Your opinion on God....

Good evening, everyone

Everyone has questions about God

give your opinion the good the bad your opinions I think
What could be a good conversation topic, given all the beliefs in the world? Do you believe in them? Do you have any preconceptions? Is it a taboo? Should one follow a religion based on biblical writings, etc.?

Marylena

hello

Given tonight’s debate on the chat, take up your pens and get to it

Vatican, religions, churches, politics through religion, religious wars, does God exist? Where does He come from??

your opinion

Very nice debate
and promising discussions ahead

Marylena

Good evening

So my question is:

Why three religions?

based on the same city, which is Jerusalem

Judaism four thousand years ago

Then Christianity begins when Jesus enters the temple of Judaism.

then Islam in 638

Why three religions

Rachida

Hi Rachida

One god, three religions, one holy city

Because the three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, share the same prophets, and the one common to all three is Moses.

So Moses said to the Jews whom he had liberated from Egypt:
Come, I will lead you to the Promised Land, follow me in pairs and hold hands

And so they crossed the Sinai Desert and arrived in Palestine, which at that time was a verdant and welcoming land.
And Jerusalem became THE holy city, and it remained so, as this version of the story is common to the three religions.

Moreover, before praying toward Mecca (which was a polytheistic city at the time), Muhammad (pbuh) used to pray facing Jerusalem.
It was only because he had a dispute with Jewish tribes that he turned away from Jerusalem, conquered Mecca, and made it the new focal point for prayer.

But Jerusalem remains a holy city for Islam, and praying in the mosque in Jerusalem is almost considered a pilgrimage.

So one God, three religions worship Him: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. For all three, God is truly one, but each speaks of Him in its own unique way.

For the Jews, God is the Most High, the Almighty. He made a covenant with a people He chose. He dwells near them, acts in their favor, and accompanies them on their journey to the Promised Land.

The God worshipped by Muslims is also unique and considered absolutely transcendent, eternal, and incomparable. A Muslim prayer gives God 99 names…to which a 100th is added. It cannot be pronounced, for God is the unutterable, the unfathomable.

Christians also believe in one God. They nevertheless affirm that three persons exist in him: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three persons do not form three gods, but one. This affirmation is not a matter of reason. The teaching of Jesus is its source.

This topic is very interesting, but it is true that all the prophets passed through Jerusalem, and history is long...
For me, my opinion is that there is only one God, and that the three religions do not teach in the same way. A verse in the three religions states that God is one and God is love…

After that, it’s true, why do men wage war for a god who is the same? So many questions and diverse topics on this matter.

Here is what I can tell you and what I know,
Opinions differ, and I hope that other members will respond to you.

affectionately

Marylena

Hello Marynela

Well, thanks for this text on religious knowledge.

I would put my opinion there
And I hope not to shock Fée again with my ideas, like I did last night.
Looks like I've raised a thorny issue!
But who doesn’t doubt the existence of God? And who has never asked themselves the question, “Does God exist?”

Rachida

Hello,

Of course, there are conversation topics… that are thorny, such as salaries, politics…

The same applies to religions, as people have been raised differently: as non-believers, as non-practicing individuals, as believers, as fervent practitioners… those who pray in the evening before going to bed, those who pray before meals, those who pray alone, whatever they wish… and in the privacy of their own space.

On the other hand, I wonder this: why did Marx say that religion is the opium of the people? In your opinion, is there any truth to it, or not at all?

ClaudiaC

Hello claudiac,

Very interesting what Karl Marx was saying, because it’s true that we could say that it is man who creates religion, and not religion that creates man.
x

Hello Marylena
Yes, I think that’s what he meant: that man creates religion…
And why?
Does man need to believe…?
And why “opium,” because it’s like a drug… once you start, you can’t quit…?
A bit strong, don't you think? Even if some practitioners go to church every Sunday.
I saw this in Pompeii: they enter the church, line up to kiss the paintings, and then leave…? Like a procession, and with a certain automatism as well?
ClaudiaC

Hi claudiac

a bug hihi

So I continue with my opinion: man has not found himself; one must consider the individual and his relationships with the outside world. One could say that religion is like a drug for the human being, not to mention the idea of an artificial paradise to be taken in every sense. And we can say that some individuals who feel lost in this world find refuge in religion (and if it is not a cult…), and this can be an escape from reality.

In my opinion, everyone is the master of their own beliefs; it is true that some people go astray, given the sadness we see in this world.
I believe in God; I pray every day for peace. It does me good, and I feel in sync with God.
Karl’s theory is very complex; I’ve never really asked myself the question, but in any case, I know that religion nowadays has become a commodity that is sold under all circumstances.

