*What's life about*

[panntastic]

Normal Rehabs have a 13-20% success rate. My church is affiliated with one that adds religion to it, it has a 75% success rate. Faith. I hope to work there soon.

Wow them are some staggering statistics BG
This is quite hard for me as the town I live in was the most godless town in emgland for quite some time so meeting people with strong views like some of you gents on here really opens my eyes.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...s-Telford.html

[BG]

How do I know its God and Jesus doing these things for me. Because my whole life I could not do them myself. MY WHOLE LIFE I TRIED. You remember when I wasnt going to use gear anymore, Ive been struggling with my demons for ever. How do I know it wasnt just good fortune? I never had anything go way for a very long time. Since becoming faithful, things have turned around, as long as I keep my faith and dont get angry things end up working out for the best. The lord blesses me for my faithfulness. Ive seen doctors, psych, tried anti-depressants....nothing worked. Theres no definite answer Marcus, you have to try it, live it, to understand how having faith can give you strength. You cant sit here with a closed mind and think there will be an answer, you have to want to see it, want to be it. When you become part of the body of Christ you inherit a family, a brother and reunited with your true father...creator. You learn your life isnt about the material things, what people think of you. Life isnt about you. Its about everyone else, you help those who are need and they should help you when in need. Why should we live in excess when so many others have nothing. Our government programs us to want more and more, its a natural human quality to desire, they exploit it. It keeps us busy and spending money which allows them to remain in power. Its always been a struggle for power.

Last year I was on my final straw, about to give up on my marriage, quit my job and get a little place and life a selfish life. I was sitting on a bench, head down just thinking. One of my training partners came in and asked what was wrong. So I told him. He said to me "You need some faith in your life. Jesus will take the anger/pain out of your heart and replace it with peace/love." Now Im sitting there thinking, Im not so sure about that, but I will give it a try. The first 4 times I went buddy, I thought the Pastor was talking directly to me, I was in udder shock. I was doing everything wrong. Pride, selfishness, entitlement, all the things I held onto dearly was what was bringing me down. I had no faith in people, most everyone I knew were liars, cheaters just no good. After meeting people at my church I realized there was a whole different world out there, that life could be good. I actually had a chance.

[ppwc1985]

Marcus i found my faith in the bible and seeing and knowing he is working in my life. The bible is an amazing book and if you study it scripture for scripture you will be amazed. As far as bad things happening i look at it like this, all good things come from God all bad things come from satan. And like mr. FQ said the lorg works in mysterious ways. I was were you are now, but i was on the other side of the fence. I did not believe in God, i also always asked where did he come from. We as simple minded humans will never know all the mysterious of God. There are so many things in the bible that you can't explain away, ITS not a therory like most of science. How could something in a book written 1000s of years before come true to the exact thing. The perdictions of just jesus alone numbers in the hundreds. They tell of his birth, life, death, and ressurection. I mean they perdicted that he would be born to a virgin, when he would be babtized and start his ministy. Just about his death there were perdictions about how he would die, that not one single bone would be broken. That he would be pierced in his side, that the guards would bet over his garments. All these things were wrote 1000s years before, can you explain that? My faith is based on the word of God, and yes i know the way it is written that it can be hard to understand, But with him guiding me, and a great teacher i found the truth. I studied other christian faiths, but the one i think is the closes to the bible is the one i stuck with, and even though i use my own mind i still fall short of their beliefs. But i look at the bible ans what Jesus himself says, we all fall short. We are human and we born into sin. I can't save myself through nothin that i do, I am saved through Jesus my savior. Marcus the reason you are even asking these questions is because the holy spirt is trying to work on you. Thats a good thing, I hope these words help, but i will definatly ask him to help you see the light either way. I'm not here to judge anyone, I only have myself to answer to him for. Each man WILL kneel before him and answer his questions. ou asked if i had a daughter that bad things happened to would my faith hold. the answer is most definatly, cause without him to lean on i wouldn't make it through. But i know if something bad like that happened it sure wasn't God that was the cause of it. Yes he lets thing happen, but that in itself is another story. But to make it quick cause i don't want to preach. The best way to explain it is to say God is love, if he forced us than thats not love. Well its the same in heaven, but satan looked at himself and thought he should be in charge. He was the Numero uno angel, he was the leader. But his pride caused him to think he deserved more. Now God created him so the ? is why not just destroy him. Well the problem with that is all the other angels plus the other worlds he created was watching. If he had just struck him down than do you think the others would have continued serving him in love or fear. God knows all and he loves so he had no choice but to let it play out and thats what is happening now. Its hard to have faith in something you don't see,touch, smell, feel, and hear but with the Bible i am able too. So good luck in your search for your truth, but like lunk said just believe.

