babynoz said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

I'm an artist

My favorite subjects are nature, the 1000's of ethnic groups in the world, mythology, Prince, celestial beings

When I was about 6 I remember going outside of the house in the early Spring and looking up I saw about 3 shades of blue, different shapes of clouds and the sun of course and the moon

And my first thought was someone did that

My parents were not religious and didn't push or talk about any beliefs they had then
I actually wrote down my thoughts as best as a 6 year old could(my parents encouraged that kind of stuff) and still had it along with many other drawings I did even before 6

What a beautiful story...I can relate.

I'm a creative spirit too. As a tiny child, I used to draw on every blank surface in our house. Finally, my mother gave up and let me use the wall in the upstairs hallway to my heart's content. When I ran out of space I'd draw pictures on the bottom of the chairs and tables as well as adding characters and dialogue to my story-books.

The sky remains an endless source of fascination for me, especially the night sky. For as long as I can remember the stars and the vast expanse of space have had a profound effect on me for whatever reason. As a kid, I used to lie on the grass or the hood of my mom's car for hours just gazing at the stars and I could name all the constellations. It seems that I can feel a sense of oneness in Spirit and the connectedness of creation that kind of takes me out of myself. What I experience at those times cannot be properly decribed in words.

My favorite subjects are mythology, astronomy, science fiction, fantasy, astrology, art, music, dance, literature, history, (especially Egyptian)...and Princey too.

My family is Baptist but was never closed minded, (even when I joined the Episcopal church). My mom always encouraged my sense of curiousity and wonder and praised my creative expression in all it's forms. Nobody ever had a better mom! I don't know of any theologian who could interpret sacred writings and teachings as well as she could...including Eastern philosophic teachings. She was firmly grounded in sprituality and not limited by religious dogma or doctrine.

As a result, my ideas of God and spirituality are somewhat unique although I still gladly partake in fellowship with others. For the most part, I'm equally comfortable in a Church, Temple, Mosque, or even silent meditation at the beach alone or with a group of people.

Odd I guess...but I love being me!

I believe there is a God. Existence in an of itself is too magnificent and wonderful to not have a creative force behind it. A mass of undying energy with immeasurable intelligence. I think people question the existence of God for the same reasons time and again.

Pain and suffering - the reason for it.

Accountability to a higher being - folks don't want to answer to anyone for anything.


God pretty much leaves us to ourselves and so we question his existence. If he was more present in our lives we wouldn't question his existence as it would be evident but we might not appreciate it as much for it would come off as intrusive.

I believe in God. He's a bit of an absent father, the kind you see every other weekend, but when you do see him you're glad and when you don't see him you're still okay. my and a cupcake.

" LOVE YOU 4EVA GRANDMA LOLA, WATCH OVER US TILL WE MEET AGAIN. PRINCE: WH3N U L3T TH3 RAIN FALL DOWN, TH3Y ALL GONNA G3T W3T!

OldFriends4Sale said:

babynoz said:

What a beautiful story...I can relate.

I'm a creative spirit too. As a tiny child, I used to draw on every blank surface in our house. Finally, my mother gave up and let me use the wall in the upstairs hallway to my heart's content. When I ran out of space I'd draw pictures on the bottom of the chairs and tables as well as adding characters and dialogue to my story-books.

The sky remains an endless source of fascination for me, especially the night sky. For as long as I can remember the stars and the vast expanse of space have had a profound effect on me for whatever reason. As a kid, I used to lie on the grass or the hood of my mom's car for hours just gazing at the stars and I could name all the constellations. It seems that I can feel a sense of oneness in Spirit and the connectedness of creation that kind of takes me out of myself. What I experience at those times cannot be properly decribed in words.

My favorite subjects are mythology, astronomy, science fiction, fantasy, astrology, art, music, dance, literature, history, (especially Egyptian)...and Princey too.

My family is Baptist but was never closed minded, (even when I joined the Episcopal church). My mom always encouraged my sense of curiousity and wonder and praised my creative expression in all it's forms. Nobody ever had a better mom! I don't know of any theologian who could interpret sacred writings and teachings as well as she could...including Eastern philosophic teachings. She was firmly grounded in sprituality and not limited by religious dogma or doctrine.

