Is god really out there?

If you consider the origins of religion, going back to about 2500 BCE. People believed in many different gods.
Many different sets of groups believed in different Gods. and each religion that started had its own belief systems and codes of conduct.
But what over the years has made people believe truly that there god or gods is the one/ones to believe?
The fear of having no control over ones life when humans think about death is a big factor i believe had something to do with why people had and still do have such blind faith in something, to which there is hardly any evidence to support.
Mankind has always been looking for answers as to what created us and what happens to us after we die. But the thought of not knowing and having no control over what does happen could have made the masses more susceptible to the thought that there was a creator, and that in return for following his rules in life then he would reward you with eternal life in peace in a place called heaven.
Back in the days when people were still scared of things that have long been disproved, i can understand how people would have believed in religion so easily. the people back then had very little knowledge and then they hear that there is someone who knows all the answers and will be kind and take away their fear aslong as they do what he says.

But god as the christians know today has only been in the mind for the last 2000 years or so. If he is the true and only God then why did he let his own people start to have faith in a god or gods that werent real?
Surely not all the people who lived before around 2000 years ago could of gone to hell?

But technically they must have seems they pretty much deniend God by not believing in him.

Its the same in the world today. There are lots of religions all believing different things and going against one another. But what proof do they have that there path is the right one? Blind faith again!
How many people must die pointlessly in religious wars trying to prove something that cannot be proven, unless god fancies coming down for a chat one day. But he hasnt done that so far so i wouldnt get your hopes up


But on a more serious note, i just dont see how people can believe truly that their god is the right and only one even though on the other side of the world there will be about 500 million others believing something totally different.
I also find it strange that each religion is confined to certain countries. According to christianity every one in the middle east is evil and wont be at peace after death and its the same vice versa.

This means that religion is generally confined to likewise thinking Governments.
If that is so then who is to say that Governments didnt invent religion in the first place as a way of gaining compliance from their citizens?
It makes sense as Religions are still being used today to start wars with other countries.
And it would explain why each religion is confined to certain parts of the world.

Religion may have been a good idea thousands of years ago to make people live right when they needed to be told. But surely we have evolved to the state of mind where we can make our own choices in life and know what is good and bad? Why do we need religion to seperate us and make divides between groups and countries?
Hasnt the madness gone far enough?

I think Reigion is all man made. I do believe there is life out there because if life can evolve in this planet why cant it evlove in the other billions of planets in the universe. I dont think there is a god out there. I allways thought God was a tall white guy who lived in the clouds and wached over everyone and answerd there prayers 27/7 and who loved everyone and had powers but that doent happen, if it did happen well we wouldnt be in the mess we are in right now. I WOKE UP !

lots of good points, nice post.

I sincerly believe that we, as a species will not be able to advance our understanding of life, the universe and our connection to it until we abandon all religions which have a deity at their centre. We've come to the time now where we need to grow up. Stop believing that an all powerful being can instill justice and good in our lives if we worship him/her/them.

If there is anything like a god in the universe, i think its more likely to be a RESULT of all the conciousness wherever it may be put together.

Religion is probably directly or indirectly responsible through history for a good percentage of the death, pain and suffering which people have gone through.

We don't need religion to tell us how to live because, in my opinion, morals and empathy are highly evolved social awareness and are a result of the evolutionary path our ancestors took with respects to grouping and living together for mutual benefit. Obviously this does not apply to everyone as there are plenty of evil (for lack of a better word) people out there.

I don't think religion is going anywhere soon though

Originally posted by Maylian
If you consider the origins of religion, going back to about 2500 BCE. People believed in many different gods.

No if you consider the origin of religion, going back to about 2500 BC you would find that religion came from Babylon. Nimrod king of Babylon at his death became Baal the sun god, Semiramis at her death became Ishtar the moon god and Tammuz her son became the reincarnated Nimrod.

In Egypt it was Osiris, Isis and Horus.........they are the same.

All these false gods come from Lucifer and when god caused confusion at Babel the groups that communicated banded together and spread across the earth.........same gods, different language. And the gods constantly evolved and changed.


I think the real problem is you need to educate yourself on the origin of religion.........including Constantine High Priest of Sol Invictus taking over the Christian movement and forming the Catholic Church.


