Do you believe in god?

[Manda]

you stick wth your beliefs, I'll stick with mine.

lets end this.

 

Manda

[rosieposy87]

I think you fail to recieve the point i'm making.  Believing in God doesn't somehow make you more morally valid than me, nor does it make you a better person. What you fail to see is how people can choose not to believe in God, and they have legitimate reasons for doing so- i never asked you to consider whether god exists or not, i asked you to consider that you might be in the wrong and that not everyone has to follow the beliefs you hold to lead a life considered acceptable- it is an ignorant life to lead.

You seem to think that I am not understanding your "point." I never said that believing in god makes me more morally valid than you or anyone else for that matter. I never said it made me a better person either. I said I believe in god, and when I was confirmed and said those words that I made a promise. I am not making others believe what I believe either, I'm not preaching or telling people, "oh be catholic, you must be catholic, because we believe in one almighty god, oh you must be catholic!" I'm not saying that. You might want to consider if he does exist or not, thats your choice. I respect it.
I think he does exist.

You certainly implied a superiority. Maybe you want to re-read your post. You may not be preaching but you are being closeminded.  I accept the fact that you and many other people believe in God but you don't seem to see as acceptable the fact that people even doubt the existence of god, instead of believing in him wholeheartedly like you.

 Your last point seems to somewhat contradict your first post- which is that you can't understand "how people can not believe in god" and now its 'my choice' to consider whether or not God exists? Go figure...

[Manda]

whatever you say, missy.

You can do as you please, believe in him, or not.

I dont really care.

 

I'm going to believe in him, because I do, with all my heart.

Manda

[jlmusicchick]

I said I believe in god, and when I was confirmed and said those words that I made a promise. I am not making others believe what I believe either, I'm not preaching or telling people, "oh be catholic, you must be catholic, because we believe in one almighty god, oh you must be catholic!" I'm not saying that. You might want to consider if he does exist or not, thats your choice. I respect it.
I think he does exist.

I find this really interesting. Because before I got confirmed, I almost didn't. I mean, it wasn't until I questioned my faith and what I was saying in church that I realized how much I did believe. maybe i took your posts wrong, but it seems like you think that any questioning is bad. I just want to present a different point of view to you. Sometimes questioning isn' that bad of a thing. *shrugs* just my opinion...

[Manda]

I said I believe in god, and when I was confirmed and said those words that I made a promise. I am not making others believe what I believe either, I'm not preaching or telling people, "oh be catholic, you must be catholic, because we believe in one almighty god, oh you must be catholic!" I'm not saying that. You might want to consider if he does exist or not, thats your choice. I respect it.
I think he does exist.

I find this really interesting. Because before I got confirmed, I almost didn't. I mean, it wasn't until I questioned my faith and what I was saying in church that I realized how much I did believe. maybe i took your posts wrong, but it seems like you think that any questioning is bad. I just want to present a different point of view to you. Sometimes questioning isn' that bad of a thing. *shrugs* just my opinion...

I think your right, I like your opinion by the way. Questioning isn't that bad of a thing, thanks for pointing that out to me.
I have questioned my faith/god many times, but never after I was confirmed. I'm glad you expressed your opinion to me, I respect that very much.

Manda :wink:

[CaliGirl20]

I personally believe in God.  I didn't use to though.  Only have for maybe 6 years or so?  And only seriously for maybe 3 of the 6.  I go to a non-denominational church.  It's really different from what I grew up with (which is what turned me away from the whole church thing).  I grew up around very straight-laced and serious people who thought music was the devil, except for Jesus music (which is what I call church music...lol).  They were always preaching down to me and wouldn't let anything slide.  Way too serious people.  That was for about the first 16 years of my life.  Sounds nice, huh?  Then I wandered into a church one day and it was so different from anything I'd ever seen.  There was a band with really good music, none of that hymnal crap (no offense to anyone else, but it always makes me sleepy).  It was loud and sounded like rock and roll.  I was only going to stay for the music bit because that's what caught my ear.  Then I found out that the guy singing was the church's pastor/preacher.  He was loud, and funny, and he let everyone know that everyone else was human.  He didn't tell everyone to get out their Bibles and  to "turn with him"...lol...He just wanted everyone to really listen and grasp what he was saying.  I even saw a woman's leg literally grow right in front of my eyes.  Itw as really trippy, but it was real as real can be.  That day totally changed my life.  The cool thing about religion is that everyone has their own way of expressing themselves.  This is my way, and I always enjoy hearing other peoples as well.  There's always things one can learn from other people and their cultures/backgrounds.

[kev222]

Yes I do believe in God. Why? To me, the existence of God is the only reasonable explaination for the existence of the universe. As for the specifics of God, I believe in the Judeo-Christian God because the biblical account of all history makes best sense of the evidence that we have today. Faith plays a part, of course, as it does in everything but I don't consider it a blind faith or a faith without basis in the physical world or mankind's study of it.

