An exploration of truth

[Locust]

I am a person who is always questioning what the meaning of things are and how I could improve myself as a person, trying to find the truths in life. Being a christian, I usually turn to the bible for answers, answers that usually go to the back of my mind. But occaisionally I follow what the bible teaches, and find that my life has more fulfillment during those periods. I will usually separate myself from the material crap, such as games and music, and read, pray, or do something that is more productive than entertaining myself. I feel as though I have nothing to fear but God, which is a very liberating sensation. It gives me more confidence, less anxiety, and more productivity in my life.
Unfortunantly, alot of the time I fall away from this pattern of life and into a way that is wasteful and meaningless, such as when I spend my time playing computer games. These times make me feel dumb and apathetic, which usually causes me to see the error of my way and go back to christian living.
I find that following the christian way and doing as the bible says or as my conscience tells me makes me a better person. This improvement coincides with the following of the teachings of the bible, such as when Jesus said "whoever wishes to follow me must deny himself" or when He said "whoever loves his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." I find these teachings to be the truth; that self denial brings joy with it.
I would like to hear from some other members on what you find to be the truth in your life, whether it be holding a newborn child or venturing to the top of a mountain to see the beauty of nature. I think we could all learn something from eachother. Thanks for reading.

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

Making a difference in someone's life. Want to put my kids through college after I am out of the Air Force (Plan on making it a career)

 

[Locust]

I could see that. But what do you consider making a difference and how do you know whether you are doing so or not? Who are you to judge wheter or not someone needs to be changed? You have to know that you are right in order to make a positive difference for someone or else you will just end up wasting your time and theirs.

 

[Locust]

Would one of you admins please move this to general discussion? This thread has nothing to do with politics and would fit better there. Thanks

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

I could see that. But what do you consider making a difference and how do you know whether you are doing so or not? Who are you to judge wheter or not someone needs to be changed? You have to know that you are right in order to make a positive difference for someone or else you will just end up wasting your time and theirs.

Well, common sense dictates when someone needs help, and I'll give it.

 

[polypod]

You have to know that you are right in order to make a positive difference for someone or else you will just end up wasting your time and theirs.

i think compassion is more important then "knowing you are right", and willingness to be humble and to address your own habits and failings is the only chance we have to overcome them..
this process of letting go can bring about deep down thoughts that jostle us and encourage us to stop looking.. but if we can overcome our fears, we can develop ourselves spiritually.. then things take care of themselves and there's no thinking "am i right?"

 

[bliink]

Moved to Gen. Off topic.

 

[CptStern]

k I've re-written my response about 5 times ...and I cant do it without slipping in a little vehemence in regards to the hypocrisy of organised religion...sorry abconners ..I really dont want to derail your thread but I just cant let your statement stand without commenting:

"Unfortunantly, alot of the time I fall away from this pattern of life and into a way that is wasteful and meaningless, such as when I spend my time playing computer games. These times make me feel dumb and apathetic, which usually causes me to see the error of my way and go back to christian living."


stop pandering to someone's elses ideology, do what YOU want, not as someone else would have you do ...you are NOT a sheep, you have free will

 

[Locust]

I agree with you about orgnized religion. I mean how is it doing anything to further the goodness of humanity? sure, they get together once a week and listen to a preist, but that is about as far as it goes. As far as im concerned, we could do without. But as for doing what is in the bible, such as helping people and being compassionant, that is what life is all about; those things will make every person feel that he or she is worth their weight in gold.

 

[CptStern]

But as for doing what is in the bible, such as helping people and being compassionant, that is what life is all about; those things will make every person feel that he or she is worth their weight in gold.

yes but I dont need to read the bible to know morality

the sooner we start looking to ourselves as opposed to others for answers the sooner we'll forego organised religion

btw, since you've been here you've made a few threads on religion. I've, admittedly, made a few disparaging remarks about religion in those threads and not once did you get angry. :cheers:

 

[Sgt_Shellback]

Realizing the last two miles you drove through was a mine field... You feel a certain truth of life after that.

Stern: Although his truth was based in his religion he didn't ask for your religious truth. You have not experienced this because you have no religion? Or because you have not lived life?

