Do you believe in God and why

[GammaGlobulin]

I prayed:

 

IF you are God, show me a sign. 

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

But... 

 

Nothing 

Zip 

Nada 

[Hummin]

2 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

But... 

 

Nothing 

Zip 

Nada 

You still breathing right? A miracle, every time we manage to take a deep breath, and continue breathing deep and you will see, feel and hear 

[GammaGlobulin]

5 minutes ago, Hummin said:

You still breathing right? A miracle, every time we manage to take a deep breath, and continue breathing deep and you will see, feel and hear 

Yes. 

A miracle. 

 

Every breath I take, 

Every move I make, 

 

A miracle. 

 

In fact, I am stardust. 

 

That's the real miracle. 

 

 

[VincentRJ]

1 hour ago, Sunmaster said:

Great post. 

The thing that made me think though, is in the very last sentence. 

"Avoid the hussles of teaching irrational people."

 

From this I deduct that for you, rational is good and irrational is bad. Correct?

What does it mean "being irrational"? A state of non-rationality. But here is the problem...both a baby and a great yogi experience a state of non-rationality. The states are not the same however, because the first comes before rationality and the latter comes after rationality. It transcends it and includes it into something bigger.

 

In this context, being irrational becomes a good thing, and rationality ceases to be the only option.

 Sorry! I can't agree. A lack of rationality is a fundamental cause of most of the problems and suffering so many people experience in this world. I'll quote just one example, although I could quote hundreds. ????

 

A couple are searching for a home to buy and come across a suitable house on a river bank with an amazing view. Wow! The price is good. The view is good, and the house is fairly close to our current work-place. Let's buy it.

 

However, in many areas, rivers tend to flood every few years. Since we now have an internet service which provides records of lots of historical events in the past, in numerous regions, a rational person would think, 'Before I make a decision, I'll check the historical record of flooding in this area where the house is located.' 

 

I'm sure the Buddha would also have advised that (if he were alive today), but unfortunately the desire for a nice view trumps rationality. The couple buy the home, and 3 years later it's totally destroyed by a massive flood that records show, has occurred, on average, every 20 years since records began, and that there have been even worse floods in the same area 50, 80 and a 100 years ago.

[kingstonkid]

On 4/14/2019 at 9:57 PM, Dumbastheycome said:

Because  you add  your apparent christian based  indoctrination re' Jesus and Virgin mothers in the  question  it is  not so easy  to  answer because it personifies  the  concept of god.

My personal perception of  God is  the  fact of  Existence as  we  experience it. 

So in that sense  alone I believe in God.

Religious  humbug and scientific attempts in explanation of remain insufficient to my understanding of apparent  physical reality based  in "somewhere."

So  yes I believe in God in terms  of  existence as  we live it. 

 

 

 

God is not a Christian belief.  Ifd you really study religion you will find that God has many names to many people 

 

The biggest misconception is that Muslims and Christians have different beliefs.  If yo study the Quran you can see that a lot of what is said is in some way the same as the bible.

 

Ramadan is a month of fasting and giving up vices

in Christianity we call this Lent.

 

Judaism also believes in God.

 

There is the fallacy of a divine creation and that we come from something in outer space or that we evolved from the apes.

 

The christian question then is who created the apes who created the land.  If you say it was created in space then who created space. 

 

All to say that someone or something did something.  Do I think there was a Jesus and Muhammad yes until someone can prove to me that there was not there is just too much imperical evidence that there was someone that upset the romans.

 

 

 

[Sunmaster]

21 minutes ago, VincentRJ said:

 Sorry! I can't agree. A lack of rationality is a fundamental cause of most of the problems and suffering so many people experience in this world. I'll quote just one example, although I could quote hundreds. ????

 

A couple are searching for a home to buy and come across a suitable house on a river bank with an amazing view. Wow! The price is good. The view is good, and the house is fairly close to our current work-place. Let's buy it.

 

However, in many areas, rivers tend to flood every few years. Since we now have an internet service which provides records of lots of historical events in the past, in numerous regions, a rational person would think, 'Before I make a decision, I'll check the historical record of flooding in this area where the house is located.' 

