ok. as you probably noticed. from the little time that i had on this forum, i took off a little bit to figure out what i really wanted to get from this forum. i figured out that i really would like to believe in god. i was raised in church all my life, and i know all the stories, commamndments, beliefs, etc. EVERYTHING. plus, my dad is a pastor. but at the same time, i find it hard to believe. i guess my biggest problem is that im afraid of wasting my life. im afraid that im either going to spend my whole worshipping god and then it turns out to jsut be a fairy tale all along or vice-versa. and i know that that is where faith comes in, but i also know that just because you have faith or believe in something doesnt mean that its real. and i reference my self to my memories as a kid with santa clause and stuff like that. because, as corny as it sounds now, i can honestly say that i had faith that santa was real, but all i had to do was ask my mom if he was real, and she just said simply, "no". just like that. is this making any sense? anyway, if anyone has any advice i would love it. i guess my destiny depends on it.
The concepts of an inquisition and inquisitorial procedure lie deep in the roots of world history. Inquisitions were used during the decline of the Roman Empire until the Spanish Inquisition's decline in the early 1800s. An inquisition can be run by both civil and church authorities in order to root out non-believers from a nation or religion. The Spanish Inquisition was one of the most deadly inquisitions in history. The Spanish Inquisition was used for both political and religious reasons. Spain is a nation-state that was born out of religious struggle between numerous different belief systems including Catholicism, Islam, Protestantism and Judaism. Following the Crusades and the Reconquest of Spain by the Christian Spaniards the leaders of Spain needed a way to unify the country into a strong nation. Ferdinand and Isabella chose Catholicism to unite Spain and in 1478 asked permission of the pope to begin the Spanish Inquisition to purify the people of Spain. They began by driving out Jews, Protestants and other non-believers. In 1483 Tomas de Torquemada became the inquisitor-general for most of Spain. He was responsible for establishing the rules of inquisitorial procedure and creating branches of the Inquisition in various cities. He remained the leader of the Spanish Inquisition for fifteen years and is believed to be responsible for the execution of around 2,000 Spaniards. The Catholic Church and the Pope attempted to intervene in the bloody Spanish Inquisition but were unable to wrench the extremely useful political tool from the hands of the Spanish rulers. The Inquisition was run procedurally by the inquisitor-general who established local tribunals of the Inquisition. Accused heretics were identified by the general population and brought before the tribunal. The were given a chance to confess their heresy against the Catholic Church and were also encouraged to indict other heretics. If they admitted their wrongs and turned in other aggressors against the church they were either released or sentenced to a prison penalty. If they would not admit their heresy or indict others the accused were publicly introduced in a large ceremony before they were publicly killed or sentenced to a life in prison. Around the 1540s the Spanish Inquisition turned its fire on the Protestants in Spain in an attempt to further unify the nation. The Spanish Inquisition's reign of terror was finally suppressed in 1834.
what?!?!?! i can tell that you are a history buff. and i liked the presentation, but man, i just didnt understand what it had to do with my post. sorry.
hello again! well, there's very little anyone can say to you - this is sort of a timeless dilemma that everyone understands and no one has the answer to. we're all sort of fumbling around.. may i ask, how old are you? i seem to remember you're about sixteen... my advice would be: rest easy, and let wisdom come with the years. read up on both sides of the story if you like, to form a better argument in your head. it's interesting stuff anyway. are you equally hung up on having faith in allah, in yahweh, as you are with christ? i cannot possibly believe the god stories of christianity, but that doesn't mean i know there's not a god out there. maybe there is. i simply don't know. and, i do have faith - in who i am, in this strange experience "life", you understand? by the sounds of it, you're mostly concerned about screwing up and going to hell. this is christian fear. i know that feeling well, and i struggled with hell-fear and the strangest guilt for "abandoning christ" for a long time until i finally realized that the whole thing was ridiculous. as ridiculous as santa. still, i remember that christmas eve night lying in my bunk bed... my mom had already told me months earlier that santa didn't really exist and i knew that she was the one filling our stockings, and YET, i swore i could hear sleighbells on the roof. when you're clouded with fear and emotions, reason and reality are forfeited. love,
yes, i think your right. and yes i am sixteen. i guess i can go ahead and say that fear rules my life. and basically im afraid that there is no time to work with. everyday in church they tell us that the world will end soon, and i kind of believe them. but at the same time, i realize that they have always been saying that and that the only reason i believe them is because they have been beating it in my head since i was born. i sometimes wonder what it would be like if i came into the world with no influences and just decided on my own. but that didnt happen and it will never happen so i realize that im stuck in this same, fucked situation. but, thank you for your advice, and i will do my best to just let time tell.
Think you know Spam from the Spanish Inquisition? Take a Silly Walk through a trove of Monty Python trivia by answering 10 questions -- then we'll rate your skills
Lol Logchopper! Yeah it's funny isn't it? you grow up being told that Santa Claus, the easter bunny, the tooth fairy, Jesus, and honest politicians are real. Then at some point in your childhood you find out that you've been had but somehow you're expected to believe them when they tell you, "Ok, we lied about Santa Claus, the Tooth fairy, etc...but Jesus, Jesus is still real". Doesn't really make sense.
