God
Jesus
heaven/hell
afterlife
reincarnation
ghosts
aliens
Bigfoot
Loch Ness Monster
I believe in none of the above
the gm for one of my old dealerships (i was head of the business development dept that handled three suzuki dealerships, an acura dealership, a honda dealership, and bmw dealership) owns a bhph in athens now and they are making money hand over fist -- cause no one can get a car loan. the old gm for acura went to a mercedes dealership in one of the swankier parts of atlanta and they are doing really really well. i think it just depends on the location.Originally Posted by Sam
Aww Sam, I got laid off in June our dealership was one of those that Chrysler cut out . Your dad was probably embarassed by al of his screw ups and the mess he has made so he took it out on you, and my Mother
was always like that . No matter what I did I was a fuck up.
You know it will get better for everyone soon I hope. There are no jobs here where I am at so I am sticking an add in the paper for yard and light house keeping for seniors and have done this before and even put out flyers for Cajun BBQ's...I prepare the food at home and then serve it at the BBQ and tend bar and do the clean up and I have made as much as a grand a weekend, hey it is a job lol
They closed all the Chrylser Jeep DOdge from Petaluma ca to San Jose over a hundred mile radius and I had been with Chrysler for over 40 years and looks like the all the people who had the dealerships closing earlier in the year got all the open jobs because it doesnt look good and the people from the GM closings are going to be in the same posistion.
Sam you are such a good son. You dad should be ashamed of his behavior ...you are a kind gentle man Sam..don't forget that. Try not to let all of this get you down. You sure did not deserve that and we all loves ya.
Thank you!Good luck with your job prospects!
First of all, Atlantis..let me say I'm sorry to hear about the death of your beloved. I know how our friends get close to our hearts and then they're gone by design or some other fashion...and I have right now who's 13 and not going to be here a whole lot longer. There's no easy answer to your question however since we've all hit rough patches (or several in a row) and often wonder what's up with that and if God is doing this to test us or He just doesn't give a rat's ass anymore...I would rather believe that someone's in control of everything so that the randomness of events is taken out of the equation and we're not responsible for the way things play out...IN the last 15 years, I've lost my twin sister (postpartum cardiomyopathy), my father (cancer) and then my brother 3 years ago yesterday (he died of something akin to muscular dystrophy). I hope like hell we didn't deserve any of that..not them and not the remaining members of my family...The only thing I can say is there's a little piece of them always with us. This includes our dogs and cats as well as our mom and dad and brothers and sisters..Try to keep your head up and let time heal you because it will...nothing's every the same though...Wish I had something more uplifting to say to you...
Since I consider myself to be an atheist/humanist, I was wondering if any others might be on this board also. We are everywhere, you knowSorry if this is a repeat; I did a search beforehand and didn't find anything that seemed to directly cover this. Please merge me if I am wrong!
I'm not sure what I am. I believe in God, but don't think God has a hand in everyday life which most do. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, but I think most of the Bible is B.S. I think when you die, you die. I'd like to think there is some big happy afterlife, but in reality, I'm not sure. Religion has been a big question to me for years. I'm honesly torn between believing and not believing at all for years. I guess I'm a freethinker??
Pagan here. I believe in a benevolent omnipresent sentience in the universe that some may call "God". But this force for me exists beyond the bindings of any book and is more personal.
I'm 100% atheist.
All of these Christians? I always said what makes man think his stuff don't stink? Man takes stinky droppings just like the animals do.Humans are smart but how smart? Crime,war,hate.Does the intelligence complicate things and become a negative virtue? As in terms of a God. The only God,I know for a fact is Mother Nature.The Indians got that one right.As for a Christian going to heaven and living for 1 trillion years.Impossible.This Earth will be burned up by the sun in 10 Billion years.I do believe reincarnation is valid.In fact,I know it is.Babies are born,people die.See the connection.Through death,we have life.Our Gods are policemen,parents,firemen,lifeguards,teachers,relatives,loved ones and Doctors. Somewhat of a humanity religion.That's what it should always be,based on anyway.Some blackmail that if you don't believe and give money you will burn in hell forever.Only humans can invent such nonsense.Humanity should rise above that crud.A God that knows everything and will burn you in hell.Ridiculous.A Mother Nature-- A natural powerful force,that does operate.Look at Natural Selection and evolution.Of course.And Karma could come in play too.Be a scum-bag and hurt people and see what Nature will do with you.
Last edited by james1977; 07-29-2009 at 02:47 AM.
I myself am somewhat in between Agnostic/Wiccan. I was raised as Wiccan..but I find that Im much more comfortable just being spiritual in my own way.
