Are we better off with or without belief in "God"?

[DallasApple]

Or you may not believe what is is you are actually saying or doing anymore.Which isnt abstract its litteral..Or at least thats what people say you are doing.I guess you would have to ask other people in that case.

Oh well..

Love

Dallas

 

[DallasApple]

My DIL 'believes" she should get a little puppy dog ..to be a "friend" for my grandson Elliott.My grandson is 14 months old.She actually belives that.

She is 24 years old and is delusional about something as simple as that.

Love

Dallas

 

[TechTed]

In my somewhat twisted perspective, I would cast my vote on "better off with" but add the qualifier that we need to redefine our concept of "God" first.

And, I might add, dissolving all organized religions would be required. (Ya, I'm looking at YOU Catholicism)

 

[logician]

Having both believed in, and not believed in a god, I much prefer the latter.

 

[blackout]

I think we're better off not beleiving in anything because if you're in the middle of "believing" something, you're thinking about an abstract.

If you spend your time doing that you might not hear the ice cream truck when it comes.

Well yes.... and that too.

 

[Deeje]

Not talking about the actual, factual God but just the belief of.

What are the pros and cons? Are we better off with or without it?

Individually and socially.

To live in a world without God or the belief that he is there and in control of our future, what would be the point of our existence? Man would be alone and without purpose in this vast universe. If God put us here and we haven't discovered the reason why, then maybe he has chosen not to know us...? :cover:

To King Solomon, God said, "And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a complete heart and with a delightful soul; for all hearts the Lord is searching, and every inclination of the thoughts he is discerning. If you search for him, he will let himself be found by you; but if you leave him, he will cast you off forever."
Obviously, you don't even come into God's field of vision till you genuinely start looking for him. If you think God is dead, he will allow you to go on believing that. What does he need with children who don't want to know him?
The reward is for those who believe that there is a reason for everything and who then make it their mission in life to find out what it is. How much effort would you put into digging for buried treasure? It would take lots of effort, but the payoff is pretty awesome! :yes:

If he hasn't let himself be found by you, perhaps he has discerned something in your heart that he does not like.

Deeje

 

[blackout]

To live in a world without God or the belief that he is there and in control of our future, what would be the point of our existence? Man would be alone and without purpose in this vast universe. If God put us here and we haven't discovered the reason why, then maybe he has chosen not to know us...? :cover:

To King Solomon, God said, "And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a complete heart and with a delightful soul; for all hearts the Lord is searching, and every inclination of the thoughts he is discerning. If you search for him, he will let himself be found by you; but if you leave him, he will cast you off forever."
Obviously, you don't even come into God's field of vision till you genuinely start looking for him. If you think God is dead, he will allow you to go on believing that. What does he need with children who don't want to know him?
The reward is for those who believe that there is a reason for everything and who then make it their mission in life to find out what it is. How much effort would you put into digging for buried treasure? It would take lots of effort, but the payoff is pretty awesome! :yes:

If he hasn't let himself be found by you, perhaps he has discerned something in your heart that he does not like.

Deeje

Why would you want someone in control of your future?

I would think the important thing is to be fully alive in your NOW.
After all the kingdom of gOd is Now. Within. In the Midst of YOu.

Life is not for the "future"...
and it is not a "rigid" controled thing.
It all flows together...as it unfolds...
in each and every NOW moment.

Are you a mere pupet in every moment?
Does your reality not reflect YOUR OWN decisions of BEing?

 

[blackout]

I am most concerned with a deep and rich experience of life.

I often call Life itself,
or the Living Sentient UniVerse...
of which I am an integral and inseperable part, gOd.

I already "know" that life, and UniVerse and Self exist.
It is what I believe I can potentially DO as (One with/in this) gOd,
that interests me most.
And I do very often step out in the suspension of disbelief,
that I may try things out in a zone of infinite possibility,
and see what results. This I call magick.
The results often appear/asthetic "Magic".

Everything I "believe" in any capacity,
I believe IN gOd... as ALL THINGS surrounding me ARE gOd.
And I am gOd.

Belief for me is an ACTIVE word.
BElive. BE live. BE alive. Live life alive.

Or as Quagmire said,
"Don't miss the icecream truck".

Quaggy always says it best.

 

[OmarKhayyam]

"To live in a world without God or the belief that he is there and in control of our future, what would be the point of our existence? Man would be alone and without purpose in this vast universe."

Man is alone and alive and able to understand the universe and defines his own purpose. Much better deal.

A gift worthy of a god.

 

[logician]

"To live in a world without God or the belief that he is there and in control of our future, what would be the point of our existence? Man would be alone and without purpose in this vast universe."


All life is born with a purpose, to survive to reproduce. Any purpose beyond that is one we derive from our own intellect.

 

[Valjean]

The fact that you are psychologically challenged by godlessness, pointlessness and solitude doesn't effect the possibility of they're being reality, Deeje.

