Can you express your faith in your own words?

Can you express your faith, WITHOUT religious or scientific texts, references, quotes, et cetera?

I want YOU to think about it, I want YOU to post what makes sense IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Be it an emotional bond with some mystical spiritual energy, your...

knowledge of advanced-astrophysics, or a talking rhino that lives in your sock drawer.

Since religion is such a CONFLICTIVE topic on this site, I want the posters to INTERNALIZE their answers. Put all your books, materials, and other resources aside. Just close your eyes, block out the rest of the world, and speak with your soul.

...and...BEGIN!

the thing I've noticed about faith is that it's hard to express in any words. mainly because faith is different for every person. I attend a christian school, so have had a first hand look at the kind of people who use faith as a crutch. what I've decided is that faith is different for each person because it is what they need it to be at that moment. I say this all to say, until I was able to realize this, I had a lot of trouble with defining and claiming my faith. here is my best explanation of my personal faith: what I need more than anything else in the world is love. I can date guys, but that doesn't fill the gaping hole of need that hurts in my heart every day and night. I'm scared and alone. then, I realized that there is someone or something out there that is bigger than any possible understanding that loves me, cares about me, and promises to always keep me safe and do what is best for me. I no longer have to worry, everything is taken care of. most of all, finally I feel whole. faith, for me, is simply that feeling of wholeness that no one and nothing else can give me. this is through being raised in a christian family and going to church and all that. it wasn't until my personal faith hit me that it made a difference in my life.

now that I've tried to express it in my words, I hope you won't mind this quick quote. I recently read cat's cradle by kurt vonnegut. in the religious texts of the fictional religion that bokonon made up it says: live by the foma that make you brave and kind and healthy and happy. foma means harmless untruths. I think that is the real key concept when it comes to faith. most likely, 99.9% of people don't understand faith and religion at all and are doing it all wrong. however, we can't know which .1% is doing it right, and it's more important that the faith is there and what comes of it than that it is the correct faith. I just wanted to throw that out there.

Creation in and of itself has too many intricacies that there is no way it could have evolved or just happened. The details that go into nature for example. How and why things interact with each other. The design of nature has to have a Designer. I don't for one minute think that we, humans, or animals, plant life etcetera were just the result of gases mingling together and then Kaboom, life. Any structure of DNA is not random. It has a profound and distinct pattern. Whether or not that is proof enough for anyone to believe in God, I don't know. Depends on the individual I guess and whether or not they are open minded enough to consider a God designed universe.

God, capitalized, has to be defined. Without a definition, your question can't be answered. Anybody who thinks they can prove or disprove God, without knowing your definition of it, is guessing.

Please don't threaten to delete people who don't post on topic...if we did that, you'd have 10% of the answers you have currently.

God has to be taken on faith, he is not to be proved or disproved. His glory is all around, everywhere you look, but, without the eyes of faith, you can't see it.. same goes for everything that pertains to him.. He offers.. we receive... by faith... everything else is blocked out. The natural mind cannot conceive the things of God. His kingdom exists...in the hearts of his followers.

Blessings..

Oh, and Captain... I have not read the posts after mine, in the other categories, but, I am so very glad that you have made your own post. There is plenty of room for everyones opinions, whether believers or unbelievers... and we can co- exist peacefully... which is so wonderful.

This isn't my post, I'm continuing someone else's.

Dude, there's plenty of justification for deleting irrelevant posts, it will disourage idiotic rantings. This reccuring thread NEEDS it, and its not MY fault people haven't thought of it before...

First thing: No, I'm doing the EXACT same thread that YOU did TWICE.

Second thing: Am I an advisor or administrator? Nooo. So HOW could I delete posts?

Third thing: Nobody has yet succeeded in EITHER, even WITH the use of documented resources. The REASON for the restrictions (as usual) is to focus on individuals who actually KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT. And can state their theories with a well-thought-out and well-worded response. I'm sick of all the theistic and atheistic dipdunks whose longwinded posts boil down to:

Jeezy-Chreezy-happy-clappy-HUZZAH!

or

God is lies. Life sucks. When you die, you're dead.

*sigh*

You see, THIS is what I have to work with, hence the imaginary filter.

Didn't anyone read the first post on this thread??

Yep. YOU and one other. The other two are just playfully causing problems for the sake of 'causing problems'...

i don't understand the question though.

do you want someone to prove or disprove the existence of god through personal experiences?

They can if they want, or if they have actual theories that make sense. The REASON I prohibited the use of texts, is because in the past, people just cut pasted scriptures, excerpts from a thesis, or an entire webpage; but that defeats the purpose of this exercise.

The title of this thread is VERY deceptive, for you ultimately CAN'T prove or disprove ANYTHING to people who aren't willing to listen. So who is the FIRST person who WILL listen? YOURSELF. If you looked into a mirror, what would you say to yourself that would make sense?

I want YOU to think about it, I want YOU to post what makes sense IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Be it an emotional bond with some mystical spiritual energy, your knowledge of advanced-astrophysics, or a talking rhino that lives in your sock drawer.

Since religion is such a CONFLICTIVE topic on this site, I want the posters to INTERNALIZE their answers. Put all your books, materials, and other resources aside. Just close your eyes, block out the rest of the world, and speak with your soul.

i guess with ALL the responses after your post..

thats a no.

you cant prove it

lol... I know...

Like I said, THIS thread requires THOUGHT.

NEVER ALONE

I am continually with thee; thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward recieve me to glory.
Psalm 72:23-24

I love the LORD because he hears and answers my prayers. Because he bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I have breath.
Psalm 116:1-2

God, during those times when I feel the ache of loneliness, help me to remember that you are never more than a whispered prayer away. Amen.

ghostface... can't read.

... my elaborated description is five posts up...

hey, I have a question for you,captainassassin. Can you see or prove wind? you can feel it and see it's effects but you can't see the wind. That's what God is like,you can feel his love for you and see the effect he has on people,but you can't feel or see him.

Ah, the generic 'wind' analogy... how typical...

Yeah, wind has been proven to exist already. No, we can't see it at first because the molecules atoms that compose it, are so few far between (as with most gasses) that light passes right through it with virutally no refraction, reflection, etc. This changes as the light passes through more more air. The reason the sky is blue, and changes color at dawn dusk, is because of how sunlight reacts to the atmosphere as is passes through at various angles. So yes, you can see it, you just have to see a lot of it.

Oh, and you can also smell, taste hear the wind; when you say 'feel' I'll assume you mean TOUCH it. You can do that too, (wind) because the air molecules are actually COLLIDING with your body.

So...

What were you saying? How is God and wind similar? Do they... SMELL the same? What was your point again?

lol captainassassin I -heart- you.

so... I don't get it... is it like a trick question?
j/k

I love you too... *wink wink*

And no, no trick question. I just want people to express their faith in their own words. You know how some people ask what it's like to be in love?

I want them to express how their faith feels, without quoting scripture, or throwing out amens or huzzahs or the other generic crap...

There... I just updated the topic title as such...

ok

What I believe in is so founded in feelings and thoughts!
There are moments when I'm completely taken over by emotion or I can't get something out of my head. And I honestly believe it's a conscious effort by whatever being or object that is effecting me... maybe like an energy. It's so hard to describe.

So many people describe faith as believing in God or another higher power... what about just believing? I believe in this world and human kind.

Faith and beliefs are even harder to describe than a sneeze, a yawn, an orgasm or even pain. It's all about YOUR perception and everyone's perception (and you can probably throw experience in there too) is different and unique.