Do You Believe in God?

[Satans_Serrated_Edge]

Do you believe in God (or a supreme being higher than yourself)?

If you don't, then how come? What is it that you believe as far as this is concerned?

If you do, then how come? What do you call him? IS God a "him" or a "her"? And how many are there according to your belief?

Define "higher than yourself"

 

[Muffled]

Absolutely Not!
IMHO Gods are fairy tales for adults.
I believe in a universe that is built from small things that, over the epochs of time, synergize and become more complex, while obeying the laws of physics,
rather than anthropomorphize faith myths, based on the top-down approach, which often violates the laws of physics.
Cheers

I believe your opinion is based on a lack of knowledge. God has nothing to do with fairy tales. Your opinion is the fairy tale.

 

[Spurs]

I believe in a infinite perfect knowledgeable powerful and best of loving God that created a sort of ultimate infinity where we can go infinitely in and out and up and down and every direction in existence and that every is infinite, contains infinite levels, and is part of infinite levels of existence because God is infinite and existence is his being.

 

[dgirl1986]

Not quite. It's a bit more complicated than that.

I gave a simplified answer...but would be interested to read how much more complicated you think it gets.

 

[MrMrdevincamus]

What does that have anything to do with my (stolen) quote "I don't believe in God because I don't believe in Mother Goose"?9

Sorry for the late reply. I was demonstrating that nothing we believe in is any more valid than any other. Including what our science tells us is real, true or believable. So religious belief is just as valid as is the belief that science claims of the day are believable, true or accurate etc.

How can I compress that? Probably the most comprssed definition of phylosophical or metaphysical naturalism is the rejection of any form of teleology. There are no whys in naturalism, only hows.

Thanks for clarifying. I was trying to understand your rejection of metaphysical in more detail. (By metaphysical I meant as in supernatural or more accurately super-normal paradigm or world view).

I thought he was a Muslim, as the Bosnian origin and the name suggest. Or atheist, as his citizenship suggests. I might be wrong, tho.

I am fairly at a loss for information on the subject. The reason I was asking so many questions was I enjoy getting to know who I am debating or discussing issues with, and why they like this and dislike that....just what makes them tick. For me its a form of intimacy and that level of 'knowing' someone lends respect to them.

*EDIT*

Ciao

- viole

Likewise viole.

 

[viole]

Sorry for the late reply. I was demonstrating that nothing we believe in is any more valid than any other. Including what our science tells us is real, true or believable. So religious belief is just as valid as is the belief that science claims of the day are believable, true or accurate etc.

Mmmh, I am not sure. I think there is a big difference between things like the law of Ohm and talking serpents.

Thanks for clarifying. I was trying to understand your rejection of metaphysical in more detail. (By metaphysical I meant as in supernatural or more accurately super-normal paradigm or world view).

I do not reject methaphysics or any other meta, in general. Any position about physics, is metaphysical, by definition. Prima facie, it looks like a strange loop leading to paradoxes, if we consider that I believe that our thought is the product of physics, too. But I think it can resolved by dividing the ontology of things in classes.

I am fairly at a loss for information on the subject. The reason I was asking so many questions was I enjoy getting to know who I am debating or discussing issues with, and why they like this and dislike that....just what makes them tick. For me its a form of intimacy and that level of 'knowing' someone lends respect to them.
.

Well, I have no idea, either. To be honest with you, I do not like him. Maybe I am the only Swede to think that, but I don't care. Basically.

Ciao

- viole

 

[serp777]

I believe evidence for me is what God says. After all He is omniscient.

There's no way of verifying that its God speaking to you. For all you know it could be satan, or a delusion, or an experiment from an alien race.

 

[psychoslice]

I don't belive in anything higher or lower than myself, everything is One.

 

[Tiapan]

I believe your opinion is based on a lack of knowledge. God has nothing to do with fairy tales. Your opinion is the fairy tale.

After sixty orbits of the sun, I reckon I have a pretty good handle on knowledge, could you point me in the direction of the knowledge I lack. If you are going to point me at the Bible, Quran, Mein Kampf, torah, Maos little red book or Tibetan Book of the Dead, don't worry I have looked at them all and it just shows me there is much to be gained reading a wide variety of books and opinions without defining ones self with a single contradictory text.
IMHO God, the holey ghost, satan, angels, archangels, cherabims, jins, are just as fantastic as any Harry Potter Movie
Cheers

 

[Sand Dancer]

I am not sure. I was a long time Christian, but as a current agnostic, I am not sure what I believe. Sometimes I sense awe in nature, but is that awareness of a deity or just reverence for the earth?

 

[LuisDantas]

I am not sure. I was a long time Christian, but as a current agnostic, I am not sure what I believe. Sometimes I sense awe in nature, but is that awareness of a deity or just reverence for the earth?

Doesn't it all come down to whether you feel like calling the object of your reverence by the name of "god" or "deity"?

 

[Sand Dancer]

Doesn't it all come down to whether you feel like calling the object of your reverence by the name of "god" or "deity"?

Yes. I am not sure if I should call it that or not. I am very confused.

 

[LuisDantas]

Are you at peace with the possibility that there may be no way to decide it that is not arbitrary?

When you feel the sublime joys of everyday life (mostly by interacting with loved ones) you may describe it as the grace of God or you may feel fortunate and motivated to spread the good fortune.

Far as I can tell, it is ultimately one and the same thing. The only difference is that by associating that joy with a divine figure you may develop aditional expectations and, perhaps, direct your motivation differently as well.

 

[rusra02]

What about all of the people on earth who have never had the Bible made available to them?

I believe that God has not forgotten these people, but will bring them back to life, with the opportunity to learn the truth. (Isaiah 11:9) Today, relatively few people do not have access to the Bible. For these, I am sure God will do what is right. (Genesis 18:25)

 

[Sand Dancer]

Are you at peace with the possibility that there may be no way to decide it that is not arbitrary?

When you feel the sublime joys of everyday life (mostly by interacting with loved ones) you may describe it as the grace of God or you may feel fortunate and motivated to spread the good fortune.

Far as I can tell, it is ultimately one and the same thing. The only difference is that by associating that joy with a divine figure you may develop aditional expectations and, perhaps, direct your motivation differently as well.

I am okay with it, it just makes it hard to answer questions like these in a definitive manner. Thanks for helping me clarify.

 

[Guy Threepwood]

I am not sure. I was a long time Christian, but as a current agnostic, I am not sure what I believe. Sometimes I sense awe in nature, but is that awareness of a deity or just reverence for the earth?

I'd say it is both.

The Earth, and your ability to be awestruck by it, are both utterly unique creations. If someone is very sure, that this creation of Earth and humanity happened entirely by accident, then they may be very sure that they have nobody to thank for it.

But many of us are not quite so convinced of this!

 

[Spideymon77]

I am not sure. I was a long time Christian, but as a current agnostic, I am not sure what I believe. Sometimes I sense awe in nature, but is that awareness of a deity or just reverence for the earth?

I grew out of my religion gradually. First Agnostic then Atheist. But of course, people all have different experiences.

 

[leibowde84]

I'd say it is both.

The Earth, and your ability to be awestruck by it, are both utterly unique creations. If someone is very sure, that this creation of Earth and humanity happened entirely by accident, then they may be very sure that they have nobody to thank for it.

But many of us are not quite so convinced of this!

I'd say that most atheists are merely withholding belief due to lack of evidence not based on speculation, which seems pretty reasonable.

 

[Sand Dancer]

I grew out of my religion gradually. First Agnostic then Atheist. But of course, people all have different experiences.

I may be on my way there.

 

[Muffled]

After sixty orbits of the sun, I reckon I have a pretty good handle on knowledge, could you point me in the direction of the knowledge I lack. If you are going to point me at the Bible, Quran, Mein Kampf, torah, Maos little red book or Tibetan Book of the Dead, don't worry I have looked at them all and it just shows me there is much to be gained reading a wide variety of books and opinions without defining ones self with a single contradictory text.
IMHO God, the holey ghost, satan, angels, archangels, cherabims, jins, are just as fantastic as any Harry Potter Movie
Cheers

Everyone knows that Harry Potter is a work of fiction. I believe the Bible is reporting what witnesses say there experience is. However you don't have to rely on a book because I and many others have had experiences with God. I can honestly say I have read Harry Potter books and have never had any of the experiences that he had.