I'm more than sure it's annoying to hear someone question the existence of God, even more so if that person tries "explaining" to your poor dumb self why they're "right".
Am I that person if I question the NON-existence of a higher, more finer being than a human? I mean, how annoying must I sound to an atheist who no doubt heard it all and decided "no thanks". Gotta respect everyone's right to think they're more right than you. I guess ...
But it's truly hard, I mean truly - to respect the opinion of people who engage in these discussions having no facts no information no history no objectivity no research no nothing to base their beliefs on. A Christian one might say, has it easy - they can always refer to the Bible. What does the atheist refer to? Still I wouldn't count on a book, especially when we know the Bible is riddled with inconsistencies, mis-translations and missing texts. What's the difference, says I. That book is a better-than-fine example of how we can live more compassionately, discover how others saw and loved God, indulge in the music of incredible poetry, find direction and guidance when in need, and just feel comforted by words of men who felt a true calling to something better. I don't think I really care that Pope Gregory V took out several Books or that the Gnostic Gospels may be factual or that even the Judas Gospels told more of truth than John or James, or that it's highly unlikely Jesus himself didn't write a book since He never speaks in the Bible. No, I really don't care. Here's why:
There's something more than me. More than you. That's my belief, it's not the truth. It's my tenet. And I feel this in a place that does not rely on the books of men or tales of myth, I feel this belief in the best part of my soul. My "God" part as I call it. It's the only part of this aging decaying body that cannot perish. That's my belief, it's not the truth. It's not false, either. It's just my belief.
Some get comfort from listening to others preach or read from the Bible, or any book of organized religion. Comfort is a good thing. But religion feels shaky to me. I wouldn't know what to call myself if asked, except that I'm human, an evolved animal, who may or may not have been sparked by a divine hand working in ways I can never comprehend while in this body. How can I possibly know? For those who, like me, believe in Darwinian evolution, who is to say that 7 days for God didn't mean 7 million years? No one. Yet you have to believe in God first to even examine that question. So it really all goes nowhere. Except:
One thought, up for the taking: As imperfect, fallible beings, with the ability to love life and each other, to create and inspire, to rise up again and again from infirmity, as such creatures do we dare waste one second believing we are all there is, was or will be?
There is no right. No wrong. Only our beliefs and what we do with them. I believe in miracles.
Monday, September 1, 2008
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21 comments:
I think it would be easier to believe in nothing, that way there are no consequences. I believe in God, but sometimes I wonder, you know? What if..
Missy
I agree Missy - it sure would be alot easier not to think about these things, I'm glad to see you wonder "what if..." at least you're not standing still, at least you give your fine mind a chance to acquire knowledge, to think for yourself and not the way some religion expects you to. I like to think with my heart, right or wrong.
I love this post. No one religeon is all right or all wrong. Personally I feel out of place in churches. I view them as a business.......not necessarily a bad thing, but the only kind that does not have to pay taxes. All I know is what is in my heart and in my head; sometimes they battle but the basic content of all is love. Not the hippy kind, but the compassionate kind......the milk of human kindness. When I leave my decaded body behind, I will consider it graduation day. Anne
Excellent post. Thank You!
If nothing else the bible is great stories which is all we have to live by anyway...stories from our past
Marti
I think it would be MUCH easier to believe in nothing really, it's hard to defend a faith that so many question, because the only REAL answer is believing through faith... just faith that it's the truth. I KNOW God is real, I KNOW JESUS, but I can totally understand why some wouldn't.... I just wish I knew HOW to make them understand how real it all is!! But it doesn't annoy me, instead I feel bad for them, I'm scared for them, and I pray that they will believe before it's too late.
