Recreation Life after Death and God...

Religion is classified into to areas. The Celestial Religions and the non-celestial ones :sweat2:
Celestial Religions are Islam, Judisam, and Christianity
Religions like buddism and hinduism are non-celestial ones.

I'm a muslim and I believe that all Followers of Celestial Religions believe in the same God as I do. As a muslim we already know that Christians and Jews have differnet rituals to reach to God. At the end we are all trying to reach the same God. We are all the same. Our faiths all come from one source.

I also believe that when I die, I will be judged by God and be punished for any sins I've commited in hell and then if I have some good accomplishments and good deeds I might go to heaven.

So as a muslim, I have a duty which is to do all the rituals like (praying, fasting, Zakka, and pilgrimage to Mecca). And also to use my life time to become a better person and help others. I have to work on doing good deeds.

:sweat: well I would like to say more but I guess this is enough

 

I was raised the same way as Seraphim, my family was pretty much lukewarm in faith until six years ago. I'm not exactly sure what happened around then, maybe it was my mother going to Medjugorje. Well, I don't think I told anyone on here yet, but I've always wanted to become a priest... I've always wanted to help others mentally, spiritually and everything. But not until recently I discovered love, and I discovered that I don't need to be a priest to help others when I helped Chibi Meg with her faith (and of course I didn't force anything on her because I totally don't agree with doing that ><).

But you mentioned earlier DL that all religions are linked and this is what I believe as well. Well I believe that there is one true God, but this God appears to many in different ways... or people from different parts of the world have their own views of this one God. Also I believe that God is all forgiving, but He also gives us the choice to live our life the way we want to. There are many paths that we can choose, all of them lead to the same fate.. but one path you can take is the evil path, the other is the good path. An example of this is if you want to say, save the rain forest you can either go around kicking some butt of people cutting it down, or you can go straight to the government and plead your case to them peacefully, both ways will ultimately end up saving the rain forest but one will be more fulfilling spiritually and bring you closer to God.

As well I believe that anything that is good is extremely hard to grasp or to have given to you. I mean it wasn't easy for me to find mangatoanime, or to find true love or to even have faith in God. Nor do I think it is easy to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but to those who make an effort to perform the hard task of believing in Him and following the path to Him then that's how they will be given eternity with God.

And also part of the way to feel the presence is to open your heart to Him. There have been times when I well have witnessed miracles, I'm not sure if I should talk about them though. But who needs miracles to feel the presence of holiness? I know in my heart that He is there watching over all of us, and no matter what happens to this world and how messed up society may get He will always love us. But the true way to see God's love is through others as well, when I went to the COR retreat all I could feel was a huge presence of Love in everyone. Love is good, and God is love.

 

Im a pagan so
I believe in gods, as in more than one.
a lot more.
am a somewhat Discordian, as in i believe in the importance of chaos.
am a somewhat animist as i believe most things are alive in some sense of the word, and cant say i ignore shamanism in my practice.

and yes i believe in a life after death

 

Love this thread! it's my fav topic

same thing with me, my parents never had time...
My gramother tryied to make us go to chuc some times, but never really worked, the last time i was in churc, a boy made me fall, and i broke maria in two pieces... after that all i remember is the noise pl made! i was 9, the very last time
Its really nice to know we have so many different opnions, but we can be friends all the same! the first step to peace!

 

Really hate to be the one to bring it up, but we are all skin sacks filled with organs, goo and squidgy stuff. In the same way that if you were to smash a computer it would simply stop working, if someone were to smash in your delicate head bones and mess up the grey goopy stuff beneath, you would just stop working.
Beliefs are a great thing to have, they can make your life easier, give you something to base your life around and give you direction, but if you look at any belief close enough, it falls apart.
Souls, God, Heaven and Hell exists only in our imagination, in the same region that anime does. Both are the product of wonderful imaginations and supply hours of fun for all the family, but ultimatly both are just an entertaining kind of nonsense that some take more seriously than others.
Again, hate to be the one to bring you all down, but there's been all kinds of Christian, Pagan ect. responses, it was time for a little pessimism.
Of course, this is my belief and I'm to admit it might be just as wrong as any ancient Islamic fairy tale.
Guess Ill just have to wait an see...

 

I'm sorry to disagree with you. Look - just as there is no way to prove that God exists, there is no way to prove that He doesn't.

