Shoe by Gary Brookins and Susie MacNelly for September 19, 2021

Need to cover all the bases.

“God has no religion.” —Mahondas K. Gandhi

If he winds up in hell, it won’t be because of a technicality

When asked that question I always reply.

“I’m a born again atheist”

I see you’re a student of Pascal, Shoe.

[Google Pascal’s Wager]

You will probably blow your chances to Heaven, Shoe, by your fowl behavior.

I consider my relationship with God the be between Me and Her.

A lot of people actually try to do something like this. Or they believe there are many paths that one can take – that many/all religions lead to the same destination.

Some believe that there are many false ways and false beliefs – and that there is one way, one truth, one life that leads to eternal life.

I think it makes a big difference what you believe and, more importantly, who you believe in. It’s more than a religion – it’s a relationship with Jesus Christ.

The famously agnostic W C Fields was on his deathbed, reading a bible. A friend came in and said “Claude! You reading a bible? What’s going on?” and WC said “I’m looking for loopholes.”

Except for the fact that we do not recognize the concept of hell in Judiasm

I’ve had connections with my mother’s Presbyterian church, my father’s Methodist church, and I’m Baptist. I also occasionally read from a Catholic Bible, and study ancient Judaism, so I’ve about got all the bases covered.

“I swear there ain’t no heaven and I pray there ain’t no hell.”

“Oh, God, if there is a god, save my soul, if I have a soul. . . "

JESUS!!!!!

It’s not enough to believe in God/Jesus. Even the demons (incl Satan) believe and they tremble. Jms 2:19

I’m fine with Buddism, Islam, Christianity and anything else that makes people act better and feel more hopeful than they would otherwise. I think not believing in God is unrealistic, if you define God as something that is running the universe. Seeing God as a human is pretty silly, and having wars over which of God’s messenger boys to elevate to God status is insane.

“He had long ago made a pact with himself to postulate a Created Universe on even-numbered days, a tail-swallowing eternal-and-uncreated Universe on odd-numbered days — since each hypothesis, while equally paradoxical, neatly avoided the paradoxes of the other — with, of course, a day off each leap year for sheer solipsist debauchery. " Robert Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land

Angels and harps and Pat Robertson?

“They say there’s a heaven for those who will wait

Some say it’s better but I say it ain’t

I’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints

The sinners are much more fun" (Billy Joel)

That exact line was used by a comedian, probably sometime around the ‘70s. I think it was Bob Hope. I’ve found myself using it a few times since then.

At least Satanism has a commandment against child abuse.

hard to believe mythology still rules so much human activity

Templo SUD is on the right track:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrBIm1zKhW4

Never understood why anyone would want eternal life.

I go along with Carlin and Russell. Religion is bovine exhaust.

I believe religion, sports & politics are part of the entertainment industry. ♫He’s not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays.♫

Believing is the easy part; practicing ethical behavior is the tricky business.

Religion is a man-made construct.

I’m a Pastafarian. In fact, an ordained Pastafarian minister. May you all be touched by His noodly appendage.

And I would refer him to 2 Kings. Every King who hedged his bets by worshiping other gods “did evil in the sight of the Lord.”