Published by Questions have always been at the core of my spiritual search, and this is the primary reason that I wanted to compile this article that explores people’s responses to religious/spiritual questions. I love that the word “quest” makes up the first part of the word “question”—as I believe all sincere questions are indeed a quest.
This article is based on a 10-question survey that I posted on the Triond forum. The questions were as follows:
1. Do you believe in God?
2. What is the nature of God?
3. What are your three core beliefs?
4. Have your beliefs changed from the beliefs you were raised with?
5. How important is spirituality in your life and what is your outlet?
6. What purpose have you found in life?
7. What one question most defines your spiritual search?
8. What meaning, if any, have you found in suffering?
9. Why do bad, seemingly random things (e.g., earthquakes, floods, accidents) happen?
10. What is the difference between good and evil?Bonus Question: Write and answer a question of your choosing.
Though these questions are basic inquiries that all seekers have asked themselves at one point or another, the range of responses I received to the questions dot the spectrum. People graciously shared insights from agnostic, atheist, pagan, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, and mystical perspectives. (There is even some comic relief from a few comedians who participated.)
Though people’s answers to the fundamental spiritual questions differ, I think it is important to remember that we are all in this life together. We are all up against similar obstacles, we all have similar questions, and we all have similar desires. Most of us want to find happiness, peace, beauty, and love in life. From that perspective, all life paths make more sense—even the ones with which we don’t agree and/or the ones that we don’t fully understand.
Thank you to all who participated. You help us all to understand our own path and others’ paths more fully.
1. Do you believe in God?
Aauhein: I don’t believe the god stories; I however do believe in creation. I believe ‘god’ is the original viewpoint and we are all tiny parts to view.
Abdella: Yes, but I don’t like using the term God. The name has become meaningless, so I will say God in Arabic. Allah.
AvaRose: Yes
B Nelson: yes.. and no.. yes only not as “GOD” is explained in any book, rather I believe “GOD” is everything around us.
The BFG: No
BryanSandberg:Yes.
Cromanyak: I can’t say I believe in God in the way most people do.
Dr Curtis Barnett: I know god exists, his power is enlightening visible through his miracles. These many blessings he’s cast upon me at my lowest time. If you knew the miracles presented to me, you would know you would believe!
Edible Joy: No.
eminemgrl123: Certainly not the God of the Bible, but in a way, yes.
gringoperry: I am undecided, if the universe is infinite then something must have created it.
However it could also be said that we are not intelligent enough to understand existence on that scale.
Karen Gross: Yes.
Katie Marie: Yes
Natels: I haven’t decided whether I still believe in God or not. I was once absolutely certain there was a God and the Bible was his word. After some devastating personal losses, I became angry with God.
Through life struggle, nagging dogmatic contradictions and the silence of the “Holy Spirit” in me, I came to doubt the existence of God.
After praying, as I was taught, for the Holy Spirit to enter me I received only silence. Should I believe in God?
Onlywaytobesure: No.
Pablina: No
Payge: Yes
REPuckett: nope
Shelly Barclay: No
Stephen J. Ardent: Yes.
theresacall: I believe that there is a higher being/ as for who it is i do not have an opinion at this time
2. What is the nature of God?
Aauhein: God is a math equation: the supreme constant: an algorythm: a life force static.
I believe all life is assigned a unique intrinsic value. The nature of god is that part that bonds the whole.
Abdella: He is the Most Merciful, so always ask for forgiveness, when you commit a sin.
AvaRose: God is love
B Nelson: God is NOT one entity that sits in space and judges us and controls anything.. it’s a spiritual thing
The BFG: The overwhelming majority of people who have ever lived on earth are fearful about what happens after death. The idea of an after-life was invented to quell these fears, by enabling us to “look forward” to what is coming. “God” came about as the necessary gatekeeper to this fictitious after-life
BryanSandberg: All-powerful, all-loving. Mercy is his desire, but justice is his duty – he longs to show mercy, but we so often refuse, requiring him to exercise his perfect justice.