Again i have to disagree. Beliefs fall apart, alright, if your beliefs are based on fairy tales or gods that don't exist. But I have experienced, the presence of God that comforts me when i have been in the greatest pain. Because God is not an idea, God is a person - and I feel this.

Of course, this is subjective. But then again, everything is subjective sooner or later. What we see is subjective. What we hear, what we think is subjective. Just as the account of the resurrection was subjective to the apostles, so are the atheist, materialist Ideas that are quite recent.

I find it rather naive to try to "teach" us that there is no God, that everything is "product of our wonderful imaginations". I had already expected this thread to be controversial. But if you notice, we all (more or less) began with a phrase:

"I BELIEVE IN".

Instead, you began by 'Really hate to be the one to bring it up, but we are'. As if what you said is the ultimate TRUTH. That is a bit arrogant, don't you think?

Speaking of Truth... let me ask you a question. Is TRUTH non-existant just because it's IMMATERIAL? Au contraire. In the same way, you cannot say God doesn't exist just because you don't _SEE_ him. In the same way, blind men can't say colors don't exist because they can't see them.

If _YOU_ have not experienced God's love in _YOUR_ life, then it's _YOUR_ problem. You don't have to get us all bitter just because you haven't experienced what we have.

As i stated before, this was a thread to ask what we believed in. Not a thread to bash each other's beliefs. I could have began arguing with MerRua because (s)he's pagan, or with KameKazi because he's buddhist. But this wasn't the purpose of this thread.

If we offended you because we stated our beliefs, then you should have just said it, or maybe kept quiet, not began bashing us.

As I said in another thread, we could go to a religion forum on another webpage and begin debating. I can tell you my reasons and you can tell me yours. But please, not here. This forum (M2A) is one to make friends, not enemies.

Thanks.

 

I was going to say something, but luvweaver said it better and already said it all. ^^; And now that I think about it, I wasn't going to sound coherent anyway. (No. Seriously. I tried typing it just now, and it didn't work out. ^^; Eheh…)

 

I was born as a muslim, raised by muslim parents, fortunate to be raised in a muslim community and proud to be a muslim.

 

UHhhhhh.. luvweaver great post.. Well said.. But No where did I state that i was a Buddist... I said. that Buddism is one of the best religion in terms of self exploration and what not.. its not a religion where you look for god but how to make yourself a better person.. AH Budda is someone who has Learned Buddism and has found his or her answers and can now teach what he or she has learnt.. So ive read. in not an expert on the matter...

But WHat i am Is a Believer in All.. Anything Is possible.. Maybe not probably but possible.. I say this.. WHo am i to say that the Christians are wrong and the muslisms are right or viss versa.. I believe there is a god or gods.. And that there is an Afterlife and I hope to get there.. but im going to walk my own path.. im going to be a good person or try to be.. And along the way ill say to myself .. wow that would be neat if heaven is like this so ill hope that this is what will happen when i die...

Anyway as for anyone like Spiked&Skewered Take your coments about how we are wrong about our believe and shove it. If you want to post that you are an athiest and way ok but dont put others down!

KaME

 

It's better to have ideas than to have beliefs. Ideas can be easily changed and manipulated (not in a bad way) and picked up or dropped. A belief is harder to change for the better. Just my input, not sure where this fits in... I saw Dogma again last night, so I decided to post this, let you people rip it limb from limb and such. ^_^ Enjoy.

 

Yeah i figured you riped that saying off somewhere but could not place it till you said Dogma

KaME

 

Eh, do you really have to say "Ripping off" I prefer terms such as "using as a helpful resource". >< Ripping it off would be more saying it and not mentioning where I got it from, and claiming it as my own... which I didn't do... or atleast didn't mean to. :dizzy2: Eh, anyways...

 

((I love Dogma!))

I was raised a catholic, but I have my doubts as to the Bible.

I think there are alot of mistranslations, or maybe the people who wrote it, the prophets, the disciples and such, were wrong.

I believe in the teachings, tho, because it teachs good morals and values for society. I believe in God, because when you look at how complex we are and how complex everything in our world is, you think it's just nature taking its course? Everything is so complicated.

I also believe in Buddhism, because it teachs acceptance of all things, therefore you can be Catholic and buddhist at the same time.

My parents are firm believers in going to church, but up until a little while ago, my answer was always this:" Church is a material thing I can't take with me when I die, however the temple of my soul is everlasting."

