Does God exist?

[herschel]

Excellent! People come here to be shocked.

[herschel]

This is the kind of religious tradition I can respect. I know I sometimes say things my religious friends find offensive. I'm sorry for that, and hope to be forgiven. I can't think of any time over the past year that I have felt offended personally, although countless offenses have been perpetrated upon the people of the world by governments, corporations and other soulless entities, and I see no point in forgiving them. They will do what they will do, and the people of the world will suffer the consequences.

You're a good man, Toe. Thanks for what you do.

[tc]

All about the story of you someplace in time.


liberation unleashed
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[Das Giggity]

How did the Big Bang occur?  What caused it? a question we may never be able to answer.  Until that time, I will believe in a God, a Creator.  Maker of Heaven and Earth.  Of all that is seen and unseen.

You may know the rest.

[MissBarbara]

How did the Big Bang occur?  What caused it? A question we may never be able to answer.  Until that time, I will believe in a God, a Creator.  Maker of Heaven and Earth.  Of all that is seen and unseen.

I, too, believe in God, a Creator, etc.

But just because scientists cannot, at this present time, answer that particular question does not mean that that question has no answer, nor that God, acting directly and specifically, is solely responsible for the creation of every aspect of the creation of every aspect of the universe.

Reason and faith, science and a belief in God, are by no means incompatible. But fundamentalism/Biblical literalism and science always are and forever will be completely incompatible.

[Elizabeth]

I try to remain neutral on the subject, only because it usually stirs up some very nasty and vocal responses from people on "both sides" of the subject.
You hear the old trite saying's "If God Had Wanted Us To Fly"....blah...blah...blah.
Same for "If God Had Wanted us to do this or that"......blah,,,blah,,,blah.
But if you really want to stir up a shit storm then talk about medicine.....
"If God Had Wanted Us To Be Gods"........Well Guess What??....Should I go down the list??....Starting with the Artificial Heart, Heart Transplants, Bone Marrow Transplants,
If you want I can continue the list.  Science has out stripped the very tired phrase of "If God Had Wanted". Man through his own perseverance and striving through education has managed to do what he has done.  Or you could blame it all on Eve for getting Adam to Eat the Apple from the tree of Knowledge, but I hardly think that the tree of knowledge had the information for a heart transplant, let alone the Apollo Rocket.

Love,
Liz

[MissBarbara]

But if you really want to stir up a shit storm then talk about medicine.....
"If God Had Wanted Us To Be Gods"........Well Guess What??....Should I go down the list??....Starting with the Artificial Heart, Heart Transplants, Bone Marrow Transplants,
If you want I can continue the list.  Science has out stripped the very tired phrase of "If God Had Wanted". Man through his own perseverance and striving through education has managed to do what he has done. 

You seem to be arguing that advances in medicine proves that God does not exist. I mean, the line, "Man through his own perseverance and striving through education has managed to do what he has done" seems to indicate as much.

So, sure, start "with the Artificial Heart, Heart Transplants, Bone Marrow Transplants." Literally thousands of people die every day from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, and hundreds of other diseases. So, how are "we" doing?




 

[Lois]

Good post Toe.

[IdleBoast]

Literally thousands of people die every day from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, and hundreds of other diseases. So, how are "we" doing?

Well, since we've got no record of any of those being cured by faith, but we have many, many examples of them being cured (or at least halted) by human medicine, I'd say "pretty well, and improving".

[None]

I believe we would be arrogant, ignorant, and most likely wrong to think that we are the highest order of being in the universe. Is that greater being a god? I highly doubt it. It's all a matter of perspective and understanding. I'm sure people in remote parts of the world were blown away the first time they saw a Zippo lighter. Was the guy holding the Zippo a god? When I fix broken things for people who are not naturally mechanically inclined they look at me like I am some sort of wizard. It's not hard to think that we would perceive some being as a god that is on a level higher than we are. That doesn't mean that they are in fact one, rather they exist on a level we can't comprehend and exhibit characteristics or abilities that we are incapable of.

People use religion as a means for comfort and to explain things that are otherwise beyond our current comprehension. That's all well and good. If someone wants to practice a religion it is their full right to do so. I'm certainly not going to tell someone that they shouldn't or can't.  I believe in freedom of choice.

However, I will say that there is no god. I see innocent children hurt in this world in ways that are unfathomable.  Any god that supposedly loves us as his own would not allow this to happen. Simply put, any being claiming to be a god that is complacent to the suffering of children is not a god at all and doesn't deserve any devotion from anyone.

[ChirpingGirl]

I believe we would be arrogant, ignorant, and most likely wrong to think that we are the highest order of being in the universe. Is that greater being a god? I highly doubt it. It's all a matter of perspective and understanding. I'm sure people in remote parts of the world were blown away the first time they saw a Zippo lighter. Was the guy holding the Zippo a god? When I fix broken things for people who are not naturally mechanically inclined they look at me like I am some sort of wizard. It's not hard to think that we would perceive some being as a god that is on a level higher than we are. That doesn't mean that they are in fact one, rather they exist on a level we can't comprehend and exhibit characteristics or abilities that we are incapable of.

