Belief in God...

[Henry]

Or the lack thereof. What does anyone think about God? Does he exist? Is he just an idea for the weak clinging desperatly to something higher than themselfs? Is God a subjective idea or an Objective reality? And if you are a theist, how does God play in your SP? Just a little? A whole lot? Nothing at all?

 

[shep]

I was "confirmed" in the Episcopal religion at 13 after memorizing this and that and answering a few questions but what did I know of religion, my own or any other, at that age? I'm not religious now but if anyone knows a God that cures sp, beats back tsunami waves, cures AIDS, and other good stuff, please let me know. :roll:

 

[Dedication]

I think belief can be a powerful and healing emotion. There's no doubt that belief in God has had (and still has) a profound effect on the development of humankind (both positively and negatively, individually and globally).

But anyone looking to expand their spiritual horizons may want to give Buddhism a try. It's not really a religion...more of a philosophy...but it's a spirutual journey in itself. (and no I don't hang out in airports and play a ukulele and give away flowers and pamphlets). Buddhism teaches us the Truth about life and shows us the way things really are. It teaches us "emotional intelligence" which is the art of being in complete control of your thoughts and emotions at all times, no matter what the circumstance. Through meditation, knowledge and compassion we can achieve ultimate liberation from our suffering. I've only been into it for a few months...and believe me my life's no picnic...but I find it makes a lot of sense. Okay...really...I'm not crazy...I just have too much time on my hands! Maybe I should hang out in airports...

 

[Chilling__Echo]

i believe in a God, but i don't like to confine myself to any set religion. i was raised baptist but going to church is impossible. it aggrivates my SA the most. it's difficult keeping the faith. this god helps me out alot in that it gives me a sense of purpose and i also believe things happen for a reason. i can understand why people have no hope and become suicidal. if i didn't think there was a reason for me being here and a reason for anything happening, why be here?

also i think if there was no God we'd all have killed each other already.

 

[lawyerguy]

Hmm I hope this topic doesn't turn into another religious debate. I personally don't believe in God (I have no proof of god so I don't believe in him/it)..but I respect people who do. I WANT to believe in a god. I mean who wouldn't want to believe that you go up to this paradise after you die. I would rather be in heaven than fade into oblivion after I die. But then again I would rather fade into oblivion than go to hell. I think I might be persuaded do believe in a god...but he would be a god that was different than all the "gods" that currently are in vogue. He wouldn't premise admission into heaven on which particular religion you happen to be in. I mean, how does believing in jesus, or mohammed or whatever make you a better person than a person who doesn't believe in those people? Why should "unbelievers" be thrown to hell simply for their disbelief..(I've always wondered if christians ever even considered the possibility that muslims are right...or vice versa..we all could end up in some one else's hell...if what all the religions say about things are true.) Or maybe the "true" religion is some religion we haven't even heard of yet. Who knows? I don't have any evidence that one religion is "more truer" than the next" There are good people of every religion, as well as bad people of every religion. There are good people who are atheists..as well..and bad atheists too. My ideal god would judge people on one standard..and one standard alone..ie how they treat their fellow human being. Not whether or not they worship a particular form of god...or another. Well that's just my two cents

 

[lifesnotfair]

i started this topic a while back, and there were like 500 people responses to it.

Personally i don't know, i think if god does exist, there would be a lot better world, even with free will, he or she would not allow people to be in pain, depressed, murdered, etc....

 

[Hamble]

Apart from Arthur Guinness, no.

God / religion is what intellectually underdeveloped humans from yonks ago devised to give a form of explination and name for what we now call, science (be it biology, physics, chemistry or life sciences, such as psychology and sociology).

 

[LazerCarp]

aye true that. put it this way, if god does exist im fucking pissed off with him.

 

[lifesnotfair]

me too

 

[FroggyHope]

I do believe in God. Why? Because I feel like it. Just messing. I just do.

 

[dazz]

If there was a god, i wouldnt have SA

So i choose not to believe in this shit..and all this religion pish

 

[GettingThere]

This is really such an individual thing and an emotive one.

