Do you believe in a higher power/God?

[flash13]

Well this has all taken a rather strange turn.

Me personally.

I have been to Catholic church, Protestant church, Temple, Orthodox church and I've celebreated Christmas, Orthodox Easter, and Hanukkah. I received my degree at a Catholic College although not Catholic. I appreciate the diversity in different religions and find it all pretty fascinating.

cool i'm an Orthodox Christian myself didn't think anybody on here had been to an Orthodox Church there pretty uncommon compared to Protestant and Catholic Churches we actually call "Easter" "Pascha"

 

[CaptainClown]

That's because so many different people from so many different perspectives and time periods contributed to the book we know as the Bible. It wasn't written by one guy. Have ten people sit down and write about a car accident they witnessed, you'll get ten different angles on the same thing.

Oh I know that, I am talking about if you view the bible as being written by one god who influenced a bunch of people. I think most scientific/analytical people know that the bible was composed of different types of manuscripts. Translated and debated through a bias filter. Debated over. As spoons said "retconned" and just constantly changing. Though if you are moviefan you would say that is when god decided to be nice.

 

[Majic Walrus]

Yes, exactly. It's just blind obedience and not the goal of the exercise.

This is where they and I disagree. I would at least like to think that if you do these things from love, you are still doing God's work whether you acknowledge that or not. Since you are still doing God's work and spreading that love around, I'd like to think that a loving, merciful God would still give you credit for it and not give you exile. Jesus' message was one of loving everyone, not just the ones you like, and doing good things even for your enemy. If you really look, that is what he is really saying and how he operated in life. He hung out with the ones the holier than thou purists wouldn't touch. What does that really tell you about God? It meana that to God each of us has value, not just the ones who obey.

Thanks for finding a place for me in your Heaven if if I don't believe in it.

 

[squeekness]

Thanks for finding a place for me in your Heaven if if I don't believe in it.

LOL, my idea of Heaven doesn't have a bouncer at the door.

 

[Shemtov]

i'm just popping in to give the thread a liitle more variety.

Jewish veiw on abortion:
is not allowed unless there is danger to the mothers life and/or the baby will have a rare genetic deseise.
it is nit considered murder because until the major oragns start formig the embryo is considered "less then water" it is only prohibited because there is a comandment to conceive.
the above is also why masterbation is not allowed because it is "a waste of seed" that the man could use to have more babys.

 

[CaptainClown]

I want heaven to be a place with all of my friends and all we have to do is imagine food and it appears..like hook...and looks just as tasty.

 

[Majic Walrus]

i'm just popping in to give the thread a liitle more variety.

Jewish veiw on abortion:
is not allowed unless there is danger to the mothers life and/or the baby will have a rare genetic deseise.
it is nit considered murder because until the major oragns start formig the embryo is considered "less then water" it is only prohibited because there is a comandment to conceive.
the above is also why masterbation is not allowed because it is "a waste of seed" that the man could use to have more babys.

What exactly does that mean

 

[DorkyFresh]

I want heaven to be a place with all of my friends and all we have to do is imagine food and it appears..like hook...and looks just as tasty.

haha...nice. personally though, i want heaven to be a place where all i have to do is imagine Angelina Jolie and she appears right in front of me......and looks just as tasty!

 

[Shemtov]

What exactly does that mean

not releigously \even alive. in otherwords since water is not alive if somethin is less alive then water....its not alive.

 

[Cagefighterkip]

I'm pretty sure he was against seats of power, so I don't know about that

I was pretty taken aback when I first heard, myself...but hey - that's how it goes.

He was a comedic genius, to be sure

he was fer sure,
im just saying if anybody should have been in control of the free world and the american govt it shoulda' been him lol

 

[squeekness]

I've always believed that life began at conception.

 

[Majic Walrus]

cool i'm an Orthodox Christian myself didn't think anybody on here had been to an Orthodox Church there pretty uncommon compared to Protestant and Catholic Churches we actually call "Easter" "Pascha"

I've been to St. Nicholas Orthodox church. Pretty uncommon churches though. I think there's only one in the area and it's over an hour away.

not releigously \even alive. in otherwords since water is not alive if somethin is less alive then water....its not alive.

Oh I see. Thanks!

 

[Cagefighterkip]

I've always believed that life began at conception.

i agree wit' that, and im anti abortion too

 

[gogetter0587]

I've always believed that life began at conception.

That is the basis of disagreement between people who are pro-life and people that are pro-choice. The believed time of life.

 

[squeekness]

That is the basis of disagreement between people who are pro-life and people that are pro-choice. The believed time of life.

I have always thought that even when I was fully pro-choice. Now I have grown more conservative -- not from my religious conversion oddly enough, but after reading articles dealing with the brutality of late term abortion. I can't condone it after the first tri-mester unless it's a risk to the mother.

 

[Secret_Riddle]

My opinion on abortion is simply that it shouldnt be a legal issue, but instead a moral one. As we can see on this page alone, we all have differing idea's of what point life "occurs". If we as reasonable people simply can't agree then it should simply be left to the person to make their own moral choice. I personally believe life doesn't occur until the baby could survive without the mother (even if it meant being on life support in the outside world), anything after this time it is simply murder unless other extreme circumstances exist. Women have a right to their own body and their own reproductive system, and depending on when some consider life as being present, they may or may not consider an abortion.

