Do you believe in God?

[TankAss95]

If I asked the atheists here wether they think that God may exist (not the Cristian God, but rather a higher power that created, or brings order to the universe), what would your responses be?

 

[TheBook]

If I asked the atheists here wether they think that God may exist (not the Cristian God, but rather a higher power that created, or brings order to the universe), what would your responses be?

Isn't the definition of atheism the lack of belief in a higher power? If so, there's your answer.

 

[TankAss95]

Isn't the definition of atheism the lack of belief in a higher power? If so, there's your answer.

I'm curious wether people are mixing up atheism with being agnostic:

Agnostic:

1.
a. One who believes that it is impossible to know whether there is a God.
b. One who is skeptical about the existence of God but does not profess true atheism.
2. One who is doubtful or noncommittal about something.

 

[Winters Noble]

So far, most people are mature about this subject, thankfully. I expected the responses on this thread to be far more vicious than that homosexuality thread earlier. Good work for keeping the peace.
Remember:" To each their own".

 

[homeforsummer]

The exact thing you are saying is what I can't understand. Is it true that no matter can be created or destroyed? Should that they destroy the big bang theory all together? It needs material so start it off, it needs this (correct me if I am wrong) atom of hydrogen.
If you are suggesting that another force created the material for the big bang, then does that not disprove everything you know about science?

Just to clear this up, as it's been covered several times and shouldn't need repeating again:

You're misunderstanding the big bang theory. If I remember correctly, the idea behind the big bang theory is that all matter that currently exists was compressed into an incredibly dense space and that then expanded incredibly rapidly in the big bang. No matter was created as such, just redistributed across a vast and expanding area. You're right in thinking that much of that became hydrogen, but subsequent elements have been created through nuclear fusion, rather than appearing from nowhere.

So to summarise:

The big bang already had all the material it needed - nothing appeared out of nowhere. It's still by a long way the best explanation we have for the origins of the universe.

 

[Touring Mars]

If I asked the atheists here wether they think that God may exist (not the Cristian God, but rather a higher power that created, or brings order to the universe), what would your responses be?

I would say that I perhaps used to assume that (a) God must exist, but now I would say that I don't see any compelling evidence to support this assumption. Most of what I might have previously ascribed to a God-like being - the origin of our own species as a prime example, or the origin of the elements as another - can readily be explained by (relatively) simple science, whereas as a child I used to rely on other sources of information (e.g. the Bible), which (unfortunately) would later turn out to be less that authoritative on the subject(s), or - in the case of the origin of mankind - just plain wrong. I appreciate, however, that the Bible is not a science textbook, and I can understand how/why the original authors couldn't have possibily been expected to be right.

I wouldn't rule out the possibility of a God existing, but I'm not going to start believing in one until I've seen some evidence. I've stated several times in the past that I believe that my criteria for being convinced are fairly straightforward - a miracle, a direct appearance of the God himself, or Partick Thistle winning the Scottish Premier League - put it this way, I think an all powerful God should find it quite easy to fulfill atleast one of my criteria for convincing me of their existence.

 

[BobK]

So God created human beings in His own image.In the image of God He created them;male and female He created them.
-Genesis 1:27 (NLT)

This is from the same book that says it's cool to take the infant children of your enemies (or oppressors) and dash their brains out against rocks, right?

Just askin'

 

[TankAss95]

This is from the same book that says it's cool to take the infant children of your enemies (or oppressors) and dash their brains out against rocks, right?

Just askin'

If you wouldn't mind quoting the actual passage of the bible from which that information is found from, then I would have more to work with to send a response.

 

[Tic Tach]

Psalm 137:9

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm 137&version=NIV


Wait for it............."That's out of context!"

 

[TheCracker]

Psalm 137:9

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm 137&version=NIV

Ahhh, the gospel according to Boney M.

 

[Hun200kmh]

TheCracker, Boney M. is off topic or "out of context" here

Hey Tic Tach, don't you forget to link here also that part about Abraham being told to sacrifice his own son, or that part about Moses when all first borns in Egypt were killed.

You really must think all believers in God are ignorant people ... anyway, I'm back to my race reports thread, I'm about to attack Le Mans. This, between killing children, of course, have my daily religious infanticide to do and it's already mid afternoon ... will I go to Hell for it?

LOL

 

[Tic Tach]

Food for thought:

The God you believe in makes people like Pol Pot, Stalin, Hitler etc, look like rookies, for this god has killed or recommended the killing of more people than all of them put together. He even makes Satan look like Andy Griffith. He thought it a good idea to kill by drowning all the people on the planet (including babies in their cribs) for trivial reasons.

Link.

Of course he didn't really do this, for it was the primitive desert men who made up these stories, and simply placed their own wishes upon their god for those killings which they did by their own hands.

 

[cullenand]

Food for thought:

The God you believe in makes people like Pol Pot, Stalin, Hitler etc, look like rookies, for this god has killed or recommended the killing of more people than all of them put together. He even makes Satan look like Andy Griffith. He thought it a good idea to kill by drowning all the people on the planet (including babies in their cribs) for trivial reasons.

Link.

Of course he didn't really do this, for it was the primitive desert men who made up these stories, and simply placed their own wishes upon their god for those killings which did occur.

Now that is the Christian God, it seems that whenever an atheist hear the word God they automatically assume the long beard Christian God. There are plenty of people out there that believe in a God but do not believe in religion.

 

[Tic Tach]

There are plenty of people out there that believe in a God but do not believe in religion.

Yes, and there are plenty of people out there who don't think very much.

