What does prayer mean to you? Is it OK if someone

[Reckless Roselia]

Sept 5, 2012 9:12:30 GMT -5 Loopdilou said:

You highlighted something and then went straight to ignoring it.. in Yin/Yang Good and Evil don't exist.

Plus, that whole "one god" thing is the absolute height of arrogance.

Does dark and light exist? If so take that into consideration.

I'm sorry if you take my confidence in believing in a one God as arrogance but if you study the Hindu scriptures then you'll understand that all the gods are stemmed out of one godhead.

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

ISA (and anyone else): Please stick to the subject and keep it civil without the insults to other posters for their opinions

SL ~ Mod

[Loopdilou]

Dark and Light do not exist, they are but our perception.

Yah, see.. understanding and believing are two entirely different things. Plus, you still have to account for all the other pantheonic traditions.

[Opti]

Sept 5, 2012 9:20:10 GMT -5 Loopdilou said:

Dark and Light do not exist, they are but our perception.

Yah, see.. understanding and believing are two entirely different things. Plus, you still have to account for all the other pantheonic traditions.

Heheh I'll interject and throw in my opinion.

Dark and Light do exist but they are how we choose to define part of the whole. I only had five hours of sleep last night so not sure if the rest of my thoughts will be coherent.

In my belief system, God is all there is and everywhere present.
Therefore good and evil are equally God; likewise light and dark.
I deny the existence of Satan as some being or force who tempts me but I realize the my belief system is different than some. As within so without leads to my belief that temptation is an inside job. No being or people, places, or things can sway you if you are solid in what you want.

Lastly, it depends what paradigm you are playing in. If you playing in the paradigm of duality than yes light/dark, yin/yang exist. If you are at the highest level looking at the allness of creation they don't really exist. They are just a way some people choose to explain parts of the allness. If you look at the yin/yang symbol the reason the dot exists in both parts is a visual reminder that yin is always part of yang and vice versa.

[Reckless Roselia]

In my belief system, God is all there is and everywhere present.
Therefore good and evil are equally God; likewise light and dark.

[roygrip]

Sept 5, 2012 9:48:22 GMT -5 Reckless Roselia said:

In my belief system, God is all there is and everywhere present.
Therefore good and evil are equally God; likewise light and dark.

;D ;D

[Deleted]

If prayer works why don't the millions of amputees receive their limbs back? I mean we are talking about god here right? All loving, all knowing, built the universe god? Too heavy a lift for the old guy? What about all of the other maladies? Does god hate amputees? Does he hate starving children? Did he hate all the people killed in concentration camps? Prayer does not work. How many prayed at Auschwitz? Prayer does not work. There is no god.

[Deleted]

Does God have a greater purpose than our physical being?

[Deleted]

Sept 5, 2012 11:48:41 GMT -5 @shooby said:

Does God have a greater purpose than our physical being?

God has whatever purpose you assign to him/her/it.
Belief is what makes your god real to you therefore it stands to reason that you really are your own creator. You and your decisions/choices in life are responsible for who you are and where you are in your life.
Thats the way I see it.

[Deleted]

Not really. I exist, yet i didn't create myself. So, there is something beyond me.

[Deleted]

Sept 5, 2012 12:19:42 GMT -5 @shooby said:

Not really. I exist, yet i didn't create myself. So, there is something beyond me.

So you take no responsibility for yourself?
Does your god make all your choices for you?
Your parents created you but that is not what I meant by created I mean that you are a creation of your own design, your free will makes you who you are, your choices and circumstances are in your control.

[Deleted]

Not at all. I take responsibility for myself of course. But, i certainly did not create myself.

[Deleted]

And, no, one's circumstances are not always in one's control. We can control ourselves to the extent we can control ourselves and that's it. Many things are simply out of our hands.

[Deleted]

Sept 5, 2012 12:27:23 GMT -5 @shooby said:

And, no, one's circumstances are not always in one's control. We can control ourselves to the extent we can control ourselves and that's it. Many things are simply out of our hands.

Many people are where they are in life as a direct result of decisions they have made, would you agree?

* I don't intend to be rude I'm just trying to figure this out.

[Deleted]

Does God have a greater purpose than our physical being?

So all those people that pray get nothing because god may have plans other than the physical? When do you stop making excuses for your imaginary friends.

[Deleted]

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith. Matthew 21:22

I suggest we all pray for something and wait. Of course there is no time limit for the great one. He needs time because his greatness is well,,, slow.

[Deleted]

If jesus and god are one in the same why does he pray, and who does he pray to? Is it spiritual masturbation?

Mark 1:35: Jesus is went to a solitary place to pray.

[Deleted]

Another thought, If you believe in god's plan why would you pray at all? Are you so presumptuous as to believe you can preempt god's plan? Who are you to do that?

If so prayer again does not work, because the plan is the plan.

If prayers were legs amputees would walk on them.

[Deleted]

Are those rhetorical questions or are you really expecting answers? I think you do ask some interesting questions, although you're coming off as a tad angry.

