just me offending..again

This cartoon 'spoke' to me. You have to click on it to read it all, it just wouldn't fit and it's what started me on todays thoughts.I'm not really sure why, maybe because I have control issues and always need a backup plan :)

Do I believe in God? That's a really complicated question... I don't not believe in him.

Do I believe as my m-i-l does? NO. I do not. She believes that everyone saved will be reincarnated to a fluffy cloud where everyone is 30something (the same age as Jesus was at death) and lives eternity in perfect health and in perfect love. I just can't accept that. I could be wrong, but that just doesn't seem correct to me.

I believe in a higher power.

I believe in Karma. I believe that what you send out into the world comes back to you. I believe that positive thoughts do as much good in the world as negative does bad and people should be more positive with their hearts, their prayers and their actions. I believe that there should be a balance of good and evil, happiness and sorrow, health and illness so that we can be all that we should be and appreciate life at all times.

I believe in the golden rule. I believe that helping our fellow man helps us as well.

I believe that the bible was a series of true short stories put together in political times by leaders trying to gain power. The most notable in that scheme would be King James. I would have more faith in the bible if I could read the other 2/3rds of the short stories that were deemed not bible worthy. Wouldn't it interesting to read the other 2 books of Revelations? See how the other 2 authors thought our end of times would look like?

I'm not big on faith, but I'm big on prayer. I'm not sure I believe in the afterlife but I believe you're not truly dead until you are no longer remembered. I believe that what goes around comes around. I believe that the bible is a very good standard for living life (especially Deuteronomy). I believe some Men of God are quacks. I believe that if those are really Gods laws that men speaking for God wouldn't be so quick to say that the Bible needs to change for the times, unless in their arrogance they are saying that God spoke to them and says we need a new book in the bible?

So...does this make me a Christian or an Atheist?

8 years ago my mom's artificial heart valves gave out. She was taken to emergency surgery by a wonderful surgeon who fought to save her life for almost 11 hours in what was deemed to be a 3 hour surgery. Her heart blew 2 new sets of valves on the table and once refused to start at all. In other words...my mom died 3 times on Good Friday and rose again. It was a long recoup time (2 years, long story) but she's a better person for her tribulations. She's not the person she was before she died. Even her basic values have changed. Would that change be considered from the hand of God, or the helping hand of her fellow man? Maybe both?

I guess in time all questions will be answered, huh?

Mom, have a happy 8th birthday tomorrow, <3 your eldest...