Stayed Too Long

I searched google for God recommending doing good for the unbeliever, but found no results. Would you please provide a link? Thank you.

I agree we should evaluate our thoughts and take responsibility for them, good or bad. That is how we grow mentally and ultimately in our actions. However, I no longer give a second mention to see if the thought lines up with God, which for me is very freeing. I used to evaluate my thoughts with what God said, and it resulted in considerable condemnation.

This is the fear Christians must deal with every thought. Not only must a Christian be aware of physical sins they have performed, but also must be aware their God keeps track of every nasty thought they think.

Lennon admitted his inspiration for Imagine was actually taken from poems Yoko Ono had written. He basically plagiarized some of her writings by not giving her credit for her work. He also stated it was from the Communist Manifesto. https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/articles/features/the_story_behind_imagine_by_john_lennon-83853

I don’t know if the Hutterites are squeaky-clean or even what that means. They definitely use electricity, use farm and ranch modern equipment, drive gasoline engine cars, drink booze, buy items from local stores, sell meat, produce, eggs, chickens to local residents and stores. They allow people to hunt on their property. I have no idea what goes on inside the colony. They pay property taxes and income taxes at the corporate level. They do no have an individual income tax. They do not draw unemployment or collect government subsidies such as welfare or snap.

I agree with you. Some of the only groups that have successfully lived the lyrics are religious ones. Around my area of the country there are Hutterites who live a communist lifestyle. They all live in the same cummunity, all have a job to perform, and all well taken care of physically. The Hutterites grow their own vegetable and fruit, and raise their own meat. They make money selling their products to the commubnity.

Lennon believes what he is singing about and is attempting to get listeners to, at least, imagine what it would be like if they lived the lyrics.

One of the lyrics is, “Image no possessions. It’s easy if you try.” John certainly did not live up to this standard, as he had wealth and justified being wealthy. https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/john-lennon-felt-guilty-having-money.html/

My wife and I attended a tribute band to the Beatles called thefabfour.com. One of the songs performed was John Lennon’s “Imagine.” The opening verse is: Imagine there's no heaven It's easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky Imagine all the people living for today So many people love this song, including Christian friends of mine. Most likes it because it is about loving one another, no more killings, no more hunger, and it is a soothing song. However, when I mention that all this will happen when we no longer believe in God, they just shrug their shoulders, and let it go. No matter the lyrics, they just like the song. It just makes me chuckle.

To to all posters. This is the atheist forum and this particular thread is about raising children as atheists. Please do not go

You are going with your comments. Please start a thread dealing with your concerns.

From my point of view, as an athiest, all the mythical gods, and Alluh, Elohim, etc….., the names of which are endless, are a myth. They never existed, they do not exist now, and they will not exist in the future. Once you accept the fact that once you die, and you will go to the grave and decay like any other life on earth, you no longer have to be concerned about gaining or loosing rewards from an angry or loving God. Whew!!! Thank God. Lol.

I did a search on Dionydus, who was also known as Bacchus, and could not find any reference to him turning water into wine. Please provide a link.

Children eventually come to the realization that it is impossible for Santa Clause to deliver presents to all the good boys and girls around the world in one night. Children also realize after a few years, that it is impossible for a rabbit to color and deliver millions of hard boiled eggs to parks and yards around the globe, every Easter morning. These same children also arrive at the conclusion, that the tooth fairy did not actually replace a rotting tooth, places under their pillow, with a few dollars. However, these same children, who have read in a book that a man made the waters of a sea part, continue to believe it, after no concrete evidence exists to prove it. And, when the sea parted a bunch of nice people marched across it. Once all the good folks reached the other side of the ocean, God made the waters once again to come together, thus killing all the bad guys chasing them. Then once all the good people gathered together on the other side of the sea, this same God, made them wonder about the desert for 40 years becuase they ....ed Him off. Of course, He did however, miraculously supply them with food for their entire 40 years of wondering. God also made them invisible to their enemies for the entire 40 years. And when this loving God was about to deliver them from the desert after 40 years, He once again was ....ed off because the leader did something God did not like, so the leader had to die before allowing all the good people to enter the promised land. Also, who can find someone that will change water into the finest wine? Or turn bread into fishes to feed thousands on a hillside? Or pray for a lame person and make him walk? I did a Google search for people cured of aids through prayer, but came up empty. Why has God not acted to free people of aids? People will say He has through medicine, but why did He wait so long and allow thousands to suffer and die from this hideous disease? The Myth of life is Genesis to Revelations is a Myth.

Atheists make better parents because they do not have their children do things out of fear of being punished by a god. Only do things because it is the right thing to do. https://www.indy100.com/news/atheists-make-better-parents-parenting-study-research-7627036

The storm I was facing in life was not seeing all the promises of God in my life and those around me come true. I had no choice but to conclude all the promises I was taught from childhood to adulthood were fraudulent, and had to reject them. If you reject God all that is left is to be an atheist. Becoming an atheist was a very good choice for me.

Religious children are meaner than their secular counterparts, study finds https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/06/religious-children-less-altruistic-secular-kids-study The study found religious children, especially older ones, are meaner than their seculure counterparts.

When I was a young man raised in the Catholic Church I so much wanted to please God. But the biggest thing the church taught me was condemnation. When ever I would have a sinful thought it would send me into a tail spin of condemnation, and as a young guy you can imagine the sinful thoughts I was having minute by minute, hour by hour, etc. I would pray and pray begging God to cleanse my mind. I even sheepishly went to my priest asking him what to do. He didn’t want to talk about sex, but said he would leave some church literature hidden inside the confessional, for me to study. The promised readings never showed up. This really made be feel giulty that mymoriest forgot about me. So after high school graduation I dropped out of the church and never went back. Staying away from the church really left a hole in me spiritually for years, and felt I was hell bound, until one day a guy sat next to me in a cafe and started witnessing to me. He said if you believe Romans 10:9&10, you will go to heaven come hell or high water. Also God can work miracle through us….all we have to do is believe. I signed up for the PFAL class immediately and hurried through all the other classes so I could operate signs, miracle, and wonders. Even went WOW, WOW Ii, and signed up for the Way Corp. But along the way I didn’t see any signs, miracles, and wonders happening. Didn’t even see someone get over a cold by having hands laid on them. This really got started me doubting what TWI was all about and seriously wanting to leave. But by then they had their hooks in me saying if I leave all my rewards will be lost. Blah, blah, blah, you know the rest. Thr reason I finally got out was gecause they marked and avoided me. So stumbling about again with God going to make me a grease spot by midnight, I felt terrible. Finding GSC was a life saver and got me at least on an even keel. Then seeing all the trouble my life had been in because of God, I began thinking what good had he done for me. Slowing I began reading articles about people who were happy not believing in God. I have never been happier and more content since becoming an atheist. My daughter was born and raised in TWI, and is currently a happy Catholic. But if I were raising her today I would steer her away from any religion or God.

Certainly it would be difficult to accept and process. It is hard for children to image anything sexual about their parents.

Since being so totally taken in and deceived by VPW and TWI I now find myself being very critical of things that people say. When an ad appears on TV my immediate reaction is what is the hook they are using to reel me in. Especially when someone quotes something they heard via social media, i immediately want to know who is their source? So many on social media are only interested in their 15 minutes of fame and will say about anything. Always in the back of my mind is the realization I once was tricked by a con man and I do not want to allow this to happen again. These articles are very helpful to ensure I can make an informed decision about what I am listening to.