Anyone here goes to church regularly but feels empty?

I have been trying to go to church (my gramps own) regularly but I found myself in a horrible revelation about myself there (and most other churches as well)... I personally can't feel God's presents... it's like I am distant to what's going on inside... with the dull singing of songs that don't appel to me, it's just words to me... with the same old repetitive shallow reading of the scripture etc, it's just more words... it's like I don't feel anything in most places of worship and I feel guilty about it, this is something I keep to myself though.

BUT, at the same time I do feel something much much more significant when I leave... it's kina hard to explain I guess, but I feel a significant spiritual presents at times when I contemplate certain things in my life, like a guide, and it's not even like my conscience.

Probably when I get back I should start looking for another church... cause something is not right when you feel empty inside a building yet inside you thurst.

What kind of church do you go to?

I've been to just about every protastant denomination except for 7th day adventises. So much variation.

Maybe Islam is for you bub.

God stopped going to church a long time ago.

I havent been to church in a very looong time. I'm Christian and well the Church I use to go to has good singing I guess it was because the singers were awesome and then was the bible teaching where they would read a bible verse and the pastor would try and adapt it to our everyday life. It took me a while to actually pay attention but eventually I actually put some effort into it and felt good. Now I feel like you do in Church, except I feel this way becuase I havent gone in months.


BY THE WAY PSP IS AWESOME!!!!!!!

Doesn't sound like Church is for you.

If you're looking for spirituality, just find it in yourself. You don't need a Church for that. I think this is the way God, if there is indeed a God, intended religion to be.

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Originally Posted by subcons

Doesn't sound like Church is for you.

If you're looking for spirituality, just find it in yourself. You don't need a Church for that. I think this is the way God, if there is indeed a God, intended religion to be.

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I agree. I believe in the christian god, jesus and all that. But I just don't go to church.

I have nothing against going to church mind you, it's just not for me. I can imagine myself seeking the help of a priest or pastor if i ever came upon some spiritual dillemma though. I just like the idea of a personal relationship with god and the savior as opposed to going through and intermediary like a priest.

PS: Goldberg where are those indulgences you promised to sell me?

I used to go to church regularly. The problem is that I was forced to go for the most part. I went to a Catholic church from the time I was in 2nd grade until I was about 20. When I hit 20 I told my parents I thought the religion was bullshit and full of hypocrites. Going to church made me feel miserable as it wasn't about the fact that I was there, it was the fact that I didn't conform and meet their "standards" that everyone handed me. Who cares how I dress when I go to church, the important part is being there, right?

Actually, being there isn't important either. Believing and worshipping in your own way is all that should matter.

Now I don't go to church and I don't worship in any fashion and feel better for it. Will I burn in hell? I guess so, if such a place exists. I won't know what's at the end until I get there. For all I know I'll die and be eaten by worms, the lights go out and then nothing. Actually, it wouldn't even be NOTHING, as you'd have to have some form of conscious self to realize there IS nothing...

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Originally Posted by norton9478

What kind of church do you go to?

I've been to just about every protastant denomination except for 7th day adventises. So much variation.

.

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One was catholic, the another were protastant, I don't even look into that anymore... in fact I ultimately don't feel much in either in the end.

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Originally Posted by C.A.R25

it's like I don't feel anything in most places of worship and I feel guilty about it, this is something I keep to myself though.

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These feelings of guilt are common, though needless. The best thing you can do is to become educated about faith and religion. Understand where the beliefs that you have come from and decide whether or not what they are based on is for you. The best place to start is a study of history. For example if you are Protestant, you will want to study the work of John Calvin and Martin Luther.

If you have firm belief in Biblical writings, I suggest you look at the beginnings of the Christian church. Try to grasp an understanding of how the world operated when the Bible was written and how that environment shaped its creation.