Cromanyak: The nature of God is kindness. I believe that God is basically just reality itself. Which has the Law of Cause and Effect built into it to keep us on the right path and keep everything balanced. At the same time it’s not purely mechanical. It’s alive and intelligent and changes all the time. When we feel balance we are happy and peaceful. Whenever we begin to stray from that then we suffer. Which may seem like punishment, but really it’s the only way to bring us back to balance. It’s not meant to be a punishment. Just a way to alert us that we’ve gone astray.
Dr Curtis Barnett: Love.
Edible Joy: There is no God. Nature is nature.
eminemgrl123: God is love.
gringoperry: If there is one, I would guess they are indifferent.
Karen Gross: God is the supreme spirit being. He exists in the form of a Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Katie Marie: He is creator of all. He is person with will and purpose, not just a mere energy force. He is the embodiment of unconditional love, perfect truth and the source and definition of goodness.
Natels: The nature of God I eventually came to believe in was the one that was embodied by Jesus Christ: Compassionate, loving, forgiving, caring, charitable.
Onlywaytobesure: Designated excuse for anything unexplained.
Pablina: N/a as i don’t believe
Payge: To listen to our prayers and help if he wants to.
REPuckett: nature itself minus the singular God aspect.
Shelly Barclay: Mankind’s imagination
Stephen J. Ardent: God is a self-existent being, existing beyond time and space, created the universe including time, and is a being of absolute love and absolute justice.
theresacall: i believe that the god that everyone refers to is a belief system that fits them but leaves too many unanswered questions for many. also i believe that too many people use “GOD” as a scapegoat for all their problems
3. What are your three core beliefs?
The universe is ordered by chance to be ordered.
Chaos and randominity decide chance.
Life is recycled because it cannot expand.
Don’t let your environment influence your actions.
Stay close to Allah.
Help your family be Good Muslims.
Love
Forgiveness
Hope
Evolution is 100% real…
There are too many humans on the planet and we, who claim to be the most intelligent species, are the ones killing it…
Most people are idiots who cannot think for themselves so rely on religion or government to think for them.
Human beings are no more special than any other species of life on earth or anywhere else.
Our very existence is due to a combination of coincidences, chance and good fortune.
This life must be lived to the full because there is no 2nd chance.
Love God.
Love others.
The Golden Rule (Do unto others and you would have them do unto you.)
Forgiveness (my favorite quote from the Bible is “Forgive them for they know not what they do”)
Honesty
Understanding (putting yourself in other peoples shoes)
God exists.
Jesus gave his life for us.
There is a Heaven.
Live for the moment.
Know yourself.
Do onto others as you would do onto yourself.
Everybody on earth (or anywhere else) is different, and the most worthy
goal humanity can have is to work toward tolerance, open-mindedness and
acceptance of those differences.
Love, or lack thereof, is the driving force of every action and
thought produced by people. Therefore, the best thing a person can do is
to love, as much and as often as possible.
Insert your favorite form of the golden rule here.
Integrity
Loyalty
Compassion
That God created us and loves each of us.
That all have sinned, and are therefore separated from our Creator.
That Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, entered our time and space in human form, and that He gave Himself as payment for our redemption and salvation.
Jesus is God.
God’s character is trustworthy.
I am unconditionally loved by my God.
Treat others the way you wish to be treated.
Mean people suck.
Judge not lest you be judged yourself.
Key-lime pie has no equal.
The average person will never fully appreciate the difference between null and zero.
You can’t triple-stamp a double-stamp.
I believe everything happens for a reason.
Religions are made up.
Every one is equal.
Do what you will but harm none.
Stay true to who you are and what you believe in.
Don’t judge those who don’t deserve it.
Do right by your fellow man.
Know thyself.
Don’t rape the earth.
Don’t hurt people who don’t deserve it.
Don’t mock other people’s beliefs.
Clean up after yourself.
I accept the Apostle’s Creed.
A. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth,
B. and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
C. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic(universal) church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and life everlasting.
If it harm none do as you will.
Be kind to others (plants, animal, humans).
Treat all people equal no matter who they are.
4. Have your beliefs changed from the beliefs you were raised with?
Aauhein: Yeah, I use to believe in fairy tales and now I know the truth.
Abdella: Yes, When I was younger, I acted like everybody else and I took my religion for granted. Now, I am more serious about my religion.
AvaRose: No, if anything they have grown stronger once I was able to make my own decisions about matters of religion and what my faith meant to me.
B Nelson: YES!!!!
The BFG: Very much so. While my family were not practicing Christians, we were a typical Church of England (Anglican) family.
BryanSandberg: Absolutely. The core beliefs have stayed the same, but I have certainly deviated on the more debatable elements.
Cromanyak: Definitely. I was raised Roman Catholic, but I always had doubts about what I was taught. I don’t think I was ever a true believer. Then I found Buddhism and it was like finding something that I had lost or forgotten a long time ago. It just rang true.
Dr Curtis Barnett: Oh yes. I was raised in Utah, so yes it had to be in the Mormon Church. As I grew older I began going to other LDS churches, known to the mormons as “Wards”.
I couldn’t help but to notice that the teachings on the same subject never seemed consistent throughout the preaching.
Then, I closed my BOM and read the Bible. Wow if I had read it in the first place I would see right there that I shouldn’t be involved with that church.
Edible Joy: I was raised Catholic, and then I just strayed away from what I was taught so much that I eventually renounced my beliefs. Don’t regret it at all.
eminemgrl123: Very much so. I was raised (and still attend, and am still very involved in) a non-denominational Christian church. I was baptized there, went to a private school run by the same people as those who ran the church, took catechism, and have worked in the children’s service for several years. I am also involved in the youth service (which would be high school ages, my own age group). When I was younger I believed in the religion, though not unquestioningly. My teachers often got frustrated when I asked about contradictions in their teachings. I spent several years afterward searching for a religion that defined my set of beliefs, which was hard, because they often fluctuated (and still, in small ways, do). I still haven’t found a title for what I believe, but at least I know what I believe.
gringoperry: Yes I was raised Roman Catholic; but it just didn’t ring true and stank of hypocrisy.
Karen Gross: a. Yes. My parents did not attend church or practice any spiritual beliefs. My father was raised in a very strict, legalistic Christian home, where rules were enforced severely, but love was pretty much absent. He rebelled and became very critical of the church. My mother was raised in a very loving home without much religious teaching.
b. My sister and I were raised with much confusion about religion. My father still respected the Bible, but rarely read it. My mother never thought much about religion. I had a desire to go to church, so I went with relatives. I complained to my father that I wanted to go to a different church than the one his sister (my aunt) took me to, since the pastor preached in German, which I didn’t understand, but my dad told me that this was my heritage.
c. My sister and I have both chosen to be Christian. We are both very devoted followers.
Katie Marie: Some specifics have changed but not the general direction.
Natels: Yes. I think the beliefs I kept are split from the beliefs I shed. The church I grew up in put forth both the “damned for your sins” dogma and the “love thy neighbor” dogma. But they seemed to put more emphasis on judging the sinners. My parents wrapped bigotry in the cloak of religious righteousness. Yet they showed little compassion for the poor and disadvantaged.
The Gospel’s are filled with lessons of helping those in need and showing compassion, yet the (Lutheran) church insisted that good works were not salvation. I remember learning that you could live a generally corrupt and sinful life, but if you had a true conversion on your death bed, you could still be “Saved”. That really made no sense to me.
Onlywaytobesure: Yes. Once, when I was young and foolish, I believed cherry pie to be the pinnacle of the pie family. It’s still embarrassing to admit this.
Pablina: Yes, i was brought up going to a church of England school, i have now made my own decisions and paths.
