The quiet before the storm. Just so you can't say that you werent warned.

It has become clear to me that one of the strategies of network news is to keep segments short with no depth. It is the same with network movies, shows and all programming. Purposely this is so with an ever shorter and shorter attention span of the masses as the goal. This allows the truth to be totally white washed with the masses lacking any critical analysis.

Now we have these same masses coming to this site and complaining they have to read a long diastribe. Since when was ATS another network news show for the masses?????????????????

YOU DONT HAVE TO READ IT~ YOU DON"T HAVE TO BE HERE. YOU CAN CHOOSE FROM SEVERAL THREADS. STOP YOUR GOD BITCHI*NG. HE IS COMING BACK and he does have a beef with the jerks that make up this planet including you. It bothers you doesn't it? Call this God an alien. Call this God unfair. Call him whatever you want but we are not alone- you will have to account for your time on the planet and it bothers you doesn't it?

Your post was so long that I lost interest. Next time, try getting to the point faster.
2nd line

Hey, Kiddo. You sure made a monumental effort there. You are bound to be a writer someday.

I had to stop when you said you did not want to play Q and A.

I was actually making my way through it out of respect for your effort and earnestness, but if we cannot play Q and A then I am out.

Listen, just as an exercise for yourself, you may want to experiment with taking all the 1st person out of your manifesto. It will give it a more scholarly feel and will force you to condense your ideas. Otherwise nice effort as far as what I read. Star for sure.

Originally posted by eloquentmassacre
theres no such thing as a personified 'god' figure, 'heavenly father', what have you. with all the connotation pinned to the word 'god' i don't know how anybody understands this post. let me interject.

there is consciousness.

thats it.

there is no separation, between us as people, between us and some higher power. all there is is a single consciousness that we all share. i prefer to not call it god because of the implications, because what does one think of when the word god is brought up?

some old dude watching everything we do? thats ridiculous.

all that exists is consciousness and the products of it. this world is a mere reflection.

bad things don't happen in the world because of free will, because we don't hand over our lives to the 'will of god'

bad things happen because the world's population is overrun with negative thinking.

I don't agree with this, but at least it is better, than some idiot coming on here complaining that they have to read something that they don't. As for being watched, it is a lot more indepth than a single God figure. It is happening. Everything is watched and recorded even before Google.

I predict vague prophecies will continue on ATS into the foreseen future. And even beyond that. Because everyone likes to pretend like they have special knowledge.

Originally posted by incrediblelousminds
I predict vague prophecies will continue on ATS into the foreseen future. And even beyond that. Because everyone likes to pretend like they have special knowledge.

This might be true, but I don't think the original poster was posting any kind of prophecy. It was more like a world view than a prophecy. I think a prophecy would be something like someone speaking of a future event as if he were God speaking of the event. I am not sure your terminology would be correct but then again, in a day and age of general atheism I suppose even terminology (whether you agree with it or not) has lost it's meaning.

reply to post by john124


You took the words right out of my mouth.

This is, by far, the strangest belief in god thread i've ever come across.

Why is it that the majority of these types of threads result in incoherent conversation?

The dumbing down of society is a great success story of the age of sound bites. What I mean by successful is that it has happened successfully (even though I don't agree with it). People write less, speak with less critical analysis, want everything in summary form and have lower and lower aptitude for innovation. They settle for political monarchy because it requires less individual thought and as long as the monarch can provide food stamps then that is fine. Never before has so much information been at the disposal of so many people and never before has so many people devolved into simple machines rather than deal with the explosion of facts about our past and probably our future choosing complaint over innovation and reason.

Originally posted by MaelMan82
This is, by far, the strangest belief in god thread i've ever come across.

Why is it that the majority of these types of threads result in incoherent conversation?

Because the information is too hard to process by txt mssging and requires critical analysis. Something that was lost with the television and you might not get it back.

Why do dumb threads like this stretch for 18 pages but all the real cool threads die down after 4-5 pages?

Says a lot about ATS'ers actually.

(Yes including me. Gah!!!)

reply to post by TheReturnisNear


We are in the age of dichotomy. Never before has hunger and obesity both been a plague in the world at the same time. Never before has so much information about the past, present and future been available to the average person but at the same time, simpletons have turned off any ability to process the information. Instead, turning to crude behavior and talk show hosts to explain things to them, and when that fails they complain. The age of dichotomy is marked by complaining about having to process information. But without critical analysis and time away from the TV, the information is not processed and therefore contributions that are made to the discussion are either simpleton or outright complaint.

reply to post by Brianegan


I made it to "gift from god"
I'm out ,peace!

