Oh my God, I'm an Atheist !!

Being oppressed, or brainwashed is much different than being in denial, don't you think?

That brings up a whole other discussion, of just who needs God and when.
With all our current technology we are embraced by, it becomes more difficult to believe in a God, since we don't need Him.But in the end, when all the technology in the world won't help, the tide is turned.

Thanks pal love you too!Shit you act like you know me or something. WOW dude, just wow.You'll have to explain why any Christian is supposed to be better than anyone else, and then you'll have to explain just how it is that you are better than any of us. It's simple then, stop looking to us to find God.And plenty of gay people have done me harm, fortunately, thanks to my God, I forgave them. If it wasn't for that, I might head of the gay bashing committee or something. Thanks to God, that I am tolerant of gay marriage now.God has met me where I am at. You might be past that point or whatever, but it seems to me, that you are filled with anger, and many more flaws, that all could use some working on.You can come down off your pedestal now, cause I am sick of looking up your skirt and seeing dirty underwear.

Please, let's not drag this thread into the homosexuality thing, but it is clear that you do not understand me, or get me at all, so you need to stop pretending.I never said homosexuality is a sin.
I said the bible says it is a sin, and I consider it a sin for myself.
I have always said that sin is a relative term, and the sinner knows whether he is sinning or not. I do not need to convict/condemn anyone, the Holy Spirit will do that.I also so not look to the bible as a moral guideline, if I did, then I am definitely going to hell. You are not picking on me. You are unfairly blaming me for everything you hate about most "Christians". It's called prejudice. I am not trying to get anyone to believe in God, I am only sharing my experiences, and hopefully enlighting many of the things I myself had misconceptions about, as many of the people here have done for me.I will be happy when the day comes, that it is no longer you vs me, but us, just talking together. I don't know if I can show that or not. Many of the benefits are "unseen." and not provable. Even Jesus said in the bible that He did not come to make peace, but that what He was teaching would cause separation between brothers and sisters even.
No matter what I do there will be believers, and unbelievers.
Even if there was no such thing as "God" we would still find a way to not get along.There is too much "stuff" that we carry, that will get in the way. I have had visions of what our entrance to heaven will be like, when we loose all that stuff, and we are standing "naked" before the Lord. It is then that we will realize just how similar we are, and how the world made us into what we were.I know this vision doesn't help you at all, so all I can do for now, is to try hard, like yourself, to get along with everyone. I really have no enemies. It was just a comical statement, because you get up in the morning and take a crap in the toilet like the rest of us.

That is why I say we were created to worship. It seems like a natural thing for us to do. Until we get hurt by it, or our current logical way of thinking, leads us away from it.I also often wonder about gods like Zeus, and just how many people of the time, actually believed in it. It may have been just a tool used by government to control the people. Believe or be put to death.
Now that we have a separation of church and state, we can believe on our own free will. Surely there is a difference between the two.

Thank you.I wondered about people who commit suicide, and surely they must have rejected the thought of a god right until the end. But then there is that moment, after you've sliced your wrists, that you still have a conscience thought, that you could have changed your mind.
Even people who pull the trigger, may have a split second to second guess their decision.Only an atheist who doesn't see it coming, would not have a chance to think about it.

After reading what Percy wrote, and thinking about how you quoted me, it is unfair to cut and paste only part of the premise.I clearly indicated that it is possible for people to not know God in their hearts, because the world doesn't let them.ABE, I also indicated, that it is just a belief.Edited by riVeRraT, : No reason given.

2 for 2.
Well put again.

Anastasia put it well.Having the Holy Spirit in us, means that we do know right from wrong. The temple is us, and we do not need to go to a temple to experience God.I don't think it matters how you interpret it. I have met many atheist, and Muslims, who are more "Christian" than "christians."Look at jar's definition of believing in Jesus, and you can start to see what I am talking about.I don't think it is so black and white that we can even argue about it. Believing in God, and doing what is right is a relative thing, and subjective to each individual and where they are at in life.What right to I or any other person on earth to say that anyone is going to hell? Why because the bible says so?
The bible says Jesus came to save, not to judge, and we are to be like Him. So if people think that anything is a sin, they should only be worried about themselves, and whether they should be sinning or not. Not a single one of us can ever be like Jesus, and if Jesus didn't condemn people, then why should we?Before pointing out the speck in your brothers eye, remove the plank from yours,
he who is without sin, throw the first stone.Why don't people get this stuff, it's so simple.I fully understand why Jesus said, when you know the truth, the truth will set you free.I don't want to judge you or taz, but it seems to me, like the truth is hidden from you sight.
Don't take that wrong, because I know the more of the truth is hidden from my own sight as well. That's just not so.
Jesus said the children will go to heaven, and they haven't a clue of any of that stuff.

Is this supposed to mean that your family or church taught you correctly? That they even get it? (not trying to put your family down)Or does it mean, you were smart enough, and innocent enough at the time (and probably closer to God than all of them) to realize, that it wasn't God that rules those peoples lives?It's not about social pressure, it is about the truth, and what we must go through to realize it.I realized myself at a very young age (8) the church was BS. I was agnostic for the next 30 years.I can clearly see now why God created evil, without it, it seems we could never really know good.

The fact the taz thinks that about me, just shows how little he has actually read my posts. It only shows his (probably righteous) anger towards other christians, and not myself.It shows him to be prejudice, and the person who nominated him as well.You might as well throw both into the category of haters, and bigots.Seems like the bible is correct when it says, remove the plank out of your own eye before pointing out the speck in your brothers eye.That post, is probably one of the worst posts (top 50) I have ever read in this forum, it confuses me (not really) how it could have ever been nominated. It is not, but Jesus's way is. You have no right to say that. I am not going to go into my personal life on this one, because I know for a fact that it will go no where.Instead you should be embracing the fact that I said I forgave them.shame on you. You are just as bad as taz.
You know nothing.

I am sorry, I should have asked you why you choose not to believe. Hopefully it will be revealed to you one day. I know you don't want to hear that, but I say it humbly. I think it is being revealed to you as we speak. How can one appreciate the light, until they have experienced the dark?Surely the longer you stay in the dark, the more you appreciate the light.Some of us need to stay in the dark longer than others. For me it is a long time, and continues to this day.Sorry, this is the best way I know how to explain it.

I understand, and what Jesus asks is that you make a leap of faith. Which I understand is a huge problem here in this forum. It was for me too.
Being on your death bed, facing non-existence anymore, is a trigger to make a leap of faith.For me, it was life, the birth of my first child that started me down a 13 year journey, until I finally felt what I believe is the Holy Spirit, and now I feel like I have a basis for belief, other than just plain faith.As far as evil goes, it is a relative term. Many children think school is evil, until they grow up, and see how important it really was.

I was talking about all the time, not just once and a while. I agree jar, but if you believe in what Jesus did, then you should be believing in the Holy Spirit as well, and not need an explanation as to what it is. The Holy Spirit convicts us when we do wrong, unless, as I pointed out, that we are deceived by the world into thinking we were right. But on your death bed, you tend to drop the ideas of this world, and your mind is clearer, and probably closer to God, and the error of your ways will be made noticeable to you.Is one way it could happen. This is not an absolute.

It is supposed to be, but it is not.The only thing that is of love and tolerance, are people. No, I said I could have been like that, but I wasn't. Good thing I was strong when those things happened to me, or I might have been prejudice my entire life. Yes, I know thanks!Except for one thing, I forgave these people before I was a "christian." I am not judging, just pointing out facts. And you are not hard on me, just not getting what I am saying, because of your predisposition about me.