rwoodvira wrote:
Who cares if they patched a celebration of the resurrection of Christ with a pagan holiday. As Christ lived again, life renews itself in the Spring.
I read your note with a bit of disdain, and a bit of pity. I’m a Christian, but I always try to respect others’ beliefs and view with disdain those who put their beliefs or non-beliefs ahead of others.
I’m analytical by nature; as a young student even though attending church I studied most of the great religions and I kept coming back to Christianity. I’ve seen things that I couldn’t explain, as well as evils. My final belief in the concept of a soul occurred the death of my Father. Dad was a vital guy, my Mother and I were out when a cousin called 911 and had him go to the hospital; he died on the way. My Mother made me take her to see Dad’s body; I saw a shell – the soul or spirit was gone. You can believe what I saw or not. The belief in salvation through my religion has sustained me through good and bad times.
I am a two-time survivor of a very deadly disease, esophageal cancer. My doctors at Penn call me the “Miracle Man.” Only a couple have admitted they have no idea how I have survived countless procedures and side effects, but I am still here. My answer is simple: Faith. I’m a peer counselor to other victims of the disease and when asked how to survive I answer:
“If you have no faith, find it. If you have faith, renew it. During World War II it was said there were no atheists in fox holes. Like the warriors of that time, you are going into combat; the difference is the combat is going on in your body.”
Perhaps you should consider Pascal’s Wager. I didn’t need it; I believe. Blaise Pascal — French philosopher, scientist, mathematician and probability theorist (1623-1662) —argued that if we do not know whether God exists; perhaps you should play it safe and believe rather than risk being sorry.
Who cares if they patched a celebration of the res... (
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So you live in fear of an imaginary being, who you admit may not exist.
The admission is a start, however, living in fear is just stupid.
Why not choose a benevolent invisible man to worship instead of one who wants you to burn in hell for eternity because you didn't worship him?