People use religion as a means for comfort and to explain things that are otherwise beyond our current comprehension. That's all well and good. If someone wants to practice a religion it is their full right to do so. I'm certainly not going to tell someone that they shouldn't or can't.  I believe in freedom of choice.

However, I will say that there is no god. I see innocent children hurt in this world in ways that are unfathomable.  Any god that supposedly loves us as his own would not allow this to happen. Simply put, any being claiming to be a god that is complacent to the suffering of children is not a god at all and doesn't deserve any devotion from anyone.

I hate to say it, but... luminous beings are we, not this crude matter.

[IdleBoast]

People use religion as a means for comfort and to explain things that are otherwise beyond our current comprehension.

Unfortunately, I encounter a great number of people who use religion to explain things that are so easily comprehended that they are taught to children who have not reached their teens.

I was once accused, to my face, of being a child abuser because I declared that biblical creation should not be taught as fact in science lessons.

[None]

I've met many people along my journeys that were very good people and devout to their religion. The world needs more of them. Unfortunately, I've met more that use religion as a shield to hide behind. I can't stand that. They dress up in their finest for church and sit in the front row so their neighbors can see them but during the week they are total douche bags. "I can do whatever I want to others because God will save me."  No thanks. I don't need to go to church to act that way. I can sleep in and watch porn in the morning and still be an ass during the week.

[MintJulie]

They dress up in their finest for church and sit in the front row so their neighbors can see them but during the week they are total douche bags. "I can do whatever I want to others because God will save me."

I agree, Cap'n.  I know a number of people that fit this description. 

[Lois]

Religion leads people to do and justify very horrible things.  ISIS is a prime example of this today.  But there are many examples throughout history.

[MissBarbara]

Religion leads people to do and justify very horrible things.  ISIS is a prime example of this today.  But there are many examples throughout history.

And religion leads people to seek peace, to help the poor, weak, and downtrodden, and to do the most beautiful and selfless things for others. And there are many, many examples throughout history.

[insatiable]

Religion leads people to do and justify very horrible things.  ISIS is a prime example of this today.  But there are many examples throughout history.

And religion leads people to seek peace, to help the poor, weak, and downtrodden, and to do the most beautiful and selfless things for others. And there are many, many examples throughout history.

Can't we all agree that good people will do good things and assholes will continue to fuck things seriously, and all other things like presence or absence of religion is just some excuse. Missionaries throughout the world irrespective of their beliefs have helped millions of people around the world. And the Doctors without Borders, nobody gives a damn what their religious beliefs is, but they are doing amazing work. Why can't we just let the other person have their own belief as long as it's not harming anyone? Why do we have to preach our belief system to others, if we just share our knowledge with other people that would bring more good than any thing else. Our lives are already short and there is more than enough negativity around the world, can't we all try to be a little more positive? Our belief system is a personal thing, it doesn't makes us better or superior to others. People normally say this about religious people but the non religious people deriding the religious people (I once belonged to this category) is just as bad. It doesn't matter what defines our morality as long as it's good. We all learn things from others, but just don't let others to define our morality.

And sorry about the rant above, it's bloody early morning, and I am sick of all negativity. And though I made this comment as a reply to miss B's post, I was actually sick of reading the negative comments before it.

Anyways time for me go back to checking out photos of beautiful ladies. That would kick stat my day.

[ChirpingGirl]

Religion leads people to do and justify very horrible things.  ISIS is a prime example of this today.  But there are many examples throughout history.

And religion leads people to seek peace, to help the poor, weak, and downtrodden, and to do the most beautiful and selfless things for others. And there are many, many examples throughout history.

Can't we all agree that good people will do good things and assholes will continue to fuck things seriously, and all other things like presence or absence of religion is just some excuse. Missionaries throughout the world irrespective of their beliefs have helped millions of people around the world. And the Doctors without Borders, nobody gives a damn what their religious beliefs is, but they are doing amazing work. Why can't we just let the other person have their own belief as long as it's not harming anyone? Why do we have to preach our belief system to others, if we just share our knowledge with other people that would bring more good than any thing else. Our lives are already short and there is more than enough negativity around the world, can't we all try to be a little more positive? Our belief system is a personal thing, it doesn't makes us better or superior to others. People normally say this about religious people but the non religious people deriding the religious people (I once belonged to this category) is just as bad. It doesn't matter what defines our morality as long as it's good. We all learn things from others, but just don't let others to define our morality.

And sorry about the rant above, it's bloody early morning, and I am sick of all negativity. And though I made this comment as a reply to miss B's post, I was actually sick of reading the negative comments before it.

Anyways time for me go back to checking out photos of beautiful ladies. That would kick stat my day.

We can agree. 

[Lois]

I can agree too.  Good people do good things, and bad people will justify whatever they do however they can.

[kbwriter1002]

There has never been a god.  I don't like the idea of someone who has never existed telling me what to do with my life.  Telling me who I should and shouldn't talk to or look at.  I actually think that hell is a paradise for perverts and other evil people.