Are my spirtual beliefs wrong?

Or, I should say, lack therof. I am Atheist and just to make myself clear, I don't mean to trash talk religion at all. I've had strange occurences and it's really making me scratch my head.

First things first, day one. There's an odd group with bullhorns and the such outside of McDonalds. I peer from across the street after coming out of the restaurant I had dinner in and overhear that they are born-again Christians. They were singing and even trying to talk to the cars that stopped at the traffic light.
Now, maybe this was immature on my end (although at the time I found them to be yelling in bull horns and stopping people in cars immature) but after I got in my car, I drove by and shouted, "Religion is meaningless rhetoric and you are going to lead pointless lives!" This one guy simply smiled and waved, which I found odd.

Now, day two. I was getting out of work (probably about 20 miles away from where I was in day one) and I noticed an even stranger oddity. There was a man on the sidewalk, on his knees, with a giant Vash\Trigun cross over his shoulder. Just sitting there. I drove by and this time I decided not to shout anything immature since, you know, he was just chilling on the sidewalk with his cross.

The third day, I was driving to work and something in me strongly prompted me to look at the car that was ahead of me and its license plate. I did so and noticed the plate read, "R U SAVED."

I'm not making any of this up. These series of events have me questioning my belief system. Could I be wrong? Before this decision was very easy for me to make. But I just saw two strange events right in a row after some religious dude waved and smiled at me. I'm kind of freaked out. Advice? Also, I welcome the funny, smart ass, and serious replies. Thank you!

These people may seem strange to you because they *are* strange. The best thing to do is to keep going about your life as if they weren't there, and occasionally pick off one or two with your car when you get the chance. If they're really that excited about God, they won't mind meeting him a little sooner, right?

Interesting stuff, huh? My family are Christians, but for the longest time, we never went to church or read the Bible regularly, etc. In my senior year of high school, we read Siddhartha (Fictional Biography of Buddha) and I started reading up on Buddhism and learning about their beliefs.

In my freshman year of college, I met a girl who was 100% dedicated to God, and we became friends. In a college setting, religious debate pops up often enough that you actually learn a good deal about other cultures. By the end of the year, I said I would read the entire Bible from cover to cover, not to "prepare" myself for Christianity or anything, but just out of curiousity, and while it took me a year on and off, I did it.

Jump to my Junior year, and I met the wonderful young woman some of you may have seen with me in the "Post a Pic of Yourself" thread, who's family is quite dedicated to God themselves. I have to say that I've been the happiest I've been these past 19 months as ever.

Now, my point in all of this isn't that religion is some crutch or is a bringer of happiness to people. Everyone has a different reason to have faith, what you need to find is whether or not you may have one yourself, or whether God is reaching out to you in some manner (Sometimes weird shit = God reaching out to you).

Take some time and look it up, read a few passages on Christianity or another religion (the point behind religion is not what faith you choose, but that you HAVE faith...thank you Dogma for pointing this out, and the caveat that you don't impose yourself on others over religious beliefs).

Who knows, you might be interested in what you find.

~HotShotX

Well there's plenty of literature and debate for both sides, but if you want to hear both sides from people who are generally considered the top of the field I recommend googling Christopher Hitchens. Check www.fora.tv (great for all public speaking videos btw) and search for some of his debates.

I'd go into this further but I need to leave for work, so I'll keep it brief. I'm an Antitheist, in that I feel religion for the most part has had a negative effect on society through history and I don't believe in god. That being said I respect people's right to believe what they feel, and if it makes you feel better at the end of the day then more power to you. I look at it like Coffee, I don't like it but if it gets you through the day sanely then drink away. Just don't offer me a cup.

I'd also look into some of the more Eastern religions. They seem to be at least somewhat more senseable than the big 3.

You can debate which religion is the right one, but when you look around you at all that has been created--really think about the majesty, the scope, the interconnectedness--you should be awed to the point of believing that there is a God. To that point, I have a hard time identifying with people who claim that there is no god of any kind, but I would never push my beliefs on someone else (just as I don't expect them to push their beliefs on me). Religion can be a turn-off when people push it on you, but you seem to be curious about it on your own so that is a good time to investigate it. Just don't let the loudmouths "ruin" Christianity for you. The vast majority of them are sane, good people.

