Do You Believe in a God?

[crayola]

Both are valid and worthy of consideration, but I'd argue the philosophical and metaphysical arguments are old compared to the others, a few of my sources were from recent studies proving, confirming and expanding stuff we didn't know before.

Yes they are old but so are the didactic Gods of the the Old and New Testament. Isn't it about time we in the West broadened our concept of Gods with powers to create? Classifying all possible such gods, examining their powers and properties and searching for evidence for their deeds would be the scientific way to proceed.

You alluded to the Raelians some pages ago. They may be mad but they may be on the right track.

[Stavro]

So you are saying that God (taken that he exists as a single entity) is not omniscient?

My opinion is that God is omniscient inasmuch as the general outcome of the good v evil struggle is foreknown, and that the answer to every question could be provided by God, but not as to which spirits are going to survive their testing.

Regarding salvation and pre-determinism (and I know this is drifting into religion as opposed to the existance of God):
Who is to say that the Islamic premise that all things are already known to God, or that the belief of the C16th and C17th Calvinistic Christian Elect in a predetermined path for the Chosen, is incorrect?

The problem with predetermination, as I see it, is twofold. Firstly, it means that God is made a scapegoat for all of the man-made, but supposedly predetermined, suffering going on in the world. Secondly, it means that there is no free will, which is contrary to our own life experiences.

[Abewsed]

In my opinion God is just another name for hope. We need hope when we are in trouble, i.e. if you come around the next morning in the police cells. Then you start praying to someone, i.e. God. But once the trouble passes we become atheist again, no need for a God and so on.

As on person told me there are three stages in life.
1/ Youth. Mum is God.
2/ Teens to Middle Age. No need for a God.
3/ Middle Age to Old Age. Need for a God.
In the last stage we realise we are getting closer to death, so some hope is needed and religion (God) is a small but slender hope, so we decide to get a bit religious, just in case there is really a God. It would not do to die and then find yourself standing in front of St Peter and the Pearly Gate, only to read the sign, NO ATHIESTS ALLOWED.

As the saying goes, “there is no such thing as an atheist on the battlefield.” When the number two’s are hitting the fan, who do we turn to? It’s not the Ghost Busters.

[RecQuery]

In my opinion God is just another name for hope. We need hope when we are in trouble, i.e. if you come around the next morning in the police cells. Then you start praying to someone, i.e. God. But once the trouble passes we become atheist again, no need for a God and so on.

As on person told me there are three stages in life.
1/ Youth. Mum is God.
2/ Teens to Middle Age. No need for a God.
3/ Middle Age to Old Age. Need for a God.
In the last stage we realise we are getting closer to death, so some hope is needed and religion (God) is a small but slender hope, so we decide to get a bit religious, just in case there is really a God. It would not do to die and then find yourself standing in front of St Peter and the Pearly Gate, only to read the sign, NO ATHIESTS ALLOWED.

As the saying goes, “there is no such thing as an atheist on the battlefield.” When the number two’s are hitting the fan, who do we turn to? It’s not the Ghost Busters.

Thats called Pascal's wager I find it distasteful:

A play on words is nothing to base your entire belief system from.

It represents an arms race amongst religions for who can come up with the most terrible eternal damnation. Why should religion X get all the converts just because they thought of something so bad you shouldn't risk.

Isn't believing "just to be safe" an insult to the potential creator

There is no way to meet the terms of the wager: one cannot force oneself to believe, even if it would be beneficial for one to do so. You either believe or not, you can't fake it before an all-knowing entity.

There are thousands of gods for me to be potentially wrong about. And that goes for you too: if The Flying Spaghetti Monster is real, I would say we're both screwed

[northener]

........ if The Flying Spaghetti Monster is real, I would say we're both screwed

All hail His Noodly Appendages!

[northener]

As the saying goes, “there is no such thing as an atheist on the battlefield.”......

I can say, with my hand on my heart, that this statement is incorrect.

[Stavro]

Isn't believing "just to be safe" an insult to the potential creator

Yes.

(That would have been the entire post, but for the 10-character requirement.)

[redeyedtreefrog]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urlTB...F8CC5D7E2A5011

[crayola]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urlTB...F8CC5D7E2A5011

This dude is a peach.

Here's another one from him.

[JimH]

I have just watched the clip on Utube. I reckon that just about sums up what I believe.
You do not have to believe in God to live by good moral standards, as the majority of people do.
However, I will not fall out with anybody over their beliefs, providing they do not thrust them on to me.

[Rheghead]

Interesting article

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/we...wade.html?_r=2

[weeboyagee]

Now now Phill. I can get into enough trouble with my own quotes without being held responsable for someone elses quotes especially one as damning to God belief as that one.

You're in for it from Alan16! Guess why?

WBG

[Stavro]

Now now Phill. I can get into enough trouble with my own quotes without being held responsable for someone elses quotes especially one as damning to God belief as that one.

A little glibness from gleeber. I must have missed that one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=AU&h...&v=QERyh9YYEis

[Rheghead]

People who don't want their beliefs laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs.

[Moira]

<snip>
We are not talking about religion, we are talking about whether God exists. It has absolutely nothing to do with religion.

We're not....., we are.......?
It hasn't.......?

I think your reply to Leanne is extremely rude.

I've not entered this debate because I have no wish to keep up with the Stavros's (or the Jones's) of this world. 'Nuff said.

The Spelling and Apostrophe Police are welcome to tear my post apart.

[RecQuery]

I have just watched the clip on Utube. I reckon that just about sums up what I believe.
You do not have to believe in God to live by good moral standards, as the majority of people do.
However, I will not fall out with anybody over their beliefs, providing they do not thrust them on to me.

My standard way of countering this is:

• You mean to tell me the only reason you're not killing, pillaging and raping is because you believe some guy is watching you and making notes
• If the 10 commandments are so moral why do 4 of come from the angle of a jealous and insecure god.
• The evolutionist explanation has to do the with the strength of the group and the fact that behaviour such as that would weaken it.
• Depending on the person and debate I occasionally quote the bible to attack it but thats a dodgy tactic.

[Stavro]

• If the 10 commandments are so moral why do 4 of [them] come from the angle of a jealous and insecure god.

I agree with you (and Dawkins) that the Old Testament god is jealous, vindictive and insecure (I would also add, bloodthirsty).

But the question was not "do you believe in the god of the Old Testament," to which I would have answered 'no', it was "do you believe in a God?" This is why I answered 'yes'.

[oldmarine]

When I examine the vast universe and see the complexity of things around me. When I read about the complexity of the human body and how it is put together. The more mankind learns about everything, I believe there has to be an almighty being out there somewhere that has to know more than any human being to put all of this together. It is difficult for me to understand that it was all just an accident or that it just evolved from nothing. I have studied engineering from which I received a college degree and to me the world about me is too complex for there not to be an almighty God who created everything.

[Olin]

When I examine the vast universe and see the complexity of things around me. When I read about the complexity of the human body and how it is put together. The more mankind learns about everything, I believe there has to be an almighty being out there somewhere that has to know more than any human being to put all of this together. It is difficult for me to understand that it was all just an accident or that it just evolved from nothing. I have studied engineering from which I received a college degree and to me the world about me is too complex for there not to be an almighty God who created everything.

You are right to believe in an almight being....

He goes by the name of Mr. C Norris.

You can call him Chuck....

[RecQuery]

You are right to believe in an almight being....

He goes by the name of Mr. C Norris.

You can call him Chuck....

Your right, I've come to realise recently that there is no theory or evolution, only a list of animals Chuck Norris allows to exist.

He can apparently divide by 0 also.

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