We have had many lists that deal with religious topics, and many of our readers have made some amazing intelligent comments. But we have not actually gotten down to the root of things – which is, does God truly exist, and if He does, is there proof for His existence? Remember, keep the comments friendly and use good arguments for your view.
Does God Exist and Can We Prove It Either Way?
My answer is that St Thomas Aquinas gave some very convincing arguments in support of the idea that reason can prove faith. I believe that a greater study of his works, with some of the more modern writers will help each person to draw the appropriate conclusions- but we should give equal time to both sides.
Atheist: “Oh, my God, quick Hit me with that Bible… Ow… Again… Much better.”
Sorry for all the spelling errors I have trouble typing on my laptop.
Scar – think of it as a story to tell little children, to tell them something you yourself cant explain, something like the birds and the bees.
Scar: It was a test of Man and faith. Clearly Man failed. Why does everybody reference the Old Testament? Even the Vatican considers it “Out dated”.
no ones reading mine
Mine22: they should make a Birds and the bees puzzle… Insert Tab A into Slot B.
No because their are to many contradictions in the bible, far too many fallacies.
Also, if you are truly educated, and would like to think scientifically upon this matter, than you should KNOW that their is no such thing as a God or God.
However, if you have FAITH, then no argument can overcome that personal belief.
Scientifically, like i said, though, it cannot and does not exist.
Crimanon- Why would this ‘God’ create a perfect world in his image, and put a test like this? Does this mean that he wanted to see mankind suffer?
I still don’t get that story, shouldn’t it be the bees and the flowers?
I think people aren’t ready to accept the fact that they don’t know. We can’t possibly know why we’re here and how we got here. People are looking for answers and the “god answer” seems to be easy to swallow. I say we should all accept the fact that we don’t know, stop arguing about things like God and start trying to fix this mess of a world we’re in right now. Obviously this is way too much to ask.
Test of faith young padiwon. Or he wanted to see how bad he Really screwed up, I’m sure that in even Eve there were Toxic plants. Better to kick them out before they did something Really stupid.
after reading a few comments, i noticed that some people used the “problem of suffering” defense to prove that God is non-existent, practically saying no respectable God would allow people to suffer as they do, as a moral assessment one must say that if this world is designed, it is the work of a bumbler or a sadist.
let’s suppose, contrary to the fact, that this world were a paradise from which all possibility of pain and suffering were excluded. the consequences would be very far-reaching. for example no one could ever injure anyone else, the bank safe, robbed of a million dollars, would miraculously become filled with another million dollars; fraud, deceit, conspiracy and treason would somehow leave the fabric of society undamaged. again, no one would be injured by accident: the mountain climber, steeple-jack, or playing child falling from a height would float unharmed to the ground; the reckless driver would never meet with disaster. no dangers at all.
to make possible this continual series of “insanity”, nature would have to work by “special providences” instead of running according to general laws which men must learn to respect on penalty of pain and death. the laws of nature would have to be flexible: sometimes gravity would operate, sometimes not; sometimes an object would be hard and solid, sometimes soft. there could be no sciences ’cause there aint no enduring world structure to investigate.
in eliminating the problems and hardships of an objective environment, with its own laws, life would become like a freaking dream in which, delightfully but aimlessly, we would float and drift at ease. such a world, however well it might promote pleasure, would be very ill adapted for the development of the moral qualities of human personality. in relation to this purpose it would be the worst of all possible worlds, ya dig!
can i get an amen? haha!
Eden, sorry, getting my drink on. And my mind is still on the birds and the…. Bees and the Trees, Ha, I make a funny.
Victoria – An uneducated man, like me, or an intoxicated one, like me, would say that God didn’t write the bible it was man interpreting what god was telling him. my personal option about the bible it was an edited version of an old guy eating mushrooms out in the desert, therefore it was jim Morrison’s book edited by the pope. I should stop now.
Matt: Nothing to strive for then, correct? Stagnation of the mind and the insanity that ensues.
Mine22: AAAAHHHHHh, that was awesome!
Yes, I believe god does exist.
Nope, science completely disproves any idea of there being a god.
Bizzoony: Care to contribute your thoughts?