Much as I hate to tell you, it is you who are being controlled. You have been deceived into believing that God is not God.




[edit on 31-5-2007 by Sun Matrix]

In our Melbourne Art gallery, the NGV, they have a few exhibitions.
Upstairs is all the Classic Art. You're Renaissance Italian works and so on. Beautiful expressions of Religious Faith. You can look at them an feel awe at the emotion they express. You can see God in them.

Downstairs is an Ancient Egyptian exhibition. Pots and coffins and other artifacts. All beautifully painted, in a quite different style to the stuff upstairs, and you can see in them the Faith of the painters. They too believed in their gods deeply and lovingly. Believed that they were sending a soul to a Better Place.

So... what's my point?
It's all relative to the Culture, Society, you are existing within. Kind of simple and obvious.

going back to 2500BC, why not go back to 5000BC.....or 10,000BC...?

Spirituality has been around humanity for tens of thousands of years...the churches on Malta are far older than 2500BC....but carvings and small statues date back much further still...Mother goddess, Nature worship, Pagan cultures....existed thousands of years before Babylon.

Entire cultures have been lost that never left their mark other than passing on beliefs through the ages...what we have today are composites of tens of thousands years of spiritual evolution.

Originally posted by Hallberg Rassy


going back to 2500BC, why not go back to 5000BC.....or 10,000BC...?

uhhhh.......uuuuhhhh...........uh..........FLOOD.

Originally posted by Sun Matrix
uhhhh.......uuuuhhhh...........uh..........FLOOD.

check the geology, it NEVER happened.
there was never a flood on a global level, there may have been an isolated incident of a particularly catastrophic flood... but there wasn't a "deluge"

Remember that when you are in the mountains and come across a sea. shell. ...........maybe someone dropped it.

The title of the thread is deceiving. What's being discussed primarily is religion. God and religion are not synonymous.

I used to call myself an atheist. I no longer do on a technicality really. Modern atheism is predicated philosophically on materialism. I do believe the material universe behaves according to physical laws. However, science doesn't concede the origination of something from nothingness. For science, everything is cause and effect, and no such mechanical process can explain existence itself. The human mind is simply incapable of conceptualizing existence within a physical process.

Therefore, whatever that "entity" is that has manifested the universe you could call "god," or "the force" or whatever, because "it" is operating outside the boundaries of science. The atheist will argue that ascribing creation to a supernatural or some other nonscientific agent simply pushes the question back a step to, "who or what created god?" That question is invalid because the atheist is attempting to place "god" within the same parameters in which physical science operates, not admitting or realising that, at a bare minimum, "god" can be considered a concept to explain that which science cannot--a starting point.

I believe all other attributes of and religious associations with "god" are human constructs. I don't pretend to have an inkling as to the actual nature of god. I simply think of god as the transcendental or nonrational aspect of existence that underlies our rational, conditioned experience of reality.

I believe a person living a life of religion is idiotic. I feel, no one should obey rules set by a group of people telling you what you can, and cannot believe in. Is there a God? Maybe. Is Christianity the religion we should allow follow? Who knows. All I know is that I believe in whatever I like. I have a belief in a God, though I do not believe in any religions for I don't like allowing a religion be the guidelines to my own life, though some people do, and that's okay. Religion is quite silly because their all just theories. Theories to which humans have come up with. Theories that people take as truth, and from a spiritual source when infact was provided by a fellow human. So where does that lead religion? It leads to false hope, arguments, wars, disagreements, and just stupidness. Everyone live a good life (whatever may be good in your eyes), live every moment to the best, and don't allow other people's views to control your own, unless you fully believe in them on your own =]


I don't think being apart of religion is bad. By all means, it can be a great thing! Just, I don't like when others force it on people, making others feel pressured. Being a hypocrite to your own religion (as many Christians usually can be sometimes in my opinion) is just an act of idioticness. Aslong as your happy, whatever you believe in is right for you, and you truly believe it, is awesome. But don't force yourself into believing something you don't fully believe in.

For those who back in the pre-historic times did not have the religions we have today, who knows where they went? Maybe heaven and hell is real, but only to those who believe in it =/ Maybe those who believe in reincarnation, actually do become reincarnating, and those who believe in a never ending sleep as death then thats what they get.

