Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

Even though I don't agree with Bruce concerning the existence of God; he certainly has the right and the freedom to express his views. That is what makes this country great.

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

Exactly. This country was founded on separation of church and state. Which not only means you can believe or not believe in GOD. But also if you believe in GOD you not someone else or this country gets to choice who you believe in..

Stan

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

John, your story was epic. Very true to the nature of God. We may have differences of theology, even within the same church, but one thing is true. We can't deny a firsthand experience. One wiser than I summed it up very well with the quotable phrase," A man with a testimony has nothing to fear from a man with an argument". A person can deny another one's beliefs, but he will never be able to deny the truth of what happens.
Four terms come to mind- theology, doctrine, experience, and Scripture. Theology is the study of who God is and how He does things. Doctrine is man's opinion of what God does and doesn't do. Experience is the reality of what God does and has done. Scripture is God's revelation of who He is.Only two of the four are indisputable. I'm glad for the experiences of many and myself. That's what counts. The rest is subject to revision by the collision with reality.

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

Thank you John for sharing that. Having a “mountain top” experience is definitely something that changes your life. When encountering someone who denies God my first thought is the certain knowledge that one day that person will encounter Christ. I do not know when that will occur but I’m certain our merciful and loving God is always working to gather all his children.

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

Lol. You're running now. You've been out here making extraordinary claims and can't prove one single word of it and now you're in a corner. Not one bit sorry for you. Prove it or admit you can't. Its not up to me to prove a darn thing when it comes to the gods.

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

Running? Who's running? Sorry for me? You came on here disagreeing with me, saying that there is no God.The proof is, look in the mirror at yourself, if He didn't create you, who or what did?


By the way, by no means I'm trying to judge or condemn you and your belief, I'm just asking your opinion on who you think created you, if God didn't?





Bret Velde
2003 FS/??

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

Short break time..before this gets out of hand:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaUM9_PSrwA

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

Mark,

Don't worry it won't get outta hand, No anger from my side at all. Just a discussion. We will probably agree to disagree, but that's okay. Thanks for the video!





Bret Velde
2003 FS/??

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

[QUOTE=BRETV;614895]Mark,

Don't worry it won't get outta hand, No anger from my side at all. Just a discussion. We will probably agree to disagree, but that's okay. Thanks for the video!


Yup. Everyone has their own views and beliefs when it comes to religion. There is no right or wrong it’s just what you believe. Follow your beliefs and don’t try to force them on someone that believes different from you.

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

God has been very good to me.

I have 11 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

I have a daughter that brings me groceries every 2 weeks so that I don't have to get out so much. The other's live out of state and we talk often.

I have many friends that I talk with very often, including God through prayer each day.

I am very grateful for what I have and I feel blessed to have many friends to talk with including those on Class Racer, THANK YOU.

Thank You and God Bless each of you that have either looked at or contributed to this thread.

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

Thanks again Ron for starting the thread. Certainly no coercion intended on my or anyone else’s part. If anyone has time to read (or re-read) one of the great literary masterpieces by John Steinbeck “East of Eden” then you’ll enjoy Steinbeck exploring many profound human experiences including the concept of free will.

“Lighter” reading but just as profound is “Long-Story-Short-The Bible in Six Simple Movements”by Joshua McNall.

Over and out, stay safe and prosper.

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

Bruce, let me say this. I respect your PASSION regarding politics and NHRA drag racing....Furthermore, I thank GOD that he was riding with you when you had your accident with the corvette...I wish you the absolute BEST with the new car...I can’t wait to see it and I know it will take its place at the top of the sheet...

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

Bruce, you think exactly like me. I respect those who believe in God. For me, religions is a beautiful scenario. Never forget ... Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and others, cause a lot of war.

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things.

But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.


Steven Weinberg

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

In hind sight, I guess it was a bit of a loaded question to ask you to prove there is a god of any type. After all men have been trying to do it ever since they created him. Even the theologians at prestigious divinity schools have accepted the fact that they cannot prove there is or ever was a god. So for me to ask you to do it was unfair. In fact, man created the gods and not the other way around. We are on this earth for the very same reasons that every other organism that has ever lived or crawled, flown, swam, or walked: Chemistry and Biology!

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

Bruce,

Let's talk about something we both agree on. If I read or heard this correctly, you are building a 69 Trans Am stocker. Our good friend had 2 for many years, 1 he bought from the original owners in the late 2000's. I have always loved those cars. Can't wait to see it. Good luck with it and much success.




Bret Velde
2003 FS/??

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

Not exactly. For good people to do evil things, that would involve government.

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

Evil people will do evil things IN THE NAME OF Religion. Good people will do evil things IN THE NAME OF Religion in ignorance. NEVER underestimate the power of ignorant people in large numbers!

