(May 25, 2011 at 9:29 am)tackattack Wrote: Why would he allow someone who denies his existence to crawl out of the depths? Because he doesn't want people to suffer, because he's a loving God perhaps? It reinforces that notion that God is not necessary to be good, which I agree with as a statement. If your only goal is to live this life then truly God is not necessary. I find my belief in God useful and productive to adding to this life, but there are plenty of people that use religion to abuse others to counter that. I try and live this life, because that's all I get, for me God is not necessary, but I can't deny my perception of his influence. I deem it rational, experiential and logical, for me it's as real as the color blue is to you. I find it unnecessary, but a boon to believe in God, regardless of His provability. I don't know what happens after this life, but I believe there is something after it. I don't know that I require salvation, but I desire it, and that necessitates a forgiver, ie. GodNow that you have described what you actually believe it makes more sense now. I think the concept that a loving god would send someone like to me to hell, which what I was kind of leading towards. Your interpretation of not being sure whether you require salvation is new to me though as I was always taught that salvation was neccessary for humanity.
Mostly though what you are saying sounds a bit like the United Methodist church my parents took me to as a kid. They didn't preach fire and brimstone, only tried the spread the message of love thy neighbor and such. How does one come to this interpration? After all, Jesus specifically mentions hell many times
Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own - Bertrand Russell
