QUESTION: Today's comes from MWR...
"I'm having a hard time these days, both physically (several surgeries in recent years) and spiritually. I know I asked Christ to come into my life when I was a teenager, but now I wonder if I'd go to heaven if something happened to me. How can I know?".
IRRELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVE:
You are obviously having a hard time of life at the moment despite asking Jesus to come into it. His presence and protection hasn't made any difference, as his followers lives are besieged by the same trials and tribulations as non-believers.
Belief systems make extraordinary claims. Their promise of a specific outcome if you die can never be satisfactory because no one really knows what will happen. It is normal to have doubts about anything that you are not sure of. The reassuring thoughts provided by religion are supposed to make your life more comforting but they do not deliver - believers' lives are wracked with doubts.
As things stand at the moment you will find more solace in getting suport from the things that can demonstrate some solidarity: friends; family; your own thoughts and feelings; medical science; and the world around us. Draw comfort from those things that demonstrate strength, not those that promise it.
BILLY GRAHAM'S ANSWER:
http://www.billygraham.org/articlepage.asp?articleid=6303
Showing posts with label belief. Show all posts
Showing posts with label belief. Show all posts
Monday, October 4, 2010
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Think About It
QUESTION: Today's comes from SMN...
"I'd really like to find God, but I get confused because there are so many religions. I didn't grow up in a religious family, but I've studied some of the main religions, although I haven't made much progress. Maybe you can help me".
IRRELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVE:
When you observe the vast number of people world-wide you can see there is an innate desire and curiosity about the supernatural. To be curious is perfectly natural. Rather than trying to satisfy your curiosity it would be more pertinent to wonder why you have this spiritual urge. When you can understand this and put it in perspective you will not feel any need to choose one of the world's belief systems.
I'm not surprised that in your studies you have made no progress. There are innumerable belief systems which all claim to be the only true one - just ask an adherent of any of them. However, if you have studied them you will have concluded that they all have the same underlying fundamentals: a unique deity; a holy text; a set of rituals. When you have acknowledged the human being's susceptibility to such systems you will realise that they are all human constructs, and thus there is no correct one. Most people choose a deity based around the beliefs of their family or community. You are fortunate that you weren't brought up with any particular beliefs hammered into your head.
I encourage you to think carefully about this issue. The more you think the less you can be swayed by any irrational impulses.
BILLY GRAHAM'S ANSWER:
http://www.billygraham.org/articlepage.asp?articleid=6247
"I'd really like to find God, but I get confused because there are so many religions. I didn't grow up in a religious family, but I've studied some of the main religions, although I haven't made much progress. Maybe you can help me".
IRRELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVE:
When you observe the vast number of people world-wide you can see there is an innate desire and curiosity about the supernatural. To be curious is perfectly natural. Rather than trying to satisfy your curiosity it would be more pertinent to wonder why you have this spiritual urge. When you can understand this and put it in perspective you will not feel any need to choose one of the world's belief systems.
I'm not surprised that in your studies you have made no progress. There are innumerable belief systems which all claim to be the only true one - just ask an adherent of any of them. However, if you have studied them you will have concluded that they all have the same underlying fundamentals: a unique deity; a holy text; a set of rituals. When you have acknowledged the human being's susceptibility to such systems you will realise that they are all human constructs, and thus there is no correct one. Most people choose a deity based around the beliefs of their family or community. You are fortunate that you weren't brought up with any particular beliefs hammered into your head.
I encourage you to think carefully about this issue. The more you think the less you can be swayed by any irrational impulses.
BILLY GRAHAM'S ANSWER:
http://www.billygraham.org/articlepage.asp?articleid=6247
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Irrelevant Belief
QUESTION: Today's comes from DN...
"Some of the best people I know aren't Christians, and in fact they aren't even religious. On the other hand, some of the most selfish people I know claim to be Christians. How do you explain this, if Christianity is supposed to make a difference in our lives?".
IRRELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVE:
It's easy to verify your observation that there are decent people who aren't Christian, as they can be found in all walks of life. They may belong to another religion or may not be religious at all. What impels us to be good comes from our upbringing, our society, and our conscience. There has never been any statistics gathered that prove that Christians commit fewer crimes. Which god anyone believes in doesn't seem to make any difference to the life they lead. Supernatural belief is irrelevant to this. Decent people are identifiable from their words and deeds. Anyone who thinks clearly can see the irrelevance of religion.
BILLY GRAHAM'S ANSWER:
http://www.billygraham.org/articlepage.asp?articleid=6155
"Some of the best people I know aren't Christians, and in fact they aren't even religious. On the other hand, some of the most selfish people I know claim to be Christians. How do you explain this, if Christianity is supposed to make a difference in our lives?".
IRRELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVE:
It's easy to verify your observation that there are decent people who aren't Christian, as they can be found in all walks of life. They may belong to another religion or may not be religious at all. What impels us to be good comes from our upbringing, our society, and our conscience. There has never been any statistics gathered that prove that Christians commit fewer crimes. Which god anyone believes in doesn't seem to make any difference to the life they lead. Supernatural belief is irrelevant to this. Decent people are identifiable from their words and deeds. Anyone who thinks clearly can see the irrelevance of religion.
BILLY GRAHAM'S ANSWER:
http://www.billygraham.org/articlepage.asp?articleid=6155
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Outdated Beliefs
QUESTION: Today's comes from DR...
