Is there really a god?

[boham]

Have you come to believe that God exists because it makes complete sense to you that God is the only explanation and proof for things existing?Or is it from writings in the bible that have convinced you? Or exclusively the book you paraphrase?

Nah, That stuff just helps me re-inforce the fact that I think there is a God. Truly, I believe in God because I was raised to. That is part of my family for generations. I believed in a God before I read that book and before I even read the bible.

As far as a God of a God of a God, no I don't see it. Something has to necessarily exist by that last line. Whether it be a being (which I believe), or something else.

[Sneakee Monkee]

Yes, I believe there is a God. I believe that the God that all religons who worship one God share the same one. Even some that are splintered with more than one. Am I a theologen (caintspeel)? No. Do I attend church regularly, no not anymore, I was raised in the Methodist church though. Do I try to cram my beliefs down others throats? No.

 

What do I believe, and or do as a testament to my belief?

 

I try to live my life in a way that I feel I would not have to be put on trial (pearly gates which is inevitable) over. I think I try to keep the B-attitudes in my heart and in my life:

 

Matthew 5: 3-11

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

 

I think there is so much in today's Bible that over thousands of years of being written and lost and destroyed and refound and rewritten that strays from so much of the intended meaning that it is very difficult to take the entire thing literally. I mean, the bible has been rewritten recently so that it can be "p.c." But you have to decide for yourself, for in the end you are only responsible for yourself. Not your neighbor, your child or anyone else.

 

But I think the B-attitudes are a very good place to start.

 

Like many others have said, you won't find any answers on here- you'll only find them in your heart. We aren't always meant to know why things happen. They don't always serve a purpose that we will ever see the result of.

 

That is the basis of any religion, faith. You just have to believe, to be willing to understand that we might be just a fly in the ointment in a cosmic scheme of things, but that God loves each and every one of us, and if you'll look for him, he'll be there to comfort you- maybe not how you want him to- I mean, if no one ever died, earth would be a pretty crowded place!

 

I hope you can find the comfort and strength you need and deserve. It's there and waiting for you.

[Apex]

There are many different Gods and you get to pick which one you feel is the real God and practice that God's teachings and give him/her/it credit for creaiting everything…

As far as I know, God does not have animal or human-like features.

…along the lines of "people once thought the earth was flat."

Correction. People once thought the world was the center of the universe.

 

If the world were flat, why would someone build a crow’s nest on the mast of a ship? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Santa-Maria.jpg

If the world were flat, we could see from one shoreline to another at ground level. What would the people in coastal cities think about that?

The Romans were smart and they did a lot of sailing. Do you think they would have noticed?

 

Either the people of that time were as intelligent as the people of today or the people of today are as intelligent as the people of that time.

If what you say about 1-7 is true, then somebody had to have created God, since he has a beginning and an end as it states all things that exist have.

Time is relative. If there was no matter, would time exist?

[Nicholas]

Mat 7:6, it is futile to offer wisdom to people with no inclination to accept it.

 

No kidding.

 

People will be ignorant, hate-filled legalists, and even Christ is powerless to stop it. Now people just do it in his name.

 

I think Jesus was wasting his precious time by trying to get through to us.

[Moose]

I think Jesus was wasting his precious time by trying to get through to us.

Interesting thought..........I'm glad He chose to at least work on us though......I like to think my soul and countless other souls, (to Him and God), was worth the effort......

[Nicholas]

Oh, I know. I'm just being cynical.

 

There are many people who choose to use the teachings of christ to positively motivate them to do good in this world. I just wonder sometimes if it did more harm than good.

[Moai]

Also another reason why I believe in God is that what do I have to loose? If there really is no God and I do worship, when I die I lost nothing and gained nothing. But if there is a God and I don't worship him, sucks to be me.

 

Actually, you have a great deal to lose. You could be worshipping the wrong God, and then you are worse off than someone who didn't worship God at all. Worshiping God might irritate him for all you know. I think GOd would be smart enough to see through Pascal's Razor, don't you?

 

I hear alot of people complaining "If there is a God, why is there pain, hurt, famine, poor, blaugh, etc..." But I dont see anybody just allowing everyone and anyone into their house. If someone is to enter my house, I have to trust them enough (or they need to prove to me that they are descent enough) to let them enter. And I am sure that goes for everybody. So why should God if he does exist allow people who has not proven themselves worthy of entering his house to enter? Or should that rule only pertain to us on this earth?

 

If you look at it that way, but God should be BETTER than we are, not the same. I would expect that God would be AT LEAST as moral as a person, and in many cases he is not. If I saw someone starving, I would feed him. If I saw someone who was sick and I could help them, I would. Most people are this way. And yet it seems that God isn't.

