To the OP: No, Hell no!
[quote]electric_eales wrote:
I do not beleive in God and I think you have to be pretty damn stupid if you do.
Look into the history of all religions, they were created by men, religion was used as a tool to supress the masses.
2000 years ago the bible was revalationary it was such an amazing book written by very clever people, but it has not stood the test of time and we now have the itellegence amongst ourselves to turn it over to history as a load of old bollocks, the more the bible is picked apart and alll its inconsistencies are made clear the more people find new ways to interperet the bible, you either beilive in the whole bible or you don’t as simple as, Christians make so many excuses for things written in the bible it is sad and pathetic
Religion comes and goes and eventually Chritianity will be a thing of the past, look at the religions of the acient Egyptions for example, it was once one of the most prominent religions in the world, now it is history
Why would i want to spend my Sundays sitting in and old cold building having some peadophile telling me how to live my life and that if I do not conform I will be punished in an after life?
If there is a god why the hell do people worship him? He is a nasty cruel bastard to allow so many people suffer?
I am also baffeled at how religious people do not question their religion or their god, for me i would want answers, do not expect me to believe in some 2000 year old fairy tale written by men in sandals if I am not allowed to question it.
I do not know why some people feel they need religion, life is so much better without it, religion causes to much division amongst humans, I think some people need a crutch to make them feel better about themselves which is sad, maybe they have never tried drugs (jking0
Anyway if I am wrong and I one day meet my maker I’ll kick him in the nuts and tell him he is a cunt for letting my 3 year old Niece die in terrible pain and suffering.
Appologies for spelling (hangover)
[/quote]
I think you are confusing religion with God. You don’t need religion to believe in God. I lost my father when i was a kid and watched my Nan die a very slow painful death. Nobody said he wasn’t a cruel bastard. Maybe we just don’t understand him.
I have a hangover also haha
[quote]gutshot wrote:
I think many people fail to realize that God (should He exist) and religion are not mutually exclusive.
As such, religion with its many flaws, a direct result from its human conception, does not detract from the possibility of there being a God.
Do I personally believe in God? Yes, I do. Am I religious? No.[/quote]
I think ‘God’ and religion are exclusive, the term God was created along with the creation of Religion.
You do not believe in ‘God’ as ‘God’ is stipulated in any religions, but you believe there is some unknown power that created usand has ultimate power over us that is ‘God like’.
You are not religious because you do not conform to any religious practices, but If you believe in God then you have religious beliefs IMO.
All the people that believe in God but do not consider themselves religious, I am interetsed, what exactly do you believe in?
If you believe in a higher power entity having ultimate power over us then surely this belief is derived from the religion beliefs you have been taught.
[quote]electric_eales wrote:
gutshot wrote:
I think many people fail to realize that God (should He exist) and religion are not mutually exclusive.
As such, religion with its many flaws, a direct result from its human conception, does not detract from the possibility of there being a God.
Do I personally believe in God? Yes, I do. Am I religious? No.
I think ‘God’ and religion are exclusive, the term God was created along with the creation of Religion.
You do not believe in ‘God’ as ‘God’ is stipulated in any religions, but you believe there is some unknown power that created usand has ultimate power over us that is ‘God like’.
You are not religious because you do not conform to any religious practices, but If you believe in God then you have religious beliefs IMO.
[/quote]
Whether you believe in ‘God’ or as you say ‘some unknown power’ without conforming to traditional religious practices is a matter of semantics. I loosely used the term God to portray my original point of view and avoid having to delve into the deeper meaning of God and its derived name.
Since modern religion was founded on a pre-existing belief of ‘God’, ‘higher power’ or whatever you want to call it, you can in fact believe in ‘God’ without having religious beliefs.
Having religious beliefs would imply you share the same dogmatic assumptions as many of today’s religions. Case in point I do not think that evolution (something many of today’s religions discredit) contradicts my belief in God and why the two cannot coexist.
[quote]electric_eales wrote:
All the people that believe in God but do not consider themselves religious, I am interetsed, what exactly do you believe in?