 

[Locust]

For all of you people who are athiestic, I wonder why it is that you choose that belief and what is it about that belief that you find fulfilling; what is it about that belief that challenges you to step out from the ordinary and take your decisions on faith. For me as a christian, I find that I am challenged by faith to step out of the bounds of my life and try something new. I just wonder if athiests are so different from christians. Aren't we all human beings? Don't we all face the same challenges to step out and take our lives on faith. What do those of you with Athiestic beliefs feel?

BTW sgt, your previous post made me laugh pretty hard. I had to think about it and almost felt like I drove through a mine field. Great stuff.

 

[bliink]

For all of you people who are athiestic, I wonder why it is that you choose that belief and what is it about that belief that you find fulfilling; what is it about that belief that challenges you to step out from the ordinary and take your decisions on faith. For me as a christian, I find that I am challenged by faith to step out of the bounds of my life and try something new. I just wonder if athiests are so different from christians. Aren't we all human beings? Don't we all face the same challenges to step out and take our lives on faith. What do those of you with Athiestic beliefs feel?

athiests are not anti-human or anything, in fact, just becuase someone says they're "athiest" does not mean they dont hold similar or the same principles as someone who would call themselves christian. They both have morals and ethics, but the main difference is that one believes in a god, and the other doesnt.
You dont have to have a god to be a caring, decent human.
I suppose an athiest would be more likely to find fulfillment in being a bit of a humanist.

(spelling is bad today )

 

[Mr.Reak]

For all of you people who are athiestic, I wonder why it is that you choose that belief and what is it about that belief that you find fulfilling; what is it about that belief that challenges you to step out from the ordinary and take your decisions on faith. For me as a christian, I find that I am challenged by faith to step out of the bounds of my life and try something new. I just wonder if athiests are so different from christians. Aren't we all human beings? Don't we all face the same challenges to step out and take our lives on faith. What do those of you with Athiestic beliefs feel?

BTW sgt, your previous post made me laugh pretty hard. I had to think about it and almost felt like I drove through a mine field. Great stuff.

Because we don’t need a book telling us morals, which are relative. What kind of question it’s anyway, I mean I grew up free of religion (see I never said I don’t believe in God) because my parents never forced me to go to church every Sunday and listen to people opinions, which they force as facts down you throat.

 

[K e r b e r o s]

Mr.Reak, without your parents telling you whats right or wrong, you'd probably be another Fight video on MuchoSucko.

Same with me.
Oh, and Stern would have his own video aswell.

Now, dont take it like [OMFG TEH BIBLE IS LEIK TEH BESTORS], but I'am saying you would'nt have the slightest cognition of law, if you never learned of it, lived under it, or cared for it. Be lucky you learned of it -- and live under it.

 

[CptStern]

I dont agree, compassion, love and understanding has nothing to do with the rule of law

 

[mindless_moder]

i dont think that it was a good idea for u to spew out christian concepts ...everytime i see a fellow christian doing this all he receives in return is insult ...
the bible is not just a book of rules you guys should read it sometime....it is sort of like a diamond with many facets that help you through your life. It should be used to learn more about god and communicate with him ... chrsitianity as preached in the bible is not a religion ...religion is ritual ..... but the pure form of christianity is not ritualistic in the least ...

edit: burrying urself in a bible is not exactly living a christian life .. well what i mean is that udont have to be praying 24/7 there is nothing wrong with playing games and having clean fun ... u kind of made it look like god hates video games or something lol .
altho ... to have a better relationship with god u must give him his time the amount of time u give depends solely on you and how you feel at that time ..god values honesty .

edit2: as for the statement on laws ... well there was a time when lawas were not defined so well .... ie : the slavery days etc
man i guess has heart and compassion and all but the laws are what put him into place .... without them a new born man who hasnt been thot values will just try to figure it from example and if the individual he chooses dont have values then.....................

 

[JunkieXL]

Well I'm jewish, but I don't consider myself to belong to any religion, I consider myself human. I don't believe in the bible because I believe in whatever I want to believe, and not in something that someone wrote thousands of years ago, and I'm not even sure about that.

I believe in some form of god, or 'divine being', but I do not believe in heaven or hell, in god judging you, and that if you say some prayers whenever you sin god will forgive you.
I do believe there is an afterlife, and in reincarnation. I believe in spiritual development, but not through someone who dictates it for you. Everyone has his own path he should go through, and everyone has free will.

