I know you directed your question to Sewerhooker, but I thought I’d answer it as well. I was at a weekend camping retreat with my uncle and cousin (and a large number of other people). We walked for a mile or two, and on the way back, a group of us decided to walk in the river to get back. Everything was fine until we were about halfway there, and I fell into a deep pocket, and my flannel shirt (I was in a grunge phase) kept me from being able to swim up. Obviously, I was eventually pulled up, but while I was drowning, I remember the feeling of being completely and utterly alone. I passed out, and the blackness and emptiness of that has always stuck out for me. I didn’t become agnostic right away, but I’ve never felt a ‘connection’ with God. I believe it is impossible for me to achieve that kind of certainty about something I can know nothing definite about.
when we die our bodies start rotting and worms and maggots eat us, mmm. Thats it, when its over, its over.
I apologize if anyone took offence to my words.
Sewerhooker: I think that was very respectful of you to apologize. I also want to apologize if anything I said was offensive or rude. I really did not mean it to come across that way. I have my beliefs, but I don’t want to push them on other people because that would just not be right or fair. I’m out, take care all!
That’s a good question Dustin and one I am rarely asked. A better question in my case might be “Why did you not start believing in God”. You see I never stopped believing in God, I never did. Even as a child I never believed. Although my paternal grandmother was/is very religious my parents aren’t. I also was/am independant and don’t take orders too well. So to listen to some priest telling me how I should behave during a very boring church sevice was/is more than I could take. Even as a child some things about god made no sense to me. At about 6 and 7 I remember laying in bed at night thinking; I’m so lucky to be born not only healthy(rarely sick,20/20 vision,the like), but to be born in Canada and yet I would hear that there were children my age starving to death in other less fortune areas or being abused or born blind, deaf etc. I could not understand why God would let this happen. I still don’t. I did have an experience that made me think though. I was 13 and my mother was asking me why I didn’t believe in god. I don’t remember the details but at the end of the conversation I said “If god exists let him strike me down right now”, well I no sooner spoke the words when a picture of me hanging on the wall directly behind me slid down the wall and hit the floor. Even though the floor was carpeted it was quit loud and we both jumped. Of course my mother said “See I told you”, and to some that would be enough. To my view it was total coincidence, the glue became weak, or did it? Prception can make a huge difference. I’ve had other experiences like that so I don’t take them too seriously, maybe I should. I have more pressing things to worry about at the moment.