Does God exist?

[rufus]

In a reply to a post on another thread I made the comment that god doesn't exist. One poster took issue with this and said that I have "problems" if that is what i believe, (or in this case don't believe.)

I am curious. How many posters believe in the existence of God? Why/why not

[Irish Alan]

Okay I'll be first to bite. I was raised a Catholic. My mother was and is very religious. As a kid we were brought to mass every Sunday. Not going was just not an option. My school was ran by nuns and frankly religion was rammed down your neck. Religious education was how I would imagine the Hitler youth, with a nun waving her fist describing how Christ was nailed to a cross and had the crown of thorns PRESSED HARD into his head.

As I was in my teens and onwards I have became less and less religious and I can only say I hope there is a God. I often pray and bless myself. You will notice me at the nightmarket with my hands joined during a Liverpool match (cue Zidane and 747.) It is instinct and for me to believe and it is not a burden. What have I lost or to lose from believing in God?

When I die and transcend into another world I hope I am met at the pearly gates and having lived a good life I will be ushered in and I can go and jam with Jimi Hendrix and Phil Lynott... If there is nothing after this life I will be too dead to care.

[jepp]

I agree with Jack handy (American writer) who said “If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”

[Frankie 1]

In a reply to a post on another thread I made the comment that god doesn't exist. One poster took issue with this and said that I have "problems" if that is what i believe, (or in this case don't believe.)

I am curious. How many posters believe in the existence of God? Why/why not

You say that you don't believe. But I think you are wrong. You do believe. You believe that God doesn't exists. So at least you believe in something.

I think that God isn't a he or a she, I think that God is existence itself, the core energy of it. So God is everywhere and also a part of any of us. Yes, I believe in God, but I don't believe in religion as a dogmatig set of rules, and I think you can get in contact with God through meditation. A lot of people hold God responsible for what we as humans do wrong, and refuse to take responsibility for their own actions. I think that heaven is truly free happiness and hell is knowing how many sceletons we have in our closet.

[Laan Yaa Mo]

Who knows? But it is really, really doubtful that there is a universal authority, Supreme Being or a God, and it hardly matters anyway.

We (all things in the universe) seem to be born to die.

After birth people do stuff and then they are dead. End of story.

My religious credentials, however, are very spotty. My family raised me as a non-church going Anglican, and there is something to be said for belonging to a church associated with Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.

On the other hand, atheism makes more sense, but who can say with any authority?

I like my status as a fence-sitting agnostic Anglican who does not believe in God but cannot offer any proof in support of this belief.

[westerby]

The issue shouldn't be whether God exists but how you would define God.

In what context?

[beer monkey]

Why does he let so many suffer......

[Laan Yaa Mo]

Oh no !!! Philosophy class problems.

I remember my Grade 12 history teacher coming in to class one day and explaining about Roman Catholicism. Everybody got enthusiastic...yeah yeah yeah, we want to be Catholics.

The next day he spoke like a Baptist and everybody said that's great, we want to be Baptists.

The day after that the teacher told us about Islam and we all wanted to convert.

But on Thursday he spoke of the Jews and their religion and we were all enthusiastic about that faith.

On Friday, we asked the teacher, 'what is the correct answer for the examination'? The teacher responded, 'what do you think'?

Now that was scary because we had never thought before. His background was in philosophy but he never did define God for us.

And when I asked him to tell us about Buddhism, he handed me a book by Christopher Humphries on Buddhism and asked me to read it and tell the class about Buddhism since he did not have the time. This was my introduction to Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).

[lighspur1]

Yes, he exists and he only talks to me.

[beer monkey]

What do you talk about..?

[westerby]

Now that was scary because we had never thought before. His background was in philosophy but he never did define God for us.

The scary thing is that those in power define God for the rest of us and cajole or coerce others to do things in the name of God. The notion of God is a convenient vehicle for those who desire power and control.

[Laan Yaa Mo]

Yes, this is true.

Elsewhere they do the same for the true teachings of the Buddha, the sayings of Confucius and define the undefineable in Taoism (Daoism). One must not forget Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and those other religious 'isms' such as Marxism, Leninism, Stalinism and Maoism.

On that note, I trust you enjoyed Kwanzaa (sp).

[rufus]

"You say that you don't believe. But I think you are wrong. You do believe. You believe that God doesn't exists. So at least you believe in something."

Semantically I guess i could argue that i believe in nothing.

[aznyron]

"You say that you don't believe. But I think you are wrong. You do believe. You believe that God doesn't exists. So at least you believe in something."

Semantically I guess i could argue that i believe in nothing.

yes you do believe in some thing it called gun control or out lawing the ownership of a fire arm gotcha Rufus

[Khun Paul]

THE BIG QUESTION IS ; DOES ANYONE TRULY EXIST ? ARE WE REALLY HERE ? WHERE IS HERE ? WHO IS GOD ? WHERE DOES HE LIVE ? WHAT SEX IS HE/SHE ? LASTLY NOT LEAST WHY ???
THESE AND OTHER IMPODERABLE QUESTIONS HAVE PLAGUED MANKIND FOR YEARS.

The answere is, AS I have been told is to CHILL like everyone else and then die, you WILL then know the answer to all those questions that have made you wonder.

oH yEAH ?????????????????????????????????????????????

[rufus]

Yes yes, but we were talking about a higher being; in that respect I believe in nothing.

[banpaeng]

I do not think anyone can prove this one way or the other so it is all trivial. This goes to ones own beliefs. Notice I said beliefs. This is the same as saying one believes in Santa Claus, Casper, etc.

This could be a true debate issue though. It will be interesting in how folks brains work.

[BKKSTAN]

I believe in a creation as I can not get myself to believe that something can come from nothing.There fore ,I believe in a creator or creators.The reason for the creation is a puzzle to me other than it must have purpose!
Religion to me,is man trying to define and explain spirituality.I believe the purpose of this is to organize and control people.

Historical prophets lead me to believe that their is a purpose and communication with the source of creation and gives some definition to it except it is hard to define which prophets might or might not be true.

I find the bible as being a very interesting book as many of its content has seemingly answered some questions about this world and its inhabitants behavior in a prophetic and historical perspective,but I don't accept religious cannonization and tend to believe that the bible is grossly incomplete in its present form,plus mans desire to define,organize and control through religion has effected the translations and interpretations combined with selective content!

So,I believe in God as I believe in the spiritual essence involved in life,breath and death,but I don't believe that anybody can define it totally!No one can convince me that I am supposed to worship it a certain way!

[mortiboy]

I blame it onthe aliens!

[BKKSTAN]

I blame it onthe aliens!

''Blame'',what?