It has been worked to death in previous threads.

 

[kelz]

GOD, does he, she, it exist? no-one truly knows, but what I believe, is that I do not need a bible to tell me what is right and what is wrong, my heart does this. If I do something wrong, I know I have done wrong, If I do something good, I feel great inside. The difference is, some people who believe in God, do good things because they want something, ie, they want to get into heaven, I do good things because that is what I choose to do and if there is a god and I go to this heaven, then that's a bonus. So that's my tuppenceworth. In a nutshell, everyone has a god, their heart, and that is the only religion you need to follow.

xx

 

[annie]

In a nutshell, everyone has a god, their heart, and that is the only religion you need to follow.
xx

Well said kelz

annie

 

[GettingThere]

"God is God.
You will see Him without seeing Him.
You will hear Him without hearing Him.
You are touched by Him without being touched.
You will be comforted by Him if you have faith
And surrender unconditionally to Him.

Faith is not rational with our limited knowledge.
So when I look out the window,
I know that we cannot explain our existence
Or that of the world, the universe or anything,
Except thjrough faith.

I surrender unconditionally to God,
I hear God, I feel touched by God.
God is giving me comfort through His infinite love."

Adriana Rocha

 

[Albeano]

Thats a great post, Getting there, I agree, youll see God if youre looking for God, same as you will see the good in humanity if you look for it and not focus on our shortcomings.
Theres a lot of evidence for god if you look for it, if you want scientific evidence there is plenty of research done into the near death experience. There was a 13 year medical study done into NDEs and the results were published in the lancet medical journal, heres a link
http://www.iands.org/dutch_study.html
Faith can help us make sense of our problems and give us strength and direction, if we were wrong at the end of it all we wont know anyway and will be gone, but if it helped us to live a more fullfilling life then that can only be good.
There are a number of NDE accounts by former atheists, AJ Ayer a well known "intellectual" atheist died in hospital but was succesfully resusitated and revealed he had an NDE where he met the "supreme being" I bet that was a shock for him, especially as hed made it his mission in life to convince us God didnt exist he he
Another former atheist ,Arthur Yensen, had an NDE and came back with answers to questions he had not been able to answer adequately before hand.
This is what he said:

"What is success and what is failure?

We came into this world to have trouble and to learn from it. Unfortunately many people don't realize this and complain about their bad luck and spend their lives chasing pleasure, fame and money. Then they die without making any spiritual progress. And so they waste life after life.

It should be obvious that all we'll take with us is our character, our karma and our abilities, and that we'll have to live with people like ourselves.

Therefore, our highest success would be to rise into the highest heaven through unselfish love. And our most dismal failure would be to hate ourselves out of existence - if that is possible."

 

[why_do_I_try]

i dont

maybe i would if i wasnt told things like "god made you the way u r"...if thats true yea thanks! :? being so nervous around large groups of ppl and going so red that a feel like im cooking, a lot... gr8 idea there God. :x plus i do kinda see religion and god as a simple explanation for the things that scare ppl. its too easy to me to say "god did it" "jesus said..." and so on. then again maybe im wrong, its just my opinion.

 

[Scrabbl]

Re: i dont

Religions are not simple/stupid explanations. If they are then scientific theories are too (e.g. big bang).
You can prove the existance of God only by subjective experience. The same way that you can prove Science is true.

I'm an atheist. I guess it's related to the way I'm brought up.

 

[Scrabbl]

Re: i dont

Sorry for double-posting. These are my opinions about God.

From what I've seen believers are often better people than non-believers. Don't get me wrong I said 'often'. I think that's kind of true. The morals in religions were supposed to educate people in a good way. And it is really a important factor on what kind of person you're going to be, I think. For example if someone is brought up in a family of thieves then he is very likely to become a thieve.

 

[jourjaune]

I don't know about a one God, but I like to think that their are angels, some on earth, some working beyond it. Does anyone ever wonder why things are the way they are? The mojority of people I think are unhappy and agree the world is screwed up. So why not all come together and change it?