 

[Hun200kmh]

Now that is the Christian God, it seems that whenever an atheist hear the word God they automatically assume the long beard Christian God. There are plenty of people out there that believe in a God but do not believe in religion.

Most atheists come from christian societies (probably a coincidence) therefore when they talk about God it's only human that it's the christian God they are talking about. You can see that over, and over (ad infinitum) in this thread.

Anyway, it works ok because most of the believers in the existence of God (in this thread) are christians. Therefore I'd say 80% of this thread evolves around the christian religion, and within this one, the atheists just LOVE to dig out the Old Testament. And I play by their rules, no worries.

 

[SpinnyTires]

345th no way! lool wheres the do you believe in aliens question

 

[Hun200kmh]

Here: https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=119024&page=50

 

[Bobalob]

My belief in god has gradually reduced as I have aged and experienced the world.

In my younger years i totally believed, Around age 8+ I was probably agnostic 13+ was probably the beginning of my athiesim, as I encountered similarly minded people. Come to think of it I can't remember any children around that time who were devout Christians, but there's a big possibility they kept it to themselves.

I'm now 28 and I'm not sure what I will tell my 10 month old little girl when she considers the subject, I'm not nesc going to enforce athiesim. I expect a similar process to my own.

But I imagine myself only covering the subject to create a "nicer" explaination of death, but, would an early introduction of athiesim be a bad thing? could a child even differentiate between a good/bad version of death if it's all they knew? hmmm.

 

[Tic Tach]

..but would an early introduction of athiesim be a bad thing?

There's nothing to "introduce". Your child is already an atheist.

 

[shmogt]

There's nothing to "introduce". Your child is already an atheist.

For kids I think you should teach them about all the religions out there and let them make there own choice. They will probably not go into any religion, but at least they made that choice being educated on the matter rather than you just say "yup god is real, don't do bad stuff or you will end up in hell" like the way most kids are raised.

 

[MustangCobra95]

You science people are making me pissed off. Just leave the people who believe in God alone! We accept that you believe in science instead, so accept the fact we believe in God!

 

[Encyclopedia]

You science people are making me pissed off. Just leave the people who believe in God alone! We accept that you believe in science instead, so accept the fact we believe in God!

Woah calm down dude. We're having a civil discussion wether or not one believes in god and try to give reasons to why. No need to get offended.

 

[MustangCobra95]

Woah calm down dude. We're having a civil discussion wether or not one believes in god and try to give reasons to why. No need to get offended.

"And this is where you wind up looking like a mental midget. For there should be absolutely nothing that we say will always believe, no matter what.

For example, as much as I accept the fact of evolution, I would never say that I will always believe that no matter what, for if evidence arose which displayed that the theory of evolution is false, I would simply accept the new information and/or evidence.

So if your position is "there's nothing you can say that will make me change my mind", you have just committed intellectual suicide. Good luck with that."

This was posted by someone 2 pages before this one.

 

[Encyclopedia]

"And this is where you wind up looking like a mental midget. For there should be absolutely nothing that we say will always believe, no matter what.

For example, as much as I accept the fact of evolution, I would never say that I will always believe that no matter what, for if evidence arose which displayed that the theory of evolution is false, I would simply accept the new information and/or evidence.

So if your position is "there's nothing you can say that will make me change my mind", you have just committed intellectual suicide. Good luck with that."

This was posted by someone 2 pages before this one.

That's one person, and sure if you look through the entire thread there will be a few like that, but on the whole I think it's a civil discussion, especially considering the topic.

Feel free to join in.

 

[BobK]

If you wouldn't mind quoting the actual passage of the bible from which that information is found from, then I would have more to work with to send a response.

Here:

Psalm 137:9

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm 137&version=NIV


Wait for it............."That's out of context!"

Blessed be...

 

[Bobalob]

There's nothing to "introduce". Your child is already an atheist.

that's true but thinking about it there wouldn't be any introducing I mean when the subject first ever comes up like the dog dies

I suppose there's no harm in "sorry darlin the dogs gone/finished/ended/inanimate meat" but then I don't see the harm in my own path.

All religions + free choice sounds good to me (by time it mattered I'd have realised this tbh ).

 

[HP]

that's true but thinking about it there wouldn't be any introducing I mean when the subject first ever comes up like the dog dies

I suppose there's no harm in "sorry darlin the dogs gone/finished/ended/inanimate meat" but then I don't see the harm in my own path.

All religions + free choice sounds good to me (by time it mattered I'd have realised this tbh ).

My sons school teaches them many religions, great system 👍

 

[Tic Tach]

What I know is that from birth, my mind was assaulted (and in a sense abused) by my parents who (with all good intentions) filled my unformed mind with a false, supernatural belief system; a map of the world which simply did not and does not map onto reality in any way, shape or form. I resent that. Luckily, I escaped the delusional virus of faith, but few who are indoctrinated from birth do. I wish they had taught me how to think, instead of what to think. These critical thinking skills I had to learn later all by myself.

Link.

 

[Villain]

yes Sir i do....
shame on this "No way! 344 49.64%"

Are you a Christian? I thought it was frowned upon for Christians to cast judgement on others.

 

[HP]

What I know is that from birth, my mind was assaulted (and in a sense abused) by my parents who (with all good intentions) filled my unformed mind with a false, supernatural belief system; a map of the world which simply did not and does not map onto reality in any way, shape or form. I resent that. Luckily, I escaped the delusional virus of faith, but few who are indoctrinated from birth do. I wish they had taught me how to think, instead of what to think. These critical thinking skills I had to learn later all by myself.

Link.

Well said. Brings to mind the wizards second rule: The greatest harm can result from the best intentions.