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"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." — Mark Twain ____________________________________ ____________________________________ Banner by "The Amazing Ric Tresa" ___________________________________

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Salon.com
NOVEMBER 7, 2009 4:54AM

Musings of an Insomniac

Rate: 16 Flag

I am not a religious person. I've probably been in three churches in my life, and two of those were for weddings. Do I believe in God? I don't know, it's too hard to get a handle on the whole thing. By thing, I'm talking about the Bible. It just cannot be true, everything in it, it's just not possible. I've read the Bible, and have studied different books on the differing meanings of it. I just can't believe something that was written thousands of yeas ago, by man no less, could be completely true. Men have done more damage to others in the name of the Bible than all the plagues and wars combined.

The Ten Commandants would be great if everyone lived by them, but I know of no one person who can. You can't stop what goes on in your heart, or head. It's just not possible. I will not covet! Even if you don't do the act, like Jimmy Carter said in a Playboy interview, he lusted in his heart. That in itself is a sin, according to the Bible. I have never been sold on the whole idea, of a God who is so mean. A God that will kill men women and children on a whim is no God.

A God that would let some people live like Kings, even though they have blood on their hands is no God. To let a child starve to death doesn't seem to me a Godly thing, especially if he could just stop it with a flick of his finger. What pleasure could this God get watching people die agonizing deaths? I know, he works in mysterious ways, right? Bullshit! This isn't mysterious, it's deviant. It is deviant behavior to want to watch people or animals die in such gruesome ways. It just is.

Do I believe in a superior being. Yes. I believe at one time people far superior to us must have traveled this earth. But I believe they were a decent people, who came and tried to help mankind out. Not send them to wars to die. There might have been a Garden Of Eden for all I know. This whole world may be, or was, the Garden of Eden. And we just screwed it up, as we're doing such a good job of now. Somewhere, mankind went off the tracks. Greed and lust took over, and we all know the one with the most power gets the biggest piece of the cake. It's human nature.

I do not begrudge anyone their beliefs. If this is what it takes to sustain you and your family, go for it. I'm also not saying there is anything wrong with religion. I might be wrong. Believe me, it damn sure won't be the first or last time  I was wrong about something. As a matter of fact, I've been wrong a lot more than I have been right. So see what I do, and do the opposite and you'll never go wrong. I guess I'm just in mourning for Zoey, or I'm just on the doldrum express going nowhere. Maybe I'm back in my depression period, who knows. I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go round' and round'. Thanks John! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Scanner - It's good to have questions. When I thought I had all the answers was when I was the most miserable (and I was a mean bitch, too!) All I can tell you is that I believe in God, I believe in Evil and you are 100% correct when you say that men have done more damage to others in the name of the Bible than anything else. But I don't blame that on God, I blame that on men doing stupid things in the name of God.

Bad things happen to good people. Like you, I know that for a fact. We all have way more questions than answers. That's what faith is made of - more questions than answers. I wish I had something more comforting to say to you right now, because I know this is a crappy time. I know your heart hurts and I'm sorry. Sending you and Terry lots of (((BIG HUGS)))
Kim
I know some respectable people attend church (ecclesia) and I love their simple faith, and a good (pure) heart that pumps Life while it's tucked under the ribcage on the left side. Nature intended, in some grand design, to have the human's heart tilt a bit left? I do thunk it's maybe so.
Evangelicals can be a bit well-intended, but a little (simply) deluded?

Metanoia.
Ecclesial - it means to be called-out from wordly delusion and vain speculation.
We think goofy.
I'll read chap 7-8 of Ecclesiastes.
A Jewish scholar pointed it out to me.
He wore Sear Sucker pin striped suits.
He'd wear bib overalls on the weekend.
He wore a real dapper Southern hat. Tip.
He was low profile because he was a fed.
He was playing Life fair and doing good.
He could not speak too publicly. Discreet.
I liked talking to him. He'd give tobaccos.
He's an incredible scholar and gentleman.
He has a den with book. He sneaks a smoke.
He gave me tins of gourmet tobacco to smoke.
I gotta go find my corn cob pipe. scanner? Oho?
You ever go off to sneak a bit of legal tobaccos?
We can be like Willie Nelson in a White House?
Puff a peace pipe of:`Stratosphere' on roof top?
Maybe Barack Obama will puff a pipe on a roof?
Tell Michelle 'Abigal' O that Ya will bring cheese?
I'll haul along the huge jug of chocolate goat milk?
Praise the lame goat, scanner! Ale, howdy doodle!
May I suggest you read a short book entitled 'Dinner with a Perfect Stranger,' by David Gregory. It sheds a thought-provoking light on mankind and religion.
Cheer up, good buddy.
I am just going to keep my mouth shut, because God is the center of my life, and I know that that would just annoy you if I said anything about it. To each his own. And please cheer up dear friend!
Scanner, the academic side of my brain wants me to say that you need doubt in order to make the leap of faith. You have to choose in spite of your doubts. However, I have doubted all my life. What good is God when his followers around you in the pews feel no compunction about hatred, slander and intolerance? Faith clearly didn't do them any good. No, God may be good, but he has no credit with me.
Scanner
I understand. The doldrum express is a precarious ride. Just take a moment to breathe in some sunshine. Many care about you.
Thank you UB, questions, I got a million of them!
Willie on the White House, arriving via the Magic Bus. Thanks Art!
Linda, I'll Google that in a few, Thanks~
Kat, It must be nice to even have a center. I'm so jealous of you!
Ardee, they say the proofs in the pudding. How about chocolate goat milk pudding. Art says it's great!
Thank you Chuck. A lack of sleep post I guess!
Scanner, you're not alone in your beliefs and your depression/sadness. I certainly don't have all the answers and I have plenty of questions and doubts....but for some reason, I continue believe and hoping that there is a God and something even better for us after our death. I just don't want to think that this is it. Life is good, but I'm hoping afterlife is even better. As far as allowing evil in the world.....I have no problem with this concept. Remember one of the gifts God gave human beings is "free will." It's our free will that has messed things up on this earth and in our personal lives....not God. We've all made choices. I honestly don't believe that God is the director telling us what to do or controlling our actions. I do believe He allows Nature to do its thing. Besides, if there is a Heaven, then why is death a bad thing?
I would recommend a book called, "The Shack," because some of the questions you and countless others ask are answered in this book. Yes, it's fiction.....but the author's answers sure make sense to me! Love to you!
buddy, you have been through a lot in life
do you think it might actually help to "get in touch with your feelings-find out why you might be feeling this way?"
maybe writing about it would help, like a release
Scanner - I've read "The Shack", the book that Patricia recommended. It's not some dry, dead, boring tome. Written by one of our neighbors to the north - a Canadian-born man raised in New Guinea - this book is the clearest and most heartbreakingly honest portrayal of faith I've ever read. It was panned by most mainstream churches, some even going so far as to call it blasphemous. In my humble opinion, some of those very churches are the ones most badly in need of the truths this book offers.

