You all know how I would vote. So lets see how many like me are out there.

I want to come back as a maine coon cat...like our cat Bare...they are awesome!!! lol

I want to come back as a maine coon cat...like our cat Bare...they are awesome!!! lol

Sorry, there's no coming back. But if I could, I'd like to be a skinny girl this time around. lol

You have your beliefs and I have mine...I would like to believe that this isn't it...in fact I believe I've been here before as someone else...maybe even a few times :grouphug:

Holli ~ I have been reading as much as I can on this thread and have, thus, read about your son. I went to your myspace page, and he is BEAUTIFUL! You will be in my thoughts, and keep the hope ~ it sounds like he has good doctors and treatment! Hang in there, girl!

also, the "green" that passed away, was her name on here "Green" only or something with green in it?

man, that is so sad.

BJean, I LOVE reading your posts ~ articulate and thoughtful, wise and intelligent

keep em coming

this thread has my mind going 90 miles an hour. For now, I am not going to put in my 2 cents...just yet. I need to form the words that go with the thoughts!

I would gladly live for God now and have an eternity in Heaven then reject him and live eternally without him forever and ever..

You're still assuming that a) there is a god and :thumbup: you've been lucky enough to pick the right one.

As I said earlier, if you meet one other than the one you've chosen to be a slave to, you're screwed.

And besides, if your god is one that would send good people to suffer in torment for all eternity in hell because they did exactly as he planned, exactly as he created them to do, and exactly as he knew they would do - he's one right bastard.

Besides, having a relationship with God now is a great blessing. His ways are wonderful. Everything he asks us to do and not to do is only for our own benefit. His desire for us is only for good and not evil. You can't go wrong. Now in this life and in the next. And beside that, He loves us so much. It's a win, win.

Oh, so now we won't be forced to bow to him, we can't go wrong? Can't make up your mind, huh.

it's a lose, lose. Waste your life on juvenile fantasies and bowing to an imaginary master for entirely self-serving reasons. Then, what?

Sounds like an absolute tragedy.

I'd rather spend my life enjoying it, helping all that I can and learning as much as my brain can hold. most of my free time is spent volunteering. I enjoy helping others with the modest means available to me.

When I die, I want to know that I did the best I could to leave the world a better place than when I entered it, and will do my best to make that happen.

To put it simply: two hands at work do infinitely more good than millions clasped in prayer, doing nothing.

Lydiafree: "And besides, if your god is one that would send good people to suffer in torment for all eternity in hell because they did exactly as he planned, exactly as he created them to do, and exactly as he knew they would do - he's one right bastard."

The torment that they will suffer will be in knowing that they rejected their creator. Imagine how it will be when you get to your eternal destination, and find out that there really is a loving Father who prepared a wonderful home for you with him for all eternity and you chose to reject him and along with that all that he has to offer you. Instead, you will spend your eternity with all those who chose to reject him, without anything he had to offer you. This will be eternal torment. Also, people rejecting God is NOT doing what he had planned for them, or what he created them to do, as you say. And, just because God knows the past, present, and future of every person, doesn't mean that he controls their choices.

You're still assuming that a) there is a god and :thumbup: you've been lucky enough to pick the right one.

There can only be one right one. I pick the one who made me. When I prayed, I prayed to my creator, whoever that is. He then revealed to me that he was the one who sent his Son, Jesus.

As I said earlier, if you meet one other than the one you've chosen to be a slave to, you're screwed.

I won't.

And besides, if your god is one that would send good people to suffer in torment for all eternity in hell because they did exactly as he planned, exactly as he created them to do, and exactly as he knew they would do - he's one right bastard.

Oh, so now we won't be forced to bow to him, we can't go wrong? Can't make up your mind, huh.

No, you are not forced even now. It is definitely your choice. (but, there are consequences for every choice we make in life. Some good, some not so good.) Would you like to spend your eternity without your creator? If yes, then ignore him now.

it's a lose, lose. Waste your life on juvenile fantasies and bowing to an imaginary master for entirely self-serving reasons. Then, what?

