Alright, here is my personal situation. For the longest time, I have been devout christian. I believed the gospel, praised god regularly, and KNEW he existed. As I learned more and more, it seemed like religion is kinda hard to...explain? quantify?

I know the catch alls - god is perfect, we can't understand him. Or something along those lines.

However, if God created the heavens and the Earth, why wasn't judaism the oldest recorded religion? How did it just spring up out of no where, thousands of years into civilization.

Another point I have been thinking about, is explaining peoples religion through two things in human nature. For one, religion helps government control. If the people are blindly led to believe a single dogma, it will be easier to control them, no?

Beyond that, which seems kind of...pointless, is the fact that NO human wants to die. But we know its coming, we see people die around us every day. So how do we stay alive after death? Create the after life. No human wants oblivion, so why not make an after life to secure us, allow me to use the term "Security Blanket"

Don't misunderstand, I WANT to believe in Christianity (please don't come along and say "If you wanted faith, you would have faith" or something along the lines...I want faith, but I just cant believe in something that seems so...impossible.)

I haven't seen God ever reveal himself to anyone. There are those faith healings, but who says thats God? We know that the human mind is a powerful thing - look at plaecebo studies.

If I seem like I rambled through most of this, it's because I did, I haven't gotten any sleep in a while, and I won't any time soon. Basically, I'm just asking for a way to believe in God, in Christianity, in Anything...I want to have faith in something, anything....

It is simply hard for me to put my life (and after life, perhaps) in the hands of a religion that may or may not exist.

quote:Originally posted by Karik:

Alright, here is my personal situation. For the longest time, I have been devout christian. I believed the gospel, praised god regularly, and KNEW he existed. As I learned more and more, it seemed like religion is kinda hard to...explain? quantify?

You mean that you have been unable, thus far, to find the answers that will quantify and explain the existence of God ?

quote:I know the catch alls - god is perfect, we can't understand him. Or something along those lines.

Catch alls ? Have you read the Bible lately ?

You cannot justify, or explain God with a catch all. God is logical, and logically that doesn't make sense.

WE CAN'T THINK LIKE HIM, would be a more accurate statement.

quote:However, if God created the heavens and the Earth, why wasn't judaism the oldest recorded religion? How did it just spring up out of no where, thousands of years into civilization.

What other religion are you referring to ? You are giving half-examples, and very little detail. Kind of hard to give you conclusive evidence, when I don't know what you are talking about, or even driving at.

Give some examples. Dates, events, links. ANYTHING.

quote:Another point I have been thinking about, is explaining peoples religion through two things in human nature. For one, religion helps government control. If the people are blindly led to believe a single dogma, it will be easier to control them, no?

The key word in this paragraph is RELIGION.

God didn't create religion, PEOPLE did.

What does God do for the human race ? Does His presence equal control ?

quote:Beyond that, which seems kind of...pointless, is the fact that NO human wants to die. But we know its coming, we see people die around us every day. So how do we stay alive after death? Create the after life. No human wants oblivion, so why not make an after life to secure us, allow me to use the term "Security Blanket"

For man to create the notion of life after death would be to assume that he knows what life after death is like. (why is it feared in the first place ?)

Sure, you can make up some far-fetched story, but (believable or not) it won't be true.

What you are saying, essentially, is that it is possible that the Bible is made up.

How much time have you spent studying it ?

Do you know who the authors are, and when the books were actually written ?

Do you understand the culture of the Hebrews and the meaning behind many of the Old Testament rituals and laws ?

Have you studied the English version of the Bible in Hebrew, in order to derive the full, uncontested meaning of the word picture God intended us to ?

quote:Don't misunderstand, I WANT to believe in Christianity (please don't come along and say "If you wanted faith, you would have faith" or something along the lines...I want faith, but I just cant believe in something that seems so...impossible.)[quote]

What you are doing is perfectly natural, to a freewill entity.

You are THINKING.

You are QUESTIONING.

You are HUMAN.

It's not only natural, but good for you.

But use logic, not "worldly" perceptions.

[quote]I haven't seen God ever reveal himself to anyone. There are those faith healings, but who says thats God? We know that the human mind is a powerful thing - look at plaecebo studies.

Cancer cannot be cured with a placebo pill.

Neither can leukemia.

However, MUCH of the "healings" that are taking place today (just go to a Benny Hinn show) are complete fallacy.

