“Albert Einstein. I would want to meet him because he was so important and so smart, and he thought of things outside the box that most people do not think of. I would like to learn from him about how to think and grow and solve problems. He did so many things that modernized the world. I would like to know how he problem-solved things.”

“The biggest problem in the world today is the hatred. People are so negative. A lot has contributed to that such as the media and political parties, in a general sense. I also believe that more specifically, COVID-19 has increased the tension and the hate in our world.

I think, personally, new leadership in our country would fix the problem. More people coming together to unite would help, find more traditional ways like coming together. It does happen in some small areas, but we need it on a larger level; big and small groups that can come together. Moms groups and community groups and villages where people can come together.

After 9-11 there was more love, and everyone came together. There was hate, internationally, but the leadership brought people together. The country and companies and communities came together. It was a reminder to come together and promote positivity.

Follow-up question asked: “What do you think drives or motivates the hate?”

“I think there a lot of components to it. Media is number one influence towards hate. Leadership not presenting the country with a positive way for loving each another, like guilt. People need to be more open to stop judging each other and helping each other. I think the media is a large part of it, their agenda comes from above, to make money. When you dig even deeper, I think the greed in the world creates another layer.”

“Yes. I believe in the “do unto other what you have them do to you.” I believe we were put on this earth for many reasons, putting aside the religious side of things. I believe we were put on earth to do good and create good and to make earth a better place. Unfortunately, it has fallen by the weigh-side by bigger topics such as global warming where people just do not live that way. The people need to make the world a better place by enjoying nature and one another and by growing as humans so that our children are put in a world that is positive and a better place.

Follow up question asked: “Where do you think that purpose came from?”

“Yay, I think that is a really good question and I do not know the answer.

Follow up question asked: “Or who is the purpose if there is a purpose behind the purpose?” (Note: I interrupted too quickly)

I think the purpose is driven through human connection. If we go back millions of years, however you want to view life, like my ancestors, they came here to make a better life. . . their main goal was to make better of this country. Before them was the people before them. I do not know what started it all for us. I have a hard time believing in the, like, the Adam and Eve type of thing but the reality that our ancestors brought forth a vision to make the world a better place and to find the best place for them to the best people they can be.”

“I think in a good world, yes. Like no matter who you are or what you are or what religion you have, it should not matter what you believe. There should not be that stereotyping or stigmatism for what you believe. I feel like there is in the world we live in, that stereotyping between specific religions. I think a lot of things play into that. There is the people. . . the news media plays into that. And I think it is going off of the people you know, or you don’t know in your population. For instance, for me, I may have been told that Mormon people are supper nice but I may know Mormons who have not been nice to me and that may influence my view of Mormons negatively, you stereotype what you know, and that affects religion negatively.

For me personally, I was raised Baptist and that was not a good thing for me because I felt judged 24/7 by my Baptist community and that is one of the reasons one I am 100% against that type of situation. But I do think it has a lot to do with how you personally perceive someone or something based on who they are how the media portrays it, the popes and the priests and the whoever who are getting seen negatively in the media. But perhaps it is just the presentation of it in another country or the world; it is just how the media portrays it.

Follow up question asked: “So if you would not have been judged as you were, do you feel like you would have stayed in the Baptist tradition or not?”

“I think there were a lot of components to it. The biggest thing that I dealt with in the Baptist religion was the hypocritical, if someone had a glass of wine, of if someone had a different view of life, there was just a negative feeling. My dad would ask what me, “What will people think of you? They will think you are some kind of devil woman.” It was just a visual that took me further away from religion. And unfortunately, through my years afterwards, after removing myself from the church, I had a lot of other experiences with other religions that put me further away.

If I was part of a religion that was what I think it should be, it would be where people come together and do not harp on one another or jump down people’s throats but just tries to be better and tries to help one another, and like constantly being there like a village, which is what I have now without it being religious, like, that is what I would want in a church. But that is not what I have seen or heard in any churches. And I think what I have experienced in church has pulled me very far away from the ability to even want to be involved. I almost feel that in my own way I have made my own church, my own beliefs, and my own village, and my own like meaning.”

Follow up question asked: “So, at the end of the day, do you think it does or does not matter what someone believes?”

