Do you believe in God?
- Thread starter vraiblonde
- Start date
DotTheEyes
Movie Fan
No, not at all.
I struggled with this for a long time because influences (mainly familial, i.e. Jesus-loving grandmother) suggested since birth I should be religious. I even read about the various religions, including Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. In the end, though, none of it connected with me and I decided I wanted to live a life free of religion and God. I am 100% an atheist.
I struggled with this for a long time because influences (mainly familial, i.e. Jesus-loving grandmother) suggested since birth I should be religious. I even read about the various religions, including Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. In the end, though, none of it connected with me and I decided I wanted to live a life free of religion and God. I am 100% an atheist.
ImnoMensa
New Member
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell. [See Calvin]
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy *catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.
So many say this prayer by rout without thinking of what it really means. Either you believe or you dont. What you believe doesnt matter to me, it is between you and the Creator. If you choose not to believe that's your problem, if you are wrong you can explain it when you come before God to be judged. If I am wrong ,what did it cost you? Why argue over it?
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell. [See Calvin]
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy *catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.
So many say this prayer by rout without thinking of what it really means. Either you believe or you dont. What you believe doesnt matter to me, it is between you and the Creator. If you choose not to believe that's your problem, if you are wrong you can explain it when you come before God to be judged. If I am wrong ,what did it cost you? Why argue over it?
sockgirl77
Well-Known Member
Do you believe in God? 08-13-2007 02:27 PM modern thinking public...all morons...may darwin haunt yousockgirl77 said:
Dork
Highlander's MPD
sockgirl77 said:Do you believe in God? 08-13-2007 02:27 PM modern thinking public...all morons...may darwin haunt you
Well Socki! I have read this karma message 3 times and can't figure out what it means either. It's either written by a moron or someone who is PWI (posting while intoxicated).....Or both!
sockgirl77
Well-Known Member
LG75got the same karma too.Dork said:
Dork
Highlander's MPD
Dork said:
This whole "Do you believe in God?" debate can go on forever. I remember a co-worker a few years back making the statement "People who believe in God are weak-minded." I guess that made him feel superior in the fact that he was educated, didn't believe in God and could justify why there wasn't one (in his mind). This statement really made me think.....
There are people out there who are very intelligent, have years of education and don't believe in God. There are people out there who are very intelligent, have years of education, and do believe in God. There are people who never made it out of high school that believe as well as people who never made it out that don't believe.
So, does believing in God make you "not very smart?" To some, the easy answer, without putting much thought into it, is yes. The logical reasonable answer is NO.
One example would be the Jews. Many Jews become doctors, lawyers, business owners, etc. I guess that would make them smart. Almost all of these Jews believe in God. The ones that don't believe end up becoming defense lawyers.
I think we are fortunate that we live in a country where we have the freedom of religion. If you wanna believe, fine. If you don't fine. I don't think we should let that seperate us and I think we need to respect each others beliefs without insults such as "I think only weak minded people believe in God." That's just a stupid thing to say.
As long as you are not following the warped radical Muslim belief that you need to kill all infidels and you'll go to paridise if you blow up Americans, your beliefs are fine with me. Most Muslims are fine but I think there is always that line to draw. If you wanna kill me in the name of Allah or whatever you call him, that's not the type of religion I will respect.
Chain729
CageKicker Extraordinaire
Dork said:
Good post Dork.
After reading that and with a conversation I had this weekend, I kinda feel compelled to write the following:
My personal beliefs aside, purely pragmatically speaking, both of them are wrong. There is no hard evidence that God exists. There is also no hard evidence that He doesn't either.
Calling yourself a rational, logical wo/man and saying that logically God doesn't exist, is arrogant at best. You don't know everything and I dare you to explain how He possibly can't- logically.