They are horse-and-pony shows intended to dupe the American people out of their hard earned money.

When Jesus healed, he did it discreetly. He didn't post signs up, in advance, to ensure the best turn-out possible.

He was led by the spirit to do such things, and it was just as random as it was divinely inspired.

If you follow the scriptures closely, you can see what is from God, and what is not.

The Bible says that in the last days there will be false prophets and many wonderous signs that do not come from God.

Why ? Because Lucifer is incredibly intelligent. He is doing his best to out-do God. In order to accomplish that, he has committed himself to emulation.

Meaning, if he does the things that only God would do, then he will nullify God.

It's a clever trick, and has thrown a wrench in the gears of MANY...not just Christians.

But if you know the word of God, you won't be fooled, and you will be able to discern what is of God, and what is not.

Do you think this powerful human mind of ours evolved from hydrogen gas ?

quote:If I seem like I rambled through most of this, it's because I did, I haven't gotten any sleep in a while, and I won't any time soon. Basically, I'm just asking for a way to believe in God, in Christianity, in Anything...I want to have faith in something, anything....

It is simply hard for me to put my life (and after life, perhaps) in the hands of a religion that may or may not exist.

If you had a true relationship with God, then you would not be capable of doubting His existence.

There is a HUGE difference between questioning God and His motives for the things He does, and disbelieving in Him entirely.

Either you believe in Him, or you don't. There is no "having belief", and then "having doubt".

I would safely say that at this point we should consider whether or not you were ever truly a Christian.

To be a Christian means that you are a child of God. Accepting that Christ died for your sins, and that God is the creator of all things.

The change that occurs inside of you once you make that decision is not only undeniable, but with you for the rest of eternity.

You can't just decide to become "unsaved".

You CAN decide that there is no God, though if you had experienced Him personally (which you should have upon receiving your salvation) it would be impossible to come to that conclusion.

If you have come to this decision that there IS no God, you never knew Him in the first place.

I know that may sound harsh, and is definitely a hard pill to swallow, but logically it makes perfect sense.

If you are merely in a dry spot in your Christian walk, where you are questioning God about some things, you ought to seek HIM, not members of Totse who predominantly disagree that God exists.

If you want to know something, ASK HIM !! He commands us to do so.

If you truly seek truth, ask Him to reveal it to you. He has no reason to hide Himself.

Ask Him to show you the passages in the Bible that will reveal the answers you seek.

No man is a Master...why do you seek man's knowledge ?

I WILL PRAY FOR YOU.

I have been in this valley, and it was VERY difficult to allow God to bring me through it.

But I am stronger for it, and ever so much more convicted than I had been before.

Consider that God may be testing you...because He has plans for you that even YOU can't imagine.

You must be ready, if that is the purpose of this new chapter in your life.

I know I have not been terribly specific, but neither were you.

If you would like some verses on key issues you are having, then please feel free to ask and I will provide them.

GOD BLESS YOU< and keep you...in all of your days.

QUOTE Originally posted by Karik:

Alright, here is my personal situation. For the longest time, I have been devout christian. I believed the gospel, praised god regularly, and KNEW he existed. As I learned more and more, it seemed like religion is kinda hard to...explain? quantify?

I might be wrong, but i doubt that this is the underlying reason that you are having trouble believing.

If you can safely confide your story, then please share.

As far as "kinda hard to...explain? quantify?", your right. But since you say that you were/are Christian, then you and i are talking about Eternal God. Can anyone comprehend eternity?... infinity? So wouldnt religion, which is man based, fall "alittle" short of explaining, quantifying God? I dont mean this as a catch all, only as a way to help show the difficulty that you are trying to overcome.

However, if God created the heavens and the Earth, why wasn't judaism the oldest recorded religion? How did it just spring up out of no where, thousands of years into civilization.

Just a thought...They were nomadic people, hauling around a big pile of cunniform tablets is tougher than carrying a book with them.

Another point I have been thinking about, is explaining peoples religion through two things in human nature. For one, religion helps government control. If the people are blindly led to believe a single dogma, it will be easier to control them, no?

I disagree. If the people do not accept it as truth, they will revolt.

