They could spend some of that money paying my uni fee's if they want to

I'd rather my tax money goes to those lazy benefit sponges than this!

I'm more of one of those "biochemical fools" that sees "fools" try to explain how life can happen by amino acids coming to order just right to build proteins without DNA telling it how to come together. DNA is the designer. Someone designed it. (in a nutshell, that's one example)

Also, who am I to say what one day is to God (a million years? or my 1 day) or if he designed everything in a way that aging, etc. happened in order for life on Earth to be the way it is. As I said, I don't know the answers, but I do have faith. If someone wants to call me a fool because I disagree with them although they can't prove that life can begin at a cellular level by itself, it just seems like foolish talk and although I believe in natural selection, evolution is a hard pill to swallow on the cellular level and also larger life forms. I don't need to know the answers to have faith, but I can still read about those that have tried to "prove" otherwise and failed.

Everyone denounces thousands of Gods, so what if some people believe in one less?

Ever been in St Peter's? Collection plates everywhere, the nerve.

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Rated "M" for meaty.

There's really no need for any name calling here, let's keep this a civilized conversation...

I do wanna mention something... first, this whole believing based on faith thing doesn't work for me. ALL the religions were started by humans who back then believed the Earth was flat, they never heard of DNA... every time science comes up with something new (DNA for example) some guy with a holy book shows up and says "see, it was written back then in the book of... chapter..." oh really? Then how come you couldn't "decipher" this message that was available to you for so many years but now it all makes sense to you?

The way I see it, every religion was "invented" (I apologize if I offended anyone) by men who had access to whatever resources available to them at the time and whatever their lifestyles were back then, it is only influenced by what was happening to them at the time. And each younger/newer religion evolved with additional details, only cause humans themselves evolved and had access to better resources. And in every religion someone is waiting for their savior to return or have plans for the afterlife... I aint got time to be waiting on anyone this whole afterlife thing is just another way to ease the pain of those suffering the loss of a loved one. I'm more of a realist I guess, I'm not expecting to meet any loved one when I'm six feet under, but if I'm wrong there's some really cool people hanging out in hell waiting on me

Tochai

I got no problem with monetary offerings or tithes. In fact I agree with both, if you worship your God, show it. Dunno about you but I've lavished gifts and given money to women I thought I loved. I'd expect the same from someone who says they love God. Besides which if you use the service, you should pay for it. Fairs fair after all.
What I object to, as someone who's culture and land has suffered the negative effects of the catholic religion over the years is that the taxpayer is made to foot the bill. Every tax payer in the UK. Be they Muslim, Jehovahs witness, whatever. Not only do I find it wrong that my money goes to pay for some old codger to come and dodder around for a bit, hide a few predator priests and maybe start a new aids epidemic. How about those people who find catholicism so morally fundamentally wrong they equate the pope with satan?

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No no and no

eccentric0, normal question, many answers, maybe it all comes down to "who do you love?" and then "why do you love them?" and then how, when, where, seems different that we are the only ones that we know of making those conscious choices. a gift given to us.

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

hey jackdragbean

its a pleasure reading your replies on here.

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63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

Its not that take issue with giving money in general, its that they're in a place with some of the most valuable treasures in the world, any of which could be sold to make a considerable contribution to say, the floods in pakistan or haiti.

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Rated "M" for meaty.

Thanks. I see no reason to fight about any of this. While I was in college, I kept hearing professors give their reasons why they didn't believe, but I had no real answer why I do believe. I did alot of reading, watching films, etc. to "prove" them wrong. The thing is, after all of that, even though I did find major flaws with their reasons, I finally realized that religeon is based on faith and I'm fine with that.

I also found that most people between 18 and 30 go through a rebellious stage concerning authority and religeon among other things. I did. That phase actually helped me to realize that I went to church because I grew up going. After reevaluating things, and truly listening to sermons, lessons, and reading the bible, I realized that until then, I never really understood what it all really meant. Some people that openly bash religeous beliefs now may actually get curious later and find something they have been missing.

Then again, they may continue to call me an idiot.

I do believe in God.

What I dont believe in, is people who go to church every sunday or what have you, to pray and repent sins they have cast during the week- week in, week out. It is soo rife in society!! I think there are very very few 'true' followers who actually do live and swear by their 10 commandments etc...

I also dislike fundamentalism. Very much so, whether christian or muslim faith. I believe that fundamentalism is the root of all of our world conflicts today.

Much like someone can go to church and saying they belong to xyz religion, is like me walking into a mechanical workshop and calling myself a fully pledged mechanic when clearly, I am not. Its hypocritical isnt it?

A lot of people believe in a quick fix, that if they attend church that they will go to heaven. I guess its a comforting reassurance thing which I guess is part of human nature. Its a lot more to it than that. Because of this, is the reason why I am not practicing any faith- even though it would do me the world of good to be involved in my chosen faith, I will honestly say that even though I do my upmost to be a well respected citizen and I do give to my community, I just cannot live strictly by the 10 commandments and if I said that I did, well- I would obviously be lieing through my teeth..

So personally, I just would rather do other things on a sunday afternoon than feel hypocritical If I said I was going to go to heaven for following a particular faith.

I dont hold any anymosity for anyone elses beliefs either... what you choose to do or believe in is entirely up to you. As long as you all can agree that not everyone will agree with what you believe in, and you cannot force your beliefs onto others.

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Ummm, your diatribe is actually pretty spot on for many religeons ... except one. That being Christianity. There is really very little "invented" when it comes to Jesus Christ. For one thing, any one who doubts that he was a very REAL person who died on a cross has their head in the perverbial sand. Further, the also very real history corroborating his life, the bible's "new testement" and his assertion as the one and only Messiah is amazingly compelling.

For me, though, I am a modest Catholic. However, I have MANY issues with this religeon, including the fact that I certainly think the Pope is VERY fallible (the infallible one died on a cross 2000 years ago). But ... for me and my family ... there are many aspects that do appeal to me, and it serves as an "adequate" vehicle for my family's personal relationship with Christ.

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Laughing out loud with fear and hope, I have a desperate plan ...

Now thats the kind of Catholicism that commands respect. To see through the dogma and straight to the heart of the matter.

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No no and no

The Catholic charities U.S. has helped as many as 9 million people in a year and has assets of almost 4billion and says .90 on the dollar goes to the charity.

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

I'll give odds this thread could go on until just before eternity and end right back where is started.

For me,

TGIF

So I guess I believe and try to find happiness in the little things, like Friday's.

these basic laws are interwoven into most civilized societies

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Commandments

2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;

3 Do not have any other gods before me.

4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me,

6 but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.

8 Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.

9 For six days you shall labour and do all your work.

10 But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns.

11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it.

12 Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

13 You shall not murder.

14 You shall not commit adultery.

15 You shall not steal.

16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.


the wiki article is pretty long but clears up most questions

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.