“I do not necessary think for one specific person, but I think groupings of people are affected by what someone believes. It depends on personal experiences. I do not think everyone has the same experience. Personally, my past has affected me. My ability to trust and to feel comfortable in a lot of ways was impacted by my experience during my childhood. But if I get that feeling like I am going to be judged it is when I feel very uncomfortable and I may not want to be around them again.”

My personal beliefs are just spiritual. I think that our body is decayed and that our spirit lives on in however that vision may be. It can be, my personal belief, is that it could be in the sky, or it could be heaven, it can be an animal, it can be. . . there are a lot of varieties. Some people could potentially come back, if they worked hard, they could come back in a different form, in a spirit, right?

Follow up question asked: “Are you talking about reincarnation, so that you come back as something different in the next life?”

“Yes. Like I feel like it is not your full spirit, but I feel like there is parts of you elsewhere. Like there is parts of you and your spirit that live on in different ways. Like, when I know of people who have passed on, I feel like things have come back from there. There is something spiritual that happens.

I just really try to promote the best you can be in this life; you try to live the best you can be. If that means feeding the homeless, great. If it means getting through a day and feeding your kids, great. However is the best way you can live. Everyone makes mistakes but you just have to learn from them and be a better person. That is how you get yourself back to, maybe it is a heaven. We tell our kids, “See that star up there? That is grandpa!” That is how we present it to our kids and that’s how we think about it. But in my personal opinion, I think our body just decays. So, our spirit is still around, however that may be, but our body decays.

Follow up question asked: “Do you think God exists or does not exist? If not, then how do we get here and what is our purpose?”

“I do not know. I would not call it God based on how I was raised as a kid. I would call it a higher being. I think there is a higher being and a higher spirituality. We are living our best life and our internal spirits are being better depending on how we live this life. Whoever this higher spirit is, it could be internally or externally, the only thing that matters is being a good person and caring about others and living the best life you can on this earth.”

See above answer.

See above answer.

Thomas Aquinas. I would want to know what his thought process was when he synthesised Aristotelianism and Christianity, and then wrote VOLUMES on it. Amazing the amount of writing he did in the 12th century.

Man’s hate against another man, followed closely by man’s hate of his Creator.

Man’s purpose is to serve the Creator and in serving Him be able to enjoy Him forever. Probably the hardest job in the world is to love your neighbour. But in loving your neighbour, you are serving your Creator. Long story short, it can be very hard in serving the Creator when the method by which we serve is to love our fellow man. See immediate question above for biggest problem.

Just like actions have consequences, beliefs also have consequences. Yes, beliefs matter. And if someone tries to deny they have any beliefs at all, then they simply espouse the belief that there are no beliefs. Funny how that works, right? That self=contradictions bite most people in the butt!

It is a historical fact that there is only ONE who has returned from the dead and has given us just enough information about the next life – Jesus. Knowing that I am accountable to my Creator and that I have failed to live up to His standards (e.g., not being able to love my neighbour or hating my fellow man), then it follows that I have sinned against Him. But since I can’t even satisfactorily do the bare minimum (e.g., love my neighbour), then it follows that I can’t do anything greater than that like atone for my own sin. So need outside help to get to the next and better place ’cause I obviously can’t do it.

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Aristotle, because I like the way he thought!

There is a lack of hope! I think Jesus is the absolute answer. Seeing that we live for eternity and keeping our focus “above the sun.”

I think our purpose is to know God and to make Him known. John 17:3.

It definitely matters what one believes. If I were to say, “there is no truth,” then this statement contradicts itself, and is self evidently false. Therefore there must be objective truth. Either it is true that Jesus died and rose again, or it is false. If it is true, it is true for everyone.

Ephesians 2:8-9.

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Abraham Lincoln because he was so ostracized for what he did and I want to know how his mind works

There will be an eventual rebellion due to the quarantine and the hype the media keeps putting on the situation is not helping. The solution is to get rid of the media and the lying politicians who are making things work

Never thought about it before; I cannot think of a purpose for myslelf

People are going to believe what they want and their parents beliefs may influence them; A person’s belief influences their behavior

I do believe in an afterlife, but I never thought about going anywhere other than heaven

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Billy the kid; I like old westerns

Democrats; Vote them out of office

I do not think I was put on this earth for any particular purpose

I don’t believe it matters what someone believes as long as they believe in themselves

I don’t know if I believe in the afterlife

Primates

These traits evolved with us