1) god – as defined as a super-being that somehow cares about what you might think about in a pointy-topped building (prayer in church) is a silly concept.
2) god – as a higher being is plausable. I was plenty high thoughout the 1970′s and very possibily saw god.
3) god – as an excuse to behead, blow up, and otherwise hurt fellow humans? That god exists for sure.
So Jamie, In answer to your question – I suppose it depends on the definition…
Bizzoony: Science hasn’t figured out Humans, How would they disprove god?
i spent 5 years as a park ranger. that job entailed me walking about 4 hours a day through the woods. i have been out in all seasons, all weather, and everything between. spend spring in the woods, and you will be convinced that yes, god does exist. there’s no other way i can rationally explain it. i am a scientist by nature and have struggled with the idea that there is really no rational reasoning behind god. a higher power does not make rational sense. but see the flowers. see the growth where there was dormancy all winter. hear the birds and smell the growth. whatever you call it, god is real.
I love that word ” exist” in the question title. Do we, as humans, have to question existance in order to come to god?no.I dont think it has to be that difficult.
Is this a human thought?yes. Or do dolphins or elephants think of god too?
If they do then where is their proof? If we are the only lives that exist with god than where does that place us?
Does god think we exist?
It’s three words:Does God Exist.
I like that god is still a man (he) to many. Come on ladies! how long has it been sence women’s lib? get on it! –no no no.Just foolin. I like women.
but what I was sayin was that I also like the vengful gods full of fury and stomping thunder.Or a God like a forrest of tangled webs, with thoughts-like-smoke blowing through like time.
Is the proof in the best of human achievment’s?
the soul singer or the great tenor?
To exist. we exist with god? “How dare you place we before god!”
god before i….or is it i before god?
a haunting magnificance.
a dull ho hum-oh *****, I dont have time for religous talk, i gotta catch the bus to go to work.Jeez I hate my job.I have no friends. I took up drugs and cutting myself to feel. I became a shell of myself. The taste of Satan was sweet. Then, I started reading this book and it changed my life completely.
acceptance
denial
truth
trend
root
the inner
the outer
the all knowing
is there a nothing knowing god/ a kinda slacker god.
naw, cause god, by god, is odd and is superduper .
if god exists and is binded by no religion/ no form/ no reasoning/ no rug of solidarity, ect.
if god became a discussion in abstractions.
—
allrite.the above is my whithin the hour of the existance of god and proof of bit.
of the cuff.
stay tuned for part two.
oh god no!
wha? huh?
Sorry its hard for me to read long posts
petey mcgee: you know, the early american landscape painters that painted the american landscapet depicted the proof of the existance of god.
They also made sketches from life and went back to their studios to elaborate the depictiction.
Intersting.
I believe in faith. It appears to be a necessary fact of the human condition. Those who espouse atheism certainly appear to hold their faith in science and rationality as tight to their heart as those that believe in God. Faith is an answer to a question; Why am I here?, What purpose do I serve?, What happens when I die?. Atheists have faith that when they die they will contribute to the carbon chain and become one with the earth. Religious folk believe that when they die, they will become one with god. Everyone needs to believe in something.
I believe that a higher consciousness is possible; When someone close to me dies I have faith that my grief and feelings/thoughts somehow reach them. I have no rational reason for this belief. Simple Faith.
Do I believe in an omnipotent, all-seeing, all-knowing god.
No, nor do I believe Jesus to be the son of god. This does not mean that Jesus did not die for humanity, or for a noble cause. The freedom to believe what you choose is a cornerstone of progressive society. The courage to die rather than forgo your beliefs is worthy of worship. For all the religion-haters out there who only focus on the evils of the church and organized Religion, think for a moment of the accomplishments of organized religion. Where were many of the great minds of the past educated? For goodness sake the great leaps and bounds of modern civilization can be traced back to the printing press and the spread of knowledge. Everyone familiar with Gutenburg? Most of the great art and literature of the world is a direct consequence of faith. Japanese art that venerates Kami, Buddhist architecture, Michaelangelo’s Pieta, The Great Pyramids at Gaza, the lovely dye work and tapestries of the Native Central Americans, The Totem poles of the West coast, The Cool blow paintings of Ayers Rock. All are testaments of faith. Faith that answers the questions, Who am I?, Why am I here? What is my purpose? Where do I fit in?