I find this really interesting. Because before I got confirmed, I almost didn't. I mean, it wasn't until I questioned my faith and what I was saying in church that I realized how much I did believe. maybe i took your posts wrong, but it seems like you think that any questioning is bad. I just want to present a different point of view to you. Sometimes questioning isn' that bad of a thing. *shrugs* just my opinion...

Well said. I completely agree. Nobody ever found the truth about anything without asking questions.

-Kev

[loveplasticlove]

I'd have to go with a no on this one...

I never had any faith in all that stuff.  My family is Catholic and tried to pass it down to me.  I have the 3 sacrements because I forced to.  Therefore, I'd liek to say I have a good taste for some type of Religion.  When I was 7 I can remember questioning what nuns would tell me at Sunday school.  I thought it was story time class! hah It was all like mythology to me.  Along with not having any faith... organized religion does not tickle my fancy.  I don't agree with a lot of it.  And people love to ask me who I think I got here... but really now... does it matter?  What matters is that we are, no need to waste your time and think about it because you will never know 100%.  

Also I'd like to think that I don't need fear to guide me in any direction.  



I <3 Atheism!

[jlmusicchick]

I said I believe in god, and when I was confirmed and said those words that I made a promise. I am not making others believe what I believe either, I'm not preaching or telling people, "oh be catholic, you must be catholic, because we believe in one almighty god, oh you must be catholic!" I'm not saying that. You might want to consider if he does exist or not, thats your choice. I respect it.
I think he does exist.

I find this really interesting. Because before I got confirmed, I almost didn't. I mean, it wasn't until I questioned my faith and what I was saying in church that I realized how much I did believe. maybe i took your posts wrong, but it seems like you think that any questioning is bad. I just want to present a different point of view to you. Sometimes questioning isn' that bad of a thing. *shrugs* just my opinion...

I think your right, I like your opinion by the way. Questioning isn't that bad of a thing, thanks for pointing that out to me.
I have questioned my faith/god many times, but never after I was confirmed. I'm glad you expressed your opinion to me, I respect that very much.

Manda :wink:

I still question whether i want to remain confirmed, because there are some things about the Catholic views on things such as abortion, homosexuality, and annulment that i don't agree with. But, i figure that shouldn't matter just as long as I belive in God. Anywhose, I just think you need to maybe broaden your thinking when you post. It does seem like you are somewhat closed-minded on Rosie's posts, and maybe you aren't, but that's how you are coming across. Not trying to bash you or anything, just trying to explain it in a way that you wont get extremely defensive.

[jlmusicchick]

Then I wandered into a church one day and it was so different from anything I'd ever seen.  There was a band with really good music, none of that hymnal crap (no offense to anyone else, but it always makes me sleepy).  It was loud and sounded like rock and roll.  I was only going to stay for the music bit because that's what caught my ear.  Then I found out that the guy singing was the church's pastor/preacher.  He was loud, and funny, and he let everyone know that everyone else was human.  He didn't tell everyone to get out their Bibles and  to "turn with him"...lol...He just wanted everyone to really listen and grasp what he was saying.

ooh cool, my cousin goes to a Church like that. when she told me there was i band i was all  8O it sounds like fun!

[Manda]

I said I believe in god, and when I was confirmed and said those words that I made a promise. I am not making others believe what I believe either, I'm not preaching or telling people, "oh be catholic, you must be catholic, because we believe in one almighty god, oh you must be catholic!" I'm not saying that. You might want to consider if he does exist or not, thats your choice. I respect it.
I think he does exist.

I find this really interesting. Because before I got confirmed, I almost didn't. I mean, it wasn't until I questioned my faith and what I was saying in church that I realized how much I did believe. maybe i took your posts wrong, but it seems like you think that any questioning is bad. I just want to present a different point of view to you. Sometimes questioning isn' that bad of a thing. *shrugs* just my opinion...

I think your right, I like your opinion by the way. Questioning isn't that bad of a thing, thanks for pointing that out to me.
I have questioned my faith/god many times, but never after I was confirmed. I'm glad you expressed your opinion to me, I respect that very much.

Manda :wink:

I still question whether i want to remain confirmed, because there are some things about the Catholic views on things such as abortion, homosexuality, and annulment that i don't agree with. But, i figure that shouldn't matter just as long as I belive in God. Anywhose, I just think you need to maybe broaden your thinking when you post. It does seem like you are somewhat closed-minded on Rosie's posts, and maybe you aren't, but that's how you are coming across. Not trying to bash you or anything, just trying to explain it in a way that you wont get extremely defensive.

I dont agree with some things, but I do believe in god.