..is the fact that NO human wants to die. But we know its coming, we see people die around us every day. So how do we stay alive after death? Create the after life. No human wants oblivion, so why not make an after life to secure us, allow me to use the term "Security Blanket"

Several people on this forum, have pointed out that the ancient Jews did not believe in Heaven or Hell (to which i disagree), but if they are right, it kinda makes your "Security Blanket" idea wrong.

Don't misunderstand, I WANT to believe in Christianity (please don't come along and say "If you wanted faith, you would have faith" or something along the lines...I want faith, but I just cant believe in something that seems so...impossible.)

Faith is something that grows. I think that blind faith, although desirable (maybe), is very rare.

I haven't gotten any sleep in a while, and I won't any time soon. Basically, I'm just asking for a way to believe in God, in Christianity, in Anything...I want to have faith in something, anything....

Have you tried praying to God for peaceful sleep? How about for faith in Him?

I'm sure that you have. But have you 'listened' for answers. It's funny that when we pray to the Father of ALL creation, we do almost all of the talking, and little-to-no listening. It's also funny that we demand proof and demand things from the Sovereign, but we willfully disobey His demands (Commandments). When He doesnt give in to our demands, we are so arrogant to think that He isnt powerful or caring enough or we think that He doesnt exist.

It is simply hard for me to put my life (and after life, perhaps) in the hands of a religion that may or may not exist. QUOTE

The religion exists, in fact many religions exist... but what i think that you meant to say was God may or may not exist.

(speaking from the "sake of arguement" perspective)--- If He exists, you ARE putting your life and afterlife into His hands, whether you believe in Him or not.

The way see it, your problem comes down to this:

1. God is real.

2. Christianity is bogus.

Many people realize that Christianity is bogus, that the deity of the bible is petty and mean, so they reject God altogether. My God is all about love and creativity, not about judging and punishing and vengence and all that other unevolved stuff.

quote:Originally posted by Digital_Savior:

For man to create the notion of life after death would be to assume that he knows what life after death is like.

Man doesn't need to know anything about what happens after death to speculate. That's all that "life after death" is, speculation.

quote:

(why is it feared in the first place ?)



1. Because it is unknown.

2. Because it is associated with death.

3. Because religions have scared people to thinking it will be bad if they don't follow their religion and/or faith.

quote:Sure, you can make up some far-fetched story, but (believable or not) it won't be true.

You don't know this. Moreover, the same exact thing could be said of Christianity.

quote:What you are saying, essentially, is that it is possible that the Bible is made up.

How much time have you spent studying it ?

Do you know who the authors are, and when the books were actually written ?

Do you understand the culture of the Hebrews and the meaning behind many of the Old Testament rituals and laws ?

Have you studied the English version of the Bible in Hebrew, in order to derive the full, uncontested meaning of the word picture God intended us to ?

Have you spent time analyzing its historical background? It's almost entirely based on Egyptian and Greek mythology. For an inspired book, it looks more like plagiarism...

quote:Originally posted by Digital_Savior:

You mean that you have been unable, thus far, to find the answers that will quantify and explain the existence of God ?

Kind of. Like you and others say, you CAN'T quantify infinity. Rather than not being able to explain, I haven't found the answers to...justify his existence.

quote:Originally posted by Digital_Savior:

What other religion are you referring to ? You are giving half-examples, and very little detail. Kind of hard to give you conclusive evidence, when I don't know what you are talking about, or even driving at.

Give some examples. Dates, events, links. ANYTHING.

Well, I believe there is more than one religion older than judaism, or at least with older records. Hinduism for one, and besides that, the ancient warring religions of places like Mesopotamia.

quote:Originally posted by Digital_Savior:

The key word in this paragraph is RELIGION.

God didn't create religion, PEOPLE did.

What does God do for the human race ? Does His presence equal control ?

Allow me again to clarify. Imagine for a second that god doesn't exist. If you want to keep people in line, what is better than creating a god and dogma to go with it that says "Do this, or burn for all eternity"? Isn't it more likely for people to listen to an entity higher than themselves? a god? If so, then why not? Another question that pops to my mind, is why do we (as Christians) disregard others religions? We have the faith, but that is all. The Egyptians had faith that Amun Rah was the supreme god, but we brush that off as mythology. Obviously the Hindu's have great beliefs (excuse me, because I haven't researched in depth into the religion) in their gods.