I think women should have this right. The next step is reducing abortions to appropriate reasons through government programs and education in general. Promote safe sex.

Remember guys where a rubber.

 

[gogetter0587]

I have always thought that even when I was fully pro-choice. Now I have grown more conservative -- not from my religious conversion oddly enough, but after reading articles dealing with the brutality of late term abortion. I can't condone it after the first tri-mester unless it's a risk to the mother.

the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) is set to
be signed if congress passes it on January 21-22 of 2009. The
FOCA is the next chapter in the book of abortion. If made a law then
all limitations on abortion will be lifted which will result in
the following:

1) All hospitals, including Catholic hospitals will be required to perform
abortions upon request. If this happens Bishops vow to close down all
Catholic hospitals, more then 30% of all hospitals in the United States.

2) Partial birth abortions would be legal and have no limitations.

3) All U.S. tax payers would be funding abortions.

4) Parental notification will no longer be required.

 

[Matt]

Source, please?

 

[Majic Walrus]

My opinion on abortion is simply that it shouldnt be a legal issue, but instead a moral one. As we can see on this page alone, we all have differing idea's of what point life "occurs". If we as reasonable people simply can't agree then it should simply be left to the person to make their own moral choice. I personally believe life doesn't occur until the baby could survive without the mother (even if it meant being on life support in the outside world), anything after this time it is simply murder unless other extreme circumstances exist. Women have a right to their own body and their own reproductive system, and depending on when some consider life as being present, they may or may not consider an abortion.

So life begins at age 18 for most people?

I think women should have this right. The next step is reducing abortions to appropriate reasons through government programs and education in general. Promote safe sex.

Remember guys where a rubber.

Abortion is a medical procedure and it should only be performed by medical professionals when it is medically necessary.

 

[Majic Walrus]

the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) is set to
be signed if congress passes it on January 21-22 of 2009. The
FOCA is the next chapter in the book of abortion. If made a law then
all limitations on abortion will be lifted which will result in
the following:

1) All hospitals, including Catholic hospitals will be required to perform
abortions upon request. If this happens Bishops vow to close down all
Catholic hospitals, more then 30% of all hospitals in the United States.

2) Partial birth abortions would be legal and have no limitations.

3) All U.S. tax payers would be funding abortions.

4) Parental notification will no longer be required.

Source, please?

Yes. Please.

 

[squeekness]

the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) is set to
be signed if congress passes it on January 21-22 of 2009. The
FOCA is the next chapter in the book of abortion. If made a law then
all limitations on abortion will be lifted which will result in
the following:

1) All hospitals, including Catholic hospitals will be required to perform
abortions upon request. If this happens Bishops vow to close down all
Catholic hospitals, more then 30% of all hospitals in the United States.

2) Partial birth abortions would be legal and have no limitations.

3) All U.S. tax payers would be funding abortions.

4) Parental notification will no longer be required.

I have a problem with these two items. I don't see how the government can force a religious group to do something contrary to their religious views, as per separation of church and state. You need an abortion you can simply go somewhere else.

As a parent I think we should be notified. My Catholic brother in law was furious when he found out that his kid had an abortion on the sly, one that he in effect paid for through his health insurance. It goes against his religion and I don't blame him for being pissed off about it.

 

[gogetter0587]

Source, please?

It was actually an email i got that was a forward and basically has no source. So should be taken with a grain of salt.

 

[Majic Walrus]

It was actually an email i got that was a forward and basically has no source. So should be taken with a grain of salt.

Yeah...

See that's the problem with the pro-life and pro-choice movements. Everyone is running a spectacular misinformation campaign, unfortunately now very few people actually know what's going on.

 

[gogetter0587]

It was actually an email i got that was a forward and basically has no source. So should be taken with a grain of salt.

The bill is described by NARAL Pro-Choice America president Nancy Keenan as a bill to "codify Roe v. Wade" which would "repeal the Bush-backed Federal Abortion Ban," referring to the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, "and other federal restrictions," [1]. Similarly, opponents of the bill assert that[2] it would, if passed, invalidate every restriction on an abortion before the stage of viability, in every state, even those previously found consistent with Roe v. Wade by the United States Supreme Court, such as parental notification laws, waiting periods, requirements of full disclosure of the physical and emotional risks inherent in abortion, and the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. Opponents further assert that it would challenge the right of religiously-based hospitals or clinics to refuse to perform abortions, and that it would force the repeal of the Hyde Amendment, which restricts the use of Federal funding for abortions. Conservative legal scholar Douglas Kmiec disagrees with the latter assertion, noting that the Hyde Amendment is renewed annually by Congress and argues that this legislation would not supersede it [3].


Wikidpedia - again grain of salt.

 

[gogetter0587]

Yeah...

See that's the problem with the pro-life and pro-choice movements. Everyone is running a spectacular misinformation campaign, unfortunately now very few people actually know what's going on.

I agree. But it is based on a bill that is in congress, the FOCA or Freedom of Choice Act. that is back up and running again in congress.
EDIT or at least was as of 07 but is RUMORED to be again.

Grains of salt everywhere still very interesting.

EDIT

http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/issues/abortion/access-to-abortion/freedom-of-choice-act.html

this website has similar information and is one clearly of pro-choice nature.

I think the only questionable information in that first report i posted was the date in january that it supposedly is going to be voted on.