Carrie and Danielle - Latest Comments in What’s your image of God?

Re: What’s your image of God?

diane — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:17:45 -0000

To me God is my savior,protector and he give me his spirit and he will always be in my heart and he is awsome and i thank him everyday for all the blessing he give us!

Re: What’s your image of God?

Xai Vicente Charles — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:08:50 -0000

me.

Re: What’s your image of God?

Cecile — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:07:44 -0000

Being a Roman Catholic from birth and an Episcopalian by choice, my image of God is one of an ethereal being. It has never occurred to me that it may be a female... nor will it ever. It just isin't there.. ;-) But whe I yhink of God this overwhelming peace innundates my being and my spul, and I feel like I am in heaven...

Cécile

Re: What’s your image of God?

Erika — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:49:21 -0000

This thread, which specifically asks about God, is not an appropriate place to discuss beliefs in general. We have already hijacked this thread enough. I have given you the information to communicate with me in a more appropriate forum and this will be my last reply on this subject in this forum.

Re: What’s your image of God?

Colette — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:35:09 -0000

I asked what you beleive besides that there is no God to learn what else you belive. You said that you believe that life has no purpose -but you do believe life has purpose and it is what ever the "liver of that life makes for it." How I would word that phrase is "our life has what ever purpose we choose it to have." I've tried reading the book The Purpose Driven Life by Rick warren several times. But I find it to be a bunch of nonsense and garbage where he has the reader on a wild goose chase trying to figure out what purpose "God" has for the reader.
I looked for a separate thread where you wrote out what you believe and I could not find it. I started at the top of this forum and read every blog this morning to see who wrote what. That is the reason for asking if you made one. There is nothing inconsistent about asking what else do you believe besides what you already have eluded to - that you believe there is no God. I specifically say that I am NOT asking you to respond to my rhetorical question. I have asked four questions - you have managed to answer one of them. I too believe that a person's life has what ever purpose that person chooses. I believe in free will and free choice. I also believe there are no accidents or coincidences. I believe that "hell" is merely a state of mind based on beliefs. How about tackling the other three questions?

Re: What’s your image of God?

Erika — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 11:27:44 -0000

I gave a brief statement of my belief below, in a separate thread, and I have already told you that I think we are speaking past each other in this forum and how you can contact me in a medium more conducive to in depth discussions of belief. To briefly answer your question, I think life itself has no purpose. Any individual life (including my own) has the purpose that the liver of that life makes for it.

Also, the beginning and end of your comment conflict with each other. You first ask if I am willing to make a statement like Brad Gough's where he says "I am an Atheist. I do not believe in God." However, at the end of your comment, you insist that I say what I believe besides, "there is no God". No wonder I cannot answer questions to your satisfaction when you cannot even ask your questions consistently.

Re: What’s your image of God?

Colette — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 10:57:29 -0000

It does not sound like you believe that there is no Deity, but that what you once interpreted God or Deity to be has changed. The spiritual is the "higher power" a divnity with in everything / everyone, and isn't that Deity?

Re: What’s your image of God?

Colette — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 10:45:42 -0000

Amen! This has been quite the adventure interacting with Erika and Brad. My interpretation of everything Brad has said has me hearing "I'm not gonna believe in God and you can't make me!"

Re: What’s your image of God?

Colette — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 10:31:50 -0000

There is nothing hokey about your belief. If you get down to it, faith is totally "hokey" because faith is a belief in things that are not seen, which are true. It is through this faith and believing that we then empower ourselves/ With this empowerment, we create the capacity to know, with out doubt of any kind, that those unseen things are true because you keep reaching for new meaning and things are revealed to you. Keep up your Divinity!

Re: What’s your image of God?