Most people are what they are because they were raised that way. A christian is told by his christian parents that "God is good" a Hindu is told by his hindu parents "Shiva is good." So who are we to say that they are wrong? The Hindus have just as much faith, and is it their fault they were raised in such a way? Should they immediately convert? Some might say yes, show them god, show them the way....but then, what if The hindus tried to get you to convert, would you be so willing to go over to the "True" religion?

quote:Originally posted by Digital_Savior:

For man to create the notion of life after death would be to assume that he knows what life after death is like. (why is it feared in the first place ?)

Sure, you can make up some far-fetched story, but (believable or not) it won't be true.

What you are saying, essentially, is that it is possible that the Bible is made up. Why must I know what life after death is like to make it up? I could write a book saying "After we die, we go off to live in a puffy pink marshmellow land" Sure, it won't be true, but I still can't find evidence that Heaven is either.

I guess I am saying that it is possible for the bible to be made up. Going back to pitting christianity against other religions again, you aren't going to believe the Koran are you? Or hindu religious texts, are you? So you are saying THEY are made up?

quote:Originally posted by Digital_Savior:

Cancer cannot be cured with a placebo pill.

Neither can leukemia.

There has been evidence of Cancer retreating for NO reason. I know you will ask me for links, and unless I did the research right this second, I would be able to provide none. However, it doesn't exactly support my position. You could as easily say that "The healings were caused by god" As I could say "The healings were just the plaecebo effect in action"

quote:Originally posted by Digital_Savior:

If you had a true relationship with God, then you would not be capable of doubting His existence.

There is a HUGE difference between questioning God and His motives for the things He does, and disbelieving in Him entirely.

Either you believe in Him, or you don't. There is no "having belief", and then "having doubt".

I would safely say that at this point we should consider whether or not you were ever truly a Christian.

To be a Christian means that you are a child of God. Accepting that Christ died for your sins, and that God is the creator of all things.



I believed that, I accepted that. I was baptized, and I was saved. I had an incredible amount of faith in Christianity, I believed (maybe blindly) that everything that the bible said, held true.

quote:Originally posted by Digital_Savior:

The change that occurs inside of you once you make that decision is not only undeniable, but with you for the rest of eternity.

You can't just decide to become "unsaved".

You CAN decide that there is no God, though if you had experienced Him personally (which you should have upon receiving your salvation) it would be impossible to come to that conclusion.



Again, I felt god back then, I looked around me and I saw the works he had done. I prayed to him when I needed something, and when I didnt. If I was sick, HE made me better, if I wasnt then he still made me content, just to have someone watching over me. But part of that is, even when I wasn't praying, I still got better from sickness. I've honestly never been sick a day in my life, upset stomach, a small cold, never anything you would call in sick for. The only times I've been to the doctors office since my birth was for checkups and once, because I had an infection in my finger. Im not sure what that has to do with anything, Im just saying, that when I THOUGHT it was god, I KNEW it was god. Now that I think otherwise, I dont feel it.

quote:Originally posted by Digital_Savior:

If you have come to this decision that there IS no God, you never knew Him in the first place.

I know that may sound harsh, and is definitely a hard pill to swallow, but logically it makes perfect sense.

Don't worry, it doesn't sound that harsh, and it might be true...maybe I never truly knew god.

quote:Originally posted by Digital_Savior:



I WILL PRAY FOR YOU.

I have been in this valley, and it was VERY difficult to allow God to bring me through it.

Thank you, Digital, Im not sure I believe in the power of prayer, but knowing that you want to help is better than naught.



I would also like to point out; I am not attacking you in any way. If I seem hostile, I appologize. I like to debate, and if it shows through in the least, I appologize again. Any time it seems Im arguing one of your points, I really just want explanation or something of the like. You are a nice person, and Im glad you have, at least, tried to help me find my way back onto the path of christianity.



[This message has been edited by Karik (edited 10-08-2004).]

Karik --

First of all, questioning is perfectly normal, and it only means that you're intelligent.

Questioning is even more normal when you're young. (I'm assuming you're in high school or college, but I apologize if I'm mistaken.) I was raised Catholic and began questioning my religion at about the age of 14. None of it made sense to me, and I had so many unanswered questions. So I wrote a letter to my priest, asking them all (i.e. How do you know there is a God? How do you know our religion is right? etc., etc.]. He wrote back and told me that questioning was normal at my age, and then proceeded to give me a list of answers to my questions, none of which I found satisfactory in the least. He then ended the letter, telling me, "Most importantly, never stop questioning, not until the doubt has been cleared up." The sentence stuck with me.