 

I hear from so many people: "I am ...(put whatever bad thing here)..., God hates me or does not exist". Does ...(put whatever bad thing here)... really matter in God's house? If he does exist, and everything about him is pure, then money means nothing, food means nothing, and nothing of this earth means anything anymore in God's house. If I have to cope with 60-100 years on this earth with being poor, hurt, etc... to spend the rest of eternity in a place where none of that matters, then I will suck it up and take it because I really have little choice in the matter.

 

Nothing here on Earth is really important at all in the grand scheme of things.

[Nicholas]

Being a dogmatic atheist doesn't make you any less dogmatic.

 

I think GOd would be smart enough to see through Pascal's Razor, don't you?

 

I assume you mean Pascal's wager. In that case, you have to understand the context of it. He had devoted his life to science, but still emerged a religious man. That was his own justification of it, not something he was packaging for the rest of us.

 

I think Pascal understood the personal nature of faith, and there's nothing really wrong with that.

 

If I saw someone starving, I would feed him. If I saw someone who was sick and I could help them, I would. Most people are this way. And yet it seems that God isn't.

 

I think part of spiritual maturity is abandoning a paternalistic viewpoint of God. His role isn't to live our lives for us.

[Moai]

Being a dogmatic atheist doesn't make you any less dogmatic.

 

Ha! That is very true.

 

I think GOd would be smart enough to see through Pascal's Razor, don't you?

 

I assume you mean Pascal's wager. In that case, you have to understand the context of it. He had devoted his life to science, but still emerged a religious man. That was his own justification of it, not something he was packaging for the rest of us.

 

I think Pascal understood the personal nature of faith, and there's nothing really wrong with that.

 

Yes, I did mean Pascal's Wager. Thank you for the correction. And while it may or may not have been something packaged for the rest of us, it is nonetheless a well-known rationalization, and is fallacious.

 

If I saw someone starving, I would feed him. If I saw someone who was sick and I could help them, I would. Most people are this way. And yet it seems that God isn't.

 

I think part of spiritual maturity is abandoning a paternalistic viewpoint of God. His role isn't to live our lives for us.

 

Maybe. But I am not a spiritual person at all, so I have no viewpoint of god other than that I don't believe He/She/It exists.

[Nicholas]

Maybe. But I am not a spiritual person at all, so I have no viewpoint of god other than that I don't believe He/She/It exists.

 

No, that's fine; Some of the best Christians I know are atheists I'm just trying to explain that some people feel threatened by the modern world, so they revert to a childish faith that ends up curbing their growth--both intellectually AND spiritually.

 

And while it may or may not have been something packaged for the rest of us, it is nonetheless a well-known rationalization, and is fallacious.

 

But its intention wasn't to prove that worshipping God is worth your time, it was more of an explanation for something that was already fallacious--how could someone like Pascal who devoted himself so wholly to certainty believe in something so unertain? In that respect, it only makes sense that it's fallacious, as he's trying to explain something that defies logic in the first place.

 

But, to make sure we're on the same page--what's the fallacy?

Is it question-begging?

[HotCaliGirl]

As far as I know, God does not have animal or human-like features.

But you're not the only God believer. There are millions who picture him as an old man with a long beard. Egyptians for thousands of years worshipped cats as being Gods and for thousands of years others have worshiped statues and other objects/people/animals/things.

 

Correction. People once thought the world was the center of the universe.

It was to just make a point and believe it or not some people did think the earth was flat, not today of course but as I say it in the passed-tense.

 

Time is relative. If there was no matter, would time exist?

I don't think time as we define and know it is relative. If you die, there will still be time. If everyone and everything disappears, there can still be time, just nobody around to have any use for it. If the sun disappeared and the earth blew up, time would still exist. It's not dependent on matter. There wouldn't be a clock to measure it, but if someone's not wearing a watch does it mean time doesn't exist for them? It still goes on.

 

But I don't know what the point of this was as far as religion is concerned. Oh, it was my comment on the statement made by boham quoting a writer whose had a big influence on his spirituality, stating that everything that exists has a beginning and an end, so I said if God does exist, then he(she/it/whatever) would have to ave a beginning and an end too.

 

Also 1-7 is contradictory because it is stating that "EVERYTHING" has a beginning and an end, then implying that everything has always existed as if there is and never was or will be an end, so what's the point being made about having an end?

 

And #7 makes no sense at all: "7) But things exist: Therefore something exists necessarily (What I call God)." Just because something exists doesn't mean it is necessary and if it does happen to be necessary, how in the world do you come to the conclusion that it is God? Maybe I'm missing something big here someone can point out.

