# Thanks



## 1gr8bldr (Dec 31, 2013)

Hey guys, I appreciate the honesty. As many of you know, I am Christian, LOL, by my definition, not by everyone's. But what I enjoy in coming here is that you guys unlike any before, cause me to think. It's like putting your assumed religious ideas under a microscope. Strangely, I love it. It's like a refreshing clense. But the truth is that it is being deprogramed from  years of religion. It is hard to break free from your engrained, preconceived, assumed beliefs.  I can't speak for many here, but I respect your right to believe as you do and hope you respect mine. I actually like posting here better than the other {upper} because you guys are more likely to jump in and point out things that I have never pondered before. Keep it coming, I enjoy the discussion. Don't hold back


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## Artfuldodger (Jan 1, 2014)

I would agree as a few years ago I too left religion looking for Christ and the truth. I don't disparage  anyone for staying in their families denomination or what they feel comfortable with. This was my spiritual awakening and mine alone. I love to be challenged and say to you guys "bring it on." I've learned a lot from Atheists, Agnostics, and Christians from JW's, Mormons, Election believers, Catholics, Orthodox, and currently looking at the United Church of God.
Yes the truth will set you free. I'm happy to say I am more comfortable than I've ever been with my beliefs. 
I will continue on my journey until Jesus comes and I'll be gathered home. I can't imagine stopping my journey into gaining the truth at this point. Looking beyond the norm into the spiritual realm is where I would like to venture. Away from milk and on to the meat.
Happy New Year to all.


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## WaltL1 (Jan 1, 2014)

Happy New Years to you guys also!
I respect both of your willingness to think and question. 
Anything that is going to have such a huge impact on your life, how you view other people, what you teach your kids etc SHOULD be thought about and questioned.
For me, thinking and questioning led me away from religion, for others it strengthens their faith.
My opinion is that those who put you down for thinking and questioning must, in the back of their mind, be afraid of what you might learn even though it could be "good" or "bad".


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## TripleXBullies (Jan 1, 2014)

You left one religion and now you're with another. It's all still religion. Google says that religion is the belief and worship of a superhuman power, god or gods. Your particular practice may not have a specific label, but it's still religion.



Artfuldodger said:


> I would agree as a few years ago I too left religion looking for Christ and the truth. I don't disparage  anyone for staying in their families denomination or what they feel comfortable with. This was my spiritual awakening and mine alone. I love to be challenged and say to you guys "bring it on." I've learned a lot from Atheists, Agnostics, and Christians from JW's, Mormons, Election believers, Catholics, Orthodox, and currently looking at the United Church of God.
> Yes the truth will set you free. I'm happy to say I am more comfortable than I've ever been with my beliefs.
> I will continue on my journey until Jesus comes and I'll be gathered home. I can't imagine stopping my journey into gaining the truth at this point. Looking beyond the norm into the spiritual realm is where I would like to venture. Away from milk and on to the meat.
> Happy New Year to all.


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## TripleXBullies (Jan 1, 2014)

In any event, I'm glad that you two are here too!


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## StriperAddict (Jan 2, 2014)

Great post & thread, and agree... I get streched in faith here as well as the other corners of this forum!

I like how this got put down in a 2011 article

_Faith is about testing, questioning, and doubting -- a journey of exploration that never really gets there because ultimately I am finite. Faith is about being comfortable with my doubts because doubt is part of my search for truth._


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## 1gr8bldr (Jan 2, 2014)

I'll give an example of how it causes me to think. Couple days ago I was asking about Jesus's last words. Implying that a man can not give up his spirit, control his death. And an insightful friend said something like "why not if he could walk on water" or something like this. LOL, it got a good laugh from me when I realized how narrow minded I was. So then I began to think..... Do I really believe Jesus walked on the water..... then I ask myself, why did the disciples leave him. I could just imagine their resistance of not wanting to leave him.... Can't we just wait for you.... How will you catch up.... How did the people the next day question how it was that Jesus got across... did they walk around...... LOL, and how is it that they steal a boat.  A boat on one side of the lake is not like Uhaul where you can drop it off at any Uhaul location. Then I start to question if all four accounts contain the walking on the water, specifically Mark which I usually think carries more truth than Matthew and Luke since they copied from Mark..................................... and it goes on and on and on. All that thought from one simple comment. But don't worry, it's not a crisis of faith for me. Just an observation of the valididity of questions. LOL, is that even a word. So, I never question my faith, that is ingrained, even though I realize that to my athiest friends, this is the equivalent of believing in Santa, but I do realize the embellishments of the overzealous NT writers. But the point is that I enjoy being provoked into thinking outside the religious box. To view the foundations of my faith as the world does.


