reply to post by moocowman
Well then it should be a very simple process for you, you simply pick up one of the many bibles, read it and make the decision on whether you
believe it or not.
Of course should you require someone else to explain to you what this or that in the bibles actually means, then you are clearly not finding out for
yourself are you.
It's not that cut and dry. There's wisdom everywhere, in every belief, and every aspect of life. This is something for so long I've made a mockery
of, and I don't think I've given religion a fair shake, because as I was so quick to judge and make fun of it, I had never taken the time to learn
about beliefs that for me were so easy to tear down. I was so adamant about my non-religious perspective without at all considering the entirety of
another viewpoint. For now, I'm learning a lot about this culture and if that's all I take away with it (which so far, it's not) is a plus for me.
When I talk about having somebody help me understand, I don't mean logically, I mean regarding the langauge they use. I have an old bible that I was
given by my grandparents, and it's of a fairly original english text version, and the way they speak is different than it is now. There's no
"terminology scales" on the pages and I would like to learn the book without bull#ting my way through it.
Believe what you wish my friend that is a right which above all else I would fight for you to keep.
I know nothing about you, but from what I've experienced, I highly doubt you would.
So how do you know I don't know this belief inside out, how did you come to this conclusion may I ask ?
Because your anger and fervor give you away. If you had the ability to understand something, you wouldn't be so angry and you definitely wouldn't
fear it. People with a vendetta always have those certain characteristics that they bring along with their grudge. I know I used to feel the same way
towards religion, especially Christianity.
Considering we are discussing a belief you make a very bold but unintelligent statement. Your statement in relation to a belief is no more
valid than if you were to claim I do not know the subject of fairies inside out.
Do you?
To then claim you can estimate my character from my critique of opinions in relation to the supernatural is quite vulgar.
I don't like when people use words that don't seem to fit the context. You don't have to tone it up for me, I promise. There's no reason you
should feel threatened.
Then obviously you don't care about facts, fine by me and if you just want to listen to other peoples opinions, again fine by me I don't
really care, there are plenty of xtians that don't even pick up a bible and read it/them, they just believe what they are told, again fine by me go
pray with them.
What are the facts? And do you believe them to be your opinion? I feel that entire statement and most of your viewpoint to be highly egotistical.
Because somebody does not feel the way you feel, does not make them wrong and vice versa. I agree there are many Christians who need to have a
thorough once over of the book they claim to abide by, but who are you to be the judge of anybody, especially when all you are armed with are vague
generalities? As if there is a side to be taken, a line to be drawn. Everybody should butt-out and mind their own and work hard to hold little
resentment to people of which they do not know. You're even getting all aggressive for no reason. People don't pray to piss you off. People pray
because maybe they feel they need to. Maybe it brings them relief. Is that any of your business? Ask yourself... Should that really get to you?
If it is everywhere then why do you need a contradictory, erroneous book for wisdom, how do you differentiate the wisdom from the BS in the
bibles ?
What would be unwise is to degrade a belief without trying to understand it. Do I believe the bible is full of it? Absolutely. Were there people
similar to you and I that had written in this book? You'd probably be surprised.
As far as wisdom in the bible, I'm finding this relevant to our discussion..
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
-Matthew 7:3
And like I said before, I want to go over Matthew over and over, as to seed some of his truths in my mind.
Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life
more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly
Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
- Matthew 6:24-34
That right there, Atheist, Agnostic, Christian, Muslim is wise. Not only wise, but beautiful. For 2,000 years people have had the same exact concerns
I have. Whether it be about money, clothing, shelter, bills, ect... To me, that is less divine than it is human and beautiful.
And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
- Matthew 19:24
I'm not looking at this with a religious tilt. I am not here to speak in tongues and to "feel" holyness. To me, this is early philosophy, which I
believe to be important to where my beliefs fall in line. These are self-evident to me now and to matthew 2,000 years ago. Commonality. Common
thought. Pretty interesting.
So you just don't want to be different or left out, I can understand that. I felt like that once it's kinda hard not thinking like the
herd.
I promise you, for whatever that is worth that it has nothing to do with that, but my own growth in something I can only describe as "spirituatlity"
because I have not a better word to describe it. And hopefully you'll understand that in a non-religious or even "spiritual" way, but recognize my
own failure of description. I just feel as if I am open, and to know myself, and to know another is the most important thing in my life. For a long
time, I was just as you were, drawing every sort of line between my belief and another's, you can verify that through my old threads and even recent
posts as evidence of that. I'm not "that" right now, as much as I wish I was, but I do feel like I'm headed int he right direction. Or,
Judge not, that ye be not judged.
- Matthew 7:1
I've been headed this direction before I even read Matthew, but it connects with me on a human level. I don't necessarily believe the book was
handed down to man by god, but gives me hope that these men in the guise of god had come upon infallible truths that we should all abide by. There's
a lot of ridiculous writing in the bible, but that doesn't mean it is all bad and it definitely doesn't mean it's here to offend you so that you
can war against it.
Nevertheless I have piece of mind and I hope you find yours.
I don't think you can find peace with that gnarly chip on your shoulder. If that's peace, I'm walking the other way.
yup PSYCHO (as well as it's followers) 
To tell you the truth though, I always felt that these people who try to
interpret the book of Revelation and then tell others that's what it really means are really doing exactly that. Also the ones who turn it into
movies and fantasy novels. There's no way anyone really knows exactly how to interpret that book and if Revelation really happens there's going to
be a lot of confused folks out there. It's just such a complicated and surreal book there's no way anybody really understands it. But I'm not one
to judge or go off on my own crusade. If there is a God, this mass confusion must be all part of his plan. 
