Is there a God?

[Bodhi]

Is there a God, lets have arguements from both sides.

[gSteve]

No

[Tal]

Depends what exactly we're talking about. I mean if it’s an omnipotent 'being' which made and controls the world around us, speaks through prophets and is in constant battle with 'Evil' then no, I don't believe such a thing exists.

With no factual evidence or solid logical arguments to suggest there is one, we might as well assume there isn't. Scientific assumptions which can't be directly proven are usually based on other empirical evidence or logic, which gives these assumptions credibility. Gods that various religions have worshipped through the ages are based on myth and works of fiction...nothing more.

What makes the Christian God any more real than the Norse or Greek Gods, other than that Christianity is more common than Paganism today (though many aspects of Paganism are still more sensible than those of Christianity). Sure, if you were taught to believe in a God then he may seem real to you, but the same could be said when a child believes in Santa.

On another forum we even created our own deity. His name was 'Bob' and he got quite a few followers at one point. The fact that he failed to produce a list of rules probably why he's not spoken of much today...hehe (an anarchist God I think). The point is, anyone can create a God, if they can sell the 'story' to the masses.

If we're going to worship anything, then we should worship nature (and the universe)...you know the things that give us life...We can call that ‘God’ if people want.

[wagnerr]

I believe in God, and i consider myself to be a somewhat religious person. However, i'm not sure if the old many ideas of God are correct.

It does seem to me that there is a driving force to the universe, one that operates on mathematical, scientific, and almost magical principles. It just does not seem logical to me that something so huge and vast can come of nothing at all. So, something started the chaing of events which we experience.

Though i am a somewhat Diestic Catholic, i do think that my religion is right on the money when it says that the universe is a mystery, and that while we are alive, we cannot understand it. We just don't have the humiliaty for the required comprehension.

Whether this diestic god is really God with the capital G, i will never be sure of it while i am alive. However, that won't stop me from speculating a hell of a lot.

[Derrick]

I believe in a supreme being, yes... I also believe that evolution and creation do not contridict one another, but go together in harmony perfectly.

My version of God is not a jealous, egotistical God that requires his creations to behave or else... he's all loving, and omnipresent.. everywhere, everything, a part of all of us, all the "time" ... kind of hard to explain..

the book series "conversations with God" by neale walsch combined with David Hawkins book "I" basially sum up my version of God.

There is a big difference between spirituality and religion in my book... religion divides, spirituality unites.

I believe we incarnate countless times and that our "soul" lives forever on a plane not detectable by physical normal means, vibrating at a higher frequency, similar to how none of us can "see" infared or ultraviolet light, much less radio waves... different vibrations.... thus I don't fear death, nor do I see this particular incarnation as any big deal, though it is an interesting "time" to be alive, the year 2005, on planet earth, with technology developing the way it is.

Before I was born my grandmother was hospitalized over an allergic reaction and nearly died.... she had a near death experience, where she was out of her body looking at her self sitting in the hospital table .. she was told it was not her time yet and was sent back into her body... she has never feared death since that day, and still smokes quite a bit at her old age... that wasn't the prime source of my beliefs but it is an interesting thing to have happened in our family.

[pansy]

bodhi395 said:

Is there a God, lets have arguements from both sides.

Boy, you don't mess around do ya?

[shypsychologyguy]

I believe in God . I think a society that doesnt believe in a god is at risk of ruin. Without a superior being we are all purposeless individuals who act in our own best interests.

I know there are alot of anti-christian people in this world and places like europe that have a trend toward naturalism. Look at New Orleans. the churches not the Government lead the front with aide. My church is a small church not wealthy by anymeans but we are contributing without expecting anything in return.

I think people often see christianity with a stereotype that we want your money, or we condemn everything you do, or that we are intolerant.
Christianity is a personal expereince and there are alot of people that claim to be christians or go through the motions but lack the personal relationship.

that was me for most of my life.

alot of people base there ideas on christianity on the catholic church which had some very bad times and caused alot of problems.I think that is why alot of people I know are turned off of religion because one aspect of it has been "the opiate of the masses" the truth is the catholic church was not the start of christianity and is not the only chhristain viewpoint.

[Bodhi]

talisman said:

On another forum we even created our own deity. His name was 'Bob' and he got quite a few followers at one point.

I like that idea, I think we should create our own SU diety. Anyone have any suggestions on names?

[shypsychologyguy]

ricahrd Cunningham

jk

[pansy]

bodhi395 said:

talisman said:

On another forum we even created our own deity. His name was 'Bob' and he got quite a few followers at one point.