Payge: Yes
REPuckett: very much so
Shelly Barclay: No
Stephen J. Ardent: Only in that they have matured, deepened in both rational and understanding.
theresacall: yes. i was raised catholic. i am wiccan now
5. How important is spirituality in your life and what is your outlet?
Aauhein: Very important, I believe the vibrations we send are parts of those we receive.
For me meditation and sleep are my best outlets.
Abdella: It’s very important in my life. Prayer.
AvaRose: It is important. I would say that my outlets are mainly writing and music since I have a chance to express what I believe in these ways most effectively.
B Nelson: important, my outlet is the fact I live in the country and am in touch with nature every day
The BFG: Important, as I believe spirituality to be based in what we do and how we live in this life. It is being the best we can be. My work and my family are my outlets.
BryanSandberg: I believe it’s very important – it’s key in my life. My outlet would be church or prayer… but I don’t need one specific thing to be an outlet. Even showing love to other people can be an outlet.
Cromanyak: It’s not as important as it used to be, but it’s had a huge impact on my life, and I want to get more serious about it again someday.
My outlet was reading about Zen Buddhism and doing a practice called Zazen. I haven’t done it much recently, but its helped me tremendously. I know I wouldn’t be the same person without it.
Dr Curtis Barnett: Life would be sad, lonely and useless without it.
Edible Joy: Not important whatsoever.
eminemgrl123: I have struggled for years over whether the Church (the organization, not the building) does more good or whether it does more evil. It takes money, and is essentially a business that sells hope and false promises, but in many ways I doubt many people could find happiness, or in some cases a sense of morality, without what it provides. Currently I am very involved in the children’s group, because I think a lot of those children don’t have love in their lives except when they come to church.
gringoperry: I am not spiritual at all. My outlets are music, writing and spending time with my kids.
Karen Gross: a. My relationship with Christ defines who I am. I’m not sure what you mean by outlet but I am very involved with my church. If you mean what is my ministry for God, that would be my writing.
Katie Marie: Rather than giving it a priority listing, I would define it as central to all I am and all I do. The spoke of the wheel rather than the top of a list. My primary spiritual outlet would be sharing life with people. The second would be areas of expression which include worship, prayer, speaking and writing.
Natels: Short answer: Not very important lately.
Elaboration: I have all but abandoned spiritual nurturing in recent years. For a long time, after breaking from the church, I sought various paths. With the loss of many loved ones in a short period of time, I gave up on it. I found no comfort in the church. I found no comfort in anything. I came to view spirituality as a grand illusionary escape from real life.
Onlywaytobesure: Nonexistent, and 120V AC.
Pablina: I do believe in afterlife, but not in a religious way. I believe in spirits and ghosts.
Payge: Very important. Writing is my outlet.
REPuckett: I don’t believe in a spirit and my outlet is writing and solitary communion with nature.
Shelly Barclay: Spirituality is a pretty vague word so I can’t say how important it is to me and my outlets are music and writing/reading
Stephen J. Ardent: Define spirituality? For the last eighteen years I have been a single parent. My spirituality has been to share what I know with my child, and raise her to be a well adjusted sane individual.
theresacall: spirituality is my life in many ways. as for my outlet that is easy. my outlet is meditation and reflection on the issue
6. What purpose have you found in life?
Aauhein: Change; it’s the only real purpose of life.
Abdella: I found out that “life” as we know it, Is actually only a test to see if we are true believers.
AvaRose: To help others and to give back in thanks for the gifts that were given to me.
B Nelson: life’s only purpose is to survive… I am surviving.. however I also enjoy writing and spreading information on pet care, world over population and the crimes of religion.
The BFG: To raise children who “think free” and to write about what I believe
BryanSandberg: I want to use my gifts and abilities to uplift and inspire people and show them that they are truly loved.
Cromanyak: I can’t say I’ve found a single purpose yet. I know what I want to have in the future which is a family and a house. So I guess till I get those that’s my purpose.
Dr Curtis Barnett: Inspiring Children through my Children’s Books.