Also, you may want to look into the Christian side of Existentialism, especially the writings of Soren Kierkegaard, as he wrote many well respected things about what you seem to be describing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by C.A.R25

I have been trying to go to church (my gramps own) regularly but I found myself in a horrible revelation about myself there (and most other churches as well)... I personally can't feel God's presents... it's like I am distant to what's going on inside... with the dull singing of songs that don't appel to me, it's just words to me... with the same old repetitive shallow reading of the scripture etc, it's just more words... it's like I don't feel anything in most places of worship and I feel guilty about it, this is something I keep to myself though.

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Try reading this:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...glance&s=books

I go to church once in a blue moon.

I leave with third degree burns.

i go to churchs chicken, but when i leave i don't feel empy inside. :kekeke:

Funny storry:

I went to church incognito.
When everybody rose the Reverend Smith recognized me And punched me in the nose.

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Originally Posted by subcons

Doesn't sound like Church is for you.

If you're looking for spirituality, just find it in yourself. You don't need a Church for that. I think this is the way God, if there is indeed a God, intended religion to be.

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I totally support this view as well...I find religion to be little more than a form of limiting one's spirituality by trying to give it a label and make it conform to certain rules/regulations that others have set...if anything, you should be the one who decides how to define your spiritual being

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Originally Posted by norton9478

Funny storry:

I went to church incognito.
When everybody rose the Reverend Smith recognized me And punched me in the nose.

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He remembered you from those "special times" when you were an alter boy? :kekeke:

Hit the black Baptist churches dude. That's where the action's at.
Live band, ultra fast music, people dancing barefooted with tambourines, people passing out, and the pastor *sings* his sermon.

I'm Catholic and there was a period when I didnt go. I cant explain why, I just felt like I wasnt getting anything out of it. I went through a really down period in my life when i was seeking answers. I realised that this was a pretty selfish way of thinking about faith.

I cant say that I have ever found answers, but I did some soul searching and I reaslised what faith means to me. I now go to church every Sunday to pray in my own way and give thanks to God for all that I have been blessed with. I try to find my own meaning in His word and try to apply it to my life.


Im not a bible humper or anything, I just try to live my life and respect those how I would want to be repected.


Blue Mary has great tits for a sprite.

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Originally Posted by Formation Z

Hit the black Baptist churches dude. That's where the action's at.
Live band, ultra fast music, people dancing barefooted with tambourines, people passing out, and the pastor *sings* his sermon.

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You are not joking! I went to a Baptist church on the black side of town and was amazed! It was like the antithesis of the Roman Catholic Church.

White/catholic churches:
Joyful joyful we adore thee :spock: :spock:

Black churches
:chump: :buttrock:
Joyful joyful Loooord.......Lord...........(hallelujah!!! hallelujah!! hallelujah!!! Lord.............Lord.............Lord.......Loooo ooooooorrrd we adore thee!

Just when you thought the choir was finished singing....

Then they jump into another round of it! That's when the wailing screaming and passing out on the floor begins.

The cycle goes on for another 20 minutes!

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Originally Posted by Formation Z

White/catholic churches:
Joyful joyful we adore thee :spock: :spock:

Black churches
:chump: :buttrock:
Joyful joyful Loooord.......Lord...........(hallelujah!!! hallelujah!! hallelujah!!! Lord.............Lord.............Lord.......Loooo ooooooorrrd we adore thee!

Just when you thought the choir was finished singing....

Then they jump into another round of it!

The cycle goes on for another 20 minutes!

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:buttrock:

White folks just don't know how to worship.

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Originally Posted by Formation Z

:chump:

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Holy fuck where did that come from? That fussy broad D-Lite is at the bottom of this.

Ahahahahahahaha!

I haven't been to church in years. I'm fully prepared to burn in Hell.

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Originally Posted by C.A.R25

I have been trying to go to church (my gramps own) regularly but I found myself in a horrible revelation about myself there (and most other churches as well)... I personally can't feel God's presents... it's like I am distant to what's going on inside... with the dull singing of songs that don't appel to me, it's just words to me... with the same old repetitive shallow reading of the scripture etc, it's just more words... it's like I don't feel anything in most places of worship and I feel guilty about it, this is something I keep to myself though.