Anyone can offer enlightment, or a safe place in heaven, hell I could start a religion tommorow inventing all kinds of stuff [If you walk around with an eggplant on your head for the rest of your life god will love you!!!] etc.
That's why I don't believe in any religion, and follow my own path on the way there..

(btw this doesn't mean to offend in any way.)

 

[Locust]

I dont agree, compassion, love and understanding has nothing to do with the rule of law

But what about when a society is violent, such as the ones in Africa where there is either no law or the law promotes violence. Aren't the citizens as violent as the law allows them to be? I think that compassion is dictated by the law due to the fact that it governs society and gives us the safty to conduct our lives as we see fit. If our society had no law, being compassionant would be a hell of a lot harder.

 

[DeusExMachina]

But what about when a society is violent, such as the ones in Africa where there is either no law or the law promotes violence. Aren't the citizens as violent as the law allows them to be? I think that compassion is dictated by the law due to the fact that it governs society and gives us the safty to conduct our lives as we see fit. If our society had no law, being compassionant would be a hell of a lot harder.

I guess it depends on the person. Don't ask me why, but I like helping people. Don't know why, just something that makes me feel good when someone else is happy.

 

[CptStern]

when society breaks down to due to war, famine or disease, it's mob rules ...there is no room for compassion or love ..the overwhelming instinct of survival kicks in. Law is derived from emotion: murder wouldnt be against the law if it wasnt morally reprehensible ..this idea didnt begin with religion, but rather it started with awareness of self.

 

[CrazyHarij]

the sooner we start looking to ourselves as opposed to others for answers the sooner we'll forego organised religion

I agree with this.. And I would like to add, that not only will we forego organised religion, dogma and beliefs, but we will truly find the answers we are looking for. "Homo, nosce te ipsum"

 

[Locust]

You know, people aren't always right in what they think. They constantly make mistakes, snap judge those they don't know, and moreover worsen their state by making bad decisions. Religion is based in our natural desire for peace and justice and serves as a guideline for what is right. Ask yourself what this world would be without religion. Do you think that the cannibles in the Amazon would eat their own kind if they knew that all men were equal. Religon changes people for the better, and without it society would fall into moral deterioration and eventually chaos, kind of like the Sudan.

 

[CptStern]

You know, people aren't always right in what they think. They constantly make mistakes, snap judge those they don't know, and moreover worsen their state by making bad decisions. Religion is based in our natural desire for peace and justice and serves as a guideline for what is right.

I agree

Ask yourself what this world would be without religion.

well besides the obvious; war, hate, fundamentalism etc there'd be a void in some people's lives. It's sort of hard to speculate because so many people's lives are dependant on having faith in something

Do you think that the cannibles in the Amazon would eat their own kind if they knew that all men were equal.

cannibals only ate their enemy. You should read Montaigne's (1580) essay On Cannibals.

" . . I do not find that there is anything barbaric or savage about this nation, according to what I've been told, unless we are to call barbarism whatever differs from our own customs. Indeed, we seem to have no other standard of truth and reason than the opinions and customs of our own country. There at home is always the perfect religion, the perfect legal system--the perfect and most accomplished way of doing everything. These people are wild in the same sense that fruits are, produced by nature, alone, in her ordinary way."

Religon changes people for the better, and without it society would fall into moral deterioration and eventually chaos, kind of like the Sudan.

well that's a little extreme. I have no religion and I'm not in a state of moral decay ...at least I dont think so

 

[Mr.Reak]

So wait, religion made world better? How do you know? Did you see world without religion? I mean come on, look at how much useful progress we actually did with science, with religion we just sat on our asses, thinking Earth is flat and that we must donate all money we have, so churches would be build bigger and better. What if there weren’t any religion and humanity actually would be able to explore space and time, instead praying to something, wishing to get illusion of comfort.

 

[burner69]

I've spent a good deal of time thinking about abconners original point - what is the truth of life. I think it's probably because I used to get high a lot

Life is not about uncertain concepts, about obeying teh letter of law, or religion, it's about obeying yourself - but checking up on yourself as often as you get the chance.

