How Much Do You Doubt God's Existence?

[Spice]

Interesting thought, thank you PureX. I'm thinking, too, we can pray like Jesus said, "Let YOUR will take place..." So it appears there is a better, greater will than ours. How do you feel about that?

I think this is an absolutely wonderful concept of prayer ...... but it doesn't apply to every situation or to everyone in need. It takes time and experience to "pray continuously" and learn how to "Let go, and let God."

 

[Kenny]

No. It's "evil" of believers to threaten skeptics for questioning Christian dogma.

When did I threaten?

Typically, this occurs when the believer is told that that the unbeliever doesn't see a reason to believe that dogma. He is then told that he'll be sorry in a veiled threat of some post-mortem meeting wherein he'll be judged and punished for his skepticism. The believer, if he addresses his terroristic message at all, will say that it is a warning made lovingly, constructively, and caringly, but it's not. It's resentment. It's frustration.

Never said that.

The message of Christianity is to submit and obey or suffer.

No, I don’t think so

The believer will tell you otherwise - call it a religion of love, and the offer of salvation a great gift from a loving god who made sacrifices for man, but that's just fluff. In the end, it's about the threat of salvation versus perdition and the solution to this invented problem is to cleanse oneself of sin by submitting to the alleged commands of an intolerant god or else.

'For God so loved the world… ‘ sounds like love to me

I know you don't like that, but can you falsify the claim, that is, demonstrate where it is wrong. I don't mean just disagree and state what you believe or prefer others to believe, but to demonstrate why the claim I made is wrong. You can't do it. Why? Because one can't falsify a correct statement.

Actually, it doesn’t affect me at all.

This is why I reject and condemn the Christian version of love. I just saw Forrest Gump again, and Forrest says, "I'm not a smart man but I know what love is." Me, too, and that is not it. Love has nothing to do with torture. I love my wife and she loves me. The relationship does not involve puncturing holes in hands or torso. It is not about suffering.

We all have an opinion of what love looks like. I’m glad you love your wife and she loves you. Ephesians says that God’s love for us is like unto a marriage so I think you are getting the gist of it.

More passive-aggression. He doesn't ever sound angry.

Great… I guess I’m flawed too… though I knew that.

When you run out of ideas, you seem to like to turn to threat or an insult.

Threat? Insult? Is what you shared insulting?

 

[metis]

Then no one can make any claims about it.

Which is what atheists acknowledge and point out to believers.

We have been over this. No. Atheists aren't imagining anything about Gods. All atheists do is respond to what others claim about a God or gods. Oddly as you assert no one can define what these gods are that they claim exists, or believe exists.

It's what you imagine, and get wrong. Over and over again, you get this wrong.

Question for you: Do you consider Baruch Spinoza an atheist? Just curious-- nothing else.

 

[muhammad_isa]

..All atheists do is respond to what others claim about a God or gods..

You can't speak for all atheists .. many behave in an inappropiate manner.
i.e with ridicule

 

[Bear Wild]

He died for you? No greater love has a man than this, that he die for his friend?

He did not die for me. That is your myth not mine and do not, do not imply he died for me. He died for his Jewish faith. I am not Jewish or Christian so no he did not die for me. Many people have died for faith, family and country but that does not mean they died for you or me. Love is not limited to Christianity but to all humans. Profound love exists in all cultures and religions equally. It is the people who see themselves as having the superior way for all people who make the false claim that they represent the only way. I hope you do not see yourself as superior to us who are not Christian, so do not attempt to impose your myths on us!

 

[F1fan]

Question for you: Do you consider Baruch Spinoza an atheist? Just curious-- nothing else.

It's been so many years since I read philosohy that I don't remember the substance of his views. My impression is that he was a theist much like Einstein, and talked about God in the abstract.

 

[F1fan]

You can't speak for all atheists ..

I understand what atheists have to say, and how most all of them are responding to religious claims of one type or another. The vast majority of atheists came from religious environments and influence, and had questions about the strong pressure to adopt religious ideas. Some struggled more than me. But none began with religious beliefs all on their own, nor criticisms of religion without being exposed to religion in their social experiences.

I'm seeing more theists trying to tell atheists what they are. To my mind this is an act of insecurity and bullying.

many behave in an inappropiate manner.
i.e with ridicule

I'll bet you consider any criticism as inappropriate.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Atheists imagine that God doesn't exist. But that position is just as imaginary as any theist's conception of God.

There is no evidence for interference of this imagined God in the affairs of the world.

 

[Aupmanyav]

I think most of us know that dna is involved .. but how/why did the mechanism itself evolve?

Evolution. Why does machinery has to be replaced?

Salamanca by Mathew Murray of Holbeck, 1812.

 

[Aupmanyav]

I have a question for you, Why God shape him-self only on earth?
We should find examples idols on other orbits and planets.

You are questioning God's desire! He does what he does.
Who knows if there are sentient beings in other worlds/universes and he is there too?
(It could be a female like Durga in Hinduism or others in ancient religions)

 

[Kenny]

He did not die for me. That is your myth not mine and do not, do not imply he died for me. He died for his Jewish faith.

Like I said, in my Book, it doesn’t imply, it states in 2 Cor 5: He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them."

But you don’t have to subscribe to my thought.

I am not Jewish or Christian so no he did not die for me.

