I am That I am

[DarthMonk]

Just wondering what the overall opinion is.

DarthMonk

[ATX_Skins]

Well, I guess we all know where I stand since I was the first to vote lol.

[Cappster]

I chose the second option. IMO, there has to be a bigger and greater purpose for our lives. Just plain old living and dying doesn't seem to make our existence worth any value. I especially believe in a spiritual realm, believe in the paranormal, and have proven for myself that spirits do, indeed, exist. God, however, is all faith based as God cannot be physically measured. It is a belief in something greater than ones self. At least that is how I see it.

[DarthMonk]

I chose the 3rd option.

DarthMonk

[KazooSkinsFan]

I'd have voted for #2 if it weren't for the "faith" add on. My view is not represented.

I don't consider the existence of God to be "provable" but I think it's far more then faith. Far too much unexplainable has happened in my life for me to believe it's random. But I cannot prove it and I don't really care to. That I know is enough for me. But it's far more then "faith."

[DarthMonk]

Not the be-all-end-all by any means but Webster's 3rd has this simple definition for faith:

Faith - Firm belief in something for which there is no proof.

Pretty simple.

DarthMonk

I'd have voted for #2 if it weren't for the "faith" add on. My view is not represented.

I don't consider the existence of God to be "provable" but I think it's far more then faith. Far too much unexplainable has happened in my life for me to believe it's random. But I cannot prove it and I don't really care to. That I know is enough for me. But it's far more then "faith."

[Red_One43]

I chose the 2nd option. Studies of the earliest "man" have shown that he believed in a transcendent realty - a reality beyond the ordinary range of perception; being beyond the limits of experience; unknowable.

For me this transcendent reality is a God that is involved in His creation (Earth and beyond - I am not convinced that we are alone in the universe). There is no tangible reason that I believe that God is involved, so there is no debate. It is said that some of the Founding Fathers of our country were deists. I have no problem with that.

I believe that religions are all man made and are feable attempts to get to know this unknowable trascendent reality. I do believe that God has revealed, in part, some things to individuals, but these individuals are not supposed to lord it over others but to pass on this revelations. An example of what I believe to be a revelation is - That which you hate, do not do unto others. Or more popularly - Do unto others as you would have them do to you - The Golden Rule.

Questions such as, "Why does one child grow up and live 80 years of life and another child die as an infant? I don't care to know the answer because is is unknowable. I don't need to come up with an explanation to help soften the loss. What I need to learn is to be compassionate and of help when someone I know loses an infant at birth and I need to learn to be compassionate and helpful to that other infant who is growing up to live to 80 or how many more years.

I will share my belief in God, but since I believe that the transcendent reality is unknowable, I will not claim that my view is right and another's view is wrong. I respect atheists, agnostics, people of other religions. That doesn't meant that I will agree with all the others views, it means that I am not going to tell them that they are wrong or have a heated debate over it. I have no problem discussing and agreeing to disagree.

[tribeofjudah]

Hey didn't Popeye copy that saying: I AM THAT I AM..........

[Deadskins]

I'm somewhere between 1 and 2. I think the existence of God can be proven to an individual, so it's not just a matter of faith. But it's too strong to say it's been proven by man, because there is no way one person can prove it to another.

[Red_One43]

Hey didn't Popeye copy that saying: I AM THAT I AM..........

I think that that was "I AM a YAM!

[DarthMonk]

I chose the 2nd option. -snip-

I chose option 3.

DarthMonk

[Red_One43]

I chose the 2nd option. -snip-

I chose option 3.

DarthMonk

Option 3

I lean toward God existing but have my doubts

What makes you lean toward God existing?

[DarthMonk]

I chose the 2nd option. -snip-

I chose option 3.

DarthMonk

Option 3

I lean toward God existing but have my doubts

What makes you lean toward God existing?

I'll try to keep this about me. There is a related thread for arguments.

To be completely honest I don't know why. Here is my best guess.

I was taken to Sunday school by my parents until around age 12 and was thereby indoctrinated by the adults in my life. Pretty much the entire neighborhood met at the local Methodist church 1/2 a block from my house.

My brain is, at minimum, a complex pattern of atoms and synapses, etc. housed in my skull. It reacts to various stimuli in ways I cannot control. For lack of a better way to put it at age 12 that complex "organ" believed in god.

Since then I have become (I think) more able to control my thoughts (whatever that means). I have considered other possibilities. The other possibilities seem just as plausible as god. I have gradually moved from an almost 100% belief at age 12 to something closer to 51% vs 49% as an adult.

Regardless of what the belief is I think it is generally very difficult to shed something completely that was ingrained during youth. I think that is why I have not gone to 50-50 or even further toward an atheistic position.

