ron09

As a professed agnostic\atheist, I've had many evangelicals try to argue and debate me. They usually always quote one sentence or another from the Bible as if that is something I haven't heard or read before. My experience is that very few Christians actually read the Bible (other than maybe a few key chapters and verses), and even fewer know of the origins and history of the Bible. I used to think that any normal rational sane person would consider changing their views once presented with the facts. Now I'm convinced that change is too difficult for most people. Critically examining their religious beliefs is nearly impossible for the vast majority of people. For me, it’s more natural to examine my beliefs, because I’ve been doing it almost my whole life. It’s easier to stay content in the blissful ignorance of doing the same things, and believing the same things.

 

 

As a child I was taught that the Bible was something to be revered, as if it were some magical tome. I never saw my parents reading the Bible (other than as directed Sunday mornings at church), but we always had a Bible proudly on display somewhere in the living room. To this day, my mother says that she believes in the Bible because no one has ever been able to destroy it, although many have tried. I don’t know where she got her revisionist history lesson from but that’s obviously not true, but even if it were true then using that same standard would mean that ANYTHING written that has survived the test of time and has been cherished generation after generation should be treated as “divinely inspired.” Perhaps we should start quoting chapter and verse of L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” as divinely inspired?

 

 

I feel your pain, but we must face the facts; you and I are NOT going to change the hearts and minds of those so firmly entrenched in a literal interpretation of the Bible that they refuse to even entertain any other concept. I’m just grateful to have found that there are some Christians who see the Bible for what it is. It is those who are seeking to reconcile critical thought with spiritual faith that are receptive to the message that the Bible is filled with a lot of good stuff and SOME of it actually happened.

So very well written . Yet my Grandparents would have felt that this is blasphmey . Times are so changing . May we find the wisdom , that the many ancient Spiritual Texts , tried to show to us , to control our destructive part of Human Nature , and enhance the Creative

Part .

We search for an understanding , of the world , and the communities , around us . We can learn to make it continually more and more

complicated , or step aside of that , and recognise the wonderful opportunity , each new day , of simply working together . Such a big

step , for people to work towards " unity " , but look at the steps we have made to get from the Stone Age to now our Space Age .

We have done this together . Actually , it was our ancestors , each generation at a time , struggling to survive , and pass on a good or

better world to their offspring , you and me . Now it is our generation . to pioneer forwards , in rapidly changing uncertainty , as or ancestors had to . They managed , with the most basic of tools , by their strength of spirit , and their family drive .

As one species , one family group , we have that same opportunity . God is still beyond us to truly understand , BUT it does not divide us .

Creative Part unites us . Lets do this for the kids an grandkids . God will like that .

Long ago , did Humans make an error ? Now we can earn forgiveness , and work to find our ways , back to that Eden of a Garden .

Such a big step . BUT . Primordial Soup to now our Space Age , how many big steps was that ? We've done it together .

Lets keep on doing it again . One species one Planet , one shared history , one shared future . For our Vertebrate Family , an all of our

neighbors . ( I think that that includes every living thing )

Do not let recent history limit the Creative gift that we are born with .

Cool eh

Greetings all .

I feel , that these are wonderful , and deeply thought out comments , within an ongoing journey , that moves forwards towards understanding .

I may never reach that " understanding " and my quest may be as old as human civilisation itself , yet there is a fulfillment born into me ,

that I try to express and share . I feel that God should unite us all , not divide us into groups .

May I add some food for thought here , and draw attention to , what we have learned so much about our history of human civilisation .

The ancient cultures , be it from the Aztec's or Australian Aborigines , to the Vikings and the Zulu's , all felt a great and wonderful presence ,

On every part of this wonderful planet , that folks have settled , they feel God around them . So there is God , but we feel it differently .

To me , the wisdom of the ancient spiritual texts , that guided my great , and great great grandparents lives , are about community building

and resolving destructive human emotions . Throughout human history , warfare and domination , threatened , and often destroyed , the hard

work of peaceful and creative family folks . For a developing community to thrive , they needed to agree , about what is beyond them to

understand . Thus , the ultimate authority , and who is the leader ( authority ) of that ultimate authority , becomes the lawmaker and keeper

of wisdom and moral values . Look back through the last few thousands of years , it is repeated again and again . Stone Age to now

the 21st century and our Space Age , without a Creation story to agree upon , we humans , divide into groups , and compete to dominate

as much as anyone can grab . What a tremendous opportunity to move forwards , towards mutually beneficial harmony , as the conscious

and developing species , about seven billion of us now , each uniquely different , yet biologically united by the honest hard work at survival

of billions of years/generations of our ancestors . God is still beyond us humans to understand , but , the creative energy , of what we

can now understand about our history , blossoms , as a new miracle each new day ,

My view is , that if us humans , can now see , how powerful that our emotions are , in our decision making , from the highest thoughts

about God , to the constant everyday busy life , and being a part of our community , that , our distant neighbors , struggle with those

same feelings . Such an amazing gift , our individual free will . A burden of responsibility at times , to the reckless freedom and

detachment , of , who cares its my free will . My freedom , is nowadays 21st century , dependent upon , my neighbors , feeling that we

talk about our historical differences , set aside the swords and bombs , and unite as modern humanity , who work to protect this

beautiful place that we are born onto . What an emotional thing , work to protect creation , from our destructive human emotions .

Is it God's job , or do we learn from the Spiritual wisdoms , that are spread across the continents and our history , and unite

about seven billion people , to follow not just Moses Jesus and Allah , and the Eskimo an Morai .

It is something so foundational and so basic : grow into the changing times , and adapt , for our offspring and survival .

Jesus would like it , coming back , and see that we get along with our neighbor , forgive trespass , and protect innocent

living things , from extinction .

This has become very long , and I thank you for reading all of this .

Towards peace an prosperity Ron .

My name is Ron , and I look forwards to learning and sharing with your group .

I am a fifty five year old male , from a traditional pioneer prairie farming heritage in Canada .

Our family was raised as nondenominational Christians , as that the remoteness and travel difficulties

of the praire , in the 1960's , limited our options . As a child , growing up on my Grandfathers farm ,

I was safe with whatever my parents and grandparents did .

As that Grandpa needed to retire , the farm was left to older family , and my family and Grandma and

Grandpa moved out to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island , British Colombia . Thus my youth was further enhanced

by seeing and experiencing city living , as to rural lifestyles .

Unfortunately , my father was taken away suddenly in a workplace accident . Mum raised us five kids on her

own for five years . She then meet an Australian living in Canada , and remarried . So we moved to Australia

in 1972 . Another big lifestyle change . This is a truly miraculous planet we live on .

All of my life , I have held onto that boyhood wonderment , of exploring and studying nature outdoors .

I feel a most wonderful connection , and a part of , all of Creation . I feel my heritage , connecting me ,

with all of my family members , our Vertebrate Family and Mammal Family , It is a most wonderful sense

of belonging .

I am a member of our small town congregation here in Australia , and I try to attend interfaith gatherings

whenever there is an opportunity to . Spiritual folks are some of the finest members of our communities .

I hope that these comments are read , with the intention towards building harmony , and peace and

prosperity through unity , that the comments are written .

From my heart , sincerely Ron .