at this point in your life, do you believe in god or any parts of the bible as being god's word???.
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Who is it that believes or does not believe?
Images are formed within the cloudy liquid of thought that capture so much attention that they are labeled: "God".
It's all a mirage. Smoke and mirrors: Thoughts thought to be God. Thoughts on a page (the Bible) thought to be from thoughts thought to be God. It's a closed loop of idea that never makes it outside of itself to reality.
When all thought is still and quiescent, what is here then? What is real? Who/what are we, really?
j
i have recently had the first contact with the watch tower and jehovah's witnesses.
i like the way of thinking, and of interpreting the bible.
i always thought it should not be taken literally, and indeed some dilemmas in my head were solved after reading some publications and talking.
Welcome, Georgian.
Perhaps your dilemma is not caused by whether or not the universe is abundant with life - which if our planet is a relatively common example, it is rich with life -- but rather your giving credence to archaic tribal myth.
Why would we expect the Source and Sustenance of all life and universes to be so mundane and small as that presented within the pages of some desert tribes mumblings? Certainly the actual origin of an infinite universe ( and there may be countless universes) must be greater still.
When it comes to what the word G-O-D points to, it may be wise to forgo all limitations and foolish mind generated concepts that have been passed down to us from people who had no clue as to how vast things really are; and instead step into the silent vibrancy of life and existence right here and now to see what can be found here.
j
the end of false religion is near - kingdom news campaign.
every once in a while, i get a stomach-churning glimpse into the the bizarre mindset of jwism.
what strikes me is how the jws believe that this tract is going to "shake people up", and stir up a firestorm of controversy that will shake the entire earth to it's core.
Funny and poignant post, Arthur.
I think it's called: the frog in the well syndrome; and we all suffer from it to some degree.
j
we learn a great deal from fellow posters.....soothsayers,naysayers and the occasional goof..sages on pages,with a passion for truth..speak truthfully and the truth will become clear..what pearls of wisdom,have you gathered from here?
...outlaw
For the last half an hour I have been staring hypnotically at the spinning question mark.
What was the question? Was there a question? Where am I?
j
i was just wondering just because the wts have made a mess of things and have done things that are questionable.
is jehovah still the name of god?
does he exist?
Truck:
I guess my question is What part of the Bible should I believe? I am a fairly intelligent and smart woman, but a part of me still misses having God in my life
Why believe anything about God? Beliefs are only ideas and concepts. Is a belief about a tree, a real tree?
Perhaps God is not so tiny and insubstantial as to be "missing" from your life. This tiny idea of a god is often a remnant of ancient tribal and biblical thinking. Let go of it, and be present in this moment of existence. Embrace the actual vibrancy and reality of life and see what godliness you can find here. Perhaps God is not so diminutive as to be absent, and rather it is your temporary inability to see.
j
i've been thinking about the above question a lot lately!
i see so many so-called religious people being hypocritical to the religion they profess to have faith in.
they may say "hey, i'm only human", as if this excuses their behaviour.
Ross:
In the first instance [religion] it's merely a hand pointing people to the Divine, without and within,
This may be the fundamental factor as to why many at first gravitate towards religion; as if there is an innate desire to rediscover what has been forgotten. Then is added dogmas and conceptual interpretations of deities and demons, punishments and rewards, heavens and hells, reincarnations and a personal existence beyond this one. The quest is no longer about what is already whole and divine, but rather how to fix what seems broken.
May I suggest that all of our religious and philosophical discussion is merely a shadow puppet show enacted by the hand in which we have become mesmerized and so forgotten that the hand is only pointing.
What is truly real, pure and divine?
Right here, right now, just beneath all beliefs of universe, self, and religion, what rests pure and silent at, and as, the core of our being? Perhaps if the foundational actuality is clearly seen, there will be no more need to imagine what or where I will be tomorrow.
j
old dawkins is on the rampage again.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/5372458.stm.
Reading that just makes me want to strap on a string of dynamite and kill a few people in the name of rational thought.
LOL. Point well taken.
j
how would that make you feel if we were the only pleasant accident in inhospitable universe, if such 'miracle' newer happened elsewhere in our universe?
if there are no other alien civilizations that could rescue us or ?show us the way?
as some popular writers like to think.
Here is a short little video which may put this question in some perspective:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcBV-cXVWFw
The patches of sky they are referring to, are similar in size to a tennis ball at a hundred meters (328 feet). In scientific verbiage: itty bitty. What did they find in these two little patches of nothing?
j
i live and work on a small farm.
everyday there are many new adventures and things to see and discover.
today, i was happy to meet with this charming little fellow.
Well, looks like a lizard with a forked tail is not as amazing as I thought it was. I'm too easy to impress I guess.
j
i live and work on a small farm.
everyday there are many new adventures and things to see and discover.
today, i was happy to meet with this charming little fellow.
Yes, jgnat, you're probably correct.
We have three cats on the farm. One, TigerBear, especially likes to catch lizards. So many have surrendered their tails to her, I wouldn't be surprised if we evolved a new tailless species here; as they would likely be the ones most apt to survive as they have no convenient long handle to grab. But instead we have this new forked handled verity. Go figure.
j