I like that idea, I think we should create our own SU diety. Anyone have any suggestions on names?

I suggest Audrey.

"If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him." ~Voltaire

[Tal]

shypsychologyguy said:

I believe in God . I think a society that doesnt believe in a god is at risk of ruin. Without a superior being we are all purposeless individuals who act in our own best interests.

I can see where having a God might give people a purpose in life, or at least the hope of life after death if they do whatever 'God' wants of them. I don't know if without this, society would collapse or decay. Personally I'd like to think you can replace religious ideals with social ones e.g. improving society for everyone in it, exploring and developing new technology, expanding Human horizons and knowledge. These would give people a sense of purpose, perhaps even the hope of extending life indefinitely.

The God Gene concept, which I admit I don't know much about, suggests some people are more pre-disposed to believing in God/religion than others, thus making Voltaire's quotation true. If so, then we may never be able to escape religion totally.

[Paulinus]

I have a major problem with religion and thats the fact that its used as an excuse to commit acts of violence and cruelty. For that reason I wonder if the world would be a far better place without it. A person who believes they have some higher power on their side is a dangerous thing

[gSteve]

paulthequiet said:

I have a major problem with religion and thats the fact that its used as an excuse to commit acts of violence and cruelty. For that reason I wonder if the world would be a far better place without it. A person who believes they have some higher power on their side is a dangerous thing

I agree with that but I think these people will find another reason to commit acts of violence if religion did not exist.

I think people should believe what they want but I'm never going to believe in god its about as believable as the tooth fairy to me. I will need definite proof if I'm to believe it and I have never seen any shred of proof that god exists, I think man made god to give some reason for what seems like a pointless life. Its nice to have that belief but I can't.

[wagnerr]

paulthequiet said:

I have a major problem with religion and thats the fact that its used as an excuse to commit acts of violence and cruelty. For that reason I wonder if the world would be a far better place without it. A person who believes they have some higher power on their side is a dangerous thing

You're talking about Crusaders and Jihadists, right?

I'm not very well informed on Jihad mentality, but i can tell you this much about the Crusaders of the Middle Ages. Largely, they were misinformed about who they were fighting, only seeing 'Godless Heathens' everywhere. They were of a mindset that believed it was right to unquestionaly obey their superiors, and that they would gain personal salvation for fighting and dieng with unquestioning faith.

This being said, once the Crusaders began to see the religiousity of the Arabs, their advanced technology and scientific knowledge, and their thriving culture, many of them, (at least those that could write ), changed their minds. After the 14th century, crusades became few and infrequent, as more and more Europeans were interested in trading and interacting with the Arabs, not conquering them.

The emergence of the Turks into Anatolia, however, brought up some new prejudices for the Europeans of the time. Let's not get into that.

So, based on all this, i think many of the Jihadists/Terrorists/whatever think that they are serving a higher purpose than themselves, and some of them are willing to kill innocents for it. Turkish fundamentalism in the Central Asian highlands is scaring the shit out of the Arabs, Persians, and others, who wish to escape all that nonsense.

There are, of course, those few powerful indiividuals in the Mid East that are willing to take advantage of this.

[pansy]

wagnerr said:

paulthequiet said:

I have a major problem with religion and thats the fact that its used as an excuse to commit acts of violence and cruelty. For that reason I wonder if the world would be a far better place without it. A person who believes they have some higher power on their side is a dangerous thing

You're talking about Crusaders and Jihadists, right?

I'm not very well informed on Jihad mentality, but i can tell you this much about the Crusaders of the Middle Ages. Largely, they were misinformed about who they were fighting, only seeing 'Godless Heathens' everywhere. They were of a mindset that believed it was right to unquestionaly obey their superiors, and that they would gain personal salvation for fighting and dieng with unquestioning faith.

This being said, once the Crusaders began to see the religiousity of the Arabs, their advanced technology and scientific knowledge, and their thriving culture, many of them, (at least those that could write ), changed their minds. After the 14th century, crusades became few and infrequent, as more and more Europeans were interested in trading and interacting with the Arabs, not conquering them.

The emergence of the Turks into Anatolia, however, brought up some new prejudices for the Europeans of the time. Let's not get into that.

So, based on all this, i think many of the Jihadists/Terrorists/whatever think that they are serving a higher purpose than themselves, and some of them are willing to kill innocents for it. Turkish fundamentalism in the Central Asian highlands is scaring the shit out of the Arabs, Persians, and others, who wish to escape all that nonsense.

There are, of course, those few powerful indiividuals in the Mid East that are willing to take advantage of this.

You don't have to go back that far or look to other countries to see examples of violence in the name of religion.