patrick.net

All your answers are in the Bible, and, when you get a purple belt in that, other scriptures, and NDE testimony's Here is a good scripture to start with.

Romans 1:22-23 KJV "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,"

Does God exist? Yes.

Does God care about / for creation? Yes

What of Religous leaders who have been deified by their followers? (Muhammad, Jesus, Budah, etc.) - Slanted question. Not possible to answer as stated.

What good comes from religion? Not possible to answer as stated.

What happens to our soul when we die? Hebrews 9:27 KJV 27 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment"

Hope this helps answer your questions.

All religions are man made inventions of man's imagination; therefore the aspects therein are also an invention, god for example.
People have an innate need to believe that they are being rewarded for doing good and punished for being bad.
Of course not all of them; the Clintons and Bidens are examples.
People are innately not evil because we so easily recognize it even when we are children.
More bad results from some religion than good; those emaniting from the middle east all are useless.
Religion has resulted in murder, wars, torture, discrimination, hatred for others.
Islam is an easy example, but recall the Aztecs and others beileved in human sacrifice as a religious practice.
I get particularly annoyed by those who claim to have a "personal relationship with god/Jesus". I want to ask them "So who bought the coffee last time you were with god?"
Maybe they are illiterates and don't know the meaning of the word "personal."
People told me they prayed that the hurricane didn't hit them in Florida; "didn't god make the hurricane?"
ETC.

Wokeness seems to fill a void left by religion. Even the lefty Atlantic admits it now lol

How Social Justice Became a New Religion
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/08/social-justice-new-religion/671172/

Actually a good article.

There is good part about some "God"(s) to connect and stabilize the communities.
God is a by product of human evolution from primitive level part of the human survival. As humans evolve and find the fact there is no God s* out there. At current level God s* is being used for something more to molest woman, children (and occasionally men too!), grab funds, tax free write off and grab the power. Depends on geography promote hate, war and genocide. God is almost the no.1 reason behind almost all wars.
At some point societies prosper by recognizing universal code of ethics and continue or enhance them the ones come with/out religion to make a better communities. Its not a straight line. Look at the terror religion becoming popular (by irresponsible dumb woman activists and corrupt Dems) as part of buying votes and dangerous movements around to bring down political opponents etc.

I would say there is a God. God does care about his creation. Jesus is arguably the most influential start-up leader ever as his followers died for him.

My uncle wrote this book on a more scientific reason for believing in God.

“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets." - Golden Rule...a very fine rule...

The Bible does encourage critical thinking, if it didn't everybody here would be buying BBBY! :)

Anyone who believes something comes from nothing is insane. You would think anyone would understand this. And any businessmen would understand Pascals Wager.

Eternity has been inscribed in your hearts. Everyone believes in God. The evidence is creation itself. The Bible says it's so obvious you are "without excuse" and God has set eternity in the hearts of men.

Romans 1:20

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened."

This describes what we see today. In the book of Luke 16:19 we read of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man was sent to hell. In hell asked for someone to warn his brothers on earth about hell. And to send someone from the dead to warn them.....

"31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."

This verse sounds insane. But it took me years to realize it's 100% true. Even if a denier (Atheist, Agnostic, Buddhist, Humanist etc) was physically visited by an Angel, Demon ghost or experienced a paranormal event of light or darkness. Even if they had a door slammed in the house with a glass hurled into the wall as they were using a Ouija board - they would not believe in God or Demons or the supernatural. They will not believe in any archeological or scientific evidence or witness testimony from thousands of unrelated people across the world who don't know each other - yet their testimonies are all similar. I have tried my best.

It comes down to this: Anyone who doesn't believe in God usually doesn't want to believe. Atheists are in a perpetual state of wilful denial. As hard as I've tried over the years to help, even going so far as to tell about something personal that happened to me, nothing matters. It took me years to realize Luke 16:31 was 100% correct.

I've learned there is nothing you can say will make any difference. But I can tell you that if you open your mind and heart to accept God, then study, research, and pray, and make this a part of your life, you will be surprised at the incredible things you will learn along the way, as well as what God chose's to reveal to you.

Michael Cooke says

Anyone who believes something comes from nothing is insane. You would think anyone would understand this. And any businessmen would understand Pascals Wager.

Where did God come from?