I think there are similarities concerning my love for the Redskins and hate for the Cowboys. The first game I ever saw was the Icebowl. I was just beginning to play pick-up football (on a field behind the church!!) and barely knew the NFL existed. I was 8. I turned on the TV and a team in green and gold with a G on the helmet was playing a team in blue and white with a star on the helmet. I knew I was part Blackfoot and when I found out the team with the star was called the Cowboys I started cheering for the team with the G. When they won I was elated.



No matter how rational I become I think I will always hate the Cowboys even though I know intellectually that it is kind of silly.

If anyone wants to delve more deeply I'll see you in the other thread.

PS - In the photo #30 Chuck Mercein is not signaling for a TD. The call in the huddle was a hand off to Mercein. The only person who knew the sneak was coming was Bart Starr. When Mercein realized Starr was sneaking Mercein raised his arms so the ref would know he was not shoving Starr from behind which is illegal. That was one well-coached team.

PPS - Don't you just love the look on # 75 Jethro Pugh's face?

DarthMonk

[Irn-Bru]

They actually didn't have a QB sneak play in the playbook. Can you imagine that?

[DarthMonk]

They actually didn't have a QB sneak play in the playbook. Can you imagine that?

Here is a must read for anyone who thinks he's a football fan:



Great xmas gift/request. Same goes for this:



DarthMonk

[Red_One43]

I chose the 2nd option. -snip-

I chose option 3.

DarthMonk

Option 3

I lean toward God existing but have my doubts

What makes you lean toward God existing?

I'll try to keep this about me. There is a related thread for arguments.

To be completely honest I don't know why. Here is my best guess.

I was taken to Sunday school by my parents until around age 12 and was thereby indoctrinated by the adults in my life. Pretty much the entire neighborhood met at the local Methodist church 1/2 a block from my house.

My brain is, at minimum, a complex pattern of atoms and synapses, etc. housed in my skull. It reacts to various stimuli in ways I cannot control. For lack of a better way to put it at age 12 that complex "organ" believed in god.

Since then I have become (I think) more able to control my thoughts (whatever that means). I have considered other possibilities. The other possibilities seem just as plausible as god. I have gradually moved from an almost 100% belief at age 12 to something closer to 51% vs 49% as an adult.

Regardless of what the belief is I think it is generally very difficult to shed something completely that was ingrained during youth. I think that is why I have not gone to 50-50 or even further toward an atheistic position.

I think there are similarities concerning my love for the Redskins and hate for the Cowboys. The first game I ever saw was the Icebowl. I was just beginning to play pick-up football (on a field behind the church!!) and barely knew the NFL existed. I was 8. I turned on the TV and a team in green and gold with a G on the helmet was playing a team in blue and white with a star on the helmet. I knew I was part Blackfoot and when I found out the team with the star was called the Cowboys I started cheering for the team with the G. When they won I was elated.



No matter how rational I become I think I will always hate the Cowboys even though I know intellectually that it is kind of silly.

If anyone wants to delve more deeply I'll see you in the other thread.

PS - In the photo #30 Chuck Mercein is not signaling for a TD. The call in the huddle was a hand off to Mercein. The only person who knew the sneak was coming was Bart Starr. When Mercein realized Starr was sneaking Mercein raised his arms so the ref would know he was not shoving Starr from behind which is illegal. That was one well-coached team.

PPS - Don't you just love the look on # 75 Jethro Pugh's face?

DarthMonk

Thanks for sharing. No debate here. I understand your reasons for having doubt. Religious institutions have not been kind to free thinkers and are still not kind to free thinkers. I don't believe that we should confine ourselves to a God that the institutions defined. The transcendent reality is unknowable. Each person's experience is different. How he interprets this experience is his business and not for others to tell him he is right or wrong - discuss yes, but who has the truth? If he says that he has the truth, let his works convict him. No religious institution can claim that they brought what they claim that their founder brought - peace unto the Earth. The truth is within you. How shall we live then? Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. The rest is all food for thought.

[tribeofjudah]

Deadskin...good post. I differ from your thoughts: "the truth is within you"......... it all depend on WHAT you/I/we have put within ourselves.

1. The danger is like what happened in Judges: everyone did what they thought was right in their OWN eyes. (it was like the wild wild west)

2. no one is truly good, no not one: Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: ........ we are all sinners save by Grace if we accept the Gift.

3. There is this thing called DECEPTION. The essense of deception is that ONE does not know they are BEING DECEIVED. Thus a "perceived" Truth in the mind of someone DECEIVED IS VERY, VERY DANGEROUS.

4. THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE....Jhn 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.