Brianegan....It is good that you have found your path that is comforting to you. But each of us has our own path to find. Some may join you on your journey and others will still search for their own light. This one is yours and it seems maybe you are where you are suppose to be now.
Your choice is not for all. I see you defend yourself as if you needed to. Not necessary, if you are happy with your revelation, then what others think of it should not matter to you. What I am getting from you is...you are thrilled at what has come to you and can't really understand why others are not getting it.
You talk about free will, but free will only have a certain level that it available to all of us, a lot depends on where you live. You have individual free will ..yes, but again that could be limited and influenced by where you live.
You have your ten commandments and the laws of the land that you abide by. Your culture also influences your decisions on a level that is unsuspecting. What you wear, eat, activities you take your kids to be a part of, the family that depends on you ..and duties that is expected of you. Much of it is culturally ingrained. It is what we do without thinking about it.
There is always an under lying cause that spurs any of us to make a decision.
Maybe all our chaotic free will down the line just could have a directive or order that is just not understood yet and possibly a later purpose for our misery.

Nice effort in the thread, read as much as i humanly could.

One query... the premise that we were not 'gifted' free will but asked for it against gods advice.

1) God, being god, would give the best possible advice in the universe. Why would we disregard it?

2) How could we - when in a state of having no free will and gods will being our immediate task - even contemplate disregarding his advice or indeed to ask for it in the first place? It seems the only possible way for us to have requested free will whilst not utilizing free will would be for god to want to supply it.

a few humble observations, IET.

Originally posted by Fatgoblin
Why do dumb threads like this stretch for 18 pages but all the real cool threads die down after 4-5 pages?

Says a lot about ATS'ers actually.
--

Actually, what you say is illogical. Statistically it is illogical. You don't want to admit that it is a thread that captures your attention. So instead of admitting this obvious fact, you make illogical statements about other threads being more cool and then ending and being more simple. It is because you are part of a generation of souls that have been dumbed down by the media. You can't handle the truth so you prefer to make up a non truth (that something else is more cool because it is of less word count and easier to process). But deep down you want to break out of your programming by the media conglomerates but you can't. People in your condition also like to say that political polls (as an example) don't mean anything when, if taken under scientific methods they are quite accurate. You are a candidate for the Rush Limbaugh show where things can be broken down for you with little thought process of your own.

Brian, forgive me for being forward, (acknowledged,) and out of all of the travels and failures I have overcome to realize a certain truth, God has been there guiding and gently and sometimes not so gently prodding me to notice the things necessary for my continued spiritual growth and maturity. People may play a part in this, but personally, the relationship I have endeavored to build with God has been one of great strife, and is the most rewarding reason why I exist today and hopefully tomorrow.

With this said, I, as a person, do not require forgiveness from anyone, let alone yourself, to validate every step of the struggle along the way. I really don't require it, but I must ask you this:

"If you were placed in the role of judging another's merits and intentions, what did God say to me last year, about this exact time in the year, to start another journey into faith?" Specifics are very important.

If you don't know or can't answer this, then I'll know you are not who you say you are, but if you can, this is your chance to "convince" me of your legitimacy.

Speak wise, or hold your tongue from profane ramblings of gossip-mongering; but you have this one chance. But, as no forgiveness is necessary from you to myself, know that you are forgiven for anything you "are about to do," or "say." You cannot hold everyone's manifest destiny in your hands and crush it then shape it to your liking. That's what this lesson is about isn't it? Free Will. The only way is to let things run their course and happen as they should without any influence, unless the influence is so important as inaction would risk the existence of everything that is, by not not acting or speaking.

Here is the position, as stated:

"If you were placed in the role of judging another's merits and intentions, what did God say to me last year, about this exact time in the year, to start another journey into faith?" Specifics are very important.

I await your reply.

reply to post by TheReturnisNear


Boy who crapped in your corn flakes? There is no God so he's not coming back. And I won't be held accountable for anything. The bible is a book of fiction. Now drink your kool aid and lie down and wait!

reply to post by MamaJ


That was a beautiful story..and inspired hope in me..thank you for sharing it.

Originally posted by IncrementEthicalAnarchy
Nice effort in the thread, read as much as i humanly could.

One query... the premise that we were not 'gifted' free will but asked for it against gods advice.

1) God, being god, would give the best possible advice in the universe. Why would we disregard it?

2) How could we - when in a state of having no free will and gods will being our immediate task - even contemplate disregarding his advice or indeed to ask for it in the first place? It seems the only possible way for us to have requested free will whilst not utilizing free will would be for god to want to supply it.

a few humble observations, IET.

Great questions. I am hoping that some of our answers lie in the Dolphin species. The bible teaches that man was created in the image of God. I think we can take that litterally. Currently, scientists are trying to create a computer language that can be voiced to dolphins in their natural habitat. If at some point we can agree (dolphins and humans) that God is meant to be a creator of all things earthly, then we can ask these dolphins what God looks like. If the dolphins say that God looks like us (humans) then we would have a second witness that God exists and created man in his own image. If the dolphins also agree that this manlike God also created them (dolphins) then we have evidence that God exists and created man in his image and likely is a real entity.