To believe, or not to believe....?

[Ana.J]

(1) Before i can answer your question, please explain which religion/denomination's God you refer to.

I am not referring to any specific religion or god. I personally do not belong to any religion, but I believe in God as a supreme being.

(2) Is it a moral God or immoral God?

Hm....In my understanding God cannot be immoral.

(3) What do you mean by "they grow spiritually"?

They help other people, improve their personalties every day and do something meaningful for the society.

(4) Your question include the notion that "they behave according to their beliefs and morals".

This means that your beliefs define who you are. If you believe that money is evil, you are poor, if you believe that you are surrounded by criminals, you see them everywhere and it becomes your truth. But if you believe that the world you live in is a friendly place, it is friendly to you. If you believe that what goes around comes around....you treat others as you would wish them treat you...

 

[Pudding]

I am not referring to any specific religion or god. I personally do not belong to any religion, but I believe in God as a supreme being.



Hm....In my understanding God cannot be immoral.

Thanks for clarify that you're not referring to any specific religion's God and the God you refer to cannot be immoral.

(1) Now please elaborate the complete specification about the moral code having by the God, otherwise i have no idea what standards of moral you would refer to.

(2) How do you know God cannot be immoral?
Who tell you God cannot be immoral?

They help other people, improve their personalties every day and do something meaningful for the society.

(3) Please elaborate the complete specification that they help other people about what.

(4) Please elaborate the complete specification about what personalities they improve into.

(5) Please elaborate the complete specification about what something/action which is meaningful to the society you refer to in your question.

Please answer the questions otherwise your statement is too vague.

This means that your beliefs define who you are. If you believe that money is evil, you are poor, if you believe that you are surrounded by criminals, you see them everywhere and it becomes your truth. But if you believe that the world you live in is a friendly place, it is friendly to you. If you believe that what goes around comes around....you treat others as you would wish them treat you...

Your question include the notion that "they behave according to their beliefs and morals".

Do they believe God told them to becomes a robot?
Do they believe their God view LGBT people as abomination?
Do they believe God told them to own slave?

(6)Please elaborate the complete specification about "their beliefs and morals" you refer to in your question, otherwise your question is too vague to the level that we can randomly insert whatever beliefs or moral to the people in your question which render your question meaningless.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Well, why wont'y start building your relationship with God... with no intermediaries, books or religions?

To tell you honest, if you're talking about the god of abraham, I don't know what that means. The only relationship I had with god/Christ was the Eucharist because of the physical presence of communion and his body and blood (sacrifice and salvation). As an entity without christ, I am a strong atheist. I don't believe in god(s) and can't figure out the nature of them to get a concept of how they are part of reality and what I know of it beyond concepts, ideas, testimonies, and stories.

The word "god" is used a lot in America, so if I used that lingo I'd define god as life. So, my first and foremost relationship with god is living the best I can with family in this life and help those when I pass in the next. To me, it's not worshiping god but living in god. I agree more with the Jews and Muslims because the former doesn't attempt to describe the nature of god nor write it and the latter there is more respect for god in writing and speech than I see in many protestant circles.

There are so many variations of the nature of god, where would I start even if I wanted to?

 

[Ana.J]

To tell you honest, if you're talking about the god of abraham, I don't know what that means. The only relationship I had with god/Christ was the Eucharist because of the physical presence of communion and his body and blood (sacrifice and salvation). As an entity without christ, I am a strong atheist. I don't believe in god(s) and can't figure out the nature of them to get a concept of how they are part of reality and what I know of it beyond concepts, ideas, testimonies, and stories.

The word "god" is used a lot in America, so if I used that lingo I'd define god as life. So, my first and foremost relationship with god is living the best I can with family in this life and help those when I pass in the next. To me, it's not worshiping god but living in god. I agree more with the Jews and Muslims because the former doesn't attempt to describe the nature of god nor write it and the latter there is more respect for god in writing and speech than I see in many protestant circles.

There are so many variations of the nature of god, where would I start even if I wanted to?

I personally think that Jesus is not God. He was just a messiah who tried to teach people more humane attitude to each other. He had a message of love.

God to me is the Supreme Being, the Creator who put the beginning to life and our souls. I think that you can communicate with him personally through meditation. Or you can just admire his creation

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I personally think that Jesus is not God. He was just a messiah who tried to teach people more humane attitude to each other. He had a message of love.

God to me is the Supreme Being, the Creator who put the beginning to life and our souls. I think that you can communicate with him personally through meditation. Or you can just admire his creation

Whats the nature of the creator? Creator doesnt sound anything close to how I see the world and life in it. Spirits are souls of he deceased say our anceastors and family. They are souls of our history and land. The creator doesnt have a human part of him or body. So him being is incomplete.

What is the nature of his being?

I have love and Jane does. So emotions couldnt describe him. Ideas like flawlessness are human wants. How can we separate our interpretations and wants from ourselves and when we do, can you find a characteristic of god that is foreign to our idea of perfection, experience of love, and testimony of others?