Even if it were all a fantasy like you say, which it isn't, there can be no better way to live IMO. I don't lose anything. I live a good life, and I die and exist no more. Unbelievers, on the other hand, if they are wrong, they live for 90 or so years happily, and then suffer for infinity years in exchange for those 90 or so. They have evrything to lose.

Sounds like an absolute tragedy.

I'd rather spend my life enjoying it, helping all that I can and learning as much as my brain can hold. most of my free time is spent volunteering. I enjoy helping others with the modest means available to me.

And after that? you die.

When I die, I want to know that I did the best I could to leave the world a better place than when I entered it, and will do my best to make that happen.

This earth will be burned up with fire in the end. Then God will make a new heaven and a new earth for us who believed in him. So what does it matter if you leave it a better place or not?

To put it simply: two hands at work do infinitely more good than millions clasped in prayer, doing nothing.

Not true. "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" James 5:16.

................................................................

Holli ~ I have been reading as much as I can on this thread and have, thus, read about your son. I went to your myspace page, and he is BEAUTIFUL! You will be in my thoughts, and keep the hope ~ it sounds like he has good doctors and treatment! Hang in there, girl!

also, the "green" that passed away, was her name on here "Green" only or something with green in it?

man, that is so sad.

BJean, I LOVE reading your posts ~ articulate and thoughtful, wise and intelligent

keep em coming

this thread has my mind going 90 miles an hour. For now, I am not going to put in my 2 cents...just yet. I need to form the words that go with the thoughts!

Thank you so much...we need all the prayers and fingers crossed we can get...even if I do not share in the beliefs I am not going to turn down good thoughts for my son.

I'd rather spend my life enjoying it, helping all that I can and learning as much as my brain can hold. most of my free time is spent volunteering. I enjoy helping others with the modest means available to me.

When I die, I want to know that I did the best I could to leave the world a better place than when I entered it, and will do my best to make that happen.

To put it simply: two hands at work do infinitely more good than millions clasped in prayer, doing nothing.

I agree 100%. What would happen if I just sat around and prayed for my son to get better? Nothing...He needs to have surgery, he needs to have his brain worked on by a man...who may or may not believe God...Praying will not solve everything...it may solve nothing!

want2bemeagain, I don't blame you for wanting to come here and state your beliefs, and I also don't blame you for wanting to choose your words carefully. If you've been reading along, you know how frightfully some of us can behave here when we are in the heat of battle. Me included.

Abortion rights is a very emotion-laden topic. Not everyone feels as strongly as some of us who post here. I am sure that there are many who just take for granted that the law provides for women to be able to make their own choices when it comes to their reproductive organs. But I feel it is important that we never give up the fight because there are those who will stop at absolutely nothing, even murder, to be able to take away women's right to choose.

Thank your for your kind words to me, by the way!

Green only went by the name, "green" but there is someone else who uses the word green in their name. The green who passed away was a regular participant who had many clever ideas and lots of worldly experiences and knowledge to share with us. She was very special.

I agree 100%. What would happen if I just sat around and prayed for my son to get better? Nothing...He needs to have surgery, he needs to have his brain worked on by a man...who may or may not believe God...Praying will not solve everything...it may solve nothing!

People can pray while they get on with the productivity of life. Praying people don't just sit around and do nothing but pray. The pray while they do everything else.

That is not what I was saying...I was saying that praying alone will not get the job done...praying may make you feel better, but it doesn't make a difference in our situations....it just doesn't

... And, just because God knows the past, present, and future of every person, doesn't mean that he controls their choices.[/Quote]

Is it just me, or does everyone see the gigantic paradox in that statement?

It makes sense to me...Just because "God" knows the choices we are abot to make doesn't mean that he decides what those choices are going to be...

Well that is the paradox then isn’t it? If he is all knowing and KNOWS we are going to choose to sin, then we really don’t have free will do we? We are destined to do exactly what is written for us.