^^^Well at least you have started to think now that something must be wrong with the bible and its claims. Nothing can be proven, nothing verified. Prayer is useless. Just live your life. If you want something work for it or try your best to achieve it. If you cannot, just accept it. There is no magic solution. It is good that you have come to this conclusion, it will save you from future disappointment.

@OP what exactly would it look like if your prayers were answered. Would it be like a wishing well, you say a prayer and like magic you get what you want? Is this how prayers work? How do you know that your prayers have not been answered, but possibly in a way that is not what you were hoping for?

The deeper question would be what kind of God would allow his children to suffer, if you believe that this suffering is caused by God. Then one must think deeper to know that God is not some man in the sky looking down and picking and choosing who suffers. That would not make sense.

To live is to suffer. Life is full of good and bad, but only when one finds meaning in his suffering will he understand that all suffering if viewed correctly can lead to spiritual awakening and growth. The bible teaches this, but so does Islam, and Buddhism. Do not suffer just for the sake of suffering but allow that suffering to elevate your consciousness and spiritual life. Allow it to teach you how to be compassionate, forgiving, and joyful in all things. That is the purpose.

^^^either way they cant lose. the delusion of religion. how great it is.

billyG:

The people suffering,genocides,accidents,diseases,famine wear cause by Man's karma-Bad seeds which he sowed in this life or previous which he has to reap!What ever a man soweth so shall he reap? said:Jesus

How then would this fit in with the notion of a loving, merciful, compassionate, and forgiving God? This behavior actually seems quite hateful and petty.

@plaetton This is so wonderfully written. You have hit the nail on the head!!![color=#006600][/color]

plaetton:

Correction: this corrupted version of the original. The romans redacted that part to fit with their new farbricated religion after Jesus was crowned god by imperial decree of the Nicean creed.
The original version of this statement should read: "The Christ(Kristos,the god in man, the inner soul) is the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the father, but by the Christ".

The message of Jesus was about giving power back to you by asking you look inwards for salvation.
Jesus and Buddha, by their teachings, seeks to give you completely sovereignty of your devine heritage:- your mind, your consciousness and your sou.
" The kingdom of God is within you".
This is the same message as the Buddha.

The romans and the christianity they imposed on the world sought to do the opposite by robbing you of your christhood(your devine heritage) and asking you to seek it through intermediaries such as priests, church and Jesus and the worship of an imaginary man in the sky.

If you truely understand what Christ really means, then you'll come to the realization that the christian church represents the anti-christ(that which seperates you from your christ).
When you focus inwards and eventually come to a self-realization and make a connection with your real self, it is then that you are truly Christ-end . But before that, you have to die a spiritual death and be resurrected or Born Again into a new spiritual life.

The story of Lazarus is a ritualistic or symbolic example of this process of spiritual death and resurrection. It was an initiation into a new spiritual life for Lazarus.Jesus went through the same initiation process in egypt.
We notice that in the bible that even Jesus's close disciples were envious of of not beeing part of this initiation.

Being born again was not about carrying bible, going to church and gullibly accepting the crap that other people feed you.Its about establishing a connection with your devine essence, the real you.

^^^^I would go a step further by stating the God of the bible does not exist and is just like the men who wrote about him,because he is from their imagination. That is why he seems to be always throwing temper tantrums, because that is what some men do.

Natural disasters happen and some people survive while others do not, but this is a part of nature. That is all. No favorites being shown. This can be seen clearly because very devout believers have also been seen to suffer the consequences of such natural disasters. Again, it is all in one's mind, it may feel good to think God has specifically spared you, this does not make it true.

@knowjack you are absolutely correct. There are many people I know who are so happy they left their first marriage and actually met a better person for them in the second. Both people did. The first match was just bad, it happens. Oftentimes, when people first marry they do not know what they are doing. They do not know what they are getting into. And make an honest mistake. You seem to know what you want to do. My advice to you is that you are going to get mostly rigid Christian advice of stay no matter how bad it is on this website. This may not be the best place to ask this question. Be free to live and enjoy your life. If you cannot do that through this marriage and you have tried then move on. That simple. No need to feel guilty or bad unnecessarily.

