falcopilot,
Obviously you have no reason for being and no idea where you are going. The extent of your being is your own drives and physical sensations.
I know many adults who have come to faith in later life and enjoyed living following Christ.

Dear Lexi

thanks for your kindly response.

You said: (re Christianity I think)

"that our moral behaviour in this life influences our fate in the next."

Just want to point out that this is not as simple as it seems... nor as straightforward. What you described does capture "Islam" quite well, except that they would stipulate that it is mandatory to believe that Muhammad is the last messenger of Allah as well, which boils down to 'justification by faith' but they generally don't get that.

Though for me.. if given the choice between a man who is just so much dust in the ground now (Muhammad) and he who said he had the power to take back the life he freely gave up (Jesus)....I know which I would logically choose. As it happened..He chose me, I didn't choose him.

But the core belief of Christianity (Protestant) is this "Justification by faith alone".

This is so crucially vital and foundational...that I don't mind laboring it.

The Reformed understanding (which is the Biblical one) is that faith is first.. then the consequent renewal leads to the ethical change and the 'moral behavior' you spoke of.

The way you explained it could be understood to mean that 'we', by living morally, will thereby...enter heaven. ie.. our moral actions are that which make us 'worthy'... nope.. we don't see it that way, we see it as Christ took our sins upon himself, and that sets us free from the power and penalty of sin. True repentance, true faith, will automatically result in moral actions.

But please understand this... it is Christ who makes us worthy of acceptance by the Father...not our moral deeds.

Don't mean to *preach* :) but do need to make that point which is seldom understood.

- we got flooded out last night :) what a site.. waking up.. (after HEAVY rain) then..... I saw it.. water!.. creeping in.... in.. further.. all over.. yuk.

From Wikipedia:

Superstition is a credulous belief or notion, not based on reason or knowledge. The word is often used pejoratively to refer to folk beliefs deemed irrational, which is appropriate since irrational means "not based on reason". This leads to some superstitions being called old wives' tales. It is also commonly applied to beliefs and practices surrounding luck, prophecy and spiritual beings, particularly the irrational belief that future events can be foretold by specific unrelated prior events.

Also from Wiki:

Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers.

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The latter was probably close to being an actual religion of choice in times past, and it seems to me that any intelligent rational analysis would indicate that witchcraft is just as wacky as most of the modern day religions are.
They all seem require a certain degree of naivety and/or gullibility.

falcopilot it is hard to see a reason for your posts here.
Why if you dislike the thread try to impose your will here?
My dogs yours too believe in a God.
It is true think about it.
I feed them cuddle them on my lap in winter by the fan in summer.
reward them if they do as I say, neglect,for a few minutes them if they do not.
I am no God but do not tell my dogs that.
Philo is in his 80,s probably a nice bloke, forgive him for outbursts about dishonesty and such.
He is the product of his lifetime experiences.
From his birth under a God that had servants who yelled screamed and threatened us, that said sex was sin, yet molested children.
Philo that nice old bloke is a marker of time and change only 15 years behind him I know man can do any thing and in inventing GODS, remember we have many, we showed a basic goodness in us the inventor of nice storys/fables

Gods sense of humour varies for His different sects.

Conversely, their sense of humour about Him varies.

AGIR:

I don't mind at all - clarify away. How can I possibly object to a man who wants to drive a red ferrari just for me all over the eastern suburbs? ;-)