God

[wkmac]

I always found this website interesting on issues of God and Religion.

http://www.meta-religion.com/HomeEnglish.htm

For those of you of christian faith, an interesting historical study might be http://www.meta-religion.com/World_Religions/Zoroastrim/zoroastrism.htm

This influence may have come directly from jewish roots and the 600 BC Judean captivity in ancient Babylon in which the Persians came to control and it was a Persian King that released the jewish captives to return to Jerusalem. This influence is suggested here http://www.meta-religion.com/World_Religions/Zoroastrim/zoroastrianism_and_judaism.htm

Also one must consider the influence of Sumerian beliefs like the Epic of Gilgamesh as Abraham was from Ur of the Chaldees which was a part of the Sumerian world. Ur was also home to a temple tower called a ziggurat and dedicated to the Sumerian Moon deity Nanna so in this southern Mesopotamian area, Sumerian culture was very much a way of life.

Gilgamesh may have been a real king around 2700 BC during the 2nd Dynastic period and within his Epic which predates Abraham (2000 to 1700 BC) are the images of an Adam figure and a Noah figure with Gilgamesh having been in a Garden like tempting with a serpent and involving an immortal life. Gilgamesh also had his famous flood and some scholars believe the early Israelite peoples adopted these legends as their own to create their own unique history.

From a Christian perspective, Roman Mithraism proves a very interesting study. Mithraism came to Rome via Persia in 1st century BC and became a very popular religion especially among the military. Meta-Religion as well as other websites have numerous articles on this belief system but I do have a caveat. Unless you are really strong in your faith or have an open mind, you might do well to leave this issue alone. I personally found that it vastly changed my beliefs in many things orthodox but at the same time I came to see the greatness of the biblical moral laws, IMO the "logos" of John Chapter 1 if you will, and the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth.

Otherwise, from a historical study and understanding who we are and how we think and act is very worthwhile IMO.

 

[feeder53]

I believe in a higher power, and have seen many other religions in my travels. I think we all need something to believe in. Your higher power could be a mailbox, a tree or an other person......

 

[DS]

I believe in a higher power, and have seen many other religions in my travels. I think we all need something to believe in. Your higher power could be a mailbox, a tree or an other person......

You nailed it feeder53,whatever brings you closer to that higher power,is one step closer to the truth we all miss by already having an opinion.
IMHO

 

[moreluck]

A Young Person's Explanation of God



One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn't make grownups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way He doesn't have to take up His valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers.

God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times beside bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because He hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in His ears, unless He has thought of a way to turn it off.

God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting His time by going over your mom and dad's head asking for something they said you couldn't have.

Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think there are any in my town. At least there aren't any who come to our church.

Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work, like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of Him preaching to them and they crucified Him. But He was good and kind, like His father, and He told His father that they didn't know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said O.K.

His dad (God) appreciated everything that He had done and all His hard work on earth so He told Him He didn't have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So He did. And now He helps His dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones He can take care of Himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary, only more important.

You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time.

You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God! Don' t skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn't come out at the beach until noon anyway.

If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're scared, in the dark or when you can't swim and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids.

But...you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and He can take me back anytime He pleases.

And...that's why I believe in God.

 

[16tons]

I believe that Jesus was the son of God and that he died on the cross for our sins, and rose on the third day.

What does this mean?

It means that I have nothing in this life to fear but God himself (what can you do to me? Kill me? Ok, I go to heaven)

The Bible tells me everything you do, do for the glory of God. (This makes me a better person and employee, even when no one is looking God knows your heart)

This is a fallen world, full of pain and suffering, you are free to believe in the resurrection or not. God will welcome you into his house of many rooms, or let you go. The ball is in your hands, it's up to you.

To me the Bible answers all of my questions, puts everything in place. It gives me peace in death and in suffering. God does all things for his good, the fact that I don't always understand his ways is the reason for my faith. Faith is my hope that one day, my selfish ways will part from me and I will understand my purpose in his plan.

 

[Mike hunt]

If there is a God, why does He/She allow such horrible things to happen? War, famine, disease, disasters, harming children etc. all come to kind as examples of things that a compassionate "God" would not allow or would choose to intervene in if such a being did exist.
And why is God in hiding? Like in the old John Denver movie, why doesn't he just show-up every once in awhile for a chat? Like Maslow, I believe that religion is just a mechanism invented by man to deny death.

Because we are all in hell right now. We are just passing through though.