Some people ask me.

[MAP2010.wireless]

Some people ask me, why do you thank God for anything?
Why do ask God to help you with everything?
Why have you had such a poor and hard life and still think God cares?

I have had a very hard road in this life, but without God i would not be here today. So thats why I think God for his Blessings he has sent me..

So there is so much we can thank God for, Even if its just life it self.

Mark

[Elrathin]

That's admirable and it's good you have something to believe in. But to me Christianity, as well as all religions, are nothing more than tools that were created to try and control man and to give comfort to the unknown that happens when we die.

I do believe there is something out there, but not anything that mankind has come up with soo far.

Regardless of my personal feelings, glad you have something to give thanks for at least.

[MAP2010.wireless]

That's admirable and it's good you have something to believe in. But to me Christianity, as well as all religions, are nothing more than tools that were created to try and control man and to give comfort to the unknown that happens when we die.

I do believe there is something out there, but not anything that mankind has come up with soo far.

Regardless of my personal feelings, glad you have something to give thanks for at least.


God has many names, if we could understand everything about God then we might understand why he is the way he is.

But no one really know forsure, We will only know forsure when he comes back.

Mark

[Newscaster]

MAP2010, its admirable that you gives thanks for your blessing despite having led a tough life, as you say. But I am also asked questions about God so, allow me to ask you one of the questions that have been thrown at me.

What is your explanation for how the concept of there being a God came about in the first place? Since the early days of man, its only recently that we have books and other modern means of communication, so how did man first begin thinking there is a God up there somewhere? I am not refering to organized religions but simply the basic idea that there is a God.

[MAP2010.wireless]

MAP2010, its admirable that you gives thanks for your blessing despite having led a tough life, as you say. But I am also asked questions about God so, allow me to ask you one of the questions that have been thrown at me.

What is your explanation for how the concept of there being a God came about in the first place? Since the early days of man, its only recently that we have books and other modern means of communication, so how did man first begin thinking there is a God up there somewhere? I am not refering to organized religions but simply the basic idea that there is a God.


If you look all over the world, you will see that they Believe in a god.
Man needs to Believe in something, Anything like Suns Moons Air Earth Planets. You get the idea some even Believed that their King as a God, but most of all Gods in all of the world are about Good and Evil Heaven and Hell. Even if they don't call it that, its a place where the good and bad go.

Even without words or books to keep them there is a place in us all that wishies for a God to Believe in.


Have you ever hear that when you tell one person it will change after so many people hear the same thing? Who is to say that the Story of God was not told all over the world, Now remember at one time all of the land was one. So if it was told to others it could have changed to where we have it today, God did say spead the word of God.


But Even with this we will never know till the end, But there are too many people that Believe in a god for there not to be.

Who knows they might be stories about the same God.




Agdistis or Angdistis Ah Puch Ahura Mazda Alberich Amaterasu An Anat Andvari Anshar Anu Aphrodite Apollo Apsu Ares Artemis Asclepius Athena Athirat Athtart Atlas Baal Ba Xian Bacchus Balder Bast Bellona Bergelmir Bes Bixia Yuanjin Bragi Brahma Brigit Camaxtli Ceres Ceridwen Cernunnos Chac Chalchiuhtlicue Charun Cheng-huang Cybele Dagon Damkina (Dumkina) Davlin Demeter Diana Di Cang Dionysus Ea El Enki Enlil Epona Ereskigal Farbauti Fenrir Forseti Freya Freyr Frigg Top of Page Gaia Ganesha Ganga Garuda Gauri Geb Geong Si Hades Hanuman Helios Heng-o (Chang-o) Hephaestus Hera Hermes Hod Hoderi Hoori Horus Hotei Hestia Huitzilopochtli Hsi-Wang-Mu Hygeia Inanna Inti Ishtar Isis Ixtab Izanaki Izanami Top of Page Jesus Juno Jupiter Kagutsuchi Kartikeya Khepri Ki Kingu Kinich Ahau Kishar Krishna Kukulcan Lakshmi Liza Loki Lugh Magna Mater Marduk Mars Medb Mercury Mimir Minerva Mithras Morrigan Mot Mummu Top of Page - Nammu Nanna Nanna (Norse) Nanse Nemesis Nephthys Neptune Nergal Ninazu Ninhurzag Nintu Ninurta Njord Nut Odin Ohkuninushi Ohyamatsumi Orgelmir Osiris Ostara Top of Page Pan Parvati Poseidon Quetzalcoatl Rama Re Rhea Sabazius Sarasvati Shiva Seshat Seti (Set) Shamash Shapsu Shen Yi Shiva Shu Si-Wang-Mu Sin Sirona Surya Susanoh Tawaret Tefnut Tezcatlipoca Thanatos Thor Tiamat Tlaloc Tonatiuh Toyo-Uke-Bime Tyche Tyr Utu Uzume Venus Vesta Vishnu Vulcan Xipe Xi Wang-mu Xochipilli Xochiquetzal Yam Yarikh Ymir Yu-huang Yum Kimil Zeus

[Elrathin]

If you look all over the world, you will see that they Believe in a god.

