Religion & Spirituality - 28 September 2007

I need to write a sermon for a serivice next week, and i was thinking of using a pack of cards as an illustration. I'm unsure how to go about writing a logical sermon using them. Anyone got any ideas? (i.e. ace represents one God etc)

2007-09-28 08:43:03 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous

Even though almost all atheists and agnostics have differing points of view, I have yet to be flamed by either for my beliefs (or lack there of) where Christians often argue amongst themselves over seeming meaningless details in the bible. Why is that?

2007-09-28 08:42:54 · 19 answers · asked by Militant Agnostic 6

And literally had your experiences, your genetics, your brain cells, would they do exactly what you do?

2007-09-28 08:42:24 · 10 answers · asked by Eleventy 6

on the Global Corruption Index, a survey of 133 nations conducted by Transparency International (an anti-graft watchdog). A score of 10 means a country is seen as being 'highly clean', and a score of zero means 'highly corrupt.'

How come more secular European countries are less corrupt than the USA?

The least corrupt country in the world was Finland, a very secular, Scandanvian country. Finland scored 9.7 out of 10. Bangladesh is the world's most corrupt nation with a score of 1.3.

Poor countries with political unrest are typically more corrupt. Here is where the USA ranked among the rich Western nations.

Finland- 9.7
Iceland- 9.6- Denmark
New Zealand- 9.5
Singapore- 9.4
Sweden- 9.3
Netherlands- 8.9
Australia- 8.8
Norway- 8.8
Switzerland- 8.8
Canada- 8.7
Luxembourg-8.7
United Kingdom- 8.7
Austria- 8.0
Hong Kong- 8.0
Germany- 7.7
Belgium- 7.6
Ireland- 7.5
USA- 7.5
Chile- 7.4

What do you think?

2007-09-28 08:41:23 · 28 answers · asked by pixie_pagan 4

if the angels are at war with each other,and they are with god,what does that mean 4 us when we get there?

2007-09-28 08:37:37 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-09-28 08:32:42 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous

I don't quite under stand

2007-09-28 08:31:24 · 23 answers · asked by JMS 2

I have to preface this because it contains a question about homosexuality. I have 4 very close people in my life who are gay and I love them with everything I am. I am not flaming gays.

With that said,
If only a small fraction of us are born gay, is this considered a birth defect like lets say dwarfism? Is dominance inheritance a key player within the evolutionary process when it comes to genetics? They say that 60% of birth defects come from unknown causes, so if it isnt a mother's environment for the fetus, its genetic. If it werent a birth defect wouldnt more of us be born gay? How much of a role does evolution play in this? I know this is alot of question and I should be charged 15 points, anything you can give me infowise is appreciated. Serious answers from informed individuals would be ideal. I posted in here because alot of you seem to be informed on topics like this. This is not a question for flaming others, thank you.

2007-09-28 08:29:40 · 30 answers · asked by Loosid 6

I am very confused when I hear "devout" Christians talking about how much they want to invade this country or that country. Their support of the Iraq War confuses me most of wall. Why not rise above such senseless violence?

Note: I am not claiming that all Christians support war. This isdirected to the many that do.

2007-09-28 08:27:25 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous

Is that why we were commanded to not "take the lords name in vain" or am I interpreting that wrong?

2007-09-28 08:25:53 · 8 answers · asked by Jason 4

...and that the universe has been expanding and contracting in a cyclical way (i.e., the big bang was just one of many). Not all scientists believe it, but if one day enough evidence supports it, will you believe it or trash it like evolution?

2007-09-28 08:23:13 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous

Latria is a Greek term used in Catholic theology to mean adoration, which is the highest form of worship or reverence and is directed only to the Holy Trinity.

Latria is sacrificial in character, and may be offered only to God. Catholics offer other degrees of reverence to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to the Saints; these non-sacrificial types of reverence are called Hyperdulia and Dulia, respectively. Hyperdulia is essentially a heightened degree of dulia provided only to the Blessed Virgin.

In Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglo Catholic theology, veneration is a type of honor distinct from the worship due to God alone. Church theologians have long adopted the terms latria for the sacrificial worship due to God alone, and dulia for the veneration given to saints and icons. Catholic theology also includes the term hyperdulia for the type of veneration specifically paid to Mary, mother of Jesus, in Catholic tradition. This distinction is spelled out in the dogmatic conclusions of the Seventh Ecumenical Council (787), which also decreed that iconoclasm (forbidding icons and their veneration) is a heresy that amounts to a denial of the incarnation of Jesus.

Veneration is a religious symbolic act giving honor to someone by honoring an image of that person, particularly applied to saints.