Joann
Joann, my longtime friend - I understand your frustration of "seeing the truth" in something and wishing all people could see it as you do. But that's the whole point of this post. You "wish you could make them understand" that in itself is saying you have the answer, which of course, is just your personal faith - you can't nor should you try to convert someone, you can only explain your own beliefs and let them decide what's in their hearts. If I may, instead of "feeling bad and praying they see the light" how bout just hoping they lead a good decent loving life, and always follow their true heart when it comes to spirituality - even if it means having one different from yours. Thanks for your input, it's always thought-provoking! xoxo
Can I just add HERE HERE to all you have written....I do belief in the existence of GOD..why? how? when ? where? that I don't know I just KNOW way down inside Thanks as always for your way with words. Love Sybil xx
http://journals.aol.co.uk/sybilsybil45/villagelife/
I believe in miracles, too. And I believe in God. I also believe that there is a lot of wisdom in the Bible. But it was written by man. Backwards man who had only the most basic understanding of the world and their environment. Even if the words were inspired by God, I can't help but wonder how much of man was written into it. I believe God created the world, but I also believe that those of us who don't believe in evolution are being awful small minded. How do they know God didn't orchestrate creation to happen as Darwin theorized?
That brings me into a second issue. Did you see Nova this week? It was about changes in the genome caused by the environment. They talked about diabetes and how those who suffer from it can trace it back to the eating habits of their grandparents. They also talked about elements such as pesticides that have had profound permanent changes in our genome. Now knowing this, how can we not be evolving? If we are to survive as a species, we have to evolve.
Jude
http://journals.aol.com/jmorancoyle
P.S.: How's my spelling?
What a great entry friend. You've touched on a sore spot for me, since I have people in my life with narcissistic issues. My answer.....it's one of the mysteries of faith. You either have faith or you don't. There's no middle ground. Faith doesn't mean one particular religion...it just means faith. Again, that's just my opinion! Thanks for raising the issue, quite a hot topic. Sue
This is certainly one of your finest entries my dear friend. In my life, I have seen signs over and over again that there is a God, or higher power or supreme being as individuals may choose to call our Lord. I do not go to Church, I as another commenter stated, do not feel at all comfortable in that environment. To me God is everywhere, you can talk to him any time, any place and at any particular time in your life good or bad and trust me he listens. How can anyone believe that there is nothing more than this life, when you see the Masterpiece God has created, with the flowers and trees, and the ocean, and mountains and clouds, sky and moon and stars. No worldly being could have created all this magnifcent beauty. My soul is where my faith is, I believe that God has saved my life many times and that angels are all around me protecting me, I see evidence of it all through my journey. So for me, each individual must choose their path whether they believe or they dont, and as such I sincerely feel we all should respect each others beliefs or non beliefs, but for me I cant fathom how someone cant see there is a God, although I respect what they feel. God bless you for an excellent entry as always my dear friend.
Hi, my Cateri =). My spirituality (I'm a Christian) is the most important thing to me. I guess it has been a journey and always will be. I knew, just knew there was a God when I was a baby. I can remember. Then it slipped away and I had to go through some doubts and trials in my teens and 20s before it was restored. He was always so good to me. I think God gives each of us our own journey. To think that we are all on the same path would be arrogant. I do think there are some absolute truths, though. Thanks for this post. Love, your Maire xox
http://journals.aol.com/valphish/ThereisaSeason
http://journals.aol.com/valphish/JoyInTheRain
OBVIOUSLY
Obviously,
the people who lived contemporary with dinosaurs were intelligent, and the footprints indicate that they were quite human as the large toe on primates is located closer to the heel to facilitate clinging to branches.
Doctor Hilton Hinderliter of Apollo Campus, Pennsylvania State University, studied the evidence presented at the Glen Rose, Texas, excavations and stated: "I would have to say that the belief in evolution is in a state of terminal illness but its death will only be admitted by a new generation of scientists whose minds have not been prejudiced by the type of education now prevalent in the nation's public schools, an education which starts with the belief that evolution has happened, which interprets all evidence according to that faith and which simply discards any evidence which cannot be fitted into the evolutionary framework' (Quoted with permission from Dinosaurs by Dr. Carl E. Baugh, 1987. Promise Publishing Co., Orange, CA92667).
CHARLAX version
Obviously
http://poetrypoem.com/cgi-bin/index.pl?poemnumber=826649&sitename=charlax&password=&poemoffset=0&displaypoem=t&item=poetry
these primates are alcoholics because of the curvature of the toes the toes of a winoe curl up in his cowboy boots until his leather boots won't walk him anywhere this phenomenon is noted in the OVID manual as the winoe toe a rare medical condition known as poor old man syndrome. Some rare versions have been reported on the reservation as the Listerine syndrome this is because the Indians cannot use real alcohol as it costs real money so they shoplift large bottles of Listerine to get the WAMPUM going the winoes however have a problem getting money for more wine and so they panhandle it this is called panhandling.
IN Better neighborhoods there is theft this is called stealing and it's done by everyone that drinks this is called alcoholism it is a very bad and strang disease.
Thank you Doctor Hilton Hinderliter for all your obverse reactionary observations.
This is a recorded message recorded by the CharlaX one. This has been a recording.
ARCHIVE # 777.
The POET CHARLAX.
I don't attend church, I used to. I watched the bickering, affairs, greed and unfriendliness to newcomers and decided to get out. I believe ~ I believe more than I ever have and it isn't cluttered with the thoughts or opinions of others. How can I live here surrounded by wonder & beauty and not believe. I dated an athiest for over a year. He kept telling me to prove it. I told him if you have to ask me what it feels like to believe you won't understand anyway. You said it so well about being in the best part of your soul. Wonderful entry.
xxx
Lisa
Tis true. There is no way we can know about God for sure. In "Easy Rider" there is a scene where Peter Fonda reads a quote under a wall mural. It says, "If God did not exist, it would be necessary for man to invent Him." I think about that a lot. That, and the night Skip and I drove right under a UFO hovering over the road. They are my two biggies when considering the existence of God. Personally, I think we all come from the divine spark. I'm a believer in reincarnation. No evidence to back that up. Just what my gut tells me.
But I suppose we'll see, eh?
Being very close to it, having had people there, and knowing people who worked the pit... I think back to 9/11. The people that worked there found cross beams that reminded them of a CROSS. So they erected it and left it there while they were working. They then wanted it to be part of the final monument. There was a protest from some athiests who were against it and offended it by it. This made no sense to me... how can you be offended by something that means nothing to you?
go figure! Rosemary
side note. I got involved in an radio debate on it and an athiest called and agreed with me. :D They didn't find it offensive at all.
Rosemary, I think I get it - it's not a matter of faith for atheists, obviously. It's a matter of "Christianizing" a site that many Jews died on, many Muslims. Why a cross, why not a Star of David, is the point I think. If you're going to represent a place as being connected to God, you better know there are many.
Years ago when I was at Church, a Baptist preacher stopped in the middle of his sermon and asked, "How many of you have ever had doubts about the existence of God?"
And he thrust his hand high in the air.
Hesitatingly, one by one, over half the audience (myself included) raised a hand.
Now, when doubts cross my mind (and I AM a believer), I know it is not an uncommon thing for Christians to have doubtful moments. And I don't feel so guilty or alone.
Oh man Cathy... LOVE. THIS. ENTRY. (Christian that I be) I think you've actually wonderfully described the very essence of Faith (which, as I understand, is not religion...that was conceived by Man). I very rarely get into "religious" discussions. Not out of ignorance, or fear...more from a quite and bemused set. I think, we are ALL completely different...with each having their own path/message/lesson. I also think that EVERYTHING spiritual comes from one source...one energy (I call Him God). I find, the older I grow, that I've adopted what I've named, a "Shrug" philospohy... I just shrug and accept others, and know what I've accepted (goes back to the each to their own path...). I can tell you this...there have been many instances of answered Faith in my life... SO amazing...
Thank you for your comment at my poem. LOVE that you "got it" about the resignation...that's literally how I saw the old girls that day...full of resignation in the humidity, with their beautiful, and aging arms literally heavy with wilting life; trying to sustain it all...it was just beautiful. ;) C.
This is the difference between faith and religion. Personally, although I belong to a church and raised my children within that church, I don't fully trust religion.
Jude
http://journals.aol.com/jmorancoyle/MyWay
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