Religious
 

My thread start-up, Occupy Wall Street . . , has been hijacked by hcap and boxie.

I offer this thread to post your religious views here.

Ha. Over the years they have hijacked countless threads the same way. I think they have secret mancrushes for each other.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Uh oh. Might start another religion vs gay-okay argument.

Nah, they're playing their own version of "Whack A Mole". Hdcp plays the mole part by popping up at various times with challenges, and Boxie tries as hard as he can to Whack him back down with his great big bible.

Usually, it's a sign that the thread is over, whether the real discussions were finished or not.

Whack A Mole is pretty addictive to the players, maybe these guys are addicted too. And just like Whack A Mole, it isn't as much fun to watch as it is to participate, and after a while it gets tiring, watching or playing.

Hope I didn't just pop up through a hole with that bit of semi-kidding around.

I just posted a sign off. Trying to be as nice as I could to box. You guys are 100% correct. You have my apologies.

You were so nice, I was beginning to wonder if you had a crush on me. Maybe LS hit upon a half truth? If so, he would have hit upon a lifetime high of personal achievement. :D If not, then we really don't want to go there. :D

Thanks to Spidey, we now have our own little playground. And I do have some interesting news on which comment. More later...

Boxcar

One day in Sunday School when I was a kid about 12 years old the teacher announced that next week's lesson would be "why we know that God exists." I was thrilled. I wanted to know. I spent the next week in anticipation.

When the great day came the teacher had all of us sit in a circle, then, starting with the kid on her left, she went around the circle and had each kid tell why he knew God exists. Each kid gave an answer I'd heard before. "Because the sunset is beautiful." "Because science does not have all the answers." By the time it was my turn I had realized that this was not a lesson, it was a test. So I came up with some bullshit answer, I don't remember what.

The rest of the day was one of the worst in my life. l was very depressed. For a week I had anticipated a great revelation. I got one.

Why do we know God exists?

We don't!

A Serious Question
 

I was raised as a Catholic and as such went to church all through my formative years. My wife and I raised our 3 sons the same way. As things happened, she passed away, the boys moved on and so forth. I no longer attend church, somewhat from laziness, but mainly because I believe it proves nothing. What I try to do and I feel I have succeeded is to be kind to others in my everyday life. I speak and act politely regardless at times how difficult that may be. I help where I can and give thanks for my blessings, i.e. 3 fine boys and 6 grandchildren, a wonderful 30 years of marriage, a great mom and good friends.

So, does the fact that I have little use for an organized religion condemn me to a life in hell ? I hope not.

I'm interested in how many others do not attend services regularly and still feel good about their status in God's eyes.

It's all A MATTER of perception...he's around...just NOT like Christians/Muslems/any other franiticle group trying to milk you for every penny would HAVE you believe...but TRUST me...it's ALL good!

That's pretty much the answer the others in the circle gave.

Catholic all my life, too.
I never of anymore.

I figure I'm on pretty safe ground - I never helped the Nazi's and never touched an alter boy. I walk the walk, not talk about it.

If you are wrong, I'll see you in Hell.

Religious
 

I guess I belong to this church (as described by Arlo Guthrie):

About 15 years ago, Arlo (and I think some other folks) bought the church made famous in the 60's song, "Alice's Restuarant". Not long after they bought it, Arlo was hanging out there, sweeping up the floor. A local preacher came by and knocked on the door. Since the door was glass, Arlo couldn't pretend he wasn't there, so he answered the door.

"Arlo, what are you doing here?" asked the preacher.

"Well, I'm sweeping up the floor," Arlo replied.

"No," said the preacher, "I meant what kind of church is this going to be now?"

Arlo thought a bit about that. He hadn't really considered it. He had a lot of plans for the church, was going to do a lot of great things there, but he hadn't thought much about what kind of church it was going to be.

"Well," he replied, "I GUESS IT'S A 'BRING YOUR OWN GOD' kind of church."

Works for me!


Ocala Mike

Whether one attends services every Sunday of the year or never darkens the threshold of a church will not make on iota's worth of difference in the next life. Biblical Christianity, unlike all other world religions, is not about what we do, but rather what Christ has done for a lost and dying world. If man could earn his way to heaven by goods works, church attendance, community service, charitable giving, etc., why would God the Father have sent his Son into the world to die for sinners?

Mark 16:15-16
15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.
NASB

Eph 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast.
NASB

Boxcar

Raised Lutheran. Church EVERY Sunday. Uncle was a Luth Pastor. We went to Wisconsin camp ALL summer because of that. It was a blast. Bible study, campfire vespers, smores, cabin livin' ala. Meatballs. I took a keen interest in ping pong & girls.

Go to church for the holEdays. It's all old people now. :eek:

What did AR Reynolds write:

Jesus is just alright with me.