 

[Jeremiah]

To live in a world without God or the belief that he is there and in control of our future, what would be the point of our existence? Man would be alone and without purpose in this vast universe. If God put us here and we haven't discovered the reason why, then maybe he has chosen not to know us...? :cover:

To King Solomon, God said, "And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a complete heart and with a delightful soul; for all hearts the Lord is searching, and every inclination of the thoughts he is discerning. If you search for him, he will let himself be found by you; but if you leave him, he will cast you off forever."
Obviously, you don't even come into God's field of vision till you genuinely start looking for him. If you think God is dead, he will allow you to go on believing that. What does he need with children who don't want to know him?
The reward is for those who believe that there is a reason for everything and who then make it their mission in life to find out what it is. How much effort would you put into digging for buried treasure? It would take lots of effort, but the payoff is pretty awesome! :yes:

If he hasn't let himself be found by you, perhaps he has discerned something in your heart that he does not like.

Deeje

"To live in a world without God or the belief that he is there and in control of our future, what would be the point of our existence? Man would be alone and without purpose in this vast universe."

Many of us get by just fine without your god giving us meaning. In fact people, all the time, live a life of meaning no gods needed.

" If God put us here and we haven't discovered the reason why, then maybe he has chosen not to know us...?
[...]
Obviously, you don't even come into God's field of vision till you genuinely start looking for him. If you think God is dead, he will allow you to go on believing that. What does he need with children who don't want to know him?"

This is irrelevant to the topic on hand.

"The reward is for those who believe that there is a reason for everything and who then make it their mission in life to find out what it is. How much effort would you put into digging for buried treasure? It would take lots of effort, but the payoff is pretty awesome!"

So "God" is buried treasure and we should lust after him like gold? To do what? Satisfy our greed? There are rewards enough in this world for me, I don't need any more.

"If he hasn't let himself be found by you, perhaps he has discerned something in your heart that he does not like."

This thread is not about my personal self and I would appreciate if keep this discussion about belief in God instead trying to size up someone you have never met.

 

[Jeremiah]

Do you think that humanity would be better off without art or music as well ... or good literature?

When we no longer need tools to assist us in knowing ourselves, we will not be humans but gods.

"Do you think that humanity would be better off without art or music as well ... or good literature?"

A very good point. But religion/philosophy, or the path of, does not necessarily need gods.

 

[Deeje]

I am not created to be godless. I am designed to be spiritual; I am like all humans, I am programmed to worship. It is what humans choose to worship that determines their attitude toward their own existence and that of others. Humans are free to worship whatever or whomever they wish. We all have choices, but choices have consequences. Every decision we make has an outcome, so our choices better be the right ones, especially where our spirituality is concerned.

If life has nothing to do with God, then this miserable excuse for an existence is all we can hope for....:sad: How pathetic! I am promised so much more than this. You who have convinced yourselves that there is no God, may wish to settle for this poor substitute for a life, but it's not my dream...it's more like a nightmare!!

If I am a created being and I am living a life that is so much less than what my heart feels it should be, then I believe that my expectations were implanted by my Creator and that life was meant to be completely different to what it is now. What kind of cruel joke would it be to implant an expectation of a better life and then not make it achievable?
The Bible gives me reason to hope that the life I dream of is not too far away. It tells me that God is making an estimation of hearts; that he is allowing us all to be caught in the act of being ourselves. What is our life telling him right now?
Only we can answer that.

Deeje

 

[Valjean]

I am not created to be godless. I am designed to be spiritual; I am like all humans, I am programmed to worship.

Where'd you come up with that idea? What evidence do you have to support this?
A better case could be made for you're being, like all organisms, nothing more than a reproductive device for your particular genetic sequence (selfish gene theory).

It is what humans choose to worship that determines their attitude toward their own existence and that of others.

Balderdash. How do you account for the happy, moral, law-abiding people of non-worshiping religious traditions, or atheists?

If life has nothing to do with God, then this miserable excuse for an existence is all we can hope for....:sad: How pathetic!

How pathetic he who cannot cope without fairy tales; who can't appreciate the beauty and wonder of life without a pie-in-the-sky mythology.

I am promised so much more than this. You who have convinced yourselves that there is no God, may wish to settle for this poor substitute for a life, but it's not my dream...it's more like a nightmare!!

I'm very sorry that your mythology has made your present life a nightmare. I wish you were able to appreciate the beauty of life, but, well, if you choose to ignore and disparage God's creation....

If I am a created being and I am living a life that is so much less than what my heart feels it should be, then I believe that my expectations were implanted by my Creator and that life was meant to be completely different to what it is now. What kind of cruel joke would it be to implant an expectation of a better life and then not make it achievable?

God's Reality is not dictated by your heart's feelings or the religious expectations taught by your church -- Sorry.

The Bible gives me reason to hope that the life I dream of is not too far away. It tells me that God is making an estimation of hearts; that he is allowing us all to be caught in the act of being ourselves. What is our life telling him right now?
Only we can answer that.

