Do you believe in some sort of God(s)?

[tdarko]

"I think it was a typo, I think it was supposed to be "made" not "mad"."

Yes, definitely a typo. I fixed it.

Maxx,

This thread was turning into a direction that I figured was the main reason people were devout Christians and you made a pretty good point with your last post. In our lives we all feel that we need something to lean on, a crutch, something to help us through the rigors of life. And b/c religion offers an easement it makes it easy to believe in something instead of question it, or so this is what had become popular.

I live in a bible belt in which people use religion as a way to grease themselves through their existence, not necessarily a way to better themselves (there are always exceptions).

[Dominic]

I have no idea whether or not there is an all-mighty creator of the universe, so I don't actively believe there is NOT one. Not sure if that makes me more agnostic than atheist. I do not have any religious beliefs at all. Bascially, I'm a secular humanist.

[Paluka]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I tend to think there is a god just to be on the safe side. But, i do believe that anyone that is very adamant/snively about there not being a god/being a god, all deserve to go to hell.

[/ QUOTE ]

"Just to be on the safe side". That is just a fancy way to say you are too big of a pussy to say you are atheist.

[/ QUOTE ]


I dont view this is a competition, or right vs wrong, and c'mon, the people who are super adamant about there not being a god are usually liberal, hippy, anti-war pussies. simply, I have no idea whether there is a god or not, no one does, so whats the big deal about believing there is? it doesnt take any time out of my day, it keeps me in check a little bit, and gives me someone to talk to when Im bored.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not super adamant about there not being a God. I'm super adamant that I've never met anyone with a good reason for believing there is one. That isn't the same thing. Most people have the same reason as you, which is no reason whatsoever.

[/ QUOTE ]


In the same vain, Ive never met anyone with a good reason for not believing in one. But, I also think you are wrong about there not being a good reason for believing. I think the fact that the majority of humans, since the begining of time have believed in a god/gods/higher being is a great reason. There has to be something behind the inate feeling that there is something larger than ourselves.

[/ QUOTE ]

There is no reason to think there there isn't a God? That is like saying there is no reason not to believe in Santa Claus.

[guids]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I tend to think there is a god just to be on the safe side. But, i do believe that anyone that is very adamant/snively about there not being a god/being a god, all deserve to go to hell.

[/ QUOTE ]

"Just to be on the safe side". That is just a fancy way to say you are too big of a pussy to say you are atheist.

[/ QUOTE ]


I dont view this is a competition, or right vs wrong, and c'mon, the people who are super adamant about there not being a god are usually liberal, hippy, anti-war pussies. simply, I have no idea whether there is a god or not, no one does, so whats the big deal about believing there is? it doesnt take any time out of my day, it keeps me in check a little bit, and gives me someone to talk to when Im bored.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not super adamant about there not being a God. I'm super adamant that I've never met anyone with a good reason for believing there is one. That isn't the same thing. Most people have the same reason as you, which is no reason whatsoever.

[/ QUOTE ]


In the same vain, Ive never met anyone with a good reason for not believing in one. But, I also think you are wrong about there not being a good reason for believing. I think the fact that the majority of humans, since the begining of time have believed in a god/gods/higher being is a great reason. There has to be something behind the inate feeling that there is something larger than ourselves.

[/ QUOTE ]

There is no reason to think there there isn't a God? That is like saying there is no reason not to believe in Santa Claus.

[/ QUOTE ]

Or its like saying that at one point there was no reason to believe the world was round.

[Paluka]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I tend to think there is a god just to be on the safe side. But, i do believe that anyone that is very adamant/snively about there not being a god/being a god, all deserve to go to hell.

[/ QUOTE ]

"Just to be on the safe side". That is just a fancy way to say you are too big of a pussy to say you are atheist.

[/ QUOTE ]


I dont view this is a competition, or right vs wrong, and c'mon, the people who are super adamant about there not being a god are usually liberal, hippy, anti-war pussies. simply, I have no idea whether there is a god or not, no one does, so whats the big deal about believing there is? it doesnt take any time out of my day, it keeps me in check a little bit, and gives me someone to talk to when Im bored.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not super adamant about there not being a God. I'm super adamant that I've never met anyone with a good reason for believing there is one. That isn't the same thing. Most people have the same reason as you, which is no reason whatsoever.

[/ QUOTE ]


In the same vain, Ive never met anyone with a good reason for not believing in one. But, I also think you are wrong about there not being a good reason for believing. I think the fact that the majority of humans, since the begining of time have believed in a god/gods/higher being is a great reason. There has to be something behind the inate feeling that there is something larger than ourselves.

[/ QUOTE ]

There is no reason to think there there isn't a God? That is like saying there is no reason not to believe in Santa Claus.

[/ QUOTE ]

Or its like saying that at one point there was no reason to believe the world was round.

[/ QUOTE ]

If someone went around saying the world was round without any evidence, that was pretty stupid. The fact that they ended up being right is meaningless. The people who convinced the world that the that the earth was round and that the earth revolved around the sun had plenty of evidence to suggest that they were correct.

[guids]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I tend to think there is a god just to be on the safe side. But, i do believe that anyone that is very adamant/snively about there not being a god/being a god, all deserve to go to hell.

