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Do you believe in God ?


Ballybunion_Ice

Do you believe in God  

165 members have voted

  1. 1. Do you believe in God

    • Yes
      54
    • No
      89
    • Dont give a shit
      22


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I'm a No but I've been to a lot of places where people have shown unbelievable kindness to others based on the teachings of messengers of God ..and having been on the end of some of that kindness .... it's very humbling

So if the message of God is to love thy neighbour and do unto others etc then as a code of law or a starting point ..it's a good start and for the bigger question why not let those that wish to believe ..believe

i

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so, at this college there was an extra credit question "Is hell endothermic or exothermic"

this is what one kid wrote:

First, we postulate that if souls exist, then they must have some mass.

If they do, then a mole of souls can also have a mass. So, at what rate are souls moving into hell and at what rate are souls leaving? I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving.

As for souls entering hell, lets look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Some of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to hell. Since, there are more than one of these religions and people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all people and all souls go to hell.

With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in hell to increase exponentially.

Now, we look at the rate of change in volume in hell. Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in hell to stay the same, the ratio of the mass of souls and volume needs to stay constant.

So, if hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter hell, then the temperature and pressure in hell will increase until all hell breaks loose (i.e.,Hell is exothermic).

Of course, if hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in hell, than the temperature and pressure will drop until hell freezes over (i.e.,Hell is endothermic).

So which is it? If we accept the postulate given by Ms.Therese Banyan during my freshman year, "That it will be a cold night in hell before I go out with you," and take into account the fact that I still have not succeeded in having a relationship with her, the second case cannot be true. Therefore, hell is exothermic.

the kid was the only one who got credit

Read that one a while ago, hilarious!

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If God must exist, then where did God come from, surely for him to exist he must have been created, for your own very argument is that things cannot poof into existence out of nothing, and evolution cannot account for things such as morals and emotions, they have to have been created, therefore surely so much have intelligence, so any intelligent divine being must, by your very arguments, have been created. Or do the rules not apply to your God?

Sorry Jondaken, could you answer this point raised please, I'm interested to know how you believe God was created.

I don't know is the short answer. If I did, I'd have to BE God wouldn't I?

If it did happen (that is to say, if he was created, and he hasn't just always been there) then it was a long long time ago, I did not exist, noone but God did, and all ive got to go on is a few verses at the start of Genesis and John, so I'd be a bit of a muppet to think that I did know, but no doubt a few of you think I am anyway haha.

And yet you seemingly KNOW that we didn't just evolve, dispite it happening a long long time ago, and you not existing at the time, because, our computers didn't.

Welcome to the world of hypocrisy my friend.

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I was tought R.E at school, but never came to the conclusion I came from god.

I don't think studying R.E. would do that for anyone. People believe because a) they're brought up by the parents believing it and they actually feel it's real, or B) some major event changes their perspective and they feel it's real.

I went to church quite a bit when I was little, I went to primary and secondary Catholic schools, which involved going to mass regularly. But it never affected me. I felt nothing from it, so for me there is no reason to believe. Some people feel something and that's their choice to follow it.

But for me, I think a lot of people who believe are more scared of death than anything. But that's an outsider's opinion.

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There's 67 actually

ahhh ..

But i think you are confusing your Ritual Decalogue and your Ethical Decalogue ...

Exodus 34 contains ten imperative statements, the passages in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy contain Ritual Decalogue ..of which there are more than 10

Ok,on this subject of commandments

Clearly, this is a myth, the whole Moses/burning bush/tablets of stone thing. Anyone apart from the most insanely zealous loony would accept that, I hope.

What is the purpose of the myth? What does it try to illustrate to the iron age Jewish people that dreamt the story up? What is the function of these commandments (The most telling of which is 'Thou shalt have no God but Me")?