Yes.

Custom License Plates and people doing things such as waving and bearing crosses are not miracles.

I would bet the OP is just making this up for whatever reasons.

I wouldn't call people waving by the roadside a miracle, no, but God works in mysterious ways. Don't expect them all to be earth-shattering in magnitude with lightning-bolts and booming voices calling down from the heavens.

It would take too long for me to explain right now why the guy was smiling, so if you really want to know, send me a private message.

Your not wrong at all. You are entitled to believe whatever you want to believe.

Of course, if your belief can be shaken by a few coincidences, then it might need rethinking.

OP sounds weak-minded, to me.

Not such a free-thinker, after all.

lol, I'm with Crotch, Brak, etc. Does that seriously make you question anything? I always thought that those super-Jesus people were wasting their time (they do it for themselves more than others anyway), but if there are actually more people like you then maybe they're not.

In my opinion the only really logically defensible god is one like a deist god that doesn't have any demonstrable effect on anything and doesn't really care. Everything else that tries to be more specific just falls apart. Having said that I don't actually believe in any god, but I think that's the only kind that can't be disproven.

Sounds like synchronicity.

Synchronicity is the experience of two or more events which occur in a meaningful manner, but which are causally unrelated. In order to be synchronous, the events must be related to one another conceptually, and the chance that they would occur together by random chance must be very small.

Click to expand...

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

Could be your subconscious trying to tell you something. Analyze it carefully.

No, the most effective way for religious people to confirm their own belief in god is to run around trying to convert everyone else. It's really easy to believe in something if you can convince others to believe with you.

Besides if you want to go learn about christianity try reading the bible, you'll probably stop within the first 6 chapters of Genesis and find something better to do with your time.

I agree with camoor.

I just got The Crotched and Braked. :0 To be honest, I'm 95% sure my atheist beliefs are right for me. Religion and belief in a diety is a bunch of hooey, for me at least. The reason I found the guy waving odd was because of the coicedences that happened afterward. I just basically wanted to hear the opposite end of the argument-- basically what it meant that some guy was laying still on his knees facing the sidewalk not moving.
And. to the above posters I didn't make this up. I'm also strong willed. Strong willed enough to break the hypnosis that takes place during childhood in highly religious families. Just wanted to hear opinions, that's all.

EDIT: I really like Camoor's post. Thanks for that and to all of the others!

Yes.

[quote name='bigdaddy']Yes.[/QUOTE]
Go on.

[quote name='Brak']OP sounds weak-minded, to me.
[/quote]

Yes...and everyone knows that Jedi Mind Tricks work on the weak minded...

[quote name='Friend of Sonic']Go on.[/quote]

I didn't even read what you said. But if you don't believe them yourself then they are obviously wrong otherwise you would believe them.

[quote name='camoor']Sounds like synchronicity.



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

Could be your subconscious trying to tell you something. Analyze it carefully.[/QUOTE]

So is this like when I got my hatchback car and noticed not only did my neighboor have one, but so did his friend? Kinda like, "holy crap! I noticed this beacuse I just saw it a couple seconds ago"

[quote name='Friend of Sonic']Or, I should say, lack therof. I am Atheist and just to make myself clear, I don't mean to trash talk religion at all. I've had strange occurences and it's really making me scratch my head.

First things first, day one. There's an odd group with bullhorns and the such outside of McDonalds. I peer from across the street after coming out of the restaurant I had dinner in and overhear that they are born-again Christians. They were singing and even trying to talk to the cars that stopped at the traffic light.
Now, maybe this was immature on my end (although at the time I found them to be yelling in bull horns and stopping people in cars immature) but after I got in my car, I drove by and shouted, "Religion is meaningless rhetoric and you are going to lead pointless lives!" This one guy simply smiled and waved, which I found odd.

Now, day two. I was getting out of work (probably about 20 miles away from where I was in day one) and I noticed an even stranger oddity. There was a man on the sidewalk, on his knees, with a giant Vash\Trigun cross over his shoulder. Just sitting there. I drove by and this time I decided not to shout anything immature since, you know, he was just chilling on the sidewalk with his cross.