Edible Joy: Living.
eminemgrl123: To love and be loved, essentially. I also feel a need to become as educated as I can, and maybe educate others in some ways, so we as a species can continue to grow by lessening ignorance, and thus fear and intolerance. As a start, I strive to be as open-minded as I can.
gringoperry: I haven’t found one yet.
Karen Gross: My purpose in life is to serve God wherever He plants me. For the last 5 or 6 years, since my disability has made it necessary for me to give up my ministries at church, I have been at home, reaching out through my computer.
Katie Marie: Sharing the love and joy that has been shared with me by my creator and doing my best to make my presence a positive one for those around me and those who will follow after me.
Natels: Raising my four children in the best way I can is purpose enough right now. Beyond that, I’m pretty much adrift.
Onlywaytobesure: I recently purchased the entire collected works of Cirque du Soleil on DVD. My purpose is to watch all of them in one sitting.
Pablina: Still searching.
Payge: To be the best mother/grandmother I can be.
REPuckett: constant happiness, helping others at all time and being the best father that I can be.
Shelly Barclay: None so far
Stephen J. Ardent: As I said, I have been a single parent for the last 18 years. I am only now discovering what purpose the rest of my life shall have.
theresacall: doing what i can to help others through my writing or the music i sing. also being the best mother to my daughter that i can possibly be
7. What one question most defines your spiritual search?
Aauhein: Why?
Abdella: I have more of a statement then a question. I want to know everything about my religion, then put it in practice.
AvaRose: What can I do to show God’s love to others?
B Nelson: Why am I surrounded by Idiots and how did I see past the lies, but they cannot?
The BFG: What can I do today to improve the lives of myself and those around me?
BryanSandberg: How can I show the love of God to other people? That is not the most ‘profound’ of questions, but it’s one I desire to ask myself everyday. I want my faith to be relational and practical – I guess you could say I want the love of God to spill out of me and onto other people.
Cromanyak: What am I without my conditioning?
Dr Curtis Barnett: What does the true book of god (the Bible) say?
Edible Joy: What is love?
eminemgrl123: Is God a conscious being or is He just an idea?
gringoperry: If there is a god, why bother.
Karen Gross: What do I believe about Jesus Christ?
Katie Marie: What is real and true for all people and for all times?
Natels: Should I even search for spirituality at all?
Onlywaytobesure: Why is it presumed, in a survey directed in part at atheists and agnostics, that everyone has their own personal spiritual search?
Pablina: i am who i am.
Payge: Is there a reason to search? We all have to look inside ourselves to find that answer.
REPuckett: No question, but I can give you a phrase, I search within myself not without.
Shelly Barclay: No search, just living life
Stephen J. Ardent: Who was Jesus Christ and what does that mean to me?
theresacall: what belief best fits who i am and what i believe.
8. What meaning, if any, have you found in suffering?
Aauhein: Where there is suffering there is selfishness.
Abdella: You can’t experience true Happiness without Hardship.
AvaRose: Suffering makes us stronger. We only learn from overcoming challenges. God would not give us something that is too much to bear, no matter how terrible the situation might seem at the time.
B Nelson: death is good it kills off some of the surplus, at 6.7 BILLION, if there were no suffering – what would the planet be like – except for even more suffering?
The BFG: Most problems are temporary and not particularly important, so deal with the major things and always remember the answers to question 3 above
BryanSandberg: I’m reading a book on this right now, The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis. I don’t believe suffering was God’s original intention. I think suffering is the natural consequence of people failing to follow God since the beginning of history. God made these rules for our own protection and we choose to not follow them. If my parents tell me not to do something and I do it anyway and get hurt, who is to blame? Certainly not my parents, and in the same way, God is not personally responsible for the suffering that is produced by our own errors. Of course, some people suffer for the mistakes of previous generations. It is unfortunate, but that is the nature of the world we live in. On another note, I believe suffering shows us how much we need God as a society. Think of all the problems that would be solved if everyone loved each other the way that Jesus taught. We would have no wars, no outcasts, no starvation. I hope that answers the question, I kind of rambled on a bit there.
