Cyprus-Forum.com

[miltiades]

I believed in God , just as I believed in Father Xmas up to the age of 7 when my mind so intensely concentrated on the question " is there a God " 55 years later not only have my beliefs continued but solidified and tested over the years. There is NO God . It is clear for all to see . Concentrate and ask your self if the "Creator " the "Master " of Universe would idly watch 300 thousand men women and children perish as a result of the tsunami, or would HE just watch while the Nazis wiped out 6 or so million Jews , would he allow Earth's imperfections inflict so much misery on His "creations " earthquakes that strike indiscriminately demolishing the habitat of men women and children , droughts that affect the world's poorest , deceases that man has for centuries fought against.
And yet ,during the tsunami an 80 year old woman was found alive after 7 days clinging on to a tree , it was hailed as a miracle , never mind the poor sods 300 thousand of them who perished , no bloody miracle there !!
I know , God works in mysterious ways !!!
Svetlana mentioned that death is the end on this earth , well , I believe not. You live in your children's , grandchildren's memory , your part of their every day lives since they are carrying your genes . I lost my mother almost 55 years ago , she is still with me and with the rest of my family , we all carry her DNA all still remember her and still pay our respects by visiting her grave almost every year on September the 10th when an earthquake struck our village and she was killed .

[purdey]

It is also recorded that some of those who survived the death camps of the Nazis, believe they survived because of their faith.
My brother in law who has terminal cancer has little to cling onto, apart from the love of his family and his chosen faith.

[Svetlana]

My posting was tonge in cheek, but I do have a Faith; while my background was Christian, I feel equally at home in a Synangogue, Hindu or Bhuddist Temple, indeed I always visit one, if in a non-Christian country.

I cannot define God, nor would try to explain my Beliefs - I just know my life would be poorer otherwise.

Lana

[miltiades]

I entirely agree Lana that if your faith enriches your life then you should carry on.
Purdey mentioned his brother in law's fight with cancer , I wish him all the very best and I also would like to add that cancer is not always " terminal" , many cancer sufferers are copying living with cancer , but yes its not always the same for all.
My own wife has been fighting her cancer now for over 6 years during which time she has been to Cyprus at our daughter's wedding , our granddaughters birth and only last month came with me to Cyprus for our grandsons birth.
Her cancer , Ovarian , is one of the most potent cancers , usually by the time is diagnosed it has spread to the bowels and the liver , they call this cancer the silent killer .
Neither my self nor my wife are religious , but we have faith in man and science , a faith based on man's achievements in medicine . Years ago people used to die from a minor infection until man discovered penicillin and antibiotics. Tremendous achievements have been made in the medical field as a result of dedicated people some who devote their entire life in research offering the sick hope and comfort .

[tessintrnc]

My posting was tonge in cheek, but I do have a Faith; while my background was Christian, I feel equally at home in a Synangogue, Hindu or Bhuddist Temple, indeed I always visit one, if in a non-Christian country.

I cannot define God, nor would try to explain my Beliefs - I just know my life would be poorer otherwise.

Lana

I believe in God but I also like learning about other beliefs too. When I was in Sri-Lanka I visited many Bhuddist shrines and read a book on Bhuddism - left in the Hotel room courtesy of the management!! I always wondered why statues of Bhudda show him with very long ear lobes, and it is to show how he shunned jewellery (no ear-rings).
Tess

[Svetlana]

Hi Tess

I visited the Temple of the Tooth, in Kandy in 2006 and the Gangarama Temple in Colombo last December; they are just so beautiful. I had Bhuddism explained to me, but apart from the fact that they had no God, I found it hard to take in.

Lana

[humanist]

one can only be a humanist once you have realised that you are socialist :) good on ya copper

[miltiades]

I visited the Temple in Kandy too way back in 1980 along with my then GP Dr.Jaywaratnam , who knew my views on religion very well. On entering the Temple we witnessed tens of people dressed in nothing more than rugs , all looked extremely poor , Dr Jay turned to me and said , John if you take religion away from these impoverished people what will they have left ? Of course he knew that I was , as I still am , a non believer but on the other hand a firm believer that people need faith.
Beautiful part of Sri Lanka , my first visit there was in 1978 I also stayed at the Hill Club on Nuwara Eliya high up on the mountains. I was rather shaken when we visited the tea plantations and saw the living conditions of the workers . I pointed to Dr.Jay that their housing accommodations are slightly worst than the pigsties back in my village !!
Talking about doctors , in 47 years in the UK , I have had 3 doctors , all Sri Lankans !! First one died of cancer , the second Dr.Jay a dear friend now retired and my current one Dr.Ramanan !!

[CopperLine]

Militiades
I agree with your observation that [some] people seem to need faith or religion. Often people with nothing else to lose have a deep, often very moving, faith. Of course that some people seem to have a need for faith is not evidence itself of there being a god, deity, supernatural power etc.

Equally that some have a rich spiritual life and lead a 'morally righteous' life does not require them to have religious belief. (Religion refers, I'd say, to the organised social expression of belief in a supernatural force). The question to my mind is why, given the extraordinary diversity and power of natural phenomena and processes which are still only dimly understood, do people turn so readily to supernatural 'explanations' ?

[Spanish_spinne]

I'm the only believer in my group of friends (even my husband is agnostic) and all te times I had been criticized for it (In Spain now If you are a believer you are automatically supposed to be a fanatic right winger which I'm not) I answer that faith is a gift that I cannot share or transmit It's my experience, part of my life and I'll not be offended by your lack of it neither accept your so-called superior knowledge for believing in nothing-