About that article you gave us a link to: I read it, but it doesn't really make sense. When I read it, it seems the man was selfish and unhappy when he was an atheist and he found happiness and 'goodness' by becomming a christian.
</span><blockquote><span class="smallfont">Quote:</span><hr size="1" />
Originally Posted by (www.doesgodexist.org) The fool hath said in his heart, "There is no God." Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: There is none that doeth good. God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.<hr size="1" /></blockquote><span class='postcolor'>
Here he says that non-believers aren't good. And that is false. I know plenty of people who are good and kind and you-name-it and are atheists or believe 'something else'.
</span><blockquote><span class="smallfont">Quote:</span><hr size="1" />
Originally Posted by (www.doesgodexist.org)
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?...I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
I have tried almost everything you can imagine to find pleasure and happiness. I will not try to tell you that I did not find pleasure using my own system of following my own desires, but I can guarantee you that I did not find happiness. I tried every conceivable thing you can think of. I tried all kinds of things--things that were immoral, that were wrong, that hurt other people, and things that I would not even want to describe. I did those things because I was trying to find pleasure and happiness and, as I say, I found pleasure sometimes. However, I never went to bed at night satisfied or happy with my life and enjoying my living. I never got up in the morning looking forward to a new day. Life was just one long chain of misery.<hr size="1" /></blockquote><span class='postcolor'>
Here he says his life was meaningless without god and he hurt people because he was selfish and followed his own desires. But praise the lord he has found him and now he is 'good'. This is nonsense as well. Because you dont -need- to be a christian to see what is the right thing to do. to be 'good' and 'not-selfish'. And there are plenty of 'christians' which are greedy and hurt people because they follow their own desires.
Basicly, my point is: I don't think you have to be a christian to make sense of your life and make it meaningfull. To be 'good'. There are plenty of other religions which claim exactly the same thing (ultimate truth). And if there is a god, he will know why I did what I did. I dont fear judgement. I try to find my faults and work to better myself.
Being religious is not bad, it's just a framework to which you can shape yourself and be content to know that you'll probably end up doing more 'good' than harm. And having the most common mistakes a man can make laid out before you will help you better yourself.
But claiming to be the one and only truth... never really makes sense to me. I don't believe in that. But like I said and voted, I'm not sure. Could be. Could be the Atheists are right and we all decay into dust. Could be the Islam is right and Allah will punish me for not praying to mecca every day. Could be the Shinto's are right and I become a spirit in nature.
But ultimately, I believe that whatever there is, it will forgive, because when you try to be a good person, that should be enough.