For many people it is illogical to believe in a supreme being. In my opinion, many people have been driven away from God by religion. Since there is no proof, it is easy not to believe when you know that you are not like Jerry Falwell or Osama Bin Laden.
When I saw hate spouted from the pulpit of a Pentecostal church it left me running from God. Because of my belief in reincarnation, my soul would not let go. I believe that my soul remembers God.
He must understand this. He wants enlightenment and knowledge for us. If some attain that with non belief than He would not care. Isn't that a picture of a true and loving God?
Remember that most medical and scientific advances are made through the minds of non believers. Do you think that God would want a cure for Aids at the expense of one man's worship of Him? I think that He would. GTW - I apologize and with all humility ask your forgiveness. I thought logic existed in Texas. This post has surpassed your other enjoyable baitings. You deny God any power, but presume by the power vested in y ou r logging on to YA to make sweeping general statements: "For many people - Reuters poll I presume? - illogical to believe....Hello Houston, we have a disconnect here. What is illogical about belief?
Of course there is no proof of God! Sheesh. That would be rather illogical - Here is god...and here is PROOF of god, guess which is greater? It is an oxymoron - careful of that thought GTW.
Okay, let's see if I can follow this: 1 pulpit spouted hate - now our favorite anti-bigot crusader uses that 1 church to define all of her interpretations of churches. Woman - have you ever heard of forgive and forget. If you went running from God because of that man, then by logic, you must have seen God in that man - otherwise how did God get into your equation?
I love the # of attaining knowledge - and God not caring if people didn't know God when they get in the know. A true and loving God...and untrue God is an idol, btw, gtw...would want people to know/have a true and loving God. It's like the ultimate plus.
Most medical and scientific advances...Oh yes, that's the article you are documenting this in the 202425 New England School of Medicine? In a footnote to your article, would you explain what random sentence 2 has to do with random sentence 1 in your last paragraph?
And the answer is yes. If there is reincarnation such as you suggest, then the AIDS people have no worry, but the man who turns away is doing so for eternity.
'night G Cause God is vain For I am a jealous God! God never demanded, its your choice. Because the character is egotistical, and a narcissist. He needs constant re-affrimnation, he is in fact, "Uber-l33t"
Remember, this is the same God that has killed many children for calling a man bald... You were Pentecostal? They are kind of crazy... Wow...
I think the whole worship concept has its origins in superstition. "We worshipped yesterday and were victorious. We ate shrimp today and we lost a battle. Ergo, we should worship God, who, apparently, hates shrimp." Why would God demand that all people worship Him?
THE TRUE GOD does NOT demand it!
HE requests it.
The demon moon god named allah DEMANDS complete SUBMISSION.
Different GOD and god! "Remember that most medical and scientific advances are made through the minds of non believers."
That is flagrantly untrue and you know that....
The rest of what you said is solely your errant opinion and is not worth wasting a good answer on.... "many people have been driven away from God by religion". Yes, Christianity, more than any other religion will do that to you... Allah says in the Quran
Surah Al Mulk
Chapter 67 Verse 2
He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving;-
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The concept of worship in Islam is misunderstood by many people including some Muslims. Worship is commonly taken to mean performing ritualistic acts such as prayers, fasting, charity, etc. This limited understanding of worship is only one part of the meaning of worship in Islam. That is why the traditional definition of worship in Islam is a comprehensive definition that includes almost everything in any individual's activities. The definition goes something like this:
"Worship is an all inclusive term for all that God loves of external and internal sayings and actions of a person."