BUT, at the same time I do feel something much much more significant when I leave... it's kina hard to explain I guess, but I feel a significant spiritual presents at times when I contemplate certain things in my life, like a guide, and it's not even like my conscience.

Probably when I get back I should start looking for another church... cause something is not right when you feel empty inside a building yet inside you thurst.

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I felt the exact same way when I went to Catholic church with my mom. I felt like I wasn't learning much. We switched churches and then it was a better church but I wanted more. I started going to classes to get Confirmed(an important Ceremony) and that was just me, my aunt and my Brother with 1 priest and I learned more in those few weeks than I did my whole life going to church.

I suggest you go to Bible study, i feel its much better than your standard Idea of "church". The true meaning of "church" is a group of people learning about God, not a building with a priest/minister/preacher and a bunch of people singing songs. This is straight from the mouth of my Former Priest back in the states.

When I go to some churches and hear the songs and things they sing it doesn't appeal to me(like Gospel music). Like you it just felt like empty words. To me it was so very "Westernized". A few months ago I went to Israel and I went to Jerusalem and I went to the Jewish Quarter and the Christan Quarter and the way the music sounds there and the way the churches look made me have a more solid feeling of my religion.

Christianity comes from the deserts of the Middle east, So i wanted the true feel. I suggest you research the truth about all of if instead of this European/North American take on Christianity.

The reason why you can't feel gods presence as there is no god; only religion. And either way its all just a good excuse for a war.

When I was a lot younger I went to church a lot with my grandparents. They played some roll in the church.
My mom tried to get me into a catholic school. boy did I rebel fuck that hail marry bullshit.
Around the time I stop believing there was a santa claus, tooth fairy, and easter bunny my belief in god disappeared.
Maybe the magic has just worn off. No need to feel guilty.

Methinks it's about time to steer this thread towards the warroom. :chump:

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Originally Posted by lithy

God stopped going to church a long time ago.

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So did i.

Like others here, i feel that the important is to be in harmony with your faith; for some that means beeing with others expressing their love in God, for others it s to act well and help their fellow humans instead of going to church (for example by helping the poor unable to read/write to fill in administrative papers).

living in England and beeing forced to go to church has been a great vaccine to "churching" for me (and i guess helped making me an Athe )

There are 1.2 Billion believers that go to church and pay into the system. I am not one of those believers for obvious reasons. For me to sit there and accept something because there is a whole way of life set up around it. Gold cups, prayers, a culture set up around brainwashing people into accepting a very constricting way of life, and then later modified to bring more people into the doctrine based around a different set of ideas is more then ludicrous. People make money off this stuff. Every species on the planet works toward a constant equilibrium and just because we develop the right to make our own decisions, we fall sucker to some faith somebody dreams up that probably started as a cult somewhere and grew to the proportions that it is today. Given I don’t know where it actually came from and I may very well be ignorant on the origins but I think there is far to many clues in humanity, other species on the planet, space itself and the natural evolution of time in ways that we cant even comprehend as of yet to think the all mighty god created something such as the human race. If you really look at the overall human race we are just like any other colony of species on the planet. We are organized into groups and sub categorized, we develop food on the mass scale, we have organized methods of building mass housing projects, we have wars over land, food etc. We are just like an ant colony on an escalated level, only difference is we have qualities of a virus, we expand beyond our means and take what we want because of greed and elevated intellect. In a way disease is the earth’s defense against such things, such as Aids, The Ebola virus and anything else that threatens us on a mass scale that is spread through no means but our own. And to think we are the end all be all intelligent species in the universal is one of the most ridiculous things I ever heard, let alone put faith in it. We are just a small cycle in a universal scale of things. And in the end it will come down to science and overall ingenuity to see if we don’t end up killing ourselves in the end. Well before the sun collapses and creates a black whole but that wont be for a very very long time. Fuck god and the ideas that go with it.

http://e.1asphost.com/noteric/masterov.jpg

EDIT: He fixed it. It was there. What a big dicked ninja that Wizkid is.

