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Originally Posted By: TnslimIt all boils down to one of my favorite sayings.

For those who truly believe no explanation is necessary.
For those who refuse to believe no explanation is possible.

Over the past few years I've had some mighty troubling times. I had a granddaughter murdered, I had an extreme bout of sciatica with intense pain that kept me stuck to the bed for 8 weeks and then I lost my Cindy, the love of my life. I simply cannot imagine going thru all that without my faith in God to keep me going.

People can talk about faith all day long. For myself, I could not begin to put into words it's therapeutic value nor strength, into a context I could comprehend while I lived a lone life on self will. Up until my latter 20s, I had morals and values but I also had a void, down deep. I found fleeting things to fill it with, things like women, money, alcohol and other substances.

The very mention of religion would cause me to recoil like as from a hot flame. As my life spiraled into chaos and unmanageability those fleeting things worked fewer and further between. The void grew, I passed thru the darkest places in life alone. My attitude and outlook turned apathetic and cold, my response to a seemingly cruel world was anger and hate. Occasionally, I see others in this world with what appears to be the same spiritual malady. Seeing them has taught me the difference between sympathy and empathy. My experience has shown that like my former self, most of them are in denial of their plight and have an attitude of indifference or intolerance towards spiritual principles.

This seemingly hopeless state of mind and body is common among alcoholics. A spiritual experience, moment of clarity or the gift of desperation can be the catalyst to a new life dependent upon a power greater than oneself. This is what taught me the difference between believing "of" God and believing "in" God. I have found in this relationship with God, the evidence necessary to build my faith. It is rather personal but most of all it has the power that no human strength could take. While I need not try to force it on others, I do have an obligation to bare wittiness to anyone reaching out.

While I am just a common man with limited knowledge, I cannot find the connection between the location of the blow hole on a whale or the time stamps analyzed in geologic formations and how it could affect my faith. And for those of you who are able to live a life on self will, unaffected by the woes of this world and still stay straight with your moral compass, you are blessed, I mean lucky. Not all are born that way. Today, I feel down deep into my inner most self, in the place that used to exist a void, that what I have today is beyond real. If it is just a smoke and mirrors or one big lie, then it is the best lie that I have ever fallen for. Beyond what I know to be in my head and what I feel down deep, leaves me with no doubt.
 
Originally Posted By: Tim NeitzkeOriginally Posted By: SlickerThanSnotOriginally Posted By: sandy hicks
You could never argue down Lyle,azmastablasta. So you used your Re-Tired moderhater status to get him banned.
You called him a bully.

w00t.gif
you mentor got himself banned. he did not need help from anybody. was long overdo imo.

There was a long list of folks waiting for the day he got the boot. There might have even been a party or 2.
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This is a grand statement coming from an impartial moderator.
 
Originally Posted By: tnshootistEveryone has faith in something.

Your beliefs require more blind faith than mine.



And Your faith requires more blind beliefs than ours.
 
Well Swampy good luck to you

My intent was to debate evolution but the thread took a turn.
Evolution theory is nothing new. It was being taught as theory I know fifty + years ago.
Perhaps others are not as ignorant of the theory as some would believe.

As you sometimes say I have seen no proof.The missing link is still missing.
There was a time that I tried to believe in the theory but after some years I gave up on it as hogwash.
 
ok. Continue on as a lonesome being in a fallen world, created imperfect and alone as seperate from your environment, riddled in guilt for simply being. Remember, If you repent hard enough to the monarch that rules your universe, you should be good.
 
Originally Posted By: tnshootistBoy Swampy you sure missed your guess.
It's a shame you got such bad information.



Swampy hit the nail on the head...

So we are born as a piece of filth because of a transgression committed by mythical characters 2000 years ago, because the transgression carries down through the generations-just cause that god said so.
Then we are "allowed" to live in a world where all of our waking and sleeping moments are subject to the fact that our very thoughts are unspeakably wicked.
Then we have the "free will" to buy into a mythical and murderous blood sacrifice of a perfect human so our demons will be cast into the goat and the goat will be cast out of the village forever.
And then we have to spend all of our lives happily living as a slave to that imagined god.
And if we don't use our "free will" to accept that "gift" we will be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone and punished for all eternity by a loving god.

I just can't buy into that deal.

Some of y'all get comfort and solace in the difficult periods of your lives by falling back on that faith. I'm sincerely sorry for your sufferings. I'm happy that you have your faith to carry you through the horrible things we all suffer at some point in life. I may be an atheist, but I do have a heart.
I have friends and family who are devout Christians. I love all of them dearly and I would give all of them anything I have to ease their suffering anytime I could.

Swampy has a heart, IA has a heart, and every other atheist or doubter on this site has a heart.
But the one thing we have in common is that we have brains that allow us to think independently.

Y'all pray for us, and we will do our very best to think for you.
 
What you are saying is wrong.
You know it's wrong.

Whatever has happened to make you the way you are it's a shame.
You don't have to live boiling with hatred.
Life is good.
I am a happy blessed man. I hope you can be also.
Done.
 
"Grand statement" Yes it is...

Go big or go home....Ahhh.. wait I am at home.. So.... I guess I'll just settle for grand at home..
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Originally Posted By: tnshootist
Done.

I'm glad you're done.
You took the low road when you played the moderator card on Tim.
That puts you and Sandy Hicks in the same category.
 
I have seen some dirty dealing in my time but some of the stuff pulled lately is a pretty poor recommendation for Predator Masters.
Moderators should be fair to everyone.A moderator posting that a party was held upon the banning of a long time member is very poor taste.
I would think it would also be a violation of the rules to make such or any statements concerning the banning of a member.
Fw you said before the member was banned that you were seeking to get him banned and during the exchange of posts this same moderator commented showing his backing of your position in open forum.

I ask
Is this the way things are done by Predator Masters now?

I did not always agree with everything the member had to say. I do not dispute Predator Masters right to ban.
Collusion of moderators and past moderators is what is low road.
what is a moderator card anyway?

Now I would like to say more but I'll stop here. I am sure this will be enough now days to effect another ban.

When I first came to this site most here were respectful friendly people.Many still are but there is now a subculture that is made up of people that are no fun to be around.
The site is a shell of it's former self.


Now I am done.
 
Since I hope your a man of your word, tnshootist. I will leave you with this.....

My statement about the banning of a member was info gathered long before I was a moderator. There had been plenty of thoughts tossed around between many of the members that I have often talk with via PMs.

Now the info I have as a Mod, well I can't talk about that .

As for the "There might have been a party or 2" statment, well...... might have being the key words here. I really don't know, but it was rather fun, just to see the reaction ...

What does it say under this forum ? "..... the truth shall piss you off ! "

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It seems to me that we lost a very good member!! And now the church has become a place to make fun of anyone who believes in god. How many posts have came up just recently? I went back and read the posts that got az banned and i dont see why he was.I think it was wrong and unfair!! I guess a few now control the church. Just what does one do to get banned here??
 
Originally Posted By: hunter243sgkIt seems to me that we lost a very good member!! And now the church has become a place to make fun of anyone who believes in god. How many posts have came up just recently? I went back and read the posts that got az banned and i dont see why he was.I think it was wrong and unfair!! I guess a few now control the church. Just what does one do to get banned here??

Calling out the moderators for what they are should do the trick. Especially when you have a LIBERAL foreigner running the show.
 
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I really can't see any reason to allow these hostilities to continue.

Anyone who wants to have a civil discussion about religion(s), feel free to do so. If you simply want to attack someone for their religious beliefs, or attack some faith that isn't your own, you need to find a different place to do it.
 
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