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May-11-2006 15:34

I'm a senior in high school and so close to graduating... but I still have a homework assignment to do that I need your help with. I have to make a survey of people and what they believe. Is there anyone willing to aswer about ten questions for me? actually, if a could get three people, that would be better. I appreciate any and all help. Thanks!

May-15-2006 12:09

I applaud this thread and your quest for answers. I hope you're also paying attention to the subtle lessons being taught here, regarding religious prejudices, individuals inherent beliefs that THEY are right and everyone else has to be wrong, etc. When given the opportunity to freely voice an opinion, many can't do it without venom and sarcasm. All of these traits seperate us from all other lifeforms here on earth, as we don't just do things out of instinct, but out of choice. It's highly possible that these are strong indicators of a supreme intellect behind this whole world-machine, because this would be quite a boring experiment if all species simply existed on survival instincts.

May-15-2006 12:22

1. Do you believe in God?
Yes
2. Why or why not?
My soul tells me it is true.
3. Who do you think God is/ what is He like?
God is undescribable.
4. Is Jesus the Son of God? If not, who is he?
Jesus is the Son of God
5. If not God, who/what do you put your faith in?
NA
6. Do you believe in an afterlife? What is it like?
Heaven is the afterlife for the pure, hell is for the wicked, and purgatory is for those in the middle.
7. How does one get to heaven?
Faith and good works
8. How did you come to believe all of this?
My own meandering wanderings through various religions have led me to my current faith. That's the thing about faith. If you don't have it you can't understand it. And if you do, no explanation is necessary
9. What do you think about the Bible?
I think more people should read the Bible, at least the important parts. It is an important text that I have read many sections of.
10. What do you think about the modern American church?
11. What would you change about church? I would make church attendance less mandatory. I only go twice a year because of my hectic schedule. I believe praying at home has its place and inner reflection is often more enlightening than physically attending a place of worship where there are distractions.

May-15-2006 13:10

1. Yes
2. I was raised in a church family and it all sounds pretty real to me.
3. God is the father, son and holy spirit, he created everything and everybody. He is forgiving .
4. Yes, but he is also God.
5. I believe in God.
6. Yes, eternal life in heaven when you are always happy, or you go to hell and live in pain and torture.
7. Through Jesus by believing he is the son of God and that he died for your sins.
8. My family goes to church so naturally I went too, and I like it.
9. Completely true, no fantasy, it is the word of God.
10. Now we are definently changing to fit to the 21st century style, but we still believe the same thing as we did a century ago.
11. I don't know, may be that people shouldn't change a church to fit for only their views and ideas, but to decide together as a church. Does that make any sense?

May-15-2006 16:36

1. Do you believe in God? Yes.

2. Why or why not? Because I can't see how this universe just came about by chance.

3. Who do you think God is/ what is He like? A father

4. Is Jesus the Son of God? If not, who is he? Yes

5. If not God, who/what do you put your faith in? N/A

6. Do you believe in an afterlife? What is it like? a) Yes b) I don't think anyone knows exactly.

7. How does one get to heaven? Follow God's commandments because they love Him. And trust in God, etc.

8. How did you come to believe all of this? That's how I was brought up, I guess.

9. What do you think about the Bible? I think it's God's word through his inspired writers, and that all of it's valid for us today.

10: What do you think of the modern American church? I think that most "modern" churches are too interested in entertaining people and not in the Bible and truth.

11: What would you change about church? Don't know.

May-15-2006 18:23

Ooops, typo on q. 7. That is supposed to say "follow God's commands because YOU love him." Sorry 'bout that.

May-15-2006 20:08

I am so grateful to all of you for taking the time share your beliefs and opinions with me; your responses and support has been overwhelming. When I started this thread I was just desperate to complete an assignment, (and certainly stressed out over the last weeks of school) but after carefully reading over these responses I have come to think of this thread as a really valuable learning experience. I am so impressed that we have all been able to make ourselves vulnerable to one another and that there haven't been any attacks or quarrels. Thank you all!! I can say that I've learned a lot over the past few days and this thread has renewed my faith in the human race as one absolutley capable of love and understanding. Thanks again everybody!

May-16-2006 00:11

1. A higher being as a possibility, yes
2. There are things we cannot explain supported with factual evidence
3. He is to each individual what the individual believes him to be. he is omnipresent
4. Maybe but what if God is Allah.
5. Humanity
6. yes its either really great or its just a bunch of dirt in your face
7. Faith, Humility and a little luck doesn't hurt
8. The life I have lived and seen lived by others
9. Never read the whole thing but how you interpret what is written makes a big difference in what it means
10. Not familiar with that term. Latter Day Saints, Mormon, Scientology
11. Not alot really because people should be aloud their religious beliefs

May-16-2006 01:53

(OMG Chron posted!!!!!)

May-24-2006 16:38

I'm bumping this up 'cause it was interesting reading.
Definately a great post and I wish there were more like it.

May-27-2006 00:02

I'll just list the questions here in the meantime:
1. Do you believe in God? No, I do not believe in God or any other "Higher Power."
2. Why or why not? If I cannot prove satisfactorily to myself that I exist outside of this current moment, then I have no place proving that a large, abstract, infinitely powerful entity exists. Not only that, but it would be vastly hubris of me to try and do so, if one should exist. As far as any experiences that would seem ghostly, ethereal, or in any way spiritual, I've had a few of those but they can all be described and dignified by science as we know it.
3. Who do you think God is/ what is He like? Nonexistant. I say this without trying to rile anyone, but I just can't put faith in something like God/Et.
4. Is Jesus the Son of God? If not, who is he? To me, Jesus was a man who may or may not as existed; who may or may not have been a conglomeration of many different people over the course of time, as the Bible was; who may or may not have been divinely inspired; and who may or may not have, in fact, preached love and joy. But I'd prefer it if he did exist as a good person who preached culturally beneficial things.
5. If not God, who/what do you put your faith in? I put my faith solely in myself. I accept all outcomes of my actions upon myself, good and bad alike. I understand that I affix my own moment, and that I am the sole driver of my own actions excluding how environments and genetic predisposition affect me, if those actually do exist, which I think they do based off of looking at interactiong between family that's never met before and habits.
6. Do you believe in an afterlife? What is it like? No, I do not believe in an afterlife. I think that the NOW is all I have, win or lose, good or bad, healthy or sick. I'm striving to do what I think is correct with that time.