And what prospects do the Tao to Ching, the Quran or the Gita give you? Surely you haven't drawn your conclusions without considering more than one point of view? :sarcastic


Deeje[/quote]

 

[Clover]

I am not created to be godless. I am designed to be spiritual; I am like all humans, I am programmed to worship. It is what humans choose to worship that determines their attitude toward their own existence and that of others. Humans are free to worship whatever or whomever they wish. We all have choices, but choices have consequences. Every decision we make has an outcome, so our choices better be the right ones, especially where our spirituality is concerned.

If life has nothing to do with God, then this miserable excuse for an existence is all we can hope for....:sad: How pathetic! I am promised so much more than this. You who have convinced yourselves that there is no God, may wish to settle for this poor substitute for a life, but it's not my dream...it's more like a nightmare!!

If I am a created being and I am living a life that is so much less than what my heart feels it should be, then I believe that my expectations were implanted by my Creator and that life was meant to be completely different to what it is now. What kind of cruel joke would it be to implant an expectation of a better life and then not make it achievable?
The Bible gives me reason to hope that the life I dream of is not too far away. It tells me that God is making an estimation of hearts; that he is allowing us all to be caught in the act of being ourselves. What is our life telling him right now?
Only we can answer that.

Deeje

No one is created to be godly or godless. Mankind (and Womankind lol) are sad beings, cause many spend their days wondering whats after this, and fail to see the beauty of life. :angel2:

 

[MoonWater]

I am not created to be godless. I am designed to be spiritual; I am like all humans, I am programmed to worship.

:no:. I can certainly tell you that I am not "programmed to worship". I am a spiritual person as well. But I worship nothing.

It is what humans choose to worship that determines their attitude toward their own existence and that of others. Humans are free to worship whatever or whomever they wish. We all have choices, but choices have consequences. Every decision we make has an outcome, so our choices better be the right ones, especially where our spirituality is concerned.

If life has nothing to do with God, then this miserable excuse for an existence is all we can hope for....:sad: How pathetic! I am promised so much more than this. You who have convinced yourselves that there is no God, may wish to settle for this poor substitute for a life, but it's not my dream...it's more like a nightmare!!

My life has nothing to do with god yet I don't find it poor or miserable at all. I see great wonder and beauty in the world and universe around me. Indeed I would consider it sad to be so focused on the next life that one can't take time to enjoy and appreciate this life. But that's just my opinion.

If I am a created being and I am living a life that is so much less than what my heart feels it should be, then I believe that my expectations were implanted by my Creator and that life was meant to be completely different to what it is now. What kind of cruel joke would it be to implant an expectation of a better life and then not make it achievable?
The Bible gives me reason to hope that the life I dream of is not too far away. It tells me that God is making an estimation of hearts; that he is allowing us all to be caught in the act of being ourselves. What is our life telling him right now?
Only we can answer that.

Deeje

 

[slave2six]

I am not created to be godless. I am designed to be spiritual; I am like all humans, I am programmed to worship.

There is no consistent data to support this idea. There are many many people who do not worship either gods or pop icons. If we were "designed" to worship, then it stands to reason that everyone would worship in the same way that everyone needs to breathe. Our bodies and minds need oxygen, water, and other chemicals. Socially we thrive on relationships that support those emotions that make us feel good. Every social animal has the same needs.

We share the same biology as other social animals. Would you say that orangutans are "designed" to worship? Of course not. Neither are we.

 

[slave2six]

To live in a world without God or the belief that he is there and in control of our future, what would be the point of our existence?

This is the main purpose of the Christian religion - control. For millenia mankind believed that everything made sense; God made the universe, mankind and his habitation was the center of everything, the stars and planets were orderly and placed to decorate the sky for us, and it was all controlled and orderly. Turns out that the universe is chaotic and far from what we want it to be.

The main reason to believe in the Christian God is to hold to an idea that no matter what happens everything is under control.Some people even go so far as to say that this God tells them stuff when their lives are in disarray. Still others consult the "prophets" in their church to find out what God is saying or what he wants.All this is very comforting to someone who is afraid to face the realities of the world.

Having abandoned that faith and having come to have no god in my life, I can tell you that life without god is far preferable not only because I am able to enjoy the physical universe in a way that I couldn't before but also I don't have this weird idea of Someone looking over me (or failing to look over me) all the time.

Things are what they are and to live without appending extraneous meaning or superstition to them is extremely freeing.

 

[Jeremiah]

The answer to this question is obvious and I would expect that all people would answer the same:

"If there is a God, then we are better off to believe in God. If there is no God, then we're better off to not believe in God."

So, your question really boils down to the question: "Is there a God?"

"If there is a God, then we are better off to believe in God."

I am sorry, but why would we be better off believing in "God"? (Note: Even if there was an actual god that does not mean it one of the many that we believe in.)

And likewise...

"If there is no God, then we're better off to not believe in God."

Why would that be the case?