The Blessed Virgin, as manifesting in a sublimer manner than any other creature the goodness of God, deserves from us a higher recognition and deeper veneration than any other of the saints; and this peculiar cultus due to her because of her unique position in the Divine economy, is designated in theology hyperdulia, that is dulia in an eminent degree. It is unfortunate that neither our own language nor the Latin possesses in its terminology the precision of the Greek. The word latria is never applied in any other sense than that of the incommunicable adoration which is due to God alone. But in English the words adore and worship are still sometimes used, and in the past were commonly so used, to mean also inferior species of religious veneration and even to express admiration or affection for persons living upon the earth. So David "adored" Jonathan. In like manner Miphiboseth "fell on his face and worshipped" David (2 Samuel 9:6).

2007-09-28 08:23:01 · 11 answers · asked by cashelmara 7

I will not violate.
if you don't like nasty jokes...don't read these.

2007-09-28 08:22:45 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous

personaly i get insulted when people assume that i'm religious just cause i belive in god. i consider myself spiritual; nothing more. anyone else feel this way or is it just me?

2007-09-28 08:22:28 · 17 answers · asked by Doc 1

2007-09-28 08:21:49 · 30 answers · asked by G's Random Thoughts 5

2007-09-28 08:21:02 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-09-28 08:18:32 · 22 answers · asked by Anonymous

today i was brushing my teeth and when i spit out the foamy tooth paste, it landed in the shape of a fish.
is God trying to tell me something? or is some kind of fishy higher being trying to contact me? Aliens? tell me your opinion

2007-09-28 08:17:36 · 27 answers · asked by Anonymous

I can only speak for myself, but I've never seen an atheist on here say that he or she would refuse to believe in any deity if overwhelming evidence were presented.
I have, however, heard people say that they would *not* give up their belief in god, no matter what evidence were ever presented to them.
Have you actually met a closed minded atheist?

2007-09-28 08:15:38 · 43 answers · asked by Samurai Jack 6

I was born Jewish into an atheist background, but now am finding myself very spiritual. I like Christianity and Catholicism, and am not sure which one to choose. I never felt "at home" with Judaism, but I do like the above 2 religions I just mentioned. I am uncomfortable though, with the position the Catholic church takes on divorce. And, I particularly don't like why most people do not like "born-again" Christians. Thanks for your answers, everyone.

2007-09-28 08:15:37 · 27 answers · asked by 2016 1

I mean, if the sauce was too spicy for Jesus to handle, then that would mean He's not really a the Son of God, right? But if he could handle a really picante hot sauce, then that would mean that he was incapable of making a seriously hot salsa! Couldn't God create some super habaneros for him or something? Help please!

2007-09-28 08:15:34 · 6 answers · asked by TubThumpin 3

No one has ever seen either. Yet if you have faith in one that makes him real. But the other everyone considers to be make believe.

Yet it's ok to tell children about the one til a certain age then tell them he isn't real but we contunie into adult hood beliving in the other. I mean really without proof can God be anymore real then Santa?

2007-09-28 08:12:34 · 28 answers · asked by moscow1677 2

2007-09-28 08:12:08 · 36 answers · asked by G's Random Thoughts 5

2007-09-28 08:12:04 · 13 answers · asked by Future 5

Coming in Y/A and reading all of the atheist's comments that constanly ridicule and challange all believers.

2007-09-28 08:09:28 · 56 answers · asked by phlada64 6

2007-09-28 08:09:24 · 18 answers · asked by Thomas 2

I am an Agnostic. My mind is not closed to new ideas the way I see in most people in this forum. Here are a few gound rules. You may NOT say "because I Believe, Have Faith, etc." if you are a Believer. The same goes for the Atheists out there. None of this "It's simple logic" nonsense. If you are going to claim one belief or the other there has to be a solid REASON given with some kind of proof given to back up that reason. Short, silly or just plain stupid answers will not be considered. I am looking for answers from thoughtful people, not idiots on either side of this who have no clue why they believe as they do. So there's the challenge people, anybody up for it?

2007-09-28 08:08:10 · 18 answers · asked by eyeque195 4

Are we more closely related to dirt or monkeys?

2007-09-28 08:07:19 · 14 answers · asked by Jason 4

Aren'y these just descriptions we use as humans? They don't actually exist, right?

I mean, was anything good or evil when dinosaurs roamed the earth? Before any life was on earth?

2007-09-28 08:07:19 · 17 answers · asked by Sheed 4

How come when anyone asks why you beleive in god, you never give a proper answer, you just spout stuff from the bible and call it proof, or you just say it's because he obviously is real, well, please give me actual, hard evidence of this magical man in the sky's existence, because the bible sure aint proof. Cant you just take a look at your religion for a second, and then you will realise just how absurd it is, wars have been fought over imaginary people and the things they never did.

2007-09-28 08:06:48 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous