Re: The existence of God
 

Well, I don't believe there's a God, and my life is going great.

Re: The existence of God
 

thats great. i dont believe either and lifes what you make it imo


wow two posts from atheists that should stir up the other side .

Re: The existence of God
 

Bible knowledge doesn't answer why there HAS TO BE more to existence than just life on this planet, it just suggests that there is.

It's perfectly possible for existence to start with birth and end at death. Saying that there has to be something more is just a way of saying that you don't want this to be all there is because it'd ultimately mean life is meaningless.

Re: The existence of God
 

Ha! I like that idea, and it appears very true. never thought of it like that!

hmmm, possibly. but if we look into things such as 'wakes' when people die... this ritual came about from times a-past, when plates and tankards were forged from pewter. the crudely made mead and and acidic foods (such as tomatoes, etc) would react to the alloy casuing poison to the consumer. this sometimes left them so unconscious with such low metabolic functions that it was very hard to tell they were alive. it became apparent to the people that sometimesthey were burying alive persons, known only by exhuming coffins with scratch marks on the inside. when it was realised what was going on, people would hold a wake (quite literally waiting for them to wake up) whereby family / friends would gather around the layed out body with food and drink and sit with the body to see if they woke up. this also lead to 'saved by the bell' and it became common practice to feed a pull into coffins tied around a dead persons wrist with a bell up top so that if they woke up, the bell would chime. this also required someone to stay in the graveyard at night incase a bell went off and thus we have 'the graveyard shift' in reference to working nights.

who is to say something similar did not happen to Jesus?


as a religious person, do you think that global faith in God would be shattered if science revealed we were not alone in the universe?

why do you think this is? what is different about us to, say, the USA? why is religion so institutionalised over there?


Thank you for your time, Chris. I apologise if you are tired of answering questions like these, but then I suppose if it's something close to your heart, you'll never tire of talking about it. I'm in no way trying to poo-poo God, religion or faith, nor am I trying to make believers question their own views. Religion is just one of those things I find difficult to grasp because I tend to be a very logical thinker, whereby a+b=c - religion falls outside of that and is souly based on a faith, which totally ignores logic and comes only from within.

---------- Post added at 19:25 ---------- Previous post was at 19:24 ----------

care to expand on that?

---------- Post added at 19:26 ---------- Previous post was at 19:25 ----------

agreed

---------- Post added at 19:26 ---------- Previous post was at 19:26 ----------

hey... I saw that! :dozey:

Re: The existence of God
 

I don't think that requires a religious person to answer, christianity has seen many changes over the years from its inception that I suspect that it would simply evolve to accomodate such an event. It may even be hailed as a new chapter in the Bible. Just because something is based upon faith does not logically mean that it is inflexible. The rules of logic dictate the if you start with a false premise (I read "that" post it near took my head off thanks for that one) e.g. in this case that a person of faith is unable to change or mould their faith to fit in with new evidence. You will certainly end up with a logically false conclusion though it will have still been logical.

For example it has been argued that religion is not based upon logic or even reason and therefore you cannot assess it as such. This standpoint however is talking about the impossibility of assessing "Faith" not the events, evidence e.g. the Bible, historic evidence which all contribute to such a belief. These things can be assesed within a logical framework.

My only gripe with religion is why in the purest sense of the word does each religion claim ownership of the one true god, I am open here as I may be wrong???. Since God is indefinable and only attributed certain "human" characteristics in order to get to grips with the concept it is possible that God is all of them and that they are all right!

---------- Post added at 20:40 ---------- Previous post was at 20:19 ----------

I was just checking a couple of Bible timelines, from 6th day of creation nothing till 3999BC that is one hell of a day off :D

http://www.abiblestudy.com/part1.html

Though this one suggests creation etc. happened in 4004 BC

http://www.wordsight.org/btl/000_btl-fp.htm

We know that's not true and I believe is generally accepted as such.

Re: The existence of God
 

there are plenty of people a heck of a lot better educated than me and a lot better off than me who beleive in god and the hereafter,me personally i put it down to faith and i have no problems with it,i am by no means a holy joe but i do beleive in prayer and faith and where i come from i firmly beleive that faith kept my family safe during the troubles,every man / woman are entitled to their own beleifs and i have no time for people ramming religion down peoples throats live and let live.

Re: The existence of God
 

Like the people who knock at the door :mad:

They ruined my breakfast once, I was making a lovely fried breakfast... Not wanting to be rude I tried diplomacy... conculsion was black breakfast.

Re: The existence of God
 

If there was a God.....
If there was a God that phrase wouldn't exist. :)

Re: The existence of God
 

And I have no time for people who ram atheism down people's throats.

Re: The existence of God
 

Though I have never heard of an atheist going door to door?

Re: The existence of God
 

I didn't say they did. Tweetiepie didn't mention anything about knocking on doors. But you only have to read any discussion forum about religion to find the atheist queuing up to tell everyone how we're all deluded, that there's "no God" etc.

Re: The existence of God
 

It's fun to watch them as they pass each other on your drive as the one's going and the other one's coming though :)

Re: The existence of God
 

Unless you agree with the idea that God is letting the whole freedom thing run its course as a test to see which of us will remain faithful?

Seems an odd test though if that is what it is.... Maybe God will accept us all in the end seeing as he gave us free will, logic, rational though and reasoning as gifts. Seems a little spiteful that he should grant such gifts and then punish us for not believing having given us a very tenuous grasp of the facts.

I believe since we have been granted such "gifts" we are meant to use them. I admit I sit on the fence, however I also have "faith" that since we are obviously meant to use these qualities they are not sins if a god should exist, I also have faith that no matter what, unless I am evil of purpose that I shall be admitted into heaven should it exist despite any belief that I hold during life.

---------- Post added at 23:48 ---------- Previous post was at 23:46 ----------

Russ I was not taking issue, perhaps we both made flipant comments. I do not wish a war of words but an exchange of views. Though many believe that no resolution can be made it does not mean that we cannot respect each others opinion.

Re: The existence of God
 

That's all very well in theory but in practise it's a little different. Many atheists feel totally justified in telling the world that there's no God (it's their view, they're entitled to it) but if someone with faith proclaims their belief in God then suddenly they're "ramming it down people's throats" etc.

Not that there's supposed to be a competition but atheists get away with far more than people of faith when it comes to professing their beliefs.

Re: The existence of God
 

Well if he don't let me in, I can always quote the Bible and the bit about forgiving and forgetting to him :)