tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756568649265082125.post7020974460573202346..comments2023-07-29T05:20:16.755-05:00Comments on kammie's Song: Spiritualy Handicapped???Cammie's Songhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13416455146671466052noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756568649265082125.post-76114128052166247162011-10-24T06:15:27.150-05:002011-10-24T06:15:27.150-05:00First of all I would like to express that if the b...First of all I would like to express that if the belief there is a God guiding you through life does help you, I'm happy it makes you feel good.<br />But, because there is no evidence somthing does not exist, it does not imply it does exist.... And vice versa..<br />I do absolutely do not belief in a deity as per some scriptureswritten and compiled by people who did claim the Earthwas flat and the centre of the universe... Where it all was created some 6000 years ago and all of us have one common couple of ancesters Adam and Eve....<br />Where we all dave decended from incestuous relatinships and were adultry was common and normal and where some thought it was fully OK to have their far cousins as slaves and we still have religious people claiming this one root, but thinking it is OK to treat other human beings, again their far cousins, as lesser people because of who and what they are...<br />People who claim their belief in their deity is better than the belief of someone elses belif in their's....<br />Sorry, but the only reason why I can not escape the concept of a deity is because too many 'religious' people need to tell me how bad I am and how not goid I am because 'their God told them so'....<br />People who only pick and choose from the old testament to condamn people they don't like, fully ignoring other statements in that same old testament, claiming to love Jesus, fully ignoring that from their scriptures I can only conclude Jesus must have been one really pesky liberal, fully ignoring everything their scriptures say Jesus dis say in his sermon on the mount, that Jesus clearly did not think of any other people to be less, many to be extreme racist bigots while claiming their love for Jesus....<br /><br />My idea is that the whole concept of religion in it's organised structure is just a result of that some people did find that the doubt many peoply have about the why and the reason of life could be exploited for their benefit in power and wealth...<br /><br />Sorry foroffending anyone, but this is my belief!<br />And in my belief there is no deity as per other people's scriptures...<br />There is a lot we do not (yet) know, and some things we might never figure out how it works and came to be; get used to it!<br />Live your life and enjoy it, be curious, grow in wisdom and knowledge, treat others how you want to be treated yourself. Respect and accept others who are not, and do not like you, who are only minding their own business without harming anyone...<br />This World then would be a much better place.....pe1bivhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00132325752874648477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756568649265082125.post-9260179456303614062011-10-23T22:10:22.645-05:002011-10-23T22:10:22.645-05:00Can an agnostic be spiritual? If I were an Agnosti...Can an agnostic be spiritual? If I were an Agnostic or atheist I would not be reading a blog about sprituality or God, unless of coarse you can't escape the concept that there is more to life than just your non beliefs.<br /><br />Nice job Cammie's song, I get it...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756568649265082125.post-71291754198510171752011-10-14T19:30:28.036-05:002011-10-14T19:30:28.036-05:00I think you hit the nail on the head when you said...I think you hit the nail on the head when you said,"I have taught them to "Look with their eyes, but see with their heart"."<br /><br />To me this is the crux of Christianity. Christ died to set us free from the penalty of sin. Most importantly, he did it WILLINGLY.<br /><br />God has given us free will for a very important reason...it is the only way we can reach the reality of that phrase you used..."see with their hearts." <br /><br />As parents, we know that we cannot MAKE our children love us. When they are young, we can discipline them and make them behave, but we CANNOT make them love us. As they age, we are forced to accept the fact that their free will has finally overwhelmed our ability to discipline them...they are on their own, so to speak. As growing Christians, we also are forced to choose. Thankfully, we have God's Holy Spirit in us to guide our decisions and the will to implement them.<br /><br />This begs the question...can God MAKE us love him? I don't think so...nor would he want to. His main purpose for giving us free will is to teach us to live lives based on personal motivation. For example, God is not nearly as interested in whether you tithe as he is in your motivation for forking over your hard earned money. That's the difference between tithing and giving...tithing is a requirement while giving is something done from the heart. God is not concerned with the amount, he's concerned with the attitude and motivation.<br /><br />God wants us to learn to love him because we WANT to. Anything less is simply obedience to avoid some kind of punishment. What matters most to God is to see us learn to LOVE from motivation...that is the only true love...unconditional love.