[/ QUOTE ]

"Just to be on the safe side". That is just a fancy way to say you are too big of a pussy to say you are atheist.

[/ QUOTE ]


I dont view this is a competition, or right vs wrong, and c'mon, the people who are super adamant about there not being a god are usually liberal, hippy, anti-war pussies. simply, I have no idea whether there is a god or not, no one does, so whats the big deal about believing there is? it doesnt take any time out of my day, it keeps me in check a little bit, and gives me someone to talk to when Im bored.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not super adamant about there not being a God. I'm super adamant that I've never met anyone with a good reason for believing there is one. That isn't the same thing. Most people have the same reason as you, which is no reason whatsoever.

[/ QUOTE ]


In the same vain, Ive never met anyone with a good reason for not believing in one. But, I also think you are wrong about there not being a good reason for believing. I think the fact that the majority of humans, since the begining of time have believed in a god/gods/higher being is a great reason. There has to be something behind the inate feeling that there is something larger than ourselves.

[/ QUOTE ]

There is no reason to think there there isn't a God? That is like saying there is no reason not to believe in Santa Claus.

[/ QUOTE ]

Or its like saying that at one point there was no reason to believe the world was round.

[/ QUOTE ]

If someone went around saying the world was round without any evidence, that was pretty stupid. The fact that they ended up being right is meaningless. The people who convinced the world that the that the earth was round and that the earth revolved around the sun had plenty of evidence to suggest that they were correct.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with that, my personal beliefs though, just lend me to think that scientifically, we just arent at the point to be able to quantify the evidence of gods existence just yet.

[Morrek]

[ QUOTE ]
I personally don't know if I believe in God. I definitely don't believe in any God as written about in the religious texts that I'm somewhat familiar with, but I'm open to a different idea of God. I'm willing to admit the possibility of God as a name for a world-soul, a self-causing cause, or maybe something else. If I choose to believe in God it will probably be with the knowledge that I can't have a clear idea of what it is.


[/ QUOTE ]

You should read a book(or several) written by Neale Donald Walsch. He writes about what he calls "Tomorrow's God", for example in his book called just that. See also "What God wants" and the "Conversations With God" trilogy.

What God Wants for $15 on amazon


As for the OP, I don't belive in what most people call "God". But I do believe in, well, another definition of God. Which is, more or less, what we call "life". So I guess my answer would be yes.

edit: wikipedia

[jgorham]

There is no direct evidence for god but there is also no direct evidence against his existence. Which is why everyone keeps bringing up silly counterexamples against silly examples in the first place. So without any evidence, I don't really understand how anyone can be firmly religious or firmly atheist - the two seem very similar to me.

While I agree there is no evidence that an active god who observes/influences our existence exists (and therefore I don't believe in one), our existence itself is a problem. Our understanding of the universe and physics says we shouldn't exists. So a question of whether or not a god exists outside of our universe and our understanding is a legitimate question.

While there is still no evidence to suggest one exists outside of our universe, the problem here isn't a lack of evidence but a lack of knowledge. Since that being (or anything before our universe or outside of it) is impossible for humans to comprehend at this point, I don't think disbelieving on the basis of having no evidence is reasonable. Rather it is just an impossible question.

Now I do believe in god in spite of the impossibility of the question, and it is because it makes me happier to do so. I like being able to look at the world and see purpose behind beauty. So I admit that my belief isn't based on any evidence, but rather on my desire for god to exist as Paluka proposed.

I therefore agree with Paluka's statement, that belief in god is motivated by the desire for one to exist. But if the parameters of the god question are set outside of our knowledge then any atheist is necessarily choosing to be one based on their desire for god not to exist.

Paluka responded to this response by saying that of course he wants a benevolent god to exist, and by this I think he means a traditional, christian type god. But the type of god I believe in isn't understandable through logic or evidence, so any belief or anti-belief is motivated by something separate from reason.

[private joker]

[ QUOTE ]
our existence itself is a problem.

[/ QUOTE ]

Amen to that.

(Of course, it's been made an even bigger problem by the lunatic religious fundamentalists who keep killing large quantities of us).

[Jurollo]

I also believe organized religion is one of the most divisive and dangerous things currently present on Earth, and that includes all of the nuclear weapons you can find (Why would they ever be used?)

This isnt to say that people would all get along without religion, thats silly (and the point was made rather nicely in South Park). Some people use religion in the proper way, to better themselves or instill faith when it wasn't present innately in them. To give them hope for the future when the idea that this life if all you have would be too much for them to bear. Jesse Ventura all but said this publicly and was shunned and eventually not re-elected (which shows wear modern day America stands). Religion helps to soften the blow of life altering sicknesses and death because it makes those suffering believe that they will be rewarded for this loss in the future and that their short time on Earth is not the end. I see religion much like Santa Claus in a sense. It is, in a sense this omnipresent cloud that hangs over those too old to believe in such things as the tooth fairy and Santa, however, it acts in much the same way as a frazzled parent telling their children that if they don't behave they are going to get coal in their stocking, however, instead of coal they will get eternal damnation. Its sort of sad in the end that humans as a whole need to be threatened with eternal suffering to be nice to one another.
~J