The third day, I was driving to work and something in me strongly prompted me to look at the car that was ahead of me and its license plate. I did so and noticed the plate read, "R U SAVED."

I'm not making any of this up. These series of events have me questioning my belief system. Could I be wrong? Before this decision was very easy for me to make. But I just saw two strange events right in a row after some religious dude waved and smiled at me. I'm kind of freaked out. Advice? Also, I welcome the funny, smart ass, and serious replies. Thank you![/quote]
*Just read it for the first tiem out of bored*



Too funny. I have had several people on the bus years ago saying that I will be saved, prayed (more like preyed) for, and all kinds of shit, it's like the god damn christians have a meter saying I'm not christian or something.

Organize religion is for weak people who can't or won't think for themselves. End of story.

You are weak minded, and frankly insane, if you think "R U SAV" is God speaking to you.

[quote name='bigdaddy']it's like the god damn christians have a meter saying I'm not christian or something.[/quote]

Well, when you say shit like "god damn christians" (which is an oxy-moron btw) they just might get the hint that maybe you're not one of them.

[quote name='bigdaddy']*Just read it for the first tiem out of bored*



Too funny. I have had several people on the bus years ago saying that I will be saved, prayed (more like preyed) for, and all kinds of shit, it's like the god damn christians have a meter saying I'm not christian or something.

Organize religion is for weak people who can't or won't think for themselves. End of story.

You are weak minded, and frankly insane, if you think "R U SAV" is God speaking to you.[/QUOTE]
Haha. I didn't necessarily think God was trying to send me a message, although my original post does insinuate that. This was merely intended to get people's opinions about my story and stir up light religion debate. Like I said in my follow up post, I'm 95% sure my Atheist ways is the best life for me. I need someone from CAG to set me the extra 5% straight... I need... I need...
I NEED TO GET SCORCHED!

[quote name='CrimsonSnipette']Well, when you say shit like "god damn christians" (which is an oxy-moron btw)[/quote]

No it's not. You are as bad as the are.

Christain God isn't the one true god. I can be god damning one of the thousands of gods that the people of Earth follow.

[quote name='bigdaddy']No it's not. You are as bad as the are.

Christain God isn't the one true god. I can be god damning one of the thousands of gods that the people of Earth follow.[/QUOTE]
You're right. There are thousands. You know, if I could be a God, I would be the kind of God that made sure that all EB/Gamestop employees stacked the Edge card with coupons.

My two cents?

Study up on The Devil. Study evil well...

Know that he wants you to doubt.
Know that he wants you to fail.
Know that "Do as thou wilt, shall be the whole of the law" is a giant scam.

Once you decode his symbols.
Once you know the people in power working for him.
Once you learn how he has infiltrated and perverted the truth.

Then you will only be left with one option... To take a stand.

It doesn't matter whether you beleive in Allah, Jesus, Bhudda, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster... As long as you take a stand against evil, you will live a fulfilling life.

If you fear man more than you fear God, then there's a problem.

Atheism IS Satanism because you are following Your Own Will, not God's will.

It's your, not you're.

Oh, and faith is for weak-minded fools.

[quote name='level1online']My two cents?

Study up on The Devil. Study evil well...

Know that he wants you to doubt.
Know that he wants you to fail.
Know that "Do as thou wilt, shall be the whole of the law" is a giant scam.

Once you decode his symbols.
Once you know the people in power working for him.
Once you learn how he has infiltrated and perverted the truth.

Then you will only be left with one option... To take a stand.

It doesn't matter whether you beleive in Allah, Jesus, Bhudda, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster... As long as you take a stand against evil, you will live a fulfilling life.

If you fear man more than you fear God, then there's a problem.

Atheism IS Satanism because you are following You're Own Will, not God's will.[/QUOTE]
...

What?

[quote name='level1online']
Atheism IS Satanism because you are following You're Own Will, not God's will.[/quote]Yes, but since I AM "God", in my world, then I guess I'm safe.

[quote name='evanft']It's your, not you're.

Oh, and faith is for weak-minded fools.[/quote]

Thanks. I didn't bother spell checking because I had faith that if I misspelled, someone would correct me.

