Something to ponder

Johnj · **Something to ponder -** 01-20-2005, 05:21 AM

In light of the many perversions and jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke, it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

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Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something like this happen?" (regarding the attacks on Sept. 11).

Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives.

And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?"

In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.

Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school the Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.

Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.
Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they WILL think of you for sending it. Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in!

Short Hand · 01-20-2005, 05:35 AM

Yes.. God "Let 2000 people die, because we didn't say our prayers before class.

1. This will have no bearing if you do not beleive in god.

2. This will have no grip if you perceive god in a different way.

3. God didn't send those terrorists into those buildings. American Foreign policy did. a testament to your own failure, not God not giving a shit because you took a picture of his sun out of the class.

Xorcist [USA] · 01-20-2005, 06:13 AM

Good read JJ, but imo it applies to a very small percentage of the full spectrum of religious beliefs as a whole, that being Christians.

This read is just a modern explanation of the cycle of life that has been happening since the dawn of time. Taking the bible out of school certainly did not apply to the 150+ thousand people that lost thier lives in the recent tsunami.

Why does "God" let mass genocides, natural disasters, wars, priests sodomizing young children, etc. etc. to occur in the first place? Is it because of the non-believers? I think not.

Out of the millions of millions of people who have died throughout history, not one has left any evidence of what occcurs in the afterlife. People who are of very strong faith die tragic deaths everyday, and yet they are sopposedly God's little lambs. To me, being of a strong faith is no guarantee that you will have a peaceful afterlife at the right arm of God.

Who is to say what religion is the ticket to a peaceful existence after life on earth?

$.02

Pyro · 01-20-2005, 06:20 AM

It is funny to me because it is complete bullshit.

tomxtr · 01-20-2005, 07:08 AM

[quote="Short Hand":06a4e]
God didn't send those terrorists into those buildings. American Foreign policy did. [/quote:06a4e]

Care to elaborate?

Pyro · 01-20-2005, 07:11 AM

[quote=tomxtr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by "Short Hand":7b939

God didn't send those terrorists into those buildings. American Foreign policy did.

Care to elaborate?[/quote:7b939]

Basically...do you think the arabs just woke up one day and said...lets fly a plane into WTC for fun? They had motive...and the motive was the distasteful foreign policy of the United States of America.

Zoner · 01-20-2005, 07:28 AM

Here we go again... rolleyes:

Keep the conversation civil and I'll leave it open. If it turns into a flame war, I'm gonna smoke it like a cohiba.

Anyway....interesting read, John. I'm not an overly religious guy, but I do believe in the morals that Christianity tries to express. I grew up in a very well adjusted family who went to church every Sunday, but we were by no means "Jesus Freaks". My schooling included saying the "Lord's Prayer" at religious-type assemblies (e.g. Easter, Christmas) and I really don't see what's wrong with it.

Mind you, I grew up in Newfoundland where the only muslims and hindus in town were the doctors and I'm not exaggerating here. There were no synagogues, mosques, or temples in my hometown, but that doesn't mean we were prejudiced against these other religions. I think that I grew up in an environment of tolerance and respect, with a general, innate sense of "live and let live".

It's too bad that most people didn't have that kind of influence early in life. I am extremely lucky.

As far as the theory that the world went to hell since we as a society gave the Bible a backseat; well, who knows? It's as good a theory as any. I know that when I have kids of my own, they're going to church and Sunday school. It might be old fashioned, but it worked for my folks. They raised an admin of an internet forum, for Jeebus sake! happy:

geRV · 01-20-2005, 07:43 AM

On the subject of kids not getting an asswhooping, imo most kids today are cheeky little cunts who think they can do and say as they please. Parenting used to include the occasional asswhooping of the kids, these days that doesn't happen so kids have become more loud mouthed obnoxious little wankers. Have to wonder if the occasional punch in the balls or whatever would have kept them inline.

Pyro · 01-20-2005, 07:44 AM

I just don't like the church going people who look down upon the people who choose not to follow the things you need to do to be religious (prayer etc.). The people who think they're better because they follow a human created ideology.

Zoner · 01-20-2005, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pyro

I just don't like the church going people who look down upon the people who choose not to follow the things you need to do to be religious (prayer etc.). The people who think they're better because they follow a human created ideology.

100% agree there (first time for everything, I s'pose...heh heh)

tomxtr · 01-20-2005, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoner

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pyro

I just don't like the church going people who look down upon the people who choose not to follow the things you need to do to be religious (prayer etc.). The people who think they're better because they follow a human created ideology.

100% agree there (first time for everything, I s'pose...heh heh)

As a church going parent who delivers asswhoopings when they are called for, I also agree. But, in my experience the majority of the people who go to church do not look down on those who don't go to church, pray, etc. The fact is, the people who do exhibit this behavior just tend to be louder and more obnoxious. Nothing wrong with being religious and going to church, as long as you're not cramming it down others throats or yelling "allah akbar" as you're piloting a commercial aircraft into a skyscaper filled with civilians.

Pyro · 01-20-2005, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomxtr

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoner

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pyro

I just don't like the church going people who look down upon the people who choose not to follow the things you need to do to be religious (prayer etc.). The people who think they're better because they follow a human created ideology.

100% agree there (first time for everything, I s'pose...heh heh)

As a church going parent who delivers asswhoopings when they are called for, I also agree. But, in my experience the majority of the people who go to church do not look down on those who don't go to church, pray, etc. The fact is, the people who do exhibit this behavior just tend to be louder and more obnoxious. Nothing wrong with being religious and going to church, as long as you're not cramming it down others throats or yelling "allah akbar" as you're piloting a commercial aircraft into a skyscaper filled with civilians.

Extremists in anything is usually a bad thing, even if the original thought was a good thing.

Arkan · 01-20-2005, 08:14 AM

I'm not even going to get into America's Fioreign policy...i'll leave that up to you experts here oOo:

As for that writing, i saw that awhile ago. I'm not the most religious guy in the world and really don't go to church but i do know this......I know the difference between right and wrong. Thats the way i always conducted myself and i never gave anyone a beating they didn't deserve!
When we lose 150 thousand people to a Tsunami, i can see why people would question "God". For the life of me i don't have an explaination. Perhaps when i drop dead, i'll find out !!

bukdez · 01-20-2005, 10:06 AM

If you believe in Christianity then you believe that God gave humans free-will, so questioning whether or not God "let this happen" is irrelevant...

KTOG · 01-20-2005, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bukdez

If you believe in Christianity then you believe that God gave humans free-will, so questioning whether or not God "let this happen" is irrelevant...

imwithstupid:

Also, its not that i take offense to prayer in school. Its that i can feel the akwardness of the Indian standing next to me, or see a girl praying on my other side that got gang banged last week and is still considered a christian.