Do you believe in God and why

[Skeptic7]

Really reaching for the stars, more like it. ????

[CharlieH]

1 hour ago, mauGR1 said:

Philosophically indisputable,  yet, just having a look at the countless levels of consciousness,  in the animal realm, and in the mankind alone, one cannot be serious in denying the high probability of mankind being just a stage of evolution, among countless other stages of evolution. 

"As above, as below"

.. Just count the stars that we can see, not to mention the ones we cannot see ????

I thought most of the stars we see, in fact, no longer exist.

[canthai55]

There is so much "clutching at straws' in this thread by the Believers that they must have a whole bale full by now.

[mauGR1]

2 hours ago, CharlieH said:

I thought most of the stars we see, in fact, no longer exist.

If you say so..

[mauGR1]

When a finger points at the moon, the imbecile looks at the finger.

(Chinese Proverb)

[Fat is a type of crazy]

On 9/11/2021 at 9:58 PM, mauGR1 said:

If you say so..

It seems stars you see with your eyes are fairly close so, though  light took ages to get here, they still likely exist. But those additional stars you see through a telescope could well be gone. The light is like a ghostly memory of long ago. But then there's baby stars out there whose light hasn't reached us yet.

I know people who believe somewhat in the zodiac. Just a further attempt in my opinion to control our lives by saying  -  If I can make up some form of god or power, and then influence or control it by being good or thinking I understanding how it works, I will feel in control of me life. 

[mauGR1]

6 hours ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

It seems stars you see with your eyes are fairly close so, though  light took ages to get here, they still likely exist. But those additional stars you see through a telescope could well be gone. The light is like a ghostly memory of long ago. But then there's baby stars out there whose light hasn't reached us yet.

I know people who believe somewhat in the zodiac. Just a further attempt in my opinion to control our lives by saying  -  If I can make up some form of god or power, and then influence or control it by being good or thinking I understanding how it works, I will feel in control of me life. 

A bit of skepticism is good, whatever hypothesis or theory you choose to believe imho, and that includes your opinion about space and time.

In my opinion, space and time are concepts whose understanding is still a work in progress.

[atpeace]

8 hours ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

It seems stars you see with your eyes are fairly close so, though  light took ages to get here, they still likely exist. But those additional stars you see through a telescope could well be gone. The light is like a ghostly memory of long ago. But then there's baby stars out there whose light hasn't reached us yet.

I know people who believe somewhat in the zodiac. Just a further attempt in my opinion to control our lives by saying  -  If I can make up some form of god or power, and then influence or control it by being good or thinking I understanding how it works, I will feel in control of me life. 

"I know people who believe somewhat in the zodiac".  WHat does that mean?

 

I seriously don't understand how constellations can be less than a fact in the same way as my name is Bob.  Probably over my head and Zodiac represents something else that I'm not aware of...

[mauGR1]

8 minutes ago, atpeace said:

"I know people who believe somewhat in the zodiac".  WHat does that mean?

 

I seriously don't understand how constellations can be less than a fact in the same way as my name is Bob.  Probably over my head and Zodiac represents something else that I'm not aware of...

I'd guess that he accepts the existence of constellations, but not the belief that constellations may have some sort of influence over people's lives.

[Denim]

One thing I have noticed is that whenever the subject of God or Allah comes up , the first thing to pop into most peoples heads is some kind of male entity.

 

Don't think I've ever met anyone who referred to God as a she.

 

Scientist refer to ' the singularity ' and esoteric teachings refer to the same thing as ' the absolute '

 

This beginning point of all things would seem to be sexless.

[mauGR1]

5 minutes ago, Denim said:

One thing I have noticed is that whenever the subject of God or Allah comes up , the first thing to pop into most peoples heads is some kind of male entity.

 

Don't think I've ever met anyone who referred to God as a she.

 

Scientist refer to ' the singularity ' and esoteric teachings refer to the same thing as ' the absolute '

 

This beginning point of all things would seem to be sexless.

