Does God exist? (14 Viewers)

[otay]

Meh, this thread is for imbeciles. Why argue about this during life? Too many people are starting to think of 'god' as a man. With hands and legs... lol, his form is efficiency, man was made in his form (evolution, survival of the most efficient.)

The religions promote 'efficiency', indirectly through morals.
How happy would we be without "Thou Shalt Not Kill", I don't think those feeble, geeky, atheists could live in a cut throat world.

Religion is Religion, Interpret it how you will.
Here are a few "Scientifically Proven" benefits of religion.

1. (Praying): Praying promotes cortical plasticity. (which means more use of the brain for a longer period of time.
2. (Praying): Cortical plasticity, promotes growth in cognitive/emotional processing. Meaning religious people are 'more' logical. Go Figure.
3. (Social Assimilation): Being apart of a religion generally means you take on their stances on most issues. Which leads to a population with similar thinking, therefore making society more efficient. (although there will always be groups of radicals, you do have a general agreement among such a religious group.)
4. (Ethical Behaviour): However, you want to perceive it (either out of idiotic denial or denying proof) almost ALL ethical and moral behave has been derived from religion. Jeudaism, Christianity, & Islam. As we see religion slowly dissipate, people are reverting to such 'unethical' behaviour. (we'll let the intelligent decide what that is.)

In order for something to be most efficient in general it must:
- Be best for the individual.
- Be best for society.
- Not steal rights of the Individual.

Usually atheists tend to only care about the third law. (I have evidence, through surveying over 150 people.)

Wow. Reminds me of that Simpsons episode. We Love The Leader.

And I mean what do you define unethical or moral as? Is not having pre-marital sex part of that definition?
What about all the religious nuts that are against homosexuals making a civil union? That shows simple intolerance which I believe is far more unethical than pre-marital sex or what not. Just another one of the hypocrisy's associated with religion.

ps Im not gay but that really shouldnt matter

 

[littlewing69]

hey littlewing, you were the one that inspired me to LOOK up Deism in the first place on wikipedia cause i wasn't sure what it meant except for that little description you gave before and THEN i found the link to Atheism. i read through Deism first but it didn't accurately enough describe how i felt about the issue. i realise i'm an existentialist/absurdist first which is WHY i've become Atheist, not the other way around.

I was just posting the link as a little wry comment on your biblical inconsistencies site . The confusion and complexity of the Bible vs. the simplicity of Deism.

I'm glad I was able to indirectly help you clarify your beliefs.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

Deism simple? If we look at the outter shell of christianity, then it is simple also... it becomes a complex religion in the details. IMO Deism is more complex as it is a more personal religion, but anywho..

Bump

 

[robo-andie]

Why did you kill your son?

I think the death of Jesus was to signify the rebirth of mankind, our second chance if you will. His death was the ultimate sacrifice of God to the human race, and was a sign that he believed in us so much, that he would ask his son to die for us, and wash away our sins.

Please note, I do not necessarily agree with this perspective, it is just one I have been taught. I also do not feel it is the only valid evaluation of the question.

 

[vogue]

i do believe in god and i have faith .. thats the point for each indivudal if someone doesnt then we so be it..

 

[sam04u]

This thread seriously is mind-boggling, and I would share my reasoning to explain why it does if I wasn't so paranoid of people stealing my ideas and claiming them as their own.

People will always be offended by such things, because you're questioning all they believe in. Religion or Science, no matter what we look for answers about what happened. Why are we here? For how long are we here? and, What comes next?

The truth of the matter is finding the answer is not necessarily going to make you happy, and even true atheists live some-what in doubt.
Instead why not rejoice in the miracle of life?

The ultimate quest of mankind is to find immortality... and we're so close to that now...
The more we learn about out bodies the closer we get to immortality, and we're almost a heartbeat away from being able to create 'immortal' beings.
At the same time, universities in northern america are finally better understanding 'quantum physics', and by communications through 'entagled particles' in this multi-dimensional universe, we'll be able to communicate instantaneously over Millions of Light Years.

