question to the faithful

[juggalo420]

Null and Jugg-

Who do you thank when things happen for the good that you had no control over?

You do you ask for help when things out of your control happen to you?

Rev. Michael T
Soldier for Christ

when something good happens i think it is just by random chance. Let me ask you something, when something bad happens do you blame god? I see life as a mix of good and bad all the result of either your actions and effort or just through chance.

[meek mike]

When something bad happens do I blame God?

This is a great question. My wife and I were going to have a baby last Feb. One morning while sleeping I heard my wife yell from the bathroom. I quickly jumped up and ran in to see what was happening. She had a miscarrage while taking a shower. I quickly picked her up and took her to the hospital. While driving I new I had lost my son and I was very pissed off at God for allowing something like what happened to happen. The second I was about to damn my maker I realized that things happen like this in life to everyone. It's not a personal thing shit happens. I know God could have saved my boy. I know that he could have taken all the pain my wife was going through away. I know he could have taken the pain then and the pain now I am going through from the loss of my son. Can I blame God for all of that. I was going to but I realized it happens to almost everyone in some form or another. I realized that if these things don't happen in thier lives then they don't become the people they are intended to become. I knew that my wife was going through the shit she went through for some kind of good. I ddin't see it then but later I did. Three months after my loss a friend of my wifes had a miscarrage. She was single but like every mother was looking forward to seeing her child. When she lost her child she became so depressed that she wanted to commit suicide. Luck for her my wife heard what happened and she wnt over to comfort her. When she got there she had a gun on the table and was planing her death. My wife talked with her and comforted her. She didn't do it and today she is very happy. If my wife didn't go through the shit she did she wouldn't have been able to help her friend. I believe we should look at the good to everything no matter if we can't see it yet. Just know it happens for a reason. Do I blame God, I almost did but I do not. My faith comforts me, helps me, and stregthens me. With out God not only would around twelve people be dead by my hands I wouldn't be where and who I am today. In bad times I turn to him and he comforts me. In good times I turn to him and thank him. In so so times I blaze a joint and go back to thanking him for everything. I can't think of a life with out my faith. I don't go to church because I know I can talk to God and worship God any where. When I want to learn more of him or hear his voice I read my Bible. Not everyone is like me. Not everyone can understand me. I live by faith (something I can't see) but am I happy? Very happy. Will I ever be sad. Only until I realize the good I can't see will happen one day. I hope I answer your question they way you thought I would. May my Lord and savior watch , protect, and guide you in the direction of peace.

Rev. Michael T
Soldier for Christ

[Rahein]

Here is another question.

How can you belive in God when 10s of thousands of people died from a tsunami right around Chistmas?

I guess a Christian could say that it is God punishing the non believers. I thought that that was stopped after Jesus died. Maybe the vengful God is comming back.

[sawleaf]

Here is another question.

How can you belive in God when 10s of thousands of people died from a tsunami right around Chistmas?

I guess a Christian could say that it is God punishing the non believers. I thought that that was stopped after Jesus died. Maybe the vengful God is comming back.

There is a reason for everything that happens, even though we may not be able to see it.

[Rahein]

There is a reason for everything that happens, even though we may not be able to see it.

Ah the standard Christian copout.

[sawleaf]

Ah the standard Christian copout.

Why is it always the people who do not believe in God who question the Christians? You never see a post where we Christians ask why people don't believe in God. We are happy with our faith, but it seems like the people who are not Christian are always negative, upset, or attacking Christianity. I don't need scientific evidence to support my beliefs, because I have experienced things that are pure evidence for my faith. I could care less what others believe. Science can not even come close to answering every question and explaining everything.

[Delta9]

The fact that thousands of people die daily does not change the question of whether god exists or not. God is a distinctly separate from man. In all scripture of monothesistic religions god is simply a creator that sits back watches humantity and judges mans soul at death. We don't have to wonder why god allows people to suffer. The Pharaohs of Egypt being exploited in our museums. His body and tomb open for all people to see. The Hashish. That hash. You don't wan't to allow them to get a hold of your mind to ya'. You know that marijuana. You don't whant them to get control of your mind. You can smoke tha' hash, but, you don't wan't them to get ahold of your mind do ya'. Pride you took. Pride you feel. Do I see faith in your Eyes? Never you hear the discouraging lies. Do I hear faith in your dries? Broken is the promise. No No you no no wanna' listen to tha' funkmaster de la' street and take hold de' yo'. no no.

[FrenchInhale]

You are ignorant to the circumstances of anybodies life on this board, maybe he lives with a foster family, maybe his dad is a homosexual, maybe his mom works 12 hours a day at a gas station to support the family...maybe he got a laptop computer for free after attending a seminar that was paid for by the state. Maybe he has a free trial from an internet service provider. Perhaps he is accessing the internet at the local library. Maybe he cleared out his bank account and spent all the money on crack and cough medicine.

Sure someones always gonna have it worse than you, but does that mean you have no right to complain or question the existence of god?
If you got stabbed in the back and paralyzed from the waste down I guess you should just keep your mouth shut and be thankful that you didn't get gang raped and shot in the head right?

Exactly. I would never complain about what happened to me. And what is wrong with living with a foster family, having a gay father, getting a free laptop (mine was free), having a library you can go to...... the point is that someone has it worse than you so you have no right to complain... I would never complain no matter what circumstance I was in.. I know myself.. and i know hwat I would do.