As to the faitful, at least they know that logic doesn't play into it. We humans don't know everything, can't empirically explain everything and never will. However, having faith in something that can't be proven and believing simply because you choose to, is quite simply rather foolish. (1)
Purely pragmatically speaking, the only ones that have it right are agnostics. Nothing about God existing, at least A God, can be proven or dis-proven and probably never will.
(1)For the record, though its irrelevant to my point, I fit into this group.
K
kris31280
Guest
I believe in a God, but not necessiarily the Christian God, and I'll tell you why...
Christianity scares the crap out of me. Honestly, think about all the different factions of religions that call themselves Christian. If every single person who called themselves a Christian decided to go after all of us who do not call ourselves non-Christian... it would get real ugly real quick and we'd not stand a chance.
Christianity also is at the root of more wars and more deaths than any other cause.
That being said, I believe in a higher power. Who am I to tell someone that what they believe in cannot possibly be true? I've read the bible from cover to cover, I found it to be a good story... but I don't believe in it. If you do, that's great... just don't shove it down my throat and we'll get along fine. I cannot tell anyone else what they should believe, and all I ask is for the same in return.
Christianity scares the crap out of me. Honestly, think about all the different factions of religions that call themselves Christian. If every single person who called themselves a Christian decided to go after all of us who do not call ourselves non-Christian... it would get real ugly real quick and we'd not stand a chance.
Christianity also is at the root of more wars and more deaths than any other cause.
That being said, I believe in a higher power. Who am I to tell someone that what they believe in cannot possibly be true? I've read the bible from cover to cover, I found it to be a good story... but I don't believe in it. If you do, that's great... just don't shove it down my throat and we'll get along fine. I cannot tell anyone else what they should believe, and all I ask is for the same in return.
ImnoMensa
New Member
Throughout history,religion has been poorly misused. It isnt the religion ,but those who interpret it that have caused the problem,for surely Christ never advocated anything but love and obedience to His Laws.. Laws that make good sense for living in a civilised world when it comes down to it.
Right now in this world I believe you should fear Islam much more than Christianity,as the Islamics appear to be trying to force their cult on the rest of us.
I feel much like you do in the fact that I dont want others telling me what to believe,but I do feel that those who want "In God We trust" and other words about the Deity removed from use in the United States should remember that those words were here long before we were and if they feel they just cant live in this country with those words, they should find a new place to live. There is nothing in the word God that describes any one religion,believe in the one you like ,or dont believe at all,just shut up or move out.
Right now in this world I believe you should fear Islam much more than Christianity,as the Islamics appear to be trying to force their cult on the rest of us.
I feel much like you do in the fact that I dont want others telling me what to believe,but I do feel that those who want "In God We trust" and other words about the Deity removed from use in the United States should remember that those words were here long before we were and if they feel they just cant live in this country with those words, they should find a new place to live. There is nothing in the word God that describes any one religion,believe in the one you like ,or dont believe at all,just shut up or move out.
keekee
Well-Known Member
I used to privately consider myself athiest. I say privately because I almost thought that I SHOULD believe. I know many very intelligent people - far smarter than me - who do believe. So I always thought I must be missing something. Now that I'm older I consider myself agnostic, because I really have no idea either way. But I do think that if having religion in your life makes you a happier, more balanced person, then it's all good.
I also NEVER get angry or threatened when someone speaks religion to me. It always surprises me that people get SO offended by a person speaking their beliefs. I'm always interested to hear what others think on the subject, and chances are, if they are preaching to you, they are most likely trying to do a good thing for you, and maybe they care enough about you to try to "save you". To me, that's not something to get huffy about.
I also NEVER get angry or threatened when someone speaks religion to me. It always surprises me that people get SO offended by a person speaking their beliefs. I'm always interested to hear what others think on the subject, and chances are, if they are preaching to you, they are most likely trying to do a good thing for you, and maybe they care enough about you to try to "save you". To me, that's not something to get huffy about.
K
kris31280
Guest
See also the 100 Years War, for starters.jetmonkey said: