does god exist?

um....I think it's always good when responding to particular people to use the quote feature just to avoid confusion about who you're talking to. I know you must be addressing someone else, but I was a little confused at first.

 

That comment was for every believer that has posted in this thread.

 

You are probably the only person in this thread who actually chose their religon. I commend you. As for me I certainly 'considered the possibility that it may be true'. My Dad has been a Baptist minister for 40+ years. I went to church for 18 years. I went to a private christian school, as well as a private catholic school. In addition, I studied religon and philosophy in college. I have considered the possibility, I assure you. The tooth fairy might actually rule the world too, ya know. Don't sleep on the tooth fairy.

 

Ok, that is understandable, but some people don't grow up in a religious family, don't study or look into it and then just decide it's not for them, but feel they can criticise the beliefs of people who are Christian. I don't argue or pester non-Christians to believe in God, so I don't appreciate them trying to force their belief on me, or insult my religion.

Can I ask what made you decide there is no God? Seems you have looked into it pretty deeply?

 

My folks forced me to be exposed to some form of religion as I was growing up. So I shopped around, and I checked out a number of different churches. I feel I benefitted from the experience, though I'm not active in any church today.

Religion can be a valuable force in a person's life, provided it serves as a means for spiritual and moral guidance, rather than as a justification for one's sins.

 

I agree with your first point. I do the same dumbass stuff in the veggie forum. It stems from ignorance. 'I don't understand something so I am going to make fun of it'. Total BS and I am always trying to exercise restraint in the veggie forums (or stay out of them all together). Maybe the people we're talking about should consider doing the same here.



I've never had to really pinpoint and breakdown my exact reasons for why I came to my 'god doesn't exist' conclusion. I won't shy away from the question though:



You should know that I base my opinions on logic and reason. I am extremely left brained. Feelings, belief, & faith are never the basis of my opinions.



1. Science has disproved the creation theory about a hundred different ways. Creation flat out didn't happen. Evolution, on the other hand, did happen. IMHO, them there are facts.

2. I've had a few deep conversations with priests & ministers of various faiths (mainly protestant & Catholic). When I asked them if they truly believed in god, they faltered. You could see it in the eyes and the body language. This includes my father. Two of them paused and had to look away before giving me a totally unconvincing 'of course'. The other actually came close to admitting the truth...'that's really not the point', he said.

3. Which brings me to my next point (that I can think of at the moment). Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.

4. The whole god thing just doesn't make logical sense. If god exists in the form that the Christians portray...then I hate the mother fucker. I'll tell him or her as much at the pearly gates in the moments before I am sent to hell. The amount of suffering that humans go through on this planet can never be justified. If god exists, that cock sucker needs to pay for what he / she has done.

5. IMHO, if you were to take a poll of all of those with an IQ higher than 120 (I'm not one of them)...the overwhelming result would be that god doesn't exist. The whole concept is...funny.

 

Good post Mellow Yellow

 

i believe in a higher power, if i were to choose to portray that higher power as a living feeling thinking God, then so be it. i have not come to that conclusion yet.. however, think of it like this.
i believe it is in the nature of humans to do what we can to survive. religion can give people strength in times of need and unease. life is complicated, and furthermore unpredictable. so its natural to want some kind of guidance... we are born and raised with the guidance of our parents/siblings and peers, through observation we learn as well as through mistakes of ourselves and others. without even realizing it, we receive the guidance of others. i believe religion establishes a kind of comfort for people and thus creates more conscious people.
that is only a theory though, how people REALLY put religion to use is only bad when they are corrupted.. its complicated really.

 

I would assume you would expect all that in a discussion forum though. I mean if you were talking about in the world in general I can hear it, but if you are complaining about someone expressing their views in the forum, that's what it's here for and why it's called a discussion forum and not an everyone-agree-with-me forum.

 

I took this in reference to the xtian god.

So I voted no.

 

I voted yes....I am sure God exists.

 

I'm agnostic, so neither answer suits me

 

wow i didn't think votes would be so evenly divided.

 

i voted no.

No for the Christian concept of God.
There is nature. Nature doesn't care if you refer to it as "God" , tree, mountain, etc. Nature doesn't care if you worship it or not, either. Nature simply is.
Man created "God", not the other way around.

 

Just the Christian concept of God? What about Hindu, muslim etc? Or do you just not agree with the idea that there is something bigger than you out there?

I'm interested in your view of how the world came to be? Where the trees, mountains etc came from?

 

The moon is bigger than us, but just because the moon is bigger doesn't mean the moon has to be worshipped, unless one is a werewolf.

And the moon is not made of cheese either.

The moon is just one big chunk of matter in space.
Similarly, a large beautiful tree might be the source of poetic inspiration to some people, but for a dog, a "beautiful tree" might just be a convenient spot to piss on.

You ask for the source as to where the trees, mountains, etc., came from?

There is only nature, but it is not God, in the Christian sense, although some religious folk worship it.

 

GOD is currently busy.....laughing at your dumb ass's.......

 

I beg to differ!:tongue:

 

oh hes laughing allright.......and btw. the moon is made of ice cream...

 

things about which we know nothing almost certainly and inevitably exist. some of these may be both nontangable and sentient. and if those that are both nontangable and sentient come in all sized and powers, then whatever of them is biggest and most powerful is defacto close enough for government work to being god.

so in that sense, and because we can feel and experience such things, in that sense i believe there is something very like a god.

now that does NOT mean that it has to resemble in any way, and certainly not at all closely, what anyone thinks a god is or should have to be.

it may or may not be infallable, it may or may not have created anything, it may or may not have the slightest wish to be worsipped or anything of the sort.

but does it really NEED to be any of those things?

i think not.

it can be whatever it is and whatever it is is whatever it is.

and i don't feel i have to lie to myself and pretend to know any more about it then that.

=^^=
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