It has become my belief that there are basically FIVE different kinds of people...
1) Those who are basically good people.
2) Those who are basically bad people.
3) Those who are somewhere in the middle, both good and bad at times (This is where I believe that the majority of human beings can be grouped into).
4) Those who project that they are good but are NOT.
5) Those who are percieved as bad but are NOT.
One of the most important things for everybody to learn in life is the difference between these five and the ability to determine which is which in our daily lives.
There is no such thing as a human being who is perfect all the time. We all make mistakes. One thing that all "good" people believe in is that humans are free to live life and make choices. This also applies to what you choose to believe in, whether you coose to believe in "God" or not is your own choice and you should be allowed to be free thinking to believe... or not.
At time in our lives, we will all make "good" and "bad" decisions pertaining to our own individual lives. Each of us will, at one point or another, do, say, or by omission/lack of involvement be involved in something that is NOT benificial to those who are around us, who also share life as we know it.
The entire relationship we have with our personal beliefs can be split into two areas.
The first area is how and what we believe in and how we live our own lives internaly, be it the mind and body(for those who discard the thought of a "God") or the soul(for those who accept a divine purpose for each individual). Of course those who choose not to believe in "God" are left with the belief in themselves and their individual abilities. Those who do believe in "God" do so with the promise that there is a greater power than themselves.
The second area is how and what we do and it's effects on our relationships and the lives of others.
So the first area, although just our individual beliefs, is important for us because without a solid foundation we would not have the ability to survive within ourselves. It also will determine much of how we conduct ourselves when it comes to the second area which is important because we ALL must live our lives interacting with others (unless you choose absolute isolationism and there are some rare cases of that).
By choosing NOT to believe in a "God" you are actually choosing to believe in something because even if it's just knowledge of life and life matters... you have a belief system.
By choosing to believe in "God" you are setting a foundation for living your life beyond that of what is normally percieved by humans during everyday living.
There is no difference between the two when it comes to believing in something. We all MUST believe in something. The difference is in WHAT do you believe.
I want to use an analogy here... In the TV show... "The Amazing Race"... ALL participants are given instructions pertaining to where, when and how they are to proceed. Now imagine that two participants arrive at the given location together and one followed the instructions and one did not. The one who did not will receive a penality (must wait time) which delays their official arrival. The other follows the instructions and is rewarded with an arrival time that places their finish according to how well they did in the race.
This is how those who believe in "God" attempt to live their lives... by a set of instruction that is based on their perceptions of "God". The non-believers are also permitted to compete in the race. There is nothing wrong with allowing a person to believe in what they choose to believe in. This is the first area of life.
If you choose to not believe in "God" yet project your internal belief system on others by condeming those who do, and blame those who do for all your problems, then you are taking the first area of your life and allowing it to affect your second area, which is life amongst others. After all... YOU choose to follow your own rules which you can conveniently change to benifit yourself depending on your situation. But for those with "God" they will attempt to follow the rules and no matter if they fail or succeed the rules still apply to them as they do to those who are not with "God". Remember, No One is perfect... We all fall short in the end.
If you are not with "God" and manage to life both areas of your life well enough have a "good" life and are happy, then good for you and I'm glad you're happy cause that's all you'll get.
I also have a problem with organized religion as it is being conducted therefore I simply conduct my relationship with "God" by living as best as I can according to the life and spiritual instructions that "God" has provided to me, be it by written word or the spirit... the soul that guides me. Am I "Good"...No. Am I "Bad"...No. I am both... and I know it, as does "God"... but I try to improve as best as I can and without delusions of myself or others. I try and live in the spirit... I am far from perfect but knowing that I have a connection to a caring spirit is comforting and helps me survive.
Good Luck and I'll see you all at the finish line... because we all get there someday.
Wake up and stop cheering picking...the bible is far from a good book to live your life by.
....person
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