The Church of England

[Cambusman]

I don't do nice things to get a tkt into heaven,If I did that then God would know and I would be judged on other things,I'm not even sure that there is a hell to go to,I don't think that its actually mentioned in the bible but heaven is and I'm not sure that I'm getting in there
You are better off not believing in God,its caused me a lot of heartache and pain in the past, if I didn't believe in God I would probably have spent living my life the way that I have but with more free time on a Sunday tbf

Yea I was being a bit tongue in cheek (ready for a PSAW style response). The point is religion hands people their reasons in life. I know it's moral not to kill cheat and steal because it comes from inside me, as I think it does with most people. When a religious person is considering whether something is good or bad (eg euthanasia to give a less obvious example) they look to religion for a guideline. I think having that guideline throughout life makes life easier and - in fact I think it is a complete cop out.

I am genuinely interested to know how you thnk life is harder in religion (apart from your free time on Sundays) because I cant see it myself (remember that not being religious does NOT mean having no morals or life rules to follow).

[chalkyncfc61]

Like you I do the right things in life because its the moral thing to do but I've done things in the past that only has the guilt been unbearable but multiplied because i know that its also wrong in Gods eyes,I even blamed him for stuff that has happened in my life and stopped going to church for about three years but ended up going back because if you really do believe in God deep down inside then no matter how hard you try you cannot convince yourself that he's not watching,its almost a form of brainwashing I suppose,if I didn't believe then I would just take the punishments of this life and not worry about having to explain myself to the big man in the next

[Psaw]

Chalky, i dont get you suffering because you believe in god. God is not something outside yourself, it is too close for you to see. The essence is to look inwardly, not outwardly for understanding. You are looking at god everytime you shave. Everything is interdependant on everything else. Coco is an expression of god. There is no death. Stay good, as you will be repaid in spades for anything else.

John the Baptist... yes i can joke about it.

[Cambusman]

Chalky, Your guilt isnt somehow worse because of religion. Ive felt guilty as have many non religious people, not becasue I have done something wrong in god's eyes but becasue I have felt bad for the person Ive wronged.

God and religion stem from a need to understand and make sense of life when man was prinmitive and had less understanding of things around him. I consider myself an agnostic. I accept what there is proof of and if someone can show me proof of god I would lap it up. I woudl absolutely LOVE for there to be a god - my life crutch, my life rules and my happy ever after al lin one neat package. But there is no proof and if god does exist then he gave us these brain to reason, challenge and question things and I cant imagine how disappointed he must be that so many people prefer blindly believing instead of questioning and challenging as our brains are designed to do - and all in his name too.

The fact is you and other monotheists don't believe in god either (and Im not doing a PSAW and trying to tell you what you think. - its true). You dont believe in Zeus, Helios or in any of the other Greco-Roman gods. You don't believe in Odin or Thor nor the reast of the Nordic gods. You don't believe in any of the Celtic gods and goddesses or the ancient Aztec and other South American gods/goddesses who also required human sacrifice. You literally dont beleive in thousands of gods. I just happen to not believe in one more than you.

Check the link - if this had happened a few centuries ago it could have been India's Lourdes.

[Chauncey]

Going through threads about God and religion I came across this one again Frank,seven years later and my life is still the same,I wonder who Cambusman was and if he still looks in,I doubt it but it was nice to have a decent conversation about the existence of God,have often do you go to church? I’ve found myself slipping back down to once a month which isn’t acceptable really

[Psaw]

A bit of insight goes a long way, ive given up trying to tell people that this world is not all there is, its like trying to tell someone that evening will come, Weetabix today compared to Weetabix 40 years ago is a joke, and politics is organised torture.

Unbelievers are meant to be that, i dont give a flying wotsit what they think, they are on their own journey.

Including you, you vascilate constantly, yes i do pay attention to what you say. Are you ok collecting and giving me the load of money im about to make on the carlisle board?

[Chauncey]

Seven years on and I’m still asking the same questions that no one can answer,sometimes it genuinely keeps me awake at night thinking about it especially if I watch the news and it’s bad stuff,is switch ITV over in the afternoons as soon as it’s a break because the animal charity adverts make me feel I’ll but that’s there purpose I suppose,to put the viewer on a guilt trip and get his debit card out

I would like to meet you one day Frank to have a chat and a pint but I know that you wouldn’t turn up and that you would take pleasure from knowing that I was standing outside a pub waiting for you whilst you was dunking a bourbon into your tea,nobody is going to take you up on your bet Frank because there’s no chance of you paying up,it will be interesting to see who finishes higher between Cambridge and Carlisle though

[Chauncey]

Oh,and you never told me how often you go to church?

I never made it to Cambridge as I decided to return home after three days in Hunstanton and Cromer,I could hack the grey skies but rain and wind got weary by Wednesday,I’ve put back to do list