[BG]

Marcus i found my faith in the bible and seeing and knowing he is working in my life. The bible is an amazing book and if you study it scripture for scripture you will be amazed. As far as bad things happening i look at it like this, all good things come from God all bad things come from satan. And like mr. FQ said the lorg works in mysterious ways. I was were you are now, but i was on the other side of the fence. I did not believe in God, i also always asked where did he come from. We as simple minded humans will never know all the mysterious of God. There are so many things in the bible that you can't explain away, ITS not a therory like most of science. How could something in a book written 1000s of years before come true to the exact thing. The perdictions of just jesus alone numbers in the hundreds. They tell of his birth, life, death, and ressurection. I mean they perdicted that he would be born to a virgin, when he would be babtized and start his ministy. Just about his death there were perdictions about how he would die, that not one single bone would be broken. That he would be pierced in his side, that the guards would bet over his garments. All these things were wrote 1000s years before, can you explain that? My faith is based on the word of God, and yes i know the way it is written that it can be hard to understand, But with him guiding me, and a great teacher i found the truth. I studied other christian faiths, but the one i think is the closes to the bible is the one i stuck with, and even though i use my own mind i still fall short of their beliefs. But i look at the bible ans what Jesus himself says, we all fall short. We are human and we born into sin. I can't save myself through nothin that i do, I am saved through Jesus my savior. Marcus the reason you are even asking these questions is because the holy spirt is trying to work on you. Thats a good thing, I hope these words help, but i will definatly ask him to help you see the light either way. I'm not here to judge anyone, I only have myself to answer to him for. Each man WILL kneel before him and answer his questions. ou asked if i had a daughter that bad things happened to would my faith hold. the answer is most definatly, cause without him to lean on i wouldn't make it through. But i know if something bad like that happened it sure wasn't God that was the cause of it. Yes he lets thing happen, but that in itself is another story. But to make it quick cause i don't want to preach. The best way to explain it is to say God is love, if he forced us than thats not love. Well its the same in heaven, but satan looked at himself and thought he should be in charge. He was the Numero uno angel, he was the leader. But his pride caused him to think he deserved more. Now God created him so the ? is why not just destroy him. Well the problem with that is all the other angels plus the other worlds he created was watching. If he had just struck him down than do you think the others would have continued serving him in love or fear. God knows all and he loves so he had no choice but to let it play out and thats what is happening now. Its hard to have faith in something you don't see,touch, smell, feel, and hear but with the Bible i am able too. So good luck in your search for your truth, but like lunk said just believe.

Well said !! Over 2000 years and still going stronger and stronger !Like you said, its hard to believe until you study the bible. ITS ALL THERE.

[marcus300]

Is there anyone reading this and thinks there is no god? And is on the side of science

[panntastic]

Is there anyone reading this and thinks there is no god?

Yep
I respect the views of others but I personally can't believe there is a single being responsible for everything in existence.
Wars are mostly religious and cost many many lives. From the crusades up to today so many lives lost in the name of a higher being.

[JWP806]

Is there anyone reading this and thinks there is no god? And is on the side of science

100% atheist... I'm astounded that in 2013, people reject science or ignore it in favor of religion. I've had debates with people who flat out say that they don't believe in evolution and then say some remark about how they don't believe we are related to monkeys. They don't even understand the theory. Then they try to use the bible to back up their beliefs while not understanding that quotes from the bible are nothing close to proof.

