If you believe in a god or don't believe in a god.....

[Willamena]

Would something that impacts one's morals, ethics, and behavior be evidence of the existence of that something?

If such things are objective, then they could not possibly be evidence of the existence of "that something," since it is that something.

 

[Soandso]

Speaking for myself, I need to find evidence compelling enough to form belief in a thing's existence. Specific god claims have yet to bring enough evidence to satasfy that standard for me

Could a god exist? Possibly. None I've studdied seem probable, though, so I will reserve belief until something substantial comes along

 

[YoursTrue]

I'm happy with my ignorance. We may come to an agreement, I may simply accept your definition. But that doesn't bring us further as there are still myriads of other definitions out there.
I'll simply wait until there is only one religion in the world before I take a look at their definition.

Here's a thought...Jesus said there is a narrow road leading to life and a broad road leading to destruction.

 

[YoursTrue]

Speaking for myself, I need to find evidence compelling enough to form belief in a thing's existence. Specific god claims have yet to bring enough evidence to satasfy that standard for me

Could a god exist? Possibly. None I've studdied seem probable, though, so I will reserve belief until something substantial comes along

I know I'm alive now. I exist. I can think therefore I know from my mind and studies that I'm alive.

 

[Trailblazer]

Here's a thought...Jesus said there is a narrow road leading to life and a broad road leading to destruction.

Matthew 7:13-14 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Are you implying that agnostics such as @Heyo are taking the broad road leading to destruction and that Christians are on the narrow road leading to life?
That would not make sense since many people are Christians so they would be taking the broad road that many can walk on. It is the narrow road that few can walk on.

The wide gate is the gate where the multitudes enter through because it is easy to get through. Just believe in Jesus and you are saved and forgiven. There is nothing difficult about being a Christian, one reason that there are so many Christians. It is much more difficult to be an agnostic and have no belief.

Logic and reason tell us that few people are able to enter through the narrow gate because it is narrow, so it is difficult to get through and few people are able to follow the narrow road because it is narrow, so it is difficult to walk on. It is much easier to enter through a wide gate and walk on a broad road.

It is difficult to get through the narrow gate because one has to be willing to give up all their preconceived ideas, have an open mind, and think for themselves. Most people do not embark upon such a journey. They go through the wide gate, the easy one to get through – their own religious tradition or their own preconceived ideas about God or no god. They follow that broad road that is easiest for them to travel.... and that is why the majority of people in the world belong to the largest religions of the world, Christianity and Islam.

 

[Heyo]

Here's a thought...Jesus said there is a narrow road leading to life and a broad road leading to destruction.

Here's another thought ... Yoda said “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

 

[YoursTrue]

Matthew 7:13-14 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Are you implying that agnostics such as @Heyo are taking the broad road leading to destruction and that Christians are on the narrow road leading to life?
That would not make sense since many people are Christians so they would be taking the broad road that many can walk on. It is the narrow road that few can walk on.

The wide gate is the gate where the multitudes enter through because it is easy to get through. Just believe in Jesus and you are saved and forgiven. There is nothing difficult about being a Christian, one reason that there are so many Christians. It is much more difficult to be an agnostic and have no belief.

Logic and reason tell us that few people are able to enter through the narrow gate because it is narrow, so it is difficult to get through and few people are able to follow the narrow road because it is narrow, so it is difficult to walk on. It is much easier to enter through a wide gate and walk on a broad road.

It is difficult to get through the narrow gate because one has to be willing to give up all their preconceived ideas, have an open mind, and think for themselves. Most people do not embark upon such a journey. They go through the wide gate, the easy one to get through – their own religious tradition or their own preconceived ideas about God or no god. They follow that broad road that is easiest for them to travel.... and that is why the majority of people in the world belong to the largest religions of the world, Christianity and Islam.

I'm not implying anything. To me, the scripture is clear as a crystal bell. There is a narrow road leading to life and a broad road leading to destruction. Now notice there is life and then there is destruction. Two ends. Matthew 7:13,14 Jesus told his listeners: "13Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it."

 

[Soandso]

I know I'm alive now. I exist. I can think therefore I know from my mind and studies that I'm alive.

I'm not sure what you're getting at. Could you break it down for me please?

 

[YoursTrue]

I'm not sure what you're getting at. Could you break it down for me please?

Well, when a person is alive and able to discern and consider things, he can figure what he believes, knows, or doesn't know. I hope that helps.

 

[YoursTrue]

I'm not sure what you're getting at. Could you break it down for me please?

Now then there are things I don't know about. In fact never even considered. But they're there. There are places I've never seen or heard of, for example.

 

[Trailblazer]

I'm not implying anything. To me, the scripture is clear as a crystal bell. There is a narrow road leading to life and a broad road leading to destruction. Now notice there is life and then there is destruction. Two ends. Matthew 7:13,14 Jesus told his listeners: "13Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it."