I still believe that, but I help my church now as well.

As to life after death, I don't think my being, my very soul is destroyed, just gone after I die. Where does our consciousness go? It couldn't just disappear, but I have no clue as to what happens to it. I know in my heart it can't just be the end.

That's one thing that I have no answer for, life after death.

I believe in god, but I agree with Drunk that its all linked and people just interpret it differently. Who are we to decide who's right and wrong? Everything is a way to celebrate.

I can't believe that all mythology is wrong just because there's only one god. Celtic mythology, Greek Mythology...all of it is beautiful and we hope it has some truth. I believe in it.

Well, I'm making no sense now, and my post is long, and ya prolly won't read it too profoundly anyway, and I can't really change my thoughts on this into words, I'm Ranting and I'm tired of typing, so goodnight!

You all have wonderful opinions and they're all true, even Spiked&Skewered...who has delightful thoughts of meat sacks...Err, I don't find that to be quite so nice.

 

Thats sorta like slapping somebody then saying "Lets not fight"

Incidently, In which way have you felt gods precence? Im not trying to challenge you, Im simply questioning why you would get so much more of gods attention than some of his other devoted followers.

 

I truly believe their is one God, one and only... I'm a dedicated Christian, but a young one, so I still have lots to learn.

It's great to see many of you believe in Him as well ^_^ I'm really glad, because I don't feel as lonely now. My family members aren't Christians, and very few of my friends are too. Unfortunately, my sister and my best friends are. You see, I believe in God because I see his works of giving me friends and many more blessings.

I've never really believed too much of the Chinese tradition way of preaching to ancestors for prayers to be answered. Before, I was still young, so I just believe that such thing works, but now I know better. God is my true heavenly God!

For all of us here, we try to spread our religions around, but it's a BIG hard mission. I hope we can share our ideas and thoughts of Christianity to others ^^

I hope I didn't offend here >.<

 

oro? where did I even say "right" or "wrong" in my post? I'm sorry if I did that.... I don't know one bit about what is right or wrong. I don't decide what's right or wrong... if anyone truly knows the truth, that person would be our creator. I'm still seeking for the truth, but I probably won't find it until I meet my maker. So until that day I'm just going to keep on wonderin' but I'll stick to the religion that feels right to me and that I have felt the presence of God in(even though I know that He is there in every religion because God loves all). And everyone has a freedom of religion ya know, and no matter what we are still friends and family on earth.



Edit : Well I searched for the words right and wrong in this thread and no one (except well maybe spiked) seemed to say that other religions are wrong or right at all. Sorry to have to do that... but I can't stand being accused ><

 

Well, that wasn't my intention. I didn't say "let's not fight", but rather "let's not fight HERE". I know a good arena, pick your weapon

Anyway.

Well. I frankly have no idea.

But here's my story, if you want to hear it.

It all began 5 or 6 years ago. I was 21... in school. I remember it very well because i failed 3 courses that year

I was meeting a girl on the chat. Back on the days where "chat" and "Netscape" were for nerds only. So, I was bored, and got into this channel... and i met this girl. We chatted... and chatted until 4AM.

And the next day i found out i fell in love with her (don't ask me how, i just began needing her. So I waited the next day, and the
next, and the next... and she didn't show up. (Pathetic, isn't it? Well wait - she did show up... the NEXT day. But then she vanished. And there weren't free email accounts. She couldn't give me her mail... and i had no mail. So the only way for me to reach her was thru the chat.

And she didn't show up.

(NOTE: Don't get confused by my buddy icon, i'm a guy)

So I searched for her, for about two months. Then i realized the hard truth (she'd never come back), and I got depressed... and felt lonely. Well this loneliness had something to do with pervious past experiences, but I didn't find out until much later - anyway.

One day, I was getting out of school... and my heart was stinging so much. My throat felt a knot, i felt so much like crying and wailing. Imagine 100 degrees of loneliness. I was in 100. I felt completely abandoned. And then, I remembered something I saw in a movie... this guy asking for help to heaven...

so I did. I raised my sight... and asked. "give me strength, God... give me strength to stand this loneliness."

And then WHAM!

I can't tell you how exactly it happened.. .but then I felt happy. Like if all the sorrow i was carrying, NEVER existed. I felt so jolly, that I began singing songs. (Well, that was my _FIRST_ religious experience... i would have many more later).