I respect that people believe in a higher power but just don't try to push it on me or my kids. I've never had a real debate with a christian because they have no arguments for god other than personal experiences. They can't try to argue against science because they know nothing about what they are arguing against. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. I minored in biology in college and once you have a full understanding of how the earth was formed and how life evolved (and is evolving), it makes perfect sense.

I get why people needed religion during the dark ages. Life was short and miserable for most. You had to have something to make life better - an afterlife. I look at the world for what it is and realize that all we have is each other and it's important to me to be as good of a person as I can be.

I watched Joel Osteen this morning. Wow, what a fantastic speaker and he really teaches people how to live well. I'm totally in favor of the majority of the lessons that the bible teaches but I absolutely can't believe the stories of the bible or believe in god.

I'm curious to know why god killed so many people in the stories of the bible and why the bible discusses rape, slavery and murder. To me, I easily put god in the same category as santa clause, the easter bunny and the tooth fairy. I struggle to understand how a grown man can truly believe. Most cherry pick the good stories of the bible and ignore the dark stuff in there.

[MR-FQ320]

Is there anyone reading this and thinks there is no god? And is on the side of science

Me, I'm totally sceptical of a god, OK a clever bloke called Jesus walked this earth, I don't think we can deny that, but the Holy Spirit and the holy trinity ?

Morally the the bible is a good teacher but it is scientifically incorrect.

I once went as deep as this with a Muslim, and I questioned all he believes in, and his final answer was this - " Faith is like love, you can't prove it, you just believe in it, you feel it you know it's there buy can't explain it"

[--->>405<<---]

Me, I'm totally sceptical of a god, OK a clever bloke called Jesus walked this earth, I don't think we can deny that, but the Holy Spirit and the holy trinity ?

Morally the the bible is a good teacher but it is scientifically incorrect.

I once went as deep as this with a Muslim, and I questioned all he believes in, and his final answer was this - " Faith is like love, you can't prove it, you just believe in it, you feel it you know it's there buy can't explain it"

Can u quote what exactly u find scientifically incorrect in the bible??

[MR-FQ320]

Can u quote what exactly u find scientifically incorrect in the bible??

Genesis.

[--->>405<<---]

Genesis.

LOL.. ok.. which part? where it says God created the world in 6 days?

[BG]

No problem buddy, anytime. Its hard typing it, its something you need to hear and feel in person. But Ill tell others, you want to instill good values into your children, take them to church, I recommend Assembly Of God.

[marcus300]

No problem buddy, anytime. Its hard typing it, its something you need to hear and feel in person. But Ill tell others, you want to instill good values into your children, take them to church, I recommend Assembly Of God.

Thanks bg you did help and I'll get back to you soon on a few things soon

[--->>405<<---]

marcus i have been giving it some thought and i know u asked me how i knew it was god who delivered me from addiction. apparently my answer was not what u were looking for. i wonder what exactly were u looking for??

[marcus300]

marcus i have been giving it some thought and i know u asked me how i knew it was god who delivered me from addiction. apparently my answer was not what u were looking for. i wonder what exactly were u looking for??

I was looking for answer's to all the questions I asked you and you didn't answer any of them .

[--->>405<<---]

I was looking for answer's to all the questions I asked you and you didn't answer any of them .

Maybe i missed the questions, what were they?

[marcus300]

Jwp thanks for your view. I do have some questions for you if you don't mind answering but I'm going to have to do a little bit of research first because so I'll get back to you as soon as I can. And anyone else can answer if they like.

[MR-FQ320]

Imagine this if you will, a computer simulation game of a population of AI characters, that YOU created, and these characters had a soul and a brain and self awareness, would you be there god ? What if the human race were in a simulation, it seems real to us right? It might seem real for th AI characters but does it mean that is actually real ? That's matrix theory anyway.

[MR-FQ320]

Lets start with the first line first verse, God createsthe earth and the heavens - no he didn't - a hell of a lot happened before the earth was created.

3. Let there be light and there was

Yes the whole 6 days.

16 God made two great lights--the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.

[--->>405<<---]

Lets start with the first line first verse, God createsthe earth and the heavens - no he didn't - a hell of a lot happened before the earth was created.

3. Let there be light and there was

Yes the whole 6 days.