 

I'm sure the Buddha would also have advised that (if he were alive today), but unfortunately the desire for a nice view trumps rationality. The couple buy the home, and 3 years later it's totally destroyed by a massive flood that records show, has occurred, on average, every 20 years since records began, and that there have been even worse floods in the same area 50, 80 and a 100 years ago.

No reason to be sorry Vincent.

We are just talking about different things then.

What you classify as irrationality in your story is just another form of rationality. Meaning, they still use their mind to come to a decision of buying the house. Their reasons, whatever they may be, are still based on conscious thought and evaluation of their options. In this case it would be "the great view".

 

 I speak of irrationality as a non-rational state that is beyond the mind (not achieved by thinking). 

 

I doubt that the couple in your story would go to the house, start meditating, go into a non-rational state, and then buy the house because of that. ????

Edited February 25, 2023 by Sunmaster

[ignore it]

It fried for your sins.

[Thingamabob]

Some form of power created the multi-verse. Completely beyond our ability to comprehend who, what or why. God is as near as we can get.

 

 

 

[wolf81]

3 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

But... 

 

Nothing 

Zip 

Nada 

Some people (Deists for example) believe in a creator, but not necessarily in a personal God as in Christianity or many other religions. I am kinda in that camp after reading the book The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine.

 

I don't believe the universe was created by coincidence, but at the same time I am not really sure if a personal God exists. However, I am also not going to rule it out. 

 

Here's some interesting argumentation in favour of Intelligent Design: 

 

 

Edited February 25, 2023 by wolf81

[itsallmine68]

Nope

[ujayujay]

Ahem........

[VincentRJ]

1 hour ago, Sunmaster said:

No reason to be sorry Vincent.

We are just talking about different things then.

What you classify as irrationality in your story is just another form of rationality. Meaning, they still use their mind to come to a decision of buying the house. Their reasons, whatever they may be, are still based on conscious thought and evaluation of their options. In this case it would be "the great view".

 

 I speak of irrationality as a non-rational state that is beyond the mind (not achieved by thinking). 

 

I doubt that the couple in your story would go to the house, start meditating, go into a non-rational state, and then buy the house because of that. ????

Rational people would meditate, or fast, or eat a healthy diet, or exercise regularly, for a good reason. Most situations have both positive and negative attributes. For example, meditating, which can take up a lot of time, is essentially 'doing nothing'. If you've organized your affairs so you have the time to sit down doing nothing, for long periods, then that's fine.

 

The more rational you are, the more likely you are to discover and consider both the positive and negative attributes and compare their significance. The less rational you are, the more likely you will be attached to specific qualities which you like, or which give you pleasure, and ignore the other related issues which could have disastrous consequences in the future.

 

Buying a house with a great view, without considering the negative attributes, such as losing the house in the next flood, is irrational, unless you are very wealthy, and/or can afford the huge insurance premiums, and/or have a private helicopter which can safely remove you from any sudden flooding. But even then, where does the helicopter land? A wealthy person might not have a care in the world about losing the house, but if he's a rational person he should consider the safety of himself and his family.

 

"I speak of irrationality as a non-rational state that is beyond the mind (not achieved by thinking)."

 

It's not accurate to describe all mental processes as rational. If there are no mental thought processes going on, then there's neither rationality nor irrationality.

[hotchilli]

On 4/14/2019 at 9:25 PM, ivor bigun said:

Do you really believe in him or any of the other Gods ?

No.. it's bigger than a single person.

[Sunmaster]

2 minutes ago, VincentRJ said:

Rational people would meditate, or fast, or eat a healthy diet, or exercise regularly, for a good reason. Most situations have both positive and negative attributes. For example, meditating, which can take up a lot of time, is essentially 'doing nothing'. If you've organized your affairs so you have the time to sit down doing nothing, for long periods, then that's fine.

 

The more rational you are, the more likely you are to discover and consider both the positive and negative attributes and compare their significance. The less rational you are, the more likely you will be attached to specific qualities which you like, or which give you pleasure, and ignore the other related issues which could have disastrous consequences in the future.