The thing is, that I LEARNED, by own experience:
1) That there was a God
2) That he CARED FOR ME
3) That I didn't need big rituals to have his attention. I was his son, did anything else matter?

Well... around that time I was also involved in the newage stuff, you know, Chakras, 3rd eye, clarivoyance... but none of that stuff helped me out of my loneliness. And a 3 second prayer did. I mean... WOW.

Well... some time later, i felt a new experience... that I didn't understand. I didn't know WHAT happened to me, or HOW... but I kept searching for answers. Then I stumbled upon a book by Theresa of Avila (the catholic mystic of the 16th century, around the time when Luther printed his own editions of the Bible) - and I came to understand, more or less. So as long as I read, i began to understand what was going inside my soul.

And I approaced God... this time inside the Church - i began enjoying Mass, and I could feel a great supernatural comfort when I received communion (define supernatural as beyond-natural... meaning my imagination couldn't have produced those effects - you know the difference).

I felt comforted, warm... like a baby in mommy's arms.

I also noticed something. I had changed. I used to be terribly violent, with a really low self-esteem... but now, i was much more patient... and I got interested in people's problems. Instead of the old "me myself and I" way I used to think.

And everytime i am in trouble, I go to Jesus... and I feel his comfort, and he gives me the strength that I need to go on with life. Even when I say "I can't go on anymore... I just can't", he moves me and helps me do things I couldn't do by myself.

Like forgiving someone which hurt me VERY, VERY deeply. I was scared... petrified of talking with this person... but everything came fine.

And similar things have happened... more intense as i got more inside the Church. Things that I couldn't describe (right now)... but I have really recognized His presence in my life.

Currently, I am in love with Jesus (yes, romantically - i know, it's crazy, but that's how it is), and I feel a connection with Our Lady, like she's my mom and I'm her baby. How it happened... who knows.

Currently, i'm searching for a job, but in a year (2 at most) i plan to enter the seminar (or seminary? don't remember the word) to become a priest, and tell everyone about God's love.

Now, returning to the question:

I think that it's because I made a leap of faith. Putting my trust really in him. Many people think they can't communicate with God, as if God was some kind of old wise man watching us from a crystal ball... but it turns out that God lives INSIDE US - INSIDE THE VERY DEEPEST CORNER OF OUR SOULS. And we can't communicate with Him? Well... before I, found hard to believe that communicating with God was possible. Now I find it hard to believe that it's not.

Like, this little kid that runs in front of a famous King... and then one of the guards tells him. "Hey kid... don't you know that you're in front of his Majesty? How dare you run in front of him?"
And the little boy answers: "He might be YOUR king, but he's MY FATHER!". And I feel like that.

Well... this is my story. Well, part of it, the tip of the iceberg... LOL... i won't share more, lest you start calling me schizo or something. But i think I got my point.

Anyway what I mean, is... we look at saints like Francis of Assisi, Theresa of Avila, St. Augustine... and many wonder. "I doubt I could be like them, i won't be able to get close to God, boo hoo.... sob"
but it's the opposite.

FIRST God touches our hearts
THEN he changes our hearts...
and THEN we advance to holiness.

But we want FIRST to be holy, THEN change our hearts, and THEN, ONLY THEN we think that God will come to us. We got it all wrong. We just have to put our trust in Him, and He will come. Because we are His children. And He loves us. Like a mother loves her baby. That's how I feel. Like a baby, safe next to him.

And we can ALL feel like that. But we think it's not possible. Or maybe we're scared of getting close to God because we fear what he might tell us... (about our behavior or mindset perhaps?)
and we begin rationalizing our beliefs... etc. etc.

Okay... i spoke enough.

See ya other time :anime:

 

Throughout the course of ONE YEAR alone, I have discovered that yes, ther are many incredibly horrendous mistranslations.

But I'm not trying to put the commonplace Bibles down. They're wonderful. I myself learned a lot from them. I was taught with them. I grew up with them. I believed everything there, even if I didn't understand. I'm just glad that we now have access to purer translations which are easier to understand as well as deeper in meaning. ^_^

Blessed be G-d and may He bless you, Rick! ^_^;; Do you have any idea how much anguish I've put myself through because of that? That's been my one struggle for little over three years. I always put myself down because I couldn't be like the adults. It hurt. A lot. ^^ But see? We're all His children, and thus, in a sense, all brothers and sisters. ^_^ *hugs* I needed that, oniisan (big brother).