Do you worship god (or not) and why?

[warlockyoshi]

quote:I got lectured, I got prayed over on several occasions to be released from the "deceptions of the devil", all because I wasn't content to be one of their sheep. Some ministers seem to like the fact that their parishoners are like sheep, and they try to use scriptures to support that. To me being a sheep is being nothing more than a mindless follower.

Thank you those are the exact reasons I have left the church.  I am glad to know that I am not the only one who believes this.

[Nay]

Whewwwwww.  I just read all seven pages! well maybe I cheated on the quotes from the bible..skimmed that one.  I avoided this topic because I just knew the insults were going to fly...lol..I am quite surprised that it wasn't too bad at all.  I have to admit that I thought everyone made good points, in almost every post I said.."oh, that makes sense, oh so does that"
The Satanism thing gives me the creeps though..but I don't know enough about that to really comment.  I do believe in God or atleast some higher being that has both Male and Female aspects I might add.

But the hell thing...hmmmmmm I'm not so sure if there is this fire and brimstone place where men with pitch forks poke you in the butt all day for eternity.. I think we make our own hell.  I like to think I have been a pretty good person for MOST of my life and will be in quite a happy place when I die....hey just had an epiphany (I don't mean the church festival celebrating the manifestation of Christ to the wise men of the East..but the irony is kinda funny..) if you believe your going to go to the hell that the bible talks about perhaps you will, if you believe there is no hell perhaps you wont...sounded better in my head.[]

I think I will take my husbands advise...He is always saying to me.."You are going to find out soon enough, why stress out over it now"  

Nay. []

[no_leaf_clover]

yes, nay... oh yes..

if you die and you believe you are going to hell, or even fear going to hell even though you've been telling yourself otherwise, chances are you'll wind up in an astral realm with a setting to fit your thoughts.

robert bruce says he thinks we linger around in the astral for a week or two on what little etheric energy we have left after physical death. then when the etheric energy runs out, we start ascending. during that period of time, the same rules apply to the astral as when you're still physically alive, i would presume.

so when you die, you'll wind up in an astral realm that suits your mindset. if you die and you realize you're dead, and you start thinking 'oh crap.. i hope i don't go to hell.. o.o.. i never asked for forgiveness before i died, and.. oh excrement O.O' ..then you'll wind up in an area exactly how you see hell, whether its people with pitch forks poking you in the butt, or clowns with machine guns.. o.O.. until your etheric energy runs out or you manage to get yourself out of there.

that explains why some people experience hell during nde's. some experience heaven, some just experience nice sensations that are not based on any religions..

and, you know, if the catholic church never introduced the concept of hell, this wouldn't be a problem. hell and satan have to be the most evil tools for conversion the church has ever came up with.. it's like converting through fear, and i'm sure it still causes millions to suffer in the astral every year. imagine if we had never heard of hell, and we knew the afterlife would be very pleasant, to say the least. then practically no one would have bad experiences..

[James S]

quote:if you die and you believe you are going to hell, or even fear going to hell even though you've been telling yourself otherwise, chances are you'll wind up in an astral realm with a setting to fit your thoughts.

I had an interesting chat with a friend of mine recently about this subject. She has experienced death and time spent in the "afterlife" until she was revived.

Her main comment was along the lines of  - if people who are bound by their religious code could only see what it is really like after death, they would not have such a narrow view as they do.

I like to listen to personal experiences such as this. To me they have more weight, more validity than a thousand pages of religious texts.

James.

[warlockyoshi]

You are right James.  All of the faith in the world will not help you, you can not truly know that something or somebody is real until you experience it yourself.  People can mock you and criticize you all that they want but there is no way that they can prove the validity of your statement so they criticize your beliefs to comfort themselves.  However, a belief system that makes absolutly no sense and which holds no water and furnishes no proof is a belief system that I refuse to follow.

[warlockyoshi]

Terry B
You are absoluty correct.  Islam itself does not promote violence.  The teachings of muhhamad were very much like the teachings of Jesus.  Love you neighbor and all of that bull honkey.  It is radical groups like the Al Quida and the Taliban that promote violence and bloodshed.

[rutantia]

I've heard it said that everyone is an atheist, in one form or another.  

A Christian rejects every god except one (or three -depends on how you look at it   [^], but let's keep it simple and say 'one')
 
...the atheist simply believes in one less god than that...

[rutantia]

You are using logic...  []
To me, logic and religion are like oil and water...

[warlockyoshi]

I've never thought of it like that.  That is a very er.. funny way of looking at things but it makes perfect sense.  I am seriously considering odinism.  But what I will always have that urge for immorality so i guess you could call me an immortalitist as well.

[Birm]

An interesting phrase from quran... Can be related to the astral projection... What do you think?

39:42 It is God that takes the souls (of men) at death; and those that die not (He takes) during their sleep: those on whom He has passed the decree of death, He keeps back (from returning to life), but the rest He sends (to their bodies) for a term appointed verily in this are Signs for those who reflect.

[39.42] Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that die not during their sleep; then He withholds those on whom He has passed the decree of death and sends the others back till an appointed term; most surely there are signs in this for a people who reflect.

39-42. It is Allâh Who takes away the souls at the time of their death, and those that die not during their sleep. He keeps those (souls) for which He has ordained death and sends the rest for a term appointed. Verily, in this are signs for a people who think deeply.

[Mirador]

Sorry folk, bear with me, I'm a non native speaker. So it's back to basics for me.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition.  2000.
 
worship
 
SYLLABICATION: wor·ship
PRONUNCIATION:   wûrshp
NOUN: 1a. The reverent love and devotion accorded a deity, an idol, or a sacred object. b. The ceremonies, prayers, or other religious forms by which this love is expressed. 2. Ardent devotion; adoration. 3. often Worship Chiefly British Used as a form of address for magistrates, mayors, and certain other dignitaries: Your Worship.  
VERB: Inflected forms: wor·shiped or wor·shipped, wor·ship·ing or wor·ship·ping, wor·ships or wor·ships

TRANSITIVE VERB: 1. To honor and love as a deity. 2. To regard with ardent or adoring esteem or devotion. See synonyms at revere1.  
INTRANSITIVE VERB: 1. To participate in religious rites of worship. 2. To perform an act of worship.  
ETYMOLOGY: Middle English worshipe, worthiness, honor, from Old English weorthscipe : weorth, worth; see worth1 + -scipe, -ship.
OTHER FORMS: worship·er, worship·per —NOUN

[Kojie]

no

[warlockyoshi]

I am not against anyone who does worship god I was just wondering why?  No supreme life changing event has altered my beliefs.  I have no religion but I tend to lean towards satanism.  So yeah i was just wondering if anyone has proof of the existance of god.