pop quiz!!!

I would have to choose the third "scenario" over the other two mainly because it is more 'reasonable' to believe in that the other two. And so would have ancient man. First, the "miracles": for what reason and what use would there be to turn butterscotch into butterflies, or turning cheese into the moon and the ocean pink; the mountains dance, or turning a cow paddy into rasberry cheesecake? They all would pretty wacko or a very interesting trip. Ancient man would have seem it as just plain crazy and would have found nothing useful in believing in a supernatural being performing those miracles, with the exceptions of those making the zits go away and curing the common cold. The former does not solve any of the ancient man's life's mysteries or give reason for what he was seeing in nature. The beginnings of a belief system (or religion) wsa to provide answers or explanations for what was observed in nature. Thus a rainbow was a covenant between the Hebrews and their god. Or the trail left by Iris, the Greek goddess of rainbows, on her way to deliver the messages of the gods. Or, in Norse mythology, the rainbow was the bridge Bifrost that provided the way to Asgard, home of the Norse gods. What you would have believed in came from where you were (Middle East, Southern Europe, or Northern Europe) and what culture you belonged (Hebrew, Greek or Norse). Therefore, turning a piece of cheese into the moon does not explain the moon or the reason for the moon. In most belief systems, the moon represented a god, goddess, or other superhuman or supernatural being. Making a mountain dance answers no observable event in nature (OK-maybe explanation of an earthquake, but only by a huge stretch). Turning butterscotch into butterflies - Why? This does not answer anything observable in nature. Early belief systems offered explanations for what was being observed by ancient man in his environment. Secondly, the other statements did not change between the "scenarios". So the only thing different amongst the three was the type of miracles, and if you discard the types and only focus on the ability to perform a miracle, then all three scenarios are really one and the same. So, lets get down to the last question, why would I base my life on something someone wrote a long, long time ago? Ok, what was written so long ago was at that time very reasonable way to live a life, very admirable goals when the writings outlined the laws to live by. Granted, the parts of the text that dealt with more historical stories leave a lot to be desired, nonetheless, they were there for a reason. This placed against modern day life, much no longer applies to our life in a highly technologically advanced culture, especially the details, but the general theme, the big picture, still applies: treat each other with respect and love one another. On more personal reasons: first, let me say that I am a man of science. I always received higher grades in science and math classes throughout high school and college. I find it easier to believe in what I can observe or feel, or what sounds more logical and reasonable. So, I find that I have come to believe in two theories in science: the Big Bang Theory and the theory of evolution. To me, both theories reveals the ways and means a supernatural being would have accomplished creating this universe and life on this planet. Also, personal experiences has shown me that there is a definite "spirit" or soul and there are different 'planes' (or phases) of existence. This experience has convinced me of the several planes or phases, that this universe is but one phase along the journey of spiritual life. Thirtysome years ago, I had met and became friends with a woman, who told me (after we had known each other for some time) that she could visit a higher plane of existance. She then proceded to tell more about it and what one could do there. This higher plane was still a part of this universe and part outside of it. She could still see everything here, but could travel instantaneously between two points and through time. OK, at first I really didn't believe to much in this, until I started to investigate and read a thin book that pretty much said the same thing. Then she really threw me a curve: sho told me that I travelled that plane when I slept, that she had met my spirit there several times. My only problem was that I could not remember (right!) Until she demonstrated and I actually remembered what had happened! At this point, her and her husband was living with my wife and I in a large 5 bedroom house. They were in bad times, so we took them in for a few months. During this time, one Saturday, I had gone to my bedroom to take a brief nap. Unknown to me, she laid down on the couch in the livingroom and placed herself in a trance, her spirit came and got my spirit up to that higher plane, and off we went. Suddenly I found myself in a livingroom with two other people there. My friend and I were 'floating' up along the ceiling, looking down. I recognized the man as the husband of another friend. I did not recognized the womean with him. They were talking (I could not hear what about). Then they got up from chairs, hugged, kissed briefly, and then.... My wife decided to wake me up. Have you ever awaken from a deep slumber suddenly, so suddenly that you do not recognized where you are at for a few seconds? This is what happened to me. When my wife wakened me, I sat straight up, looked around, and thought, "This is not where I was just at!" I turned around quickly a couple of times before I realized where I was at. Of course, my wife thought I was dreaming about being with another woman in her bed and stormed out. Anyway, I knew by then what had happened, and also knew that my wife woke me in order for me to take her to work. I checked on my friend on the couch and she seemed to be ok, so I left. Later, my friend explained that she knew that my wife had awakened me suddenly, because suddenly she was left alone in that livingroom. So she 'returned' to her body. We really wasn't able to talke much about what had happened, so I let it slip from my mind. Until three weeks later, when then man from the livingroom stopped by my place. His wife was there visiting with my wife. With him was the woman from the livingroom! I must have looked at her oddly because she asked me if anything was wrong. At the time I only vaguely recognized her, and I questioned her as to if we had ever met. She answered, no. Come to find out she was his sister! She had come by to ask her sister-in-law to feed her dogs the next weekend as she would be out of town and her brother would not be able to do so either. That weekend, I went with her to help out. I got an uneasy feeling about her place as we drove up to it. It wasn't until I stepped through the front door into the livingroom that the whole experience from four weeks early hit me with full force. Ever seem to recognize a room you've never seen before? Deja vue? Yup, that's what happened. Big time. I had to sit down. My friend looked at me strangely and asked if anything was wrong. I just explained as a strong sense of deja vue and we both had a chuckle and went about the chore. I later confirmed with my first friend with the events that I was remembering. She actually told me of a couple of details from that livingroom that I remember seeing there when I was actually there. She did not know the sister-in-law and did not know where she lived. After this, there were a few other smaller instances, and each one further solidified the belief in the different phases and plances of existence. And finally, a very personal experience that convinced me of a presence of a supernatural being. One evening I was dealing with a very strong 'desire' (as I said this was very personal, so I will not delve into what the 'desire' was) and was not dealing with it and the situation well. At this time in my life I had just started going back to church. And this church was having a class on what it meant to be a Christian. Any way, as the evening progressed, the situation degraded. My desire was getting the better of me, causing my stress to go up along with me getting rather angry about the whole situation. At one point I sat off in a corner and challanged "God". I asked that if He was really there, He would need to remove this desire, as it was really strong, and I was not going to be able to resist it, or be able to just ignore it and forget it. I really did not speak the words, but just formed them in my mind. As the request was finished, that 'desire' instantly disappeared. All that I was experiencing that evening - the desire, the stress, and the anger from trying to deal with the situation - all of it gone in an instant. Faster than you could snap your fingers. So suddenly, in fact, I tried to get it all back - to no avail. It was all gone. Even the interest in the 'desire' was gone. The feeling was that as if a huge weight had been lifted off of me. Stress level was gone, I was alot calmer. The experience was a little troubling in the fact that "God" answered me, so I left the company I was with that night to go off by myself to do alot of thinking. I did not fully understand what had happened that evening until years later. So, sconi, there you have have journey into my current state of beliefs. And currently, I am beginning to formulate the reasoning behind believing that all of the world's religions are really the same belief system, and all about the same "god". Ah, but that's another discussion.