For me, this is all about the change these people made from polytheism to monotheism. previously, they had several Gods (in common with just about every other society), responsible for various aspects of their lives - agriculture, fertility etc etc. This particular God, the all smiting burning bush fella, was the God of War. You prayed to him before going into battle with whatever tribe was the enemy today - which is why the old testament God is this fearsome spiteful badass - that being more or less his job description. no point in having a wussy loving caring God of War after all.

The story goes that this God *demanded*, as payment for freeing the peeps from Egypt, that they make him their *only* God. The people were pretty unsure about this kind of radical idea, being worried about the lack of mana from the other Gods, worried about how their crops would grow and their women get pregnant. He persuaded them in the usual fire and brimstone way, that actually, they owed him for his tricks in Egypt (which were very impressive) and the commandments are more or less the terms of payment of this debt. The 'or else' by the way was that if they failed to observe their side of the deal, the covenant, God would see to it that they were wiped from the face of the earth, which was very in character. For example, the subsequent invasion by the Babylonians which destroyed Israel and resulted in the exile of the Jews in Babylon was God's punishment for failure to properly observe the commandments.

Sorry, I got off on a ramble there. I'll shut up now

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If God must exist, then where did God come from, surely for him to exist he must have been created, for your own very argument is that things cannot poof into existence out of nothing, and evolution cannot account for things such as morals and emotions, they have to have been created, therefore surely so much have intelligence, so any intelligent divine being must, by your very arguments, have been created. Or do the rules not apply to your God?

Sorry Jondaken, could you answer this point raised please, I'm interested to know how you believe God was created.

I don't know is the short answer. If I did, I'd have to BE God wouldn't I?

If it did happen (that is to say, if he was created, and he hasn't just always been there) then it was a long long time ago, I did not exist, noone but God did, and all ive got to go on is a few verses at the start of Genesis and John, so I'd be a bit of a muppet to think that I did know, but no doubt a few of you think I am anyway haha.

And yet you seemingly KNOW that we didn't just evolve, dispite it happening a long long time ago, and you not existing at the time, because, our computers didn't.

Welcome to the world of hypocrisy my friend.

It's hard to get everyone to understand a chain of thought typed down in an hour of why I believe in God. If my argument isnt rock solid its only because I'm human and make mistakes :(

But anyway, I don't see the hypocrisy. All the other things ive explained because of what ive read in the Bible and what I see around me. The existence of God is not the same argument as how did he come in to being.

Christianity is a faith. Finding proof in a faith is not going to happen, so don't look or ask for it :)

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I'm a No but I've been to a lot of places where people have shown unbelievable kindness to others based on the teachings of messengers of God ..and having been on the end of some of that kindness .... it's very humbling

So if the message of God is to love thy neighbour and do unto others etc then as a code of law or a starting point ..it's a good start and for the bigger question why not let those that wish to believe ..believe

I've also seen the same sort of kindness done not in the name of God, but in the name of humanity, because it is the right thing to do. The teaching of love thy neighbour does not require a belief in a God, it requires a belief in society and mankind.

In answer to your final point, because when those beliefs have an adverse effect on those who do not believe, then I have a major issue with it. Look at America, a seemingly developed world, where the widespread belief in a deity still prevents some women from having abortions, holds back medical research, and only very recently took away the rights of same sex couples to marry.

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I'm a No but I've been to a lot of places where people have shown unbelievable kindness to others based on the teachings of messengers of God ..and having been on the end of some of that kindness .... it's very humbling

So if the message of God is to love thy neighbour and do unto others etc then as a code of law or a starting point ..it's a good start and for the bigger question why not let those that wish to believe ..believe

i

I'm with you on that one. Amen even.

And the only real area where I split with people like that is the whole imaginary friend thing.

I always thought (cynically) that it was a convenient crutch this whole god business, filling in a psychological and emotional gap. Then I read the Voltaire quote and realised that I wasn't the first to come up with it.

"If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him."

