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Totally agree. If the bible were simply about a god who created the universe and oversees his creation I would be more likely to believe. Since there was some guy named Jesus, a bunch about heaven and hell, and a virgin mary thrown in they lost me...
Yes, it helps me that I don't think of those things as literally true, yet what they speak to me and represent to me can be beautiful. But I'm not interested exclusively in Judeo-Christian myths either.
Used to live in Chicago, 1991-1994. Around Pulaski & Lawrence. Used to work at the Guitar Center on Belmont & Clark.
I fell in love with Chicago pretty hard. Loved it. But I don't think I'd live there again now that I'm a married, family guy, just because of the expense and how hard it is to get around.
Plus, I'm looking to get less landlocked. I know, Gold Coast, Lake Mish, etc. But I want ocean and beaches. Plan on moving to Florida before the end of the year...
Seen an estimate from a study observers of coyotes say there is an about 1,500 to 2000 coyotes in the Cook County , IL. .............. Still maybe the coyote had a demon spirit who were listening to your expectation on finding your grandmothers grave , as expectation on the spirit will move these spirits into action
I'll just mention two events. As a youngster I am sure I recall looking into a pony's eyeball and seeing another pony reflected in it - and there was only the one pony in the field. To this day I wonder whether my memory is false or my mind was playing tricks.
The Other was recent, when I saw a very bright LITS (1) going slowly overhead and it then vanished. It was my first and only UFO. I drew my companion's attention to to it and she suggested "Glider?" This sort of ..confined thinking was confirmed when I mentioned the occurrence as a family gathering and the atmosphere Solidified, went sub zero and the subject Changed immediately. A revealing insight into the uphill task we have in educating the public out of thinking in a rut and applying critical thinking without preconceptions. This was further enhanced when I found out that the Iridum satellite exactly fitted what I'd seen. Refusal to even think about it was bad enough but, it meant refusal to look into it and (had any "Converted" later on) there would be Proof of UFOs because they hadn't researched when they had the chance. The parallels between UFO cult -think and Religious Theist-think is an exact analogy because the thinking is just the same.
The parallels between UFO cult -think and Religious Theist-think is an exact analogy because the thinking is just the same.
You make a good point. Have you ever heard the phrase "Don't go looking for unicorns before you've run out of ponies." ??
I do not absolutely reject the possibility that there are UFOs, or ghosts, or gods (or unicorns, for that matter)...I have had some...interesting experiences which were inexplicable to me given my severe deficit of understanding and knowledge about the "realities" of existence, place, time, perception, and so on.
But I would like to think I bring whatever piddly intellect I possess into play and don't just jump to "It was a miracle!" or "I have no logical way of explaining that event, therefore, it can only have been a ghost! (or alien, or rift in a dimensional portal, etc., etc."
Maybe this is true, and it could be I have experienced a miracle, or real UFO or real ghost, etc. I just try to observe and learn and accumulate knowledge and additional experiences...I try not to be biased one way or another: "It HAS to have been a ghost!"OR"It CANNOT have been a ghost, because ghosts don't exist!"
But my real money is on the notion that there are a lot of things currently not explained by science, there will always be unknowns...neither science or religion will ever have the answers to anything and everything.
At my foundation, if I am asked: "If a man prays for 40 days for it to rain, and on the 41st day, it rains, is it raining because the man prayed for it for the preceding 40 days?"
...my inclination is "meh, we were probably just due for a rain, and the weather patterns cooperated."
But that doesn't mean I have an absolute belief that prayer is 100% ineffectual. I do not "know" this; I just don't happen to believe it.
I agree. since atheism taught me critical thinking, a lot of UFO -stuff has been explained. Some clearly turned out to be a huge hoax ...entirely...from start to finish... (Crop -circles). Classic cases (Hills, Soccorro, Villasboaz) have been plausibly explained (1) My dear old mate Boxcar (who went sortatheist and vanished ) was annoyed that Science had theist think by both nadgers. In that itt was either explainable by science or was just unexplained -yet. Either waay it was never good evidence for non science. It certainly is (like the burden of proof on the theist claimants all the time ) very handy for us Satanic pondscum.
There is still and always the door open for God, UFOs, ghosts etc to make a case. There is always the possibility that it could be true. And in the effort to make God and UFO and the like claims the "default" all sorts of Evidence is marshalled. But time has told and the Gaps for God are vanishing - just as the Case for UFO's is vanishing.
(1) though the closed minded debunkers - and there ARE such - also had their explanations debunked. E.g the 'Lunar Module test explanation of Soccorro didn't work chronologically or practically. It was an example of something we should never forget "Explaining way evidence we don't like any way we like'. This can happen and is just as wrong as when evidence for evolution or that the gospels are made p is explained away with explanation that don't actually work.
My grandfather is in bad health and he is at a stage mentally where he wants to speak his peace to old relatives. One of his requests for me was to find where his Grandmother is buried in Chicago. Using google I was able to locate her cemetery and a picture of the headstone but not the actual location of her grave
So, I set out on a trip to the cemetery in the middle of Chicago's North side to locate her grave with my girlfriend. The office is non existent except for calling some place up in Evanston. After about 10 minutes of staring into rows upon rows of graves armed only with a picture of the headstone my girlfriend became a little bit discouraged that we would ever be able to locate it. "Come on Marie, give us a sign!" she pleaded, calling out to my great great grandmother to help us locate her grave.
Not a minute after her plea we came to a fork in the road. Unsure of what direction to take my girlfriend asked me which way we should go. I opted to go left in order to follow the outskirt of the cemetery since that would be easier to map later if we needed to revisit a second time for another search. Just as we were about to embark on a trip down the left side of the fork I spotted a coyote walking across the road to the right of the fork. The coyote was a good 100 yards away but it was clearly unusual since this cemetery is in the middle of Chicago's north side where any sort of large wildlife is RARE. The coyote walked across the road and sat down. He stared at me as he sat and as quickly as he came he got up and slowly walked away as if we were of no interest to him.
I'm not religious at all but something told me this was the sign my girlfriend was pleading for. I opted to go right instead of left at the fork and follow the direction of the coyote. Sure enough, as we approached the part of the road the coyote walked across I noticed the grave. It was in the EXACT spot the coyote sat down to look back at me. It was such a cool experience that gave me goosebumps immediately.
Have any of you had any surreal experiences like this that you can share? Trying to keep this unrelated to religion since these experiences are more spiritual in nature.
How many events in your life aren't surreal. How many times do such coincidences not happen.
Most people misunderstand random and rarity. Just because something like you described is very unlikely to happen, doesn't mean it never happens. In fact it's actually very unlikely you will never encounter coincidences like this.
How many events in your life aren't surreal. How many times do such coincidences not happen.
Most people misunderstand random and rarity. Just because something like you described is very unlikely to happen, doesn't mean it never happens. In fact it's actually very unlikely you will never encounter coincidences like this.
Yes, it is rare and extremely coincidental. I'm not sure I follow your point though?
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) was annoyed that Science had theist think by both nadgers. In that itt was either explainable by science or was just unexplained -yet. Either waay it was never good evidence for non science. It certainly is (like the burden of proof on the theist claimants all the time 
) very handy for us Satanic pondscum.