The scripture is clear in that regard. What is not clear is who are the few and who are the many. Jesus did not specify that.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

Here's another thought ... Yoda said “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

Personally, I think that the Jesus that Christians believe in is a fictional character, just like Yoda. If a religious leader named Yehoshua (also known as Yeshua, Jesus) existed in biblical times, he was most likely just an ordinary man and popular religious teacher whose devoted followers embellished their stories about him, and more embellishment and folklore were later added to these stories to make him appear to be more than he was. I believe he was simply a well-liked religious teacher whose devoted followers circulated false stories about him in order to make him appear godlike. I also believe that some of his stories were borrowed and altered from Greek mythology and other old pagan religions that predate both Christianity and the Bible. Furthermore, I believe that paganism had a significant impact on the stories of Jesus and on Christianity as a whole (such as Christmas, Easter, and some church rituals).

The savior story of Jesus isn't the first of its kind, and in my opinion, it isn't any more believable than all the other savior stories that predate his, such as "10 Christ-Like Figures that Predate Jesus" and "Other Gods That Rose From the Dead in Spring Before Jesus Christ." In fact, these two articles give a few more examples of pagan Christ-like figures whose lives are similar to Jesus', such as being born of a virgin, being tempted by the devil before starting a ministry on earth, miraculously healing the sick, dying to pay for the sins of the world, going to the underworld after death, and rising from the dead after three days. The stories of Jesus' crucifixion, death, and resurrection are similar to those of Attis, the Phrygian-Greek god of vegetation (1250 BCE). According to the stories about Attis, he was born of a virgin by a god; he was hung on a tree and died; he went to the underworld after he died; he came back to life after three days, and he brought salvation with him when he was resurrected. Also, this article, "Attis: Born of a Virgin on December 25th, Crucified and Resurrected after Three Days" contains even more similarities between the stories of Attis and Jesus. I think it's clear to see that some stories of Jesus were copied from the stories of Attis. In my opinion, the stories of other Christ-like figures demonstrate that more stories about Jesus were also influenced by paganism and that Christianity isn't unique in its beliefs, despite the claims by Christians that the Bible is divinely inspired by God and that Christianity is the only true religion in the world. Personally, I don't believe that Christianity is the only true religion, but I do believe that it is definitely a copycat religion.

 

[YoursTrue]

The scripture is clear in that regard. What is not clear is who are the few and who are the many. Jesus did not specify that.

Looking further at that scripture, Jesus helps to explain more.
He continued, "Be on the watch for the false prophets who come to you in sheep’s covering, but inside they are ravenous wolves. 16 By their fruits you will recognize them. Never do people gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they? 17 Likewise, every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces worthless fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear worthless fruit, nor can a rotten tree produce fine fruit. 19 Every tree not producing fine fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Really, then, by their fruits you will recognize those men."

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Why would God want to convince atheists that He exists?

Why would God want to hide himself?

 

[Soandso]

Why would God want to hide himself?

If it were me, mostly to play pranks on people

 

[Trailblazer]

Looking further at that scripture, Jesus helps to explain more.
He continued, "Be on the watch for the false prophets who come to you in sheep’s covering, but inside they are ravenous wolves. 16 By their fruits you will recognize them. Never do people gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they? 17 Likewise, every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces worthless fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear worthless fruit, nor can a rotten tree produce fine fruit. 19 Every tree not producing fine fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Really, then, by their fruits you will recognize those men."

I know, and I know all those verses very well, but I don't think those verses are related to the two verses about the wide gate and the narrow gate.
Why do you think that?

 

[Trailblazer]

Why would God want to hide himself?

God is only partially hidden. God hides His Essence but manifests His Attributes through the Manifestations of God (messengers).

The last phrase in this prayer reveals something about God. Baha’u’llah ends the prayer with the verse, “O Thou Who are the most manifest of the manifest and the most hidden of the hidden.” We all have secrets that are known only to ourselves, so we are all partially hidden — but this verse says that God is both the most hidden and, at the same time, the most manifest.

Manifest Yet Hidden

 

[Trailblazer]

If it were me, mostly to play pranks on people

Now God is a prankster.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Looking further at that scripture, Jesus helps to explain more.
He continued, "Be on the watch for the false prophets who come to you in sheep’s covering, but inside they are ravenous wolves. 16 By their fruits you will recognize them. Never do people gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they? 17 Likewise, every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces worthless fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear worthless fruit, nor can a rotten tree produce fine fruit. 19 Every tree not producing fine fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Really, then, by their fruits you will recognize those men."

I haven't found a Christian church yet that hasn't borne bad fruit.

 

[Trailblazer]

I haven't found a Christian church yet that hasn't borne bad fruit.

Have you looked at all the churches?