If you believe in a higher power entity having ultimate power over us then surely this belief is derived from the religion beliefs you have been taught.
[/quote]
Assuming that if there were a ‘higher power’ it would have ultimate power over us and as such be directly responsible for everything that happens on our planet is a little naive.
I believe there is a purpose to life and that if you attempt to deduce the origin and meaning of all things you will inevitably come to the conclusion that there is a ‘God’, but attempting to comprehend its purpose is an exercise in futility.
[quote]theOUTLAW wrote:
nephorm wrote:
theOUTLAW wrote:
I simply thought you were going out of your way to answer something that could’ve been answered simply without paraphrasing philisophy.
I think “What might God be?” is one of the most important questions we can ask as human beings. With all due respect, I don’t believe it admits of a simple answer.
True. To me, it’s the concept of God that matters, and I failed to realize at the moment that not everyone thinks of God in the same manner.[/quote]
Dude - you need to quit thinking you have the cerebral capacity to take on Neph.
You are bringing a stick to a gun fight.
God? I absolutely believe. in him.
For those that think it is stupid - I don’t really care. I don’t have to see, feel, or touch him to believe. It’s a little thing called faith.
I will never shy from that faith - unlike closed minded idiots who will call out the stupidity of my faith in anonymity.
Everyone believes in something - even if it is nothing.
No
Looking at the history of man we can see. Worship of judeo/christian god is pretty much convoluted sun worship borrowed from even earlier religions.
If anything it makes more sense to worship a physical celestial body that gives us light and warmth.
In recent years god has been rebranded to be a metaphysical being that is conviently non interventional and so profoundly beyond our understanding that guys wearing silly robes/collars/hats with ancient badly translated texts can only help us understand it.
[quote]BostonBarrister wrote:
nephorm wrote:
…
One thing is absolutely clear: it is impossible for a human being to intellect God.
I do believe in God, and I do believe neph hit it on the head with the above.[/quote]
I don’t believe, and I believe Neph hit the nail on the head. Good job man.
I believe in God, but not religion.
[quote]BF Bullpup wrote:
I believe in God, but not religion.[/quote]
please describe what it is you believe then, also what evidence do you base your beliefs on?
[quote]electric_eales wrote:
I do not beleive in God and I think you have to be pretty damn stupid if you do.
Look into the history of all religions, they were created by men, religion was used as a tool to supress the masses.
2000 years ago the bible was revalationary it was such an amazing book written by very clever people, but it has not stood the test of time and we now have the itellegence amongst ourselves to turn it over to history as a load of old bollocks, the more the bible is picked apart and alll its inconsistencies are made clear the more people find new ways to interperet the bible, you either beilive in the whole bible or you don’t as simple as, Christians make so many excuses for things written in the bible it is sad and pathetic
Religion comes and goes and eventually Chritianity will be a thing of the past, look at the religions of the acient Egyptions for example, it was once one of the most prominent religions in the world, now it is history
Why would i want to spend my Sundays sitting in and old cold building having some peadophile telling me how to live my life and that if I do not conform I will be punished in an after life?
If there is a god why the hell do people worship him? He is a nasty cruel bastard to allow so many people suffer?
I am also baffeled at how religious people do not question their religion or their god, for me i would want answers, do not expect me to believe in some 2000 year old fairy tale written by men in sandals if I am not allowed to question it.
I do not know why some people feel they need religion, life is so much better without it, religion causes to much division amongst humans, I think some people need a crutch to make them feel better about themselves which is sad, maybe they have never tried drugs (jking0
Anyway if I am wrong and I one day meet my maker I’ll kick him in the nuts and tell him he is a cunt for letting my 3 year old Niece die in terrible pain and suffering.
Appologies for spelling (hangover)
[/quote]
Not speaking for anyone else, but I only said I believe in God, not religion. They are two different things completely and you shouldn’t confuse the two.
[quote]electric_eales wrote:
BF Bullpup wrote:
I believe in God, but not religion.
please describe what it is you believe then, also what evidence do you base your beliefs on?
