:)

..... author looks within to answer an
agnostic friend's questions ..... :)

:)

[QUOTE=J]

I am actually agnostic - I have no idea if there is a God or not. I have complete respect for anyone who says "I believe in God. I cannot explain it and I cannot prove it. That is the nature of faith". Fine. That's a personal belief.

I'd genuinely like to know more about what having this sort of faith means in people's lives and if anyone feels like sharing that, then I'd be grateful.
e.g. is it because it gives your life a sense of structure? A sense of not having to make some decisions because God has a plan for you which you cannot alter? A sense of comfort when things are tough that you have some sort of spiritual father figure? Anything else?

J[/QUOTE]

:)

Hi J,

..... addressing the questions you have raised is a worthwhile exercise for all
of us, but Christians especially, as it affords them an opportunity for some personal and timely introspection.

=====

Is it because it gives your life a sense of structure?

Yes ... it's partly a sense of being able to place ourselves within the framework
of God's plan for us, helps us to know ourselves better and position ourselves
for living in the light of Christ, using the Holy Trinity as our life guide.

Seeking out and exploiting our natural and learned talents, to achieve our own
proper goals is within God's overall plan for this world.

=====

A sense of not having to make some decisions because God has a plan for you which you cannot alter?

On the contrary, it is because we DO HAVE CHOICE in every move we make, that Christians have to make very conscious decisions, in a continuous
battle between right and wrong.

Fortunately, we all know the difference, between right and wrong or goodness
and evil, Since the Crucifixion, we have had the support of the Trinity, by the
work of the Holy Spirit within us all .... part of its job, is to continuously make us aware of right and wrong as we make the hundreds of choices, that we
must face in our daily routine.

So, while God may have an overall life plan for us to live in a Christ-like
manner and be delivered to Him in the End Times, we have TOTAL control
over the DECISIONS we make, about HOW our individual lives will unfold.

=====

A sense of comfort when things are tough that you have some sort of spiritual father figure?

Having FAITH is only ONE of the many intangibles that help to mould
Christian lives, with many others coming into play, like HOPE, LOVE,
CHARITY, FORGIVENESS, HONESTY, PATIENCE and PRAYER .... and
there may be others that you can add yourself, as well ..... :)

W.D. Gann's last book "THE MAGIC WORD" (pp 33-40) lists many Bible
quotes, but there's one particular quote by Paul in 1 Cor 13:13 that seems
to stand out in the chiastic structure, in Chapters 12, 13 and 14.

In context, Chapter 13 deals with the intangible gifts mentioned above,
but the central theme is summed up very well, in 1 Cor 13:13 ... :

"Meanwhile, these three remain; FAITH, HOPE and LOVE; and the
greatest of these is LOVE."

.... LOVE being the CENTRAL THEME of the chiasm in 1 Cor 12, 13 and 14,
where we read about those intangible gifts, that we ALL receive from the
Holy Spirit.

Since we all possess these gifts through God's Grace, it is natuiral for us
to lean on Him, especially when we are procrastinating over some tough
decision.

=====

Anything else?

Sin has also been raised in this thread and it is an issue that we all face on a
continual basis, when making our everyday decisions.

If we view the Bible, as a history of the heavens and earth, then Genesis
gives us Creation, including the animals and finally humankind.

Those animals, as they continue even today, were sinless creatures.

In contrast, humans were given higher intelligence, including the faculty of
reason, which also brought with it responsibility for ALL the decisions we
make in our lives.

Since Adam was disobedient and responsible for the decision that led
to the Original Sin, all of Adam's descendants (all of us) have the trait
of sinners within us ..... this is part of the concept, as we learn of the
Church (community), as a corporate body.

Fortunately Christians believe, that God loves humans so much, that he
was prepared to sacrifice Christ, His Son so that ALL of OUR sins have
ALREADY been forgiven ..... all that is required of Christians, is to
BELIEVE and ACCEPT Christ, as our Saviour.

=====

Before signing off, here's a short story about how we can learn about
the value and power of LOVE for each other ..... and it can surface in
our lives, when it is least expected ..... !~!

For example just yesterday, we had occasion to visit a 42 year-old woman
with both physical and mental disabilities, in an effort to resolve a bungle,
where her husband/carer has been denied access to his wife.

As a result of a restraining order not being lifted from the husband, even
after it had been so ordered by the courts, it has caused both husband
and wife considerable anxst, as it is the wish of both husband and his
wife to be reunited, ASAP.

To hear how this woman spoke about the LOVE for her husband, during
the course of the interview, was just amazing. Despite having 3 other
carers attend to her needs throughout any week, the only one that she
really wants in her life, is her husband/carer.

"He is always so kind to me and I just love him soooo much", probably
does not convey the message as well as the tone of her voice and her body
language, as she clutched her heart, every time she spoke about him.

Enough.

=====

Of course, there's much more to say on many issues, that have been raised in
this thread, but we end this note here for fear of boring other people, with an extended monologue, that some may construe as a sermon ..... lol ... :)


have a great day

yogi

:)