[GHoSToKeR]

if he exists, then im going to hell

if he doesnt then im not

either way, i dont give a shit

[Set the Truth Free]

Maybe the reason Christianity is being slammed is because it's something that people actually have the freedom to do; before, they would have been labelled a satanist, dressed in chains and sentenced. I'm afraid to say that Christianity is also, for me, a somewhat irritating religion.
I don't mind Christians, mind you- I mind the fact that they see fit to tell me, quite conversationally, that I'll burn in hell if I don't immediately conform to the will of the Church and Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. All the little offsets of Catholicism- Jewdaism (sp?), Jahovah's Witnesses, Protestants, whatever, are also (for me) classified under the same banner because they're essentially the same religion with a minute difference (I.e., Jesus didn't carry the cross, someone else did). I've read the bible, I've been to churches, and frankly, it doesn't interest me.

Here's an interesting tidbit that I may or may be penalized for. Someone earlier touched on the subject but didn't tread too far, so here I go: You know Christmas? It's not a Christian holiday, sorry to say. And if you want to contradict me by saying it is, then you can happily explain what elves, mistetoe, reindeer, santa clause and evergreen trees have to do with the birth of a miracle-worker, aka Jesus Christ? Halloween and Easter are also pagan holidays. Again, tell me what rabbits have to do with the rebirth of Christ, three days after his crucifiction. See, it would have been very bad for Christians to deem pagan holidays as non-celebrational. (Pagans were the majority, not the minority). Instead, Christians decided to keep most of the holidays, just call them something a little different.

Eastre (Or Easter): It was a celebration! For what? Why, the return of spring, of course! Pagans went out, grabbed a bunch of rabbits and roasted them up in a number of imaginative ways for a grand feast. Nowadays, seeing as it would be sort of detrimental on the rabbit population, chocolate versions of the floppy-eared mammal are used instead. Which is fine with me, because I like chocolate. The rabbit and the egg are both symbols of fertility, so giving someone an egg is reminiscent of wishing them to have many children. In some pagan societies, lots are also drawn to match men and women for a little fun afterwards. Bonfires would be lit to celebrate the return of the sun god as well. (Ever lit a candle during Easter? That's what it symbolizes!)

All Hallow's Eve (Or Halloween): Satanists, druids and witches alike celebrate this day as the New Year because satan's powers are apparently at their highest on this day. I, myself am more familiar with the tradition of dressing up in the most horrific costumes in order to do one of two things; (1) trick the spirits of the dead into thinking you are a spirit so they won't possess your body, and (2) Scare the spirits away by being more scary than they are. Food was left on the doorstep to appease the spirits as well, and if really poor people came to take the candy instead, why get upset? Hence, dressing up in costumes and going door to door for food.

And last, but not least...

Saturnalia (or Christmas)
*Tidbit Alert!!* Jesus was born in August. The Wise Men arrived at his door, following a star (the planet jupitar) around the middle of December. Need porrf? The shepards were watching over their flocks at night when Jesus was born. Flocks aren't kept outside for six months of the year due to the cold- December being one of them.

Saturnalia is a celebration honouring the Sun God. In the beginning, the Sun God defeated the evil dude (I can't recall his name) and all was well. But each year, the Evil Dude regained strength, and the Sun God was pulled into a battle with him; thus, the sun 'vanished' (or didn't give off as much heat), and winter came about. The celebrations held two meanings- one was to honour the sun god and his battle. The second meaning of the celebration was because the pagans believed what they did now would represent the rest of the year; eating lots now means they would eat lots for the remainder of the year. Thus, the gluttany of X-mas became a tradition. (I use X-mas as opposed to Saturnalia because it's a habit; no one would know what I was talking about otherwise.)
Caroling: Originally called mummers, they originated in Rome where they donned costumes and went door-to-door, entertaining their neighbours with singing.
Evergreen: Trees were brought into the home and decorated with gilded food (nuts, berries and apples) and such to show that winter would not last forever; the evergreen demonstrated the resilience of nature, and the soon-to-be crops that would grow again. The decorations were to show that food would soon grow again.
Misteltoe: A fertility ritual, much like the giving of an Easter Egg. Mistetoe, which could grow without roots, was another sign of the resilience of nature; it was hung inside the house as a reminder.
Gifts: Who can forget presents? Children were offered as gifts to the Sun God, because it was said he liked children. More often, criminals were sacrificed in giant cages shaped like animals, which is more to my liking. Before anyone gets disgusted, God could ask for human sacrifices, so why can't the Sun God?
Wreaths: Made of mistetoe (already explained that) and berries (red was a sacred colour; red was the colour of blood, after all).
Other Tidbits: when Santa Clause began to become adapted again, the stories travelled to two places; one in which there were plenty of reindeeer. Hence, a sleigh being pulled by reindeer. Some homes were built into the ground, and the only way to get into the houses were through the top of the house- or, the 'chimmney'. (Santa Clause was banned by a Belgian priest because he was "too pagan" as a symbol.)
Santa Clause: Has many names. Saint Nick was indeed a charitable Christian man, but he was preceeded by Nicholas, a crafty being who left presents under the tree. More presently, Satan Clause is the modern take on Odin (or Woden), a mythical man with a flowing white beard who crossed the skies on his faithful steed, the eight-legged horse. In Holland, he became Sinterklaas. Migration occured, and North America renamed him Santa Clause, then made him rolly, polly and jolly.
Elves: Erm, I can't recall what they were, except they were the herbalists and midwives of the Big People (us humans) who became hunted down during the Christian Witch Hunts (which interestingly enough occur in a time when the church was beginning to lose power)

Forgive me if I've left anything out, but I'm exhausted and I need sleep!! Hope this little entry interests some people.


PS: It was said, in a book I read, that the Gods of the old religions become the Devils of the New religions. Would you know that Satan bears a remarkable resemblance to the Sun God? Just thought I'd point that out. Good night!