The madness has reached it's peak Maylian.

Originally posted by Eluna
I believe a person living a life of religion is idiotic.

More likely deceived.

Originally posted by Eluna
I feel, no one should obey rules set by a group of people telling you what you can, and cannot believe in.

Totally agree. Now if they are God's rules I feel differently.

Originally posted by Eluna
Is there a God?

Yes

Originally posted by Eluna
Is Christianity the religion we should allow follow?

Pure Christianity is not a religion. It is the truth.

Originally posted by Eluna
All I know is that I believe in whatever I like.

That sounds dangerous and unwise. Believing the truth seems a better direction.

Originally posted by Eluna
I have a belief in a God,

So does Satan.

Originally posted by Eluna
though I do not believe in any religions for I don't like allowing a religion be the guidelines to my own life, though some people do, and that's okay.

I have no use for religion either, it's bondage. You might seek the truth.

Originally posted by Eluna
Religion is quite silly because their all just theories. Theories to which humans have come up with.

Yes with Satans assistance from Babylon.

Originally posted by Eluna
Theories that people take as truth, and from a spiritual source when infact was provided by a fellow human. So where does that lead religion? It leads to false hope, arguments, wars, disagreements, and just stupidness.

Exactly, I'm quite pleased that you understand. These religions that came from Babylon are responsible for all these things. Satan has decieved the world.

Originally posted by Eluna
Everyone live a good life (whatever may be good in your eyes), live every moment to the best, and don't allow other people's views to control your own, unless you fully believe in them on your own =]

There is a heaven and you can't get there in your own goodness. God sent his son to pay the price for the worlds sin. He healed the sick, walked on water and raised the dead. He then suffered died and was buried. He rose from the dead giving everlasting life in paradise to those that believe and love him. Not religion.........just truth.

Originally posted by Eluna
I don't think being apart of religion is bad. By all means, it can be a great thing!

I have no use for religion, only truth. You should be able to look into the world and see the fruit of religion.

Originally posted by Eluna
Just, I don't like when others force it on people, making others feel pressured. Being a hypocrite to your own religion (as many Christians usually can be sometimes in my opinion) is just an act of idioticness.

I have never seen a Christian say convert or die. Christianity is not spread with the sword. If a Christian ever forces their belief on you, it should be reported. What type of weapon was used? I want to keep my eyes open for this.

Originally posted by Eluna
Aslong as your happy, whatever you believe in is right for you, and you truly believe it, is awesome.

Hey, eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we shall die........and then what.

Originally posted by Eluna
But don't force yourself into believing something you don't fully believe in.

Gotta to agree here. If you catch yourself forcing yourself to believe things that you don't believe, this could be a sign of mental illness or possible possession. I would report this to several family members.

Originally posted by Eluna
For those who back in the pre-historic times did not have the religions we have today, who knows where they went?

Those that loved God went to heaven, those that didn't......didn't. There were no prehistoric times. That comes from the deceiver.

Originally posted by Eluna
Maybe heaven and hell is real, but only to those who believe in it =/

This is not rational or logical. Heaven and hell is real and your belief in it won't change a thing. Also the Messiah is real.....belief in him will change everything.

Originally posted by Eluna
Maybe those who believe in reincarnation, actually do become reincarnating,

There is no reincarnation. That's another lie from the deciever from Babylon.

Originally posted by Eluna
and those who believe in a never ending sleep as death then thats what they get.

Do you find any logic in your reasoning? Maybe that's why you can't seem to find God. Try facts, truth and logic. Read the new testament. Read exactly what it says.

Originally posted by Eluna
The madness has reached it's peak Maylian.

Just wait til the tribulation happens. I hope you are able to miss it.

All quotes from Sun Matrix:

More likely deceived.

Or just chosen a faith to follow

Pure Christianity is not a religion. It is the truth.

Your truth

That sounds dangerous and unwise. Believing the truth seems a better direction.

WHO'S truth?

So does Satan.

What!!!

I have no use for religion either, it's bondage. You might seek the truth.

Did you have a bad experience? (not sarcastic)

Yes with Satans assistance from Babylon.

Which is just a theory

There is a heaven and you can't get there in your own goodness. God sent his son to pay the price for the worlds sin. He healed the sick, walked on water and raised the dead. He then suffered died and was buried. He rose from the dead giving everlasting life in paradise to those that believe and love him. Not religion.........just truth.

