God Returns to MoFo! ~ Why You Should Believe in God

So, essentially, Rodent, you see us as pets/a science project for God?

Pretty much.

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Worship is a natural result of belief and not at all a requirement for grace. In fact the beautiful thing about grace is that it is freely given. Also worship, like all things with God, when applied to our lives becomes for our benefit as much as God's.

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Letterboxd

Sorry Rodent, I think you're contradicting yourself a little.

I would take it a step further and say that it is entirely for our benefit because God is self-sufficient. It pleases him, but it does not benefit him. There is also a thing called natural grace which is extended to everyone, life itself and all kinds of daily blessings.

Well said

I wouldn't say worship is the natural result of belief. I don't worship God yet I believe in God.


I'm appreciative for what I have, and I've told God that... and I do pray for others when they need help, I've even prayed for myself, only once, but I prayed for help, and God intervened.
I felt the hand of God touch my soul so I know, absolutely know, that God exists... and I am thankful, appreciative, and forever in its debt for what it did for me.


So, rather than worshipping God, wasting time telling it how great I think it is, and telling God how much I love it, over and over again, and telling God over and over again and again how much it means to me... I studied instead, and learned.


I even asked for answers and some answers were given.
I would learn things, learn about elements of religion, read various texts, and speak to God about them, asking if they were right, wrong, good, bad, all that.
I would learn about science, how physics and biology work.


I love God, but I have never worshipped God.


I suppose you could say that the study I've put into all those subjects is a form of worship...

What have I said that contradicts myself?

That's worship brother. You take a very scholarly approach to things and that could be a great asset to you studying religion. I truly believe if you took that approach in studying Christianity versus other religions you would see that Christianity is set apart because nothing is required of you except belief. It works the exact opposite of other religions. You begin at Z and then you want to get to CBA of your own free will. Other religions tell you that if you do ABC....eventually we will let you have Z.

To me, worship is saying:


"God! Hey God! God! God! God! GOOOOOD!!!!! Ok now I have your attention, I think you're great."


"God! Hey God! God! God! God! GOOOOOD!!!!! Ok now I have your attention, I think you're great."


"God! Hey God! God! God! God! GOOOOOD!!!!! Ok now I have your attention, I love you."


"God! Hey God! God! God! God! GOOOOOD!!!!! Ok now I have your attention, I think you're great."


"God! Hey God! God! God! God! GOOOOOD!!!!! Ok now I have your attention, I love you."

What makes you think that's what worship is?

I've attended a few Churches and even went into a Hare Krishna Temple.
I went into a Mosque once too. Got some really evil looks from the locals.


They're all the same.
"God! Hey God! God! God! God! GOOOOOD!!!!! Ok now I have your attention, I love you."
"God! Hey God! God! God! God! GOOOOOD!!!!! Ok now I have your attention, I think you're great."


Over and over again.

I'm still wondering what Zotis meant when he said I was contradicting myself.

Worship takes many forms. I certainly wouldn't let that scare you away from religion in any way. I would look into grace a little more too. Have you read the new testament?

Yeah I've read the Bible.


I have one at hand, it's a good book to go over and read up on in times of need and for solidarity in times of uncertainty.


I won't say that I'm Christian because I have a Bible and I read it occasionally... organised religion and labelling yourself and dogmatically following something without any sort of study is the wrong way to go about it.


All religions have good things, and all religions have wrong things... and yes, I said wrong things, not bad things (except for those idiots who are scything across the Middle East and Syria into Europe right now)...


I just think education into God, rather than blindly following a crowd, is the better way to go about it.


I have a Bible through one thing.
It contains things in it that are undeniably from God. I just think Christianity and Judaism (the Bible and Tanakh) have been twisted into something wrong, though their books have elements of God within them.




I think of religious texts like cups of coffee.
One coffee has 2 sugars, another has one sugar and loads of milk... another has 5 sugars and a tiny bit of milk and another is black with no sugar.
One might be right for one person, and another might be right for a different person, they all have wrong, and they all have right, but in essence, they're all still coffee.

So, basically, Planet Earth is a giant Starbucks.

I giant Starbucks full of ants.
Which is no different than any Starbucks I've been in tbh.


Anyway, SC starts a thread, we get some decent convo going on, and he just farts about, taking the piss.

Yeah...SC giveth and he taketh away.

And on the seventh day SC created another "awesome" thread.

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Again, I can appreciate where you are coming from. You would probably be surprised at how frustrated I get with organized religion. I also know it is easy to dismiss those of us in a religion as blind followers because, frankly, many of us are. I do wish to inquire a little bit more about works though. Christianity has the unique position of not requiring works from the believer for eternity with God. Where do you stand on this? Do you think we work our way to God? Do you think everyone gets there?