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Originally Posted by wizkid007

There are 1.2 Billion believers that go to church and pay into the system. I am not one of those believers for obvious reasons. For me to sit there and accept something because there is a whole way of life set up around it. Gold cups, prayers, a culture set up around brainwashing people into accepting a very constricting way of life, and then later modified to bring more people into the doctrine based around a different set of ideas is more then ludicrous. People make money off this stuff. Every species on the planet works toward a constant equilibrium and just because we develop the right to make our own decisions, we fall sucker to some faith somebody dreams up that probably started as a cult somewhere and grew to the proportions that it is today. Given I don’t know where it actually came from and I may very well be ignorant on the origins but I think there is far to many clues in humanity, other species on the planet, space itself and the natural evolution of time in ways that we cant even comprehend as of yet to think the all mighty god created something such as the human race. If you really look at the overall human race we are just like any other colony of species on the planet. We are organized into groups and sub categorized, we develop food on the mass scale, we have organized methods of building mass housing projects, we have wars over land, food etc. We are just like an ant colony on an escalated level, only difference is we have qualities of a virus, we expand beyond our means and take what we want because of greed and elevated intellect. In a way disease is the earth’s defense against such things, such as Aids, The Ebola virus and anything else that threatens us on a mass scale that is spread through no means but our own. And to think we are the end all be all intelligent species in the universal is one of the most ridiculous things I ever heard, let alone put faith in it. We are just a small cycle in a universal scale of things. And in the end it will come down to science and overall ingenuity to see if we don’t end up killing ourselves in the end. Well before the sun collapses and creates a black whole but that wont be for a very very long time. Fuck god and the ideas that go with it.

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I'll agree you're ignorant of the entire issue. :chump:

Maybe you'll get sucked into a "black whole" eh?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stinky-Dinkins

http://e.1asphost.com/noteric/masterov.jpg

EDIT: He fixed it. It was there. What a big dicked ninja that Wizkid is.

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What’s obvious? That is my personal opinion on how I see things. I’m sure people have opinions but there nothing like mine.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Magnaflux

I'll agree you're ignorant of the entire issue. :chump:

Maybe you'll get sucked into a "black whole" eh?

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Man shut up. You have nothing better to do but constantly heckle people with nothing to add.

I only heckle morons with giant, crooked penises that like Thai ladyboys.


*hugs*

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wizkid007

What’s obvious? That is my personal opinion on how I see things. I’m sure people have opinions but there nothing like mine.

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The fact that you spelled it "ovious" until you changed it.

I am fucking on to you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Magnaflux

I only heckle morons with giant, crooked penises that like Thai ladyboys.


*hugs*

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The only part of that statement that is true is the penis part. The rest is your opinion. And i dont care about the penis part.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stinky-Dinkins

The fact that you spelled it "ovious" until you changed it.

I am fucking on to you.

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Yeah I type so fast and then go over what is said afterwards now. People don’t know the difference between a test paper and a forum.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wizkid007

Yeah I type so fast and then go over what is said afterwards now. People don’t know the difference between a test paper and a forum.

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Amount of sense this post makes on a scale of 0 to 10, 1 making very little to no sense and 10 making perfect sense: 0.

I feel much better about myself after realizing what an idiot Wizkid is. :chump:


PS. He has a degree and certificate.

So does anyone else not read wizkid's posts because of formatting?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stinky-Dinkins

Amount of sense this post makes on a scale of 0 to 10, 1 making very little to no sense and 10 making perfect sense: 0.

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I guess the same could be said about a number of your pointless posts then.