As a result, my ideas of God and spirituality are somewhat unique although I still gladly partake in fellowship with others. For the most part, I'm equally comfortable in a Church, Temple, Mosque, or even silent meditation at the beach alone or with a group of people.

Odd I guess...but I love being me!

Wow, you sound a bit like me, You wouldn't happen to be a Gemini?
Ummm...June 1st!

I love Greek Etruscian/Roman Egyptian, various Native American mythology
I study every ethnic group in the world to get a sense of the variety of color in the world ... the people of New Guinea and Australia are vary interesting right now... people who look like West/Central Africans but have straight/curly and kinky hair that ranges from platinum blond to black
I was always interested in all sorts of mythology and as an adult I admired the effort Joseph Campbell put into his studies. I used to tease my mom about her books and videos of different cultures. Now I find myself paying a bit more attention to those things. I find the Dream-time stories of the indigenous Austrailians very interesting.

I also get inspiration from dances of ethnic groups,
Me too...I used to do African dance when I was younger.
My family is Pentecostal
I love Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Blade Runner and a lot of science fiction
Wow! I have all of those movies except Blade Runner.

We might have to connect
Looks like we did...the Lord works in mysterious ways.

Does a pig like slop?
Can Michael Jordan dunk?
Is Michael Jackson the King of Pop?
Is James Brown the Godfather of Soul?

Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
And yes, there is a God.

My criteria for knowing that there is a God are:
1. The Earth... its size is perfect. The Earth's size and corresponding gravity holds a thin layer of mostly nitrogen and oxygen gases, only extending about 50 miles above the Earth's surface. If Earth were smaller, an atmosphere would be impossible, like the planet Mercury. If Earth were larger, its atmosphere would contain free hydrogen, like Jupiter.3 Earth is the only known planet equipped with an atmosphere of the right mixture of gases to sustain plant, animal and human life. Plus, earth is located the right distance from the sun. Consider the temperature swings we encounter, roughly -30 degrees to +120 degrees. If the Earth were any further away from the sun, we would all freeze. Any closer and we would burn up. Even a fractional variance in the Earth's position to the sun would make life on Earth impossible.

2. Water. It has an unusually high boiling point and freezing point. Water allows us to live in an environment of fluctuating temperature changes, while keeping our bodies a steady 98.6 degrees. Water is a universal solvent. This property of water means that thousands of chemicals, minerals and nutrients can be carried throughout our bodies and into the smallest blood vessels. Water freezes from the top down and floats, so fish can live in the winter.

Ninety-seven percent of the Earth's water is in the oceans. But on our Earth, there is a system designed which removes salt from the water and then distributes that water throughout the globe. Evaporation takes the ocean waters, leaving the salt, and forms clouds which are easily moved by the wind to disperse water over the land, for vegetation, animals and people. It is a system of purification and supply that sustains life on this planet, a system of recycled and reused water.

3. The human brain. The brain simultaneously processes an amazing amount of information. Your brain takes in all the colors and objects you see, the temperature around you, the pressure of your feet against the floor, the sounds around you, the dryness of your mouth, even the texture of your keyboard. Your brain holds and processes all your emotions, thoughts and memories. At the same time your brain keeps track of the ongoing functions of your body like your breathing pattern, eyelid movement, hunger and movement of the muscles in your hands.

4. Certain uniform laws of nature. Much of life may seem uncertain, but look at what we can count on day after day: gravity remains consistent, a hot cup of coffee left on a counter will get cold, the earth rotates in the same 24 hours, and the speed of light doesn't change -- on earth or in galaxies far from us.

How is it that we can identify laws of nature that never change? Why is the universe so orderly, so reliable?

Coincidence? I doubt it

^What he said^

I don't believe we're the accidental result of slime and time.