When I enter a house of worship it is not the presence of God that gives me comfort, but the feeling of connection to the rest of humanity. The universality of the quest. I am part of something greater than myself, part of an amazing journey, a journey shared for thousands of years. All to answer the questions; Who am I? and Why am I here?
What?…
Absolutely.
Mom424:Great post
I don’t know if there is a god either way. Even if there were a god I don’t think that you could prove he/she/it exists until you die and meet them. If I had to believe in a god though, I would like to think that god might have created the universe, but he/she/it doesn’t really play an active role in what happens. Plus if I were to believe in one god than I would have to think that there would have to be more. It doesn’t matter to me either way. The way I figure it is, knowing there is a god doesn’t solve any questions for me…. it solves nothing more than saying the universe just was and will always be… because if there was a god than where did he/she/it come from?
I lean towards Taoism.
While people are argueing all day what to call a “chair” and trying to define the “chair” – I just sit and enjoy it.
viking that was awesome, why explain the beer and just enjoy it.
Yes, no matter what you call god, a higher power exists. I am not religious. Religion just makes people argue….and murder.
What bothers me is that there is so much hate and anger in god’s name. I don’t think god has anything to do with hate and anger, and I’m pretty sure he/she/it doesn’t care what he/she/it is called. I think that God, Ahura Mazda, et cetera are all the same entity. Different cultures will naturally have different takes on how they view this entity. I think we all need to stop bickering about the fine details. The god I believe in loves us, all of us, and isn’t going to get all *****ed off if we don’t spell his name right or imagine him with the wrong color eyes.
That’s my take on things anyway. I hope I didn’t offend.
Does A god exist? Yes.
Does any conception of god ever worshiped by man exist? No.
Mine22: To Beer!
Souxieq: The whole point of these is to discuss. Anyone getting mad should just chill and have a beer.
Crimanon; Thanks, I’m actually getting a little weepy thinking about this stuff. Actual tears…I’m gonna go smoke a joint.
Crimanon: Thanks. People just get so worked up.
I’m not worked up, but I’m gonna have a drink anyway.
yes to the almighty joint
god does love us
amen
OH MY GOD!(kind of appropriate isn’t it
) Jamie, this will cause like 123453765844936396 F***ing comments! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!? and i say no, there is too many religions like christianity that have the same kind of god, and i think god is just an idea to live a better life that got blown out of proportion.
mom424:you have kids and you smoke weed? cool!
Ahh, the high school mantras are coming back…. “Boooooooong”
Hey What if God smoked *****: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PybtBKSAtLM
so…anyway, back to :
“Does God Exist?”
I often wonder if our usage of the word “um” came from “om”. Anyone know?
“Ohm”, the song of the universe, Yogis and stuff like that.
Souxieq – sounds good, also its Saturday night. so you know.
*Sound sorry
Mom424 smoking a joint – now Mom’s a higher power
Hey, its saturday, smoke all the weed ya like.
mine22: er?
And im expecting the return of Bible Dude pretty soon.
beer
Jamie: Suggestion… Chat room??? maybe some sort or private messaging?
Csimmons; I was cool before you were born. I also believe in the need/want of humanity to catch a buzz. I choose weed as a way to relax. All of you who are offended by the “demon weed” can substitute Martini for joint. But I would be way more wasted from the martini.
Mom… is awesome!
Mom424: I’m allergic. I’m screwed if I ever get glaucoma. Doesn’t offend me though.
Mom424:amen
im going to bed, ill expect my inbox to be bulging tomorrow morning because i asked for follow up comments(hits self in head)so ill be back tomorrow for this argument.
GOD, oh yeah, back to the subject. Loving Being or kid with a magnifying glass???
Matt: I agree whole-heartedly. We have suffering because no one would know happiness if sadness was not present in their lives as well. All sunshine and no rain make a desert.
No one has brought up Intelligent Design either…. Your View Do Aliens/God Exist???