Not quite right. Some people believe in something, but not necessarily a god or god(s).

There is a possibility that there is no god or gods, and there is also the possibility that whatever(s) created the universe is long gone never to return.

These are all possibilities, but the one thing I have found is the majority of those that believe in a religion are doing so because they can't stand the possilbility that this life is all they have. It's like they ignore it altogether to make themselves feel better.

Anyway this is just my opinion and what I have seen. Myself, I live everyday to the fullest in case this is all I have yet I try to do as much good as possible on the off chance there is something watching. I may not be perfect, but I don't believe that whatever is out there would judsge someone as harshly as religions make it out to be.

I have found religions to be chalk full of half-truths and controlling factors enough to realize that religion was only created to control man in a way that the person who created the religion (not god) wanted them to be.

All in all that is my belief and that is how I live. Those that believe in religion I have no problem with, until they try to tell me I need to live their way or that others need to live their way based SOLELY on heir religion. That is where I have a problem with and I fight for their rights.

[MAP2010.wireless]

If you look all over the world, you will see that they Believe in a god.

Not quite right.Â*Â*Some people believe in something, but not necessarily a god or god(s).

There is a possibility that there is no god or gods, and there is also the possibility that whatever(s) created the universe is long gone never to return.

These are all possibilities, but the one thing I have found is the majority of those that believe in a religion are doing so because they can't stand the possilbility that this life is all they have.Â*Â*It's like they ignore it altogether to make themselves feel better.

Anyway this is just my opinion and what I have seen.Â*Â*Myself, I live everyday to the fullest in case this is all I have yet I try to do as much good as possible on the off chance there is something watching.Â*Â*I may not be perfect, but I don't believe that whatever is out there would judsge someone as harshly as religions make it out to be.

I have found religions to be chalk full of half-truths and controlling factors enough to realize that religion was only created to control man in a way that the person who created the religion (not god) wanted them to be.

All in all that is my belief and that is how I live.Â*Â*Those that believe in religion I have no problem with, until they try to tell me I need to live their way or that others need to live their way based SOLELY on heir religion.Â*Â*That is where I have a problem with and I fight for their rights.


death is a fear, and yes I do wish for a life after death.
Only time will tell.

Mark

[Elrathin]

death is a fear, and yes I do wish for a life after death.
Only time will tell.

Mark


It is a rightful fear, and I fear it in a way myself to. However, I will not cling to half truths because of my fears. There is the distinct possibility that there is not god or at least that this is the only existance we have. I tend to make the best of it and not live my life based on any known religion that has it's roots in controlling mankind.

Again, this is my opinion and my opinion only that I state because I can only speak for myself.

As for you MAPS, I do not want to influence your beliefs and in a way I am envious of you and other followers of religion who whole heartidly believe in your faith. I cannot do that given the circumstances, but nonetheless still am envious almost like an adult is to a child that has no idea of what horrors there are in the world.

That isn't to be meant as an insult and I am not calling you a child, only showing you an analogy of how I feel to you and your religion.

[Professor]

...in a way I am envious of you and other followers of religion who whole heartidly believe in your faith.Â*Â*I cannot do that given the circumstances, but nonetheless still am envious almost like an adult is to a child that has no idea of what horrors there are in the world.


I echo Eltrathin's sentiments. I have been wishing I could take shelter in a belief system where I could offer up my problems to someone/something else. But I can't. I know too much and have seen too much. I could try going through the motions of church and prayer but I don't think it would do any good. When it comes down to it, I did something incredably offensive to a holy act and god. Even if I was the perfect canidate, it still wouldn't work.

However, I don't mind others having beliefs. MAP I'm glad you are able to find happiness, something to be thankful for, and a relationship with god. I hope things continue to go well for you.

[Newscaster]

Death is NOT a fear. Death is an inevitability that can be fearsom to some but not all. But MAP, the avoided my question. I did not ask if there was a God or how many names for God there is or even how many people believe in a God.
I asked where the concept came from that there is a God in the first place regardless of what he or she may be called. Can you answer that or must I do it for you?

[MAP2010.wireless]

Death is NOT a fear. Death is an inevitability that can be fearsom to some but not all. But MAP, the avoided my question. I did not ask if there was a God or how many names for God there is or even how many people believe in a God.
I asked where the concept came from that there is a God in the first place regardless of what he or she may be called. Can you answer that or must I do it for you?