You have the same problem. If God could always exist, the Universe could always exist. There's compelling evidence the Big Bang never happened.

richwicks says

Michael Cooke says

Anyone who believes something comes from nothing is insane. You would think anyone would understand this. And any businessmen would understand Pascals Wager.

Where did God come from?

You have the same problem. If God could always exist, the Universe could always exist. There's compelling evidence the Big Bang never happened.

You must be an advanced scholar to ask this question. Genesis says God created the heavens. Revelations says God is the Alpha and Omega (the beginning and the end).

Interesting how you say their is evidence big bang never happened when all matter appears to be expanding from a central point. As you may know, the big bang theory replaced the "static universe theory" that was formed by atheists who were eventually forced to accept the big bang theory as a better replacement. Of course that suggests evidence of the universe beginning and matter coming from "nothing" which suggests God.. And as more people see this, now there is "compelling evidence" it never happened. Right. I don't have an answer where God came from prior to creation - other than the Bible. I think the the knowledge required to answer that question is outside the realm of any humans knowledge. All we know is that God is the beginning and the end.

Interesting how you see the building. Yet you don't believe a builder exists. Yet you ask where the builder that doesn't exist came from.... Interesting ...

Hircus says

Actually a good article.

Even crazier when you realize who wrote it. Perhaps she was listening when she interviewed Jordan Peterson.

Michael Cooke says

You must be an advanced scholar to ask this question. Genesis says God created the heavens. Revelations says God is the Alpha and Omega (the beginning and the end).

I'm just pointing out because you read it in a book, even a very old book, doesn't mean it's true.

Michael Cooke says

Interesting how you see the building. Yet you don't believe a builder exists. Yet you ask where the builder that doesn't exist came from.... Interesting ...

What built the builder?

I know who George LeMaitre was, and he was a Jesuit scientist that first proposed the idea of the Big Bang. Our entire galaxy is just a spec in the known visible Universe.

The static universe was the assumption for probably 1000's of years.

Michael Cooke says

Anyone who believes something comes from nothing is insane. You would think anyone would understand this. And any businessmen would understand Pascals Wager.

Eternity has been inscribed in your hearts. Everyone believes in God. The evidence is creation itself. The Bible says it's so obvious you are "without excuse" and God has set eternity in the hearts of men.

Romans 1:20

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was...

I’ve had the same answer I’ve had for the past 12 years. I grew up in a Protestant church, fell away from faith in my early 20’s, remained an atheist for about 15 years before being reborn. I’ve been accused by both atheists and Christians of being dishonest in both parts of my life.

The answer is that one may shun God. One may say God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost do not exist. But when one is ready, they will be there for you without fail.

Colossians 1:21-22 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation

Unless you suscribe to an alternative to the "Big bang" what set the observable universe in motion? Why dies matter, and therefore us, exist at all? Quantum fluctaions? Random chance? Matter and energy are analogous (E=mc2 and all that good stuff) thus there is a certain amount of energy in the universe, given entropy and the inclination to disorder, rewind the tape and the universe must have been more ordered at some time in the past.

Useless the universe has been expanding and collapsing ad infinitum.. that is to say there has been a series of big bangs followed by big crunches, then something somehow set this all in motion. In that unknowable aspect is "God". A creator. A force larger than ourselves. The glue that binds matter together. As a engineering geek, I find "him" in the very small and the very large.

As much as I'll never prove God exists 100%... how does the physicist know that quarks exist? They can't be observed directly, but one can discern them from the trails they leave. So it is with the creator.

Now does God care? Well part of it depends on how you define God. But research shows that humans are innately good. Tradition says we are made in God's image. Thus God must be good and a good God would care for creation just as a good parent cares about their children.

All religions ar their core teach the golden rule. Many have perverted, ignored or manipulated that rule to suit their aims... but the teaching persists throughout human history. Treat others as you would want to be treated. Easy to say, hard to do.

I think the 20th Century showed you don't need religion to have a mass mind virus that slaughters millions.

GreaterNYCDude says

1. Does God exist?
2. Does God care about / for creation?
3. What of Religous leaders who have been deified by their followers? (Muhammad, Jesus, Budah, etc.)
4. What good comes from religion?
5. Is humanity inatley good?
6. What happens to our soul when we die?

7. I could go on...

As stated by a previous poster all of the answers are available to you in the scriptures, and if a person wants to know the truth the Spirit of God will reveal it to them.