"Guitar" on Leno is the greatest performance in the history of rock ' roll

Second Funkiest White Man in America

It sure is nice having adults running our government now

As I've said many times b4... Imagine 4 a moment that U are God and U are looking down on U newest creation. It took U, the most supreme being in the universe a whole 7 days 2 complete and it is beautiful, perfectly balanced and green. There is an abundance of life on this planet and everything works in unison 2 ensure it's own survival. It is U're greatest work and it's perfect.

Why the fuck would U hand that over 2 a species hell bent on it's own destruction? It makes no sense 2 me, I mean look around at the world 2day, is this really Gods masterplan? Is it still going according 2 plan? Is this what he intended 4 us?

If U want 2 see the real beauty of this planet, where do U go? New York? No. U go 2 the places that man hasn't fucked up yet, out in the wilderness somewhere. We are a cancer upon this planet and why would an all knowing, all powerful God unleash that on his greatest creation?

Also where did we as a people ever get the idea that God was OK with us building churches, hotels, motorways and such all over his nice new planet anyway? And if there is a God and he did make this planet, then how can we have the gall 2 say that we own a piece of land? Surely all land belongs 2 God. Did anyone ask him?

Somebody might have some answering 2 do... That's all I'm saying.

I think in the highly unlikely event that there is a God, he's not looking anymore. We were a science fair project and now we are stuffed right at the back of the garage just gathering dust.

I think its time we realised on this planet, there is no get out plan, there is nobody in control and the only thing that can shape our destiny is us.




.
[Edited 7/5/09 13:33pm]

Bring back

comegetwild said:

As I've said many times b4... Imagine 4 a moment that U are God and U are looking down on U newest creation. It took U, the most supreme being in the universe a whole 7 days 2 complete and it is beautiful, perfectly balanced and green. There is an abundance of life on this planet and everything works in unison 2 ensure it's own survival. It is U're greatest work and it's perfect.

Why the fuck would U hand that over 2 a species hell bent on it's own destruction? It makes no sense 2 me, I mean look around at the world 2day, is this really Gods masterplan? Is it still going according 2 plan? Is this what he intended 4 us?

If U want 2 see the real beauty of this planet, where do U go? New York? No. U go 2 the places that man hasn't fucked up yet, out in the wilderness somewhere. We are a cancer upon this planet and why would an all knowing, all powerful God unleash that on his greatest creation?

Also where did we as a people ever get the idea that God was OK with us building churches, hotels, motorways and such all over his nice new planet anyway? And if there is a God and he did make this planet, then how can we have the gall 2 say that we own a piece of land? Surely all land belongs 2 God. Did anyone ask him?

Somebody might have some answering 2 do... That's all I'm saying.

I think in the highly unlikely event that there is a God, he's not looking anymore. We were a science fair project and now we are stuffed right at the back of the garage just gathering dust.

I think its time we realised on this planet, there is no get out plan, there is nobody in control and the only thing that can shape our destiny is us.




.
[Edited 7/5/09 13:33pm]

The Political Abstract
"Nas is like"
http://www.youtube.com/Nastradumas

McAfrica

McAfrica

DesireeNevermind said:

I believe there is a God. Existence in an of itself is too magnificent and wonderful to not have a creative force behind it. A mass of undying energy with immeasurable intelligence. I think people question the existence of God for the same reasons time and again.

Pain and suffering - the reason for it.

Accountability to a higher being - folks don't want to answer to anyone for anything.


God pretty much leaves us to ourselves and so we question his existence. If he was more present in our lives we wouldn't question his existence as it would be evident but we might not appreciate it as much for it would come off as intrusive.

I believe in God. He's a bit of an absent father, the kind you see every other weekend, but when you do see him you're glad and when you don't see him you're still okay. my and a cupcake.

babynoz said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

Wow, you sound a bit like me, You wouldn't happen to be a Gemini?
Ummm...June 1st!
June 5th

I love Greek Etruscian/Roman Egyptian, various Native American mythology
I study every ethnic group in the world to get a sense of the variety of color in the world ... the people of New Guinea and Australia are vary interesting right now... people who look like West/Central Africans but have straight/curly and kinky hair that ranges from platinum blond to black
I was always interested in all sorts of mythology and as an adult I admired the effort Joseph Campbell put into his studies. I used to tease my mom about her books and videos of different cultures. Now I find myself paying a bit more attention to those things. I find the Dream-time stories of the indigenous Austrailians very interesting.