If you look all over the world, you will see that they Believe in a god.
Man needs to Believe in something, Anything like Suns Moons Air Earth Planets. You get the idea some even Believed that their King as a God, but most of all Gods in all of the world are about Good and Evil Heaven and Hell. Even if they don't call it that, its a place where the good and bad go.

Even without words or books to keep them there is a place in us all that wishies for a God to Believe in.

Ancient Indian Civilizations even Believe some kind of god, but I can't tell you why other then its in us even if we don't Believe it is.

I Believe in the God of Creation, that means he is the Creator of all that is.

But I have no idea on why.

[MAP2010.wireless]

...in a way I am envious of you and other followers of religion who whole heartidly believe in your faith.Â*Â*I cannot do that given the circumstances, but nonetheless still am envious almost like an adult is to a child that has no idea of what horrors there are in the world.


I echo Eltrathin's sentiments.Â*Â*I have been wishing I could take shelter in a belief system where I could offer up my problems to someone/something else.Â*Â*But I can't.Â*Â*I know too much and have seen too much.Â*Â*I could try going through the motions of church and prayer but I don't think it would do any good.Â*Â*When it comes down to it, I did something incredably offensive to a holy act and god.Â*Â*Even if I was the perfect canidate, it still wouldn't work.

However, I don't mind others having beliefs.Â*Â*MAP I'm glad you are able to find happiness, something to be thankful for, and a relationship with god.Â*Â*I hope things continue to go well for you.


"When it comes down to it, I did something incredably offensive to a holy act and god. Even if I was the perfect canidate, it still wouldn't work."

Are you saying you feel you can't be saved?
If you ask he will forgive you, can you forgive yourself?
Ask God to help you and he will.

Just ask and you will be saved.

Mark Pendergraft

[Newscaster]

MAP, you still seem to be incapable of answering a simple question. You are so intent on putting forth a defense of your manner of belief, that you can't or don't examine carefully, any other theories. Thats really too bad. You miss out on a lot.

[MAP2010.wireless]

MAP, you still seem to be incapable of answering a simple question. You are so intent on putting forth a defense of your manner of belief, that you can't or don't examine carefully, any other theories. Thats really too bad. You miss out on a lot.



I think if I knew that I would say, but I don't.

Mark

[Danoz]

I believe in myself - that is all. I don't need an ego boost from god to make me feel complete, and to be honest, I think that religion is a false crutch because often times when you most need it it falls out from underneath you. What is more, the christian god tends to make out that we are useless and pathetic without him. I find that offensive and demeaning. I also see it as a cheapening of our wonderful natural world - in the sence that we're ascribing a mythical entity to replace one of the most incredible things around us: Darwinian evolution.

Personly my life improved several fold after giving up my belief in god. My self esteem was tranformed from somebody who thought he could make no decision on his own to somebody who was empowered to think for himself. My guilt over sin which I had committed or could not give up evaporated, and I could live again outside of the furstrations of knowing that I would the next day be just as bad, and not beat myself up for not being continuously "filled by the spirit" no matter how much I read the bible and prayed (I can already predict the responce to this one). It liberated me sexually, and I lost my viriginity at 27, which was not the soul destroying horror story promissed me by my youth pastor. It was instead the most incredibly satisfying thing I'd ever expereinced on every level, and 3 years on I am still fantastic friends with my then girlfriend with whom I parted on excellent terms.

Things didn't go well on many other fronts in my life though. Time and again I struggled finding work, but instead of blaming some sin in my life that god was punnishing me for and aimlessly praying to god for direction I decided that I'd have to make the best of my situation, and that my thigns were completely entropic and not due to something that I had done or not done - knowingly or unkowingly (which are the ones that bugged me as christian). And you know what, things eventually get better for those who are patient and hard working! Life is pretty good right now :)

[CheesyMuslim]

Sorry bout that,

1. You should believe in yourself.
2. As well as we all.
3. For Gawd believes in us all.
4. But not all make it, they fall away, dry up, are baby snatched, sown amongst unholy teachers, who steal their souls.
5. Others prosper into fruitful lives, and are a blessing to many.
6. Others who were stolen make claims that support their own fates.
7. And never consider that they could be adding coals to the fire of their own confusion.
8. Gawd is not mocked, and when a person mocks Gawd, this tends to further castigate the person doing it.
9. Unless we rely on Gawd, and His blessings, work in life can be unprofitable.
10. And can lead to utter despair.

