is no invisible man in the sky to whisk people away when they die, they are living organisms live every other lowly animal on the planet. When they die, they just plain die. That's it. Sad, but 100% true and no story book can change ever that.

Through time, this silly agnostic stage will pass.

You will look back and realize how much time was wasted talking to yourself thinking you were communicating with some "god" and how much money will no longer be stolen from you by the churches.

Think granting wishes. If there is a plan, why would this person change it just because YOU ask him to? Won't it affect other things? Kinda like if you went back in time to change one thing, won't it affect numerous other things?

I thought agnostic belief sits on the fence of "I don't know"?

"stolen" is a harsh word. They asked and you gave. I don't think that is really qualifies as "stolen".

#41 11-29-2007, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

"stolen" is a harsh word. They asked and you gave. I don't think that is really qualifies as "stolen".

Nigerian scammers tell you they are royalty and want to cut you in on an unbeatable deal, do you give them your money?

Same scam, different people but they call it a tithe.

aklim · #42 11-29-2007, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ForcedInduction

Nigerian scammers tell you they are royalty and want to cut you in on an unbeatable deal, do you give them your money?

Same scam, different people but they call it a tithe.

No. However, I call that a con. When I hear "stolen" It gives me the image of somebody physically stealing money rather than slow talking it out of you?

#43 11-29-2007, 10:10 AM

A dealer can sell you drugs that you willingly pay for to get high.

The priests sell you a story that tells you of an invisible person that loves you no matter what and promises a happy ending and you voluntarily give them money for this.

Better analogy?

SwampYankee · #44 11-29-2007, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jordan G

Yeah, an agnostic is someone who claims absolute knowledge can't be attained. God may exist but can't prove it. God may be a fairy tale but can't prove it. It takes as much faith for an athiest to say there isn't a creator as it takes Matt to say there is.

I'm not advocating either way - that's just my defintion. Bertrand Russell is my favorite one though.

Maybe I'm mischaracterizing myself. I really don't give religion a thought one way or the other during the normal course of my daily/weekly/yearly routine. When bad things happen to good people, thoughts bubble to the surface and make me think why? After that, the thoughts go away and I'm back to my non-thinking about it stage. It generally never even enters my mind.

My wife was raised Catholic and it was important enough to her to have our kids baptized and attend services with them on the main Holy Days. If she and they want to "believe" that's fine by me.

I don't care if God is on our money, in the Pledge or if someone wishes me a Merry Christmas. If it's important to them, do what they have to do.

OTOH I just don't spend time thinking about it, outside of those 2 or 3 times a year that make me question if there is, why...?

Four kids, one with special needs, all of their activities, work, marriage, beer, cars, boats and football keep my mind fairly taxed and don't leave much room for internal theological and philosophical discussions.

aklim · #45 11-29-2007, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SwampYankee

Maybe I'm mischaracterizing myself. I really don't give religion a thought one way or the other during the normal course of my daily/weekly/yearly routine. When bad things happen to good people, thoughts bubble to the surface and make me think why? After that, the thoughts go away and I'm back to my non-thinking about it stage. It generally never even enters my mind.

The way I see it, you are a thiest, agnostic or athiest. You believe in a god, don't know or you believe there isn't a god. No specific god/gods mentioned.