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I have always been the worst at comprehending, I get something in my head while reading and I seem to turn it into something else, shamed myself so many times because I can't read. I guess some people are just that way.
You should stop cherry picking posts. I didn't say I live in a place of helplessness or anything of the sort. I was referring specifically to those who feel that way, which in my opinion, is the vast majority of the religious.
The reason you follow a religion, is so you can feel like you aren't just a human who dies. You can feel like you are helping when you pray, you can feel like you are part of something, you can act like you know for a fact that there is an afterlife, and it is the one that you want. Many other things as well, but maybe you will get the point. I doubt it, as you will probably just cherry pick a piece of a line and talk about something else, but whatever....
It is, however, my view that you are helpless to help those who are dying or in pain, unless you are a medical doctor. Praying won't help. This is actually what I was talking about in the post you cherry picked.
Note: What is it with you guys and cherry picking things? The Bible, what people say, what people post...
It is very clear what you are saying. in previous posts and in this post.
And it is still a very dark, grim, sad place to inhabit.
you are saying no one except medical doctors is of any help to those who are dying or in pain.
It is, however, my view that you are helpless to help those who are dying or in pain, unless you are a medical doctor. . ...
you are saying no one except medical doctors is of any help to those who are dying or in pain.
good thing your aunt doesn't hold to those views.
the doctor did not help her pain.
the "spiritual healing type stuff" did
Quote:
Originally Posted by ImissThe90's
... My aunt went to the Dr. one day for pain in her abdomen. After a bunch of tests, they told her that she was going to need surgery for some tumors on her ovaries. Well, my aunt is into all of the "spiritual healing" type stuff, and insisted they push it off for another 30 days or so. They agreed but wanted to do a biopsy to make sure it wasn't cancerous. It wasn't. So, for the next 30 days, she did all of her meditating, eating healthy super foods, and thinking positively, specifically about the tumors shrinking. She went back to the Dr., and after they did every test imaginable (if you hear her tell the story), they were dumbfounded. The tumors were gone. Not smaller, but completely gone. Now, she was not praying to any God or asking for them to go away, she was just thinking positively, meditating, and eating well.
Now, I am not your typical non believer either, Trout. I am somewhat spiritual myself, although I do not believe in any certain God or anything. I believe the human mind is quite possibly the most powerful thing there is. Anywho, that was very long winded to say I think we are mostly in agreement here.
and....if the human mind is in your words "quite possibly the most powerful thing there is" then how can it be that (also your words) only medical doctors can help those who are dying or in pain?
Last edited by Tzaphkiel; 06-12-2017 at 10:44 AM..
It is very clear what you are saying. in previous posts and in this post.
And it is still a very dark, grim, sad place to inhabit.
you are saying no one except medical doctors is of any help to those who are dying or in pain.
good thing your aunt doesn't hold to those views.
Still either misrepresenting, or misunderstanding what I am saying. You really, really need to work on your comprehension. I am in no way saying that they are of absolutely zero help, as you keep implying. I am saying that sitting in the chapel praying is doing nothing for the person in room #25 dying of cancer. It is only helping the person doing the praying. It makes the person doing the praying feel like they are helping, even though they are not, in that respect.
My aunt doesn't believe in your God either, Tzap. So unless you are suddenly converting to unnamed spirituality, her tumors going away have no bearing on you or your God. Besides, if you bothered to pay attention to my posts, outside of what you WANT them to be saying, I am not your typical non believer. I would appreciate it if you stopped misrepresenting everything I have said.
Regardless of your limited ability to view life from other perspectives, I don't live my life in a dark, grim, and sad place. I LOVE life, and spend every minute I am able enjoying it. I also make sure my husband and son enjoy their lives, as much as I am able to do so. My life is full of light, just not the kind that you claim is your version of God. You can continue to be ignorant about non believers if you want, but we aren't all sad, grim sacks of depression. Some of us are able to live life as it is, without our blanky.
I don't live my life in a dark, grim, and sad place. I LOVE life, and spend every minute I am able enjoying it. I also make sure my husband and son enjoy their lives, as much as I am able to do so.
I think that is true of the majority of atheists.
Unfortunately, believers and deity-worshipers are so attached to their gods and religions, their "blankies" as you put it, that they couldn't even imagine not having those things to use as emotional crutches. To them, life without an authoritarian god telling them what to do, what to think, how to behave, who to hate, and what is moral, is a life of utter darkness and despair.
Of course, they are only projecting their views of life without a god onto non-believers, imagining that our lives must be as full of darkness as they imagine theirs would be if they suddenly lost their faith.
