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Amen and Amen! Sad that it was taken out of my formal educational experience. :(

I don't know anything about this. Please elaborate.

On the contrary, that was beautiful!

Playing the 'What if' game changes nothing. I don't own an umbrella for days that are not raining.

I'm glad you are looking to examples and evidence. Science disagrees with you about what you are aware of. The brain can take 30 years to mature. Not true! The constellations now are not what the ancients saw as we move through the galaxy and our galaxy moves toward an impact with Andromedia...

Now, you are talking theoretical belief, absent empirical evidence. Many in AA credit a higher power with their recovery. Maybe there is truth to it. Yes, it is still you but the question is why would any rational person choose a life that is shorter and less joyful?

I must have written in an unclear way. The question of WHY was not meant to be metaphysics but ethics. Most people's ethics are informed by their religious convictions, e.g., the Golden Rule.

Words have objective meaning and do not change based on being in one book or another. Dead means the end of life. It's quite simple. Some mean it literally while others use it metaphorically. It's amazing that you feel the need to start a whole thread on common words. "In the beginning God" If...

Is there a point to the OP, a question on the horizon?

This is a tough one that I struggled with for decades myself. It's about grace. When you realize the weight of the consequences of choices you and others make, your heart is crushed as you KNOW you (or they) failed to meet your own standards and have failed to live up to your own expectations...

You cannot believe this. That is, you cannot believe 'I'm aware of more things' is NOT a change over time. You cannot believe this. That is, you cannot believe that being more aware of more things over time does not increase what you are able to perceive now compared to when you had your...

Agreed. I agree and personally and passionately hate such prosylitizers (who rely on coercion). Yet, I suspect for some people, these denominations who so prosylitize do attract and save some who would otherwise not be saved.

Wow! Another idea that deserves its own thread! Science answers the question HOW? Religion answers the question WHY? Science's focus is the material, outer world. Religion's focus is the spiritual, inner world. What scientists choose to focuses on is subjective, not objective; it is a choice...

Yes, many times. I am a big Star Trek fan. There is an episode of TNG where Data is talking to Commander Riker about love in relationships and how painful it is when the reality does not meet the initial hope. He asked if that is the risk of having such relationships. Riker smiled and said...

Really? You mean to say that you are not more aware of the world around you now than your first memory?

Great point! The way I see the flowering of denomination is the beauty of God tailoring a different focus that appeals to different groups. No religion has such flowering of denominations to cater to the preferences as Christianity. Many denominations are more culturally driven than doctrinal...

In another thread, I provided 5 proofs of God. Proofs of god's existence I do hope you give this some consideration, starting with what you expect to be indicative of a Creator? (I don't want to hijack this thread. Perhaps you can join the conversation in that thread).

Very good point! We know ourselves. We have to have faith in God.

You are absolutley right! Why believe? I know you meant it as a rhetorical question but that question deserves it's own thread. If I were to write a book about religion, chapter 1 would be entitled, "Why Believe?" The basic answer is no one can effectively function without believing what they...

I guess my sarcasm can be a bit too subtle. Yet, my answer yielded this contradiction & confession. We need to meet people where they are. I'll write a separate post on this. Very true.