Wow, that's an interesting mix. Very cool
Renowned Death Hag
I'm the fish in the fishbowl, I know there is something bigger out there, I don't have a clue what it is and I don't know if I ever will
Guest
Pagan here, with agnostic leanings from time to time. I know I do NOT believe in some omnipotent male deity sitting up there watching humanity destroying itself and the planet and calling it "free will." I have lots of opinions about it all....lol.
Whatever floats your boat. Just don't try to capsize mine.
I agree. I think that nature is a very powerful thing..and the universe is so beyond all human comprehension.Wow, that's an interesting mix. Very cool
Sorry..But The Giving "God" a wedgie part just made me spit my soda on my screen. Ya know..I need to keep some wipes handy..cause this happens a lot on this forum. lol.
I Completely agree.
Oddly these two are easier for me to believe than the first three. Do some research on Bigfoot from an anthropological perspective the probability is difficult to deny. And if not specifically Nessie there are volumes of evidence to support the existence of "lake monsters".
Anyhow, I do believe in a God-ish devinity and historically it is difficult to deny Jesus who seemed very cool.
But Heaven/Hell? Huh-uh, just can't buy it nor even want to. I do, however believe they exist for those who believe in them.
My system is simple; whatever you believe in life follows with death is what will happen for you. For me only reincarnation makes any real sense.
I also believe unlisted; the chupacabra, the fey and certainly in magic.
Don't know anything about any other lake monster legends, but Loch Ness has only been in existence since the last ice age, millions of years after dinosaurs disappeared. It was dry land when they were still roaming/ swimming around. If there is anything strange in the loch, it's nothing dinosaur-related at least, which is what most people assume it would be. Anybody have any other theories as to what, if anything, it might be?
I think there is something there don't know if it is dinosaur-like but possibly an unidentified species. i dislike the idea that we know it all when so many places on the planet are unexplored. Besides, basically crocodile are living dinosaur so why not?
Senior Death Hag
I thought Nessie was found to be a hoax? I remember reading about the pictures that were taken of her; that they were faked.
If you're talking about the famous picture of Nessie's head and neck backlit against the lake, then yes, that one was admitted by the photographer to be a hoax using a child's toy as the "monster".
I believe in some aspects of numbers 1-7.
Ooh! Well said!Whatever floats your boat. Just don't try to capsize mine.
I don't subscribe to any one religion anymore. I was raised Nazarene, it follows closest to what I believe. Well, the western version. The eastern version is more pentecostal.
But I haven't been to church in YEARS, and don't plan to go again, except for weddings and funerals.
I gave up my belief in organized religion years ago. Yet my faith in God has remained steady. I had a coworker tell me I must not be very close to God because I don't go to church, and I thought, "How dare you say such a thing!" She had no clue how close I was or wasn't to God, and it wasn't any of her damned business.
She was a bonafide Jesus freak, for sure.
I like the saying, "Jesus is cool, but his groupies suck!"
i don't understand why an all powerful being would have to make threats (hell) towards anyone.
I think Heaven and Hell is between my ears.
My list.
God
Jesus
Aliens
Ghosts
Loc Ness Monster, nope
Administrator
My daddy used to say that you either believe all these things or you believed in God and that was the end. There is no reason why you can't believe in a combination or all of these things. I believe in ghosts and the paranormal and God. I believe there is more to this world than meets the naked eye, and other things that are very rarely seen.
Senior Death Hag
God
Jesus
Holy Spirit
I believe for every drop of rain that falls, a flower grows.
I believe that heaven is completely different for each individual.
Mine is going to be Hollywood/Los Angeles in the early 1950s.
OoO Very Well Put!
Death Hag of Legend
Thats an awful lot of flowers. They would have to be really tiny flowers too.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
*Snorts*
Especially up here!
Since I consider myself to be an atheist/humanist, I was wondering if any others might be on this board also. We are everywhere, you know
I am. I consider myself a "Secular Humanist". I took the last year to look into religion, you name it, I studied it. I also looked into the atheist viewpoint so I am well read on the subject of religion. I kept an open mind as well.
After a year of intensive self study, I am Atheist but secular humanist sounds better and I identify with that.
Magic
True Love
Renowned Death Hag
Thank you Nelliebean. We all are entitled to our own beliefs and there is no need to criticize others for theirs.Whatever floats your boat. Just don't try to capsize mine.
Now that would be worth converting to being religious if thats the case!!
My heaven is The world in 1970. My favorite year.The year just had soul.Like a merging of the 50's and 60's.It just freaks me out.1970 Forever.What a year
I hear ya....and I'll raise you the rest of the lyrics!