[HotCaliGirl]

If you look at it that way, but God should be BETTER than we are, not the same. I would expect that God would be AT LEAST as moral as a person, and in many cases he is not. If I saw someone starving, I would feed him. If I saw someone who was sick and I could help them, I would. Most people are this way. And yet it seems that God isn't.

That's an interesting observation.

Nothing here on Earth is really important at all in the grand scheme of things.

Just like God, that is something that can't be proved. We don't know what the grand scheme is, or even if there is one. We don't know anything for certain as far as the grand scheme or religion wise, but can choose to believe or not believe what we want to or what others tell us or convince us to.

[HotCaliGirl]

I think part of spiritual maturity is abandoning a paternalistic viewpoint of God. His role isn't to live our lives for us.

So what do YOU think his role is and why people believe in him? Just so that when they die, they won't really die and go spend their next life in heaven with him or ?? Just curious why people believe in him/it/her...you refer to him as him, so do you picture him as a human-like man in your head or just an invisible force, which would be strange since why would someone talk to/pray to an invisible force similar to gravitiy?

[Toni_no12002]

this is still going! lol im still non the wiser about it.I suppose you can explain how and why god exists to me until your blue in the face but if i dont feel it then i wont believe.That doesnt mean i havent been listening to what your saying though its just i dont understand how it can all happen.Maybe because i havent seen it with my own eyes i dont know.To be honest everything to do with god is mysterious so no wonder why im confused

[quankanne]

this is still going! lol im still non the wiser about it.I suppose you can explain how and why god exists to me until your blue in the face but if i dont feel it then i wont believe.That doesnt mean i havent been listening to what your saying though its just i dont understand how it can all happen.Maybe because i havent seen it with my own eyes i dont know.To be honest everything to do with god is mysterious so no wonder why im confused

 

honey, you've tapped into a very important question here, and I'm proud of you for opening the dialogue for the rest of us.

 

you're right about not "getting" God if you don't understand: I think the easiest way to say it is that belief is not first a thinking thing, but something like a huge leap into the unknown and you've got faith (or the beginnings of it) that you'll land safely in His arms even as the freefall has you scared.

 

he's mysterious, but then again, aren't all good things?

 

have you had any luck finding a church that has a nursery program should you decide to attend services? you might also look into a Bible study program if you're interested in learning about God, or even get involved in a ministry where you can take your little one along as you volunteer your help or time. Sometimes the easiest way is to just get involved! In the meantime, don't stop asking questions. At somepoint someone is going to be able to explain what you want to know in a way that makes perfect sense.

[Moai]

No, that's fine; Some of the best Christians I know are atheists I'm just trying to explain that some people feel threatened by the modern world, so they revert to a childish faith that ends up curbing their growth--both intellectually AND spiritually.

 

Richard Dawkins once wrote a great essay about that. The link is long since dead, but when I have time I'll post the link.

 

But its intention wasn't to prove that worshipping God is worth your time, it was more of an explanation for something that was already fallacious--how could someone like Pascal who devoted himself so wholly to certainty believe in something so unertain? In that respect, it only makes sense that it's fallacious, as he's trying to explain something that defies logic in the first place.

 

But, to make sure we're on the same page--what's the fallacy?

Is it question-begging?

 

Yes, because there are an infinite number of possible gods--or none, and by selecting one in particular you may not be gaining anything, and you could actually be hurting yourslef--if you pick the wrong one and He/She/It is anything like the God described in the Bible.

[Moai]

Just like God, that is something that can't be proved. We don't know what the grand scheme is, or even if there is one. We don't know anything for certain as far as the grand scheme or religion wise, but can choose to believe or not believe what we want to or what others tell us or convince us to.

 

That is true, but in the same way I cannot be certain what my own name is. I know what I was told, and what everyone calls me, but they could all be lying.

 

We are a on a tiny speck zooming around a smallish sun, in an arm on a relatively small galaxy amongst billions of other galaxies, in a universe incomprehensibly vast. It is reasonable to assume that I, as a tiny lifeform on said speck, am meaningless. I can't be positive about that because I have insufficient evidence, and that is why, as I am sure you are aware, we are all technically agnostic.

 

I just tired of sitting on the fence pondering. With everything I see around me and what little I know about the nature of the universe I concluded that there is no meaning whatsoever, and moved on.

[Nicholas]

Richard Dawkins once wrote a great essay about that. The link is long since dead, but when I have time I'll post the link.

 

Are you talking about : http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/pecorip/SCCCWEB/ETEXTS/PHIL_of_RELIGION_TEXT/CHAPTER_10_DEFINITION/What-Use-is-Religion.htm

 

So what do YOU think his role is and why people believe in him?

