Au Revoir

Although it is difficult to classify myself under one category, I believe I have a creative mind. While people often make use of information discovered by others, I enjoy digging deeper and finding a different meaning or purpose to a question. While putting forth new ideas and developing new ways to view a problem,
I like to seperate myself from others. For example, with this blog topic, I could explore the mindset that various people may have on such a complicated subject; I am able to ask questions many people have never considered, which allows me to question myself as well.
Throughout my blog, I exposed curiosity towards the belief of others. My purpose was to engage the minds of others into exploring their own beliefs and their own relationship with God. By taking a poll, which was not as successful as I hoped it to be, I was interested to see how the common people would respond. In this case, I tried to exemplify all of the different views of the Lord. By seeing God from the viewpoints of others, I tried my hardest to display their opinions respectfully, even if I did not necessarily agree. By doing this, each stance was stated clearly and was explained as another option. In my attempt to engage the reader in debate with themselves, I asked questions that allowed them to challenge their own beliefs in order to find what is right for them. Although there is never a concrete answer, one's voyage of beliefs is a completely personal journey in which they discover God for themselves.
After taking my time developing the blog, I discovered that I, myself, began to question my own beliefs. Blogging was an experience that gave me the opportunity to express my way of viewing religion and the role it plays in the lives of others. Even though I would like to receive more feedback on the material I wrote about, blogging helped me work through my own questions I had about faith. Whether they ever be answered or not, it made me relax knowing that others who may be confused about their own beliefs can relate to someone like me. I love putting forth my opinion and seeing the reaction people take to the material being discussed; blogging does not have to be a pointless use of technology.

Who or what is God to the fearful? Is it possible that people believe in God, simply to have someone to believe in? Loneliness is a scary state of being, and if one does not have a higher power to blame circumstances, then many questions remain unanswered. It's comforting to know that God will always be there, and He is a consistent component of one's life. However, along with this comfort, abides doubt. Doubt in one's own beliefs and doubt in oneself. In the video below, a music group, Relient K, explores their struggles with their beliefs and doubts.

Magnificent God

Although some are familiar with God and are certain of where they stand in relationship to Him, many find God to be too magnificent and august to even form a relationship in the first place. Having been through years of Catholic education, this view of God is understandable. Seeing the avenues that priests take toward God during Mass, and the response people have to His presence in their lives, presents God as intimidating and unapproachable. Understanding God as sacred and holy helps individuals to become more comfortable with the idea of a greater power; however, too much emphasis on how exalted he is, leaves believers to reproach and hesitate on their voyage of beliefs. How can the Church downplay God's intimidating image without deteriorating his significance and opulence?

God the Engineer

Free will. An obscure term when referring to God and our own personal freedom. Do we, as individuals, have the freedom to make our own decisions, or does God have our entire lives planned out, including our cause of death? For some people, God is an engineer. His sole purpose is to devise a life and a reason for every being. However, if that is the case, then why do we contemplate on making good decisions if they do not necessarily matter in the end? The term "living" would have no meaning because our story already has a planned plot, climax, beginning, and end. In my opinion, God is the guideline. He has sent us here with ambition to assist us on our mission; however, the in between is up to us. We have the ability to make our own decisions, and in turn, he provides the outcome and the consequences, whether those be positive or negative. Life is not fair because we are capable of making mistakes; our imperfections are what make "living" interesting. When we endure hardships and troublesome times, God aids our recovery by supplying endless benefits and learning opportunities. While free will remains existent, so must our faith in God.