I want some of God's presents too! :crying:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SPINMASTER X

I felt the exact same way when I went to Catholic church with my mom. I felt like I wasn't learning much. We switched churches and then it was a better church but I wanted more. I started going to classes to get Confirmed(an important Ceremony) and that was just me, my aunt and my Brother with 1 priest and I learned more in those few weeks than I did my whole life going to church.

I suggest you go to Bible study, i feel its much better than your standard Idea of "church". The true meaning of "church" is a group of people learning about God, not a building with a priest/minister/preacher and a bunch of people singing songs. This is straight from the mouth of my Former Priest back in the states.

When I go to some churches and hear the songs and things they sing it doesn't appeal to me(like Gospel music). Like you it just felt like empty words. To me it was so very "Westernized". A few months ago I went to Israel and I went to Jerusalem and I went to the Jewish Quarter and the Christan Quarter and the way the music sounds there and the way the churches look made me have a more solid feeling of my religion.

Christianity comes from the deserts of the Middle east, So i wanted the true feel. I suggest you research the truth about all of if instead of this European/North American take on Christianity.

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Agreed. Church should be about studying the Bible and worshiping God, not doing wierd rituals. And the best way to worship him is to sing songs.

People have a wierd idea about religion these days. They think they are supposed to feel a certain way when they are in church. How do you know how you're supposed to feel? Do you know what the presence of God is like? He's always among us, and you don't feel him outside of church either, so why the fuss? Christianity isn't about feelings, it's about worshiping God.

Whatever guys. You seem to all get your jollies off just posting random shit without giving valid statements or points about anything. I tried to give my opinion in a valid thread and all of you turn it into a joke.

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Originally Posted by ki_atsushi

Agreed. Church should be about studying the Bible and worshiping God, not doing wierd rituals. And the best way to worship him is to sing songs.

People have a wierd idea about religion these days. They think they are supposed to feel a certain way when they are in church. How do you know how you're supposed to feel? Do you know what the presence of God is like? He's always among us, and you don't feel him outside of church either, so why the fuss? Christianity isn't about feelings, it's about worshiping God.

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Don't forget, Christianity = religion.

I really ought not stir shit up. :kekeke:

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Originally Posted by Magnaflux

Don't forget, Christianity = religion.

I really ought not stir shit up. :kekeke:

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I use them semi-interchangeably because Chrisitanity is my religion. I can't help it sometimes.

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Originally Posted by wizkid007

I guess the same could be said about a number of your pointless posts then.

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http://www.scubaboard.com/images/smi...0Smiles/33.gif

Boy oh boy. When I was little I was forced like many other people to go to church. Once I started college three years ago and I went twice (they gave me a $1,000 scholarship my Freshman year afterall) and then I realized I just couldn't do it. I believe in God, but I dislike going to church so much it's crazy. Even though it's mainly my disdain for "Sunday School." I know I'll go back one day as I can't be like this forever. I just feel it'll be this way until I get a little older.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Formation Z

Hit the black Baptist churches dude. That's where the action's at.
Live band, ultra fast music, people dancing barefooted with tambourines, people passing out, and the pastor *sings* his sermon.

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This is what I miss about going. That and towards the end of the pastor's sermon when he starts getting loud and the musicians start playing, man it's such an incredible feeling. :(

