How can you honestly believe in God.

Originally posted by Valdimer
People that use religion as a crutch are wrong, I think. I don't think that a relationship with God should keep you from falling, but enlighten and lift you up so you can walk on your own.


It made sense in my mind.

But don't you need God's help on the journey? till you can walk on your own?

Sure.


As a guide, not a crutch.

Originally posted by nixie_nox
Don't make the mistake of always associating God with organized religion.

that which is true religion originates from within self. technically spoken

everyone is true christian from origin. and I say christian because it means child of God.......

in my viewpoint.

so many angry people - so little time...

soooo many pedestrians so little time...

sanity is not a question in the mind of the insane...

why am I here??


[edit on 8/1/07 by rezial666]

How can a person, who's beliefs based on Faith know exactly what God wants or don't want?

How can someone say, "I believe God exist, I know God exist, though I can't prove or disprove it, but I know exactly what God wants for us."

Originally posted by AceWombat04
People are different from one another.
-People are equal to one another.

Everyone perceives reality differently.
-Everyone expresses himself differently.

hm gnarsh

Ok, this one is easy.

First of all, take it easy on poor 'ol Bigfoot. Unfortunately I have to burst your bubble on Sasquatch, because I've seen this supposed non-existent north american ape with others. And, not just once. Anyway, back to business.

As far as God:

This is a little tougher. But simple enough. First of all you have to put yourself in a situation where it is impossible to survive or escape, or whatever. Unfortunately I have been in more of these situations than I would like to admit. Now you need to make sure it is impossible. Then you pray! I f you don't believe, pray anyway. When you have surmounted all odds and have had the impossible granted to you, then you will believe!

Best of luck!

Originally posted by Gazrok

Enough of all that though... one thing we CAN observe, is that our thoughts do have certain interactions with our environment.

Dear Gazrok, my assumption is thought is the interaction within the environment. Whoo, I'm taking in on everyone in here.

it's like no smiley could resemble my feeling right here.

Originally posted by etherical waterwave

Originally posted by AceWombat04
People are different from one another.
-People are equal to one another.

Everyone perceives reality differently.
-Everyone expresses himself differently.

hm gnarsh

I think both my statements and your own can coexist and even strengthen one another. In my opinion, people are different, yet are also equal. People perceive reality in their own ways, and relate those perceptions to others (express themselves) in their own ways as well.

I believe your OP is misguided and should be asked 'Why do people adhere to specific religious beliefs?'.

When you ask about God as though God is owned by Christianity it infers that you yourself believe in Christianity and take that perspective of God as the only potential truth.

The same assumptions you have about people that believe in religious teachings could also be applied to you because you are believing God to be or not be what they have described and nothing else.

Think for yourself and ask why people donate their money to church, believe in someone elses's teaching about God and not acknowledge that because there are so many different religions that it is religion that is flawed, not God.

God is just a word (along with a lot of other words) to describe the 'Almighty'. The comparison to Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, etc. shows that you can't perceive God to be anything but a figure such as these. That's very simple minded.

Originally posted by Lemarchand
"I believe God exist, I know God exist, though I can't prove or disprove it, but I know exactly what God wants for us."

That is the definition of faith right there. What you just said is what establishes the faith for so many people. To believe ultimately and totally without need for proof or physical evidence is what faith is all about.

No one knows exactly what God wants for us, those books (Bible, Koran etc) are there to guide the people through their beliefs. Those books were all made way back when people’s beliefs were being challenged just like they are today. They were made to establish in print some form of their religion. So they can spread it. Starting from the Sumerian religion that was first printed on clay tablets to modern day. Almost every single religion has a book. Telling the people what their particular god, goddess, gods, want from them. Not want in the physical from that you might argue but want them to reach spiritually.

All in all it just depends on what type of faith you want to have. If you need everything proven to you need hard physical evidence, then go forth and find it. Belive in science and the tangible. If you need spiritual guidence and you can stand to belive on something that cannot be proven then find the appropiate religion that has what you want to follow and follow it. But just remember that every piece of evidence can be challanged from either viewpoint you choose. I have seen the argument over dinosaur bones on both fronts. I have seen it on the science and physical proof side and I have seen it on the faith and spiritual proof side.


~Ghost~

yes, we all coexist and are one puzzle that fits,somehow.

couldn't express it in a better way for the moment. baark

question for those that believe in god.why do you always see god as a man? if we are made in his/her image wouldn't it make more sence to say that he/she is a hermaphrodite?or even more blasphemous,that god is a woman.might be true.might explain why male's in the womb actually start off as female.hence men having nipples! thats something i read recently.....creation.life.nurture.earth.babies.comfort.love....when you think of these things,do you get images of a man or of a woman?