 

[viole]

Those are 2 separate beliefs and there are no direct correlation between them. I am sure that we reap what we sow just because I have seen enough evidence for this law. As to the existence of God, I can't prove it.

Well, I am not sure they are incorrelated in your case. You seem to infer one, or at least the utility of one, from the other.

Do you think we reap what we sow in this life?

If yes: why do you need God? Or an extension of this reward/punishement/sowing in the hereafter?

If no: where is your evidence that we reap what we saw? Since you admit you have no evidence of God and, presumably, the hereafter?

Ciao

- viole

 

[Ana.J]

Do you think we reap what we sow in this life?

Yes, both in this life and in next lives as well

If yes: why do you need God? Or an extension of this reward/punishement/sowing in the hereafter?

I need God to grow spiritually and to feel comforted and safe.

If no: where is your evidence that we reap what we saw? Since you admit you have no evidence of God and, presumably, the hereafter?

I have evidence of how Karma works in this life.

 

[Ana.J]

Whats the nature of the creator?

It is a very complicated question. I view him as an energy with consciousness.

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Interesting thread!

Found this -

"All belief that does not make us more happy, more free, more loving, more active, more calm, is, I fear, a mistaken and superstitious belief."

~ John K. Lavater

 

[leibowde84]

It wrong I've NEVER said others religions scriptures are not good..don't speculate n m isinterprete what I've said...all scriptures preached z same thing..know God love God be His devotee n Serve Him..if some1 haven't understood this after reading the scriptures then it's his fault or misunderstanding..

So you are claiming that there aren't any contradictions between say the Quran and the Gospels?

 

[Lighthouse]

Hello Guys,

Just a few thoughts on the faith in God.....

So do you agree that a person who believes in God and the one who doesn't live a different lives? I am not talking about fanatical dogmatic religious followers. Just a person who believes in supreme being/ the Creator and afterlife? Because most religions do imply the existence of afterlife.

So if we live our life believing in God and in the end we will find our that there is no afterlife, we will not care because we will cease to exist. No disappointment

But what if we live our life not believing in God (After us the deluge) and in the end we will find out that there is afterlife and you shall reap what you sow? Won't that be devastating?

So is it better to have faith then?

In my opinion, having high character, a sound mind, a sound heart is the supreme way of being. If someone believes they can have a sound mind, a sound heart, and high character, they believe and come to know the supreme way of being.
You or anyone can believe in anything you want, it's your only right that nobody can take from you unless you allow them to. There are many mental authorities trying to control, condition. In that sense, it is better to not surrender this right. Especially if you do only have 1 chance, why would anyone allow anyone to run their life in any way?
As far as an "afterlife," all we've known to this point is life, the present is sufficient. It is comforting not worrying about the future or what happens when your body fails.

 

[Pudding]

I am not referring to any specific religion or god. I personally do not belong to any religion, but I believe in God as a supreme being.

You have said that the God you mention in the op is not referring to any specific religion's God.

So if we live our life believing in God and in the end we will find our that there is no afterlife, we will not care because we will cease to exist. No disappointment

But what if we live our life not believing in God (After us the deluge) and in the end we will find out that there is afterlife and you shall reap what you sow? Won't that be devastating?

So is it better to have faith then?

Your argument can be similarly apply to many other religions as well.

Example:
What if you live your life not believe-in/follow/obey those religions' Gods and in the end you will find out that there is one of those God's version of afterlife and you shall reap what you sow? Won't that be devastating?

You should also remember that many of those religion's God do not allow their follower to believe/follow/obey other religion's God other than they themselves, believe in more than two version of religion/non-religion's God will still make the believer ends up in hell in afterlife.

So can you believe-in/follow/obey all those religion's God who said (in their holy book) you'll go to hell if you don't believe/follow/obey them?

Please choose one God from all those religions' Gods, or as your choice of God which is a non-religion God.
You'll still be reap what you sow and feel devastating if you choose the wrong God (suppose if one of those Gods and his version of afterlife do exist).

 

[Milton Platt]

Hello Guys,

Just a few thoughts on the faith in God.....

So do you agree that a person who believes in God and the one who doesn't live a different lives? I am not talking about fanatical dogmatic religious followers. Just a person who believes in supreme being/ the Creator and afterlife? Because most religions do imply the existence of afterlife.

So if we live our life believing in God and in the end we will find our that there is no afterlife, we will not care because we will cease to exist. No disappointment

But what if we live our life not believing in God (After us the deluge) and in the end we will find out that there is afterlife and you shall reap what you sow? Won't that be devastating?

So is it better to have faith then?

So, what you are proposing here is really what is known as Pascal's wager. It is a flawed argument. Just to name several of the problems.....

1. A person cannot simply will himself to believe. He has to actually think the thing is true.
2. It could be questioned whether an all-knowing god would be fooled by a person feigning belief.
3. It would take a lifetime to figure out which one of the thousands of gods one be should believe in.