 

I think plenty of people believe in Him because it's easier than the alternative.

 

Many people believe in God out of fear.

 

Personally, I doubt God exists, real as He is. I don't think that has much bearing on my faith though, there's value there whether the Emporer is wearing clothes or not. I'd rather not bank it all on the unlikely proposition that there is an afterlife.

[converse02]

My 2 cents.

I don't believe in God. I'm an atheist.

 

It is true that God cannot be prove or disproven. Likewise, the existance of fairies can't be proven or disproven either. Unless someone knows everycorner of universe, it is possible the fairies exist somewhere in the universe. We all should be "fairy agnostics." But who saids that? We don't believe in fairies as there is no evidence. Likewise, there is no evidence for God.

 

After studying science, it occurred to me that it is possible for the universe to exist without God, naturally. No need for supernatural explanation. We evolved. Dinosaurs once walked the Earth and became extinct, so will Man. Answering the whys of the universe and morality with "Goddidit" and "Godsaidso" is pointless. You are answering a mystery with another mystery. Understanding events are "good" vs "evil" is a gross oversimplication.

 

In many ways, I am in line with Dawkins. Religious was useful when man was primitive. God exists only as a concept created by man.

[Curt]

I personally believe that your placement of such faith in science as a way of "absolute knowing" is a mistake.

 

One need only look at the nature of science itself to understand that, as a field of study, science holds dear to the idea that scientific study can itself be wrong, and need to be revised or revamped completely.

 

God exists. No revision needed there.

 

Curt

[Toni_no12002]

I suppose the answer to my question-Is there really a god? i already know the answer and thats people simply dont know, as it cant be proved there isnt one as much as we cant prove there is one!

[FWIW]

I suppose the answer to my question .. people simply dont know

 

Correct. That's why it amuses me when people say with utter conviction that God doesn't exist WHEN THEY CAN'T PROVE THAT - they can't prove it any more than I could prove He does. The whole point of it is WHAT YOU FEEL, having 'seen the light' or not, having FAITH. If we had any proof we wouldn't need to believe, would we?

[converse02]

I personally believe that your placement of such faith in science as a way of "absolute knowing" is a mistake.

 

One need only look at the nature of science itself to understand that, as a field of study, science holds dear to the idea that scientific study can itself be wrong, and need to be revised or revamped completely.

 

God exists. No revision needed there.

 

Curt

 

Science has given us drugs and put people in space, it's pretty useful stuff.

I never said I place faith in science as a way of "absolute knowing" because absolute knowing is impossible and isn't the goal of science. Although I would much rather know about the universe based on physical evidence rather than unproven claims from a book written long ago.

 

God exist, but only as an imaginary human concept. Which God? Allah, Jesus, Zeus, Odin? Which holy book? Whos laws are right and who is wrong? Does God like gays? God is the extension of the values and beliefs of the cuture that invented that particular God. In that sense, God exists. "God" lacks agreed upon definition. What God is depends on who you are asking and their culture. To believe in something that can't even be defined is pointless.

 

I'm not impressed when people tell me they feel God and they can magically sense God. It sounds more like an imaginary friend, rather than an all-knowing, all-powerful external pan-dimensional uber being who created the universe and defies/creates physical and natural laws.

[Brittanyjean06]

well didn't imaginary friends help you out, when you didn't have any friends? lol the bible does contradict its self alot, but if i try to go dig up history on how god exists, where did he come from, than i will probally dig my self in a hole of not believing in god, thats why people have faith...

 

I do question myself sometimes, and not everything in life happens for a reason- maybe it does??? life can be random sometimes

 

prisedient lincon, struggled with pain practically every single day( just watched something on him, but he happen to be one of the greatest presidents....could his pain have had an impact on how he ran the country?...maybe god did all that---its how we get bye in life - all the pain you go through...maybe is happening to bring you closer to god- who knows but im not gonna let anyone tell me anything different, i believe what i want to believe

[Toni_no12002]

Ive read through everyones posts loads of times and the idea of god still doesnt make any sense maybe its not the right time for me to believe i dont know.Im not sure if i ever will believe.Ive figured something out though which may sound selfish to people who believe in god but i believe that even if there is a god there are more important things.Like my son he means the world to me.Ill be wondering forever about god if i keep searhing because no one can prove hes real or not real.

 

Is it a sin to not believe in god?If so ill go to hell.Right now i believe that what i have now and see with my own eyes is the most important thing.I may be wrong in my decision but i suppose i cant force myself to believe when i dont.I can think of a far lot worse things to do than to not believe in god.Im happy and god isnt in my life now so why should i change things?!