1. Exodus 3:14 - And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. John 14:6 - Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

2. John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

3. See John 14:6 above to know who is God vs who is not.

4. Religion is a system. It will not save you. Only Jesus can save you.

5. Humans are not innately good. Adam, Eve, and all their descendants have chosen to rebel against their Creator. Rebellion against God is the definition of evil.

6. What happens to your soul when you die is your choice. You will choose to repent and accept forgiveness for your sins at which point you will know eternal peace or you will reject forgiveness and take the path of punishment in eternity.

7. The scriptures have everything you need to know. And yet as stated by a previous poster the majority of people are willingly ignorant of the scripture and the evidence from creation. They prefer their sin over the Savior.

Here’s a fun ideology.

1)God is a software architect beyond all skill we could imagine operating on a system so powerful it can run all creation in Ultra HD.
2) We live in God’s simulation.
3) He can tweak the rules to perform miracles at will. And does!
4) not all people are real people. Most are NPCs, operating on a set rule base but not really thinking for themselves. This explains mass formation hypnosis and many other groupthink scenarios.
5)if there’s a point to life, it’s probably a test proctored by God. Maybe the best people get to become developers.

I've sometimes suspected this myself, being a programmer. You set up rules for your own creation in memory. Existence and non-existence are just forms that come at go at the will of the programmer. And yes, the programmer can make anything happen, violating his own rules at will.

I got halfway through "Guide for the Perplexed" by Moses Maimonides, but it was jut too dense and medieval so I put it away for now.

https://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/gfp/

I think Maimonides would have agreed with the idea of God as the programmer, setting things in motion, and tweaking with miracles when it suited him. Maimonides was attempting to reconcile Greek philosophy (forms, matter, celestial spheres) with the Old Testament.

I learned some interesting ways to think about God, namely that God is outside all time and space, and that God doesn't need anything or change in any way. He does not "choose to act" because that would imply that he needs something or changed somehow. It's just that people have to anthropomorphize their idea of God to have it make sense at all.

Read Olaf Stapledon's "Starmaker". Something tells me he communicated with somebody above and beyond when he wrote this book, which is science fiction but deals with issues of deity, belief and religious projection. The last chapters are profound.

Book is non-denominational.

Random aside, the sacred text site has a lot of interesting stuff.. some good, some obscure, some completly whacked out.

PeopleUnited says

5. Humans are not innately good. Adam, Eve, and all their descendants have chosen to rebel against their Creator. Rebellion against God is the definition of evil.

I'm gonna respectfully disagree with you. We can choose goodness, which was the plan from the onset.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Genesis 1:26 KJVAAE
https://bible.com/bible/546/gen.1.26.KJVAAE

And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Genesis 1:31 KJVAAE
https://bible.com/bible/546/gen.1.31.KJVAAE


So God clearly made us good. We are called to be a reflection of God's goodness, but often fall short. We know what happens thereafter.

Personally I often wonder if God, being good, never conceived that man would choose evil. Clearly he had second thoughts about his creation.

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Genesis 6:5 KJVAAE
https://bible.com/bible/546/gen.6.5.KJVAAE

And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
Genesis 6:7 KJVAAE
https://bible.com/bible/546/gen.6.7.KJVAAE

GreaterNYCDude says

PeopleUnited says

5. Humans are not innately good. Adam, Eve, and all their descendants have chosen to rebel against their Creator. Rebellion against God is the definition of evil.

I'm gonna respectfully disagree with you. We can choose goodness, which was the plan from the onset.

Yes, there is the sin nature that mares creation, but it is still God who creates, and He still does so in His image. Man is not evil, he is fallen. Only Satan and demons are truly evil. We can choose to do evil, but it goes against who we were created to be, even in a fallen state. And most men, given a choice, choose to do right.

Shaman says

God is a software architect

That’s a good analogy. He certainly did write the code and can make adjustments as needed. Plus He knows time only as another dimension so everything has already happened from His perspective.

But I don’t see life as a test, it is rather a prelude to eternity. The meaning of life is simply to honor or reject the Creator. Some might call that a test, but it is more of a revelation than a test. Your life reveals who you are. You either honor God or you rebel against Him.