 

Buying a house with a great view, without considering the negative attributes, such as losing the house in the next flood, is irrational, unless you are very wealthy, and/or can afford the huge insurance premiums, and/or have a private helicopter which can safely remove you from any sudden flooding. But even then, where does the helicopter land? A wealthy person might not have a care in the world about losing the house, but if he's a rational person he should consider the safety of himself and his family.

 

"I speak of irrationality as a non-rational state that is beyond the mind (not achieved by thinking)."

 

It's not accurate to describe all mental processes as rational. If there are no mental thought processes going on, then there's neither rationality nor irrationality.

In your example, if the prospective homebuyers would KNOW of the flood danger and still buy the house, THEN that would be lacking common sense or be irrational. If they don't know about it, their choices would still be dictated by rational thought.

 

I think you're afraid of what could lurk in the depths of the subconscious, which you seem to equate with the label "irrational". You think that "rational" brings order and understanding in the outer world. What you don't see yet however, is that the subconscious, the irrational (=that which goes beyond the rational) is subject to rules of a higher order. Not chaos and ignorance, but a reality that is more true and pure, because not distorted by the rational mind.

This is the reality that becomes apparent when using the inner senses, not the outer senses, not the rational mind.

 

[Sunmaster]

20 minutes ago, VincentRJ said:

It's not accurate to describe all mental processes as rational. If there are no mental thought processes going on, then there's neither rationality nor irrationality.

What happens when you don't think?

[gunner1]

I do believe in God.

Why? none of your business!

 

[ChrisKC]

If anyone still believes in a god(s) or creationism and at the same time you claim to be wise, you will need some evidence that you don't have.

This post appears to be very old - no need for another resurrection!

 

I won't be responding to any comments.

 

T

[Sunmaster]

29 minutes ago, VincentRJ said:

For example, meditating, which can take up a lot of time, is essentially 'doing nothing'. If you've organized your affairs so you have the time to sit down doing nothing, for long periods, then that's fine.

 

Meditation can take up as little as 20minutes a day. We spend a lot more time doing irrelevant and sometimes harmful things.

But you're right, my personal circumstances allow me to spend time meditating and educating myself instead of worrying where my next meal comes from. For that I'm very grateful. 

[NotReallyHere]

Intelligent design?  Why do men have nipples?

 

This thread was started in 2019.  Maybe this has already be mentioned by some of you hardcore followers.  Sorry for the duplication.  I only read the first few posts.  I don't expect to find any enlightenment by reading all 537 pages.

[Sunmaster]

6 minutes ago, NotReallyHere said:

Intelligent design?  Why do men have nipples?

 

This thread was started in 2019.  Maybe this has already be mentioned by some of you hardcore followers.  Sorry for the duplication.  I only read the first few posts.  I don't expect to find any enlightenment by reading all 537 pages.

No need to read the whole thread. A simple Google search will provide the answer.

 

Men have nipples because nipples develop in the womb before embryos become distinctly male or female. So by the time a Y chromosome kicks in to distinguish a fetus as male, the nipples have already secured their place.

[Red Forever]

On 4/14/2019 at 10:07 PM, quandow said:

THIS explains modern religion:

 

Brilliant summation quandow.

[Tom89]

See Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion.

[Hummin]

2 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

God is not a Christian belief.  Ifd you really study religion you will find that God has many names to many people 

 

The biggest misconception is that Muslims and Christians have different beliefs.  If yo study the Quran you can see that a lot of what is said is in some way the same as the bible.

 

Ramadan is a month of fasting and giving up vices

in Christianity we call this Lent.

 

Judaism also believes in God.

 

There is the fallacy of a divine creation and that we come from something in outer space or that we evolved from the apes.

 

The christian question then is who created the apes who created the land.  If you say it was created in space then who created space. 

 

All to say that someone or something did something.  Do I think there was a Jesus and Muhammad yes until someone can prove to me that there was not there is just too much imperical evidence that there was someone that upset the romans.