For 30 days make this your sole contemplation: "See the lillies of the field. They neither toil nor weep." Go out, spend some time alone, just watching the flowers and stars. Don't move for hours. Just watch, listen, smell, taste. Make every single thought that thought to all exclusion. Don't just imagine them, SEE them. If you do it just right there is no way that you will not have your life changed.
wise words whitefeather .........logchopper you would be wise to follow whitefeathers advice . no disrepect man ........logchopper could become treegrower........peace
Firstly, I'll say this: any religion or spiritual system that uses fear in any way (such as fear of eternal hell) is a false religion and will not help you. It is the wolf in sheep's clothing. There are ways of being Christian that does not use that route, so you could still be a Christian if you wanted. Not sure if that's important to you. But we must let go of fear to make any advances towards Truth. Really, it's just something you'll have to take your time with. No one has the answers (and anyone who says they do is lying). Everyone must find their own way, because everyone is an individual with their own perspective. Naturally we won't all see divinity in the same way. Read, talk to people, listen without judgement, just try to learn. Understand that what you read and hear are not necessarily the way things are, but is their perspective (this includes everything I'm saying now). Use this as a guide to find out what your own perspective is. Meditation is also a good thing, helps you cut through some of the bullshit so you can really pay attention. helps you find that "Kingdom of God within" that Jesus spoke of. But certainly don't fear Damnation for withholding your judgement on what you believe. You have to sort things out, God will understand (and if there's no such thing, no worries ). Jesus said he who seeks shall surely find what he is looking for, if he does so with an honest, open heart. I doubt he meant accept dogma blindly, but rather to make a real search for Truth. WhiteFeather has good advice, I'm going to try that myself.
In a certain respect, I agree, but humans are fear-filled creatures. How did the theory of souls begin in the first place? Wasn't it fear of non-existence? We needed to have a part of us that would trancend this inevitable mortal event called death. So, wouldn't we need the "fear of G-d" instilled in us in order to treat others as we should? I guess not everyone needs that, but I know some people who need to have such things threatened in order to get them to behave. I totally agree in this aspect. Exercise your mind. There isn't any harm in hearing out your brothers view of life. After all, whomever has two good ears should listen, right? Listen twice as much as you speak. Humans learn more that way. I wouldn't say don't make a judgement on issues at all, but do be certain that you've heard all sides of the argument. In truly listening to our brothers and sisters, we can better relate to their dillemas. Communication is the most important skill to have in regard to diplomacy. Even if you don't agree with a certain argument, perhaps you may have sympathy for those who employ it.
No. We are trying to get rid of fear, not perpetuate it. God is not something to be feared. I'll concede this: fear tactics are for those "low on the spiritual ladder" so to speak. It's very primitive and childish. It's natural to use fear tactics (not too harshly of course) when instilling discipline in our children, saying "if you eat those cookies you won't be able to play with your legos for a week." But we're supposed to grow out of that stage, and mature to fuller understandings. It's sad our legal system is so childish still, our religions too. All very immature. But I think we are being deluded, there are higher levels of understanding, that don't use fear as a motivation. It's never been too effective anyways, agreed? As an example, they say never to use negetive reinforcement (punishment) when training dogs. One must keep it positive, with praise, treats, toys, etc. Dogs want to please. I think humans are quite similar (which is why humans and dogs have been so close for so very long). We do want to do good. We should be encouraging goodness and high mindedness, rather than always pulling out the whip. At least with our religions, where we are supposed to be finding peace and love. I simply meant withhold judgement until you've heard all sides. Of course, one never hears ALL the sides, which is why it's always good to stay open minded. I just meant to avoid premature judgements.
Sweetheart, I wasn't trying to be offensive and suggest that *you* need fear in your spiritual life. I was really just pointing out that some people are really *just like* children, and will never mature to the point of being able to apply their spirituality successfully without fear. Unfortunately, these types of "special needs" folks would probably never treat others properly if there weren't a price to pay for doing so. LOL! Agreed. It ends up breeding contempt in the long run. I understand your point in a certain respect. My opinion differs a bit... Er, I dunno how to explain it... Ummmm. Oh, yes, there's a crappy old country song... The catch phrase is: You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything. There's a thing called justice, and if we don't draw our boundries, we may end up disgracing it and crossing the line. If that makes any sense at all...
Ahem........ LSD. If you can't convince yourself there's a God when you're that fucking high then there's no hope. Heheeee...just kidding, I think. I don't really condone messing with ones brain chemistry in search of the intangible.
all this sounds usefull. im going to try whitefeathers aproach first. but i doubt ill end up praying to the oak in my backyard! lol.
thats exactly how i feel. i am not limiting myself to just christianity. if i could just see proof from any point of view that there is a creator, messiah, etc, i would be willing to make it my whole life. i just havent seen that yet.
do you mean because there isnt any, or are you just saying that he or she is not willing to show thierselves?