Think about the implications of that.
(So mind boggling.)

But back on topic...'Does God Exist?', Simple Answer for this minute in time..'Yes'.

Here are the goals of mankind in this millenium.
- Solve World Hunger
- Find Renewable Energy
- Communicate with an Alien Species
- Modify DNA so that the body doesn't slow down and continues to produce 'enzymes' at it's peak
- Invent machines that will be able to completely restore a Human being.
- Prove c^2.

Then... Finally...

-Does God exist?
(God, being the 'Creator' the cause for the first 'Law', However spontaneous it may have been to create the known Universe.)

 

[Not-That-Bright]

This thread seriously is mind-boggling, and I would share my reasoning to explain why it does if I wasn't so paranoid of people stealing my ideas and claiming them as their own.

That's just a lie. I doubt you're scared of people stealing your ideas, you are more scared of the criticism of those ideas - just like the Perpetual Motion 'scientists'

The truth of the matter is finding the answer is not necessarily going to make you happy, and even true atheists live some-what in doubt.
Instead why not rejoice in the miracle of life?

I think you'd be surprised. My level of doubt on this matter is about equal with my doubt of santa claus not existing.

As for this rejoicing in the miracle of life, I do enjoy my life. I think I've explained it before... but religion does affect me in a very real way and I can't just go on ignoring it - Beyond that the discourse is intellectually stimulating.

But back on topic...'Does God Exist?', Simple Answer for this minute in time..'Yes'.

Based off the evidence we've currently got at our disposal? lol, nice one. IMO it's NO, if you want to be diplomatic about it, it's "we don't know", Yes is an answer people will only come to (with this little evidence) through blind religious faith.

 

[backstreet51]

Here are the goals of mankind in this millenium.
- Solve World Hunger

Okay then. So if god exists, why is there world hunger? Surely the starving children in Africa did nothing wrong for god to punish them...

 

[transcendent]

Why would I want to be immortal? I want eternal youth not immortality in a slow disintegrating body. I'd give 50 years of beauty and youth for a 100 years of rotting away. Life is precious in it's precariousness. We can die at any moment and I rather in the prime of maturity then the weariness of old age. Seniorhood is now defunct because people learn at a faster rate. There is nothing in old age to celebrate except inevitable death.

 

[gerhard]

under most immortality theories, you will have to body of a 21yo roughly
so yes, eternal youth

 

[sam04u]

Lol, yeah it's like she completely missed the entire concept I was putting forward.

'BackStreet', where did I say god had an Involvement in the outcomes of the living on 'one' planet out of the trillions that are scattered throughout the universe?

Religion is till now however the best answer. (In my opinion)
Because of my theories on 'the creation of the universe'.

Still... my point was, this is a question which wont effect us... our goal firstly is to 'maximise our lifetimes' and 'living conditions' and then... 'further' pursuing this question.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

Unfortunately the question DOES affect us. If a particular religion's God exists then doesn't it completely change what we should be doing? A complete life-altering experience? What if you believe in God but it turns out he does not exist? Does that not affect your life greatly?

I don't see why you want to side-step the issue, or suggest that people in a 'does god exist?' thread also side-step it.

 

[robo-andie]

congrats on 9,900 NTB.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

Thanks mate

 

[backstreet51]

'BackStreet', where did I say god had an Involvement in the outcomes of the living on 'one' planet out of the trillions that are scattered throughout the universe?

You didn't have to say it, you implied it. I was basically trying to ask why world hunger even exists if god does. And I was using children who did nothing to deserve to starve as an example - because if god is supposed to be "all loving" he doesn't seem to care about them, and if god is supposed to be "all powerful" he doesn't seem to have the power to control the "outcomes," as you called it.

But then what DOES god have involvement in? Does he care more about giving celebrities tons of money?

 

[sam04u]

You've probably heard this story but I'll repeat it.

First with some lyrics,

'This is what an old man told me,
Filthy Rich and dying lonely,
Fuck a Benz and Fuck a Roady
Life is what you make it Homie'

Everyone is dealt a different hand, it's upto you how you play them.