The author, William P Young wrote "The Shack" (which is a mesmerizing piece of fiction) in answer to the timeless question, "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" The book won't give you any of the answers you expect and the last thing it could be called is "preachy."

I read this book in the middle of one of the greatest tragedies in my life - my dad died in 2005 - very unexpectedly, my mother died a year later - again, unexpectedly, my step-mother waged war (literally) against my brother and me over my dad's estate, she helped the bank and my dad's ex-business partner steal dad's business from us and helped the bank frame my brother for fraud - he went to prison for 15 months. Then my grandmother died and my daughter miscarried a child. My brother's wife was diagnosed with a brain tumor, her mother died 6 months after my mother and my nephew and brother both had complete nervous breakdowns. I'm pretty sure I lost my sanity somewhere in there, too, (which is probably why I lost two jobs back to back in a year's time,) but I had to keep going, the probate case was still raging. It was 4 years of absolute hell. My heart was broken in a million pieces and my mind was shattered nearly as bad.

Do I think this book is "God-inspired"? Absolutely. Is it the same old tired Christianity with nothing but platitudes? Absolutely not. I'll never look at God the same way again after reading this book.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I know what it's like to feel like you've been shattered and the hits just keep on coming. And I don't think it's any coincidence that Patricia mentioned this book and it just happened to be the book that helped me find a thread to grab on to when I was hopeless. You're in my prayers, my friend.

Sorry for the length of this comment....
Kim
scanner, sorry you are feeling so low. I agree about The Shack, great book. Take a walk, drink in some beauty, lighten your load, and feel better.
God fell asleep at the wheel, Scanman. She was tired after creating the universe, give her a break.
Good points and comments Scanner. I agree with what you are saying. I'm an agnostic, don't really know what I believe or what to believe and try and live my life to my own moral compass. I won't step on anyone to better myself, and if I can share, I will. That's about it though. I find this works for me.
I don't know that this will help but here goes. I wrote a post awhile back called Buddy the Kitty and in it I talk about Squinty a baby kitty who I tried to nurse back to health for three weeks. 3 hour feedins and all. He died unexpectedly after I thought he was going to make it. The sweetest kitty. I almost let the next baby kitty found die because I was afraid to try again. I was afraid of the pain and still cry over that bitty kitty it seems. Squinty loved to nuzzle into my neck and perch there. I swear sometimes I still feel him BUT I would have let another animal die out of fear and now he is my baby and lays across my lap the moment I sit down. I guess I am trying to say It will always hurt But we give them the life we can while they are here. I see you have been over to see my Blind Dogs Post . Honey that song is for you also.....
It's not good to discuss religion in polite company. But since this is OS, I say go for it. I do like many of the philosophies of the Bible and many other religions. The fact that it gets poisoned by men is the part I hate. The hypocrites that use the words for personal gain are scum, but religion does have positives for many. Deadly consequences for others. Hell, the wars we are fighting now are rooted in religion.
Writing always helps in a "downtime". so there, you have a start and a darned good one cus you make sense. There are tons of loop holes in any religion if you look for them cus man wrote the book. That is where the faith comes in...filling in the loop holes with something other than fact cus let's face it, none of these dudes were actually there when any of this stuff went down, otherwise we wouldn't call it faith. We'd call it something else, like.. oh say, fact. The only fact is that you have to find something you find dear enough to get you through the tough times, be it a reason, faith or something you do. If you do not find it within you will never find it outside of yourself.That's where the writing helps cus you can re-read it all by kinda being a third party afterward. (I put it away for a while before I read it again so it's fresh) I found mostly though it helps just to be true to what you believe in,be honest, be kind and keep on keepin on. When all else fails stare it down:)
Sorry you're feeling low. I wish that I had some answers. Maybe it's that you take your own path and will get there just fine.