Manda

[PIBby]

Catholicism has become a very, very tolerant Church within the past, urgh, I'd guess, 30 or 40 years. However, it's still being criticized and ridiculed and each time the Church is becoming more and more passive, but it still has people up its ass, which is irritating. The Spanish Inquisition is one of the only things people have against the Church. Well, that and the Sex Abuse Scandal going on. But people have been totally stereotypical through that shit, and since all these people were abused 25+ years ago by priests, we're all just going to hate Catholics altogether. Hypothetically, if a group of Asian men were to molest kids, would you sun all Asians? Hmmm? Or, you know, how long ago was it were those 3 or 4 women killed their kids? Would you label all women as murderers? CHILD murderers, at that? No . . . Because women and Asians were never as dominating and narrow-minded and hateful as the Church WAS. See? And all these people who sued the Church (Arch Dioscese, etc.) - Where is there money going? How many of those people actually used their compensation(s) for psychologic needs? All of us little Catholic chilluns' schools are suffering enough, and now these selfish-ass people are taking money which would've gone for financial aid at Catholic Schools, and people can't pay for their child(ren) to go to Catholic School so - BAM! They pull them out and take them to Public School.

No one thinks these days.

Catholicism has become a very, very tolerant Church within the past, urgh, I'd guess, 30 or 40 years.

This is true, so WHY is everyone talking about the "badness" of the Church? The Catholic Church is such a powerful denomination and, I believe, people are intimidated by this. Believe me - Has anyone heard of Baptists or "Baptist Church"? These people are a hell of a lot more narrow-minded TODAY than the Church has been in 150 years. And 'tis true. So, why not criticize Baptists next time you want to criticize any denomination?

Love, Cecilia

[rosieposy87]

Catholicism has become a very, very tolerant Church within the past, urgh, I'd guess, 30 or 40 years. However, it's still being criticized and ridiculed and each time the Church is becoming more and more passive, but it still has people up its ass, which is irritating. The Spanish Inquisition is one of the only things people have against the Church. Well, that and the Sex Abuse Scandal going on. But people have been totally stereotypical through that shit, and since all these people were abused 25+ years ago by priests, we're all just going to hate Catholics altogether. Hypothetically, if a group of Asian men were to molest kids, would you sun all Asians? Hmmm? Or, you know, how long ago was it were those 3 or 4 women killed their kids? Would you label all women as murderers? CHILD murderers, at that? No . . . Because women and Asians were never as dominating and narrow-minded and hateful as the Church WAS. See? And all these people who sued the Church (Arch Dioscese, etc.) - Where is there money going? How many of those people actually used their compensation(s) for psychologic needs? All of us little Catholic chilluns' schools are suffering enough, and now these selfish-ass people are taking money which would've gone for financial aid at Catholic Schools, and people can't pay for their child(ren) to go to Catholic School so - BAM! They pull them out and take them to Public School.

No one thinks these days.

Catholicism has become a very, very tolerant Church within the past, urgh, I'd guess, 30 or 40 years.

This is true, so WHY is everyone talking about the "badness" of the Church? The Catholic Church is such a powerful denomination and, I believe, people are intimidated by this. Believe me - Has anyone heard of Baptists or "Baptist Church"? These people are a hell of a lot more narrow-minded TODAY than the Church has been in 150 years. And 'tis true. So, why not criticize Baptists next time you want to criticize any denomination?

Love, Cecilia

Errr no no and no again- the point about the sex abuse in the Catholic church is that religion is often at the centre of society and priests are people you can (supposedly) trust, seek support and advice from, they are supposed to be pure- and then some of them go and abuse little boys. The point isn't about asians or women, blah blah blah- its about the point that it goes so starkly against everything the Catholic church stands for.

And secondly, so what the catholic church has become more tolerant? It hasn't become tolerant enough. It still discriminates against gay people, it still makes blatantly wrong statements about AIDs and condoms which will subsequently kill millions of people. And do you know what? In a way i am intimidated by the Catholic church, because it abuses its power so badly and i wonder who they will target next.

[drummerboy512]

yes...i do believe in god. in fact i pray quite often. but i'm not really into all the biblical stuff, i do believe Jesus existed, but i don't really believe all of the stuff like that, but i do believe in god.

[Grakthis]

Catholicism has become a very, very tolerant Church within the past, urgh, I'd guess, 30 or 40 years. However, it's still being criticized and ridiculed and each time the Church is becoming more and more passive, but it still has people up its ass, which is irritating. The Spanish Inquisition is one of the only things people have against the Church.

And the selling of indulgences, the crusades, the holy roman empire, cardinal richelu (among other corrupt cardinals who got into government), their stance on homosexuality, women in the priesthood, historical refusal to acknowledge the holocaust, persecution of science, stance on safe sex etc etc etc.

The church has many thing it has done (and still does) wrong.  Is it getting better? Yes.  Is it GOOD?  No.  It's still got a long ways to go.  Which is why I am no longer catholic.

Yes, there are other churches that are worse.  But none with as much influence as the catholic church.