In other words, worship is everything one says or does for the pleasure of Allah. This, of course, includes rituals as well as beliefs, social activities, and personal contributions to the welfare of one's fellow human-beings. Islam looks at the individual as a whole. He is required to submit himself completely to Allah, as the Quran instructed the Prophet Muhammad to do:
"Say (O Muhammad) my prayer, my sacrifice, my life and my death belong to Allah; He has no partner and I am ordered to be among those who submit, i.e.; Muslims." (6:162, 163)
The natural result of this submission is that all one's activities should conform to the instructions of the one to whom the person is submitting. Islam, being a way of life, requires that its followers model their life according to its teachings in every aspect, religious or other wise. This might sound strange to some people who think of religion as a personal relation between the individual and God, having no impact on one's activities outside rituals. As a matter of fact Islam does not think much of mere rituals when they are performed mechanically and have no influence on one's inner life. The Quran addresses the believers and their neighbors from among the People of the Book who were arguing with them about the change of the direction of Qibla in the following verse:
"It is not righteousness that you turn your faces toward the East or the West, but righteous is he who believes in Allah and the Last Day and the Angels and the Book and the Prophets, and gives his beloved money to his relatives and the orphans and the needy and for the ransoming of captives and who observes prayer and pays the poor-due; and those who fulfill their promises when they have made one, and the patient in poverty and affliction and the steadfast in time of war; it is those who have proved truthful and it is those who are the God-fearing." (2:177)
The deeds in the above verse are the deeds of righteousness and they are only a part of worship. The Prophet told us about faith, which is the basis of worship, that it "is made up of sixty and some branches; the highest of which is the belief in the Oneness of Allah, i.e., there is no God but Allah and the lowest in the scale of worship is removing obstacles and dirt from people's way." Decent work is considered in Islam a type of worship. The Prophet said:
"Whoever finds himself at the nightfall tired of his work, God will forgive his sins."
Seeking knowledge is one of the highest types of worship. The Prophet told his companions that "seeking knowledge is a (religious) duty on every Muslim." In another saying he said:
"Seeking knowledge for one hour is better than praying for seventy years."
Social courtesy and cooperation are part of worship when done for the sake of Allah as the Prophet told us:
"Receiving your friend with a smile is a type of charity, helping a person to load his animal is a charity and putting some water in your neighbor's bucket is a charity."
It is worth noting that even performing one's duties is considered a sort of worship. The Prophet told us that whatever one spends for his family is a type of charity; he will be rewarded for it if he acquires it through legal means. Kindness to members of one's family is an act of worship as when one puts a piece of food in his spouse's mouth. Not only this but even the acts we enjoy doing very much, when they are performed according to the instructions of the Prophet, are considered as acts of worship. The Prophet told his companions that they will be rewarded even for having sexual intercourse with their wives. The companions were astonished and asked: "How are we going to be rewarded for doing something we enjoy very much?" The Prophet asked them: "Suppose you satisfy your desires illegally; don't you think that you will be punished for that?" They replied, "Yes." "So," he said, "by satisfying it legally with your wives you are rewarded for it." This means they are acts of worship. Thus Islam does not consider sex a dirty thing that one should avoid. It is dirty and sinful only when it is satisfied outside marital life.
It is clear, from the previous discussion that the concept of worship in Islam is a comprehensive concept that includes all the positive activities of the individual. This of course is in agreement with the all inclusive nature of Islam as a way of life. It regulates human life on all levels: individual, social, economic, political and spiritual. That is why Islam provides guidance to the smallest details of one's life on all these levels. Thus following these details is following Islamic instructions in that specific area. It is a very encouraging element when one realizes that all his activities are considered by God as acts of worship. This should lead the individual to seek Allah's pleasure in his actions and always try to do them in the best possible manner whether he is watched by his superiors or he is alone. There is always the permanent supervisor, who knows everything, namely, Allah.
Ritual Worship
Discussing the non-ritual worship in Islam first does not mean undervaluing the importance of the ritual ones. Actually ritual worship, if performed in true spirit, elevates man morally and spiritually and enables him to carry on his activities in all walks of life according to the Guidance of God. Among ritual worships, Salah (ritual prayer) occupies the key position for two reasons. Firstly, it is the distinctive mark of a believer. Secondly, it prevents an individual from all sorts of abominations and vices by providing him chances of direct communion with his Creator five times a day, wherein he renews his covenant with God and seeks His guidance again and again:
"You alone we worship and to You alone we turn for help. Guide us to the straight path." (1:5,6)
Actually Salah is the first practical manifestation of Faith and also the foremost of the basis conditions for the success of the believers:
"Successful indeed are the believers who are humble in their prayers." (23:12)
The same fact has been emphasized by the Prophet (PBUH) in a different way. He says:
"Those who offer their Salah with great care and punctuality, will find it a light, a proof of their Faith and cause of their salvation on the Day of Judgment."