Colette — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 10:24:30 -0000

I went through all the blogs this morning and I noticed that you did not make any kind of statement, only remarks. Brad Gough did state "I am an Atheist. I do not believe in God." Are you willing to make such a statement? To clarify, that is rhetorical and just something to think about - I am not asking you to respond to that question. Again, I am asking you to tell me what you do believe in. What is the purpose of life? - not how do you find meaning. Purpose and meaning are two different words. Meaning is something one derives from ones own interpretation of the world and one's own experiences. How does it makes sense to have a "system" where in one is born, lives from a few minutes to 100 or more years and then it is over? How does it makes sense to you that there is no source that lies with in you - which I call spirit or soul or higher self or divine self, that is connected to infinite intelligence from which one drawns upon through prayer and / or meditation in order to gain inspiration and enlightenment? I have been to several Athesit websites and I have read those forums. I am not asking you to tell me what is written there, I am asking you, Erika - what do YOU believe? - besides "there is no God."

Re: What’s your image of God?

Erika — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 01:47:05 -0000

My dear, you are misinterpreting my words if you think I sound defensive. I did try to sincerely answer your question, although I may have misunderstood it. It seems that you are not someone who can have a discussion of this depth in this forum; I understand that it is difficult with the mixed up threads. Feel free to email me if you are really interested in exploring this in more depth (username kitty_tape on yahoo).

Re: What’s your image of God?

lynn — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 01:01:07 -0000

I believe in a loving god who is the Lord Jesus Christ, the one god of heaven and earth. He predestines each of us for eternal life in heaven and our path is determined by the life we live on earth. A life of useful service to others is what will make us truly happy. Loving our neighbors as ourselves is what God wants us to do. He is merciful and leaves us in freedom to choose our path, always there to forgive us if we turn to Him. I believe in a spiritual life as described in the writings of Emmanuel Swedenborg.

Re: What’s your image of God?

Stacy J — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 23:44:54 -0000

WOW, I'm catching up on a most interestig dialogue! In reading everyone's responses, I think I like the way Ngonzi Truth Crushshon explained it the best....God is a reflection of all of us (or should I say we are of HIM). I pray every day that He allows me to be a blessing in someone's life. Let me do good. Jesus lives when we help the poor, tell someone we love them, comfort our child or a neighbor. Jesus and God are love. Jesus died for us on the cross...It's due to his sacrifice that I can look forward to spending eternity with my loved ones. It'll be like an energy...not in our physical forms. After conceiving and witnessing the miracle of childbirth...I know there is a God! And he lives in me, my hubby, my boys and everyone who is good!

Re: What’s your image of God?

Colette — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 21:02:41 -0000

Where did I write that God exists because with out God there is no meaning to life? Or is that just your coninued putting words in my sentences that I did not write nor did I mean?
You are so defensive that you are completely blind to the fact that I am asking a sincere question in an attempt to comprehend an atheistic point of view. And if I thought that all Atheist were cold, bitter, cynical etc., that is what I would have said. What I said is that I have not met one yet. I did not say that I was not open to meeting one noe that I believe that one does not exist. You keep reading into what I have written, as if there is some hiddem message between the lines. I am a straight forward person and say what I think and believe with no other intended meaning that what I have written. That is the difference.

Now, how about trying to answer my question instead of getting all bent because I asked it. The question being What is the point of a life experience that stops as soon as you are dead? The question is not about finding meaning in life. I am not talking short term, I am talking long term. You've completely ignore the fact that I said that I died (pronounced dead, toe tag, trip to the morgue) and went to "heaven" but returned to earth. I am not coming from an experinece of guess work. I know that there is an experience beyond this life. I do not expect you to believe me. It is just fine that you do not believe me. What I believe is not the point of my questions. I am asking you about what you believe. You also ignore that I said that everything I have read sounds wonderful. I'd tell you to do some soul searching, but if I remember correctly, you do not believe in souls.

Re: What’s your image of God?

Ngonzi Truth Crushshon — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 17:20:26 -0000

Don’t be afraid to go to seminary…if you are called….God can use you!!!

Re: What’s your image of God?

Ngonzi Truth Crushshon — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 17:19:51 -0000

Don't be afraid to go to seminary...if you are called....God can use you!!!

Re: What’s your image of God?

Ngonzi Truth Crushshon — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 17:18:26 -0000

Thanks Beth for your reply.

