sweet dreams and flying machines

I believe in God. Because its easier for me than not believing in God. I need something bigger, something powerful. And there have been moment’s in my life where i have felt God. They could be coincidences, but who really knows. I choose to believe. ~ [luscious]

I think one of the reasons christians cannot give you the answer you’re looking for is because they dont have them. Christians beliefs are based mostly on faith, not anything they can hold in their hands and point to. If you’re looking for man to prove something to you…it will probably never happen. ~ [christinak]

These were answers posted to the question, “Do you believe in God and why?” They make a lot of sense to me, although I don’t completly agree with everything. I don’t have all the answers to all the challenges that are thrown at Christianity. And I don’t see how you can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that everything in the Bible happened as it is written. I don’t know how to respond to people who say there are contradictions and paradoxes in the Bible. I don’t see them the way others do.

I think religion, all religion, requires faith. It requires you to do something or believe in something that isn’t provable, that isn’t for certain. Faith is stepping off a ledge and believing someone will catch you. Faith is jumping off the diving board when you can’t see the pool. I don’t have all the answers. But this is my faith. This is my belief. I believe in Jesus. I believe in God the Father. I believe in the Holy Spirit. I believe in hell. I believe in Satan. I believe in heaven. I believe that when I die, I will go to heaven to be with the other Christians. I believe those who do not believe in Jesus and accept him will go to hell. I can’t prove those statements. I can’t die and come back to life to tell you what I saw. No one can. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I’m believing in the wrong god and I’ll come back as a sea slug. But I still believe in it.

When your boyfriend goes out and comes home late, you might ask him “Where did you go?” Maybe he’ll answer you that he went out to the bar with his friends. In that moment, you have to decide if you want to believe him or throw his ass to the curb. Granted, you would be able to call his friends or the bar and ask if he was there. You can check the credit card date, time and amount for the charge. You can find a way to prove or disprove what he said. Amd you can find “evidence” to support either claim. But in those few seconds after he answers, you have a choice. You can kiss him on the cheek and go to bed, or you can demand proof. Either you believe him or you don’t. The truth will eventualy come out, but you still have those moments to decide if you will believe him or not.

Belief in God is kind of the same way. You are presented with the religion: Christianity. You have a choice – Belief or disbelief. You can find evidence that supports each claim. Eventually though, you will die. Your friends will die. Your family will die. Then you will find out of the truth. Either those Christians were wrong, or they were right. Unfortunately, there is no replay then. You’ve lived your life and you can’t reverse time. There is a quicker “turn-around time” for the situation with your boyfriend than with religion.

I’ve jumped off the ledge, taken the plunge, whatever and I’ve decided what I believe. I’m not saying that I know all the answers or that I’m perfect or better than anyone. And I’m not going to hate your religion because you are different. I’m not going to ignore you and your religion either. I won’t force my views down your throat. But I’m going to believe what I’m going to believe.

Don’t worry, I’m not taking the easy way out. My beliefs are constantly being challenged and I’m changing different things that I believe. But my core belief, the thing that makes me a Christian won’t change. I believe in God. I believe in Jesus. I believe in the Holy Sprirt. I believe in Satan and hell and heaven. I believe Jesus is God’s Son. I believe he died on the cross to pay for my sins. I believe I’m a sinner and without Jesus I can’t get to heaven.

What about evolution, homosexuality, Jesus’s siblings, his wife and children? What do you think about all that?

I’m not sure what I think about all those things. But they are on the outer circles of my faith. Whether I believe in them or not doesn’t change me as a Christian. I still believe in God and His Son. None of that changes whether I believe in evolution or seven-day creationism. I believe what I believe.

Prove it.

If I could prove it, they wouldn’t be beliefs.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not taking the easy way out. Sometimes Christianity and God seem to be more trouble than they are worth. But I’ve come through and I still believe. I can’t go into all the tiny reasons and happenings to why I believe it, but I do. And for right now, thats that.

Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone
Susanne the plans they made put an end to you
I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song
I just can’t remember who to send it to

I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain
I’ve seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I’d see you again

Won’t you look down upon me, jesus
You’ve got to help me make a stand
You’ve just got to see me through another day
My body’s aching and my time is at hand
And I won’t make it any other way

Oh, I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain
I’ve seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I’d see you again

Been walking my mind to an easy time my back turned towards the sun
Lord knows when the cold wind blows it’ll turn your head around
Well, there’s hours of time on the telephone line to talk about things to come
Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground

Oh, I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain
I’ve seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I’d see you, baby, one more time again, now

Thought I’d see you one more time again
There’s just a few things coming my way this time around, now
Thought I’d see you, thought I’d see you…fire and rain, now

Fire and Rain ~ James Taylor