• underdogtoo said on Jun 05, 2006....

  How is it that you're an Atheist? Is the God your parents presented to you unacceptable or perhaps discredited in your mind? Do you perhaps dislike the notion of an anthropomorphic God? I am curious because I could never think of myself as being created by no one Greater than myself. Though my parents may have had a hand in my creation they themselves are the creation of someone else. Who created those?

• AnonymousVoice said on Jun 06, 2006....

  Let me answer your first question last. :) First, the God my parents presented to me was not unacceptable or discredited. And as for an anthropomorphic God, I shall say that if I were a believer I would be quite happy with that idea. It would make me feel more level with God in terms of understanding one another. About creation, one can never be quite sure how all the wonderful and terrible things we know of were created. It is one of life's mysteries, much like death is one of life's mysteries. In fact, they both go hand in hand... Now, on to your question about my atheist beliefs. First of all, I was taught to question everything. To not hold on to blind belief. I then realized that religion IS blind belief and decided to question it. I learned about the history of Christianity and began to study other religions. People all over the world, and in different time periods throughout history have held beliefs other than Christianity. Judaism, or Islam. There are even atheistic religions. I now hold the idea that since being part of a religion is not and has never been universal (and I learned hardly anything is) there is no real good reason to believe in God or a Goddess or any diety for that matter. It was not a choice based on negative experience as I feel you had assumed. My dear new friend, it was a choice based on the knowledge I am continuing to collect. I hope that answers your question clearly and if you have any other, I will answer them gladly. :)

• underdogtoo said on Jun 06, 2006....

  First of all let me qualify something. For me, religion is an organized institution and as such there are hierarchies and rules which are mundane in nature. That their main objective is the worship of a deity makes little or no difference to me when I think of other institutions like the Rotary or the government. Religion may have have resulted from the Spiritual experience of one person like Buddha or Bahaullah or Jesus Christ. These people never intended to create a religion but rather, to share the experience and to teach the process whereby the experience might be duplicated. I therefore prefer to call my discussions Spiritual rather than Religious in nature.

• AnonymousVoice said on Jun 06, 2006....

  Your definition of religion has been noted. In my terms of understanding, I think religion actually is a result of someone who has had a spiritual experience (in Western culture this is where prophets come in and the Buddha definately had what I'd call a spiritual experience, but he didn't). I also hope we have many more discussions (including spiritual ones lol) in the future. It's nice to know someone out there feels inclined to comment on my thoughts. Thank you so very much!

• hotaka said on Jun 06, 2006....

  I can't say that I don't believe in God although I think what the world has come up with so far is incomplete and unsatisfactory. Not like I know about all the religions of the world in detail but I have done a bit of reading. Jesus lived. I don't doubt that. Messiahs are made of real people. (There's an interesting book called Watership Down that relates a rabbit's experiences in an anthropomorphic fashion and in the end the rabbit becomes a legend among the rabbits of his warren. It is a kind of parable of the messiah myths.) It might be interesting if a group of people began forming a church based on the beliefs and messages of John Lennon. Over centuries, could it be possible that Dear John might be the new messiah? Would Yoko be removed from the scene by some future political power seizing opportunity to capitalize on the new growing religion? Could the ideas about the true origins of Christianity and the life of Christ that were mentioned in the da Vinci Code be repeated with the life of John Lennon? Cut out the parts that made him human and only write about his teachings. Then make him a god figure. Sorry to mention an obvious book but it raised some good points which I have read about before. As for John Lennon, I just went to the John Lennon museum in Saitama, Japan on Sunday. I don't proclaim to be as intelligent as you. Forgive my intellectually juevenille ramblings.

• AnonymousVoice said on Jun 07, 2006....

  Oh yes, I am quite familiar with Watership Down. It's a beloved childhood favorite of mine, actually. :) And yes, I think it would be interesting if people formed a church based on John Lennon's beliefs. I think it would be quite possible... I mean, look at what Ron L. Hubbard did. He started off as a science fiction writer, formed a theory, got other people to follow his theory and he formed the Church of Scientology. About The Da Vinci Code, I actually have not read the book, nor have I seen the movie. I think its subject matter is extremely fascinating but for some reason or another I don't feel motivated to read or see it. I see in your description that you are "in Japan now". Do you travel frequently? I would love to know more about Japan if you'd be so inclined to tell me about it. I've always wanted to go there (among other places). And, "I don't proclaim to be as intelligent as you. Forgive my intellectually juevenille ramblings." This brings color to my cheeks, kind sir (am I right assuming you are male?) for I feel that my intelligence is none so great. I don't think your ramblings are juevenille in anyway, either. And I only feel slightly awkward for am I quite sure your years are ahead of my own.