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I'm a No but I've been to a lot of places where people have shown unbelievable kindness to others based on the teachings of messengers of God ..and having been on the end of some of that kindness .... it's very humbling

So if the message of God is to love thy neighbour and do unto others etc then as a code of law or a starting point ..it's a good start and for the bigger question why not let those that wish to believe ..believe

I've also seen the same sort of kindness done not in the name of God, but in the name of humanity, because it is the right thing to do. The teaching of love thy neighbour does not require a belief in a God, it requires a belief in society and mankind.

I think it is very sad that we can look around and see the majority of acts of kindness on this earth are performed because of a belief in a possibility.

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I'm a No but I've been to a lot of places where people have shown unbelievable kindness to others based on the teachings of messengers of God ..and having been on the end of some of that kindness .... it's very humbling

So if the message of God is to love thy neighbour and do unto others etc then as a code of law or a starting point ..it's a good start and for the bigger question why not let those that wish to believe ..believe

Because more (and more valuable) lessons are learnt from that experience if we understand that the goodness comes from us as human beings not from some celestial doler out of decency.

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If God must exist, then where did God come from, surely for him to exist he must have been created, for your own very argument is that things cannot poof into existence out of nothing, and evolution cannot account for things such as morals and emotions, they have to have been created, therefore surely so much have intelligence, so any intelligent divine being must, by your very arguments, have been created. Or do the rules not apply to your God?

Sorry Jondaken, could you answer this point raised please, I'm interested to know how you believe God was created.

I don't know is the short answer. If I did, I'd have to BE God wouldn't I?

If it did happen (that is to say, if he was created, and he hasn't just always been there) then it was a long long time ago, I did not exist, noone but God did, and all ive got to go on is a few verses at the start of Genesis and John, so I'd be a bit of a muppet to think that I did know, but no doubt a few of you think I am anyway haha.

And yet you seemingly KNOW that we didn't just evolve, dispite it happening a long long time ago, and you not existing at the time, because, our computers didn't.

Welcome to the world of hypocrisy my friend.

It's hard to get everyone to understand a chain of thought typed down in an hour of why I believe in God. If my argument isnt rock solid its only because I'm human and make mistakes :(

But anyway, I don't see the hypocrisy. All the other things ive explained because of what ive read in the Bible and what I see around me. The existence of God is not the same argument as how did he come in to being.

Christianity is a faith. Finding proof in a faith is not going to happen, so don't look or ask for it :)

The hypocrisy is in dismissing that one complex life form can come from nothing, and instead drawing the conclusion it was created, and then accepting that another can, with the reason "I wasn't there to see it so I don't know".

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If God must exist, then where did God come from, surely for him to exist he must have been created, for your own very argument is that things cannot poof into existence out of nothing, and evolution cannot account for things such as morals and emotions, they have to have been created, therefore surely so much have intelligence, so any intelligent divine being must, by your very arguments, have been created. Or do the rules not apply to your God?

Sorry Jondaken, could you answer this point raised please, I'm interested to know how you believe God was created.

I don't know is the short answer. If I did, I'd have to BE God wouldn't I?

If it did happen (that is to say, if he was created, and he hasn't just always been there) then it was a long long time ago, I did not exist, noone but God did, and all ive got to go on is a few verses at the start of Genesis and John, so I'd be a bit of a muppet to think that I did know, but no doubt a few of you think I am anyway haha.

And yet you seemingly KNOW that we didn't just evolve, dispite it happening a long long time ago, and you not existing at the time, because, our computers didn't.

Welcome to the world of hypocrisy my friend.

It's hard to get everyone to understand a chain of thought typed down in an hour of why I believe in God. If my argument isnt rock solid its only because I'm human and make mistakes :(

But anyway, I don't see the hypocrisy. All the other things ive explained because of what ive read in the Bible and what I see around me. The existence of God is not the same argument as how did he come in to being.

Christianity is a faith. Finding proof in a faith is not going to happen, so don't look or ask for it :)

The hypocrisy is in dismissing that one complex life form can come from nothing, and instead drawing the conclusion it was created, and then accepting that another can, with the reason "I wasn't there to see it so I don't know".