Yes, ther Dream Time stories are a bit similar to Native American beliefs of the time before creationI find it interesting that most cultures primitive or advanced believe(d) in a world flood that came because of some trespass


I also get inspiration from dances of ethnic groups,
Me too...I used to do African dance when I was younger.
I was a part of a group called the Black Seeds, I did more or less reinactment pieces to poetry, there was some dancing

My family is Pentecostal
I love Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Blade Runner and a lot of science fiction
Wow! I have all of those movies except Blade Runner.

U gotta see it if U haven't Prince even said Blade Runner was an inspiration behind the 1999 music(even when you hear the music, listen to the piano sounds, it's straight up Purple Rain)
We might have to connect
Looks like we did...the Lord works in mysterious ways.

IMO, yes. I don't believe the universe just pulled itself out of its own ass.

I'll willingly admit that part of the reason I have belief in God is the comfort in such a belief.

When Jerry Cantrell of the band Alice in Chains wrote their song "Them Bones", he had this to say about it:

I was just thinking about mortality, that one of these days we'll end up a pile of bones. It's a thought for every human being, whether you believe in an after-life or that when we die, that's it. The thought that all the beautiful things and knowledge and experiences you've been through just end when you end scares me, the thought that when you close your eyes for good, it's gone forever.

I just personally think that life has a greater purpose than coming out of a vagina, growing, eating, breathing, sleeping, fucking, laughing, living.... only to be gone forever. For me, that would be a life lived in vain... a life that held no meaning since it would just vanish with nothing afterwards, anyway. In my opinion, living entirely FOR the sake of a higher power is equally a life lived in vain, but the more my life progresses, the more I begin to feel as if everything has fallen into place just the way it should have, and all that has occurred in the duration of it so far ultimately blessed me with some kind of lesson, some kind of personal victory, some kind of new strength. I personally attribute a lot of this to a god who makes everything happen for a reason... call it an absurd belief if you will -- I don't blame you -- but that's just how I roll.

But the other reason is what I stated at the beginning: I'm not so quick to believe there is no origin of the universe.

JellyBean said:

yxl1 said:

The Political Abstract
"Nas is like"
http://www.youtube.com/Nastradumas

McAfrica

McAfrica

yxl1 said:

yxl1 said:

The bible... The fools know it is true, the wise know it is false and rulers know it is useful.

Bring back

comegetwild said:

The bible... The fools know it is true, the wise know it is false and rulers know it is useful.

The Political Abstract
"Nas is like"
http://www.youtube.com/Nastradumas

McAfrica

McAfrica

OldFriends4Sale said:

DesireeNevermind said:

I believe there is a God. Existence in an of itself is too magnificent and wonderful to not have a creative force behind it. A mass of undying energy with immeasurable intelligence. I think people question the existence of God for the same reasons time and again.

Pain and suffering - the reason for it.

Accountability to a higher being - folks don't want to answer to anyone for anything.


God pretty much leaves us to ourselves and so we question his existence. If he was more present in our lives we wouldn't question his existence as it would be evident but we might not appreciate it as much for it would come off as intrusive.

I believe in God. He's a bit of an absent father, the kind you see every other weekend, but when you do see him you're glad and when you don't see him you're still okay. my and a cupcake.

I remember when the space shuttle blew up, leading up to that they found ice on the wings of the shuttle (this is Florida) and they went ahead despite that and other weird problems that occured

There are countless stories from people who should have been on the plane or in one of the towers on 9/11 but something stupid or strange happened and they didn't get there.

I'm a fan of house music and Masters at Work are my top 3 fav
on a cd they came out with right after that, the last song(not really a song) was a voice message left by a female dj in training who worked in the 1st tower that was hit, she said for some reason she ended up mixing a song that morning by Masters at Work called Love 2 Love and ended up being late for work, the time and floor she would have been there was the floor that was hit by the 1st plane.

