It's pretty much the way I look at it. My belief in something, that created us, and afterlife, is that I'll know when I'm dead, same with everybody else. And obviously, a "perfect" god, if it were important, would give us some other direction to follow, other than what we know naturally. But as long as I'm here, on earth, I am my own god. In my world, and my life I am god. If I want something, or to change something, instead of whining about it, and begging some ghost (who's probably laughing at how pathetic you look should he exist) I either have the courage to get it, change it. In some cases, people rely on charity to live, but the bottom line, is that you are the only one who is going to put yourself first.

Similar to a thread of mine

http://www.totse.com/community/showthread.php?t=1987887

You pretty much said it all. I never read that. But yeah, the only "thing" you can always count on is yourself. If your life is shitty, instead of blaming the "devil" or with atheists "god"(why some dont believe in him), it's up to you to change it, and if you dont have the courage to change it, you have to accept it.

If your life is shitty, instead of blaming the "devil" or with atheists "god"(why some dont believe in him), it's up to you to change it, and if you dont have the courage to change it, you have to accept it.

I don't know of many atheists who blame a character they don't believe in for anything. Only time I've seen it done is when they're discussing God hypothetically in a conversation with a theist.

I know once I ridded myself of theism I felt and still feel liberated. When shit happens in my life, I just say shit happens. It is not a part of my imaginary friends grand design...it is either something I did that I can change, Something I did that I cannot change...or something out of my control completely. NO GOD in there for me.

What I'm saying, is atheists use that as a "reason" there is no god. "My mom died of cancer, why would god let that happen". Thats what i mean blaming god, or christians, who blame the devil who according to them is in hell, and has no control over anything.

When something happens bad I cant change, I just accept it, just like I accept there is nothing I can do to know the truth about god, so it's pointless to spend time thinking about it. Almost as pointless as praying :) I have to die one day, but I'm ok with that knowing eventually no matter what advances they make in medicine, the sun will destroy the earth. So nobody gets off the hook :)

OP's stance is not incompatible with theism, at least theism as defined by Neale Donald Walsch, Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dwyer and a host of others who define and refine the new paradigm (which isn't really new, but it's sort of a catchy name)..

It is written that we are created in the image and likeness of God, and the Nazz pointed out that the kingdom of God is within us. More recently, Pope John Paul II said that hell is not a location but a state of mind that WE CREATE. (emphasis added).

One thing I have pointed out repeatedly is that we all create our own reality, and we all potentially have power that is godlike--we need only own it and use it.

Or, as RAH put it, "I am God, thou art God, all that groks is God."

What I'm saying, is atheists use that as a "reason" there is no god. "My mom died of cancer, why would god let that happen". Thats what i mean blaming god, or christians, who blame the devil who according to them is in hell, and has no control over anything.

I am sure that some atheists use that as a reason...I don't think enough do to merit it being said. I believe MOST atheists use science as a reason why there is no God.

More recently, Pope John Paul II said that hell is not a location but a state of mind that WE CREATE. (emphasis added).



PJP2 is considered the "anti-Christ" by more than just a handful of Christians, mainly for statements he made like that.

Sad state of affairs, really.

^Yes, and especially since he was so conservative (not to say reactionary and oppressive) in other ways, especially women's rights.

Sounds familiar! The snake in the garden of Eden said Eve would become like God if she ate from the forbidden tree, look where it got us. :p

God is offering you a chance to be reconciled with him through Jesus Christ. Do you really want to make the same mistake Adam & Eve did so many years ago?

Genesis 3 (KJV)
1Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

2And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

3But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

4And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

6And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

7And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

8And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

9And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

10And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

11And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

12And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

13And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

14And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

15And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

16Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

17And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

18Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

19In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

20And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

21Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

22And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

23Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

24So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

"Sounds familiar! The snake in the garden of Eden said Eve would become like God if she ate from the forbidden tree, look where it got us.

God is offering you a chance to be reconciled with him through Jesus Christ. Do you really want to make the same mistake Adam & Eve did so many years ago?"

No such things as talking snakes, or Adam and Eve.

Axiomatic to me and many others is that we create our own reality. It follows from that that we create our own God--or at least our own conception of God.

This is one of the key elements in "How to Find God," a fairly awesome book from Deepak Chopra which will be engendering a few dozen threads from yours truely over the next few years.

I am God!

I don't know of many atheists who blame a character they don't believe in for anything. Only time I've seen it done is when they're discussing God hypothetically in a conversation with a theist.

I say "thank god"

just because.. I dunno.

I say "thank god"

just because.. I dunno.

I can't lie. "OHGODDDD!!!" has slipped from my lips on more than a few lascivious occasions.

:o

But as far as blaming God for anything - that's just a cop-out.

I think this is just a complete and utter abuse of the word 'god'. Just because a being is able to act does not make it god. Let me tie you up in chains and see if you can dance...then we'll see who is god.

I say "thank god"

just because.. I dunno.


I say thank you to God also.

Just because.


Thank You God