Yes
But your rants are always entertaining and thought-provoking, so keep doing it.

A creepy line for Halloween:

Life itself is only a vision, a dream. Nothing exists, save empty space and you...and you are but a thought.

It's scaaary you guys!

I couldn't resist. This was emailed me today.

>Two men crashed in their private plane on a South Pacific Island.
>Both survived. One of the men brushed himself off and then proceeded
>to run all over the island to see if they had any chance of
>survival. When he returned, he rushed up to the other man and
>screamed, "This island is uninhabited, there is no food, there's no
>water. We are going to die!"
>
>The other man leaned back against the fuselage of the wrecked plane,
>folded his arms and responded, "No we're not. I make over $250,000 a
>week."
>
>The first man grabbed his friend and shook him. Listen, we are on an
>uninhabited island. There is no food, no water. We are going to
>die!"
>
>The other man, unruffled, again responded "No, I make over $250,000
>a week."
>
>Mystified, the first man, taken aback with such an answer again
>repeated, "For the last time, I'm telling you we ARE doomed. There
>is NO one else on this island. There is NO food. There is NO water.
>We are, I repeat, we are going to die a slow death!"
>
>Still unfazed, the first man looked the other in the eyes and said,
>do not make me say this again. I make over $250,000 per week.I am a
>Baptist and, I tithe. MY PASTOR WILL FIND US!"
>
>

That's a good one!

[quote="techneut"][quote="PJF"]ote]

I love the following true incident:The philosopher and psychologist William James once asked a little boy if he knew what faith is. The boy replied:
"Yeah. Faith means believing something you know ain't true."

Raymond

Just a point to ponder:

Every single atom in our bodies helium on up was born in the center of a star. Elements heavier than iron were made in supernovae.

Are we mere stardust, or is there something else?

I believe that we have the potential to make ourselves more than stardust, and that we do so on different levels every day, with things like....playing piano! I don't believe that much good comes of assuming that we already are more than what we are made of, granted by a higher power, but only after death.

Well, that explains why people call me 'spacey'. My sons like to call me a 'space-cadet'.

I believe it is our duty to try to amount to more than the sum of our parts. Ironically, some choose to focus solely on an afterlife, while completely neglecting the stupidly obvious moral demands of this life.

Eye on the ball, people!

Pete

I hope I don't sound too pessimistic right now, but here it goes:

I really want to have a strong faith in God. Really!!! I was raised a roman catholic, and recently confirmed a roman catholic.

However, my more intellectual side tells me this:

God is merely a fictitious coping device, used to help us overcome our fears of mortality. If we were immortal, I highly doubt there would be any God in the equation. Sadly, I believe that God is a human creation, and religion a mere blindfold that tries to blind us from the truth.

However, I REALLY don't want to believe this. I really want to believe the Catholic faith...

It's just difficult.

I too desperately wish there is a God. Wouldn't it be wondrous?!

Pete

Yes it would be!!!

I actually begin to feel naseous when I think of what death must be.

Just absolute nothingness... I can't even begin to comprehend it.

And it scares me.

Don't let it scare you, for it is inevitable! Consider the following:

If there is no God, you will simply return to the state you were in before you were born, (13 billion years passed in an instant because you weren't there to watch the clock. Eternity will pass instantly after you are gone.)

If there is a God, it will be of great value to have an honest rapport with Him. Beg to transcend the constraints of human limits. If He is there, He will love you.

Either way, BE GOOD! That is the point. Don't sin, do good for your fellow human. Be humble in your humanity.

Father Corapi:
This is a wonderful man, even my semi-atheistic self is always moved by his powerful messages. He transcends mere religion to approach the ultimate truth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTHmn13v7Ts

Pete

But I don't like the idea of eternity passing in the blink of an eye.

I'm sorry to say I like life.

But trust me, I would never use my doubts as an opportunity for sin.