Im leaving this site, thanks for the memories

[Roly]

I'm leaving this site due to a lifestyle change I had made.

This past summer I have converted to Islam.

Using this site was a lot of fun but I was always a searcher in search for what it was all about. Sure indulging in the pleasures of life and getting an ego boost was fun at first, but deep down something was nagging me and all those materialistic pleasures like women, my job and career, getting the approval of others, etc. were just transitory.

Those things just werent enough for me. Doing things for the self instead of transcending that into something way more meaningful can only take you so far spiritually and emotionally.

I tried things like self improvement, new age, working out and trying to be a better person, dating multiple girls. But I was still frustrated. I was not merry.

I've come to realize that people should make their souls happy instead of their bodies first.

Today I can honestly wake up in the morning and know why I'm here for instead of asking - " why am I running around in circles?'

But It was a choice that I've made and it have brought me peace and joy.

and isnt that what everyone longs for?

What good are things when you are not content?

So my brothers, this site was instrumental in my spiritual quest and I pray that everyone here finds the right path to true happiness and contentment.

Peace and Love to all of you.

 

[War Against Betaism]

Good luck man, glad you found something that suits you. To be honest though I think initially we were all young boys who wanted that womanly comfort, but then we eventually evolve our needs to wanting to improve our spirits. That's actually a goal of mine though I'm really not the religious type (Catholicism and Christianity didn't work out for me). To change our goals into spiritual needs is a sign that we've made big accomplishments in our lives and that whatever bodily pleasures we were seeking out is no longer an issue with us that we move onto bigger things.

 

[azanon]

Hey I understand Roly, I really do.

I see this question we all face fitting in perfectly with the Matrix analogy.

Most do prefer the blue pill (as confirmed by statistics) which generally promises eternal life, avoiding eternal damnation, a pre-defined moral creed, moral and community support (in the form of other followers/preachers), social acceptance where said religion is the primary culture, pre-defined "purpose in life", and various means to deal with any guilt that you may have for your shortcomings. Most religions also help placate your shortcomings, and tell you you're an equal in the eyes of God despite any obvious physical or mental ailments. Most religious promise some form of karma to help deal with the obvious inequities. Blue pills are placebos on steroids, and even I must admit that sounds like a pretty effective drug.

Its simply not going to be many people that will prefer a red pill that doesn't promise eternal life, requires you to define your moral code, requires you to define your purpose, and requires acknowledgement that its possible or likely that you're basically in this world alone. The only obvious gain of the red pill is the right to use freethought, logic, and reason as your guide as opposed to turning to the appropriate verse in your Koran for guidance.

The best thing going for those few who go red pill, is that most everyone else is swallowing blue. One's only powerful when its compared to others less powerful. Power is logically relative. I know your playbook. I make mine up as I go.

You definitely want to be happy in life. I'm glad you at least tried to do it with the red pill. It was logical to try it that way first before plugging into mind-numbing bliss.

 

[Rebound Material]

Asalaamu alaikum

Its good to know that some people do get over the kind of BS problems we have here on SS and finally find something more.

Btw, which religion did you convert from?

 

[kabatura]

"Some would rather seek up higher, than dig and grind in the truth"
Saul Williams

But I disagree with Saul Williams on that.

I'm a Christian so we aren't exactly on the same page but it this site pulls you away from seeking God then get out of here.

 

[KontrollerX]

You owe it to yourself to read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins before giving your life up to religion.

To fully accept a path in life you should know what all the paths are first.

If you still want to remain religious after reading that then more power to you but if you don't read it I'd say you are doing yourself and your intelligence a great disservice.

There are many ways to be happy, healthy and fulfilled in life outside of religion or shallow pursuits.

You could decide to become your own master and guide and become a philanthropist who finds joy in helping others while embracing a traditional morality if you have a need for a moral code to follow.

There is no reason under the sun to embrace Christianity or Islam or any other man made religion to find joy, peace and happiness in life.

You can find those things all on your own.

Please rethink this course before going down this road.

The site faithfreedom.org may make you reconsider Islam as well.

 

[kabatura]

There are many reasons though to follow the God who created the universe.

I have to say out of fairness that maybe you should read the God delusion. But you should also read A Case For Christ or another apolegitc book. Of course your going into Islam so I doubt youd be into that. but you see where Im coming from. If someone advocated reading an intellectual type of book supporting atheism they need to do the same with Christianity.

