Do you believe in God

[Frisco]

God is an alien from an advanced Race on a distant planet. Adam and Eve were test tube babies.

That's got an L. Ron Hubbard air to it.

Heck of a guy heck of a guy.

Anyway, the notion that the universe, not man, but a portion of the universe in antiquity evolved into a being which we mere humans would perceive as "God" came to mind once during a debate class in college.

It got trashed by a guy who said the universe is not old enough to do that.

Ok.

 

[G.Armour]

So what would that make us?
...

The result of generation upon generation of inbreeding?

Maybe that's what is wrong with alot of people in the world today..

Sent from Droid

 

[Pryomancer]

I don't believe in any God. To me, religious belief is the attempt to explain what we saw around us, because we had no better explanation. Creation stories are convenient because everything in them just 'happens'. God was just there already, Allah was also just sitting around, same with Vishnu curled up inside the cobra. They don't explain how God, Allah, Vishnu etc got there, so I don't really think it's a creation story.

Through science, observation and evidence, we've proven the Earth is ~4.5 billion years old, and that things like dinosaurs existed, but there happens to be no mention of them in the Bible. This is because they didn't know any better.
What I dislike about religion is its stubbornness, many refuse to believe the evidence that is plain for them to see. They use things like God's omnipotence and omniscience to explain the inconsistencies.

Person A- "How come there are dinosaurs up to ~250 million years old when the Bible says the Earth is only a few thousand year old?"
Person B- "God just put them there and made them look old."
Person A- What about carbon dating, that's empirical evidence for us to see."
Person B- "Yeah it looks that way but God made you see it like that."
Person A- "What about evolution, there's empirical evidence for that as well, things like DNA and genes, along with fossils can prove that evolution is real."
Person B- "God created everything in Genesis, anything you find is just God making you find it like that but it's not true."

 

[G.Armour]

Ok, I only read the first person A and I have to comment. The Bible does not say how old the earth is, from what I've read. It just says when Jesus was born.

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[Hrethgir]

No, I don't beleive in God. And after looking around at the world, if there is a God, He's an asshole I don't want anything to do with. Every time I see a news story about a 2 year old dying of cancer, it just strengthens my viewpoint. Also, like has been said, the Bible doesn't stand up to science at all. I think it's a good book full of stories that we can use to improve ourselves and the world around us, but I do not beleive that it is to be taken literally or that is was narrated by God and passed down verbally and written and translated over and over and over for thousands of years with absolutley no mistakes. You ever play Telephone or Grape Vine? You can't whisper a message through 20 people without it being completely different at the end, and that only takes less than a minute with no translations to different languages.

God is an alien from an advanced Race on a distant planet. Adam and Eve were test tube babies.

Now THIS I certainly could believe! Makes more sense than an invisible magic man in the sky, anyways.

 

[Hrethgir]

Ok, I only read the first person A and I have to comment. The Bible does not say how old the earth is, from what I've read. It just says when Jesus was born.

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But it does give lineages, and even if people did live for 900+ years at some point, there are not enough names to equal out to over 4 billion years. Of course, there are always those theroies that each "day" of the creation story was a long span of time, but that's just people trying to make their story fit the facts that science has. And I like how the prophecies say that the messiah would be born as a decendant of King David, then they trace the lineage from David to Joseph as proof of that. But Joseph wasn't Jesus' father, so the only "human" blood line jesus would have had was through Mary's side of the family, but they don't cover that because since she was married to Joseph, I guess that was good enough. Oh, and just the story of Job alone should be enough to make people not want anything to do with God. That story always bothered me. Job was faithful to God always, and God killed his whole family and destroyed everything he had, and why did he do that? Over a BET with Satan! Seriously, how messed-up is that story? Oh, and God gave us free will do do whatever we want... unless he decides we should do something else. Like Jonah found out. "Jonah, go preach to Ninevah." "I don't want to, so I'm taking a boat in a different direction!" "OK, well then, here's a whale to swallow you and then take you to Ninevah where he's going to puke you up to DO WHAT I FREAKING TOLD YOU TO DO!"

