Fort Worth Motorcycle Riders

Well I disagree. Theological conversations are great online! The contrast between stone age mythology and high resolution touch screens is perfect. Also this is the religion and politics forum so we all checked our feelings at the door.

But it's too much typing!!! LOL I think for deep stuff it's difficult to really express yourself through written word alone; when you are missing out on the body language, inflections, poetic pause; the stuff that makes conversations so endearing; well you miss out! LOL I love your sense of humor, never lose it! Feeling schmeelings. Does one ever truly check his or her feelings at the door? No. Just enough to not offend (which is good!), but bringing out passion for what you hold dear is part of the amazing dialogue! I just love deep convo's is all. Plus with face to face conversation I am able to say "Dude, it's me, speak freely." I just really enjoy hearing the soul sing.

Plus it's just another great excuse to get everyone together and hang out.

DarcShadow wrote:Was raised Catholic but don't practice anymore, lost faith in "The Church" a long time ago.

Same here.

Question, if you lost faith in the church a long time ago does that mean that you still believe in the same God that the church worships?

I don't. As far as I'm concerned, religion was created by man to control other men.

Good question Miles. Like my fellow brethren, I'm not what the church would call an "active member".

I'm with Jim, the religion was meant to control people. My beliefs though were shook when I was a teen. Can't say I believe now 100%, but I'm not on the other side either. Way too many coincidental factors for me to think it was all by chance. Whether it turned out as intended, I guess us peons may never know.

I was raised Christian, and where I'm from your like socially beat down and an outcast if your not a believer. As I grew older and learned more, experienced more and found my own way in life I was able to stand up and say, I simply can't accept this. Even when I was trying my best to drink the Kool-Aid concepts didn't sit right with me, heaven makes - NO - sense to me, neither does hell - amongst a TON of other things.

There has been more than 1 preacher/pope etc. that have stated you must abandon rational thought and logic (when I heard it, it rang like a bell), - it simply will not hold up to the scrutiny of logical thinking and they know it.

I believe that by abandoning rational thought and logic, we do a big injustice to a great gift we have, and that is the ability to think rationally and logically, that's our true gift (hint hint - basis of the "society of the gift").

Why doesn't god rain Manna for all of the starving people of the world? Why wont he heal an amputee? Why do studies reflect that prayer doesn't' have an impact on survival rates? I've got a million questions and the only answers I ever get are "well it's gods plan" or "god won't be measured" or some other dodgy non answer.

I simply can't accept it

When I was making regular pilgrimages to the holey land (literally holes in the land, Florida caves) I usually road with a hard atheist, and a Sunday school teacher. Talk about an interesting 12 hour drive. Shit mixed like gas and matches but when we got out of the truck and geared up, we all had each others backs.

Some Christians will criticize me, tell me I haven't been shown the truth yet or that my eyes are closed, I haven't been saved yadda yadda, it absolutely offends some people that I'm like nah that's not for me I can't believe in that.

One of the guys at work made me his project, his goal was to save my soul. He gave up after about a year. It's not for me, but who knows, maybe that's part of the grand plan.

I'm Christian. Full believer. Believe what you want, there's no pressure from me.

If there is a god I think he gave up on is a long time ago and has moved on to other things to occupy his time.

milesmiles wrote:I'm Christian. Full believer. Believe what you want, there's no pressure from me.

Christians are always welcome at my table, along with Muslims and so forth. Unless they start fighting

I only have a "problem" with religion when it's used as an excuse or reason to dictate to others.

Besides, we all know he screwed up

Raised Catholic...have no need for religion - organized or not.

I actually had a Lutheran minister actually tell us in a Sunday sermon that if they gave their 10% of their income to the church that as they make more money, they need to increase the amount they give to the church. This was right after he told us that God would provide for us...don't worry about paying your bills...God will provide for you...give more to the church. I thought to myself...hmmmm...it's -20 below zero here in MN. How about I stop paying my heating bill? Will God magically heat my house and keep my kid and wife from freezing to death? Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of faith. Faith that not paying my bills would not keep my family fed. Faith that not paying the water bill would certainly lead to them turning it off...I think you get the idea.

Now I will hear from those that say, "Oh, that was a bad church" or "that was a terrible minister". I've been to Baptist, Unitarian, Lutheran, and Catholic churches in my life. They have all been the same. I guess I feel at this point in my life (being 40), if I haven't learned how to be a moral individual the church (and God) aren't going to change that. The other issue are all the "holier than thou" people I see at church. They say things like, "Oh, we missed you at church on Sunday." looking for what kind of excuse I can come up with that is more important than "GOD".

I may be sounding to some of you like I'm bitter about it. I'm really not. Those that want to worship...knock yourself out. Just don't try to convert me or preach to me about the merits of church. I've been to church. It's not for me.

I sat in on an entire sermon about "10% gross, not 10% net".

LOL

Maybe i'm wrong about this, but i hear a lot of people talk about how they were "preached to". Do you really get offended or would you get offended if i said "hey man why don't you come to church with me on sunday". I fully understand people getting mad at people shoving their beliefs down your throat, but i think a lot of people cry at the simplest of generally good gestures. It's like if you get hurt and i say "i'm praying for you", i've actually had people get mad at me for that. To me that makes no sense at all, i'm not telling you to believe anything. It's me saying i'm sending "good vibes" your way or "i'm thinking of you". I just think people on BOTH ends get butt hurt too much.

If some guy who believes in the sun god told me "i'm praying for your recovery", how in the world should that offend me? His god does nothing for me and i believe nothing of his god, but that dude wants the best for me and i appreciate that.

Stardog84, would you like to go to church with me on sunday

None of that offends me. Like you said I'm just happy that I have good friends that are thinking of me.

As entertaining as a live show sounds I already made plans to watch movies with a friend that day.

I can't explain it but I do get a little annoyed when some one says they are praying for me or ask me to pray for some one. I know it's just a polite thing to do/say but every since my first motorcycle wreck I find it annoys me. Not enough for me to say anything but I have an internal eye roll.

milesmiles wrote:I'm Christian. Full believer. Believe what you want, there's no pressure from me.

Same here

All from a good place wishing you the best

I believe in track riding. No pressure from me either, but some of you guys are missing out.

I am trying

Found out i missed out on 50% off coupons!!!

The coupon is good to set the hook but eventually paying for track time is just like paying taxes. You don't worry about it because it isn't really optional anyway but unlike taxes you get more than you pay for.

This thread took a turn for the better.

Striple wrote:I believe in track riding. No pressure from me either, but some of you guys are missing out.

I don't think anyone would have guessed who the biggest track junkie here is