After Salah, Zakah (poor-due) is an important pillar of Islam. In the Quran, Salah and Zakah mostly have been mentioned together many times. Like Salah, Zakah is a manifestation of faith that affirms that God is the sole owner of everything in the universe, and what men hold is a trust in their hand over which God made them trustees to discharge it as He has laid down:
"Believe in Allah and His messenger and spend of that over which He made you trustees." (57:7)
In this respect Zakah is an act of devotion which, like prayer, brings the believer nearer to his Lord. Apart from this, Zakah is a means of redistribution of wealth in a way that reduces differences between classes and groups. It makes a fair contribution to social stability. By purging the soul of the rich from selfishness and the soul of the poor from envy and resentment against society, it stops up the channels leading to class hatred and makes it possible for the springs of brotherhood and solidarity to gush forth. Such stability is not merely based on the personal feelings of the rich; it stands on a firmly established right which, if the rich denied it, would be exacted by force, if necessary.
Siyam (fasting during the day time of the month of Ramadan) is another pillar of Islam. The main function of fasting is to make the Muslim pure from "within" as other aspects of Shariah make him pure from "without." By such purity he responds to what is true and good and shuns what is false and evil. This is what we can perceive in the Quranic verse:
"O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may gain piety." (2:183)
In an authentic tradition, the Prophet reported Allah as saying:
"He suspends eating, drinking, and gratification of his sexual passion for My sake."
Thus his reward is going to be according to God's great bounty. Fasting, then, awakens the conscience of the individual and gives it scope for exercise in a joint experience for all society at the same time, thus adding further strength to each individual. Moreover, fasting offers a compulsory rest to the over-worked human machine for the duration of one full month. Similarly fasting reminds an individual of those who are deprived of life's necessities throughout the year or throughout life. It makes him realize the suffering of others, the less fortunate brothers in Islam, and thus promotes in him a sense of sympathy and kindness to them.
Lastly, we come to Al-Hajj (pilgrimage to the House of God in Makkah). This very important pillar of Islam manifests a unique unity, dispelling all kinds of differences. Muslims from all corners of the world wearing the same dress, respond to the call of Hajj in one voice and language; LABBAIK ALLAHUMMA LABBAIK (Here I am at your service O Lord!). In Hajj there is an exercise of strict self-discipline and control where not only sacred things are revered, but even the life of plants and birds is made inviolable so that everything lives in safety:
"And he that venerates the sacred things of God, it shall be better for him with his Lord." (22:30) "And he that venerates the waymarks of God, it surely is from devotion of the heart." (22:32)
Pilgrimage gives an opportunity to all Muslims from all groups, classes, organizations, and governments from all over the Muslim world to meet annually in a great congress. The time and venue of this congress has been set by their One God. Invitation to attend is open to every Muslim. No one has the power to bar anyone. Every Muslim who attends is guaranteed full safety and freedom as long as he himself does not violate its safety. Thus, worship in Islam, whether ritual or non-ritual, trains the individual in such a way that he loves his Creator most and thereby gains an unyielding will and spirit to wipe out all evil and oppression from the human society and make the word of God dominant in the world. HE didn't, the people who wrote the bible did. Who says God demands people to worship Him? It's your choice, He doesn't force you. Why are you lying for???
Remember that most medical and scientific advances are made through the minds of non believers.
Einstein, Gregor Mendel, Boyle... etc... they all had religions... and they believe there was something that created this world... But....if God truly exists, then true knowledge would lead you to that fact. Denying that God is there, when He truly is, would not be a very logical process.
I'm sure God wants us to learn more. He doesn't want us walking around like stupid zombies, I agree. But how could be okay with people pretending he doesn't exist? It's as if I had a child, and that child decided I wasn't her mother anymore, because I wasn't smart enough. Should I just be okay with that?
PS Did the Spurs win the game?