 

[Pryomancer]

Ok, I only read the first person A and I have to comment. The Bible does not say how old the earth is, from what I've read. It just says when Jesus was born.

Sent from Droid

Ok, my mistake. But I believe it's a common answer from creatonists? That the Earth is only like 7000 years old or something.

 

[Hrethgir]

I doubt you find many atheists on their death beds. He always finds a way to reach you!

That's just fear making them buy a last-minute insurance policy. Kind of like buying flight insurance in an airport lobby.

 

[NYCHitman1]

No.

 

[aiz4andy]

Ok, I only read the first person A and I have to comment. The Bible does not say how old the earth is, from what I've read. It just says when Jesus was born.

Sent from Droid

This is a prime example of how Religion has given ground to science. By taking the Bible literally and following lineage, according to the Bible, the Earth is around 6,000 years old. This was accepted as the case until comparatively recently when modern science has offered evidence to dispute it.Read this without laughing!!

And for the record, it says that Jesus was born while Herod was on the throne (Herod died 4BC) and while Quirinios was the Governor of Syrria (which happened in 6AD).

 

[mrqs]

And for the record, it says that Jesus was born while Herod was on the throne (Herod died 4BC) and while Quirinios was the Governor of Syrria (which happened in 6AD).

for a note like this, it'd be useful if you mentioned what those times are based on (herod's death and quirinios' inauguration)

 

[G.Armour]

I doubt you find many atheists on their death beds. He always finds a way to reach you!

That's just fear making them buy a last-minute insurance policy. Kind of like buying flight insurance in an airport lobby.

Ok, but why??? Why would they if they were so hell bent on there not being a God!?!? The reason why is because even though every single one of you, whether you say you do or don't believe, I promise, at some point in your life, whether it be in the near future or on your death bed, you will all either need to pray because you have no other options or you'll beg for forgiveness because you'll know you were wrong. And if not, well the alternative is mighty dim.. And honestly, I'd rather believe. Who wouldn't want to see their loved ones that has already passed on? I guess for non believers, I guess being worm food is good enough for y'all.

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[hakr100]

Ok, but why??? Why would they if they were so hell bent on there not being a God!?!? The reason why is because even though every single one of you, whether you say you do or don't believe, I promise, at some point in your life, whether it be in the near future or on your death bed, you will all either need to pray because you have no other options or you'll beg for forgiveness because you'll know you were wrong. And if not, well the alternative is mighty dim.. And honestly, I'd rather believe. Who wouldn't want to see their loved ones that has already passed on? I guess for non believers, I guess being worm food is good enough for y'all.

Sent from Droid

I don't wish an early demise on you, but if you happen to pass on and meet your departed loved ones, would you mind very much posting your trip report and photos here via your Incredible? Or even via an iPhone, if that is the standard issue up there.

 

[NYCHitman1]

Heaven nor Hell exists.. and if either does exist I'm convinced that we're currently living in it.

 

[aiz4andy]

for a note like this, it'd be useful if you mentioned what those times are based on (herod's death and quirinios' inauguration)

Sure. They're based on accepted historical evidence.

Why would they if they were so hell bent on there not being a God!?!? The reason why is because even though every single one of you, whether you say you do or don't believe, I promise, at some point in your life, whether it be in the near future or on your death bed, you will all either need to pray because you have no other options or you'll beg for forgiveness because you'll know you were wrong. And if not, well the alternative is mighty dim.. And honestly, I'd rather believe. Who wouldn't want to see their loved ones that has already passed on? I guess for non believers, I guess being worm food is good enough for y'all.

It's not about being hell bent, or what's good enough. It's about truth and evidence. Just because you want there to be a Heaven, doesn't mean there is. I want to win the lottery, doesn't mean I will.

I've already explained about how cultural indoctrination factors on how you react to situations - and just because you pray, it don't necessarily mean you believe - its called grasping at straws, and you'll be amazed at the crazy things people do out of desperation - praying included.

