So, over 700 dead......

[sir albion]

i think everything (in the limited capacity of the human brain) points to there being some sort of being or creator, how did everything get here ? I don't just mean our universe etc, I mean far away in space , where does space end , does it end, what was here before ? Without some sort of being or creator (I'm not a creationist, I believe Darwin !) the human brain just isn't complex enough to even begin to understand this .

You'd be going around in circles as the anwser will never ever be known and the sooner its left that way the sooner we can move on.
Did God drop a load of water on the planet?
Did he create the moon and sun and all the other moons etc etc.
I'd suspect evolution is as close as you'll get to life on Earth...Water,the sun and then oxygen would create life on Earth.
Did a mystery man in our galaxy really give us the key 3 ingredients for life?
He created animals as well....was he or she an animal and not human?
How did he light the sun up?box of matches?
Why didn't he put life on Jupiter or Venus or Mars etc etc?
We can't be sure but life it seems started with the dinosaurs and other creatures....Was god a dinosaur?
Why would he be human like as we apparantly evolved billions of years later?
So who created the dinosaurs?

What does God really look like?
Was he huge and rolled our planet with the many others into a round ball....He then created an atmosphere and all the other bells and whistles that come from creating life.

He,she or it really doesn't exist let's be frank

 

[ThePompousPaladin]

Do you believe in God 100%? And do you believe that God wants to be worshipped the way we do?

We all know for a fact that the story of God has been written and selectively rewritten by man. People who believe in God today are so far removed from the God they want to believe in.



I agree with you both on that; tarot cards, mediums, astrology, supernatural abduction (otherwise known as sleep paralysis) crossing our fingers and not treading on the cracks in the pavement, and even believing in Uri Geller.

To answer your questions. I'm an agnostic theist.
1)Sometimes i believe in god 100%, sometimes i don't.
2)I don't anthropomorphize God, i don't presume that God thinks in any human sense of the word.

With fear of delving into nitty gritty, i find that belief in God is in some ways irrelevant, the act of worship is where the gold lies. Of course there is some kind of hypocrisy in this statement as the act of worship requires an exercise in some kind of belief.
I believe there are reasons that all cultures have developed similar methods for gaining consciousness. These are useful tools.

I agree with you that the 'story of god' has been written and rewritten by man, sometimes selectively. I view these texts as cultural historic documents filled with metaphors so all may grasp some meaning. There is much wisdom in them. It angers me that these documents are often used by humans to gain power over people to further their agendas.

Your statement: "People who believe in God today are so far removed from the God they want to believe in.".
Firstly this seems to be a catch all statement (which has obvious drawbacks), ironically these kinds of statements are often used by people in fundamentalist religions.
What % of the world's population have faith? Do you think it applies to all of them?
Do you really know what people believe and want to believe? How?

No need to answer these slightly facetious questions.

I too think religion is a bit of a dirty word, but without them all we'd have are cults, which is often how i view these fundamentalist sects.

 

[jimhigham]

Shintu & Budhism.

I never suggested Japan was a religion free zone. I simply meant that religion is not a defining feature of its politics or civil society.

Expanding on the original point of religion providing us with civilisation, it's interesting to note that many countries run along more secular lines tend to be those towards the top of the UN Human Development Index. Coincidence? I'm guessing not.

 

[SIMMO SAYS]

To answer your questions. I'm an agnostic theist.
1)Sometimes i believe in god 100%, sometimes i don't.
2)I don't anthropomorphize God, i don't presume that God thinks in any human sense of the word.

With fear of delving into nitty gritty, i find that belief in God is in some ways irrelevant, the act of worship is where the gold lies. Of course there is some kind of hypocrisy in this statement as the act of worship requires an exercise in some kind of belief.
I believe there are reasons that all cultures have developed similar methods for gaining consciousness. These are useful tools.

I agree with you that the 'story of god' has been written and rewritten by man, sometimes selectively. I view these texts as cultural historic documents filled with metaphors so all may grasp some meaning. There is much wisdom in them. It angers me that these documents are often used by humans to gain power over people to further their agendas.

Your statement: "People who believe in God today are so far removed from the God they want to believe in.".
Firstly this seems to be a catch all statement (which has obvious drawbacks), ironically these kinds of statements are often used by people in fundamentalist religions.
What % of the world's population have faith? Do you think it applies to all of them?
Do you really know what people believe and want to believe? How?

No need to answer these slightly facetious questions.

I too think religion is a bit of a dirty word, but without them all we'd have are cults, which is often how i view these fundamentalist sects.

Have you ever considered becoming BORE of BRITAIN.
You have my vote

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I never suggested Japan was a religion free zone. I simply meant that religion is not a defining feature of its politics or civil society.