Again, I support you in holding that position but it just isn’t in the Book.

Many people have died for faith, family and country but that does not mean they died for you or me. Love is not limited to Christianity but to all humans.

Of course love is for all humans… God is love and He made us to love.

Profound love exists in all cultures and religions equally.

Absolutely! The difference, of course, is that Jesus died for all whereas we wouldn’t.

It is the people who see themselves as having the superior way for all people who make the false claim that they represent the only way. I hope you do not see yourself as superior to us who are not Christian, so do not attempt to impose your myths on us!

Of course I am not superior to anyone. If I was, I wouldn’t need a Savior.

And not trying to impose my belief on anyone… we are all free-will spiritual agents and we can serve any god/gods that we want or even make ourselves our own god. We are here at RF simply sharing our respective beliefs.

 

[Bear Wild]

Of course I am not superior to anyone. If I was, I wouldn’t need a Savior.

Yet your responses are filled with I am right, and I know better. So you say you are not superior but that is not what you project. When you apply your religion on others. You stated he died for me. That is false. He did not die for me. Tell me where he actually said he died for all people including every race and religion. In his words.

 

[Kenny]

Yet your responses are filled with I am right, and I know better.

If one wants to read it that way. One could say that you are saying the same thing.. that you are right and that you know better. Why not just agree to disagree.

So you say you are not superior but that is not what you project.

Purely your interpretation. You don’t know my past life so when I say “I am not superior” - I say it knowing my past life. I’m just forgiven, that’s all. For that matter, according to the Book, all are forgiven because He took our sins and paid for them. No double indemnity.

When you apply your religion on others. You stated he died for me. That is false. He did not die for me.

You must have misread. What I said was that in my Book it says that He died for you and me. But that is the Book I subscribe to. Which one do you subscribe to? (If any)

Tell me where he actually said he died for all people including every race and religion. In his words.

Well… of course you are asking in reference to my Book. Jesus is The Word so, in essence, any time God spoke - it was The Word.

It started all the way back in Genesis 3:15 with Adam and Eve from whom all, as you call it, races come from. From the beginning He made a blood covenant that followed human kind where the Redeemer would crush the serpents head.

It is man who wants to divide people into “races” when there is, in reality, only one race—the human race.

It then goes to Abraham where God (The Word) spoke with His own voice that through Him (the seed) all the nations would be blessed with the the type and shadow of the stopped sacrifice of Isaac, where there was a substitute, on the same mountain that Jesus was sacrificed—if but a stone throw away.(maybe closer?)

So when God said “As far as the east is from the west, so far I placed your transgression” - that is pretty clear enough for me. “For God so loved the world” is pretty inclusive too.

 

[YoursTrue]

I think this is an absolutely wonderful concept of prayer ...... but it doesn't apply to every situation or to everyone in need. It takes time and experience to "pray continuously" and learn how to "Let go, and let God."

No contest right now.

 

[F1fan]

Absolutely! The difference, of course, is that Jesus died for all whereas we wouldn’t.

It's not like he volunteered. He was arrested and then executed. The funny thing is God didn't need to have Jesus wacked to forgive sins. It's God. Could have just forgiven the sins.

Of course I am not superior to anyone. If I was, I wouldn’t need a Savior.

Saved from what, exactly? And who told you that you needed to be saved?

 

[Trailblazer]

Saved from what, exactly?

The original sin that Adam and Eve committed, but Jesus never said that He died because we needed to be saved from that sin.
That is a man-made doctrine of the church, it's not in the Bible.

And who told you that you needed to be saved?

The church leaders and doctrines.

 

[Kenny]

It's not like he volunteered. He was arrested and then executed. The funny thing is God didn't need to have Jesus wacked to forgive sins. It's God. Could have just forgiven the sins.

Apparently you haven’t read the story. Twice they tried to kill him and he just walked through them and on the cross he could have called on a legion of angels and taken care of the situalty.

Saved from what, exactly? And who told you that you needed to be saved?

Listen to my messages online and you will figure it all out. Needless to say, if it hadn’t been for Jesus I would have been divorced and it would have been my fault.

 

[F1fan]

Apparently you haven’t read the story. Twice they tried to kill him and he just walked through them and on the cross he could have called on a legion of angels and taken care of the situalty.

It's what God wanted after all, for the guy to be executed. How else could mankind be saved? Unless God just made it happen.

Listen to my messages online and you will figure it all out.

Almost as if you think yourself Jesus. Gotta say, you aren't any Jesus.

Needless to say, if it hadn’t been for Jesus I would have been divorced and it would have been my fault.

Shame you can't give yourself credit for deciding to not get divorced.

 

[Kenny]

It's what God wanted after all, for the guy to be executed. How else could mankind be saved? Unless God just made it happen.

Almost as if you think yourself Jesus. Gotta say, you aren't any Jesus.

Shame you can't give yourself credit for deciding to not get divorced.

I think you are just being combative. But that is OK.

Have a good night, my friend

 

[Kenny]

It's what God wanted after all, for the guy to be executed. How else could mankind be saved? Unless God just made it happen.

Almost as if you think yourself Jesus. Gotta say, you aren't any Jesus.

Shame you can't give yourself credit for deciding to not get divorced.

I think you are just being argumentative. But that is OK.

Have a good night, my friend