That's correct,  but it's just because we are, since time immemorial, living in a patriarchal society.

Things may change in the future, although non necessarily for the best, as justice and equality seem to be at odds with the physical realm.

[Fat is a type of crazy]

1 hour ago, atpeace said:

"I know people who believe somewhat in the zodiac".  WHat does that mean?

 

I seriously don't understand how constellations can be less than a fact in the same way as my name is Bob.  Probably over my head and Zodiac represents something else that I'm not aware of...

As MauGR1 said the term zodiac is the used in the context of astrology rather than astronomy 

[mauGR1]

8 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

As MauGR1 said the term zodiac is the used in the context of astrology rather than astronomy 

Astrology, rightly or wrongly,  has been, in recent centuries, degraded as nonsense.

 yet, as i believe that nothing, or very little happens by chance, and as i believe that the ancient people were not less intelligent than modern people, and while admitting that many,  if not most, astrologers are just charlatans without a clue, i would give astrology the benefit of the doubt. 

.. And even if astrology was totally absurd, i find astrological charts, with all those complicated calculations, simply fascinating .

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, Denim said:

One thing I have noticed is that whenever the subject of God or Allah comes up , the first thing to pop into most peoples heads is some kind of male entity.

 

Don't think I've ever met anyone who referred to God as a she.

 

Scientist refer to ' the singularity ' and esoteric teachings refer to the same thing as ' the absolute '

 

This beginning point of all things would seem to be sexless.

Indeed, and not even human, though many ascribe humanity to the creator.

[mauGR1]

On 9/13/2021 at 5:08 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

Indeed, and not even human, though many ascribe humanity to the creator.

Well, i understand your point, but "humanity" has many facets. 

Let's just compare the life of J.S. Bach, or Jesus Christ, to the life of Jack the ripper, and their gifts to the world..

It would be wrong, imho, to limit God to human thought, but in some cases, one has to wonder if it's the man who becomes God, or it's God who becomes man.

[StreetCowboy]

2 hours ago, mauGR1 said:

Well, i understand your point, but "humanity" has many facets. 

Let's just compare the life of J.S. Bach, or Jesus Christ, to the life of Jack the ripper, and their gifts to the world..

It would be wrong, imho, to limit God to human thought, but in some cases, one has to wonder if it's the man who becomes God, or it's God who becomes man.

I think it is fairly clear that man created God in his own image i.e that to which he aspired.  It shows a bit of over-confidence that he has been so often portrayed as a beardy old patriarch, rather than a youthful and prodigious father of the race - maybe so many of our faults are genetic defects from the geriatric age of Our Father. 

Ne'ertheless, each of us can envisage God in the image in which we choose, and we should be free to do so, with no-one to answer to but God.  No man has the right to take God's place in that judgement, and surely we should all be united in our opposition of those that wish to usurp God's place and dictate what they believe to be his will to us?  God does not need beardy old men to enforce his will since God is all-powerful and omniscient.

 

SC 

[zzaa09]

You folks do realize that all of our GODS and whatnot are merely a clever fabrication created by extraterrestrials long ago. 

A manner in which to control us for easier management. 

 

Suckers.

[StreetCowboy]

13 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

You folks do realize that all of our GODS and whatnot are merely a clever fabrication created by extraterrestrials long ago. 

A manner in which to control us for easier management. 

 

Suckers.

What have the extra-terrestrials gained from it?

[mauGR1]

7 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

You folks do realize that all of our GODS and whatnot are merely a clever fabrication created by extraterrestrials long ago. 

A manner in which to control us for easier management. 

 

Suckers.

Are you sure ?

Did some extraterrestrials tell you that ?

Actually i very much suspect that ancient gods of various mythologies may have been extraterrestrials,  yes still part of the intelligent design.

[ColeBOzbourne]

A conversation between husband and wife in John Steinbeck's, East of Eden. The husband calls his wife 'mother' (of his children). Sounds like some of the back-and-forth on this thread:

 

Liza (speaking sharply)...I'll tell you what I mind. You're never satisfied to leave the Testament alone. You're forever picking at it and questioning it. You turn it over the way a 'coon turns over a wet rock, and it angers me.