Nearly 13 years later, I can tell you that the doubt has never completely cleared up. I am still the same questioning person I was at 14, although I have definitely reached a mental peace with my understanding of reality. My ideas on religion have certainly deepened and matured, but I still have the same basic questions. Religion has always been somewhat of an obsessive quest for me, so much so that I made it my life. (I'm a professor and graduate student in a Religious Studies Dept.) The questions don't torment me the way they once did. Rather, I've grown to love them.

Anyway, I responded to your post because your mindset sounds a great deal like mine. And I know that, when you have that mindset, no amount of people telling you "This is the way it is" will be satisfactory. So my advice to you is the same as my priest's was to me: don't stop questioning. Read books, take courses, have discussions with people. Maybe you will find your way back to your religion, maybe you won't. Most importantly, enjoy the search. Your search for truth must be a personal journey, and you'll probably be on it for quite awhile. Enjoy learning and gaining wisdom.



-- Nicole

I might add, that if you want to follow a specifically Christian path, there are many, many different types of Christianity and many different kinds of Christians.

Not all Christians (or even most) believe that the Bible is the LITERAL word of God. I would say that those who do have a very limited understanding of what "religion" or "scripture" is.

Just wanted to mention that you could still be Christian without necessarily subscribing to such a narrow definition of what Christianity is. There are lots of possibilities out there.

quote:Originally posted by Lolita:



(I'm a professor and graduate student in a Religious Studies Dept.)

Nicole,

This is great!! I hope you can stay in TOTSE, and join in the discussions as much as your time permits. Welcome.

quote:Originally posted by xtreem5150ahm:

Nicole,

This is great!! I hope you can stay in TOTSE, and join in the discussions as much as your time permits. Welcome.



Thanks.

Actually, I feel out-of-place in most of the discussions here. A lot of the posts seem so argumentative (i.e. Which religion is the best one? What are the logical inconsistencies in this religion?, etc., etc.). I suppose I'm not used to that. I'm in a Department with Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, atheists, agnostics and virtually every other category you can think of, and somehow I've managed not to get into a religious argument with any of them, not even once. So arguing about religion is a bit odd for me. (At least it is now. I was a die-hard atheist in my teenage years and very intent on "proving" to people how wrong they were.)

I might add that I'm currently finishing my Master's degree in Religious Studies (and writing my thesis), so I might not have the level of experience you would expect. I do teach an undergraduate course at the university, but I won't have my PhD for a few more years at least. So I'm technically a Professor, but not a Doctor, and certainly not an expert in religion.

quote:Originally posted by Lolita:

Thanks.

Actually, I feel out-of-place in most of the discussions here. A lot of the posts seem so argumentative (i.e. Which religion is the best one? What are the logical inconsistencies in this religion?, etc., etc.). I suppose I'm not used to that. I'm in a Department with Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, atheists, agnostics and virtually every other category you can think of, and somehow I've managed not to get into a religious argument with any of them, not even once. So arguing about religion is a bit odd for me. (At least it is now. I was a die-hard atheist in my teenage years and very intent on "proving" to people how wrong they were.)

I might add that I'm currently finishing my Master's degree in Religious Studies (and writing my thesis), so I might not have the level of experience you would expect. I do teach an undergraduate course at the university, but I won't have my PhD for a few more years at least. So I'm technically a Professor, but not a Doctor, and certainly not an expert in religion.



Still more qualified than me http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif)

Nicole, I will tell you for one, you are right. I am hoping to get into college very soon, and it has only been since I've learned a little psychology, History, and Science that I began doubting the lord. In all likely hood, I will probably end up in the same boat as you, always searching, but finding naught.

Oh well, at least we have the fun of the search, right?

I want to thank you for your understanding, and I want to thank you for the insight. I probably will never again find my way to God. I have talked to my parents, my christian friends, my Minister, and now, even Totse. Nothing, anywhere, has made me think twice about losing my faith. Oh well, I will try to learn as much as I can, and hopefully, I'll participate in a lot of the discussions here...and hopefully, I will be much more coherent than I am now http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif)

quote:Originally posted by Karik:

Nicole, I will tell you for one, you are right. I am hoping to get into college very soon, and it has only been since I've learned a little psychology, History, and Science that I began doubting the lord. In all likely hood, I will probably end up in the same boat as you, always searching, but finding naught.

