Do you believe in a God?

[ajblaise]

ADISCIPLE, are you going to proselytize in this thread or what??

[Fluffywolf]

No.

I usually make a typical joke right about now saying that should I ever be proven wrong, I'm gonna smack him/it in the face. But I don't expect that to happen.

No pretty much sums it up, and I can't imagine being happier with any other 'belief'.

[marmalade.sunrise]

Yes, I do. I don't see how imagining the universe just magically, spontaneously came into being by a "big bang" is any more rational than thinking there is a divine intelligence behind the design.

I am a very liberal Christian, and do not think that science and religion are mutually exclusive.

My spirituality includes respect for all living things, including plants and animals.

[Athenian200]

I definitely don't believe in a God. If there are Gods or other higher beings (which I consider a possibility), I think there must be more than one.

[ADISCIPLE]

Originally Posted by ajblaise

ADISCIPLE, are you going to proselytize in this thread or what??

What does that mean exactly?

Listen guys seriously, if you don't like the thread that's fine. This thread was completely unselfish, if you want to say I don't know, or I don't care, I guess that is fine.

I wanted to hear from people who could answer yes or no (for what THEY personally believe). I am interested in hearing of your coming abouts to what you believe.

Did you used to believe and now you don't? Why what happened?

Did you used to not believe and now you do? Why what happened?

Have you always believed? Why?

Have you never believed? Why?

I really don't want to have anything to do with this thread but learning more about the people posting. If your desire is to critique and expose the thread poster I can't do anything about it but I think it slows down the process. I hope this can carry on more efficiently. Thank you and I apologize for not making it more simple for the rest of you folks, I really do. Please proceed.

[Victor]

Originally Posted by ADISCIPLE

Other threads on this channel have inspired me to ask this question. Do you believe in a God? This God can be of a specific religion such as Christianity, or can be Nature, Scientific rules, an Initiator, whatever. I will start by saying I believe in a God.

I don't believe in Zeus or Poseidon.

And I must admit I have never been asked to give any evidence of why I don't believe in Zeus or Poseidon.

It seems everyone know why I don't believe in Zeus or Poseidon.

And absolutely no one has called me an atheist or an infidel for not believing in Zeus or Poseidon.

However if I don't believe in Allah, I am called an Infidel. And I am told that when Islam gains world power, I will be given the choice to convert to Islam or be murdered.

And naturally, if I don't believe in the Trinity, I am called an atheist and called upon to justify my atheism.

So naturally I find it more convenient, not to mention safer, to disbelieve in Zeus and Poseidon.

[ez78705]

Originally Posted by marmalade.sunrise

Yes, I do. I don't see how imagining the universe just magically, spontaneously came into being by a "big bang" is any more rational than thinking there is a divine intelligence behind the design.

I am a very liberal Christian, and do not think that science and religion are mutually exclusive.

My spirituality includes respect for all living things, including plants and animals.

Before an existence of anything, there was nothingness, right?

Thus, at some point between nothingness and existence, something happened. Now let's just assume that we don't know whether it was a god or a big bang or anything else. But suppose that it was either a god or a big bang that came to exist from nothingness and caused everything in the universe to exist, which one do you think makes more sense? Was it a god or a big bang?

Of course, any answer to this question cannot be proved in any way. You can only think about it.

But even if someone would believe that there is no god, it does not mean that there is no reason to respect living things. There are other reasons to respect living things besides existence of god. Having said that, I do respect people who believe in god as well.

[Into It]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooo!

Any idea, no matter how crazy, can be burned into the unconscious so long as it is presented convincingly, repeatedly, and at an early age. Even those who grew up in atheist households still said "under God" in the pledge every day, still saw "In God We Trust" on the currency he held. Still socialized with those who did believe in God or at least acknowledge the possibility. If God is not one of the common "Judaic" Gods, then he is no God we have contact with in any way. Without these ideas burned through our skulls as a society, as a planet, we would concieve the notion as ridiculous, because there is no reason for a conscious God. There is no evidence. Sure, Biology is complicated to we mammals. Sure, Astronomy is complicated to us as well. But those truths point to no God in any way. We presume to know the ultimate nature of that which we admit to knowing little about.

[Into It]

Originally Posted by ez78705

Before an existence of anything, there was nothingness, right?

Was it a god or a big bang?

Of course, any answer to this question cannot be proved in any way. You can only think about it.

But even if someone would believe that there is no god, it does not mean that there is no reason to respect living things. There are other reasons to respect living things besides existence of god. Having said that, I do respect people who believe in god as well.

It is disheartening that you have to point this out. That God is percieved by the masses as something good, and so that which is without God is bad.

Of course you are right, there are a million reasons to respect living things based on that which we can know! But the fact that you mentioned this shows that you agree with me on this point: there are people who never thought about that.

[Victor]

Originally Posted by ez78705

Before an existence of anything, there was nothingness, right?

This is merely an illusion because nothingness means there is nothing there.

But to speak of nothingness gives the illusion there is something there - but there isn't.

This is called sleight-of-hand and is a confidence trick.

And the gods and miracles and heaven and hell are simply confidence tricks like MBTI itself.