#religion

the most sublime efforts of philosophy can extend no farther than feebly to point out the desire, the hope, or, at most, the probability, of a future state, there is nothing, except a divine revelation, that can ascertain the existence, and describe the condition of the invisible country which is destined to receive the souls of men after their separation from the body. ↗

— Edward Gibbon

#eternal-life #faith #religion #death

I have never believed that God “makes” bad things happen. Death happens to everyone, not as a punishment, but because we are not meant to stay on this earth forever. As a result we are vulnerable rather than invincible, as is the earth we live on. And if our soul is immortal, we move forward knowing we can all be together again one day. ↗

— John Pete

#god #immortality #john-pete #religion #death

When all that’s left of us is the pure untainted consciousness without form, we’ll know what it means when the last human breath expires. ↗

— Zeena Schreck

#buddha #buddhism #death #left-hand-path #religion

If God is omnipotent and omniscient, why didn't he start the universe out in the first place so it would come out the way he wants? Why's he constantly repairing and complaining? No, there's one thing the Bible makes clear: The biblical God is a sloppy manufacturer. He's not good at design, he's not good at execution. He'd be out of business, if there was any competition. ↗

— Carl Sagan

#god #religion #business

God will bring people and events into our lives, and whatever we may think about them, they are designed for the evolution of His life in us. ↗

— Thomas Keating

#design

...evolution is not a religious tenet, to which one swears allegiance or belief as a matter of faith.. It is a factual reality of the empirical world. Just as one would not say 'I believe in gravity," one should not proclaim 'I believe in evolution. ↗

— Michael Shermer

#god #intelligent-design #religion #science #design

At the tattoo parlor, my friend worked with needle and ink applying a design to the skin on his client's back, as the three of us sat discussing our spiritual desires and ambivalence about religion. In the midst of our conversation, the man under the needle turned and said, 'Jesus is cool, it's just that they have f***ed with Jesus. I mean, Christianity was at its best when it was secret and hidden and you could die for it.' This profound, if crass, statement recognizes that the power of the gospel lay in its ability to be a counter-cultural and revolutionary force - not only a story to believe, but a distinctive way of life. The man's comment prompted me to consider the questions: Am I in some measure complicit in the domestication of Jesus? ↗

— Mark Scandrette

#faith #jesus #religion #design

I'm on a diet I plan to lose Guilt, Fear, Sin, and Doubt then I'll be confident enough to walk about. ↗

— Stanley Victor Paskavich

#doubt #faith #fear #guilt #religion

We are not evil. We don't harm or seduce people. We are not dangerous. We are ordinary people like you. We have families, jobs, hopes, and dreams. We are not a cult. This religion is not a joke. We are not what you think we are from looking at T.V. We are real. We laugh, we cry. We are serious. We have a sense of humor. You don't have to be afraid of us. We don't want to convert you. And please don't try to convert us. Just give us the same right we give you--to live in peace. We are much more similar to you than you think. ↗

— Margot Adler

#wicca #dreams

Science tells me God must exist. My mind tells me I'll never understand God. My heart tells me I'm not meant to. [Vittoria Vetra] ↗

— Dan Brown

#religion #science #faith