 

[Milton Platt]

Some say that God is love. If God = love then we can say that my signature can be read as "God is all you need".

If god equalls love, then god simply equals a human feeling.

 

[4M17]

So you are claiming that there aren't any contradictions between say the Quran and the Gospels?

As I said b4 since both preaches the same thing means love of God so there not difference/contradiction-it might be that individual way of interpreting thing by speculation create contradictions..but if u try to stick to there real meaning rather than giving our own opinions on the verses u'll see no differences..imho

 

[McBell]

As I said b4 since both preaches the same thing means love of God so there not difference/contradiction-it might be that individual way of interpreting thing by speculation create contradictions..but if u try to stick to there real meaning rather than giving our own opinions on the verses u'll see no differences..imho

Would you please be so kind as to explain how the Gospels stating Jesus died and the Koran stating Jesus did not is not a contradiction?

 

[ADigitalArtist]

"Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.”
- Marcus Aurelius

Huge fan of that quote, but just noting here that Marcus Aurelius didn't say it. There's a quote in Meditations that is similar but with a way different intent. Marcus was a polytheist after all.
Here's a better translatiom:

Since it is possible that thou mayest depart from life this very moment, regulate every act and thought accordingly. But to go away from among men, if there are gods, is not a thing to be afraid of, for the gods will not involve thee in evil; but if indeed they do not exist, or if they have no concern about human affairs, what is it to me to live in a universe devoid of gods or devoid of Providence? But in truth they do exist, and they do care for human things, and they have put all the means in man's power to enable him not to fall into real evils. And as to the rest, if there was anything evil, they would have provided for this also, that it should be altogether in a man's power not to fall into it. Now that which does not make a man worse, how can it make a man's life worse? But neither through ignorance, nor having the knowledge, but not the power to guard against or correct these things, is it possible that the nature of the universe has overlooked them; nor is it possible that it has made so great a mistake, either through want of power or want of skill, that good and evil should happen indiscriminately to the good and the bad. But death certainly, and life, honour and dishonour, pain and pleasure, all these things equally happen to good men and bad, being things which make us neither better nor worse. Therefore they are neither good nor evil."

Greek is hard, and taking a sensible snippet and formulating an idea now fondly referred to as the atheist wager is fine. Buy but I always tag the quote with 'unknown' because the intents are just so different.

 

[Etritonakin]

I personally think that Jesus is not God. He was just a messiah who tried to teach people more humane attitude to each other. He had a message of love.

God to me is the Supreme Being, the Creator who put the beginning to life and our souls. I think that you can communicate with him personally through meditation. Or you can just admire his creation

We are told to delight in what God has created -but he will also delight in that we create forever.

Christ is described as "the firstborn of many brethren" -and the one for whom and by whom all things were made... as instructed by the Father (supreme).

We are all called "gods" by God and Christ in scripture -with the potential to be born the children of God in spirit bodies -and told that the whole creation awaits us.

Rom 8:18For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Phil 3:21Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

John 10:34Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? 35If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; 36Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

Rom 8:28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren

 

[4M17]

Would you please be so kind as to explain how the Gospels stating Jesus died and the Koran stating Jesus did not is not a contradiction?

Death means the destruction of the material body that we have but Jesus resurrected and went back home(the kingdom of God) in that very same body-within this angle of vision it can be considered as if he haven't died...after the crucification it was just an apparent death for him in order to wind up his pastime on earth & go back to the spiritual world since he had already completed his mission(guiding humanity toward God realisation)...so saying that Jesus died & later resurrected is correct as well as saying that Jesus didn't die is also true..it all depend hw ur seeing/understanding the bigger picture because no mundane human can kill Jesus.....jst an eg but on a material platform - a person who does an NDE(nearly death experience) is MEDICALLY dead for some seconds/minutes but then comes back to life afterward...saying that this person died and come back to life is as correct as saying that this person didn't die since he's still alive...hmm I think this is the main point of agreement

 

[Ana.J]

You have said that the God you mention in the op is not referring to any specific religion's God.


Your argument can be similarly apply to many other religions as well.

Example:
What if you live your life not believe-in/follow/obey those religions' Gods and in the end you will find out that there is one of those God's version of afterlife and you shall reap what you sow? Won't that be devastating?

You should also remember that many of those religion's God do not allow their follower to believe/follow/obey other religion's God other than they themselves, believe in more than two version of religion/non-religion's God will still make the believer ends up in hell in afterlife.

So can you believe-in/follow/obey all those religion's God who said (in their holy book) you'll go to hell if you don't believe/follow/obey them?

Please choose one God from all those religions' Gods, or as your choice of God which is a non-religion God.
You'll still be reap what you sow and feel devastating if you choose the wrong God (suppose if one of those Gods and his version of afterlife do exist).

Well, we all have a different understanding of God. Each religion is just a path to THE GOD. For me religion limits the wonderful essence of God so I do not follow any religious view of god.