Cromanyak: Suffering is important. It keeps you grounded. When you’re not feeling any pain then you can’t feel others pain or empathize.
Dr Curtis Barnett: Learn and grow from your pain.
Edible Joy: Things get worse before they get better.
eminemgrl123: Suffering is completely necessary, not only as a sharp contrast for the purpose of better appreciation of the good of this world but also as a tool for defining the characters and outlooks of those suffering. I certainly would not be who I am if I hadn’t experienced what I have, as horrible as some of it was.
gringoperry: I have found strength in suffering.
Karen Gross: a. This is a good question to ask me. I have Parkinson’s disease, so I know a little bit about suffering. It has made me much stronger. For one thing, I can’t afford to waste my energy, so I am much more deliberate about how I spend the energy that I have. I rely more heavily on other people, so I have learned to give up control.
b. A very positive outcome of my disability has been having the time to spend doing research and writing, which I love. I had always wanted to do post-graduate studies, and now with the internet at my fingertips I can study whatever I want to, with no accountability or deadlines.
Katie Marie: Personal suffering gives me opportunity to grow in character and compassion for others. The suffering of others only serves to motivate me to do what I can to alleviate or prevent it.
Natels: I have to say that for a long time, I’ve allowed loss and suffering to define who I am. I believed that suffering is meaning.
I think I’ve found more meaning by coming out of suffering than in suffering. Once able to step out of myself and look at things in wider perspective, without minimizing my own pain I can appreciate that my suffering is not so great as many others in the world. So the meaning I found in suffering is that the world needs compassion and empathy.
Onlywaytobesure: The right kind of suffering can be a good time!
Pablina: it only makes you stronger.
Payge: It makes us stronger and lets us know that we don’t always need alot of material things to be happy.
REPuckett: strength
Shelly Barclay: That some people are aholes and pain sucks
Stephen J. Ardent: Carbon becomes a diamond with pressure, and shines when it is ground upon. Some suffering, namely that caused by people, are an example of how much God values free will. Even the free will of those who would hurt others, by choice or by chance.
theresacall: i feel that the reason we suffer is to learn from the experience. through experience grows wisdom.
9. Why do bad, seemingly random things (e.g., earthquakes, floods, accidents) happen?
Aauhein: Well, physics of course. The earth is a force that reacts to force upon it.
Abdella: Because if they didn’t, people would use up all of natural resources and we would all die.
AvaRose: They are just examples of the challenges that people have to face in order to grow as God’s people.
B Nelson: earthquakes happen because of continental plates colliding, etc.. everything has a reason…
The BFG: The universe exists because of random events, and this is still the case. There is no great controller in the sky
BryanSandberg: Honestly, I’d have to say because God made the Earth a certain way and part of that way includes seemingly random things such as earthquakes, floods, and accidents. To me, this is not a deeply supernatural explanation. It’s more of a scientific answer for this question from me. I believe God has a deeper reason, but if you asked me why earthquakes happen, the best I could do is say because tectonic plates shifted. I am not qualified to give a more spiritual answer than that.
Cromanyak: Just cause and effect.
Dr Curtis Barnett: Every one needs a wake up call. without them we would forget to believe
Edible Joy: Because life sucks. And because things get worse before they get better.
eminemgrl123: Not everything is 100% bad. a car accident may kill a person but it may also change a person’s life. I can’t speak to whether things like that are planned out, but I don’t think their existence can absolutely rule out or in a Higher power.
gringoperry: They are not random, there is sound scientific prove that explains these events.
Karen Gross: I noticed that another person commented on C.S. Lewis’ book The Problem of Pain. I am also a great fan of Lewis’ writings. I think that bad things happen because we live in a fallen world. There is sin, and consequences of sin, and for now, these consequences seem random from our perspective. From God’s perspective, I believe that all of our time from Creation until this universe is no more, is just a blip on His radar. I believe that He is weaving an intricate pattern throughout our time, and that there is much divine intervention that we are completely unaware of. I trust that God knows what He is doing, so I trust Him.
