Opinion! An Imperfect God

GoldenRivet · 11-28-12, 12:53 AM

i consider myself Christian by my upbringing. I'll put that up front.

I believe there are signs of intelligent design all over the world and even in the universe.

I also believe every religion known to man has it figured more or less wrong.

Where religion loses me is in the 2 concepts that most all religions subscribe to that is:

1. our people have been chosen over your people for God's favoritism

2. if you dont become one of our people and do as our camp says you will suffer _______ (insert bad thing for eternity after you die)

lets face it, there are some pretty big offenders here. Christianity and Islam are way up at the tippy top of the list, I'll certainly be the first to admit it.

I think of God as the parent of mankind, God loves us, wants us to be happy and successful and achieve greatness just like a parent would. But the thing about parents is even though they love their children, and even though they want all this good stuff for their children, kids grow up to be adults. and they need the parent less and less - for guidance, advice, a shoulder to cry on whatever - with each passing year. I'll always love my parents, I'll always respect the lessons i have learned from them... but, as an adult, i am weened from them and have developed into my own man.

much like an individual, mankind has a fate, and in order to realize that destiny, mankind has to outgrow its obsessions with religion.

We have had a unique journey as a race of beings. Early rumblings of thunder and day and night, the stars in the sky, clouds, rain... we had no way of understanding these things in our infancy and we created explanations of our own that made sense to us.

Only later in our fledgling years did we discover the angry monster throwing down streaks of fire in the sky is really just charged particles releasing large amounts of static electricity.

The great mystery in life will always be, what comes afterwards. Mankind has struggled with death since the very first of our loved ones ceased to be.

Which religion is correct?

What really happens when we die?

Are the muslims right? or the Christians? How about the Budists? the athiests?

Is heaven real? or is this life just preparing our souls for transcendence into another plane of existence that nobody has even considered theorizing about yet?

men have died and discovered the answers to these questions

trouble is, they arent talking.

i have grown to enjoy this quote

"This is my simple religion, there is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is the temple, the philosophy is kindness."

i think any one true God wouldnt want all the grandiose nonsense and fanfare... God would just want mankind to love one another and be kind. and anytime you do the right thing... anytime you hold the door for someone and smile to brighten the day of another, you practice that religion.

11-28-12, 12:53 AM	#5
GoldenRivet Subsim Aviator Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 8,726 Downloads: 146 Uploads: 0	i consider myself Christian by my upbringing. I'll put that up front. I believe there are signs of intelligent design all over the world and even in the universe. I also believe every religion known to man has it figured more or less wrong. Where religion loses me is in the 2 concepts that most all religions subscribe to that is: 1. our people have been chosen over your people for God's favoritism 2. if you dont become one of our people and do as our camp says you will suffer _______ (insert bad thing for eternity after you die) lets face it, there are some pretty big offenders here. Christianity and Islam are way up at the tippy top of the list, I'll certainly be the first to admit it. I think of God as the parent of mankind, God loves us, wants us to be happy and successful and achieve greatness just like a parent would. But the thing about parents is even though they love their children, and even though they want all this good stuff for their children, kids grow up to be adults. and they need the parent less and less - for guidance, advice, a shoulder to cry on whatever - with each passing year. I'll always love my parents, I'll always respect the lessons i have learned from them... but, as an adult, i am weened from them and have developed into my own man. much like an individual, mankind has a fate, and in order to realize that destiny, mankind has to outgrow its obsessions with religion. We have had a unique journey as a race of beings. Early rumblings of thunder and day and night, the stars in the sky, clouds, rain... we had no way of understanding these things in our infancy and we created explanations of our own that made sense to us. Only later in our fledgling years did we discover the angry monster throwing down streaks of fire in the sky is really just charged particles releasing large amounts of static electricity. The great mystery in life will always be, what comes afterwards. Mankind has struggled with death since the very first of our loved ones ceased to be. Which religion is correct? What really happens when we die? Are the muslims right? or the Christians? How about the Budists? the athiests? Is heaven real? or is this life just preparing our souls for transcendence into another plane of existence that nobody has even considered theorizing about yet? men have died and discovered the answers to these questions trouble is, they arent talking. i have grown to enjoy this quote "This is my simple religion, there is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is the temple, the philosophy is kindness." i think any one true God wouldnt want all the grandiose nonsense and fanfare... God would just want mankind to love one another and be kind. and anytime you do the right thing... anytime you hold the door for someone and smile to brighten the day of another, you practice that religion. __________________