What are the Odds there's a God?

[outhouse]

0/0

I believe in ancient mans ability to imagine with the best of them for what they didnt know.

for 200,000 years homo sapiens have believed in some kind of spirit or god, why people believe that 2000 years ago ONLY there religion got it right is beyond me.

 

[Dan4reason]

Where did you get such a precise number?

I made it up.

 

[idea]

1/1
- because I have had spiritual experiences that affirm God's existence
- because I know many people who have had spiritual experiences that affirm God's existence
- because the universe is so big, and has been around so long, pretty much everything exists.

 

[Riverwolf]

I made it up.

Thought so. :yes:

 

[javajo]

King Nebucadnezzar wandered and ate grass like an animal for 7 years until he came to his senses and acknowledged the most high God according to the book of Daniel.

 

[Riverwolf]

King Nebucadnezzar wandered and ate grass like an animal for 7 years until he came to his senses and acknowledged the most high God according to the book of Daniel.

So?

Atheists don't eat grass.

 

[Meow Mix]

So?

Atheists don't eat grass.

Speak for yourself!

Nom nom nom...

 

[Riverwolf]

Speak for yourself!

Nom nom nom...

I'm not an atheist. :tuna:

 

[javajo]

Nebuchadnezzar wasn't an atheist, he believed in many gods, but he had the sin of pride, saying, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?"

The rest of the story:

31While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.
32And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
33The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.
34And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:
35And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
36At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.
37Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

 

[jarofthoughts]

10/10

Because I have had experiences which offer no other option... except insanity...

And, out of curiosity, have you considered that option?

 

[Riverwolf]

Nebuchadnezzar wasn't an atheist, he believed in many gods, but he had the sin of pride, saying, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?"

The rest of the story:

31While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.
32And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
33The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.
34And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:
35And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
36At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.
37Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

Doesn't matter what the rest of the story is. And, by the way, polytheists don't eat grass, either.

The entire story has absolutely nothing to do with the topic at hand.=It's completely irrelevant. I wonder why you even bothered to bring it up.

 

[javajo]

Doesn't matter what the rest of the story is. And, by the way, polytheists don't eat grass, either.

The entire story has absolutely nothing to do with the topic at hand.=It's completely irrelevant. I wonder why you even bothered to bring it up.

I don't eat grass either. I'm trying to get into growing and eating sprouts. Well, the King there, he didn't think much of the odds that there's a God, its true. But he did feel he was a bit of a god himself, so the real Most High God decided to show him a few things. In the end, his odds that there were a God were pretty high, and so are mine, and I hope Daniel's writings about this may help raise the odds that there is indeed a Most High God in many people's minds as it has mine when I read it this morning in my devotions.

 

[ellenjanuary]

F

God as inherently extant entities, as opposed to human creations? About one chance in a million, perhaps.

Practically proved non-existent, if you are refering to the Abrahamic God of Judaism, Christianity, Islam and the Bahai Faith, who is cannonically self-contradictory, demonstrably insane and morally bankrupt.

Wow. No shades of gray on this cat.

I have a riddle: Chance that Gwyneth Paltrow is god? 0%. Therefore, Gwyneth Paltrow is god.

Yeah, I'm silly like that; but statistical analysis cannot encompass undefined variables. Traditional "faith" is one of those variables.

 

[bobhikes]

The most educated people in the world are scientists and most survey's of scientists are at 50% for and against God.

If its good enough for them its good enough for me 2 to 1 odds.

 

[Meow Mix]

The most educated people in the world are scientists and most survey's of scientists are at 50% for and against God.

If its good enough for them its good enough for me 2 to 1 odds.

That's an interesting way to interpret it. If something like 90% of the normal population believes in X but the most heavily educated portion of the population only believes in X at a rate of 50% (a 40% difference!!!) I'd take that as an extremely powerful argument against X; not say "Oh the odds are 50/50."

 

[Nothing]

If you were asked to describe your belief or disbelief in god in terms of odds, what odds would you ascribe to the possibility that god exists? One out of ten? Two out of ten? Something else?

Why did you estimate the odds as you did?

I'm going to call my bookie in Vegas. He would know.

 

[Riverwolf]

Well, the King there, he didn't think much of the odds that there's a God, its true. But he did feel he was a bit of a god himself, so the real Most High God decided to show him a few things. In the end, his odds that there were a God were pretty high, and so are mine, and I hope Daniel's writings about this may help raise the odds that there is indeed a Most High God in many people's minds as it has mine when I read it this morning in my devotions.

Why should an ancient story do that? Even speaking as a theist, I admit that stories don't do anything to raise the odds.

 

[darkendless]

The odds are stacked heavily against God. All this propoganda and nothing substantial does nothing to help.

I for one don't buy 50/50 odds because you can't prove one way or another.

 

[javajo]

Why should an ancient story do that? Even speaking as a theist, I admit that stories don't do anything to raise the odds.

It worked for me, it inspired me, if it doesn't work for you after really studying the book of Daniel and the accuracy of the prophecies in it, like the image with the gold head, silver breast, bronze belly, iron legs and feet of iron and clay and how they represent real world rulers beginning with the Persian Empire of Nebukadnezzar (gold)to the Medes/Peres(<sp?) (silver)then the Greeks (bronze), then Romans (iron), and last coming soon, of iron and clay. Also, the inspirational ways God showed his glory with the king and with Daniel, Shadrach, Mischach and Abednego and all the other very detailed, precise prophecies that came true and are coming true in real world history, then I guess its not for you. It works for me and deeply anchors my faith and awe of God, and I just thought I'd share to hopefully boost someone's faith or 'odds'.

 

[javajo]

Speaking of gambling and odds, I think it is very dangerous to gamble with one's soul, for if God does exist and he is a holy God and he sent His Only Son to save us, and we reject Him, we lose big time for he suffered in our place the wages of our sin, so we will suffer eternally in Hell. And if there is no God, we die and no longer exist and still lose. But, if we take a big chance and roll the dice and bet on Jesus being just who he says he is and that anyone who believes in him has everlasting life freely, then we win big time and if we are wrong, we have lived a much more joyful, peaceful, happier life.