[RalphyS]

Quote: (Originally Posted by HeavenBesideYou)

First lets establish who you are. I was at the original Creed Board and only posted in the F/R forum for over 2 years and would like to know what your username was. Mine has never changed...

My username is also still the same, I also frequented the F/R forum most and I cannot remember how long I exactly posted around there, only that I had been absent for a few months for coming back there, only to find out that the forum was going to be cancelled.

Quote: (Originally Posted by HeavenBesideYou)

Although you criticize the environment mindset at the time you were there, perhaps you missed all of the good conversations I held with sci-fi, scorchwound, bo-evil (true black metal), as well as several other "disbelievers"... If you did then you missed the best two years (imo). Several intelligent conversations were spread across the world and it opened new doors for everyone involved.

I found this forum a very eye-opening experience, I had good discussions and I had bad ones, some people of the opposite viewpoint, who I could and still do relate with (there's one Christian that I regurlarly chat with on MSN, I consider her a friend, although our view on life in general is very different) on a basis of agreeing to disagree, and others whose viewpoints and ideas were so opposed to mine, that it led to harsh discussions.

Quote: (Originally Posted by HeavenBesideYou)

I am not a fundie, nor do I follow any sheep.

I meant to say follow like sheep, not follow sheep, I'm sorry if that wasn't clear.

Quote: (Originally Posted by HeavenBesideYou)

Quite frankly if you recall I am quite like you in my political views and went through what you did during childhood as if we were brothers... I will admit that place could get nasty (Lord knows), but all in all it was a growing experience for me and if you took advantage of the multitudes of thoughts and opinions I believe it did touch you in some way...

As I stated I learned a lot there too, and I was sorry that the board was deleted.

Quote: (Originally Posted by HeavenBesideYou)

Second, your childhood is just that. Childhood. I am no therapist but from what I have learned these can be your most influential years and from what you have told me you had quite the negative experience when it comes to religion. That's okay though, as did I. As we mature, the idealisms force fed to us via the church do seem arrogant and meaningless when it comes to real life situations, but that's not their intent. Your life's what you make it, not what God or Buddha or anyone can... This you need to understand before you can evaluate why you feel the way you feel. I would love to pray to pass a test, but that's not going to make it happen. Not that alone anyway. In retrospect, if I received everything I have prayed for in my life it probably would have killed me. My point? You won't receive anything you don't need to experience what you need to run your race on this crazy ball.

God is no Santa and religion isn't here for us to live on wants and needs, it's a faith based inner working that allows you to be the best you can be and use your own tools to attain that spiritually. True it's a mindset, a very hard one at that, but it's your belief that governs your trials and tribulations. ...

My childhood experience with religion I would not really call negative, I feel lucky to have grown up in a place where religion wasn't indoctrinated deeply into me. You also state that God is no Santa, but nowadays I think that's exactly what he is, a Santa for adults, an imaginary friend if you will. I have never seen any real proof for Santa's existence, but perhaps even more for his existence as for the existence of (a) God(s).

As I stated my childhood experiences led to some sort of disbelief, which was later only substantiated as I learned more and more about (organized) religion(s). I still don't claim to be an absolute expert to know everything and all about religion/christianity, but I now know enough to be sure that the teachings and preachings of worshipping a non-existing God for me only stand in the way of doing things that might really be important.

Quote: (Originally Posted by HeavenBesideYou)

I will let this ride for now but I would like to know if we have already met, and leave you with what I always offered at the old Creed Board:

No one can prove that God does not exist. And no one (but God Himself) can prove that God does exist.

The best that either side of this question can do is to present evidence supporting their position.

As someone who truly believes in the existence of God, I see overwhelming evidence that God exists and that the Bible is true.

Perspective makes a big difference. One person looks at a glass as half full, another sees it as half empty. Right now we know where we stand, but my mission is to share a drink with you, not argue the measure of it's contents.

I look forward to getting to know you Ralphy.

Peace,

Heaven

Well it is impossible to proof the non-existence of something, therefore as you undoubtedly heard before the burden of proof lies with the one, who claims existence of something.

As for sharing a drink, I'm never opposed to that, as you might have gathered from my signature

The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact than a drunken man is happier than a sober one.
George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)