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There are 1.2 Billion believers that go to church and pay into the system. I am not one of those believers for obvious reasons. For me to sit there and accept something because there is a whole way of life set up around it. Gold cups, prayers, a culture set up around brainwashing people into accepting a very constricting way of life, and then later modified to bring more people into the doctrine based around a different set of ideas is more then ludicrous. People make money off this stuff. Every species on the planet works toward a constant equilibrium and just because we develop the right to make our own decisions, we fall sucker to some faith somebody dreams up that probably started as a cult somewhere and grew to the proportions that it is today. Given I don’t know where it actually came from and I may very well be ignorant on the origins but I think there is far to many clues in humanity, other species on the planet, space itself and the natural evolution of time in ways that we cant even comprehend as of yet to think the all mighty god created something such as the human race. If you really look at the overall human race we are just like any other colony of species on the planet. We are organized into groups and sub categorized, we develop food on the mass scale, we have organized methods of building mass housing projects, we have wars over land, food etc. We are just like an ant colony on an escalated level, only difference is we have qualities of a virus, we expand beyond our means and take what we want because of greed and elevated intellect. In a way disease is the earth’s defense against such things, such as Aids, The Ebola virus and anything else that threatens us on a mass scale that is spread through no means but our own. And to think we are the end all be all intelligent species in the universal is one of the most ridiculous things I ever heard, let alone put faith in it. We are just a small cycle in a universal scale of things. And in the end it will come down to science and overall ingenuity to see if we don’t end up killing ourselves in the end. Well before the sun collapses and creates a black whole but that wont be for a very very long time. Fuck god and the ideas that go with it.

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wizkid007post had many good points.
the people here need to read into the details and
think of how the full univers works.
how could any one say it makes no sense.
list one thing he said that was so false.
it is more or less the cold hard truth.
most of the religious people here just heckle people no mater what they say.
in reality the religious people can only heckle because their side of the story is so full of holes.
they do not have any facts to back them not one fact its all just some unproven faith.
i guess the holy bible is the best name for book filled with so many holes.

my original anti religion post.
Anti Religion anyone share a similar view?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by acem77

wizkid007post had many good points.
the people here need to read into the details and
think of how the full univers works.
how could any one say it makes no sense.
list one thing he said that was so false.
it is more or less the cold hard truth.
most of the religious people here just heckle people no mater what they say.
in reality the religious people can only heckle because their side of the story is so full of holes.
they do not have any facts to back them not one fact its all just some unproven faith.
i guess the holy bible is the best name for book filled with so many holes.

my original anti religion post.
Anti Religion anyone share a similar view?

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That's an awesome thread btw. PS, agreeing with Wizkid makes you stupid by association.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by acem77

wizkid007post had many good points.
the people here need to read into the details and
think of how the full univers works.
how could any one say it makes no sense.
list one thing he said that was so false.
it is more or less the cold hard truth.
most of the religious people here just heckle people no mater what they say.
in reality the religious people can only heckle because their side of the story is so full of holes.
they do not have any facts to back them not one fact its all just some unproven faith.
i guess the holy bible is the best name for book filled with so many holes.

my original anti religion post.
Anti Religion anyone share a similar view?

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How does the universe work exactly?

Cold hard facts my rosy red ass.

The universe is constantly expanding at a virtually immeasurable rate. What is it expanding into?

If you're basing the universe's existence and everything within on cold hard scientific facts then you have no choice but to go by the First Law of Thermodynamics which states "Matter can neither be created nor destroyed." This means plainly that "something can't come from nothing." If you're basing your existence and the existence of everything around you solely on scientific fact then you must completely refute the concept of the "beginning." This is where you hit the fucking loophole and go in circles, acknowledging a beginning to our universe would lend faith to a power that can not be explained through science (after all, it would have to be created,) completely denying "the beginning" is nonsense... you're telling me that everything that is has always been and always will be... and it came from nowhere?

Many scientists try to write this off using "Closed system" and "Open System" theories that pretty much attach our reality to one beyond their realm of explanation thereby nullifying the first law of thermodynamics. Weak.

If you delve enough into science its flaws will force you into faith, not necessarily faith associated with a specific religious denomination... but one that recognizes the nature of our universe and the fact that its existence can't be explained by humanly generated "cold hard facts." Some people might put too much faith in various religions, but you put too much in the human brain.

Atheism is nonsense, and you are a tool.

EDIT: I forgot what this thread was about. Bottom line: I'll sell you to the Muslims.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stinky-Dinkins

Atheism is nonsense

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:chump: