What are your beliefs?

Originally posted by RBHILL
... For that person must not suppose that a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways, will receive anything from the Lord.

Have you read any of Steve Allen's books? Allen pointed out how awful it is for a cancer victim to be told on her deathbed by believers: "Well, your faith that God would answer your prayers for healing was just not strong enough."

Originally posted by Paul Dirac
Have you read any of Steve Allen's books? Allen pointed out how awful it is for a cancer victim to be told on her deathbed by believers: "Well, your faith that God would answer your prayers for healing was just not strong enough."

Christians should not fear death. It is just a mode of transportation to God for us. It's not a matter of her not having enough faith, it's a matter of her asking for the wrong thing. HER will being done rather than GOD'S, which is always wrong.

Originally posted by RBHILL
What are your beliefs and why do you believe that, who or what are your influances?

I believe that I am a vessel for transporting my DNA into the future. I believe that my DNA is most likely to survive if I act in a humane and kind manner towards my fellow vessels as I believe that if I do so, then they will be humane and kind in return (in the vast majority of cases). If we therefore all (or most of us) act in a humane manner then our individual packets of DNA will have the greatest chance of survival.

Whilst I am in custody of my package of DNA, I believe that I may as well have a good a time as possible, tempered by my need to protect my package of DNA (and of course that includes protecting my DNA which has been mixed with a package of female DNA via conception) into the future. This means that I nurture and look after my family and participate in community affairs as this is likely to improve the chances of my DNA and my mixed DNA travelling further into the future.

The purpose of life is to continue life (but not to overpopulate the earth or damage the earth as to do so would endanger my DNA).

The influences on my belief were of course my parents, my schooling, my university training, my reading and my friends. To me, the logic required to believe in evolution, is far less than the faith required to believe in religious philosophy which appears to exist simply to give humans a belief that they can be immortal. I'm not sure why certain people wish to become immortal through the belief in an afterlife, but I am happy for them to have that desire, as long as they leave me alone to follow my desire to look after and nuture my packets of DNA.

Thank you RBHill for raising this question. It has forced me to think of how to explain my beliefs in a hopefully concise manner!

Originally posted by Paul Dirac
Have you read any of Steve Allen's books? Allen pointed out how awful it is for a cancer victim to be told on her deathbed by believers: "Well, your faith that God would answer your prayers for healing was just not strong enough."

The doctors told my ex's dad that he would never have children and he had two. And there are 9 years apart in age.

He was raised Catholic like I was.

He had a bipass surgary. He has diabetes.

Now I told him that if he did not now the Lord he would be physically dead and be lost forever and he agreed with me.

He is in really bad health at age 52 and it is the Lord that keeps him alive.


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Darfius is right in saying that Christians should not fear death.
2 Corinthians 5:8 - We are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
Philippians 1:21 - For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Originally posted by Paul Dirac
Have you read any of Steve Allen's books? Allen pointed out how awful it is for a cancer victim to be told on her deathbed by believers: "Well, your faith that God would answer your prayers for healing was just not strong enough."

I am in a refresher course for my EMT license.

We watch a film on the aging of life and when you die you body release a chemical so that you don't fell pain. Now that would be the work of a creator right there.

Originally posted by RBHILL
He is in really bad health at age 52 and it is the Lord that keeps him alive.

But is it also the Lord, in your opinion, that keeps him in bad health?

You may believe that what we call "accidents," for instance vehicle collisions, are the work of God--I'm not quite sure if that is what you are saying. As you may know, there are some Christians who think such things are the work of the Devil.

Originally posted by Maustrauser
I believe that I am a vessel for transporting my DNA into the future. I believe that my DNA is most likely to survive if I act in a humane and kind manner towards my fellow vessels as I believe that if I do so, then they will be humane ...[text shortened]... think of how to explain my beliefs in a hopefully concise manner!

Yes and thanks for you answers. They are all injoyable to read.