Expanding on the original point of religion providing us with civilisation, it's interesting to note that many countries run along more secular lines tend to be those towards the top of the UN Human Development Index. Coincidence? I'm guessing not.

Shinto was very much a defining feature of Japan especially during the second world war. Kamikaze was expected of it's followers. I think a country that has 81,000 shrines is very influenced by it's religion.

 

[symyjym]

To answer your questions. I'm an agnostic theist.
1)Sometimes i believe in god 100%, sometimes i don't.
2)I don't anthropomorphize God, i don't presume that God thinks in any human sense of the word.

With fear of delving into nitty gritty, i find that belief in God is in some ways irrelevant, the act of worship is where the gold lies. Of course there is some kind of hypocrisy in this statement as the act of worship requires an exercise in some kind of belief.
I believe there are reasons that all cultures have developed similar methods for gaining consciousness. These are useful tools.

I agree with you that the 'story of god' has been written and rewritten by man, sometimes selectively. I view these texts as cultural historic documents filled with metaphors so all may grasp some meaning. There is much wisdom in them. It angers me that these documents are often used by humans to gain power over people to further their agendas.

Your statement: "People who believe in God today are so far removed from the God they want to believe in.".
Firstly this seems to be a catch all statement (which has obvious drawbacks), ironically these kinds of statements are often used by people in fundamentalist religions.
What % of the world's population have faith? Do you think it applies to all of them?
Do you really know what people believe and want to believe? How?

No need to answer these slightly facetious questions.

I too think religion is a bit of a dirty word, but without them all we'd have are cults, which is often how i view these fundamentalist sects.

The reason why I made the statement "People who believe in God today are so far removed from the God they want to believe in." is because, as one example, Judaism rejected Jesus and as a response he denounced organised religion, temples for worship, and the hierarchy within.

2000 years later Christianity has developed into the exact type of organisation he was fiercely against. If he was passing us a message from God, or just a personal message, the Christian faith missed it in its entirety. I believe that Jesus was a great free thinking philosopher who was questioning why someone’s God would reject him, and if there was a God then surely he would accept us all. The same questions that many of us ask today only he didn't have the benefit of science. Had he been around today he may have been an atheist.

I couldn't even begin to try and answer your questions, and fortunately this isn't a requirement

I do see religion and cults going hand in hand and we never see the "genuine ones" complaining about the ones that aren't, like the massive healing conventions we see going on in America.

 

[One Love]

The reason why I made the statement "People who believe in God today are so far removed from the God they want to believe in." is because, as one example, Judaism rejected Jesus and as a response he denounced organised religion, temples for worship, and the hierarchy within.

Have you just made that up?

2000 years later Christianity has developed into the exact type of organisation he was fiercely against. If he was passing us a message from God, or just a personal message, the Christian faith missed it in its entirety. I believe that Jesus was a great free thinking philosopher who was questioning why someone’s God would reject him, and if there was a God then surely he would accept us all. The same questions that many of us ask today only he didn't have the benefit of science. Had he been around today he may have been an atheist.

Absolutely fantastic The son of God an atheist. I've heard it all now.

 

[ThePompousPaladin]

Have you ever considered becoming BORE of BRITAIN.
You have my vote

We're not at the voting stage, but can i count on you for a nomination?

 

[Buzzer]

To answer your questions. I'm an agnostic theist.
1)Sometimes i believe in god 100%, sometimes i don't.
2)I don't anthropomorphize God, i don't presume that God thinks in any human sense of the word.

With fear of delving into nitty gritty, i find that belief in God is in some ways irrelevant, the act of worship is where the gold lies. Of course there is some kind of hypocrisy in this statement as the act of worship requires an exercise in some kind of belief.
I believe there are reasons that all cultures have developed similar methods for gaining consciousness. These are useful tools.

I agree with you that the 'story of god' has been written and rewritten by man, sometimes selectively. I view these texts as cultural historic documents filled with metaphors so all may grasp some meaning. There is much wisdom in them. It angers me that these documents are often used by humans to gain power over people to further their agendas.

Your statement: "People who believe in God today are so far removed from the God they want to believe in.".
Firstly this seems to be a catch all statement (which has obvious drawbacks), ironically these kinds of statements are often used by people in fundamentalist religions.
What % of the world's population have faith? Do you think it applies to all of them?
Do you really know what people believe and want to believe? How?

No need to answer these slightly facetious questions.

I too think religion is a bit of a dirty word, but without them all we'd have are cults, which is often how i view these fundamentalist sects.

Fantastic post and exactly where I stand too. And much better put into words than I think I would have managed.

 

[symyjym]

Have you just made that up?



Absolutely fantastic The son of God an atheist. I've heard it all now.

All my own words and sentiment from my brain. I think it works

I said may have been an atheist with the benefit of 21st century knowledge.