 

[kabatura]

This is going to get closed isnt it?

 

[Moon Ram]

At least you have found peace & hapiness. I think religion helps a man to lead a orderly life. I'm wondering why you are leaving this site & why you choose Islam out of ten other religions.
Allah hafiz Roly.

 

[TheHumanist]

Its simply not going to be many people that will prefer a red pill that doesn't promise eternal life, requires you to define your moral code, requires you to define your purpose, and requires acknowledgement that its possible or likely that you're basically in this world alone. The only obvious gain of the red pill is the right to use freethought, logic, and reason as your guide as opposed to turning to the appropriate verse in your Koran for guidance.

The best thing going for those few who go red pill, is that most everyone else is swallowing blue. One's only powerful when its compared to others less powerful. Power is logically relative. I know your playbook. I make mine up as I go.

You definitely want to be happy in life. I'm glad you at least tried to do it with the red pill. It was logical to try it that way first before plugging into mind-numbing bliss.

I don't think it means just because he have a book and a belief one follows, it means that a person is without reason, logic, and freethought. A bit binary, but you are making it seems he is a lesser man for taking up a belief in life. Since when is a man should just be measured by the relative power knowing his playbook and he doesn't, and what game is that, what the goal and what is the measured use to score? If it doesn't cause pain in life, why should he be called a blue pill which is basically saying he is living up a fantasy. If he start going fundamental and no longer thinking in terms of reasoning and thought, then he is going irrational, but taking up a belief, even a religion, I say he is not going blue pill fantasy, lying to himself.

 

[wolf116]

This is something I often struggle with when thinking alone.

How can a moderately intelligent person believe in one religion and dismiss all others as fairytales? What am I missing? Even if one of the religions were correct, then the billions of other intelligent people who believed in other religions were totally wrong.

I keep thinking about it, it seems that I must be wrong if so many people of far greater intelligent then me have a religion.

What do you like about religion?

The only thing I can come up with is this. You convince yourself that you believe in a chosen religion because you are unhappy or scared of death, and living this delusion makes you happier. Do people do this consciously or unconsciously? Has there been study into this? I don't think it could be done consciously unless you can somehow erase the memories of convincing yourself. Do people convert to a religious belief when totally happy to begin with.

Arrrrrrrrrrrr!!! I wish I could understand.

 

[kabatura]

For me it is this.

I believe there is a God that made everything and is still in power.

I want to know that God and be part of what He is doing.


As far as other religions go. I don't understand how it all works. Perhaps Jesus will explain it to me when I die. I hope I see Roly in heaven.

 

[TheHumanist]

This is something I often struggle with when thinking alone.

How can a moderately intelligent person believe in one religion and dismiss all others as fairytales? What am I missing? Even if one of the religions were correct, then the billions of other intelligent people who believed in other religions were totally wrong.

There's a growing idea that "there's more than one way to god." Many people does not dismiss it as a foolish fairytale, but as another path. Many people believe that the growing percentage of this idea is crucial to religious tolerance. Just think of this, in your years, I'm sure you must have met a religious person of different nomination, a person who came to call him a friend or something of familarity, but you don't share the same religion, do you see think his thinking and ideas on his faith as someone who is following a fairytale or a lie? Or do you see it as a differating idea?

I keep thinking about it, it seems that I must be wrong if so many people of far greater intelligent then me have a religion.

What do you like about religion?

The only thing I can come up with is this. You convince yourself that you believe in a chosen religion because you are unhappy or scared of death, and living this delusion makes you happier. Do people do this consciously or unconsciously? Has there been study into this? I don't think it could be done consciously unless you can somehow erase the memories of convincing yourself. Do people convert to a religious belief when totally happy to begin with.

Arrrrrrrrrrrr!!! I wish I could understand.

From my experiences, there are many reasons. Yes, one of the most common is the relgion born into. They keep it as a habit, but it does mean they are without critical thought or reasoning. It like a system of morals, much of your values and morals have roots from your parents which they instilled you in as you grew up. Yet, do you just drop it as you grew up? No, over time, new experiences and introspection bring new changes and modifications, am I correct? For some, it means as they grow, they will drop it completely, but for others, they found value in the belief. This what trouble me when around here, it seems that those who decided to continue to have faith seems to be depicted a blue pill fool, choosing fantasy and lies over truth.