I believe for every drop of rain that falls
A flower grows
I believe that somewhere in the darkest night
A candle glows
I believe for everyone who goes astray, someone will come
To show the way
I believe, I believe
I believe above a storm the smallest prayer
Can still be heard
I believe that someone in the great somewhere
Hears every word
Everytime I hear a new born baby cry,
Or touch a leaf or see the sky
Then I know why, I believe
Everytime I hear a new born baby cry,
Or touch a leaf or see the sky
Then I know why, I believe
At this point in my life's journey, I'm not sure of anything...but the lyrics to this song come pretty close!
I found out last night that my MiL, her husband, BiL, & SiL (including her family) were "independent fundamental baptists". I didn't know that there were subgroups of baptists, but apparently there are. And it explains a WHOLE lot.
From wiki this that are outlawed:
*Rock and roll and other forms of modern music, including Christian Contemporary Music
*Dancing
*Certain contemporary dress styles, such as pants on women (however, this practice has become increasingly rare), as well as long hair and earrings on men
*Visiting movie theaters
*Drinking of alcohol
*Use of tobacco
*Sex outside of marriage between one man and one woman, such as premarital sex or any other sexual contact, extramarital sex, and homosexuality
Abortion (in rare cases, all forms of birth control are opposed)
From wiki things that are believed/practiced:
*Taking a strictly literal interpretation of the whole Bible (in other words, believing the Word of God as God had it written), and thus also believing in bible inerrancy, with a breakaway group insisting that it be only through the KJV.
*Being independent (local and autonomous, as opposed to being affiliated with a national or international organization or governing body such as the Southern Baptist Convention or the Roman Catholic Church), with congregational polity.
*Practicing believer's baptism by immersion.
*Rejection of the ecumenical movement and liberalism in all forms—social, political, and religious and non-involvement in social movements that are perceived to be unbiblical such as feminism, and acceptance of homosexuality, as well as premarital sex and divorce and other such things
*Rejection of worship expressions ofCharismatic Christianity, including syncopated and non-traditional music such as Christian Rock and so-called "praise bands" in favor of traditional old-time hyms (Although toning down modern songs by removing objectionable elements is becoming increasingly acceptable)
*Coming down firmly on the missionary side of the missionary/anti-missionary controversy (for more on the latter, see primative baptists)
*Condeming of activities seen as immoral in Biblical teaching, such as gambling, consumption of alcoholic beverages (see temperance movement), drug use, and tobacco use.
*Advocating a traditional patriarchic lifestyle - a family based around a husband who works, a wife who keeps the home (in reality, the women frequently do work in most churches) and is in submission to him, and children who are taught to honor and obey their parents. 1 Peter 3:1 and Ephesians 5:22
They don't subscribe to the idea that women must wear skirts at all times, no make up, etc, but everything else is a yes. I guess I just didn't realize it because they didn't dress like the Duggar's used to. I just thought that Baptists were Baptists... although their church services were nothing like how I was raised... I just attributed it to the fact that I grew up in NC and this was a GA church. I feel like pandora's box has been opened and I've been given the secrets as to why we don't get along. At least now, I know why... I used to think that they were just bitchy. Maybe now we can get along better because I know where they are coming from and it's not just a hateful place; we just believe different things are wrong --although they my MiL is still judgemental as all get out. Knowledge is power, I suppose.
(And for the record, my SiL does homeschool her children and can't spell potato... and doesn't know the correct usage for two, to, & too. That I will always be at odds with....)
Last edited by Impatience; 08-20-2009 at 12:09 PM.
Administrator
I used to be one of them. My church was against men and women wearing shorts, women couldn't wear anything but skirts and dresses, and all the things you mentioned above that are prohibited--only if you were a member of the choirs, or held an office like Sunday school teacher.
Those were my teen years, the best years of my life, actually. Good times.
However, in my early 20s I became disillusioned with organized religion. A lot of it was due to the fact that a lot of their tenants were based on tradition rather than the Good Book. For instance, until early 20th century women did not wear bras because they hadn't been invented yet. And when they were invented the religious folk were scandalized because bras made breasts more obvious. Yet there came a time when and still is that if a woman doesn't wear a bra she is a skank.
my husband was in a hard-core fundamentalist group until he was in the 6th grade. I didn't know that's what it was as he always referred to it as the "cult". Apparently he was taught that men have one less rib than women bc of the adam and eve story -- I about fell out last night when he told me that... He is completely non-practicing of any religion now.
Honestly, I'm kind of shocked. I feel like I should have been told or something. I just knew that their idea of baptist and my idea of baptist didn't coincide. I thought that if you were a "fundamentalist" you would say so. or it would be at least within the name of your church. I just thought they were weirdos.