There may be NPC’s (seeds of Satan planted after the fall of Adam and Eve, who grow up in the same earth/soil as everyone else, but never are able to repent and believe) but how could we know for certain if someone is irredeemable? The modern day myth/example is fictional but a picture nonetheless of redemption. When Anakin turned to the dark side he lived off of fear, anger and hate. Many would say he was irredeemable. But in his last moments Darth Vader let go of those and decided to defend life and liberty, giving his own life to save his son. The bulk of his life was spent on evil (you might argue he did evil out of love for his mom, wife, kids, country) but yet he repented. Just as with Vader it is basically impossible for us to know who can or will be saved. (But if you grow horns and shave your teeth into razors like Darth Maul it is not looking good as far as redemption prospects ;)

Another way to look at life is if a person is not motivated by love, they probably are rebelling against their Creator. God is love. Even the evil that happens brings an opportunity to practice love.

@ GreaterNYCDude

The last few verses you posted clearly say that from Gods perspective every human has chosen evil. He even called Peter Satan when Peter tried to talk Jesus out of doing what God wanted him to do. My point is that Gods perspective (the only one that matters) depicts the descendants of Adam and Eve as evil.

PeopleUnited says

@ PeopleUnited

Fair distinction.

Thankfully, Jesus reconciles us back to the God who made us.

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
Luke 23:34 KJVAAE
https://bible.com/bible/546/luk.23.34.KJVAAE

Sums it up nicley.

NuttBoxer says

And most men, given a choice, choose to do right.

The Narrow Gate
(Luke 13:22-30)

13Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

The scripture teaches that most people will never leave the path that leads to destruction. Most people choose evil (evil is not what most people think it is, it is simply rebellion against God).

NuttBoxer says

Only Satan and demons are truly evil.

And yet God promises to punish people who reject him with the same punishment as Satan and his minions.
Matthew 25:41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Yes sacred-texts.com is an amazing website. I thank God for allowing me to read it. I fear they will take it down someday. The people in charge of this world want a monopoly on everything, including these kinds of texts. They don't want people reading, for example Pontius Pilate's letters; any supporting documents that are not scriptures. The fact Archeologists in Egypt discovered a period of bricks without straw that coincides with the Bible etc. Videos showing the location of Sodom and Gomorrah with sulphur balls like rain. The purity lab testing of this rain, the melted structures, ashes etc. This is the best video I could find on that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhTjEbNgTQM

The other video from the 1990's was the original and best. Here is part of it but I can't find the rest ..

original link
They are leaving out the best parts. The original video is 1 hour I think.

But in order to understand these things, people must read the Bible and get grounded because the orbiting texts require a lens of discernment. Some texts are very good. Others are certainly ancient scriptures and should be included in the Bible. Especially because they are directly referenced in the Bible (i.e. "is it not written in the book of _ "). But others are obvious frauds. Satan is always mixing in lies with the truth. When NDE experiences starting coming out on the internet there was a general theme. Now there are all kinds of liars and false prophets like Mary K Baxter and little children who's parents put them up to making crazy NDE stories online that don't fit in with the similarities of real NDEs.

Some introductions (Preambles) of the sacred-texts seem to talk about the earliest known originals... or try to date when the text was originally written when in most cases, we don't know when the text was originally written because texts were painstakingly copied by hand, usually by monks. Therefore it's entirely possible some of these texts were written 5,6,7 thousand years ago because there is no original. And you have to allow for some human error. For example the forgotten books of Eden.

But on scared texts website, someone needs to be well grounded in the Bible, because many of the texts are gems of truth - others total frauds. Satan always mixes in chaff to obscure the truth. Always.

Jordan Peterson discussing Old Testament stories (including Sodom and Gomorrah) with a drunken Bill Maher. Recommend the whole interview. Maher's affection for Peterson as a fellow old fashioned liberal is touching.
https://rumble.com/v31vdwe-bill-maher-jordan-peterson-club-random.html?start=3907

Lol, Maher does sound a bit soused there.

EBGuy says

Jordan Peterson discussing Old Testament stories (including Sodom and Gomorrah) with a drunken Bill Maher. Recommend the whole interview. Maher's affection for Peterson as a fellow old fashioned liberal is touching.
https://rumble.com/v31vdwe-bill-maher-jordan-peterson-club-random.html?start=3907

observation here…you guys notice how bill maher doesn’t get “cancelled” for saying things that would get everyone else canned? clubby nature if cancel culture.