 

[Pryomancer]

The reason why is because even though every single one of you, whether you say you do or don't believe, I promise, at some point in your life, whether it be in the near future or on your death bed, you will all either need to pray because you have no other options or you'll beg for forgiveness because you'll know you were wrong. ... I guess for non believers, I guess being worm food is good enough for y'all.

Sorry, this just isn't true. When I'm near death I won't be praying to God, because I've spent my entire life knowing there isn't one, why would I suddenly turn heel and become devout?

And it doesn't matter if I become worm food, or if my body gets cut up for medicine, or grave robbed. Why would I care, I'm dead. I don't believe in the afterlife or soul, or anything like that. I die, and stop existing, that's all that happens.

 

[G.Armour]

Ok.. but as I said, every single one of you will.. and when you do, just remember, I told u so!

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[mrqs]

Sure. They're based on accepted historical evidence.

do you practice being vague?

what i'm after with this is that this "accepted historical evidence" is likely some writing from around the time period, not unlike the bible (?)
few things from 2000 years ago can be timed that accurately

Ok.. but as I said, every single one of you will.. and when you do, just remember, I told u so!

i'd say there's no after life and when you die, just remember i told you so; but that seems a little oxymoronic...

 

[macprv]

all i know is that it will never be possible to prove that there is a god or gods, that ancient book about magical people are saying the truth, or that in the after life theres heaven or hell.
so i just try to live life with respect and love to myself, others, and earth, sometimes its hard though, but i try hard, and harder.

 

[G.Armour]

Sure. They're based on accepted historical evidence.

do you practice being vague?

what i'm after with this is that this "accepted historical evidence" is likely some writing from around the time period, not unlike the bible (?)
few things from 2000 years ago can be timed that accurately

Ok.. but as I said, every single one of you will.. and when you do, just remember, I told u so!

i'd say there's no after life and when you die, just remember i told you so; but that seems a little oxymoronic...

Ah, But if there is a God and you don't believe and there is a hell.. you'll remember this.. you'll remember any and every time any has ever talked about God with you.. and you'll be like, 'if I'd only listened, I wouldn't be in this torment now'

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[Pryomancer]

Ok.. but as I said, every single one of you will.. and when you do, just remember, I told u so!

Sent from Droid

But we won't, that's the thing. Don't just ignore what we've said and act smugly superior. I'm never going to pray on my deathbed or in a crisis. And why should it be to your God, why not Buddha or Allah?

 

[aiz4andy]

do you practice being vague?

what i'm after with this is that this "accepted historical evidence" is likely some writing from around the time period, not unlike the bible (?)
few things from 2000 years ago can be timed that accurately

Not just writing from around the time (Flavius Josephus a Jewish historian, who also had some of his other work forged to mention Jesus), but also documentation and relic evidence. This goes for both, and is why these dates are accepted. Regarding Quirinios, there is record of the census described in the Bible, although it happened about 6 or 7AD.

 

[macprv]

But we won't, that's the thing. Don't just ignore what we've said and act smugly superior. I'm never going to pray on my deathbed or in a crisis. And why should it be to your God, why not Buddha or Allah?

or the flying spaghetti monster ?

 

[mrqs]

Ah, But if there is a God and you don't believe and there is a hell.. you'll remember this.. you'll remember any and every time any has ever talked about God with you.. and you'll be like, 'if I'd only listened, I wouldn't be in this torment now'

and when you find yourself in tartarus, you'll be like 'if only i had chosen my religion better'

i don't believe in any form of after-life, but hypothetically speaking, if there was such a thing as a place of torment for sinful souls, i'd be inclined to think ending up in there would be a result of "being evil", rather than not believing in a particular deity or even less so, following a certain organized religion

or the flying spaghetti monster ?

i think i'm gonna want him carved on my tombstone

 

[aiz4andy]

i don't believe in any form of after-life, but hypothetically speaking, if there was such a thing as a place of torment for sinful souls, i'd be inclined to think ending up in there would be a result of "being evil", rather than not believing in a particular deity or even less so, following a certain organized religion

Well said.


Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear.

- Thomas Jefferson