Do you believe in spirits?

[Mr. P]

If we humans had any say in the matter every baby would be born perfect with the opportunity for a successful and happy life. If there is a god he/she seems to be lacking in that basic morality.

I have to ask, is an entity so lacking in basic morality worthy of worship?

Later

In regard to this point, it is humans and science, not god and prayer, that at least has a chance of finding a way to find and STOP undesireable mutations. The fight against and denial of what we have learned through evolution, mostly seen in religious realms, is keeping us in the dark and doing a disservice to us all. Does science have all the answers and can it do everything? No. No one says that. But it is at least an attempt in that direction.

And again, does it make sense to worship a god that allows deformed babies to be born? If you do believe in that god, well then WHY is that babies birth and quick death something bad? Is it not in "His" or "Her" plan? Are you questioning the higher power on the choice to make this child the way He has chosen?

Mr. P.

[tarav]

I do not believe in life after death. The energy that remains would hardly be considered by me to be my life or the spirit of me. However, I do like to suspend disbelief to watch movies involving life after death and to go on ghost walks!

[Penelope]

Frank said:

If we humans had any say in the matter every baby would be born perfect with the opportunity for a successful and happy life. If there is a god he/she seems to be lacking in that basic morality.

I have to ask, is an entity so lacking in basic morality worthy of worship?

It seems obvious to me that life, evolution - has been set in motion and obviously the god force doesn't keep it all running along smooth lines. Errors occur......

I am not advocating belief in some power that sits in heaven creating us all like a baker making loaves.......

I don't believe that we are meant to 'worship' anything....what a useless practice that would be......

I don't make feeble offerings.......bribes......to a separate God.

I just believe that there is much more to life than appears on the surface. I believe there is a higher power and that we can source that power when we feel ready or we feel the need. I believe it is a power that is in all of us, not that I am anything special.

It doesn't really bother me if people don't feel the need. I am just defending my right to believe in something more than meets the eye.

I am absolutely convinced that the human mind is very powerful and that we don't realise its full potential.

I think we are wonderful......I think I am wonderful....because I can look at myself and the rest of the world and still laugh.

[Lawrence]

I'm still promoting my blog Lawrenceindestin Penelope, but to respond it sounds as though you want valadition to your beliefs. The answer is there is no answer, only belief. The individual, unique, and personal belief of each person who asks and answers the question "is there life after earth. Tarav can not be judged anymore "right or wrong" for his belief than you or I can be judged right or wrong. That is the nature of asking unanswerable questions.

The problems arise when as a social and political group we attempt to get everyone going in the same direction for the same reason. If I'm boring you or sounding pedantic please say so. L

[Penelope]

Lawrence - How can you even think that you might be boring!!!

It is great to share ideas.

I just feel a bit sad that we are very swiftly coming to the end of the age of religion in this part of the world. Our lovely old churches and cathedrals remind me of stately old galleons sinking slowly into the sea - and with people abandoning ship in a sort of mass exodus.

We do seem to be fast approaching a new age and whereas I can see Frank and Mr. P's points of view, in that religion has been the cause of a lot of barbarism and bloodshed.....I do feel there should be some sort of compromise and meeting point between the out and out Atheists and the ones who feel convinced that there is much more to life than meets the eye. I want to keep our lovely old churches anyway.....they are good places to meditate.....when they are empty.

Look at Tibet and China as we speak. Religion will be blamed for that I expect.......but it really isn't to do with religion in this case. It seems to me to be the opposite problem....of an Atheistic society trying to force its ways onto a deeply spiritual society.

[Lawrence]

My purpose in writing my essay which Chris is kind enough to let me post as a blog under Lawrenceindestin is to show that your concern of the power of the state obliterating individual choice (belief), is very real. The culprit is our presumption the use of force to impose our will on others is OK. For 7,000 years all that presumption has caused is strife and pain. That presumption underlies spousal dialogue, parenting, sibling relations, family, societies and nation states.

Once a person or society logically concludes it is appropriate behavior to impose one's will on another, there is no logical reason not to use all of the force available against the opponent until that opponent succumbs or is destroyed. That is the insanity that has prevailed for the recorded history of humanity. Unless we establish an interpersonal value system that acknowledges the reality that belief is a personal choice and imposing ones will on another is unacceptable behavior what evidence is there to support that things will change? The killing will go on. My essay is saying we must challenge the insane logic of our societies. I try to show why we are they thinking like that. What is the reason for such stinking thinking. If the conclusion I present in my essay is acknowledged as worthy of consideration, I will present a way AND THE MEANS to modify our attitudes.

I do understand why and how you enjoy the trapings of religion. What my essay shows is that so much of it was established for the wrong reason. However, that does not keep the music, buildings, incense and ritual from being a pleasant and stimulating experience for you now.
I say, enjoy. You owe no one an explanation. You do business with your belief system anyway you want (but not so as to impose your will on another). I should be able to send and receive PMs pretty soon if you would like to carry on there. Lawrenceindestin

[bolsen1]

I do not "believe" in life after death because 1) there is no evidence of it and 2) I had no "life" before I was born, either. After all, isn't life after death a contradiction in terms? The only existence I have ever known is "life", so if I exist, I must be alive...

[Lawrence]

In chapter one of my booktalk blog lawrenceindestin, I show that questions like this can only be answered by belief. One person's belief is as good as another because it is personal it cannot be corporate. Welcome to BookTalk. I've found these folks kind and gentle. Lawrenceindestin

[brikayla72]

Well I am a Christian so I believe when I die I will go to heaven. I also belive there are spirits that roam the earth. People that are trapped for some particular reason or another.

[bolsen1]

Well I am a Christian so I believe when I die I will go to heaven. I also belive there are spirits that roam the earth. People that are trapped for some particular reason or another.

So, have you ever seen heaven, or have you known anyone who returned to tell you about it? Have you ever seen one of these spirits, or talked to it? Has it ever told you to do something, which you obediently followed?...