There is still a lot to say.

Marylena

Yes, Marlyena
And what do you think about people who make pilgrimages to Lourdes or Mecca? In Mecca, the Muslim religion (if I’m not mistaken) requires it… but Lourdes… and the Black Virgins…
What do you think of Jehovah's Witnesses who come knocking on the door even on a Sunday morning…?

And the Vatican, what does it represent to you?

a+
ClaudiaC

I forgot this, Maryléna… the Protestants, they… pray directly to God without intermediaries…

And there were three reformers: Calvin (Geneva/CH), Zwingli (Lucerne/CH), and Luther (Germany).

I’d say more pragmatic religions… as they say…

ClaudiaC

Hi hi, hi Claudia

So many questions at once,
Everyone believes in their own way. Lourde, this place of gathering, has apparently proven its worth through certain healings, but why doesn't everyone get healed? That is a question only God can answer, because I think the more faith one has, the more one is led to see or feel things differently. But again, these are things that will probably never be elucidated. I believe in miracles, and if such a thing happens, well, I am happy for those who will have the joy of witnessing one.

Jehovah's Witnesses are normal people to me; I have already had the opportunity to talk with them, and I have friends who are Jehovah's Witnesses who are perfectly normal. They preach the good news and rely one hundred percent on biblical verses.
But I wouldn't say anything bad about them; they have their personal faith, and it's true that sometimes they're a bit outdated for their era, but as long as they don't do any harm,
On the other hand, as for the Vatican, I’d say the less I hear about it, the better I feel, because I have absolutely no trust in them, no more than in the Pope, who presumes to be at the head of the Catholic religion (one could argue that this is the definition of a sect when a man is at the head of a group). I have never trusted them; I respect them, that’s all. One can hardly oppose them in any way, as they always presume to be right and have done everything, even though they killed and massacred people during the wars, and they sometimes forget to mention that? And they also enriched themselves by killing.

I have my personal faith, and I have learned much more about God through my personal experience; the Pope or the churches have never brought me anything.

But this also brings a lot of debate.

Marylena

Hi everyone,
In the end, the son has been growing since last night…
As you said, Marylena, regarding religions, we all have the same God with three different religions, and within these religions there are still several types of beliefs, namely extremists, practitioners, and non-practitioners, and so on.
I think that every person on Earth, even without any religious conviction whatsoever, at some point in their life turns to God.
It’s true that today we can ask ourselves the question, but given certain elements—war, famine, disease—does it really exist?
irc

Hello claudiac

Claudiac, I’m chiming in regarding what you said about Karl Marx when he stated, “Religion is the opium of the people.”

Opium, what is opium?
Opium relaxes and therefore produces the effect of Ecstasy, the illusion of being happy.
a quest for ecstasy

Religion is the means by which one pursues this free ecstasy toward that ecstasy; by believing, man nurtures illusions, and these illusions are precisely the opium that enables this pursuit.

Yes, because opium was a way to alleviate poverty and oppression, and it allowed people to endure their condition; the same goes for religion (believers).

I would say that nowadays it would be quite nice if religion were indeed just the opium of the people.
I think religion is the sigh of the tormented man.

I read a passage by Freud who considered and viewed religion as a universal neurosis, with its rituals reminding him of obsessive disorders.

when you see people who want to do good around them
They affirm it well because I believe in God. I do this or that because God wills it!
And if religion did not exist, it is because it would not do that good around them.
Aren't we capable of doing good around us without thinking or being dictated by the holy scriptures?

Karl Marx said that religion is the opium of the people; by saying this, he wanted to denigrate religion with his ideal of a society without class struggle.

Rachida

Hello again, Marylena,
I see that after these few exchanges, we share the same view on this subject.
When you say “not everyone gets cured,” it’s because you have to believe and have a slim hope of healing. It’s the same with homeopathy… those who don’t believe in it… it won’t help them.
As for the Vatican, I share your view. It seems that this place would like to project a certain image from the outside, but apparently, from the inside, it’s a different image altogether.

Best regards
ClaudiaC

Hello Rachida,
I also agree with what you are writing.
A few fragments catch my attention: the tormented man... I believe that some people, as their problems grow, turn to religion and therefore to God.
Yes, I also know that those who want to help do so in the name of God or because God asks them to.
I will help others because I want to… and it’s just me, simply. No more, no less.
Best regards
ClaudiaC

Good evening,

I found this text by Louis Pasteur to be worth meditating on, precisely.

Happy reading

Does God exist?

A university professor challenged his students with this question: “Did God create everything that exists?”

A student bravely replied: “Yes, he did it!”