To be a Christian little faith is required. And little faith to move mountains.

Verse that have the words mustard seed I was pointing to the second one though.
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Matthew 13:31 - Another parable he put before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field;

Matthew 17:20 - He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you."

Mark 4:31 - It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth;

Luke 13:19 - It is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches."

Luke 17:6 - And the Lord said, "If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamine tree, 'Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

Originally posted by Paul Dirac
But is it also the Lord, in your opinion, that keeps him in bad health?

You may believe that what we call "accidents," for instance vehicle collisions, are the work of God--I'm not quite sure if that is what you are saying. As you may know, there are some Christians who think such things are the work of the Devil.

They are the work of the devil and so could be bad health and diseases are for the Devil, like for example the Aids virus. The virus if it start from gays like they say it was the root cause of sin. If they had not beeen gay we might not have that Virus.

Like 9/11 was all Satan and his demons, but I am sure lots of people in the towers called out to God.

Originally posted by RBHILL
They are the work of the devil and so could be bad health and diseases are for the Devil, like for example the Aids virus. The virus if it start from gays like they say it was the root cause of sin. If they had not beeen gay we might not have that Virus.

Like 9/11 was all Satan and his demons, but I am sure lots of people in the towers called out to God.

So I think your position is that the Devil has a direct hand in creating mayhem and pain whenever God deliberately allows him to do so.

Also, are you saying that the creation of life did not end after the six days of creation in the book of Genesis? Did the AIDS virus come into existence only in recent decades? Did Satan himself create that virus?

Originally posted by Paul Dirac
So I think your position is that the Devil has a direct hand in creating mayhem and pain whenever God deliberately allows him to do so.

Also, are you saying that the creation of life did not end after the six days of creation in the book of Genesis? Did the AIDS virus come into existence only in recent decades? Did Satan himself create that virus?

Diseases where because of Sin. Devil can't Creat he only copies.

If you read though out the bible he wants to destory God's work or copy him.

If you read the Bible it says that Satan is the Prince of this world. God gave it to him after man sinned.

John 12:31-32
31 Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out; 32 and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."

Originally posted by RBHILL
Diseases where because of Sin. Devil can't Creat he only copies.

If you read though out the bible he wants to destory God's work or copy him...

Let's see if I understand your position. God created the viruses, which make their living by parasitizing other organisms. God finished doing this in six days, and didn't need to create any more living things after that. But some of God's creations, such as the AIDS virus, did not manifest themselves until the twentieth century. They were there somewhere in nature, hiding out, until God or Satan called them into action.

Please correct any misunderstandings.

Originally posted by Paul Dirac
Let's see if I understand your position. God created the viruses, which make their living by parasitizing other organisms. God finished doing this in six days, and didn't need to create any more living things after that. But some of God's creations, such as the AIDS virus, did not manifest themselves until the twentieth century. They were there somewhe ...[text shortened]... hiding out, until God or Satan called them into action.

Please correct any misunderstandings.

Well People and sperm are created all the time.

Originally posted by RBHILL
Well People and sperm are created all the time.

Are new species also created all the time?

Originally posted by Paul Dirac
Are new species also created all the time?

Possibly, but I may doubt it.

They found new type of fish after the tsunami taht had come to the surfice of the water. You can probably find them online. Thoughs were probably created before man like the bible says. If you fallow the Bible mankind is young.

Originally posted by RBHILL
Possibly, but I may doubt it... If you fallow the Bible mankind is young.

I take it you are a Young Earth Creationist. There is an article starting on page 28 of the April, 2005 Astronomy magazine that I think would be of interest to you.

Also, pertaining to an earlier post in this thread, you ought to look for the book Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion, and Morality at your local public library, in the religion section. Steve Allen was a Christian, but he found lots of things in the Bible that he believed were false, contradictory, or mean-spirited. Reading the book may not change your mind if you are one who espouses Biblical inerrancy, but it will nevertheless challenge you to dig deeply into The Word.