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. It is in all of us to worship God.It is kinna like love.You need it constantly to grow.And the non believers you are talking about have the same need ,but denying the existance of that entity does not mean it does not exist.As for people you have mentioned is that extremists are more inclined to make mistakes tahts what happens to extrimists.They allow themselves to run ahead of the religion. one of the controversies of belief some say a real god has no use for worship as only a lower being as a human could .I don't believe in the feeble concept of god for sundry reasons to vast to trouble with here, especially when there are web sites that handle this well enough . So lets not make a contest of what we both consider obvious but differ in view.If I were to hypothecticalize for a moment may say a supreme being of the kind asserted by most would not even remotely resemble the mind of the men that invent under his /her name . It's simply ludicrous to me to assume such a limited and feeble minded supreme being ;but alas I look into the void and only see the void . For many people it seems illogical, yes. You can be sincere, but be sincerely wrong. I can believe that I can truly fly, but if I jump off the top of a building, I'm wrong. The consequences of me being wrong can be small or disasterous.
To believe in a loving God, I think you are right on. God is a loving God. But how reality truly is and how we are to relate to God, naturally is totally up to God. God chooses, not us, on how we relate to Him. There is alot of hatred spewed from some pulpits yes but please remember that is a human being up there giving you his "take" on what the will of God is. Don't allow a human being to taint your relationship with God. God is still the same God He was before you heard the hateful sermon. It's your job to find truth. REAL truth, not what I say or you say or even a pastor says, but what does GOD say. Who does God say He is. Study of different faiths is a good thing, but I would give a warning. Human beings frequently gravitate towards things they wish to be true. If I want to believe in reincarnation, I will be drawn to faiths that support my wishes. It may feel wonderful to be around others that are likeminded...but if it is the wrong way to relate to God, and remember God is the truth speaker, not anyone here on earth, ...if it is the wrong way, the consequences could be small or could be disasterous. Ultimately, I believe it is best to desire TRUTH. Ultimate truth. Down to brass tacks truth. If you seek after truth, you can't go wrong. I am a christian. I will NOT encourage you to be a christian. No. I will encourage you to seek truth. Not just what you want it to be, but what it truly is. If you pray to God to reveal Himself to you and ask HIM how to relate to Him, I know He Himself will guide you the correct way. Afterwards, what others think won't matter. If you find that God says, if you don't believe, I will turn you into a purple jelly bean and you know it came from God, then irregardless of the fact that you would sound silly or maybe even hateful to others by believing this, you must believe. That is why christians can appear closed minded sometimes. Some, not all, have found God to be the God of the Bible by doing this very thing. By asking God in prayer how they are to relate to Him. I prayed that prayer. "Come hell or high water, I don't care anymore about what I want. PLEASE just tell me who you REALLY are". He answered that prayer for me in a very personal way and I will never be the same. it seems a fair question
though possably it seemed missleading,
god dosent demand anything from man
god is a god of grace
what man can give god who has anything is respect,
we are in HIS vineyard
tennents on his creation
our immortal god ,eternally is power of powers ,and if anything is worseshipped ,let it be god alone
but we have faulse gods before him
money ,law ,love ,life ,family are also to be respected ,but not before god ,certainly worshipping them above god is not fair.
god is the light that gives love to live
our logic god is all logic.
god remains unseen ,none can look upon this magnificence,
our soul remembers god because it is his light that beget life,
sustain all life to live ,where there is life is love[life]ie a sign of the unseen/unseeable being seen by his signs of truth ,love ,light ,life
if we can think or concieve it god is its root,
god did not cause aids it was the live polio virus grown on monkey livers and serum ,that was forced onto great masses of africans ,man rates his own works as god acts
there is a simple test
if its from god it obeyes/is consistant with the commands
ie it dont kill ,isnt greedy ,has no fear ,is loyal ,obeys the words inherant in our contract of human being.
god wants us to live and live well ,
the man who is most vile is yet a child of the father
deserving same payment [grace] as the l;east of gods created ,
hate the sin but seek to minimise its injury /pains/damage ,while all the time trying not to judge ,hate the deed not the man
perhaps only god can love every one but she knows the truth of it ,
to whom much is given much is expected ,the higher the challange the more need to the good
all good is of god.
only god is perfect
forgive self then forgive others ,in our own time ,each prayer has worth ,each good is seen ,sustained only in goodness Do you worship God? I do not think so. Then God does not demand that all people worship Him, but only to those who are called by His name. low self esteem all road led to rome |
