Theology

[Paul Arden]

Don't you think it's better to be good without believing in God?

[Stu Jamieson]

Do you mean without the pressure of being consigned to eternal damnation? Possibly.
I've always been of the opinion that God would value my goodness irrespective of whether I believe He exists. If He can't respect that, then I can't respect His evaluation of me.

[Paul Arden]

I do find it fascinating. There are 100 billion stars in our Galaxy and 100 billion other galaxies in the visible Universe, some far bigger than ours, and apparently this is all just to test a species that has existed for 1 or 200,000 years to see if they are worthy or not as individuals to go to heaven or hell. I mean if that's not the biggest load of hogwash I don't know what is!

Now OK, in some religions someone has actually met God. In the bible anyway he was always popping up, burning bushes, parting oceans, he was pretty handy with rain too and he would actually make appearances - he wouldn't hold meetings, just surprise the occasional lost traveller. So if he was ever around, which I sincerely doubt by the way, then I reckon he's buggered off!

It's very appealing to believe in a God; life is frighteningly short. I think I would like a few hundred thousand years of existence thank you very much, not less than a hundred! And that's the real salvation: eternal life!! It's very hard for our minds to accept here today, gone forever tomorrow but in the whole cosmos, which isn't really a Cosmos at all, but just an inexplicable random event - at least if you believe in the Big Bang, which at least does have grounds since the Universe is expanding... anyway, in this whole "thing", we are infinitesimally small - not even a speck of a speck of a speck... Howvever while we may amount to little more than nothing, the fishing here can be fantastic!

Well I don't know about you, but I think that means we should have a fucking good party

Cheers, Paul

[Paul Arden]

I have another problem with this too, right. So you get your salvation and go to heaven where you get to hang out with God eternally. What the fuck are you going to do? Be thankful for your 40 or 100 years of cool existence and sing songs about it? Forever? You're going to be bored out of your mind after a week!

No! This is where life is. Make the most out of it!

Now of course if heaven has an infinite number of lakes, rivers and seas to explore then I will reconsider. Obviously the size of Snakehead in heaven is going to be fantastic. But if there's no fishing I'm not going.

[Graeme H]

Ah, but in heaven, the fish are conscious …



(I'm with you though: don't live your life as if it's preordained by a superstition. Take control of and responsibility for your actions.)

[James9118]

I believe in the sun god. I see it most days. Far more sensible than the flying spaghetti monster.

[Paul Arden]

It's amazing how people can get so obsessed over it. Religion has caused as more world problems than just about everything else! I do wish they'd lighten up!

[Flyfishfairwx]

Interesting topic for a bunch of bleary eyed, fly fishing types, have a NGE Paul ? Near God Experience??

A little too much jungle juice, or close encounter with the python, or a Miss Python??




I have posted this before , it just works as far as I can tell, make sense for me..

I've been in a foxhole and there are no atheists hanging around there.

I see fish and their environments and just have to believe.

I do Believe.

By Waylon Jennings

In my own way, I'm a believer
In my own way, right or wrong
I don't talk too much about it

It's something, I keep working on
I don't have too much, to build on
My faith has never been that strong

There's a man there in that old building
He's a holy man, they say
He keeps talking about tomorrow

While I keep struggling with today
He preaches hell, fire and brimstone
And heaven seems so far away

I do believe in a higher power
One, that loves us one and all
Not someone to solve my problems

Or to catch me when I fall
He gave us all a mind to think with
And to know what's right or wrong
He is that inner spirit that keeps us strong

In my own way, I'm a believer
But not in voices, I can't hear
I believe in a loving father

One, I never have to fear
That I should live life at it's fullest
Just as long as I am here

[Graeme H]

It's amazing how people can get so obsessed over it. Religion has caused as more world problems than just about everything else! I do wish they'd lighten up!

Actually, I think political animals just use religion as their platform to cause most of the problems attributed to religion. They have an agenda in mind and use belief systems as the motivator to gain traction for their agenda. Religion in general then cops the blame for personal ambitions.

I reckon Jesus would have been in favour of contraception if faced with world overpopulation & Mohamed would not have shunned a press conference (complete with photographers) to help spread his message.

People cause the problems, not the religions themselves.

IMHO.

[JTWG]

Paul, you should read "the reason for God" by Timothy Keller. He answered a lot of the questions you seem to have, at least for me.