Katie Marie: Natural disasters are simply that, part of the physics of nature. Accidents are the result of living in an imperfect world with other imperfect beings.
Natels: Sometimes bad things just happen. Natural disasters just happen. It is the nature of the earth. There is no point in asking why. For everything else, the man-made bad things, we need to ask why. We need to investigate and learn. Then make corrections to prevent them from happening again.
Onlywaytobesure: Because shit happens. Alternatively: Physics.
Pablina: Everything happens for a reason, however by this, i do not mean that there is a ‘God’ making this happen, it is just a pattern of events.
Payge: Just nature’s way of saying that she is still a force to be reckoned with.
REPuckett: because they are random natural events
Shelly Barclay: Because these things are exactly what they seem…random
Stephen J. Ardent: Physical accidents? The whole of creation become subject to decay when man rebelled against God. Again, free will to rebel, free to experience the consequences of a natural world out of harmony with God’s will.
theresacall: same answer as number 8
10. What is the difference between good and evil?
Aauhein: They are on opposite sides of the spectrum. Pure good and pure evil. Everything in between is the difference.
Abdella: Good is following Allah’s orders and Evil is disobeying Allah’s order.
AvaRose: Good is following God’s commandments as closely as possible and asking for forgiveness whenever you might stray from His path.
Evil is turning your back on God’s love and closing your mind and heart to Him. It allows you to do things that will further distance you from being reunited with God and Jesus in the Kingdom of Heaven.
B Nelson: Evil does not exist, things are what they are.. religion made up the word evil to refer to something it does not like, and now people call things like mosquitoes and dandelions evil.. sheeeeeshh
The BFG: “Good” is any action based on love, care and mutual respect. “Evil” is any action based upon hate, disregard for others and lack of compassion
BryanSandberg: Good is the nature of God who is all loving, kind and just, evil is going against the nature of God, which would be things like hatred, unkindness, and injustice.
Cromanyak: I would say the difference is the intent. If a person is acting out of self centeredness that’s bad. I don’t like to use the word evil. It’s not evil it’s just ignorance.
Dr Curtis Barnett: Love and hate
Edible Joy: Good guys get to wear tights on T.V., bad guys get tuxedos/outrageous costumes/handcuffs.
eminemgrl123: It’s all relative and subjective and figurative and whatever other adjective I can use to describe something in a less defined way. There is rarely black and white; usually just a thousand shades of grey.
gringoperry: Evil is usually an easy road, paved with selfish intentions. Good is a thankless pursuit.
Karen Gross: a. God is good, Satan is evil. They are not equals. Satan is a creature created by God. He was created as an angel, but desired to be like God. He fell like lightening out of Heaven, and for a reason understood only by God, was allowed to tempt Adam and Eve into sin. By succeeding in this scheme,
b. God has allowed Satan to have influence in this world for a time, which will end when Satan and all of the angels and humans that he has managed to deceive will be thrown into a literal place called hell for eternity.
Katie Marie: Good is motivated by love and brings hope and benefit.
Evil is motivated by selfishness and brings destruction and suffering.
(However, I do not believe you can reverse those definitions, ie pain is not always evil and personal benefit does not necessarily equate with good.)
Natels: This should be obvious, right? But the answer, especially when you put it in a religious perspective, becomes very cloudy and gray. Every day people do evil things in the name of God. Every day people do good things that are decried by others as evil.
Hatred, malice, oppression, greed and intolerance are evil.
Unconditional kindness, compassion, charity, and caring are good.
Onlywaytobesure: Good has better health and retirement plans, evil has better holiday parties.
Pablina: To me good is something that consciously is right, evil is not, however this differs from person to person.
I am still however finding myself and not yet 100% content, so my views may change as i live my life.
Payge: This is a tough one. being as good as you can and following his commandments as best you can. Positive results if a prayer was done and answered.