There is an atheist man who lives in england, and he walks into a Barber and asks for the regular hair cut, 'short around the edges and a few inches of the top', so the Barber begins cutting his hair and they have a conversation as usual, the Atheist man then started rambling about his beliefs and had a convincing argument. He said, 'If god exists then why do some people suffer and others don't? why do people who don't deserve to suffer have terrible lives?'. The Barber didn't have an answer... he couldnt respond to the mans question and just continued cutting the hair thinking. After a few more minutes, he completed cutting the Mans hair and the man went to the register and paid for the hair cut. On his way out he murmured "Think about it". Suddenly, the Barber thought of something and ran out of his shop and shouted "Wait...WAIT!", so the man waited and the Barber ran out towards him. The Barber then said, "There are no Barbers in the world", He continued "If there were Barbers then why does that man over there", (Points at a Homeless man, wrapped in a brown Blanket and holding a $20 Bottle of Whisky, the Man has Long Messy hair and a Long Unshaven Beard) "Have messy hair? Surely If a Barber Existed he would cut his hair!", The Atheist snapped "That's absurd, ofcourse the man would have to come to you, not the other way round", to which the Barber Smiled, and the Atheist's face was dumfounded, he was startled, the Barber then Reasoned with the Atheist, "You have to 'Come' to god, not the other way around".


-The End.

 

[Xayma]

You've probably heard this story but I'll repeat it.

First with some lyrics,

'This is what an old man told me,
Filthy Rich and dying lonely,
Fuck a Benz and Fuck a Roady
Life is what you make it Homie'

Everyone is dealt a different hand, it's upto you how you play them.

There is an atheist man who lives in england, and he walks into a Barber and asks for the regular hair cut, 'short around the edges and a few inches of the top', so the Barber begins cutting his hair and they have a conversation as usual, the Atheist man then started rambling about his beliefs and had a convincing argument. He said, 'If god exists then why do some people suffer and others don't? why do people who don't deserve to suffer have terrible lives?'. The Barber didn't have an answer... he couldnt respond to the mans question and just continued cutting the hair thinking. After a few more minutes, he completed cutting the Mans hair and the man went to the register and paid for the hair cut. On his way out he murmured "Think about it". Suddenly, the Barber thought of something and ran out of his shop and shouted "Wait...WAIT!", so the man waited and the Barber ran out towards him. The Barber then said, "There are no Barbers in the world", He continued "If there were Barbers then why does that man over there", (Points at a Homeless man, wrapped in a brown Blanket and holding a $20 Bottle of Whisky, the Man has Long Messy hair and a Long Unshaven Beard) "Have messy hair? Surely If a Barber Existed he would cut his hair!", The Atheist snapped "That's absurd, ofcourse the man would have to come to you, not the other way round", to which the Barber Smiled, and the Atheist's face was dumfounded, he was startled, the Barber then Reasoned with the Atheist, "You have to 'Come' to god, not the other way around".


-The End.

Except barbers aren't potrayed as benevolent and possessing omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence. Also why do some Christians have such bad lives?

 

[robo-andie]

Except barbers aren't potrayed as benevolent and possessing omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence. Also why do some Christians have such bad lives?

I think the reply will be something like "They aren't truely 'coming' to god"

 

[transcendent]

Yeah, devote your life to a God and blame every problem on not worshipping him enough. That sort of cyclic thinking is disgusting.

What purpose does Immortality offer? I personally would get bored. If I knew I was going to live forever I'd probably make an effort to get into a position to change history or kill myself. Death, as with life, should be kept sacred. Let things be, don't fight it, don't bother. Accept and move on.

 

[robo-andie]

Yeah, devote your life to a God and blame every problem on not worshipping him enough. That sort of cyclic thinking is disgusting.

What purpose does Immortality offer? I personally would get bored. If I knew I was going to live forever I'd probably make an effort to get into a position to change history or kill myself. Death, as with life, should be kept sacred. Let things be, don't fight it, don't bother. Accept and move on.

Agreed.

Though a few extra years of youth would be nice.........