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Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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Atheist worldview = we are all born, we live a short life and we die...there's nothing after death. Kind of empty and scary how final that is!
Orthodox Christian/Muslim worldview = we are all born, only a minority get to heaven, while the vast majority suffer the never ending wrath of God/alienation from God
Buddhism = An endless cycle of re-births that hopefully end in Nirvana, ,maybe a bit more positive for the whole
New Age religions = Many of them are 'feel good' in that everyone experiences a neutral if not positive afterlife; unfortunately I think it's just that, wishful thinking. Same with Universalism (I sorely wish could be true).
Atheist worldview = we are all born, we live a short life and we die...there's nothing after death. Kind of empty and scary how final that is!
I don't find it empty and scary at all. Life is great, I'm going to enjoy every minute of it, and not spend every day in fear and waste my life away thinking I have to deny myself in order to maybe qualify for an afterlife. Fact is, many of the gods you people believe in -- there's no way I'd want to spend one second with them, because they're so evil. Thank goodness they're just a figment of their believers' imagination, because frankly I'd rather have oblivion than any time with those horrible beings.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,068,476 times
Reputation: 11862
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mercury Cougar
I don't find it empty and scary at all. Life is great, I'm going to enjoy every minute of it, and not spend every day in fear and waste my life away thinking I have to deny myself in order to maybe qualify for an afterlife. Fact is, many of the gods you people believe in -- there's no way I'd want to spend one second with them, because they're so evil. Thank goodness they're just a figment of their believers' imagination, because frankly I'd rather have oblivion than any time with those horrible beings.
Maybe one of those 'horrible beings' is the reason you enjoy life here?
Atheist worldview = we are all born, we live a short life and we die...there's nothing after death. Kind of empty and scary how final that is!
Orthodox Christian/Muslim worldview = we are all born, only a minority get to heaven, while the vast majority suffer the never ending wrath of God/alienation from God
Buddhism = An endless cycle of re-births that hopefully end in Nirvana, ,maybe a bit more positive for the whole
New Age religions = Many of them are 'feel good' in that everyone experiences a neutral if not positive afterlife; unfortunately I think it's just that, wishful thinking. Same with Universalism (I sorely wish could be true).
Well, I don't know if you are technically on the dot on all of your analyses. I'm an atheist and I'm not ready to concede that there is nothing after life. There are things that humankind do not know. One of these things is what happens after death, or for that matter, What exactly is life?
As for the Christian/Muslim view, do they really have most of their dearly departed going to "hell". Heck, I think those 9/11 terrorists were rewarded with a busload of virgins. Even if they were ugly virgins, that wouldn't be as bad as the traditional concept of hell.
And as far as the New Age stuff goes, you seem to discount their view of an afterlife for really no good reason. No they are not traditional religions, but why should that matter? I think those religions try to give some spiritual comfort, but isn't that what most religions do? I remember one time when I was a kid, I went with my dad to the airport. There were Hare Krishnas there banging on tambourines. After we passed by them, my father said, "Look at those poor fools wasting their lives on that silly religion." I was about fifteen years old and I responded with, "Yeah, those Krishnas are wasting their lives on their religion... but Catholic nuns are rightous."
I couldn't imagine spending eternity as a cheerleader for a God with low self-esteem.
That's an interesting statement, for sure. Thank heavens that the picture most have of God is not the slightest bit true.....he is not a monster and does not need us to be his "cheerleaders" or boost his ego.
He is a loving God, true to His Word, that He has a plan for ALL of us to be reconciled to Him. He doesn't need us, we need HIM!! We've needed Him all along even though there are a lot of people who don't recognize that or even acknowledge that He exists but that's okay, he has a plan for them too.
It's called Universal Reconciliation, and it's His will and His plan as stated in His Word.
1 Timothy 2:3-5
3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
5For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
I don't find it empty and scary at all. Life is great, I'm going to enjoy every minute of it, and not spend every day in fear and waste my life away thinking I have to deny myself in order to maybe qualify for an afterlife.
I totally agree with you, Mercury. If you were a preacher giving this sermon, I would be the one in the audience jumping up and down screaming, "Amen, Brother, Amen".
That's an interesting statement, for sure. Thank heavens that the picture most have of God is not the slightest bit true.....he is not a monster and does not need us to be his "cheerleaders" or boost his ego.
He is a loving God, true to His Word, that He has a plan for ALL of us to be reconciled to Him. He doesn't need us, we need HIM!! We've needed Him all along even though there are a lot of people who don't recognize that or even acknowledge that He exists but that's okay, he has a plan for them too.
It's called Universal Reconciliation, and it's His will and His plan as stated in His Word.
1 Timothy 2:3-5
3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
5For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
According to the bible, he's a jealous God who created an entire species of being for the purpose of praising him.
According to the bible, he's a jealous God who created an entire species of being for the purpose of praising him.
That's kind of sick.
Context is everything and quite honestly I have trouble with the way the Old Testament has been interpreted by most. Speaking of God being jealous, that had to do with people worshiping other gods, not that he's jealous like a little school girl. I'm not sure that jealous is even the right word, could be mistranslated. A lot of the Bible has been mistranslated and misinterpreted.
I can't argue with you on these points per se because it is what the Bible "says" as it is translated. I just don't think, imo, that the OT represents the one true GOD. But that's a subject for another thread.
According to the bible, he's a jealous God who created an entire species of being for the purpose of praising him.
That's kind of sick.
Why wouldn't we praise him?? He created us and look at all these wonderful blessing he provided for us. The landscapes and plains he provided for us. The food he provided for us to eat. The animals he provided for us for companions and food. The stars, planets, and galaxies for us to gaze at to light the earth at night. We have so many blessings in life! Why wouldn't you praise him?! If God created us to praise him, I would gladly praise him for an eternity!! I mean, wow! He's like the dad that spoils us rotten with so many blessings that we have here on Earth! I don't care what reason I was created for! The point is, I'm here, and that's more than enough thanks! Thanks God!!
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Thank heavens that the picture most have of God is not the slightest bit true.....he is not a monster and does not need us to be his "cheerleaders" or boost his ego.