[quote name='level1online']Atheism IS Satanism because you are following Your Own Will, not God's will.[/quote]

Atheism isn't Satanism, but Satanists are atheists. At least talking about the Church of Satan actual Satanists and not some teenage kid with too much time and no friends who thinks he/she should worship the devil.

Satanists are just atheists that like to have rituals and a sense of community, they don't actually believe in Satan.

And other than that your entire post doesn't make any sense, so yeah.

Isn't being condemned for your religion a get into heaven free card?

Satan seems like a dick to me. But I don't think he's real either.
I think Level1 was just kidding, guys. At least I hope so since I got a laugh out of his post.

[quote name='Friend of Sonic']I think Level1 was just kidding, guys. At least I hope so since I got a laugh out of his post.[/quote]
I'm not quite sure....have you read his other posts? He's a very odd and paranoid person.

[quote name='Friend of Sonic']Satan seems like a dick to me. But I don't think he's real either.
I think Level1 was just kidding, guys. At least I hope so since I got a laugh out of his post.[/quote]

Yeah, I was kidding.

Anyways, it's beautiful outside! I think i'll go out and worship the Sun.

After all, it's SUNday right?

Yesterday I praised Saturn, and tomorrow the Moon.

I am Atheist and just to make myself clear, I don't mean to trash talk religion at all. I've had strange occurences and it's really making me scratch my head.

Click to expand...

By that you are saying all life on Earth has no begining even if we did hop skip from planet to another planet and the scientists are right there is no soul we came from apes who came from black goop created by suns that came from gas clouds while materializing from vapor that came from space that came from....?

maybe this was immature on my end (although at the time I found them to be yelling in bull horns and stopping people in cars immature)

Click to expand...

Wash your window, Wash your window, only one dollar.

Orange, Orange, fresh Orange.

Grapes, Grapes, fresh Grapes.

This one guy simply smiled and waved, which I found odd.

Click to expand...

People who beleive that there is more to life then being a ball that floats around inside of your uterus and then ripping out your guts like Alien but even worst after awhile realize that all there hatefilled, nonsense, and materialistic wants is all pointless. These people eventually become nice and soft.

In general people get tired of being angry at thing then move on. While they know truths and the lies that cover the truths most people is unable to keep up with them.

It is like how one generation got sent of to the Middle East to fight for the Jews and beliefs and way of life was flushed down the drain along with the enemies youth.

Then another generation is going to be like Save Winter, Save Winter, No more fat dead squirrels, No more fat dead squirrels, No more fat dead squirrels.

Then the rest of the world is going to keep turning. In another five or so years there is going to be another war and another. When I was young the Gulf War was the big thing but nobody ever seems to talk about now. Even Desert Storm seems like bluff then a real event.

Now, day two. I was getting out of work (probably about 20 miles away from where I was in day one) and I noticed an even stranger oddity. There was a man on the sidewalk, on his knees, with a giant Vash\Trigun cross over his shoulder.

Click to expand...

That is called a cross and the person probably use it to set up a portable church. People do it all the time like with that X-box commercial where the guy drops off a pile of games and people start playing.

I was driving to work and something in me strongly prompted me to look at the car that was ahead of me and its license plate. I did so and noticed the plate read, "R U SAVED."

Click to expand...

That is Religious proporganda. They even have it comic book form. You should read "Spellbound" from "Crusaders" comics. THe way it works it realates to the current times and they convince readers to understand god. However it tends to backfire sometimes.

These series of events have me questioning my belief system. Could I be wrong? Before this decision was very easy for me to make. But I just saw two strange events right in a row after some religious dude waved

Click to expand...

No you just had a bunch of Christians chanting together. The thing is in the west Christianity is the Religion that reigns supreme over all other but in truth Christianity stayed pure unlike Judism which transformed into a group of people.

What is a born-again Christian?
The thing is in the spirt world you know that place where goku goes it is like another world. A perfect world where everybody has a place and everybody lives in happiness no matter outcome it is. Even Satin has a place in god's kingdom just like the FLIES* in our world has there place. When you reach the point at which there is no job for you to do in this world you will then the next world. You might comeback as a plant, a mouse, or even a tear drop. You might be a beautiful pheonix, unicorn, or even a demon.