<br /><br />What I have said is why it's ok for Cammie to be Cammie. It's why it's ok for me to be Suzi. God knows our hearts. The more I learn about God's love, the more I WANT to show him how much I love him. As a former member of a very legalistic church, I have learned what real freedom is...thus the name of my blog. I believe you truly understand the unconditional love God offers, and you are showing it to Cammie. God will bless you for that. Keep up the good work :) SuziAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756568649265082125.post-68017591170062960492011-10-14T08:53:12.549-05:002011-10-14T08:53:12.549-05:00This blog has always been based on Christian conce...This blog has always been based on Christian concepts and principles. It always will be. My life has been greatly blessed by God, and I have a testimony that he lives and loves each of us, even those who deny His existence.<br /><br />This is a post based on my personal views and beliefs... my testimony of spiritual intimacy. What frustrates me most is the reality that many of those who face this challenge in life become very embittered by the judgement of a select few in a predominant Christian society that mistakenly claim to know the will of God, which is dangerous and spiritually toxic.<br /><br />I have taught Cammie to love Christ and turn to God through her extremities. I have experienced His blessings in my life, especially through this experience. What many fail to realize is that every individual who comes in contact with someone different is presented with an interpersonal trial. They are faced with the challenge to exercise, and practice, their beliefs... reserving judgement. Being transgender is Cammie's trial... how others choose to react to the circumstances in her life, is theirs.<br /><br />Without God, our family could never have survived, what has become my greatest blessing and a profound learning experience. He has guided each and every step along the way. Although we have experienced judgement and criticism, we have been loved, embraced, and supported by many, many more. We live in the heart of the "Bible Belt", and our experience has been positive. It has, not only strengthened my testimony of God, but it is a testament of the good in humanity. Those who have opened their hearts to understanding, have been blessed through enlightenment.<br /><br />I do not sit in a pew on Sundays... and I do not walk the streets preaching or pretending to know God's will in the lives of others. My relationship with God is the foundation of my life, and it is sacred. I teach my children to love God... and, most importantly, to KNOW Him. I have taught them to "Look with their eyes, but see with their heart".<br /><br />I believe that everyone is entitled to believe whatever they choose. There is a difference between disagreement and judgement. To answer your question... I have a testimony of these things... and I have always used this tiny corner of the internet to express them. A testimony is knowing something with absolute surety that something is true.<br /><br />When someone "Identifies" as an atheist or agnostic, it is a rejection of deity. Just because something is not tangible does not mean that it doesn't exist, or that it is not real. I have never seen the world from a distance, but I know that it is round. I have never been to China, but I know that it exists. I have never seen God, but I know that He lives and loves His children. Truth will inevitably be revealed when we turn to the heart for answers... not the world.<br /><br />I have been greatly blessed through profound challenges, and - although - I disagree with the agnostic / atheist beliefs (or lack thereof) does not mean that I cannot accept a human being for WHO they are and respect those differences. It is not realistic to believe that, because two people share a common experience in life, all other aspects of life will parallel.<br /><br />You certainly have the right to disagree... to believe what you choose. Likewise, I have the right to share my testimony, experience, and beliefs. This is the the place where I have chosen to do that.Cammie's Songhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13416455146671466052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756568649265082125.post-79939056502604042702011-10-13T23:47:55.300-05:002011-10-13T23:47:55.300-05:00I find myself a little confused by this passage:
...I find myself a little confused by this passage:<br /><br /><i>"Although complicated, even those who claim to be agnostic or atheist cannot escape the concept of Deity. Although plagued by insecurity and uncertainty, it's a classic illustration of a failure to embrace faith, hope, and optimism."</i><br /><br />I'm unclear on what "it" refers to - agnosticism and atheism? The concept of Deity? Something else? <br /><br />I'm also puzzled as to why you would qualify the first sentence with "claim to be" - is it because you don't believe that agnostics and atheists <b>are</b> who they claim to be? <br /><br />As an agnostic who fully embraces faith, hope and optimism, and is very secure in my agnosticism, I am troubled that you would see someone like myself as failing, and deny us the identity we claim for ourselves. I'm sure you didn't mean it that way but in the context of a blog where self-identification is such a big issue, this jumped out at me.<br /><br />I fully respect your belief in a Creator, as well as the similar beliefs of many of my close friends, for whom those beliefs have been lifesavers. My hope would be for my own lack of belief to be similarly respected.Sonora Sagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03656006414649269766noreply@blogger.com