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Re: Religions
on: January 15, 2013 12:59

Same here

Lord_Sauron

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Re: Religions
on: January 23, 2013 05:09

I was born a catholic.

Religion brings both War and Peace and has done ever since mankind exisited and i'm afraid it always will. In my honest opinion all religions are equal and i sincerely respect other peoples religion and their beliefs. No one should be persecuted for what religion they follow

Lindarielwen

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Re: Religions
on: January 23, 2013 06:55

I,as well, was born a Catholic and I have since changed my mind.

I agree with your entire statement, Lord_Sauron.

People should not try to force their religious beliefs on others. How sad that more murders are commited "in the name of God" than for any other reason.

My destiny is riding again, rolling in the rain, unwinding in the wind. My destiny is fighting again, secretly unwinding..what it was I was supposed to say...to say to you today.

Lastiel Rusc

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Re: Religions
on: January 23, 2013 11:16

Born/raised as a Christian. Don't quite like how some people of religions act, as in judge you for liking or enjoying something that they think is 'evil' or think you need to show up for church all of the time.

But what I do like is the ethics, so I guess I don't really have a religion....If you've seen the movie Boondock Saints (it's about two Catholic Irish men who in a way take the law in to their own hands and kill off some very bad men), anyways at the end of the movie they go over the 10 commandments and state that every man can agree to those. And well, as long as you live a good life and try not do do things that will harm others, I'd say that's great!

And Lindarielwen, yup so true. But we also tend to forget that a good portion of the time people kill because they are afraid of what they do not understand/know. Understanding and acceptance is the key to preventing more mass murders.

'If they have a fault it is distrust of strangers. Though their magic was strong even in those days they were wary. They differed from the High Elves of the West, and were more dangerous and less wise.' ~ Flies and Spiders The Hobbit Taug anin Ãº-daug.

lotrelessar94

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Re: Religions
on: January 24, 2013 12:51

Wow, I can't believe I found this thread thingy! Never thought I'd find something like this on here, and I'm so excited to be able to participate

Anywho, I am a Christian (I guess born-again would be a good way of saying it). I was raised this way, but no one could stop me from always asking questions about faith anyways. I guess my motto was "seek truth." I've always had a passion to learn about the way the natural world works. After studying biology for a while, I found that the world around us shows every sign of intelligent design. Its undeniable. This world, and all of us, is no accident. It's too intricate and balanced to have been thrown together randomly by the forces of the universe.

The entire LotR series was what strengthened my love for God and the promises He has for me. Sounds strange, I know, but here's why: Right off the bat, I fell in love with Aragorn. He reminded me so much of the kind of a king I would love to serve and give my life for. Most people would just say I'm a nerd for thinking so deeply about the messages that underly Tolkien's work. Say what you want, but no other work of art or piece of literature has ever given me this feeling that I am not made for this world, that I don't belong here, and that my body is temporary and I am made for another world that is designed for me. Here's one of my favorite quotes from JRR Tolkien regarding this matter:

“We have come from God, and inevitably the myths woven by us, though they contain error, will also reflect a splintered fragment of the true light, the eternal truth that is with God. Indeed only by myth-making, only by becoming 'sub-creator' and inventing stories, can Man aspire to the state of perfection that he knew before the Fall. Our myths may be misguided, but they steer however shakily towards the true harbour, while materialistic 'progress' leads only to a yawning abyss and the Iron Crown of the power of evil.”

"Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisoned by the enemy, donâ€™t we consider it his duty to escape?. . .If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if weâ€™re partisans of liberty, then itâ€™s our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as we can!"

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Re: Religions
on: January 24, 2013 01:50

GO lotrelessar94!!!! Totally agree. I studied a lot of scientific stuff too, and couldn't find anything that totally added up about the world.
I was raised a christian and my faith was largely influnced by my godly friends who have the courage to go out and speak up about their faith, and not to hide in the shadows when something and someone they love is being compromised. Just as lotrelessar94 said, Tolkien knew what he was doing when he wrote LOTR: he gave us an example of God and how he works in mysterious ways

So glad I found this forum!!!!!

We were one in the same, running like moths to the flame. You'd hang on every word I'd say, but now they only ricochet.

Legolas23

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Re: Religions
on: January 24, 2013 02:48

I am totally Christian. Always will be too.

It is just amazing to see what God has done in my life and i can't wait to see what else He has in store! I could not imagine living with out Him in my heart. I was baptized when i was seven or eight. I am Baptist.

