judy@ut-ngp.UUCP (04/24/84)
I realize that there are many people out there (including myself) for whom devotion to a religion is not workable. But the fact of the matter is that we don't have all the answers either. I know and have known a few people for whom faith in God (and Christ in particular) has literally been a life saver. Obviously, it works for them. There are so many things in this world that we really cannot explain, why dismiss a possible explanation just because it doesn't work for you? I remember going to a certain church (or perhaps SHRINE would be a more appropriate word) as a child during a family vacation and being awed by what I saw there. On every wall, column, indeed in every available space were crutches, braces and folded up wheelchairs left behind by the owners who no longer needed them. My very own mother-in-law was faith healed (she was stricked with polio as a child). I knew a man while I was in high school who told me that Christ had healed him of his addiction to herion. I found this hard to believe until a chance meeting with my brother who new him before his conversion revealed to me what a really dispicable character he HAD been (before his conversion)! When he was killed in a car wreck, I was overwelmed by the number of people whose lifes he had touched and who came to say goodbye. I also have a cousin whose conversion turned her from a sour, boozing (to excess), gambling (ditto), self-distructive person to a stable, loving happy person. Now this is not enough for me to turn to religion either, but it has been enough for me to investigate the teachings of Christ. And what I have found there bears no resemblance to what many non-believers seem to think is there. I too, have been in terrible situations in my life when the hope of a god was of some comfort, but I have never had the CONVICTION it takes to devote myself to that way of life. Still, it is enough to keep me open minded. It is important to remain so, for how else are we ever to understand all the phenomena that science has no explanation for? Is it not possible that the thing we call God has simply been misrepresented by mankind through the ages? What about the spiritual world in general? Does man have a soul? What causes ESP and other paranormal phenomena? Maybe we will only know for sure when we die. I hope to learn a little more before then. Judy
pso@utastro.UUCP (P Samuel Odoms) (05/01/84)
Yes, and then all those people may have been WANTING help to get out of their rotten and degraded lives (as perceived by them and others). Then the church and/or some christian witness happened along and the the person changed. The change is itself is NOT conclusive evidence of god/christ/or- whatever, only that beliefs in god(s) and church institutions can be quite usual for some people. Also remember, most people do change continuously throughout their lives (eg, maturing, changing/modifying opinions/beliefs, etc). Some people can change quite drastically, too (bad=>good, good=>bad)! And even more than once. Sam
nxs@fluke.UUCP (Bruce Golub) (05/02/84)
The point of keeping an open mind dulls with the incesent sand-blasting of retoric from the religous camps. I appreciate people who can stand up and say "I believe in this and it has done such for me". However, the vast (like the evolutionists universe) majority of statements go like this: "I believe in this and you better do so to or else I'll sic my big brother (i.e. jesus) on you! Open mind? Hell, their minds are so open you could park a winnobago in one. In response to someone asking if I've read the newspapers lately (this was said in offense to a huministic view of the world) hell yes! Matter-of-fact I just set it down...let me see here... it says.. oh here we are CHRISTENS DREWS IN BLOODY RAID AGAINST THE GODDLESS MOSLEMS or something like that. By the way, How come the buddists or moslims on the Net do not go around lambasting(sic) the religous views of others? as always fluke!nxs Bruce Golub are we having fun yet?