Evil brings nothing but negative results and disaster for those involved. Being deceived into thinking something is good when it isn’t.
REPuckett: not much, it really is a matter of perspective.
Shelly Barclay: Results
Stephen J. Ardent: Imagine it like this, what is the difference between light and darkness? Darkness is not the opposite of light, but the absence of it.
theresacall: the choices we make.
BONUS QUESTION (write and answer a question of your choosing):
Aauhein: Where can I find god? In your dreamweave.
Abdella: Why do people just follow religion, but know nothing about it?
Because they are lazy and they are too busy trying to finishing the race without knowing where they are going.
AvaRose: What is the most important lesson Jesus taught us?
To love one another as he has loved us.
B Nelson: Why do some people believe in Religion?
Because they are too scared not to.
The BFG: How did we get here?
We will probably never know, so stop worrying about it and live your life!
BryanSandberg: Do you support everything the church has done?
No. I find myself criticizing many actions of the church, especially in what I see as a lack of acceptance and respect for other people. The best thing I can take away from such an assessment is to remember to work on myself first and make sure I am not doing the same things.
Cromanyak: My question is… Is there life after death? And I would have to say no, sadly.
Dr Curtis Barnett: Why did you answer these questions?
I feel the world should know Jesus and would love for anyone to ask me how he changed my life.
eminemgrl123: Can’t think of a bonus question but I just want to say that though I currently believe what I have essentially defined above, I am more than open to change, should any other idea make itself known to me that makes more sense than what I already think. I am still very much in pursuit of higher thinking and understanding, and remain (maybe forever) less than completely sure of what I believe. But then, I guess that’s why it’s called belief.
gringoperry: What if I am god and I have amnesia?
When I come around you all better be on your knees!
Karen Gross: How has having children affected your spirituality?
I now understand all the analogies in the Bible which compare our relationship with God as a parent/child relationship.
Katie Marie: Do you believe all faith is equally beneficial and why or why not?
No. Since aspects of one faith might be in direct opposition to another and therefore not equally true, therefore not equally beneficial. Truth must always outweigh falsehood, even if the false appears beautiful and/or beneficial.
Natels: Is it possible to overcome bitterness and depression and find spiritual peace once again?
I hope so.
Onlywaytobesure: Do people really think there’s anything new or profound to say about religion? If so, why?
Yes, and mostly because they haven’t been paying attention.
Payge: What have you learned in your journey of life?
That life wasn’t meant to be easy but it’s well worth it anyway. That you have to help yourself if you want anyone else or God to help you.
Shelly Barclay: Why do so many people believe in god?
Because they want life to have a purpose and they need direction.
Stephen J. Ardent: Do you accept all this on blind faith?
No. I believe there is sufficient evidence to make the choice to believe what I believe. Faith is simply the benefit of the doubt that covers what I do not know or understand.
fantastic. great and interesting read.
Thanks for putting this together. Very interesting to read all the different perspectives.
I may be in danger of being converted by Onlywaytobesure to the worship of keylime pie however… Naw, my homemade apple pie with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream still is tops.
Great job putting all of this together. It was rather interesting to read all of these people’s responses. Thank you.
Excellent work on this article.
Thanx for putting this together,I enjoyed participating and reading the responses.- Good luck
Thanks much for allowing me to participate.
It put my mind in motion about some things.
Good survey questions.
This was great, I enjoyed participating and reading. I also feel more free as a person. Thanks
Wow, what a great read. Thanks for this!
very interesting use of the community
great read
A great read and thank you for letting me be a part of it.It was interesting to read the different responses everyone had and why they said it.Gives food for thought actually.
Very interesting piece.
Excellant! You were very creative in your formulation of this forum. I enjoyed it.
Thanks for the work you did in putting this together. It is an interesting cross section of humanity.I especially enjoyed finding out how people got to where they are.
Thank you to everyone for your comments. A BIG thank you to all who participated in the survey. I learned a lot from each of you.