I've said before, the one big thing that bothers me is:

1. If he's omnipotent, then he KNEW that ALL of this would happen, therefore;
2. WHY DID HE PLANT THE DAMN TREE IN THE GARDEN, he could have put it anywhere, AWAY from humans
3. He gave us 'free' will to determine our path through life - he gave us a gift so we can make a choice, no err a choice is something you choose yourself, not a 50/50 option made by other people. We can choose to go to God, or we can choose to follow Satan; what if we choose neither, we get the Satan end of the bargain. If I wanted to just live out my life HERE and NOW and then forget about everything, just end up in Scheol (the grave) and rot away with no afterlife, that is FREE WILL.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a Christian, but I've been thinking for a while just how bad it all sounds taken into context. He could have stopped all this from happening MILLENIA ago. I would rather be forced to serve a just and good God, than to be forced to make a choice, and ONE MISTAKE and a I get to burn in hell forever? Gee thanks, that's compassion and a loving God for ya.

If he loved us so much why create us if he knew we would turn out this way? There are just so many reasons why one or the other can't be true - he either has omnipotence and therefore saw all of this but decided to let it happen and is therefore unjust and unloving, or he isn't omnipotent and is just trying to cover his ass after the fact.

I pledge that I would never EVER knowingly join the forces of Ha'Satan, but he is devious and I'm just a human, I can easily be tricked and that ruins the rest of my eternal life.

i am getting really sick of all these atheists asking how there is a god

answer this then...

how are we here?

now, you'll probably say "Oh!, well i read in a magazine that it was the big bang!".... uh-huh? and how was that there maybe someone made us do you think?

and whoever said that we are the base, they are wrong!

although we do create, we were also created and now you are probly thinking about the cambrian period and all the other stuff millions of years ago

well, since there is no direct word of god telling us every single detail about our creation

maybe he meant for us to evolve into what we are now because if everyone stayed the same for millions of years, problems would surface

Creationist Vs Mike Shermer

Google Video Link

or

Link = video.google.com...

Originally posted by SimiusDei

Originally posted by _Phoenix_


Its ok the bomb aint set yet, it usually sets off when the super religious guys come in, and the super religion hating aethiests come in, then they both battle it out. At the moment, its fine.

True, but with this being on the front page, it's just a matter of time.

Maybe the people that get involved here will keep it in check for the sake of not looking like childish idiots.


Jasn

What is the purpose of the thread ? The purpose is just to start a pi$$ing match between the believers and non-believers. A cheap attempt to pick up points.

Get a life and post something of importance.

Sorry if I repeat someone else's views, but too many pages to read through.

So here goes, ACTUALLY God does exist, whether you call him / her God, Mohammed, Buddha etc, the belief is what the majority of the worlds population thrive on and helps keep people going.

It gives people someone to talk to, ask for help when all other avenues have closed, it comforts people knowing / thinking that their husband / wife / child / even pets are in a better place.

If you are from a Westernised country then I bet at some point in your life you have blurted out "Oh God" or mebbe "Sweet Jesus" or even when filling out a lottery ticket you have silently prayed in your mind "please Lord let me win" and at the same time on if you do win the lottery promised to help the poor, give to charity etc.

I know I have, yet I do not pay homage to any religion, in fact the only people or person I believe in are my fellow humans, I abhor religion and politics because of the conditioning they do to people, believe in this, fight a war for that, BAH what a waste of good people.

If you have said "Oh God" or "Sweet Jesus" etc, then that fact alone either means you do believe in someway or like many, myself included have grown up to have been taught that a God does exist and so forth, thankfully as I grow older I'm becoming wiser and do not believe there is a God any longer.

Wolfie

Dear Gazrok, my assumption is thought is the interaction within the environment. Whoo, I'm taking in on everyone in here.

No, I'm saying that there have been well documented experiments done under scientific conditions, which illustrate that thought can directly affect objects and the environment.

Interestingly enough, I was just on the teleportation report thread, and the last part of this military released report details experiments done in this area, as an example...(though there are plenty of others...such as mentioned in the film, "What the BLEEP do we know?"

www.fas.org...
(check pages 55-61)

i am getting really sick of all these atheists asking how there is a god

answer this then...

how are we here?

It's man's nature to question. The atheist could always respond, "Ok, how is God here?" See? There's the problem. It's easy to say, "Well, he's the alpha and omega, he's always been." But then, we could say the same for cycles of Big Bangs.

Funny thing about Evolution...it doesn't refute the idea of God, it only refutes the creation story as told in the Bible. Belief in God does not necessitate belief in the Bible. Also, Darwin actually had a degree in theology when he made his famous observations.

Why "get sick" about it? Who cares if others believe or don't believe as you do?

[edit on 1-8-2007 by Gazrok]

LOL, this whole discussion just highlights how ridiculous faith actually is!

You people out there who are "believers" are actually OK with this?

If you can accept the idea of god, with nothing more to offer than "I know he exists, and I don't need proof," then go ahead, live in ingorance and by all means, don't seek out any answers.

Me, I crave knowledge. Not just any knowledge, but empirically testable knowledge, with results that can be repeated by anyone who desires.

While I can respect that some people require this "faith" in order to function in their daily lives, I feel sorry for them. What is it like to live your life thinking you know something to be true, when it is obvious to anyone who cares to do a little digging that it is false?