FortwayeAsFuckJoeBiden says

observation here…you guys notice how bill maher doesn’t get “cancelled” for saying things that would get everyone else canned? clubby nature if cancel culture.

Yeah, I don't think any tiny hat has been cancelled.

I am a lifelong atheist but I figure that is because I was raised in that environment. I often tease my devout Adventist pal that if he had been born in SLC or Islamabad he would 'believe' something else entirely. I do pay attention to Super Smart People though and many extremely smart people believe in God. One of the most recent that I have observed is Chris Langan who is purported to have one of the highest IQ's currently and is completely unschooled (un-indoctrinated). He spends a lot of time with the GOD concept and he thinks that there IS a God and that you must 'accept him' in order too 'join him' in eternity, so to speak. This bummed me out because I always thought I could slide by in that I have lead a pretty good life in the way of not having robbed much and not killed at all.
I find him interesting because Lefty Atheists think that BELIEF is for the deplorable's, not somebody way fucking smarter than them.
https://rumble.com/v18ff7w-chris-langan-on-iq-the-singularity-free-will-psychedelics-ctmu-and-god.html

EBGuy says

drunken Bill Maher

I never cared one way or another about Maher other than I never found him funny. BUT he didn't bend the knee to the Totalitarian Jabbers and that, more than anything else these days, makes him part of my team. It pervades my feelings about everything, I don't give AF about tennis but I LOVE Djokovic. I have a newfound respect for Ice Cube and I now hate Neil Young. It is a permanent line dividing everybody for me now.

I feel the same way.

The biggest risk to humanity is the sea of compliant idiots who just do whatever the "authorities" tell them to.

Robert Sproul says

EBGuy says

drunken Bill Maher

I never cared one way or another about Maher other than I never found him funny. BUT he didn't bend the knee to the Totalitarian Jabbers and that, more than anything else these days, makes him part of my team. It pervades my feelings about everything, I don't give AF about tennis but I LOVE Djokovic. I have a newfound respect for Ice Cube and I now hate Neil Young. It is a permanent line dividing everybody for me now.

^^^^^^THIS

In a way, the scamdemic revealed that a lot of what I suspected about most people or human nature in general is actually true. I previously came to the revelation that life is high school, or high school never ends. What the scamdemic further revealed is that most people are flying on autopilot - they don't know why they do what they do, or at least they don't think about it. None of their behavior stands up to any kind of logical or rational scrutiny, and when you bring that up, they get really defensive and angry. In other words, most people are sheeple, ripe for exploitation by dark triad parasites.

stereotomy says

most people are sheeple

Correct. Humans are pack animals with most members of the herd lining up behind a leader to follow. People herd up behind political parties and even sports teams - logic is not involved. In my opinion, a leader is someone who is able to get the herd members to forgo their own individual self-interest and instead work for the best interest of the leader. There are some leaders who will work for what is best for the herd, but too many just exploit. Politicos like Biden, Shiff, and Pelosi likely just figure they may as well exploit the herd, because if they don't someone else will. Even leaders that start off wanting to help the herd may tire of being altruistic when too many herd members betray them and line up behind the exploiters.

One question:

Whatever your beliefs happen to be, upon what authority do you base them upon?

Robert Sproul says

This bummed me out because I always thought I could slide by in that I have lead a pretty good life in the way of not having robbed much and not killed at all.

This is the most common belief most people have. The problem is God is perfect(without sin). He cannot be with anyone who has sin. But nobodies perfect so we're all screwed.
This is where Jesus comes in. He was God and man. Sinless, but He died like a sinner, and His sacrifice covered our sin. That's how we slide in. Accept Christ's free gift of salvation. So you're not that far off, but you need some help. We can't do it on our own.

RayAmerica says

Whatever your beliefs happen to be, upon what authority do you base them upon?

God's, but the specific measure is the Bible, our relationship with God(it's active, meaning He does communicate things to us), and the sense morality He imbued us with.

Patrick says

I feel the same way.

The biggest risk to humanity is the sea of compliant idiots who just do whatever the "authorities" tell them to.

same as it ever was

GreaterNYCDude says

What of Religous leaders who have been deified by their followers? (Muhammad, Jesus, Budah, etc.)

Which one is the only one with an empty tomb? By the way, the Bible declares Jesus to be God, and that had nothing to do with his 'followers.'