But, not really what you would call a 'normal' Baptist anyway. We attend a Batist church weekly, but we also have some family standards that many many Baptists don't have, such as modest dressing ( for me it is one day a skirt the next day jeans. my mom wear skirts full time. Long skirts at that

) and stuff like that. If any of u have any questions about Baptists, or Christianity, please PM me!
God Bless!

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Re: Religions
on: February 07, 2013 02:57

I just wanted to throw out that as Christians, we do not intend to look down on people. WE try to be accepting and loving off all people, whether they have different beliefs or not. We try to shine God's light through our everyday, human lives. People have bad days, Christian or not. WE don't mean to offend anyone, nor push our beliefs on others. If anyone has any questions about the bible or god, you can send me a PM at anytime. I may not be a professional, but I'll do the very best that I can.

James 1:19

We were one in the same, running like moths to the flame. You'd hang on every word I'd say, but now they only ricochet.

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Re: Religions
on: February 07, 2013 03:27

I've noticed that some people seem to have a problem with science, so I'm available if anyone wants to discuss it either here or through PMing.

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Re: Religions
on: February 08, 2013 06:14

It's not that I really have a problem with science. If you want to believe that, and you think that that's how the world was formed, then that's OK, I won't shove my beliefs on you. But there are some gaps in science that don't really add up, like how old the Earth really is. There is no written history before 4000 BC. Why? There really wasn't any, even though the Earth is claimed to be billions of years old. If there were inhabitants prior to that date, there would have been a form of a record kept by some people living in 4000 BC. There isn't a record of that at all. There was also not a apocolypse type event prior to 4000 BC. There had to be survivors in order to populate, and in turn those survivors would have passed information down. Given, it's difficult to find some history around 2,500 BC, because Noah's flood destroyed it--which is a documented fact.
Another point is that if humans, according to scientists, are quickly evolving at an extremly rapid rate...how come the most important human inventions were invented within the last 2 thousand years? (wheel and axle, telephone,etc.) If we were evolving as fast as scientists say, then we would have made these advancements sooner.
World population growth rate in recent times is about 2% per year. Practicable application of growth rate throughout human history would be about half that number. Wars, disease, famine, etc. have wiped out approximately one third of the population on average every 82 years. Starting with eight people, and applying these growth rates since the Flood of Noah's day (about 4500 years ago) would give a total human population at just under six billion people. However, application on an evolutionary time scale runs into major difficulties. Starting with one "couple" just 41,000 years ago would give us a total population of 2 x 1089. 9The universe does not have space to hold so many bodies.

There is still more evidence against science, in my opinion.I'm not trying to make anyone angry with this. I m just stating what I believe to be true...and what my biology teacher even said "I don't know why that is" to.

We were one in the same, running like moths to the flame. You'd hang on every word I'd say, but now they only ricochet.

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Re: Religions
on: February 08, 2013 10:23

There is nothing wrong with science. There are some scientific theories which you may disagree with, such as the theory of evolution. (unless you just have a problem with science as a whole.) Everything in life IS science.

lotrelessar94

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Re: Religions
on: February 08, 2013 10:56

Yay Findemaxam48!!!! Way to back up your beliefs! Even if others don't believe what you (we) may say, evidence is essential in proving your point. And there's lots of it out there.
As for the others who say there is nothing wrong with science, you are absolutely right! Science away! There is nothing wrong with science. It's helpful in explaining very important parts of our history and the amazing ways nature and our bodies work together. It helps to improve and save lives. But I have more of an issue with those who try to fudge certain aspects of science in the name of discrediting Christianity. For example, there are gaps in the fossil record that scientists have claimed they have found the missing pieces. Many of these fossils were found to have been fabricated and planted in dig sites in Asia and Europe. Not even joking. It's like some people plant these things just to try to deny the truth of creation. In the end, its not science that's the main issue. It's the human heart. Many of us don't want creation and Christianity to be validated because the truth means we are accountable to a God who is beyond our control. And some people feel they can't live with that. But I have found that I can't live without that. I think deep down inside we all long for justice in a world filled with corruption, genocide, evil, and hurt. Only with God will all things be made right again. I am waiting for the Return of the King: Jesus.

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Re: Religions
on: February 09, 2013 03:16

I'm not saying everything about science is wrong. Some things are great, as lotrellesar94 said. But its absolutly astounding to me that people say that the Earth was formed in one day, or that it's millions of years old. There is so much evidence for a Creator- one that wants a personal relationship with everyone, even those who sin. Nothing is too big or small for him to handle. God will handle all things, and he cares about you. If anyone has any questions, feel free to PM me.

We were one in the same, running like moths to the flame. You'd hang on every word I'd say, but now they only ricochet.