 

Samuel: I'm just trying to understand it.

 

Liza: What is there to understand? Just read it. There it is in black and white. Who wants you to understand it? If the Lord God wanted you to understand it He'd have given you to understand or He'd have set it down different.

 

Samuel: But, Mother...

 

Liza: Samuel, you're the most contentious man this world has ever seen.

 

Samuel: Yes, Mother.

 

Liza: Don't agree with me all the time. It hints of insincerity. Speak up for yourself.

[mauGR1]

25 minutes ago, ColeBOzbourne said:

Liza (speaking sharply)...I'll tell you what I mind. You're never satisfied to leave the Testament alone. You're forever picking at it and questioning it. You turn it over the way a 'coon turns over a wet rock, and it angers me.

 

Samuel: I'm just trying to understand it.

That reminds me of an exchange I had with my then girlfriend when i was about 20.

It highlights a difference between women (pragmatic) and men (dreamers).

I like Steinbeck's work btw, great novelist.

[ivor bigun]

On 9/13/2021 at 1:22 PM, Denim said:

One thing I have noticed is that whenever the subject of God or Allah comes up , the first thing to pop into most peoples heads is some kind of male entity.

 

Don't think I've ever met anyone who referred to God as a she.

 

Scientist refer to ' the singularity ' and esoteric teachings refer to the same thing as ' the absolute '

 

This beginning point of all things would seem to be sexless.

so God is non binery?

[Denim]

Just now, ivor bigun said:

so God is non binery?

Don't ask me , ask it .

[rott]

On 4/14/2019 at 10:17 PM, marcusarelus said:

That's my view of religion.  Sad.  Really.  I have a daughter who is raising her son to believe in that nonsense.  I never raised her that way.  I don't know what her husband has done to her. 

I wonder what happened to old Marcus, in 14 months he amassed a content count of 8511 and then disappeared. Not been seen on here for over two years. I hope he's OK. 

[rott]

To answer the OP, I do not really know. But I do find theology interesting. 

However I am confused by the Holy Trinity. 

 

Christ is God the Son (or alternatively the Son of God) 

God the Father is Father of the Son. 

BUT

Christ was conceived of the Holy Ghost. 

 

I asked a pastor if he could clarify or explain and his reply was no he couldn't and neither could St Augustine, Luther or Calvin. Can anyone here do any better. 

 

[mauGR1]

13 minutes ago, rott said:

To answer the OP, I do not really know. But I do find theology interesting. 

However I am confused by the Holy Trinity. 

 

Christ is God the Son (or alternatively the Son of God) 

God the Father is Father of the Son. 

BUT

Christ was conceived of the Holy Ghost. 

 

I asked a pastor if he could clarify or explain and his reply was no he couldn't and neither could St Augustine, Luther or Calvin. Can anyone here do any better. 

 

I also find the explanations of the holy trinity difficult to understand. 

However, having re-discovered my interest in religion on a trip to India long time ago, I find the Hindu explanation rather easy and handy.

The Hindu trinity is composed by the main forces in the universe, creation, preservation and destruction. 

[zzaa09]

...and what of the Goddess?

 

Blind as to where we originate. 

[mauGR1]

20 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

...and what of the Goddess?

 

Blind as to where we originate. 

Ask scientists, recently they seem to know everything ????

...but you'll need some faith to believe them ????

[ivor bigun]

I am really suprised that the new order "woke" brigade have not come out in the west and said that God is non binery and should not be a him or a her.

[mauGR1]

1 hour ago, ivor bigun said:

I am really suprised that the new order "woke" brigade have not come out in the west and said that God is non binery and should not be a him or a her.

It has been said countless times on this thread and since time immemorial. 

I am surprised you've managed such a long post, so if it's not too much effort and you're still reading,  it's "binary" and not "binery".

Glad to help ????