Fellow believers. You say you are saved and non-believers go to hell. Well, ----

Discussion in 'Religion' started by Greatest I am, Sep 6, 2013.

  1. Greatest I am Valued Senior Member

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    Yet the Vatican is one of the richest corporations in the world and the other huge mainstream churches are tying to catch up.

    They always have enough cash for lawsuits and aur fare to move the pedophiles they are protecting around.

    Regards
    DL
     
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  3. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    Maybe so, but let's be realistic, even the Vatican can't lift the world out of poverty with all it's wealth.
     
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  5. Greatest I am Valued Senior Member

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    I did not say it was but if the what, 5 billion in the Abrahamic cults decided to live their talk, it would take what, .01% of their wealth?

    They do not and will not. That is the point.

    Regards
    DL
     
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  7. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    I for one am happy they don't. The letter of their laws are oppressive and not at all conducive to universal harmony. Thank god they are hypocrites.
     
  8. Greatest I am Valued Senior Member

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    On that side, indeed.

    Regards
    DL
     
  9. Hapsburg Hellenistic polytheist Valued Senior Member

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    The distinction between the two in neopaganism is not really present. It's not based on revelatory books and dogma, but on personal experience and subjectivity. Magic tends to be a big part of these religions, but it's thought of as a part of the natural world, much like the gods are. This is largely because neopaganism has major roots in the Western Occult tradition, which viewed ceremonial magic as a system with inputs and outputs, observable and testable. Neopagan religions, particularly Wicca, just happen to take into folk magic practices into account as well as the ceremonial.
    I believe in the gods not through faith, but from my personal experiences of them. From my observation of their existence, and of their presence in the natural world. And I venerate them because of that presence, that power over nature. Specifically in the areas of growth, sexuality, wisdom, death, birth, and rebirth; thus why I practise Wicca in particular, which is a fertility religion based around a god ang goddess with those attributes.
     
  10. Greatest I am Valued Senior Member

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    3,740

    Ceremonies are just that. It does not really matter what they are although the Eucharist thing with Christians and Catholics is rather barbaric. Eating human flesh and drinking blood. Yuk.

    What interests me is the personal experience you speak of.

    You indicate you see the Gods at work. I take it you mean the results and not the actual God pollinating a flower type of thing.

    Gods also tend to give us food for thought. That has been my personal experience while suffering my apotheosis.

    Tell us about the personal issues that touched you and what if any wise word you received directly from a God.

    I will trade you mine after.

    Regards
    DL
     
  11. Hapsburg Hellenistic polytheist Valued Senior Member

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    Eh. Makes sense to me. Partaking of the divine essence brings you closer to the divine. Blood is the lifeforce, and all that.
    In concept, it's not that different from what we do in my religion. During a ritual, we eat bread and drink wine because they are the fruits of the Earth, and in so doing we take in the spiritual essence of the Earth and/or its gods/spirits. It's not involving blood, but the principle of union with the divine is the same.

    Most of the time, it is something that is not so much in words, but in feeling. Feeling their energy, their presence, not hearing their voice and seeing their forms. And as such, most of these experiences are pretty hard to describe. Sometimes, I have had visuals attached to these experiences, but they're somewhat vague. For example, when I was doing a trance ritual to gather a sign from the gods about whom to venerate, I saw various images of stags and forests. Some images were very specific, such as that of a stag looking right at me through a fire, but most just flashed by. But that specific image was enough to transmit a solid message, through feeling, even if there were no words involved. You might chalk it up to imagination, but the feeling was intense enough for me to think otherwise. And that's fine; these things are by definition subjective.

    But then there are other times, like in a group ritual I participated in, when a deity very unambiguously made his presence known and conversed with us. Those ones are less subjective, because it's not out of mere in-head stuff, and there were other people there to corroborate the phenomenon. But I wouldn't argue the point, because it's still ultimately tied to personal experience and perception. And it's not like I think that belief in or worship of the gods is a universal obligation. It's entirely a personal choice, and there are infinite ways in which to do it.
     
  12. Greatest I am Valued Senior Member

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    3,740
    Thanks for this.

    If the phenomenon you describer is true then it can be replicated and would be a miracle.
    Why have you not done so and in effect, prove the existence of God or spirits to the whole world?
    Hell Randy even has a million bucks waiting for you. Why do you not act?

    Further, if God is going to bother conversing he must have given some new advice because his old stuff is not working.

    Please tell us what God said?
    Just the important stuff will do.

    Regards
    DL
     
  13. Hapsburg Hellenistic polytheist Valued Senior Member

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    I don't think of it being really miraculous. And, if it were replicable, would that not reduce its nature as a miracle? And I do think that things like this can be replicated. Further getting to my point: I believe that the gods are present all around us, and it's not particularly special to connect with them. It doesn't make those who practise these religions special, is what I mean, with a unique claim to truth or what have you.

    Because I don't care about that. It's not my business what other people believe and practise.
    And, as I said, much of these experiences are ambiguous and personal. You can use experience as personal evidence for believing in something, sure, but it does not work as evidence for convincing others. I 'believe it when I see it' , not 'believe it when someone tells me something', and I would expect no less from others. If they want to find evidence for the gods, they can go have their own experiences, conduct their own rituals, do their own thing.