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

Bruce,
We are the only group who race Stockers....Good luck with yours
Check out Dr Michael Behe, Biochemist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7pRD73PAaE
Mike A114

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

Some of you may want to check the Nomex and SFI rating on your fire suits, I don't think its going to cover what you are saying or trying to say, you will get your turn at a later date.

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

Are you referring to the lake of fire?

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

This whole discussion started as a request for prayer from those that are BELIEVERS and NON-BELIEVERS for the current situation that our country is going through at this moment and it has cascaded to a discussion of the existence of God and His fairness.

A fact I have learned through my 63 years in this earth is that many that say they do not believe in God, many times end praying when they are in a precarious situation when there is no hope. They grasp to anything they can in such situations. At the end, some end believing that God is real and others find a secular explanation for the outcome.

Romans 2:11 says, "For God does not show favoritism". In a nutshell, it means that God loves both those that believe and not believe in Him. God does loves sinners, He just does not love their sins that go against the Word.

Moreover, it is not about being religious; as a matter of fact, I abhor when the term is used to depict those that believe in God. Even the Pharisee's with all their knowledge of the Scriptures, were sinners because the multiple deeds they committed towards the people, making them just religious men and their hearts was not consecrated to God; only to themselves. Loving and believing in God is a personal relationship between Him and each one of us.

Myself, I am not and have never been the perfect man that God wants me to be and will never be. The Word says in Romans 3:23, "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard." Yes, there was only one perfect man, the Son of God, Jesus. We all are sinners but by the grace of God, we have been forgiven at the Cross.

I seek Him and His Word everyday and every minute as I breathe in this earth. Although He forgives me for all my sins, it does not mean it is carte blanche for me to continue sinning. I do not follow a church and/or man; I follow God who gave His only Son, Jesus as my Redeemer.

For those that say God does not exist, I PRAY that someday you have the opportunity to experience the real God! I have seen God's hand all through my life since I was a child and through the life of others. I have seen people healed from diseases, like John, saved from catastrophic events, families reunited and a lot more that it would take me months to write about.

To end, I will just leave it at Proverbs 26:12, "There is more hope for fools than for people who think they are wise."

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

Thank You and God Bless you. I couldn't have said it any better than that.

I am 70 and have been blessed by God many times in those years.

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

The precise number of religions in the world is not known but available estimates show the number to be about 4,300, according to Adherents.com.

Estimates suggest that there are at least 100,000 different gods worshiped on earth today and there have been more than that worshiped throughout history.


Are Goddesses Gods?
Some people worship money, is money a God?
Some people think that our President is a God, is he?
Is Satan a God, he is also worshiped?



I think we have a problem!! LOL

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

1 John 5-20-21

And we know that the Son of God has come, and He has given us understanding so that we can know the one true God. And now we live in fellowship with the one true God because we live in fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God,and He is eternal life.
Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts.

So yes, you can replace the one True God in your heart with things like money, satan,
goddesses or whatever you worship more than God. But there is only one true God and the only way to eternal life is thru His Son Jesus Christ.

So yes, there are alot of people with a big problem, or I should say a big decision. We're all given a choice.



Bret Velde
2003 FS/??

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

Since the creation of the world, God has wanted us us to do His will, Still, He has given man the freedom of choice. This freedom has caused man to put his desires first, turn them into a god they worship and idolize, and many times, believe they are gods themselves.

The scriptures have been clear since its inception; there is only One God!

Exodus 20:3-4, “Never have any other god. Never make your own carved idols or statues that represent any creature in the sky, on the earth, or in the water.

Deuteronomy 6:14, "Never worship any of the gods worshiped by the people around you".

Deuteronomy 32:39, “See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand".

1 John 4:1-2, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already."

Interestingly, this scriptures applies to many of the events taking place today in our society...

2 Timothy 3:1-5, "But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people."

Scholars like Josh McDowell, Lee Strobel and many others have tried to dispel the existence of God. The more they researched, the more they learned that God and Jesus are real and not a fantasy or an allegory.

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

I pray every night that we get our freedom back. That the politicians that have over stepped what they are suppose to do loose their jobs in the next election. Think about it. You can go to Walmart, Home Depot, to the package store for booze. The marijuana dispensaries are open so you can get your pot but we forbid you to go to church. Every death is one to many but I fear getting cancer, heart disease or other health issue more than Covid. I hear some people say the new normal and it scares the heck out of me. Holding Church in a parking lot and they still want to shut them down. Tell me in the USA this is not happening. Amen Barry

Re: Pray for ALL racers and families
 

Very well stated and researched!

Thank you very much for taking your time to post.....

Your posts on this issue are a both a Blessing and Encouragement

to me.