"Over the centuries, we've changed our ideas about every other area of knowledge, so why shouldn't we change our ideas about God? Why should I believe in a religion that's almost 2,000 years old?".
IRRELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVE:
If you examine the history of spiritual thought you will see that there has been constant, albeit slow change. Over the centuries belief systems have come and gone. They have often been dominant for hundreds if not thousands of years, but inevitably they die out and are replaced. Religions always postulate some explanation for natural phenomena, but the totality of human knowledge is increasing all the time obviating the need for any religious explanation. We no longer worship the sun as the ancient Egyptians did because we understand it, and we don't worship Posiedon the god of the oceans because we now understand the waves and tides etc. We no longer think that the way to stop a volcano erupting is to throw in a virgin. Similarly the current crop of religions will die out. Unfortunately history tells us that they will be replaced by another raft of religions, and unfortunately the cycle will inevitably repeat. The human being seems to have an inbuilt need (or want) for there to be some sort of overarching spiritual guidance. I don't have the gene for this but the majority of the world's population seem to have it. The best we can hope for is to make people realise that we have a choice - that we don't have to follow the beliefs of our family or community. The more people think about these matters, the more likely that irrational beliefs will die out.
In a way you could see belief systems as being in some sort of Darwinian struggle for survival. They compete with each other for territory and do their best to propagate themselves. Followers are constantly being recruited and barriers are put in the way of apostates. The weak religions die out and the strong last for centuries. Classic survival of the fittest!
BILLY GRAHAM'S ANSWER:
http://www.billygraham.org/articlepage.asp?articleid=6049
"Over the centuries, we've changed our ideas about every other area of knowledge, so why shouldn't we change our ideas about God? Why should I believe in a religion that's almost 2,000 years old?".
IRRELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVE:
If you examine the history of spiritual thought you will see that there has been constant, albeit slow change. Over the centuries belief systems have come and gone. They have often been dominant for hundreds if not thousands of years, but inevitably they die out and are replaced. Religions always postulate some explanation for natural phenomena, but the totality of human knowledge is increasing all the time obviating the need for any religious explanation. We no longer worship the sun as the ancient Egyptians did because we understand it, and we don't worship Posiedon the god of the oceans because we now understand the waves and tides etc. We no longer think that the way to stop a volcano erupting is to throw in a virgin. Similarly the current crop of religions will die out. Unfortunately history tells us that they will be replaced by another raft of religions, and unfortunately the cycle will inevitably repeat. The human being seems to have an inbuilt need (or want) for there to be some sort of overarching spiritual guidance. I don't have the gene for this but the majority of the world's population seem to have it. The best we can hope for is to make people realise that we have a choice - that we don't have to follow the beliefs of our family or community. The more people think about these matters, the more likely that irrational beliefs will die out.
In a way you could see belief systems as being in some sort of Darwinian struggle for survival. They compete with each other for territory and do their best to propagate themselves. Followers are constantly being recruited and barriers are put in the way of apostates. The weak religions die out and the strong last for centuries. Classic survival of the fittest!
BILLY GRAHAM'S ANSWER:
http://www.billygraham.org/articlepage.asp?articleid=6049
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Another Distant God
QUESTION: Today's comes from ZS...
"I don't have any trouble believing in God but He seems very far away -- like a distant relative I've never met. People talk about getting close to God, but what do they mean by this, and is it really possible?".
IRRELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVE:
So you believe in a god but don't actually know anything about him. I can tell you that you will never receive any response from him because there never has been and never will be. Any feedback such as answered prayers can all be explained in other ways. This lack of response is telling you that he does not really exist, other than in your head. There seems to be a need in some human beings for there to be a higher spiritual power and it is ok to hold such a belief, but avoid the delusion that there is actually a being in existence somewhere. If you hop into a helicopter and fly all over the world you will see the manifestation of this need in many different (and at times quite bizarre) ways. The various cultures around the world have a multitude of gods, and each one is considered to be the one and only. Some belief systems worship many gods, but the common theme is lack of response from them. Be wary of anyone who tries to peddle a god to you because they can never have any proof. However, they act as though they are totally convinced and in so doing betray their lack of intellectual rigour.
BILLY GRAHAM'S ANSWER:
http://www.billygraham.org/articlepage.asp?articleid=6043
"I don't have any trouble believing in God but He seems very far away -- like a distant relative I've never met. People talk about getting close to God, but what do they mean by this, and is it really possible?".
IRRELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVE:
So you believe in a god but don't actually know anything about him. I can tell you that you will never receive any response from him because there never has been and never will be. Any feedback such as answered prayers can all be explained in other ways. This lack of response is telling you that he does not really exist, other than in your head. There seems to be a need in some human beings for there to be a higher spiritual power and it is ok to hold such a belief, but avoid the delusion that there is actually a being in existence somewhere. If you hop into a helicopter and fly all over the world you will see the manifestation of this need in many different (and at times quite bizarre) ways. The various cultures around the world have a multitude of gods, and each one is considered to be the one and only. Some belief systems worship many gods, but the common theme is lack of response from them. Be wary of anyone who tries to peddle a god to you because they can never have any proof. However, they act as though they are totally convinced and in so doing betray their lack of intellectual rigour.
BILLY GRAHAM'S ANSWER:
http://www.billygraham.org/articlepage.asp?articleid=6043
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