In the beginning there was nothing but energy or maybe there was a beginning before this beginning. What beginning are you referring to, esoteric, theopolitical, physical or imaginary? I am a bit confused here.

I choose what's behind door number 4! Why? 'Cos it's a blank slate and that's what my own faith sprang from. Every religious text has something to offer, but it doesn't mean that I need to embrace any or all in entirety! Nor do I need to be taking any of it as literally as it is written. It's MY journey in life and MY choice to not be bound by rules, written directives or interpretations of what God supposedly is or what God has done. God is omnipotent and not tethered by such things! Some people believe in things like the the 3 examples you gave because they've either found solace in and affinity with the words and ideals; or because it's been drilled into them their whole lives to the point of not being able to think freely and question anymore; or because they don't know any different. There's MY 3 options! No, I would never base my entire life on written words, but I'll certainly seek and gain knowledge and strength from MANY of them! Faith CAN exist alongside a questioning mind that isn't marginalized into a singular focus of thought, dagnabbit. If anything, this is how faith is strengthened and true spirtuality and knowledge can be attained.

I won't say which one is more believable than the others. I'll take a guess as to why people believe... I think they believe for different reaons. Some believe because they were simply taught to believe, by their parents. Some believe because they NEED to believe that there is more out there and someone or something (God) out there taking care of things. I pretty much don't believe in The Bible, but I do believe in God, but I don't know "why" I believe. So my personal answer would be (despite your instructions that this is not allowed) just because. I think there are many different reasons for people to believe. I hope you get some more answers. I think I asked a similar question in a discussion and only got a few answers. "Faith" seemed to be the most credible answer, in my opinion.

Initially I thought this was going to be stupid, but I was pleasantly surprised. Its actually an interesting idea you got going here. People's minds are so adapted to finding things within the bible to be relatively normal, especially those of us who have grown up around Christianity. I myself am not a Christian but I have been around it long enough. Personally, I don't base my life on these beliefs. I don't really believe in a "beginning" of everything, either, for the record. Christians (and many other religious types) claim their God created everything, that he was the very beginning and will be the very end. I think that if God can "just exist" (as it is implied by religion), then why can't the universe just exist as well. No big bang, no God. No creation. Just pure existence. My reality is that the universe, nature, and myself are essentially gods (or pieces of god). The word "god" implies a being or unit of beings that should be encompassing all things, not just a single individual being.

The third is more accurate based on the Bible. and why believe it, it is all about Faith. My believes are based on faith and yes the bible was written a very long time ago. but so were so many other things that we believe.

Can I have some bean dip?

Bears. They created everything - took some bean dip and created man (although it's a mystery why). They then did the blah blah blah, turned everything into honey and cured acne, like you said, and didn't show any mercy towards LITTERERS. They didn't really turn people into pillars of salt, though - they turned them into big, strong trees so they could rub their @rses on them when they felt itchy ... ahhhhh, the relief! There is no such thing as an acceptable answer. A,B,C,D - or none/any/all of the above will certainly suffice!

I could never base my life on any of that. That's not how it all happened. That's not what God is doing as we speak. Can you understand God????? Answers are all around you. Yes, the real answers for those who can and choose to see. Even the people factor adds up!