 

 

 

Good read

 

Judaism is the root of Christianity and also Islam, Judaism emerged from the beliefs and practices of the people known as “Israel”. What is considered classical, or rabbinical, Judaism did not emerge until the 1st century CE. Judaism traces its origins to the covenant God made with Abraham and his lineage—that God would make them a sacred people and give them a land

 

Modern Judaism evolved from Yahwism, the religion of ancient Israel and Judah, by the late 6th century BCE,[5] and is thus considered to be one of the oldest monotheistic religions.[6][7] Judaism is considered by religious Jews to be the expression of the covenant that God established with the Israelites, their ancestors.[8

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaism#:~:text=Modern Judaism evolved from Yahwism,with the Israelites%2C their ancestors.

 

The Earliest Religions

The earliest known religious traditions in what is modern Israel were animism and ancestor worship based on a polytheistic pantheon of gods and spirits. At the time, polytheism was the norm, with the notable exception of Zoroastrianism in Persia which began as early as 4,000 BCE. In 1,372 BCE, the Pharaoh Akhenaten of Egypt changed the Egyptian religion from polytheism to monotheism, but it reverted back after his death. The Israeli religion was thus the second monotheistic religion in the region, as Abraham lived circa 2,167 BCE.

 

https://study.com/academy/lesson/israel-religion-history-facts.html#

 

And you also have the religion of Israel 

[crazykopite]

Yes I believe in God although I know I have sinned meany times . I don’t go to church this is due to my being forced to during my early days when I enlisted in the military, having said that in recent months I’ve attended my local temple due to friends cremations one day I will be attending my own to go up in a big cloud of smoke  I hope it’s not for a few more years when the good man upstairs decides to call me home  ????????Amen????????

[RocketDog]

On 4/14/2019 at 10:33 PM, mauGR1 said:

That's because your education on the subject is severely lacking.

Try watching nature, it will give you answers.

How can one be educated by assumptions and speculation?

 

There are no facts whatsoever concerning any kind of diety.

 

The primary requirement of all religions is belief, that is, accepting something as truth without even the slightest shred of evidence. This is also called gullibility.

 

It's all just wishful thinking.

Humans excel at deceiving themselves and others; it's our super power.

[NotReallyHere]

56 minutes ago, Sunmaster said:

No need to read the whole thread. A simple Google search will provide the answer.

 

Men have nipples because nipples develop in the womb before embryos become distinctly male or female. So by the time a Y chromosome kicks in to distinguish a fetus as male, the nipples have already secured their place.

That isn't an explanation of "intelligent design".  It's just an explanation of what occurs.

 

"Intelligent" design would have eliminated redundant physiological body parts regardless of when they occurred in our embryonic development.

 

Men can get breast cancer (ductal carcinoma).  No breasts, no cancer.  Sounds like an intelligent design.

 

Aside:  Very strange that you would choose Spock for your profile picture.  Unless it's meant mockingly.

 

 

Edited February 25, 2023 by NotReallyHere
typos, word choice, foolishly relying on spellcheck to catch all my mistakes.

[Sunmaster]

11 minutes ago, NotReallyHere said:

That isn't an explanation of "intelligent design".  It's just an explanation of what occurs.

 

It wasn't meant to be an explanation of intelligent design. You asked a question  about male nipples, as if that would disprove intelligent design. I simply answered that. 

 

 

 

[NotReallyHere]

8 minutes ago, Sunmaster said:

It wasn't meant to be an explanation of intelligent design. You asked a question  about male nipples, as if that would disprove intelligent design. I simply answered that. 

 

 

 

In my opinion, it does disprove intelligent design.

 

What's your definition of "intelligent design".

 

You'll probably just google it.  Surely someone has tweaked the definition of intelligent design to allow for all the faults in human design.

 

 

Edited February 25, 2023 by NotReallyHere

[Sunmaster]

12 minutes ago, NotReallyHere said:

In my opinion, it does disprove intelligent design.

 

What's your definition of "intelligent design".

 

You'll probably just google it.  Surely someone has tweaked the definition of intelligent design to allow for all the faults in human design.

No need to google it. I will define it the way I understand it.

For me, intelligent design doesn't mean that the world we live in ought to be perfect, although in a way it is perfect. With all of its imperfections,  it is the perfect environment for the tasks and lessons we set out to receive. 

This is true for me. Others may not see it that way and that's fine too.