Oh well, at least we have the fun of the search, right?

I want to thank you for your understanding, and I want to thank you for the insight. I probably will never again find my way to God. I have talked to my parents, my christian friends, my Minister, and now, even Totse. Nothing, anywhere, has made me think twice about losing my faith. Oh well, I will try to learn as much as I can, and hopefully, I'll participate in a lot of the discussions here...and hopefully, I will be much more coherent than I am now http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif)



That's great that you're going to college. Make sure to take some religion classes!

I wouldn't say that I haven't found *anything*, just not the things I was expecting. My opinions have changed considerably. It might surprise you that I actually consider myself very religious. I'm also, for the most part, an atheist. How's that for a contradiction? I have regained a lot of the faith that I lost, albeit in a different form. It would be difficult to explain, unless I had pages and pages to do so. I know it sounds very nonsensical in this simple paragraph.

I might suggest the books of Alan Watts to you. He was a Christian minister that also wrote extensively about Eastern religions (particularly Buddhism, Hinduism, and Taoism). His beliefs are very similar to my own.

THE BOOK (that's the title!) might be a good one to start out with. THE WISDOM OF INSECURITY and BEYOND THEOLOGY are good ones, too. He was extremely prolific.

Anyway, good luck to you. Have fun in your search http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif)

quote:Originally posted by Rust:

Have you spent time analyzing its historical background? It's almost entirely based on Egyptian and Greek mythology. For an inspired book, it looks more like plagiarism...

Ummm... The mythology of the Greeks and Egyptians are both polytheistic, the Bible is monotheistic. There are very few (if any) similarities between the Bible and either of them. Do you mind backing up your statement?

quote:Originally posted by StoneMan:

Ummm... The mythology of the Greeks and Egyptians are both polytheistic, the Bible is monotheistic. There are very few (if any) similarities between the Bible and either of them. Do you mind backing up your statement?

They being polytheistic in no way precludes them affecting a monotheistic religion.

But here, the "very few" similiarities: [ http://www.totse.com/bbs/rolleyes.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/rolleyes.gif)]

http://hunter.apana.org.au/~gallae/pantheon/doctrine/mirror/origin.htm

Karik, I MUST apologize for my lack of replying...I have just recovered from a stomach surgery, and am finally able to get back into the game.

Your post was in NO WAY argumentative, and I totally appreciate your transparency.

I love that you are "REAL". Most here play charades, in my opinion...hiding behind their fears in order to protect their tender underbellies.

Those that don't are often raked over the coals.

Anyway, I absolutely do NOT have the time right now to give you a fair response.

This deserves all the time and attention I can give it, and honestly, I am exhausted still.

My company outsources for a hospital, and we were just SLAMMED with virus'.

Not to mention we "Go Live" next week, which basically means we are about to transition to a completely NEW network. (untested, I might add !)

The stress is piling up, but I haven't forgotten about you.

I will return, shortly.

Hold fast, and look up.

God bless you, friend.

Hi. I am not a theology scholar, nor a christian. I was a christian a while back. I read somewhere (google it) that when you are young, your beliefs are like a glass, and different faiths are like the water. When you choose one and grow up with it, the glass grows, but the water's volume stays the same until it doesn't fill the glass very much at all. Personally, I applaud you for having the presence of mind to question and research your faith. I am an aethiest, and/or a fragmented god believer. (God destroyed itself in making this universe, and when all matter in this universe rejoins again, God will be recreated.) Also, those of you who think that god loves you, consider this: a 'god' in that sense, an omnipotent being, would not have emotions or caring on any level that could be recognized to a human. It doesn't love you, and it cannot. I do not believe that there is a god, but we are all part of one. anyways, Karik, you are an intelligent person, and you have my respect. the bible thumpers posting in here, do not flame me because of what I said. would jesus (a normal, human carpenter looking for work in a desert with literary liscence as to his miracles and abilities, who lived over 2000 years ago and has/had no knowledge of anybody in this time.) go off and flame somebody because they believed differently? No. he would allow them to live as they please and pray for them (praying is wishing to an imaginary friend). Thank you.