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## 1gr8bldr (Jan 2, 2014)

LOL, I'm still thinking..... How did they assume Jesus would cross? What was the deal with Peter sinking, LOL, he knew how to swim, this we know from him swimming to shore after seeing the resurrected Jesus. .......LOL, those dots are me still thinking


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## Artfuldodger (Jan 2, 2014)

Peter also walked on the water, for a little while.


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## ambush80 (Jan 3, 2014)

1gr8bldr said:


> I'll give an example of how it causes me to think. Couple days ago I was asking about Jesus's last words. Implying that a man can not give up his spirit, control his death. And an insightful friend said something like "why not if he could walk on water" or something like this. LOL, it got a good laugh from me when I realized how narrow minded I was. So then I began to think..... Do I really believe Jesus walked on the water..... then I ask myself, why did the disciples leave him. I could just imagine their resistance of not wanting to leave him.... Can't we just wait for you.... How will you catch up.... How did the people the next day question how it was that Jesus got across... did they walk around...... LOL, and how is it that they steal a boat.  A boat on one side of the lake is not like Uhaul where you can drop it off at any Uhaul location. Then I start to question if all four accounts contain the walking on the water, specifically Mark which I usually think carries more truth than Matthew and Luke since they copied from Mark..................................... and it goes on and on and on. All that thought from one simple comment. But don't worry, it's not a crisis of faith for me. Just an observation of the valididity of questions. LOL, is that even a word. So, I never question my faith, that is ingrained, even though I realize that to my athiest friends, this is the equivalent of believing in Santa, but I do realize the embellishments of the overzealous NT writers. But the point is that I enjoy being provoked into thinking outside the religious box. To view the foundations of my faith as the world does.





1gr8bldr said:


> LOL, I'm still thinking..... How did they assume Jesus would cross? What was the deal with Peter sinking, LOL, he knew how to swim, this we know from him swimming to shore after seeing the resurrected Jesus. .......LOL, those dots are me still thinking




I like your attitude.


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## 660griz (Jan 3, 2014)

Artfuldodger said:


> Peter also walked on the water, for a little while.



Yea. You have to remember where ALL the rocks are.


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## vowell462 (Jan 3, 2014)

660griz said:


> Yea. You have to remember where ALL the rocks are.


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## Artfuldodger (Jan 4, 2014)

660griz said:


> Yea. You have to remember where ALL the rocks are.



Isn't there an old hunting dog story about the dog knowing where the rocks were?
I found this one:
Walking On Water

An avid duck hunter was in the market for a new bird dog. His search ended when he found a dog that could actually walk on water to retrieve a duck. Shocked by his find, he was sure none of his friends would ever believe him. He decided to try to break the news to a friend of his, a pessimist by nature, and invited him to hunt with him and his new dog.

As they waited by the shore, a flock of ducks flew by. they fired, and a duck fell. The dog responded and jumped into the water. The dog, however, did not sink but instead walked across the water to retrieve the bird, never getting more than his paws wet.

The friend saw everything but did not say a single word.

On the drive home the hunter asked his friend, "Did you notice anything unusual about my new dog?"

"I sure did," responded his friend. "He can't swim."


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## Artfuldodger (Jan 4, 2014)

This is the joke I was thinking of:

 Walking on Water 

A priest, an evangelist, and a minister were in a row boat in the middle of a pond fishing. None of them had caught anything all morning.

      Then the evangelist stands up and says he needs to go to the bathroom so he climbs out of the boat and walks on the water to shore. He comes back ten minutes later the same way.

      Then the minister decides he needs to go to the bathroom, too, so he climbs out of the boat and walks on the water to shore. He, too, comes back the same way ten minutes later.

      The priest looks at both of them and decides that his faith is just as strong as his fishing buddies and that he can walk on water, too. He stands up and excuses himself. As he steps out, he makes a big splash down into the water.

      The evangelist looks at the minister and says,"I suppose we should have told him where the rocks were."


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