Back in the mid/late 80's my brother was in school in Long Island,NY and my aunt & uncle live in New Jersey
We were heading down to pick up my brother for the summer and visit.
My father did the general car maintenance checks and did some stuff with the tires

On our way back I remember riding up front with my dad on the express/highway, going 70 80 miles an hour at times and making turns while at it, we heard something popping (ping ping) sounds, we thought it was something on the road we were running over, that went on for a bit but we didn't think of it. Later when we were home my brothers best friend came over and we went somewhere in his car, when he dropped us off he said "you guys better check your wheels" we looked and the spokes on both of the right side were broken off to the base, we touched it and the car fell over to the side...my whole family and I should have been dead on the highway from New York City

I believe God does have an active part in our lives, most people push God further away.

" LOVE YOU 4EVA GRANDMA LOLA, WATCH OVER US TILL WE MEET AGAIN. PRINCE: WH3N U L3T TH3 RAIN FALL DOWN, TH3Y ALL GONNA G3T W3T!

JellyBean said:

yxl1 said:

1-3 can easily be explained by adaptation. The ability to adapt and change depending on the environment or other social pressures. If the earth was slightly closer to the sun, life as we now know it probably wouldn’t exist but simple life could possibly adapt and flourish. Much like bateria that live near the bottom of oceans (high pressure) near volcanic vents (high temperatures) feeding off rock and volcanic minerals. My point is that forms of life could exist if the world wasn’t exactly like it is now.

One thing that you should remember is that the laws of physics correspond to the symmetries of a structureless void. We may identify patterns in the universe and even be able to measure them, but this is a human trait – something we’ve evolved over a long period of time which enables us to understand our environment. As physicist Stenger points out in his great book “God The failed Hypothesis”, “The laws of physics look just as they can be expected to look if there is no God.”

I wont go on, I’ve got TV to watch now, but….

Do I believe in god? Sorry, there just isn’t ANY evidence and I don’t do faith….

Adaptation, huh?

I read Mr. Stenger's book back in 07; very good book. For those who have not read this book; In God: The Failed Hypothesis Stenger contends that, if God exists, some evidence for this existence should be detectable by scientific means, especially considering the central role that God is alleged to play in the operation of the universe and the lives of humans.Treating the traditional Judeo-Christian and Islamic God concept like any other scientific hypothesis, Stenger examines all of the claims made for God's existence. After evaluating all the scientific evidence, Stenger concludes that beyond a reasonable doubt the universe and life appear exactly as we might expect if there were no God. That is it in a nut shell. The most complex topic in all of the world, gets reduced to ten chapters.....

Again, it was a good book, but to me, it strengthens the concept of what the church and the Bible states; The existence of God cannot be proved or disproved. The Bible says that we must accept by faith the fact that God exists: "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). If God so desired, He could simply appear and prove to the whole world that He exists. But if He did that, there would be no need for faith. "Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’" (John 20:29).

" LOVE YOU 4EVA GRANDMA LOLA, WATCH OVER US TILL WE MEET AGAIN. PRINCE: WH3N U L3T TH3 RAIN FALL DOWN, TH3Y ALL GONNA G3T W3T!

comegetwild said:

As I've said many times b4... Imagine 4 a moment that U are God and U are looking down on U newest creation. It took U, the most supreme being in the universe a whole 7 days 2 complete and it is beautiful, perfectly balanced and green. There is an abundance of life on this planet and everything works in unison 2 ensure it's own survival. It is U're greatest work and it's perfect.

Why the fuck would U hand that over 2 a species hell bent on it's own destruction? It makes no sense 2 me, I mean look around at the world 2day, is this really Gods masterplan? Is it still going according 2 plan? Is this what he intended 4 us?

If U want 2 see the real beauty of this planet, where do U go? New York? No. U go 2 the places that man hasn't fucked up yet, out in the wilderness somewhere. We are a cancer upon this planet and why would an all knowing, all powerful God unleash that on his greatest creation?