@frosbel but the OP has done away with Christ in the sense that you mean. This statement was posted and the OP stated it is accurate.

jenwitemi wrote
"He did not say he believed in the God touted by "bible believing" religionists. Just because he has now come to the realization that there is a creator of the universe does not mean he now believes in Mr. Yahweh/Jehovah/Jesus." Am i correct, Ascony?

the OP responded:

@ jenwitemi. yea u r absolutely correct

@frosbel my apologies, I never saw your other question. But the same confusion you speak of can be found throughout Christianity with all the denominations and beliefs that are derived from one book, the bible. I do not know the answer to your question, I wish I did, no one does really, people just choose an explanation that works best for them, nor have I said i am an atheist, and the name dawkins has never been written here by me. But you were proclaiming glory to Christ for this thread and the OP saying there is a God, and the OP has said he even goes to mosques and budhists temples, he is not a Christian and he is not talking about the God of the bible. That was my point.

@frosbel  the OP has never mentioned Christ.  never.  he said a God.  not the God of the bible.  If you are so impressed by him for finding God, then you should be just as impressed by muslims, buddhists, and the rest who also believe there is a God.  not necessarily the God of the bible.  just a God

@frosbel are you going to heaven?

^^^It can only be heaven because that is your narrow way of thinking. It could have been anything, it could have been nothing. Was it the Christian heaven or the Muslim heaven, or a heaven you don't know about? Maybe he saw an old loved one? the maybes can go on and on. it is so silly and narrow minded to equate this to something you cannot prove. so silly. he did not believe. that is the fact. that is what we know. he was an atheist. why is it so difficult to deal in fact? why must you invent fairytales?

^^^^But like everything else with religion, you do not really know for sure. So, your assumption is pointless, unless it is just to make yourself feel good.

^^^^Steve Jobs was an atheist. So what does it really mean? He did not proclaim Jesus his Lord and Savior and if it was heaven, then he still got in. So what dies that say? that all this religion stuff is silly. And the oh wow could have been anything, again just like the bible, you are interpreting this story in a way that suits you.

@ronkepb so how does one know he has been shown favor?

joinnow:

Jehovah Impartial. Jehovah says that he “treats none with partiality nor accepts a bribe.” (De 10:17; 2Ch 19:7) The apostle Peter said, when God sent him to declare the good news to the uncircumcised Gentile Cornelius: “For a certainty I perceive that God is not partial, but in every nation the man that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.”—Ac 10:34, 35; Ro 2:10, 11.
Jehovah, the Creator and Supreme One, cannot be challenged on his decisions and actions. He can do as he pleases with what he has created and does not owe anyone anything. (Ro 9:20-24; 11:33-36; Job 40:2) He deals with individuals or groups, even nations, according to his purpose and his own appointed time. (Ac 17:26, 31) Nevertheless, God is impartial. He rewards each person, not according to his outward appearance or possessions, but according to what he is and what he does. (1Sa 16:7; Ps 62:12; Pr 24:12) His Son Jesus Christ follows the same impartial course.—Mt 16:27.

What does this mean. You say he chooses to treat people how he pleases and we should not question. So he is choosing to treat some better than others?

^^^^^^^^Amen to that! The irony is people do live without him because he isnt there. The question should be can you live without the idea or the delusion. Many people cannot.

well is the question being posed no different than asking why would an all powerful God need to put his own son on the cross. why not just do away with evil and make the world perfect etc,

manmustwac:

If you were born in Afghanistan to afghan parents you would've been a Muslim and you would be saying that there is no god but Allah and that Mohammed is his messenger. If you were born in Denmark to danish parents you wouldn't be bothered about religion and would've been an atheist. But since you were born into an halleluyah praise the lord family you are a Christian which is the real reason why you say a life without Christ is empty. But then don't mind me am only talking grammar.

This just seems so clear. So obvious. It makes no sense why people claim any superiority in religion. It is mostly geography followed by, culture and mindset.

Would worship or the message change if Jesus was black or white. Does it matter truly?

This sounds like a very good idea!

[quote][/quote]Tell me, how will you feel if while you are praying to Yahweh, your husband is bowing to Buddha in the living room , surely this will grieve your heart !!!

Why is this a bad thing? If the two are mature and enlightened this can be a better spiritual pairing than two people who are just blindly following dogma without even thinking. The two here in your example can learn from one another! It may grieve your heart, because your thinking is narrow and rigid. But would not grieve everyone's heart, some would find great pleasure in this, because they love the person, not his or her spiritual practice. Which really are all leading to the same place.