Religion and Spirituality

[Seadragon]

Dear all - This is my last post on Religion & Spirituality. I've had enough here, not because I argue with people - that I enjoy. But because of the lack of any positivity on this site. I think some of you underestimate the power that faith has on people and your efforts, if at all any, to understand it are pretty futile. Faith goes beyond the words of a book - be it the Koran, Bible or other. Those holy texts are simply written in a time that was different and Man has used this material since then for his own power over people, whether that relates to sex, contraception, marriage, prejudice, war etc. But the essential element of a belief in God is that of faith - faith beyond the written word.

I can only suggest one parallel to you from my own experience and you may or maynot or to some degree be able to relate to it - I have children. My children are the greatest love of my life. (Although my sister and best friend are a very close second!) My children can give me the greatest pleasure and the greatest pain I will probably ever experience. My outer love for them varies with life - I am upset with them, angry (rarely but only when hurt) frustrated at times but I also laugh with and at them. However my inner love for them knows no boundaries - there is no night or day, no anger, resentment or frustration. Words are inadequate to express the inner feelings that I have for my children. When they physically left my womb, they left some of their presence and that presence is with me at all times even when they are physically not. There is no rationality to what I would do for my children out of my love for them, I hope life never test me on that.

My belief in God is on par to my love for my children. He is not physically present, in essence he inhabits my being. His energy breathes through me and his love transcends my physical constraits.
cont......

[Seadragon]

Jno I'm sorry I never heard of Glenn Miller and had to 'Google' him. As he was born in 1904 I am counting him out of having created the universe! (laughing). Beso thanks, I did 'post an answer' again and it was deleted. I believe there's a reason that particular post didn't appear - its not meant to be heard as it is.

Final point then Please can we close this thread? I put it to you and someone can start a new thread with it if they want. I ask you - if we have a World that relies solely on ethical values, no God or any fear, then is that enough to sustain Man from committing acts of cruelty? After all moral values are easily erodable - history in particular the Nazi's showed us that and look what happened there with the systematic factory killings. A vast majority of people will have difficulty and problems in their lives - broken childhoods, marriages, relationships as well as the external influences of drugs, alcohol etc are moral/ethical principles solely without any fear of retribution really enough to keep Mankind good? Society will break up with moral/ethical disintegration and crime will soar?

[sara3]

Seadragon, you're the only one who can close this thread as it is yours.

what a shame that religion seems to cause you so much angst. live and let live.

[beso]

Quite clearly the belief in God has not prevented atrocities like the Nazis. These were nominally Christian people. The Rawandan onslaught was done by believers.

The problem with religion is that it teaches morality can be defined using a heirarchy and the ordinary person need only listen to their priest or read the Holy book to know what is right. This influence has been repeatedly used to inspire hatred and murder.

Moreover these are the values as actually defined by the Holy books to be virtuous. They can never teach us to avoid facism because facism is exactly what they advocate.

[Seadragon]

Ok on that note Beso I declare this thread officially closed. To all participants - thank you and Good-night.

[craft1948]

You haven't closed it.....

[keyplus90]

Seadragon - I should say that I am really sorry to have misunderstood your post. And yes you have not clicked on "close" yet.

[jno]

there should be a 'Close this Post' option somewhere; when you click on it, nobody further can respond to it.

[jno]

...just a quick answer to beso while the thread is open: it's not necessarily accidental when myths turn out to reflect reality. It seems, for instance, that Noah's flood had a basis in reality, when rising sea levels at the end of the ice age meant the sea burst into the Black Sea, which previously was a freshwater lake. This has I think only recently been confirmed. But I mentioned the big bang specifically becase Seadragon had done so. The curious thing about it is simply that the Bible got there first; science has only caught up with it in the last 30 years. Note that I say 'curious', not 'revelatory' or anything of the sort.

[naomi24]

Well, the thread's still open, so I'll answer jno. Actually the Bible didn't get there first. Literature from many civilisations carries accounts of the flood, and the earliest came from the Sumerians. I believe that ancient texts, including the bible, record a good deal of factual history, but I don't see why it's 'curious' that science has just caught up with it. It would be rather unwise to assume that everything recorded in the dim and distant past is fact, and in order to attempt to either verify or disprove ancient records, science, quite rightly, investigates them in the light of current knowledge.

[Seadragon]

You guys make me laugh honestly. I could not resist looking in to see if there were any trespassers and Oh my God, 4 trespassers! Jno twice. Scandalous! thats what it is. On the good site of Answerbank - Criminals. Keyplus I forgive you, Craft oooohh the initial trespasser and probably instigator of others? One hopes that the almighty Ed of Answerbank will conjure up something, probably a thunderbolt through the screen or a zap next time you press submit.

Jno and Naomi - I shall forgive you both as your posts should continue onto a new thread. And again Craft - Resist temptation!!

[keyplus90]

Don't worry about Naomi. She is from among those few who are fixtures of AB, ever present, day or night. So you are right in saying ^^^^. If not here then somewhere else.

[naomi24]

^^ Oh dear. Sour grapes. :o)

[Quinlad]

You two are priceless.

[naomi24]

Aren't we just. Thank you, Quinlad. :o)