[mmhmm]

Willing Sniper, I'm going to say this once: Cut it out. Discuss the issue and not the individual posters. DO NOT call other posters presumtuous and do not refer to another's beliefs as "imaginary friends", or accuse them of making excuses. You're welcome to state your beliefs. You are not welcome to put down the beliefs of others. If you cannot comply, you don't need to be posting on these threads.

mmhmm, Administrator

[mrsdutt]

Thank you Rose. I think I'll look into Confucius. (He was mentioned in your post)He was a very wise man. I'd forgotten about him.

[mrsdutt]

INNER said.

Umm... Bob Dylan, I think - "The Times They Are A-Changing".

"The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changing"

LOL I think Bobby stole it from the New Testament. I'm really not very strong in remembering where things are, so please don't embarrass me and ask.

[Deleted]

Sept 5, 2012 14:33:49 GMT -5 mrsdutt said:

Thank you Rose. I think I'll look into Confucius. (He was mentioned in your post)He was a very wise man. I'd forgotten about him.

Confusius wasn't exactly a fan of women having more rights than say the family dog.

[Deleted]

Sept 5, 2012 12:30:46 GMT -5 @joey said:

Sept 5, 2012 12:27:23 GMT -5 @shooby said:

And, no, one's circumstances are not always in one's control. We can control ourselves to the extent we can control ourselves and that's it. Many things are simply out of our hands.

Many people are where they are in life as a direct result of decisions they have made, would you agree?

* I don't intend to be rude I'm just trying to figure this out.

There are circumstances within our control and circumstances outside of our control . We have SOME control over our own being. We do not have total control over our circumstances. Having Some control does not mean we have no control.

[mrsdutt]

Sept 5, 2012 14:40:23 GMT -5 @joey said:

Sept 5, 2012 14:33:49 GMT -5 mrsdutt said:

Thank you Rose. I think I'll look into Confucius. (He was mentioned in your post)He was a very wise man. I'd forgotten about him.

Confusius wasn't exactly a fan of women having more rights than say the family dog.

I guess that's something I'll find out for myself.

[Deleted]

Sept 5, 2012 14:21:06 GMT -5 @joey said:

Are those rhetorical questions or are you really expecting answers? I think you do ask some interesting questions, although you're coming off as a tad angry.

No I am not angry at all. And no they are not rhetorical. I am just posing questions and I welcome the debate they may spur.

I don't feel my having posed these questions has insulted anyone personally.

The thread asks what does prayer mean to you? I am merely voicing my personal position.

If I am not welcomed to share my thoughts on this topic, who is the next one not to be able to voice their opinion?


But if you feel I have please let me know. We are adults, I think we should be able to conduct a conversation.

[Deleted]

Sept 5, 2012 15:05:49 GMT -5 @willingsniper said:

Sept 5, 2012 14:21:06 GMT -5 @joey said:

Are those rhetorical questions or are you really expecting answers? I think you do ask some interesting questions, although you're coming off as a tad angry.

No I am not angry at all. And no they are not rhetorical. I am just posing questions and I welcome the debate they may spur.

I don't feel my having posed these questions has insulted anyone personally.

The thread asks what does prayer mean to you? I am merely voicing my personal position.

If I am not welcomed to share my thoughts on this topic, who is the next one not to be able to voice their opinion?


But if you feel I have please let me know. We are adults, I think we should be able to conduct a conversation.

Sometimes its not what you say but how you say it I suppose. I do think you asked some interesting questions.

[Deleted]

Sept 5, 2012 14:42:04 GMT -5 @shooby said:

Sept 5, 2012 12:30:46 GMT -5 @joey said:

Many people are where they are in life as a direct result of decisions they have made, would you agree?

* I don't intend to be rude I'm just trying to figure this out.

There are circumstances within our control and circumstances outside of our control . We have SOME control over our own being. We do not have total control over our circumstances. Having Some control does not mean we have no control.

I guess what I am wondering is how much of your life do you believe is already mapped out by your god or predestined and out of your control?

[Deleted]

Sept 5, 2012 14:38:17 GMT -5 mrsdutt said:

INNER said.

Umm... Bob Dylan, I think - "The Times They Are A-Changing".

"The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changing"

LOL I think Bobby stole it from the New Testament. I'm really not very strong in remembering where things are, so please don't embarrass me and ask.

;D

Prolly did. There are certain themes running through the cultural psyche which song-writers and film-makers etc. do well to take advantage of. Bob did that well I reckon. Maybe Jesus did that Himself.

As for the efficacy of prayer, there have been several instances in my life where it has seemed to work, though I'm too sceptical, overall, to tout it as a reliable method through which to resolve problems.

Rather than reaching out to an external entity, I'm more likely to look inside for an answer. That's where most of the answers are, and I think those who look up to an external entity for them are really just looking at a big mirror which reflects back to them what is already inside. So... both ways do the same thing, just a matter of preference.

[Deleted]

I have been devout for a very good part of my life. But you cannot simply not look at sensible questions.
Would you by a house from me without looking into it? If I told you you get the house after you die would you give me your money let alone your the rest of your decisions for the rest of your life? If I told you seeing is not necessary just believe me would you do it?
I have meditated and prayed for many years deluding myself that something was happening. Yet it never did.