16 God made two great lights--the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.

well what all happened before God created the heavens and the earth ?

also where did all the planets and stars come from? how were they formed? im a bit curious? also where did space come from? the actual universe..??

[MR-FQ320]

well what all happened before God created the heavens and the earth ?

also where did all the planets and stars come from? how were they formed? im a bit curious? also where did space come from? the actual universe..??

I feel you have a well versed reply for what I'm about to say lol but here goes anyway.

Ok so the Big Bang theory is made up of three parts, the singularity, the expansion and the cooling, the second two have been proven, granted the singularity point has not been been proven YET, just reverse engineer the universe and it leads us to a singularity.

Are you going to say a god made this singularity happen, I would be really interested to hear this from your perspective.

So scientists think everything came out of either nothing or a single "piece" of pure energy, are you going to say this is what genesis is referring to ? It still didn't happen in six days.

[kronik420]

idk about god..

but there is a heaven and a hell

and you don't have to be dead to visit either...

[MR-FQ320]

I also have a problem with most of the Sunday school stories actually, the parting of the Red Sea , Noah is a real sticking point - this storie has been doing the rounds thousands of years before Jesus walked this land.

[Capebuffalo]

Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

[panntastic]

Just to lighten this
sickipedia says Jesus was truly a miracle worker finding friends called Matthew , mark, Luke and John in the Middle East

[--->>405<<---]

Just to lighten this
sickipedia says Jesus was truly a miracle worker finding friends called Matthew , mark, Luke and John in the Middle East

hey its a serious issue for sure. when it comes to beliefs we are very strongly attached to them. i think some emotion comes into play. i know it does with me. but i do remember what it was like before i became a believer.

i respect where yall are coming from. i cant expect u or anyone else to value what i value simply because i value it!

[panntastic]

hey its a serious issue for sure. when it comes to beliefs we are very strongly attached to them. i think some emotion comes into play. i know it does with me. but i do remember what it was like before i became a believer.

i respect where yall are coming from. i cant expect u or anyone else to value what i value simply because i value it!

I really didn't mean to offend anyone 405 that wasn't the reason for me posting that
I do apologise sincerely if I did

[--->>405<<---]

I really didn't mean to offend anyone 405 that wasn't the reason for me posting that
I do apologise sincerely if I did

no u didnt offend me i was just saying it is a serious issue but i respect the fact that my view is in the minority. i know this, the bible teaches it. i expect it.. thats all i was trying to say. i understand what its like to not believe and be skeptical or even downright opposed to the bible and everyone who professes it. i was like that my whole life until 2008..

[--->>405<<---]

hey pal it really wasnt a loaded question i know nothing about the big bang other than they say the universe came from nothing. i was wondering what scientific proof there was for the beginning of space? where did we get space?

assuming there was nothing before space, no space that is.. where did space come from? also where did the planets come from?

but first i think we need to establish exactly where space itself came from?

[Capebuffalo]

The Hebrew word "yom" is translated as day in Genesis. Just as our word "day" can have different meanings based on its context, so can the word "yom". For example, in the Old Testament "yom" is translated to mean a 24 hour day 1109 times. It means a long, long period of time--such as an age--about nine times.

[--->>405<<---]

The Hebrew word "yom" is translated as day in Genesis. Just as our word "day" can have different meanings based on its context, so can the word "yom". For example, in the Old Testament "yom" is translated to mean a 24 hour day 1109 times. It means a long, long period of time--such as an age--about nine times.

yes we can get into the hebrew translation. day for when God created the universe and all is a 24hr period. it is separated by evenings.. it is a literal 6 day creation. obviously there are different people who believe different things, but i believe and am taught by a very well educated pastor with a Phd that the universe was created in 6 literal days..

[Capebuffalo]

Lets try this...God has no need to have been created, since He exists either outside time (where cause and effect do not operate) or within multiple dimensions of time (such that there is no beginning of God's plane of time). Hence God is eternal, having never been created. Although it is possible that the universe itself is eternal, eliminating the need for its creation, observational evidence contradicts this hypothesis, since the universe began to exist a finite ~13.7 billion years ago. The only possible escape for the atheist is the invention of a kind of super universe, which can never be confirmed experimentally (hence it is metaphysical in nature, and not scientific).