Regards,
SirJamesofTexas

[Danoz]

9. Unless we rely on Gawd, and His blessings, work in life can be unprofitable.
10. And can lead to utter despair.


My life has improved dramatically since I gave up christianity, and I swear to you I'm not just saying that. Why do you christians assume that our lives are miserable without god? Yes, things may have improved for you when you became a christian. Maybe the church congregation encouraged you and you made some good friends. Maybe you landed a job through somebody you met at church, or met a nice girl and got married. There are many reasons why your life COULD improve as a christian, and none of them have anything to do with the spiritual, so I can see where this falacy orgionates. To be honest though, the amount of restrictions that it places on your life sucks most of the enjoyment out of being human IMO

[CheesyMuslim]

Sorry bout that,

1. But there is a story about this in the Bible.
2. Great story.
3. Explains what happens to a man who lost his way.
4. Shows just how incredible accurate the story is, and how it is still valid even to this day.
5. About a man who had come to his Father and asked for his inheritance, and then went off to a distant land and wasted all his goods, came on hard times, ended up as a pig keeper, who wasn't even given as much respect as the pigs he fed.
6. Just shows how bad it can get, and how far a person can slip.
7. But also shows how much a person can be raised up, if he would just simply repent.
8. Some people have to really really hit rock bottom, before they go talk to the *Rock*.
9. Sometimes people themselves can be their own worst enemy.
10. *Jesus Christ is the Rock, and Foundation of The Faith*

Regards,
SirJamesofTexas

[Danoz]

That's all very well for somebody who actually believes that the bible is factual.

[MAP2010.wireless]

That's all very well for somebody who actually believes that the bible is factual.


I have come close to death many time in my life, sometimes it was something I did and other times it was things I could do nothing about.
I have gone days to a week without food because I did not have money, but because God showed his Grace on me I still live.

You said you felt useless before and now you are set free, you feel that only you make the rules that you live by so this means you can do almost whatever you want. Do you follow the Laws from the State or Fed Gov? You are only as free to do as you wish as long as it with in the Law, God has Laws and we should stay with in his Laws. We mess up and don't do as he wishies, God love us all so he sent is Son to Die on the Cross all of our sins so we may live forever in Heaven.
But we can not get into Heaven without God and Christ, so thats why its said that there is nothing we can do the gain our way into Heaven without Christ. Christ loves every one.

So did you really get freedom?

Just because you feel your outside of his Laws don't mean we are.

Mark

[Danoz]

That's all very well for somebody who actually believes that the bible is factual.


I have come close to death many time in my life, sometimes it was something I did and other times it was things I could do nothing about.
I have gone days to a week without food because I did not have money, but because God showed his Grace on me I still live.

You said you felt useless before and now you are set free, you feel that only you make the rules that you live by so this means you can do almost whatever you want. Do you follow the Laws from the State or Fed Gov? You are only as free to do as you wish as long as it with in the Law, God has Laws and we should stay with in his Laws. We mess up and don't do as he wishies, God love us all so he sent is Son to Die on the Cross all of our sins so we may live forever in Heaven.
But we can not get into Heaven without God and Christ, so thats why its said that there is nothing we can do the gain our way into Heaven without Christ. Christ loves every one.

So did you really get freedom?

Just because you feel your outside of his Laws don't mean we are.

Mark


No, I am not a lawless criminal. I live a very good life in fact. Do you follow the laws laid down by huhammad the prophet? I bet you don't - because you don't believe in them. How then can you impose your theocracy on the way I am supposed to live my life? If I were a christian sharing your views, then surely you would have that right.

[Nemo]

There are too many gods - and troublesome beings too for all their meddling in the affairs of men - we would be well rid of them. Let them have their heaven for all its cold comfort; for their sake, man has made a hell on earth.

[MAP2010.wireless]

That's all very well for somebody who actually believes that the bible is factual.


I have come close to death many time in my life, sometimes it was something I did and other times it was things I could do nothing about.
I have gone days to a week without food because I did not have money, but because God showed his Grace on me I still live.

You said you felt useless before and now you are set free, you feel that only you make the rules that you live by so this means you can do almost whatever you want. Do you follow the Laws from the State or Fed Gov? You are only as free to do as you wish as long as it with in the Law, God has Laws and we should stay with in his Laws. We mess up and don't do as he wishies, God love us all so he sent is Son to Die on the Cross all of our sins so we may live forever in Heaven.
But we can not get into Heaven without God and Christ, so thats why its said that there is nothing we can do the gain our way into Heaven without Christ. Christ loves every one.

So did you really get freedom?

Just because you feel your outside of his Laws don't mean we are.

Mark


No, I am not a lawless criminal. I live a very good life in fact. Do you follow the laws laid down by huhammad the prophet? I bet you don't - because you don't believe in them. How then can you impose your theocracy on the way I am supposed to live my life? If I were a christian sharing your views, then surely you would have that right.


Well I was letting u know if you asked that God would save you, but you have the right to feel that way.