One truth

I could go on but this would need a new thread.

My point is....there are many sides to all stories, your "truth" is YOUR truth, not mine or anybody elses.

And in answer to the original question in this thread, if there is a god, he is out there, inside and everywhere.

By the way, I am an Atheist but respect the faith and beliefs of all who follow a good and spiritual path.

Peace.

[edit on 1/6/2007 by nerbot]

Malta;
The prehistoric temple complex Hagar Qim was discovered in 1839. It dates from about 3,800 BC, and it is the oldest known man-made structures in the world. There are other structures in the area that are not yet firmly dated.
The origins of religion go much farther back than 2500BC...they go back tens of thousands of years.


If you find a seashell on a mountaintop, it is evidence of continential shift, which drives and creates mountains and valleys alike. It is not global flood which there is no evidence of.
Mountain tops were once the ocean floor, and one day will be ocean floors again.


Babylon;
Pagan and mystery religions spiritually fed babylon, it was a wondrous place, and it is here that mystery religions become organized into a single representative group;
Nimrod, Semiramis and her son Tammuz. When Nimrod was killed he ascended into heaven, his son was god incarnate, etc. His wife claimed that her son Tamuzz was the result of a visited by the spirit of dead Nimrod...this becomes the trinity worship that extends itself to this day. The Mother / son Worship we see springs directly from the relationship between Semiramis and Tammuz.
These religions spread into Egypt and become Horus, Isis and Osirus.


what Nimrod and Semiramus did was collect religious beliefs and organize them into a single system, beliefs in astrology and nature worship etc. These beliefs are handed down and practiced for thousands of years before Babylon.

Originally posted by Hallberg Rassy
Malta;
The prehistoric temple complex Hagar Qim was discovered in 1839. It dates from about 3,800 BC, and it is the oldest known man-made structures in the world. There are other structures in the area that are not yet firmly dated.
The origins of religion go much farther back than 2500BC...they go back tens of thousands of years.

it's always fun to see someone bring up my favorite neolithic site from my homeland....

If you find a seashell on a mountaintop, it is evidence of continential shift, which drives and creates mountains and valleys alike. It is not global flood which there is no evidence of.
Mountain tops were once the ocean floor, and one day will be ocean floors again.

yeah, it's really too bad that creationists seem to have little to no evidence of geology and plate tectonics

Sun Matrix, this is a question from a fellow believer. Why do you believe that God and evolution are incompatible? If God used evolution to shape the Earth and its inhabitants, who are we to say that He did not? Do you personally know the exact method that God uses to create life? Its foolhardy to say you do.

Evolution is a solid theory. And don't give me any of that "oh its only a theory" nonsense. In science, a theory is about farthest you can go. Of course, it will never be fact because scientists cannot go back in time and observe the evolution of humans, but there really isn't a need to. We have the fossils, skeletons, and tools that our early ancestors used, and they've all been found under millions of years of soil. There is no debate among the ACTUAL scientific community, Sun Matrix. There is only debate among old religious sects who refuse to take a long, hard look at the facts.

Hang up your old creationist thoughts, and embrace evolution.

yeh creationism is long dead now. the facts are right there that evolution is clearly responsible for us and not a man creating each and everyone of us.

I think christianity and evolution my have a part together. I think God created the circumstances of evolution. But the only difference is I will not believe that all this happen on a accident. God is out there. There is a way of life to which to follow.

Originally posted by slymattb
I think christianity and evolution my have a part together. I think God created the circumstances of evolution. But the only difference is I will not believe that all this happen on a accident. God is out there. There is a way of life to which to follow.

Why would a 2000 year old religion have anything to do with a 3.5 billion year process? If god set out evolution that would make the bible wrong in that he created adam from dust and eve from a rib (kind of goes against evolution). SO if thats wrong what else is?

G

Whatever you think about God, no one can deny the bible has had influence on us. Whether you choose to ignore the most printed book of all time, is up to you.

Once you get past the Shakespearian type of monologues in the Bible, it's really a darn good read. And everytime I pick it up, it reveals something new to me.

Whether or not one wants to believe in God, the bible is for those expanding any horizon of knowledge.