Subject:
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Re: My Prayer on this National Day of Prayer
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Sat, 15 Sep 2001 02:46:57 GMT
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Viewed:
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512 times
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O.K...I fully intended to post just the one thing today, and let the chips
fall where they may...I knew I shouldn't have even looked back at LUGNET
until tomorrow...I knew people would get into it over my bringing up God at
a time like this...you don't know HOW sorry I am now...
Since there wasn't much going on with this thread in .general, I figure I'll
post this follow-up here in .debate...
Now, I don't intend to change anyone's mind or life with this post...this is
my personal belief, and many of you probably will not care one iota about
how I see things. I write this on the off chance that perhaps there is one
person out there, maybe not posting, but reading, who might take something
from what I write and apply it in such a way as to help them in their own
life...nothing more...
I have enough scientist, historian, archiologist and skeptic in me that I
can't fully allow blind faith in my life...never had it, never will <insert
old 7-UP guy laugh here>.
I need to balance the physical evidence of things like dinosaur bones,
evolution, carbon dating, etc., and the want of proof of aliens, ghosts,
psychic powers, etc. with my personal background of Catholic birth, imposed
then accepted Lutheran education, and many years of adult life spent working
with children in ministry and teaching.
To that end, I look at my faith like this:
There is a greater being, God to most, who put into place the seeds of life.
There is to much evidence of evolution to discount it...but here's the
kicker...the Bible says that God created the world in seven days...but what
is a day to God? I say seven days to God is many millions of years to man.
Life works to perfectly (the human brain, food chain, reproduction, etc.),
there must be a higher power involved. So that's taken care of...man can
evolve from primordial ooze and monkeys, and still believe in God. God
caused evolution.
Now, the Bible. The Bible was written a long time ago, and for the people of
that time. Anyone who tries to follow it blindly now is deluding
themselves...it is up to them to interpret it as best as they can to have it
relate to their modern lives. The Bible has to be truly the Word of God,
'cause there is no other explanation for its existence...there are things
contained in that book that the people who wrote it could have NO WAY of
knowing on their own...it's just not possible. It is SIMPLIFIED...don't get
me wrong...remember, it was writen for the people of the time, but it's to
dead on not to be the true Word.
Next, the question so many are arguing over..."If there is truly a God, why
did He let this happen?". Because God gave us the gift of life...that's why.
God created man, placed us on the path of life. God, for a long time, took a
guiding hand in mans development...until man got to big for his britches.
Man sinned, and in big ways. God sent Jesus, His Son, and yet a part of Him
also, as a human being, to understand humans and their sin, and to die as a
single death for all of our sins. Each and every human being, from that time
on, was forgiven their sins. That's right folks...in essence, yo can do
ANYTHING you want, and still find heaven awaiting you at the other end. If
you believe in Him. Now God is hands off...He's done everything we need, and
the rest only matters to us here and now...it's all up to us until Christ
returns. So, why did God let this happen? He didn't. He gave us the life, we
developed the knowledge and the technology. WE allowed this to happen. He
didn't.
We are human, and can only do the best we can. Hopefully more of us than
less try to follow the basic ideas of the Ten Commandmants, the teachings of
the Bible, related to todays life. It's the best we can do. It's all we can
do. It's what we are doing. Some express their Christian faith in God more
vehemently than others, I let mine gently guide me from behind, so I often
stumble big-time before I allow it to bolster me up. I do the best I can do
with what I have.
So, to the attacks:
America was attacked in a heinous way, by people who have for generations
worked themselves and their children into a political and religious fervor
over one belief, their idea of God. This is their failing. Combining their
politics with their religion. I've already written about this. I get it now,
in ways I never have before. Religion can exist WITH politics, but not AS
politics. My belief in God can co-exist with America's goals and ideals, and
America exists for me to believe in. Their belief in God doesn't allow this,
and they all must believe the same way, because their society, their
politics, says so. So some of theirs, bolstered in their religion/politics
with the idea that a suicidal death while killing countless innocents will
earn them their heroes heaven, killed many of ours. Now we, through the
actions of our elected officials, will do the best we can in dealing with
the people responsible for these attacks. In the end, it's all pretty
simple...these are the important words...do the best we can.
America has, countless times, turned the other cheek to this
terrorism...this time, our leaders, and many of our citizens, are all out of
cheeks to turn. Our elected officials will hopefully do the best they
can...regardless of any debate here on LUGNET, by the way...to find the
leaders who masterminded these attacks, and to put a stop to the aid that
props these groups up and allows them to function.
And if you are one of those who can't bring themselves to believe enough to
pray for guidance for our elected officials as they do their best, at least
keep good thoughts for them...maybe through a psychic resonance of good
thoughts you'll get through! At least I pray you will. 8?)
Matt
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: My Prayer on this National Day of Prayer
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| (...) Don't be. I'm glad you did. Personally, even though I'm not a Christian, I'm glad people find comfort in their faiths. It's still an act of human communion--all religion has a basis in people coming together for worship--and that in itself is (...) (23 years ago, 15-Sep-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
| | | Re: My Prayer on this National Day of Prayer
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| In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Matthew Gerber writes: <snipped all but one line> (...) While I don't concur with some of your reasoning behind what you believe, I wanted to thank you for your "Prayer posting" and for the tribute page - both are (...) (23 years ago, 17-Sep-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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