The point is once you "cross over" you will be in another world, demension, or even zone. You have to understand there is a source, a root, or even a fountain that not only humans but all exsitance sprout from.

It means that once you forfill your function you will be born again to forfill another. Christ gave his human body to provide a pathway to heavan. Chris walked and risen even when his body had holes of certain damage. Threw his sacrafice Chris gave us the chance to join heavan.

"Kingdom come" humanity will unifiy regaurdless for the better or worst and will be one.
then after this peace the "devil" will appear and hell will let loose and set everything backwards but then a light of hope will come to save us........I forget the rest about how the mislead ones will be given another chance but the point is.....

You will start a new life. Since you are a self proclaimed Atheist and trying to get advice from the viod known as the internet. You who believe in nothingness besides physical need to understand you are saying to the world that you are no diffrent then a rock.

The rock has no soul, It has no life in it, It is just flesh of the earth, and this flesh is dried meat.....however if you throw or kick the rock you give it life and then the rock stops moving the rock has no life.

We are like rocks but we have more then a life we have a soul. Once we fall the soul is no longer present and all is left is the flesh that was owned by soul.

However the rock having no life nore soul alone can live forever since it has never had life at all but we as humans think about materialistic things so much we forget about the real needs of our lives. Thus we commit suicide and life is lost forever with the soul.

So my question is to you where does the sould goes when our bodies commit suicide? Can all that energy really be destroyed dew to one fatal flaw?

Still blah blah blah stop being lazy.

gamegal, I believe you have some kind of schizophrenia. I suggest going to a professional.

[quote name='gamegal']

Since you are a self proclaimed Atheist and trying to get advice from the viod known as the internet. You who believe in nothingness besides physical need to understand you are saying to the world that you are no diffrent then a rock.


[/quote]
DUDE!!!! She just called him a rock!!!

[quote name='The Crotch']She's a gag account. Contrast this with level1, who's just plain weird.[/quote]
What's a gag acount?

I noticed her account is new, but created in october. we're in november now.

funny, a guy called "the crotch" is calling me weird.... ok...

here, have a laugh
[MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndQM0X5rhfE[/MEDIA]

Yeah thats also called hit and run flamebaiting. Pain in the ass but infrequent on CAG. This doesnt seem like hit and run flamebaiting to me.

OP, if you're serious which you've said you were, i am of the opinin that it is better to question things than not too. You can chalk things up as coincidence or choose to read meaning into. Either way, I prefer questioning things.

Listen to the song or look up the lyrics to a NOFX song called "Jeff dont wear regular shoes." Its sort of about a guy who chooses to be real religious and it details the benefits of having a lot of faith and being relgious. Do whatever you want, but dont feel bad for questioning your belief system.

Me personally, those people piss me off and I too sometimes have to refrain from saying shit to people who demonstrate and picket and hold up pictures of aborted fetuses because they say its against their religion. Maybe better to just ignore them.

The guy that smiled at you probably did it to mind you into lying awake at night thinking "why did that guy smile at me." Or maybe it was *od talking to you. Like I said, there is no harm in questioning and being receptive to new information. Just do it critically.

Yeah well regarding bad religion its obvious. You can tell by their name that they have some poignant views on the subject. I for one kind of have a problem with organized religion. I consider myself one, but have (as many do) my own take on it.

NoFX is my favorite band. Sorry I mention them so much and double sorry if I've repeated myself. I guess they have a lot of songs dealing with the issues we discuss which is a testament to punk music. The only problem is that it can be extremely difficult to even understand the lyrics. Nirvana is also one of my fav. bands so there goes any prerequisite of clear lryics.

[quote name='level1online']My two cents?

Study up on The Devil. Study evil well...

Know that he wants you to doubt.
Know that he wants you to fail.
Know that "Do as thou wilt, shall be the whole of the law" is a giant scam.

Once you decode his symbols.
Once you know the people in power working for him.
Once you learn how he has infiltrated and perverted the truth.

Then you will only be left with one option... To take a stand.