There's a reason why people commonly look down on religous fundamentalists, they act superior, closed to discussion, and never seem to have ever question the reasoning behind their faith. Most religous people are not that extreme. These are open to discussion and debate, have much wisdom from their experiences in life, and are quite intelligent. They obviously after a long discussion, they proven themselves to be more than reasonable, intellegent, and rational people.

 

[Squiggly Sponge]

It's tough to accept that there is no ultimate redemption, that life isn't fair and we have to play the cards we're dealt. In the end, I guess you have to do what makes you happy and more power to you for doing so. Just please don't be like the rest of them and push your beliefs onto other people. Encountered a crazy lady with a megaphone in the city today...

 

[Darth]

I believe there is a God that made everything and is still in power.

I want to know that God and be part of what He is doing.

Yes.

 

[wolf116]

I believe there is a God that made everything and is still in power.

I want to know that God and be part of what He is doing.

If he is anything like the god in the bible then I want to be as far away as possible from that spiteful, murdering, juvenile, psychopath. I've read as much of the bible as I could stand and If it is true, I'd rather go to hell. The devil seems like a nicer guy, all the cool people go to hell while the extremely stuck up boring chicks go to heaven. Plus all the fun things are sins, so heaven would be boring as sh!t. Why would god create me to not believe in him, love me, then send me to hell to torcher me.

There's a growing idea that "there's more than one way to god." Many people does not dismiss it as a foolish fairytale, but as another path. Many people believe that the growing percentage of this idea is crucial to religious tolerance. Just think of this, in your years, I'm sure you must have met a religious person of different nomination, a person who came to call him a friend or something of familarity, but you don't share the same religion, do you see think his thinking and ideas on his faith as someone who is following a fairytale or a lie? Or do you see it as a differating idea?

If other paths to god exist where it is awesome to be promiscuous and have 24 wife's. Then what was the point of withholding sex before marriage? If both are correct, then god obviously doesn't give a cr@p.

 

[Luke Skywalker]

Some links that may be helpful:

Allah had no son:
http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0042/0042_01.asp

Unforgiven:
http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/1043/1043_01.asp

Men of Peace:
http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/1031/1031_01.asp


It's obvious that there is really nothing in this world, but you have to ask yourself is it really the correct solution? What are Muhammad's real credentials? Did he heal the sick? Did he rise from the dead? He's just someone who started a religion - just like the Bahai movement, or Mormonism with Jospeh Smith.

Someone talked about the red-pill and the blue-pill, but apart from being saved through Jesus Christ, everyone is on the blue-bill.

 

[jafyk]

I grew up in a christian family and when I got to the age where I could understand things more.I made the decision to be a christian. The way I see it the magniude,wonder and order of this world convinces me there's God. I think it takes a God as brilliant to create humans as brilliant too; but just as the nice car with all it's complex features can't question the Honda engineers who made it.In a sense the same applies to us. Except in our case we can communicate with God but most of us have chosen not to. A lot of things in the world are the way they are because we human beings have free will besides natural disasters most of the wrong things that go on in this world we are responsible for it. I can't claim to understand everything about God or why things are the way they are. He has revealed what he wants us to know. If we had more knowledge than him then he wouldn't be a creator and we the created. So,that's where faith comes in. Anyway, I can't convince anyone here because we humans are free thinkers and we want everything to suite our selfish desires and if we can't figure it out it and if it doesn't make sense to our limited mind,it can't be true. We can see or touch air yet we believe it exists. While I think somethings God has done doesn't seem fair.Still one toy can't ask it's maker why did you make this other toy this way and me that way.Not saying we are toys(just an analogy). Anyway,some of the questions raised here are valid but there's no precise answer for everything. I'd rather have faith in God through Jesus than find out later after death or the rapture that I was wrong. Being a christian isn't that bad, lol.

 

[KontrollerX]

All the wonderous things about humanity are easily explained by natural selection and evolution.

Read The Blind Watchmaker also by Richard Dawkins.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blind_Watchmaker

The religious constantly grasp at straws with the brilliant argument of something is beautiful/complex etc therefore god must exist, god musta dunnit.

Nope.

Natural selection is a far more logical and rational explanation rather than the explanation of an invisible sky fairy willing something to happen.