    I don't quite know what you're getting at with this. And I don't know why you keep referring to what I'm talking about with a monotheistic wording. Hermes isn't "God", he's "a god". One of several. And the gods aren't exactly in the business of dispensing advice or rules for mortals to live by. Read more about ancient European and Near Eastern mythology and religion. The gods really are not there to lay down the law and guide mankind; they are forces of nature that are mostly indifferent to us. We can sometimes gain assistance from them, and sometimes gain their patronage.

    Half of the time was spent trying to figure out who he was. Hermes, despite being the god of communication, refused to talk; he's also the god of trickery and pranks, and made it very difficult for us to communicate directly with him. You know, for shits and giggles.
    Most of our questions were in trying to determine his identity, and then asking a little bit about the nature of the gods and if we had put ourselves on the "right" path for us. Really, we asked about personal stuff relevant to our own beliefs and ritual practices as a coven. The grand questions of life, the universe, and everything honestly didn't come to mind and I don't think we'd have gotten a clear answer anyway.
    We mostly asked about whether the gods we chose were responsive towards us, even if we couldn't see it yet; if the gods were more as individual forms or part of one big divine blob, or somewhere in the middle; stuff like that. Not particularly important to the world, but stuff of interest to us.
     
  14. Greatest I am Valued Senior Member

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    3,740
    Thanks for this.

    Regards
    DL
     
  15. dumbest man on earth Real Eyes Realize Real Lies Valued Senior Member

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    3,523

    GIA, the only "God" currently available to converse with and be able to quote, is the self-proclaimed delusional one that originally Started this Thread.
    Although that "one" is no more "Real" than the mythological/fictional/imaginary ones he constantly rants and rails against, even you, Mr. GIA, must admit that he is less based in any kind of "FACTUAL" reality and is quite a bit less intelligent, understanding, coherent or indeed, in any way believable than any of the others!!!

    GIA, with ALL of YOUR ABILITIES, YOU MUST be ABLE to SEE and AGREE to that!!!

    with all due disregards,

    dmoe
     
  16. Jan Ardena OM!!! Valued Senior Member

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    GIA, why are you so narrow-minded?

    jan.
     
  17. dumbest man on earth Real Eyes Realize Real Lies Valued Senior Member

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    Jan Ardena, so...you are assuming or presuming that there is a "mind" there to be "narrow" ?!!
     
  18. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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    Aw, be nice, dmoe.

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  19. Robittybob1 Banned Banned

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    The thought this morning wegs is that if you truly are atheist now will I treat you as I do atheists sometimes I'm not nice to them. Could I be not nice to you?
     
  20. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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    9,253
    God could exist, and he might not. My thought is this, if God exists…he doesn’t need you nor me to ‘promote’ him…prove him to others…defend him. If God exists, he will just be. The Bible has given you and me (and others) this (erroneous) notion that God needs a ‘PR Manager.’

    As far as not being kind to me, are you only kind to people who agree with you?

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  21. Robittybob1 Banned Banned

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    You would have to ask them that, but my first rule is to match their unkindness. If they take me down a notch I will take them down the same amount. So the answer is, "no, I am kind to everyone".
    It is a shame you don't read my music thread as well, how God appears to reveal facts way beyond time to me. If there is no God tell me how any of that is possible? Tell me how my life is possible without God?

    I know what the trouble is wegs, it is that it is too bizarre for you to get your head around, so my words just become Blah blah blah. As you've said and you are like me on that, a long story takes too much concentration to get into. But I am trying to get the message to you.
    This post is going on the thread as there is a "Bee Gees song coming up.
     
  22. Greatest I am Valued Senior Member

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    3,740
    Thanks for asking. It is because the church has taught me to hate.

    Because it is my view that all literalists and fundamentals hurt all of us who are moral religionists as well as those who do not believe. They all hurt their parent religions and everyone else who has a belief or not. They make us all into laughing stocks and should rethink their position. There is a Godhead but not the God of talking animals, genocidal floods and retribution. Beliefs in fantasy, miracles and magic are evil.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HKHaClUCw4&feature=PlayList&p=5123864A5243470E&index=0&playnext=1

    They also do much harm to their own.

    African witches and Jesus
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlRG9gXriVI&feature=related

    Jesus Camp 1of 9
    http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=48b_1185215493

    Death to Gays.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMw2Zg_BVzw&feature=related

    For evil to grow my friends, all good people need do is nothing.
    Fight them when you can. It is your duty to our fellow man.

    Regards
    DL
     
  23. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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    Here’s the bigger picture. If you do believe in God, and you follow Christianity…do it with all your heart.

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    My heart isn’t into it, and hasn’t been fully into it for quite some time. I didn’t wake up one day, and say…’’I’m done with everything I’ve believed in for years.’’ It was a gradual thing. That said, I have respect for people of all faiths, so long as they don’t hurt others or infringe upon the rights of others.

    If you follow what Jesus teaches, you will be kind to those whom don’t agree with you.

    On another note…anyone ever accuse you of being eccentric?

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    Wowzers!
     

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