If you feel that with all the crap going on in the world you need religion to keep yourself going down the right path, fair play to you - but don't let yourself feel restricted by it. I realised many years ago that I've got an adequete set of morals, and without ever referring to religious or county laws I can be a nice guy.

So what's the truth about being nice?
Rule #1; You are the most important thing in existence. Don't believe me? Well, you are the only person who can think your thoughts, see what you see, do what you do - you're the only thing in the world that's certain. As soon as you stop being able to know that, you're dead, and it dosen't matter anymore. Look at survival too. What people do in extreme circumstances, eat other people, make traps and catch wild animals, survive at sea for months. It's natural for us to know we're the most important thing in the world. It's only when you start throwing in uncertainties that people start thinking other's are more important than them.
Rule #2; Despite rule #1, you're alive, make the most of it. Help other people, and with no divine internvention, no miracle, you will be helped back eventually, most of the time. Call it Karma, call it God's way, it's just life. If you buy your mate a pint down the pub, you'll eventually be rewarded for it - he'll either get you one in, stick up for you if your mates are being assholes, whatever - it'll be worth it.
Rule #3. Listen to everything you're told, but look at it through the lens that is your past experience. Never just accept something as fact, including what I'm telling you now, what your parents tell you, what the Bible tells you.

Life's an amazing thing, don't belittle it by trying to find deeper meanings, it's f**king amazing, and you only get one shot - it's down to you what you do to it, but I think most people would rather be nice. Afterall, if you do that, there's more chance of nice things happening to you. The selfish beings that we are

 

[KoreBolteR]

So wait, religion made world better? How do you know? Did you see world without religion? I mean come on, look at how much useful progress we actually did with science, with religion we just sat on our asses, thinking Earth is flat and that we must donate all money we have, so churches would be build bigger and better. What if there weren’t any religion and humanity actually would be able to explore space and time, instead praying to something, wishing to get illusion of comfort.

if there was no religion in the world, the world would be a safer place i guaruntee you that.! ...imo :E

jus look at all the people in the world who attack others because of what they believe in or whatever. Its ridiculous, why dont we all believe in one thing, that would be the best tbh.

being one thing, im refurring too "being a heaven where your relatives are, there is "some sort of god", who doesnt support people blowing themselves to kill other people or put bombs under cars to kill civilians, people are free

just look what religion is doing to the people in the middle east. Making women covor thier faces, most religios middle eastern men are sexist because thats how they have been brought up by they fathers who belived in the religion.

and lastly look at the thing the terrorists are lying about... they tell thier recruits " oh oh, kill that guy or those dozens of people and you will get a handshake of allah and a life of luxury in heaven" what a load of crap, lol

Bible = BS.

i agree, i jus think it was written by a bunch of people(who made it all up) a couple of ceturies ago, no offence to the people who believe in it. and i hate the way they try to make you swallow this crap in school :sniper:

 

[firemachine69]

Bible = BS.

Sorry to rain on your parade.

 

[burner69]

if there was no religion in the world, the world would be a safer place i guaruntee you that.! ...imo :E

jus look at all the people in the world who attack others because of what they believe in or whatever. Its ridiculous, why dont we all believe in one thing, that would be the best tbh.

being one thing, im refurring too "being a heaven where your relatives are, there is "some sort of god", who doesnt support people blowing themselves to kill other people or put bombs under cars to kill civilians, people are free

just look what religion is doing to the people in the middle east. Making women covor thier faces, most religios middle eastern men are sexist because thats how they have been brought up by they fathers who belived in the religion.

and lastly look at the thing the terrorists are lying about... they tell thier recruits " oh oh, kill that guy or those dozens of people and you will get a handshake of allah and a life of luxury in heaven" what a load of crap, lol

i agree, i jus think it was written by a bunch of people(who made it all up) a couple of ceturies ago, no offence to the people who believe in it. and i hate the way they try to make you swallow this crap in school :sniper:

The whole point in religion is (supposedly) you believe what you want to - if you tried to force everyone to believe in one system (which I noticed is exactly the same as yours) then there would be uproar, people would revolt, and I certainly would refuse to believe in it.

Though I agree with you that the world could be better if we ditched religion and used other ways to teach morals, explain life and death, rather than opting for a system that can and often does lead to problems.