Dream Awake

It's no surprise to me that people are religious--our world seems more focused on making a dollar than the welfare of the species. I don't think that religion is necessarily the problem, I'm more inclined to think the fact that people actually believe the **** would be. If we lived in a world more focused on dissolving boundaries between people across the globe, that encouraged education and self-worth, and truly progressed our means of communication, would religion still be a problem?

What do you guys think of when seeing human progress over the years?

When the question is raised of how our reality came to exist, does it make sense to introduce God? As in, our reality composing of our subjective truths, being introduced to a being that lives outside that reality of existance and it's laws.

You're answering a mystery with an even bigger mystery, don't you see? If God exists outside our reality, isn't that just making us farther away from an actual solution?

Please no dictionary exerpts--that's someone else's opinion published in a book. What is your personal definition?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPYZ3AfCzYU

You can taste, chew, and enjoy!

If God created the physical universe with the intent of making humans, wouldn't that make humans the center of meaning? If we are the center of meaning, why are we not the center of the universe?

Why would God even create a universe to begin with? Most of which we didn't have the technology to map until recently. What is the reason God would created the entire extra-earthly astrological universe?

I'd have to say either Michael Hedges or Jason Mraz...

Here's one of Michael's amazing performances:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYF7_RR4Wt4

And to compare, Jason Mraz singing "Sleeping to Dream"...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-maeGLTBeE

Because it's a test, right?

Imagine this. I push two buckets in front of you, one full of rose petals, and one full of rusty nails and salt. Now I tell you that you have to stick your hand in one. If I loved you, would I even offer to rusty nails and salt? Of course not, I'd only offer the rose petals.

I can't imagine how horrible Heaven would be like if all you guys had to listen to was Hawk Nelson and Faith Plus 1...

...The music in Hell would be pretty sweet :D

...If you're so inclined to disclose such information :D

I used to run around as Atheos, but then I left for a while, and I had way too many names. I changed at least once a day, then decided to stick with this one :D

How many have you guys had?

...Before I even ask?

What number am I thinking of? :D

What changed his mind? If God never changes, as "There is no shadow of change with God" (Jm.1:17), and the many other scriptures imply, is it not a paradox for him to think of the idea to create the world?

Why create a habitat and beings solely with the purpose for them to worship you? If God is omnipotent, wouldn't he have been perfectly content alone?

...Now that the rules of Natural Selection don't necessarily apply to humans?

If all have equal rights, and the weak, slow, and stupid are now protected by rights and survive alongside the strong, how do you think we can continue to evolve anatomically or biologically?

I just thought it was an interesting thing to consider.

What's he trying to hide? Wouldn't literal prophecies be much more convincing to non-believers that symbolic ones, so vague they could be applied to nearly anything?

Ideally, I'm all for gay marriage, but to break it down I have to ask: Do you need to be married? Really? A bond of love isn't created by a ring on a certain finger, a public ceremony, or a piece of paper titled "Marriage Certificate". Marriage is just a concept of commitment, yet it has nothing to offer that cannot be obtained without it. I do think homosexuals should be allowed to marry, but in the same degree, I don't agree with their enthusiasm on the matter or Gay Pride. To me, gay pride is somewhat an arrogant, unnecessary display. If you're content with yourself, then great :D Keep it that way. But gays shouldn't criticize public religious pride without first considering their own public displays.

Now, I've often heard the argument homosexuality defies the "sanctity of marriage". Ironic as it is, seeing as a study in the UK proved divorce rates between gay marriage was less than 1/3 of heterosexual divorce rates, which is enough proof to me who takes the "til death do we part" commitment more seriously, and who's defying it more commonly.

Your thoughts? Please, educated answers only, no one-line "I'm against it because I am."s, ha :D

What about this?

Would God have the power to kill himself? If he was all-powerful, omnipotent, he would have no limit to his power.

Yet, if he was immortal, he would be indestructable. There would be no literal way to destroy him by ANY means, if there were, that would mean he was simply mortal, right?

Regardless of the motive, that's not in question here. The question is *if he could*. If he was omnipotent, he would have the power to kill himself, because his power is infinite and not limited in any way. Yet if he was immortal, he would not have the power to kill himself because he would be indestructable and conclusively could not come to die by any means.

So how could he be both?

To me, good and evil aren't real. They exist because the concept of good and evil exist, therefore we attribute them to what we see fit. You say God is Good, and Satan is Evil, yet there are many things I've read in the Bible that God has done, and I would consider extremely evil.

You can't define a person as good or evil, because good and evil aren't tangible measurements of their actions, just our perspective and personal opinion on what they've done.

9/11 in America was "Evil", yet in many other countries they called it a miracle.

Perception? Or are they real?

...And the possibility of his repentance?

“Jesus... said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Mark 2:17

Theoretically, doesn't the prophecy contradict many of the Biblical teachings that one can repent no matter what their past?

Tell me, how many other people do you think have died that same way you could have potentially had God not intervened?

Why could they have not fulfilled that same purpose you were saved to do?

If you claim God literally intervened divinely, tell me...

...How is it fair for all the people who *weren't saved* but died the same way you potentially would have? How many car crash victims, or cancer patients didn't make it and already good believers do you think have died? Why is it fair that he saved just you, and not them to?

If God saved you, why didn't he save the other? And with unconditional love, how can you claim he shouldn't be saving every life of every one of his children?

I'd like to explore and interact with my anima, animus, and shadow. The problem is that I feel like I'm a sleeping amnesiac, because I only vividly remember my dreams once every few months. Besides that, I never can seem to recall.

Is there anything I can do to help myself remember dreams?