Yeah, I fully admit it -- my life *does* suck and it is pretty dark and depressing. Not a damn thing I can do about that, either. One thing is for certain, though: Embracing some Bronze Age god and its book of rules and myths won't do anything helpful regarding my life.
I'd love it if some supernatural power showed up and proved me wrong by improving my life. Unfortunately in religion, you do all of the work and God gets all of the credit -- to facilitate the illusion that God is working miracles.
Unfortunately, believers and deity-worshipers are so attached to their gods and religions, their "blankies" as you put it, that they couldn't even imagine not having those things to use as emotional crutches. To them, life without an authoritarian god telling them what to do, what to think, how to behave, who to hate, and what is moral, is a life of utter darkness and despair.
Of course, they are only projecting their views of life without a god onto non-believers, imagining that our lives must be as full of darkness as they imagine theirs would be if they suddenly lost their faith.
Yeah, I fully admit it -- my life *does* suck and it is pretty dark and depressing. Not a damn thing I can do about that, either. One thing is for certain, though: Embracing some Bronze Age god and its book of rules and myths won't do anything helpful regarding my life.
I'd love it if some supernatural power showed up and proved me wrong by improving my life. Unfortunately in religion, you do all of the work and God gets all of the credit -- to facilitate the illusion that God is working miracles.
I think so as well, at least in my experience. Are there doom and gloom atheists? Sure, there are some of atheists or non believers like that, absolutely. I think it is one of those things where people who are like that are just simply less likely to be believers. It isn't the lifestyle or belief system that causes it, it is the other way around, if you know what I mean. Embracing a religion would do nothing for those kinds of people.
Not to mention, there are plenty of depressed, angry religious people as well. It isn't some cure-all like some people on here claim. If your life sucks, and you are depressed, going to church a time or two a week and giving away money you can't spare will certainly not help you much.
I think so as well, at least in my experience. Are there doom and gloom atheists? Sure, there are some of atheists or non believers like that, absolutely. I think it is one of those things where people who are like that are just simply less likely to be believers. It isn't the lifestyle or belief system that causes it, it is the other way around, if you know what I mean. Embracing a religion would do nothing for those kinds of people.
Not to mention, there are plenty of depressed, angry religious people as well. It isn't some cure-all like some people on here claim. If your life sucks, and you are depressed, going to church a time or two a week and giving away money you can't spare will certainly not help you much.
Yep, exactly.
People like me truly do need a bona-fide miracle. Not just a bunch of passages from a holy book that are supposed to make me feel better. I can guarantee anyone -- words will never help a person like me. They have no magical power.
I wish they did.
Some Christians might believe that "finding God" would make this huge difference in my life -- and even if that were so, I can't just believe in it all because I want to.
Even if Christianity were true -- and I don't think it is -- I would have to be grabbed by the hand of Jesus himself and be shown the Truth. There's just no way I can take the word of a religion that makes no sense to me and believe that a genocidal god is truly the master of the universe.
And guess what -- even if I converted tomorrow, do you know what about my life that would change? Nothing. Not without a genuine angel statues crying blood, stigmata on the feet and hands of a 13 year-old girl, sun flying around the sky, cancer-curing miracle.
People like me truly do need a bona-fide miracle. Not just a bunch of passages from a holy book that are supposed to make me feel better. I can guarantee anyone -- words will never help a person like me. They have no magical power.
I wish they did.
Some Christians might believe that "finding God" would make this huge difference in my life -- and even if that were so, I can't just believe in it all because I want to.
Even if Christianity were true -- and I don't think it is -- I would have to be grabbed by the hand of Jesus himself and be shown the Truth. There's just no way I can take the word of a religion that makes no sense to me and believe that a genocidal god is truly the master of the universe.
And guess what -- even if I converted tomorrow, do you know what about my life that would change? Nothing. Not without a genuine angel statues crying blood, stigmata on the feet and hands of a 13 year-old girl, sun flying around the sky, cancer-curing miracle.
The bolded, I believe, is the most important part of your post. So many people think you can just flip a switch and turn into a believer, and that is simply untrue. I couldn't believe in the Bible God anymore than I could believe in the FSM. They are equally ridiculous in my books. Now, if he were to come down and explain to me all of the inaccuracies, errors, etc, in his holy book, then maybe we could talk. Other than that, there is no way the rational, logical side of my brain could rationalize all the ridiculousness it houses.
Why do you think there are chaplains at hospitals, and why are their chapels? What function and purpose do you think they serve?
I suppose there are a myriad of reasons but I don't know what this substance is that is provided to the spirit still. Can you describe it?
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