[/quote]
It’ called faith. There is no evidence. Those waiting n empirical proof are shit out of luck.
Why must we describe anything to you? That is the classic casting of pearls before swine.
I am getting fed up asking this…
If you say you beleive in god but do not conform to any religious beliefs then please describe the god you believe in and why you believe this
Cheers
[quote]electric_eales wrote:
I am getting fed up asking this…
If you say you beleive in god but do not conform to any religious beliefs then please describe the god you believe in and why you believe this
Cheers[/quote]
I am getting equally fed up with telling you that no one owes you an explanation for shit.
You might read Neph’s first post. There is no "describing’ God.
[quote]rainjack wrote:
electric_eales wrote:
BF Bullpup wrote:
I believe in God, but not religion.
please describe what it is you believe then, also what evidence do you base your beliefs on?
It’ called faith. There is no evidence. Those waiting n empirical proof are shit out of luck.
Why must we describe anything to you? That is the classic casting of pearls before swine. [/quote]
To me faith is sticking a finge in each ear and singing lalalalalalala as loud as you can so as to drown out the voices of reason.
you do not have to describe anything to me if you do not wish I am just interested in what you believe in and why. Your reluctance to discuss your beliefs is in keeping with the religious brain washing that has been instilled into you.
Its best not to question or dicuss what you believe in becuase then you might actually stop believing in it.
Now back to sticking your fingers in your ears
lalalalalalalalalalalala
Ahhh ignorant bliss…
[quote]rainjack wrote:
electric_eales wrote:
I am getting fed up asking this…
If you say you beleive in god but do not conform to any religious beliefs then please describe the god you believe in and why you believe this
Cheers
I am getting equally fed up with telling you that no one owes you an explanation for shit.
You might read Neph’s first post. There is no "describing’ God. [/quote]
so you cannot describe what is you believe? do you even know what it is you believe?
[quote]electric_eales wrote:
rainjack wrote:
electric_eales wrote:
I am getting fed up asking this…
If you say you beleive in god but do not conform to any religious beliefs then please describe the god you believe in and why you believe this
Cheers
I am getting equally fed up with telling you that no one owes you an explanation for shit.
You might read Neph’s first post. There is no "describing’ God.
so you cannot describe what is you believe? do you even know what it is you believe?
[/quote]
I can very easily tell you what it is I believe. I cannot describe who God is. There is a difference.
I’m waiting to find out for myself. Therefore I will continue to have compassion for my fellow beings.
I do however hang my head in shame for those who say they believe in God and then follow a religion that will in the name of God slaughters their fellow beings for not believing in their God.
[quote]rsg wrote:
… there never was a “higher power” that “passed knowledge to us”.[/quote]
On this score mate, maybe ancient history has clouded our thoughts somewhat and maybe there were/are higher powers (or at least more advanced powers than we are currently).
As an example of my thinking, there are pyramids in South America on which are carved images of ‘people’ (they are human shaped and have beards anyway) using sticks (or wand like implements) and pointing them at the huge rocks which were used for building the pyramids.
The carvings seem to indicate that these ‘people’ were using the sticks to move the rocks.
According to research the local people did not grow beards and the closest people that dressed like the carvings and who had beards were several thousand miles away in Egypt, also building pyramids.
There have been no discovered ways of Egyptians of that era being able to travel such distances or even that they knew of the existance of South America.
So why the images? Invented to confuse people? maybe. Or maybe (and I agree this is like asking do you believe in aliens) there was a higher power/intelligence at work on the earth at that time.
It would be easy to see how such advanced power as is depicted would be seen as god like and beings with such power would be worshipped.
Maybe at least some of the assumption about higher powers comes from events like this.
Who knows?
One thing I do know is that I hereby invite any entity in existance to come down here and try to kick my ass. Then I’ll believe in it - but only after I have knocked seven shades of shit out of the mofo and nicked his space ship.
[/end slight hijack.]
[quote]Renton wrote:
…and nicked his space ship.
[/quote]
“What does God need with a starship?”