"Godless Heathens" Support thread - no bashing please :)

[Miss Jasmine]

YES! Exactly! ITA!

It scares me when people say they cannot wait for the Rapture, it makes me wonder what their religions are teaching them.

~Amanda

As much as I like studying about the end times and prophecy, I can guarantee you will never hear me say that I can't wait for the rapture. Hey, if you are in a hurry to move on, there are ways to take care of that.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Yeah, this grates on me too.

Also, to take this a step further ..... it has always seemed to me that the path to God through Jesus has been a very difficult one, and the Christian churches have had to work so hard to get people to believe, to the point where they incorporated pagan festivals and beliefs into church ritual/celebrations to appeal to the wider masses. Why? If God wants us to know him, why make it so hard? Is there limited space up there in Heaven? I do understand the concept of not wanting things to come TOO easily (and that working hard towards something worthwhile is important), but really .....half the world is at a severe disadvantage, and probably has no hope of ever knowing Jesus - is that fair? If Jesus is truly the way to Heaven, then a huge chunk of the world's population will get a raw deal through no fault of their own. I accept my part in not believing - at least I've been exposed. So many have never been. That really doesn't make sense to me that this could be right.

I believe (and I wish I could remember the biblical scripture to back me up, I need to find it), that we are only accountable for what we know. That is why children do not need to be "saved" until they reach the age of accountability. What is that age? I don't know, I guess it is the mental age of where you are able to decide if you want to live your life for Christ. Anyway, if these people don't know about Jesus, then they can't be held accountable for not "knowing" Him.

 

[septbride2002]

As much as I like studying about the end times and prophecy, I can guarantee you will never hear me say that I can't wait for the rapture. Hey, if you are in a hurry to move on, there are ways to take care of that.

To clarify myself - it worries me because they seem so sure that they will be "taken up" in it. I guess part of me thinks we can always do better in the eyes of the lord.

We had a guy quit at our office once who sent out a 2 page email about his website that was a survival guide if you didn't "go up" in the Rapture. It was kind of scary.

~Amanda

 

[roger_ramjet]

YES! Exactly! ITA!

It scares me when people say they cannot wait for the Rapture, it makes me wonder what their religions are teaching them.

~Amanda

I just laugh. I find such nonsense to be very amusing, and that so many people believe in it is a wonder to behold.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

To clarify myself - it worries me because they seem so sure that they will be "taken up" in it. I guess part of me thinks we can always do better in the eyes of the lord.

We had a guy quit at our office once who sent out a 2 page email about his website that was a survival guide if you didn't "go up" in the Rapture. It was kind of scary.

~Amanda

to that email.

I think a lot of those people who are sooo sure they are going to be taken up, may really be surprised come the Rapture.

 

[Crankyshank]

YES! Exactly! ITA!

It scares me when people say they cannot wait for the Rapture, it makes me wonder what their religions are teaching them.

~Amanda

I guess it's like the Egyptians in a way with their culture that focused on death and the afterlife.
I find it a little disturbing, sad, and yet slightly amusing when they say they hope we are living in the end times because they can't wait for Rapture. It's disturbing because it sounds like they can't wait to see friend and neighbor engulfed in fire and brimstone. It's sad because they feel being Christian makes them an outcast (which I disagree with) and because they are living their lives waiting to die . It's slightly amusing to me because I think a great many are going to be VERY sadly mistaken about their after life and who goes up and who goes down and who stays in Purgatory

 

[bajanswife]

As much as I like studying about the end times and prophecy, I can guarantee you will never hear me say that I can't wait for the rapture. Hey, if you are in a hurry to move on, there are ways to take care of that.

Scary stuff. I truly hope all those waiting to meet Jesus at Rapture aren't too disappointed if it never happens. Truly. I'll be awed if Rapture happens (finally we might get some answers???), but I'm not holding my breath!

This is half in jest .... I really don't care if having Jesus in your life makes you happier (speaking in generalities now) ... that's great, actually. Whatever works. It just doesn't work for me, because I can't find it in my heart to have that much faith in something that is so uncertain and doesn't make conceptual sense to me. I didn't mean to sound like I pity everyone who has faith, because I don't. However, take a peek at the Born Again thread and check out what some of them said about us! We disturb them greatly, and they think they have much work to do to spread the word! Obviously they've been over here, so don't feel bad about going over there (to lurk, not to rile them up).

 

[dcentity2000]

I can't believe you started this thread! Brilliance!

I'll leave you all be



Rich::

 

[Crankyshank]

I wanted to say thanks to everyone for posting on this thread

 

[septbride2002]

The biggest problem I have with our Catholic diocese right now is how they are using God to play politics. Our Archbishop has no problem denying communion to politicians who vote pro-choice. To me that is an abuse of power. Or how before the election they sent out all sorts of mailers about the wrongs of gay marriage. It makes me sick. MEN (by that I mean Men and Women) are afraid of homosexuals, God is not. God loves all his children including homosexuals. If anything I think God gives us homosexuals as a test of our humanity. Will we shun them as the lepers were shunned in the bible? Or will we treat them as we would want to be treated. Thus far we are failing the test. And that could be wrong as well. I'm speculating here because I do not know. But I know I don't want to be standing with St. Peter and told - you can't come in because you were so vengnceful to your neighbor instead of excepting him for who he is. You denied him the Lord's love because you were being self-righteous.