The professor then retorted: “If God created everything, He also created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle of our work that defines who we are, God is evil.”

The student remained silent in the face of such an answer…

The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had once again proven that faith in God was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, “May I ask you a question, Professor?”

"Of course," the professor replied.

The student retorted: “Professor, does cold exist?”

“What kind of question is that? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?” the professor asked.

The young man replied: “Actually, sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider to be cold is in fact the absence of heat. Every individual or object possesses or transmits energy. Heat is produced by a body or a substance that transmits energy. Absolute Zero (-273°C) is the complete absence of heat; at this temperature, all matter becomes inert and unable to react. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe what we feel when we have no heat.”

He continued: “Professor, does darkness exist?”

The professor replied: “Of course it exists!”

The student being questioned: “You are wrong again, sir. Darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in fact the absence of light. We can study light, but not darkness. In fact, we can use Newton’s prism to break up white light into its various colors and study the different wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A single ray of light can burst into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know the space that darkness occupies? You measure the amount of light present. Is that not true? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light.”

In the end, the young man asked the professor: “Sir, does evil exist?”

Now uncertain, the professor replied: "Of course, as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the everyday examples of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crimes and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing other than evil!"

The student replied: “Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it does not exist of its own accord. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not like faith, or love, which exists just as light and heat do. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have the love of God in his heart. It is like the cold that comes when there is no heat, or the darkness that comes when there is no light.”

The professor sat down.

The young man's name? … Albert Einstein.

A little science takes one away from God, but a great deal brings one back to Him.

Louis Pasteur.

Good evening

Marylena

Good evening,

A beautiful true story of God's presence

A cold March wind was blowing in Dallas as the doctor entered a small hospital room where Diana Blessing was, still dazed from her delivery.
Her husband, David, was holding her hand for the last news.

This afternoon on March 10, 1991, complications forced Diana, who was only 24 weeks pregnant, to have an emergency cesarean section to deliver their first daughter: Dana Lu Blessing.

At 31 cm in length and weighing only 500 grams, they guessed which one was premature.
But the doctor's words fell like bombs.
I don't think we're going to be able to save her.
There is only a 10% chance she will survive the night, and even if by some miracle she did, her future would be very difficult.

Stunned but believing, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems if Dana survived.
She will never walk, never speak, may be blind, and could even have cerebral, mental, etc. complications
No, No, said Diana.

She and David, as well as five-year-old Justin, dreamed of having a daughter and forming a family of four.
The hours passed, and so did their dream.
After a few days, a new problem arose for Diana and David: Dana’s underdeveloped nervous system was becoming very complicated; they could not caress her, kiss her, or touch her to show her their affection and love.

Dana was lying under the ultraviolet lights with her tubes and wires. They prayed to God to watch over their little girl.
Dana was getting a little stronger every moment.
The weeks passed, and she grew in weight and strength.

At two months old, Dana's parents were able to hold her in their arms for the first time.
And two months later, the doctors began to believe in her survival. Dana left the hospital for home, just as the mother had predicted.
Five years later, Dana was living like a normal little girl, full of energy, with gray eyes.

She had no signs of mental illness, physical condition, deafness, or blindness. She seemed like a normal little girl. But that's not the end of the story.

One afternoon in the summer of 1996, near their house in Irving, Texas, Dana was sitting on her mother’s lap watching her brother Dustin’s baseball game.

As always, Dana was talking continuously to her mother and the seated adults when she sensed a silence. Wrapping her arms around her mother, she said: Do you feel that?

Sensing the air and recognizing a storm approaching, Diana told him: Yes, I can feel the rain.
Dana closed her eyes and asked again: Can you feel it?
Once again, his mother says to him: Yes, I think it's going to rain.

Dana shook her head, patting her mother's shoulders with her little hands, and said, "No, it smells like Him."
It feels like God when you rest your head on his chest

Diana was crying and Dana jumped up to go play with the other children.
Before the rain began, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and the other members of the Blessing family had hoped for in their hearts.

During the long days and nights of the first months of her life, when they could not touch her, God held Dana close to Him, and that scent she recognized was the fragrance of God.

Isn't it wonderful that this innocent child recognized the scent of God?
How can one doubt the existence of God after such a miracle? What do you think?

Marylena

For my part, I believe in nothing except a second life after death. Religion is a sort of politics, and as I often say, I only believe in what I see, and since I have never seen it, I do not believe in it.

God is energy and expresses itself through seven major currents of force or religions… each religion accomplishes the preparatory work for the encounter with God… you are still children in kindergarten, just as a kindergarten child cannot draw a curve or function, and it is useless to address subjects beyond your level… God is not intellectual… fraternal thoughts