No. The evidence of God existing is still here to be seen. Its everything around me. Its objects, feelings, intelligence. The evidence of things being created, is right there infront of my eyes.

I don't think I needed to be there, when this computer was built, or designed, to know that it was built and designed.

Understand me at all?

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'Thou shalt have no God but Me

surely by God putting that into "his word" ..he is acknowledging the presence of other Gods ??

if you look at elements of the Bible in the context of it being a book about Egypt , where the pharaoh was seen as a God .... at a time the lower and upper kingdoms were often ruled by 2 different pharaohs ..or Gods as you will ...

therefore the story of Exodus makes more sense if you view it as the story of an Egyptian pharaoh leaving Thebes the capital and starting a new capital in Amarna .

far fetched ?? well no more than the other stories in the Bible

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If God must exist, then where did God come from, surely for him to exist he must have been created, for your own very argument is that things cannot poof into existence out of nothing, and evolution cannot account for things such as morals and emotions, they have to have been created, therefore surely so much have intelligence, so any intelligent divine being must, by your very arguments, have been created. Or do the rules not apply to your God?

Sorry Jondaken, could you answer this point raised please, I'm interested to know how you believe God was created.

I don't know is the short answer. If I did, I'd have to BE God wouldn't I?

If it did happen (that is to say, if he was created, and he hasn't just always been there) then it was a long long time ago, I did not exist, noone but God did, and all ive got to go on is a few verses at the start of Genesis and John, so I'd be a bit of a muppet to think that I did know, but no doubt a few of you think I am anyway haha.

And yet you seemingly KNOW that we didn't just evolve, dispite it happening a long long time ago, and you not existing at the time, because, our computers didn't.

Welcome to the world of hypocrisy my friend.

It's hard to get everyone to understand a chain of thought typed down in an hour of why I believe in God. If my argument isnt rock solid its only because I'm human and make mistakes :(

But anyway, I don't see the hypocrisy. All the other things ive explained because of what ive read in the Bible and what I see around me. The existence of God is not the same argument as how did he come in to being.

Christianity is a faith. Finding proof in a faith is not going to happen, so don't look or ask for it :)

The hypocrisy is in dismissing that one complex life form can come from nothing, and instead drawing the conclusion it was created, and then accepting that another can, with the reason "I wasn't there to see it so I don't know".

No. The evidence of God existing is still here to be seen. Its everything around me. Its objects, feelings, intelligence. The evidence of things being created, is right there infront of my eyes.

I don't think I needed to be there, when this computer was built, or designed, to know that it was built and designed.

Understand me at all?

But it's not evidence. It's still belief. Evidence implies fact.

But not having evidence doesn't mean it's not right.

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Looking through the eyes of science I see plenty of evidence for hte theory of evolution and therefore the non existence of a god, and I am happy with this. Trying to convince a religious person of the non existence of god through science and logiacl argument is completely missing the point. Ironically, of course, one has to speak to the heart. One has to say, "Don't be afraid, there is still deep meaning to your life, past, present and future."

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No. The evidence of God existing is still here to be seen. Its everything around me. Its objects, feelings, intelligence. The evidence of things being created, is right there infront of my eyes.

I don't think I needed to be there, when this computer was built, or designed, to know that it was built and designed.

Understand me at all?

That's not evidence, that's a lack of understading on your part.

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As someone mentioned the bible, Revelations describes heaven as being 12000 furlongs (1500 miles) on a side. That probably sounded pretty big to the guy who made it up, but it's not a lot of room considering all the lifeforms in a universe with a light cone at about 15bn light years. I hope they import the food or that's really not a lot of room each to enjoy all eternity.

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Trying to convince a religious person of the non existence of god through science and logiacl argument is completely missing the point.

Totally agree. Me and a friend at uni used to have daily debates with our religious corridor-mate. It was literally us saying "But explain this?" and he'd say "Yeah, God did it". Sooo frustrating. We weren't trying to belittle him, it was just fun to talk about backwards and forwards. Although out of frustration we always ended arguments with "You're wrong".

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