It doesn't matter whether you beleive in Allah, Jesus, Bhudda, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster... As long as you take a stand against evil, you will live a fulfilling life.

If you fear man more than you fear God, then there's a problem.

Atheism IS Satanism because you are following Your Own Will, not God's will.[/quote]

What's interesting is that the people who usually say "I don't beleive in God"

are usually the first ones to beg "Oh God! Oh God! please no..."

whenever their life is in danger...

that's just from my experience.

[quote name='level1online']What's interesting is that the people who usually say "I don't beleive in God"

are usually the first ones to beg "Oh God! Oh God! please no..."

whenever their life is in danger...

that's just from my experience.[/QUOTE]
So, you often see a lot of atheists who are in life or death situation, eh? I wouldn't be screaming for God, but rather, 'NO! I never finished Final Fantasy VII!'

[quote name='Friend of Sonic']So, you often see a lot of atheists who are in life or death situation, eh? I wouldn't be screaming for God, but rather, 'NO! I never finished Final Fantasy VII!'[/quote]

I'll be seeding this for the next few weeks
http://thepiratebay.org/tor/3267145/Final_Fantasy_VII_(PC)_Ultima_Edition

[quote name='Friend of Sonic']Now, maybe this was immature on my end (although at the time I found them to be yelling in bull horns and stopping people in cars immature) but after I got in my car, I drove by and shouted, "Religion is meaningless rhetoric and you are going to lead pointless lives!" This one guy simply smiled and waved, which I found odd.[/quote]

Pretty much stopped caring after this. You sound like an asshole.

[quote name='The Crotch']Hmm. When I rolled my car some time back, my thoughts were - and this is quite accurate - ". . . It's rolling. A lot of people die this way. I might die. I wonder what the percentages are. . Hey, that's not supposed to happen."

FFVII did not cross my mind, though I have not beaten it, either. My PS1 died before I had the chance.

Am I the only person who thinks this thread is a little low on the politics and/or controversy?[/QUOTE]
Haha, that's a funny thought (but one I may have too!) when you're dying.
Also, as far as the politics/controversy goes, definitely no on the politics. I knew there was nothing political about this thread. However, I do think there is some light controversy especially if a real debate about religion was stired up.
[quote name='Mookyjooky']Pretty much stopped caring after this. You sound like an asshole.[/QUOTE]
Yes. So what's up with the trading time out?

Believe what you want.

Regardless of what anyone says, they have no idea how history got to this point or the meaning of existance. I don't like people forcing their beliefs on me, but I don't mind discussing different beliefs in an intelligent manner. I think the universe is too large, too complex, and too fantastic to simply think our existence is by chance. That being said, I don't know how much faith I can put into any organized religion anymore because they all serve as some means of control more than a means enlightenment. That is just my opinion though. I would consider myself a Christian, but I have major issues with the organization of religion as it is today.

I would just recommend keeping an open, yet cautious mind.

[quote name='GuilewasNK']Believe what you want.

Regardless of what anyone says, they have no idea how history got to this point or the meaning of existance. I don't like people forcing their beliefs on me, but I don't mind discussing different beliefs in an intelligent manner. I think the universe is too large, too complex, and too fantastic to simply think our existence is by chance. That being said, I don't know how much faith I can put into any organized religion anymore because they all serve as some means of control more than a means enlightenment. That is just my opinion though. I would consider myself a Christian, but I have major issues with the organization of religion as it is today.

I would just recommend keeping an open, yet cautious mind.[/quote]

Well said, the universe is too complex and too massive for us to persecute others over our own half-assed assumptions (both religious and not) on the way things work, and how it's all going to play out.

For me, it's Christianity, that's my faith and I'll live it my way, by the Book, and not through the overbearance of others. I won't be pushing that onto anyone else, but I'm certainly up for discussing it in an intelligent field, and not the typical "I'm right and you're burning in Hell for being wrong", or the "Durka Durka Durka Muhammed Jihad" mindset.

Religion should be used to bring enlightenment, happiness, and salvation to the people of this world, and not degrade us into mindless, hateful idiots. When one uses religion (or atheism) in that context, you've failed.

~HotShotX