• hotaka said on Jun 07, 2006....

  My, my. I feel I have somehow been elevated into a higher society simply by reading your polite and respectful words. How nice it would be if the population in general still knew how to speak as well as you write. Well guessed. I am male and older than you, though I don't know your age. From your original comments on Stupid Genius I felt your thoughts seemed feminine and intelligent. I can't say exactly why I felt so. Perhaps it's because I have shared a lot of deep email message exchanges with intelligent women and your writing sounded a bit like theirs. I am going to venture a guess at your age and put you in the early to mid-twenties range. Am I close? As for Japan, well, I will be writing about it more. I live here and I lived here before. I was just away for a 15 month haitus and now I am back for a while. You know Watership Down. That's amazing!

• AnonymousVoice said on Jun 07, 2006....

  Thank you for the compliment on my being polite. :) It's just my way. lol I know this may seem a bit silly but would you mind if I emailed you my age instead? An odd request perhaps, but if it's alright, I prefer it that way. I can't wait to read more about your adventures in Japan! I enjoy your writing very much. I find it amusing that you say it's amazing that I know Watership Down. :) In what way is it amazing? My parents used to read the book to me as a child and we also have the movie.

• lidstrom82 said on Jun 08, 2006....

  Hey AnonV, I just read this post and decided to drop some thoughts on by. Parents, when raising their kids in many religions, often drill the basics of the religion in the kids' brains so much that they're actually hostile to it. It actually becomes a point of bitterness between parent and child. The Catholic church has seemed to do much the same thing to its followers: drill tradition into their heads so that the religion is just a set of rules, and if you don't follow the rules, you're condemned. How awful! But here's the real danger: many people see an authoritarian parent, or an authoritarian church, and grow up to see an authoritarian God. Catholicism (and Christianity) are really about a person knowing God and following His Son, Jesus Christ. It's all in the Bible - everything we hear and experience on top of that is a sinful world of people who kill, lie, cheat, steal, and fornicate whether they're religious or not. Bottom line is this: don't take too much stock into what your mom says about "someday it's gonna getcha!" Maybe she's right, but the more important thing is that you have a choice to accept or reject the God who created you. It's totally your decision, and millions of people in history have gone both ways. Just know that God loves you greatly, and is at heart a loving parent that wants the best for you. He is not the traditions or rules that many churches and religions settle for - He's a great deal more. The Bible points you in the right direction, esp. the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - 4 accounts of Jesus Christ. That's the core of what your mom prolly wants you to understand; if it's not, she's gotta just let you find out for yourself.

• hotaka said on Jun 11, 2006....

  Hey, AnonV (sounds like a star system when you say it that way). You don't have to tell me your age. Most important is for me to get to know more about your observations and thoughts. Also, they give me a chance to get to know other thoughts by reading the comments of the diverse and wise people you attract. I am glad you like my writing. The pressure's on to keep it up!

• se4v said on Jun 11, 2006....

  Whatever u said was good and i want to talk to u about something...my mail address is se4v@yahoo.co.uk mail me some time.

• hotaka said on Jun 13, 2006....

  Aha! You're from the UK! That explains why you know Watership Down. The only other person I ever met who knew that book was from Australia! Wasn't one of the main characters called Rabscuttle? I am assuming that's the name of a weed but I thought it might make for a good band name.

• hotaka said on Jun 14, 2006....

  Oops! :0 Now I feel stupid. I somehow thought AnonV wanted to talk to me. I should have confirmed the Soulcast name.

• CITIVIEW said on Jun 30, 2006....

  You probably haven't come into terms yet with Jesus. I suggest that you get a dvd copy of JESUS OF NAZARETH and take Disc 2 to start watching it for the next 2 hours. If that doesn't work wonders, I don't know what else will. i suppose that not believeing in Jesus will probably not interest you in any way to pick up and read the Bible. For whatever it's worth, when the time comes for Jesus to touch you, then you will really know the true concept of a personal heaven. Jesus is the Truth, the Way and the Life. Jesus died willingly on the Cross so that the sins of mankind may be forgiven and that all of mankind for all our shortcomings is finally reconciled with the Almighty God the Father..

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