Re: What’s your image of God?

Erika — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 14:56:19 -0000

Re you post beginning "Daylight Atheism" where you say "I can't help but wonder what point there would be to anything if this life is a one shot deal."

I have two responses to that. First, you make your own meaning. Whether or not there is a God, there do exist other people and my relationships with those people give me plenty of meaning. Second, saying "God exists because without God there is no meaning to life" is backwards reasoning. Just because we want there to be meaning does not imply that there is a god.

With regard to proof. Well first, of all, I am not looking for proof of a God, just as you are not, I would guess, looking for proof of invisible pink unicorns. Positing the existence of God raises more questions than it does answers so, by Occam's razor, I do not posit the existence of a God.

If, as was once the case with the earth being flat, there were to be observations that were best explained by the existence of God, then I might consider holding such an opinion.

Finally, you say, "And again, you misinterpretted what I wrote. I did not say all Atheist are cold and noncompassionate, etc. I said “I have yet to interact with one who is not defensive, bitter, cynical. cold.”"

What's the difference? If I were to say, "I have yet to meet a Christian who is not hypocritical and self righteous" (an opinion I do not actually hold), it seems to follow that I think all Christian's are hypocritical and self righteous.

Re: What’s your image of God?

Colette — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 09:34:42 -0000

Daylight Atheism - I have studied the beliefs of Atheist groups. Every thing I have read sounds wonderful. How ever, I can't help but wonder what point there would be to anything if this life is a one shot deal, here today and then gone forever. How does that make any sense? As for proof, what are you looking for? The world was flat once upon a time because there was no proof other wise. - or was there? And again, you misinterpretted what I wrote. I did not say all Atheist are cold and noncompassionate, etc. I said "I have yet to interact with one who is not defensive, bitter, cynical. cold."

Re: What’s your image of God?

Colette — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 09:12:17 -0000

Finding who wrote back and said what has been an adventure. I did not say happy people do not get angry. I said happy, peaceful people do not get irate. Every one gets angry or at least upset, and my temperment is such that when I do get mad "boom!" But it is flash in the pan and as quick as I got mad I am not mad. But irate takes on an entirely different meaning. It includes being angry, but the word wrath is part of the definition of irate. Wrath is vengeful, violent, rage, retribution. Irate is an extreme. Are you certain irate is the word you meant?

Re: What’s your image of God?

Caz — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 07:23:37 -0000

you... and you... that... this... me....
Do you ever have days (moments, breaths) where you see god in everything? I vote for more of those days :)

Re: What’s your image of God?

Beth C. — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 23:29:46 -0000

I really had a lightbulb moment when I read "The Power of Myth" while in college. The universal human ability to create the construct of God or any other diety is evidence of the existence of a God. What's more, the fact that many religions share common myths or have stories to explain common elements of the human condition is also evidence that something more that exists. Maybe different religions and denominations are localized/regionalized interpretations of whatever the ultimate truth really is.

Re: What’s your image of God?

Beth C. — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 22:46:30 -0000

Ngonzi -- What an awesome question to ask oneself each and every day! I am going to start reminding myself to the an image of God in the morning and then asking myself in the evening if I was successful in that endeavor.

Re: What’s your image of God?

Beth C. — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 22:41:35 -0000

God is community. Growing up, I struggled with the concept of God being an old man who lives in the clouds. After years of thought on the topic, I reached the conclusion that God is a force that we as human beings are incapable of understanding or perceiving. As a result, whatever God is has given us the ability to create, imagine and construct denominations to allow us to create regional variations on the theme. I also reached the conclusion that the each of us is in fact a son or daughter of God and that we experience the divine when we come together as a community to worship, care for and support one another. Sometimes I think I would like to go to seminary, but I'm afraid I would be kicked out before I even got started.

Re: What’s your image of God?

Jane — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 21:44:41 -0000

I don't believe in God per se, but I do believe in the divine. As hokey as it sounds, my image of the divine is one of a web that interconnects everything.