[JWP806]

Lets try this...God has no need to have been created, since He exists either outside time (where cause and effect do not operate) or within multiple dimensions of time (such that there is no beginning of God's plane of time). Hence God is eternal, having never been created. Although it is possible that the universe itself is eternal, eliminating the need for its creation, observational evidence contradicts this hypothesis, since the universe began to exist a finite ~13.7 billion years ago. The only possible escape for the atheist is the invention of a kind of super universe, which can never be confirmed experimentally (hence it is metaphysical in nature, and not scientific).

So the website that you copied and pasted this from is saying that since we can't prove it (yet) with science, it must be god?

[Capebuffalo]

So the website that you copied and pasted this from is saying that since we can't prove it (yet) with science, it must be god?

Precisely. That is my belief in it why it was created by God

[JWP806]

Precisely. That is my belief in it.

So if the origin of the universe is determined through science, with full proof, will that crush your beliefs? Not that I wan't you to believe differently or as I do, I'm just merely posing questions that are interesting to me.

[Capebuffalo]

So if the origin of the universe is determined through science, with full proof, will that crush your beliefs? Not that I wan't you to believe differently or as I do, I'm just merely posing questions that are interesting to me.

It would raise questions for sure, but my belief is strong it wouldn't change anything for me. God would still be behind it. IMO Nothing happens that is not God's hand.
Good Bad or Other.

And don't worry about asking questions thats how we get to where we are going. I wasn't a true believer until 2009 when I was saved and then Baptized.

I found God and he literally saved my life New Years Eve 2008.

[MR-FQ320]

My apologies 405, I just assumed that you would have had a previous similar discussion, I agree with all your questions and they do need answering, although space as we know it now is only the voids between matter and dark matter.

[--->>405<<---]

My apologies 405, I just assumed that you would have had a previous similar discussion, I agree with all your questions and they do need answering, although space as we know it now is only the voids between matter and dark matter.

yes me and TR touched on it a bit awhile back, but i dont think we got into my questions regarding space per se.

while space may be what u say "the void between matter and dark matter" isnt it still "something"?? i mean it is a vastness. where did this vastness come from? what was there before the vastness? wouldnt there have had to have been a "nothingness" as in the absence of space?

if so, where did space come from?

if not, where did space come from?

[MR-FQ320]

yes me and TR touched on it a bit awhile back, but i dont think we got into my questions regarding space per se.

while space may be what u say "the void between matter and dark matter" isnt it still "something"?? i mean it is a vastness. where did this vastness come from? what was there before the vastness? wouldnt there have had to have been a "nothingness" as in the absence of space?

if so, where did space come from?

if not, where did space come from?

Space is nothing - it is a vacuum. Only a few atoms per square cubic metre.

First there was nothing then there was the Big Bang then rapid expansion and cooling that's when matter started to form ( about 400 million years after the Big Bang ) and now the universe is infinite - and growing all the time, are you with me ?

Just to go back a couple of steps, if god was almighty and all these bible predictions came true, and genesis happened the way it stated then why does it fail to mention the questions you and I both ask?

[Hazard]

Space is nothing - it is a vacuum. Only a few atoms per square cubic metre.

First there was nothing then there was the Big Bang then rapid expansion and cooling that's when matter started to form ( about 400 million years after the Big Bang ) and now the universe is infinite - and growing all the time, are you with me ?

Just to go back a couple of steps, if god was almighty and all these bible predictions came true, and genesis happened the way it stated then why does it fail to mention the questions you and I both ask?

The universe is actually finite. It's the multiverse that would be infinite.

If god is omnipotent why do we need to pray for someone's health? If he knows all why do we tell everyone to say a prayer for someone.

I believe we find comfort in knowing people are praying and if asked to..... I'd say a prayer for that person knowing it comforts them.

Also..... Why would a power like god have interest in us like this? If he can create all this why would he create an earth for us that has an expiration date. Our time here will end..... Even of we found peace on earth. It's inevitable.