Someone (Bono) once said in a song "the God I believe in is not sure of cash, mister". In the howling wind comes a stinging rain See them driving nails Into the souls on the tree of pain From the firefly, a red orange glow See the face of fear Running scared in the valley below Bullet the blue sky Bullet the blue sky Bullet the blue Bullet the blue In the locust wind comes a rattle and hum Jacob wrestled the angel And the angel was overcome You plant a demon seed You raise a flower of fire See them burning crosses See the flames higher and higher Bullet the blue sky Bullet the blue sky Bullet the blue Bullet the blue (Yeah...alright) So this guy comes up to me His face red like a rose on a thorn bush Like all the colors of a royal flush And he's peeling off those dollar bills Slapping ;em down One hundred, two hundred And I can see those fighter planes I can see those fighter planes Across the mud huts where the children sleep Through the valleys and the quiet city street We take the staircase to the first floor We turn the key and slowly unlock the door As a man breathes into a saxophone And through the walls we hear the city groan Outside it's America Outside it's America [Spoken part follows] So I'm back in my hotel room with Johnnie Coltrane and the love supreme. In the next room I hear some woman scream out that her lover's turning off, turning on the television. And I can't tell the difference between ABC news, Hill Street Blues, and a preacher on the old time gospel hour stealing money from the sick and the old. Well the God I believe in isn't short of cash, mister. I feel a long way from the hills of San Salvador, where the sky is ripped open, and the rain pours through a gaping wound...pelting the women and children...pelting the women and children... ...who run...who run...into the arms...of America
If I add to the list from my entry of miscellaneous thoughts, it can be extended to ten... In and of itself, money is neither good nor evil. It can be used either way. But as followers of the Messiah, we ought to target it for good. Money has a lot of power, so we should/must use it carefully, thoughtfully, and wisely. It's not really our money. We are actually mere managers/stewards—not owners. We should endeavor to use our material goods in ways that foster faith and obedience. Our integrity is often tested in money matters. God loves a cheerful giver. Giving to Yahweh is an act of worship. Giving is a form of spiritual investment. It is impossible to out give God. God also asks us to give of our time, energy, and talent.
One of the many unattractive facets of religious belief is the way God bods do so often like to decide for themselves the minds of others.
Nobody decides for you hence you can't blame anyone for your choices. You can feel any way you like, that is your prerogative. But your feelings don't impact or change facts and the truth whatsoever.
In your previous post you decided for me. You said I do have to make up my mind and then decided for me that in effect, I have pretty much decided. Right after you decided that for me, you're saying no one decides for me. Perhaps this is something lost by some if not all those who hold religious God beliefs. Unless you are basically superstitious, there isn't any need to decide, nor does anyone have to make any decision about such things. It is possible to understand and comprehend what something is without having to make any religious decision based upon any religious claim. Sun Trader is right. Religion is about faith not truth. And about deciding things for others!
Actually organized religion is about money and power. Faith is simply a belief in something that one does not fully understand or have truly indisputable evidence for. I'm okay with faith, be it spiritual or science based theory. Organized religion is little more that a crime syndicate, occasionally doing some good in the community, but with a cost and expectation of being above the law. Men care about money. Men project their character onto God, thereby diminishing God to have some human quality they can relate to. Religion makes God in mans image, hence all the judgement and punishment for lack of obedience. I encourage the spiritual journey, along with science walking hand in hand. One must first dump all the ill advised religious indoctrination first before any truths will be unveiled.
If you believe in God of the KJV Bible, then you must believe that God has been in existence forever; or that he had a creator that he hasn't revealed. Big bang believers must believe that the big bang came from nothing. My point is that the human mind can't wrap around any of these concepts. None of these concepts is 'more logical' than the others. They all are mysteries.