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Re: Religions
on: February 09, 2013 05:47

Hi everyone. I just thought I should point out that science is not a matter of belief. It is concerned with discovering the way the universe works, a search for truth if you like. Theories are only ever tentative. When they're shown to be wrong they are discarded.

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Re: Religions
on: February 09, 2013 06:39

I still find it very strange that myself and hundreds of other students before and after me have and will learn scientific theorys that are still either not proved untrue or proved wrong, but are still in textbooks as theories and therefore a part of the curriculm biology students must learn. Science is great if it's true and absolutly proved solid. But in a few experiences I had, I was taught things blaghtently wrong. You can believe whatever you like, but to me, science has a few loose ends still needing to be cleaned up.

We were one in the same, running like moths to the flame. You'd hang on every word I'd say, but now they only ricochet.

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Re: Religions
on: February 09, 2013 09:49

'Science' has no "loose ends". People create ideas with many loop-holes and loose ends. Science does not. (btw, I totally agree with you tarcolan.)

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Re: Religions
on: February 10, 2013 01:49

People are the ones doing the scientific theories. People make mistakes. Sometimes, we don't want to admit them. This is not an argument about science and the theories developed- it's an arguement about creation, an idea developed through religion. You can disagree with me and I'm ok with that, but my mind will not be changed on this matter. I believe that God created the heavens adn earth and mankind in 7 days, and if you don't that's not for me to say, because when your trying to push your beliefs on someone, they just won't listen to what you have to say.

We were one in the same, running like moths to the flame. You'd hang on every word I'd say, but now they only ricochet.

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Re: Religions
on: February 10, 2013 05:20

Science has plenty of loose ends, Leo. Is dark matter real, for example, or is it just a handy plot device for Philip Pullman's stories? No-one knows yet.

People do indeed develop scientific theories, findemaxam48, but they then have to go and find evidence to support it. Other scientists will test the theory as well. They cannot afford to ignore evidence which doesn't support their pet theory because they know someone else will find it. In fact a true scientist will actively try to disprove their own theory. If the theory is wrong that's it, they have to start again from scratch. The search for truth (small t) is a hard road littered with broken theories. They have to accept what the universe is telling them. So when you use science to support your belief it's only fair to expect it to be tested by others. It doesn't mean they're attacking you.

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Re: Religions
on: February 10, 2013 08:30

Tarcolan, when I say 'science', I am not referring to people's futile attempts at understanding the universe. I am referring to the very essence of the universe- (science isn't really the word I'm looking for. I can't seem to find the right one though.) -the way everything works. People say that things were 'invented', but the ideas for everything are already contained in the universe. e.g, if Thomas Edison wouldn't have made his light bulb, you can be sure someone else would have. And scientific laws are discovered, not made, same with mathematical principles. And gravity for that matter. It took people long enough to figure out, but it has always applied. Just because the ancient civilizations didn't understand trigonometry, or other kinds of advanced math, doesn't mean the principles weren't always there, cause they definitely were. (and as to dark matter tarcolan, ask the universe

)

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Re: Religions
on: February 11, 2013 04:12

When I say things to defend my beliefs, I'm expecting to be attacked

But thanks,
tarcolan, for responding the way you did, anyways

We were one in the same, running like moths to the flame. You'd hang on every word I'd say, but now they only ricochet.

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Re: Religions
on: February 11, 2013 05:28

I'm a Christian by the way. And with what I was saying, you just have to consider every viewpoint, and possibility.

Legolas23

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Re: Religions
on: February 11, 2013 05:34

Yeah, i agree with findemaxam48. There is nothing wrong with it, but he (or she?) is right. there are gaps. if u think about it, the earth couldn't be billions of years old. it is scientifically proven. the sun gets hotter every year. if it was billions of years old, then the earth would be so hot then no one would be able to live on earth. same here with me, findemaxam48. when i say something about my beliefs, i expect to be attacked!

Grizzwald

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Re: Religions
on: February 11, 2013 06:32

I am not religious in any way. And I'm not exactly the most er, pure, person on the earth, but still I have been fortunate enough to have a relationship with God. He is really cool.

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Re: Religions
on: February 12, 2013 01:06

If someone attacks your beliefs then you have a right to defend them. But if you present scientific evidence then it should be verifiable by anyone else, and if they question it it is not an attack on your beliefs. Science is not a matter of belief. The same laws that are used to calculate the age of the sun are used to design your computer. You can't pick and choose. As I said it's tough being a scientist. So it's up to you to point out the mathematical error. The sums are quite quite simple.