~Amanda

 

[bajanswife]

I believe (and I wish I could remember the biblical scripture to back me up, I need to find it), that we are only accountable for what we know. That is why children do not need to be "saved" until they reach the age of accountability. What is that age? I don't know, I guess it is the mental age of where you are able to decide if you want to live your life for Christ. Anyway, if these people don't know about Jesus, then they can't be held accountable for not "knowing" Him.

So what does being held accountable really mean in this context? If there's a Heaven and a Hell, and everyone on earth goes to one or the other, where do the uninformed go? And do children automatically go to Heaven? And even if there is no Hell except the absence of Heaven, why make it for only the select few? What's the point in creating billions of people to live on earth and then making such an elitist place available to so few? Is this God's way of choosing His friends?

I dunno, none of it makes much sense to me really.

 

[wvrevy]

MEN (by that I mean Men and Women) are afraid of homosexuals, God is not.
~Amanda

Amanda, my dearest wish is that, if I am wrong and there is a god, he greets people at the Pearly Gates with a profound, "why, helLO, girlfriend !" while wearing high heels and an evening gown. If I could just witness that one moment, I'd gladly take any punishment he decided to hand me for my "sins."

 

[septbride2002]

Amanda, my dearest wish is that, if I am wrong and there is a god, he greets people at the Pearly Gates with a profound, "why, helLO, girlfriend !" while wearing high heels and an evening gown. If I could just witness that one moment, I'd gladly take any punishment he decided to hand me for my "sins."

 

[Miss Jasmine]

So what does being held accountable really mean in this context? If there's a Heaven and a Hell, and everyone on earth goes to one or the other, where do the uninformed go? And do children automatically go to Heaven? And even if there is no Hell except the absence of Heaven, why make it for only the select few? What's the point in creating billions of people to live on earth and then making such an elitist place available to so few? Is this God's way of choosing His friends?

I dunno, none of it makes much sense to me really.

I wish I had all the answers. Some of this I question, too. I believe the uniformed and unaccountable do go to heaven. Personally, I don't believe heaven is an elitist place, it is open to anyone because of God's grace. And I don't believe God chooses his friends. People choose to be friends with God. Like I said, I wish I had all the answers. I don't. No one on this earth does.

 

[Crankyshank]

Amanda, my dearest wish is that, if I am wrong and there is a god, he greets people at the Pearly Gates with a profound, "why, helLO, girlfriend !" while wearing high heels and an evening gown. If I could just witness that one moment, I'd gladly take any punishment he decided to hand me for my "sins."

Fabulous!

 

[snoopy]

The biggest problem I have with our Catholic diocese right now is how they are using God to play politics. Our Archbishop has no problem denying communion to politicians who vote pro-choice. To me that is an abuse of power. Or how before the election they sent out all sorts of mailers about the wrongs of gay marriage. It makes me sick. MEN (by that I mean Men and Women) are afraid of homosexuals, God is not. God loves all his children including homosexuals. If anything I think God gives us homosexuals as a test of our humanity. Will we shun them as the lepers were shunned in the bible? Or will we treat them as we would want to be treated. Thus far we are failing the test. And that could be wrong as well. I'm speculating here because I do not know. But I know I don't want to be standing with St. Peter and told - you can't come in because you were so vengnceful to your neighbor instead of excepting him for who he is. You denied him the Lord's love because you were being self-righteous.

~Amanda

I agree. I can't stand when people use God to blanket their hatred. At least with groups like the KKK they don't deny what they stand for.

And what really has me deeply concerned is these rabid "Christians" determination to make the U.S. a Christian Theocracy. But maybe its best I don't go there on this thread........

 

[roger_ramjet]

Amanda, my dearest wish is that, if I am wrong and there is a god, he greets people at the Pearly Gates with a profound, "why, helLO, girlfriend !" while wearing high heels and an evening gown. If I could just witness that one moment, I'd gladly take any punishment he decided to hand me for my "sins."

That'd be worth going to heaven for if nothing else

 

[Beth76]

Amanda, my dearest wish is that, if I am wrong and there is a god, he greets people at the Pearly Gates with a profound, "why, helLO, girlfriend !" while wearing high heels and an evening gown. If I could just witness that one moment, I'd gladly take any punishment he decided to hand me for my "sins."

Back to people who are looking forward to the Rapture.....I post on another small board (about 30 people) where we all had babies born in July 2004. We all get along fairly well and there isn't a lot of debate going on there. There are two women who are deeply religious--one I find to be less than tolerant of others (at times) and the other I find to be a truly, good Christian woman. One has 4 children, the other has 3.

Both of these women believe that the only thing worth living for is dying and being with their "Savior". They both said (and I'm generalizing here) "If there is no God and no Heaven, then what's the point?" My answer: the point is living now in your family and children. I just couldn't believe that their children weren't enough to keep them living in the moment. They have to "know" that there's always something better waiting. That I don't understand.

 

[Viking]

I never was a member of any church. My parents didn't have me baptised as Dad hasn't been baptised either and Mom left the church as soon as she was 18. But the let me choose my own way. I attended some religion classes at school, but soon decided taht it wasn't the right thing for me. As a kid from 13 to 18 I even was a member of a youth group in a catholic church and spent much time with the priest leading the group discussing religion, but he never succeeded to convince me.
So count me in as one of the heathens

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I don't know If I qualify as a G-dless heathen.I know I have come across that attitude thatanyone who is not Christian fits said criteria. So depending on who you ask,I am a G-dless heathen.

I don't think anyone here is a "Godless heathen"....and while I don't qualify for the discussion...just thought I would step in hear and mention that.

And especially you Jenny---you are not Godless at all...

And for everyone else...not a heathen.

Hope your thread remains in tact and free of intruders.