Administrator
I don't consider my ex church a cult. They just didn't agree with some of the goings on of the Southern Baptist Convention and pulled out. They taught the Bible as the literal word of God. It was a fun place to be, not old fogey, thunder clap environment. Actually had it not been for that church there is no telling what path I would have taken, drugs, teen pregnancy, etc. Spooky. But they kept me off the street and doing fun things with the youth group, travel, parties, etc.
First off, Impatience, I have to say congrats for taking this as an opportunity to come to some kind of understanding of your in-laws rather than using this info to ridicule or condemn them. I am an atheist myself, but very much enjoy a live-and-let-live attitude toward others' faiths, so long as they give me the same courtesy. Being a "Suthunuh", I also have had experiences with some of the more fundamentalist groups, and I think my favorites were the Primitive Baptists (also known as foot-washing Baptists). They segregate according to sex (men on one side, women on the other), build their churches near a naturally-occurring body of water (no inside baptismal font because that's not how Jesus did it), don't usually have a regular preacher but rather have the parishoners take turns, no communion unless you're a member of that particular church (not just a member of the overall sect), and of course, as part of the communion services the men wash each others' feet as do the women. Even when I was a Christian, I did not care for the way that this and many other churches in many denominations would deny communion for visitors, but overall I found the group I visited to be very kind and genuinely concerned about each other. I don't think you need a religion at all to find such a sense of community, but hey, to each his (peaceable!) own
Impatience,
When I became Catholic seven years ago, I thought Catholics were Catholics. But I was wrong too! There are Catholics who are anti-Vatican 2 because they believe it made the Church too liberal, and then there are those who are anti-V2 because they believe it didn't make the Church liberal enough. Then there are the "Traditional" Catholics (like Mel Gibson) who only attend Mass in Latin, which is pre-V2. In other words, there are religions, then there are extremists going both ways within those religions.
Misha
Renowned Death Hag
I'm a "cafeteria" Catholic and proud of it. Churches are run by humans, and humans are...well, human. I follow the church teachings that I believe in, and reject the ones that I don't.Impatience,
When I became Catholic seven years ago, I thought Catholics were Catholics. But I was wrong too! There are Catholics who are anti-Vatican 2 because they believe it made the Church too liberal, and then there are those who are anti-V2 because they believe it didn't make the Church liberal enough. Then there are the "Traditional" Catholics (like Mel Gibson) who only attend Mass in Latin, which is pre-V2. In other words, there are religions, then there are extremists going both ways within those religions.
Misha
I'm an agnostic. I will see if there is life after death when I pop my clogs!
Organized religion is a turn off in general. Everybody is human and fallible - even the pope!
Vlad,I'm an agnostic. I will see if there is life after death when I pop my clogs!
Organized religion is a turn off in general. Everybody is human and fallible - even the pope!
Why do you think it's a turn-off in general? You're right though - even the Pope goes to reconciliation. He's as human as the rest of us.
Misha
Me too. I'm a "cafeteria" Catholic, who uses birth control (although according to our last parish priest, it was allowed because it was medically necessary to correct a hormonal imbalance that affects my health, go figure), doesn't think the Pope is infallible, thinks priests and nuns should be allowed to marry, and so on.
My daughter is a baptized Catholic, but she's never received any other sacraments, because my husband was baptized Catholic, but raised non-denominational evangelical Christian, and wasn't exactly supportive in wanting to raise her Catholic. So, she's baptized, and I guess if she wanted to be a full-time Catholic, she'd have to talk to a priest to find out what we had to do.
My in-laws have been trying to convert me since they met me. First of all, let me explain that I am not enamored with evangelical non-denominational Christians. Most of the ones I've met who preach that Jesus loves everyone give me a ration of very unChristian shit because I'm Catholic. Also, what, exactly, do they believe in? Where are the tenets of their faith? Most can tell me what they don't believe in, and then they sing Kumbaya, or Jesus Loves Me, and think that should answer my questions. Uhh, NO. It doesn't.
Secondly, because they are hellbent on converting me, I will not convert, ever. I'm perfectly happy being a Catholic, and I'm also very stubborn, and don't take kindly to people telling me how wrong I am, and how God will turn away from me because I'm Catholic.
Renowned Death Hag
Being baptized in the Catholic church opens a lot of church doors. I know it was my only requirement for getting married in the church.
I actually find fellow Catholics to be more laid back about their faith than some other denominations, though this might be because I'm Catholic. Personally, some of the nastiest people I've ever met were devoutly "religious". They sing Jesus' name from the highest mountaintop while they piss on everyone below. During the 2nd Coming Jesus might not have anyone left to judge because these schmucks have already done it for him.
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