 

[Megazone]

Had he been around today he may have been an atheist.
.

Why Atheist?

 

[SIMMO SAYS]

We're not at the voting stage, but can i count on you for a nomination?

Yep your my No 1 vote

 

[ThePompousPaladin]

The reason why I made the statement "People who believe in God today are so far removed from the God they want to believe in." is because, as one example, Judaism rejected Jesus and as a response he denounced organised religion, temples for worship, and the hierarchy within.

2000 years later Christianity has developed into the exact type of organisation he was fiercely against. If he was passing us a message from God, or just a personal message, the Christian faith missed it in its entirety. I believe that Jesus was a great free thinking philosopher who was questioning why someone’s God would reject him, and if there was a God then surely he would accept us all. The same questions that many of us ask today only he didn't have the benefit of science. Had he been around today he may have been an atheist.

...

I do see religion and cults going hand in hand and we never see the "genuine ones" complaining about the ones that aren't, like the massive healing conventions we see going on in America.

What you say has much truth in it, and i think along similar lines.

1st bold bit:
Christianity isn't one organisation, it is many many many sects, each with their own organisation. Your language seems to suggest that all these sects are the same, the reason that they are sects is that they're not the same. You appear to be seeing extreme religion and assuming through ignorance that all of it is the same - lumping it all into one box.
This oversimplification has it's issues, in my opinion it damages moderate religion and thereby strengthens extreme religion.

2nd bold bit:
Yes they did have science back then, just as we have science now, and we will have science in the future. Back then they understood less, now we understand a moderate amount, in the future hopefully we will understand more.
Hopefully you can see the reasons i point this out.

3rd bold bit:
I concede you don't see it, but then it's not put under your nose and i don't suppose you go looking for it.

If you want to see some people that 'complain' (in a loving way mostly) look at the top news article on this list of churches.

http://www.pcnbritain.org.uk/

Religion (i hate the connotations of that word) isn't all bad, unfortunately only the bad gets the press.

 

[symyjym]

Why Atheist?

I didn't say he would be. He could have been anything.

 

[symyjym]

What you say has much truth in it, and i think along similar lines.

1st bold bit:
Christianity isn't one organisation, it is many many many sects, each with their own organisation. Your language seems to suggest that all these sects are the same, the reason that they are sects is that they're not the same. You appear to be seeing extreme religion and assuming through ignorance that all of it is the same - lumping it all into one box.
This oversimplification has it's issues, in my opinion it damages moderate religion and thereby strengthens extreme religion.

2nd bold bit:
Yes they did have science back then, just as we have science now, and we will have science in the future. Back then they understood less, now we understand a moderate amount, in the future hopefully we will understand more.
Hopefully you can see the reasons i point this out.

3rd bold bit:
I concede you don't see it, but then it's not put under your nose and i don't suppose you go looking for it.

If you want to see some people that 'complain' (in a loving way mostly) look at the top news article on this list of churches.

http://www.pcnbritain.org.uk/

Religion (i hate the connotations of that word) isn't all bad, unfortunately only the bad gets the press.

I would say this is slightly insulting My view in no way damages moderate religion or strengthens extreme religion. I think it is actually quite healthy.

p.s. I didn't find that link helpful tbh.

I love what this little girl is preaching though;

https://youtu.be/vm0UNn7tJ5o

 

[One Love]

I didn't say he would be. He could have been anything.

Err no, an avatar couldn't be an atheist.

 

[matbha]

Oh well death death and more death ,its the norm these days ,**** em all its pathetic

 

[neilbard]

Moral..........Don't throw stones at the Devil

 

[Tubby-McFat-Fuc]

I love these types of threads.

People trying to discuss the existence of god, with someone who believes in a god, is to quote General Melchett; "It would be as pointless as trying to teach a woman the value of a good, forward defensive stroke"

If you are closed minded enough to believe in a god, then no amount of discussion on an internet board is going to open their minds.

Personally I see religion as a form of mental illness, some suffering more than others, as this thread proves! It's just good old fashioned delusion.

To quote a health site, "People with delusional disorder often can continue to socialize and function normally, apart from the subject of their delusion, and generally do not behave in an obviously odd or bizarre manner. This is unlike people with other psychotic disorders, who also might have delusions as a symptom of their disorder. In some cases, however, people with delusional disorder might become so preoccupied with their delusions that their lives are disrupted."

Pretty well sums up most religious people IMO.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

The interview I saw was him clearly wriggling his way out of taking responsibility in this life. Just like it is said that it is imposssible to prove that God doesn't exist, it is equally impossible to prove that thee does. Therefore a trial on Earth covers the possibility of God not being there for him on his judgment day.

Using God to side step our own responsibilities is a crime against God.

I very much agree.