Things to think about.

[Aestrius]

I can't justify being christian and listening to files like the ones found on this site, so I had a choice to make Either follow the word of someone that only had their own financial gain ahead of them, guilting me into giving all my spare money away to them so they could richer, and make me feel bad about myself, so that I might eventually Ascend to another realm in which I would have many regrets once I reached if I even did, OR
I can be happy, who I want to be, and who I enjoy being, while following my own beliefs, and even if there is no heaven, I can die with no regrets, and having been happy my whole life, helping people, and being at ease with who I am, even if there does happen to be a god, or heaven, I am quite sure he would overlook the whole church thing because I lived how I wanted me and others to live.

It all comes down to a choice you must make for yourself, it is always unhealthy to be 100% dedicated to something, sometimes you need to open up and look at things a different way, and decide what you want, and whats in your best interests, if youve always wanted something in your life, but your religion forbids it, mabye you need to rethink your religion, you can still worship god in your own way if you wish, and I just want to put a call out to all you people who are curious about these things.

</rant>

thanks for reading and I hope you had something to think about after reading this.

[Cade]

very true, what you've said. and i ran across this very point long ago.

[Storms]

I'll second that. Moderation in all things, including moderation.

But it's a moot point though. All religion has been created and written down by men who claimed devine intervention. It's not reasonable to insist one is right and the rest are wrong.

They all have the same probability. And that fact, whether you'll admit it or not, puts L.Ron Hubbard and Pope Ratzinger one the same level.

There's still plenty of merit for attending church though. I've seen some churches that run faith based charities that are refreshingly more about the charity than the faith.

Personally, I never thought I'd get to the point where I could stop worrying about burning in hell for ever and ever. But it happens, and when it does, you'll sleep a lot better.

One tidbit that I found comforting was... After death, you'll cease to exist, just like before you were born. It didn't scare you then, and it shouldn't scare you now.

[Jeshi]

I'm interested in hearing your reasoning as to why hypnosis went against your faith? I agree with your post, I just don't get where the conflict came from.

[Jacoburline]

It's illogical to bet everything on the idea of an afterlife...because an afterlife is merely speculation. There is NO proof that an afterlife exists (nor is there proof that an afterlife does not exist...but, you cannot prove that something does not exist.) Pascal's wager is an unsound argument (essentially, it goes: If you belief in the Christian God and are wrong, then you die and simply cease to be; if you believe in the Christian God and are right, then you live forever in paradise; if you do no believe in God and are right, then you simply cease to be; and if you do not believe in God and are wrong, then you suffer eternity in Hell. The argument is unsound because it does not count for the possibility of any other religion being the correct one. It assumes, incorrectly, that there are just two possibilities in that regard.

The only thing we have consistent, empirical evidence that we have, is this life. Anything more than that is speculation; we simply cannot know. Thus, the most reasonable thing to do is live this life happily, successfully, and fully.

If anyone hasn't done so...it might be worthwhile to study religion from a sociological perspective. It seems logical to assert that religions exist primarily because of the functions they serve, considering the absence of any empirical proof as to their claims.

[VeryGnawty]