Also where did we as a people ever get the idea that God was OK with us building churches, hotels, motorways and such all over his nice new planet anyway? And if there is a God and he did make this planet, then how can we have the gall 2 say that we own a piece of land? Surely all land belongs 2 God. Did anyone ask him?

Somebody might have some answering 2 do... That's all I'm saying.

I think in the highly unlikely event that there is a God, he's not looking anymore. We were a science fair project and now we are stuffed right at the back of the garage just gathering dust.

I think its time we realised on this planet, there is no get out plan, there is nobody in control and the only thing that can shape our destiny is us.




.
[Edited 7/5/09 13:33pm]

DesireeNevermind said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

I remember when the space shuttle blew up, leading up to that they found ice on the wings of the shuttle (this is Florida) and they went ahead despite that and other weird problems that occured

There are countless stories from people who should have been on the plane or in one of the towers on 9/11 but something stupid or strange happened and they didn't get there.

I'm a fan of house music and Masters at Work are my top 3 fav
on a cd they came out with right after that, the last song(not really a song) was a voice message left by a female dj in training who worked in the 1st tower that was hit, she said for some reason she ended up mixing a song that morning by Masters at Work called Love 2 Love and ended up being late for work, the time and floor she would have been there was the floor that was hit by the 1st plane.

Back in the mid/late 80's my brother was in school in Long Island,NY and my aunt & uncle live in New Jersey
We were heading down to pick up my brother for the summer and visit.
My father did the general car maintenance checks and did some stuff with the tires

On our way back I remember riding up front with my dad on the express/highway, going 70 80 miles an hour at times and making turns while at it, we heard something popping (ping ping) sounds, we thought it was something on the road we were running over, that went on for a bit but we didn't think of it. Later when we were home my brothers best friend came over and we went somewhere in his car, when he dropped us off he said "you guys better check your wheels" we looked and the spokes on both of the right side were broken off to the base, we touched it and the car fell over to the side...my whole family and I should have been dead on the highway from New York City

I believe God does have an active part in our lives, most people push God further away.

wow that was awesome. stories like that are to magnificent to dismiss the existence of God.

OldFriends4Sale said:

Dsoul said:

DesireeNevermind said:

wow that was awesome. stories like that are to magnificent to dismiss the existence of God.

They certainly are magnificent in dismissing the existence of gods yes. Telling but one side of the story in those who had good fortune in avoiding disaster. What of all those who nearly avoided disaster but a chance moment led them to going into the towers 9/11 and being slowly suffocated and burnt to death?

" LOVE YOU 4EVA GRANDMA LOLA, WATCH OVER US TILL WE MEET AGAIN. PRINCE: WH3N U L3T TH3 RAIN FALL DOWN, TH3Y ALL GONNA G3T W3T!

the finite can never understand the infinite

we're all just star dust anyway

What do you mean by using the word God?

If there is, she sure the hell ain't well represented by the world's religions.

C:\Otaassk~.exe




Seriously, this thread makes no fucking sense: http://prince.org/msg/15/321025

vivid is my new boo!

DesireeNevermind said:

Dsoul said:

DesireeNevermind said:

wow that was awesome. stories like that are to magnificent to dismiss the existence of God.

They certainly are magnificent in dismissing the existence of gods yes. Telling but one side of the story in those who had good fortune in avoiding disaster. What of all those who nearly avoided disaster but a chance moment led them to going into the towers 9/11 and being slowly suffocated and burnt to death?

Dsoul said:

DesireeNevermind said:

What you talk about is fate and still, how do explain fate that ends up in prosperity versus fate that ends up in misery? The balance alone calls for a higher influence and power.

Why can't they both just be chance events?

Dsoul said:

DesireeNevermind said:

wow that was awesome. stories like that are to magnificent to dismiss the existence of God.

They certainly are magnificent in dismissing the existence of gods yes. Telling but one side of the story in those who had good fortune in avoiding disaster. What of all those who nearly avoided disaster but a chance moment led them to going into the towers 9/11 and being slowly suffocated and burnt to death?