The God Thread

Well, I want this thread to be all about God. Do you believe in Him, or don't you? Do you believe His word is true, and that when you die you will see Him in the afterlife? Or is all of that just a big lie?

One thing is for certain, the man who wrote the Bible was either one 'hell' (pun intended) of a storyteller, or he was witness either firsthand or to people who have seen the benevolent acts of God and had reason to believe He exists.

Personally, I am in a neutral state. The more logical and mature my mind becomes, the more I start to sway towards an atheist approach. But I am sure atheism will never be the title of the religion I will someday choose, because it seems like a pointless one. After all, how can a religion be created just because something DOESN'T exist? Upon reading Buddhist beliefs, I have to say that is one of the most "utopical" (if that is not a word than I claim rights to it) approaches to religion I have heard, and I would be satisfied to have that as the true religion. Then again, what Patrish said in a different forum about his friend dying and seeing the afterlife was very powerful to me personally. I want to believe in God so much, but I do not want to die a foolish and ignorant man who believed in something that was never fulfilled. In fact, I'm sure if I was alive to think so, I would feel cheated if there was no God I set my beliefs to.

So what do you guys think about the different religions, and about God for the most part. Also note, if you believe in a different theory yet believe in a single Creator, it's basically the same idea and would still be very much on topic.

I believe in God!!! Without him I wouldnt be here today. He has got me through alot

I totaly see were you get confused with religion but, it is a test. I did to, I started thinking its easy to say I believe and leave it at that because I had so many questions. Im still confused today but, that is why I walk by faith and not by sight!! I use to think of Noah and everyone as storie book charecters. Just believe and you will be fine.

You see, people like you are the reason I want to believe there is a God. Not to mention the old theory that x million people can't be wrong.... I just want to give all beliefs a chance until I committ to one. If the creator takes my life before that time, then I will feel a little cheated but with no regrets nevertheless.

How can you not believe in Jesus, he walked on water, turned water into wine. Sooo many things he did, healed the blind. You will also feel peace by by believeng and loving!

wow. a thread devoted to me. go me.

but seriously. i don't believe in any conventional god. the god i believe in is more of a spiritual force type thing. sorta like that deer-type thing in "Princess Mononoke." anyone seen that? kickass movie. i admit i have a bias against religion. look at Greek mythology. we all know that it's fake stuff, right? but back then they believed in it. religion for them was their rudimentary "science." it was their security blanket. they didn't know what caused lightning, so hey. must be Zeus. same with modern religion. people like to hope. they like to believe that, if they do nothing wrong in life, then they will be treated kindly. sorry, folks. good people burn as easily as bad people. death is indiscriminate.

what i dislike most about religions (most of them) is that they teach bad values. take the ever popular Christianity for example. anti-semitic messages (despite christ himself being jewish), sexist messages...if i ever were to meet a handicapped homosexual christian jewish woman, i would ask her why she believes.

i also have big beef with the Roman Catholic Inquisition. religious conflicts...i respect it for its modern intent--to give hope to people--but i think civilization would have been better off without religion.

think for yourself and be your own god.


ponder this, a riddle from Epicurus:

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?

Suppose you woke up one morning to find that the Aztecs or the Mayans had somehow come back to life and established themselves as a nation. What if they won a succession of wars against impossible odds? And suppose they became one of the greatest military powers on earth. That would be a remarkable thing. Yet in my lifetime I have seen something no less miraculous with the rebirth of the state of Israel.

In the Bible God promises to bring the Jews back into their land in "the last days." This tiny nation, virtually ressurrected from the dead is difficult to explain without some divine power at work. And they were winning wars before they got any help from the U.S. Some invisible force seems determined to keep the Jews alive.

On the other hand, look at the holocaust. Such hatred of Jews defies any logical explanation. Does this not suggest that another invisible force is equally determined to destroy them?

No one has more trouble believing in God than I do, but these are questions which must be addressed before we can dismiss the possibility of His existence. I hope these thoughts of mine will help you in your search for truth.

how would you explain the eradication of the Taino indians by christopher columbus? what about the others other civilizations that have gone the way of the milkman? if you're saying that god chose to give a hand to those of jewish faith, than i would say he's playing favorites. that's not someone i would worship.

if he did indeed create all of mother nature's creatures, i think he should love them all equally and not favor one over the other. why would he allow such violence to take place? surely he must believe that it's a sin and is wrong. and he should agree that those guilty of such crimes are punished, rather than revered, but instead of scoffing at his name, most of the US celebrates Columbus' birth every year.

God is more than we can know - whatever you believe will do just fine.

God's word could not fit in a book or given a specific language.

how would you explain the eradication of the Tiano indians by christopher columbus? what about the others other civilizations that have gone the way of the milkman?
I don't know if I should get into this because it doesn't fit the intent of the thread and because I agree with spirit of statement but just to set the record strait,I think I will send this statement to a quarter-blood Tiano Indian friend.
To answer one of your questions I will give you the same answer that I gave him: They used 'the Robe for a Cloak'. In No Way, Shape or Form did Jesus ever imply that the 'Great Commission' as justification for Lying, Deceiving, Stealing, nor Murdering anyone. It is NOT part of the Way, nor the Truth, nor the Life that but in man's Waywardness has promoted this Lie. Jesus did not teach the Justification of Sin but the forgiveness upon repentence of such sins.
Ponder this, Free- Will, if man could create crude (artifical) intelligent robots to do man will . . . could GOD create advance intelligent beings to do GOD's will? Instead he created life.
IM conversation:Raven<<<<<<< Half......actually. (Tiano)
Ok , , , I stand corrected on both accounts! His Statement was that Christopher had done these . . . when he lost his life in the exploration. On the other hand I never stated nor implied that Christopher was a Christian nor do I know that he wasn't? My statement imples that those who do such things do not seek to do GOD's will and even if they claim to be Christian with the mouthing of words, their actions nullify their words, ie. they are not Christian.

cturtle

U might have missunderstood a post. Columbus was evil - no doubt about that.

TheTruth : Seeking to understand the true nature of existence has always challenged mankind. Children seeking to know ask the adult, who is needs to give an answer. Misfortune of youth that all to often the answer lacked forthought and insight into the nature of the world. One of the best quality of Traditions that they should teach, myths and lore were not meant to explain existence but to teach social values giving a better standing within those societies.

I never believed in god. Sure you can claim that "we're ignorant and therefore we can only have faith in God to find answers"
But then how do you choose which god to turn to? They all demand the same amount of faith. A jewish god, islamic or christian god? How do you choose?

I believe in whatever cturtle said - don't know what it was, but it sure sounds good

Einstein was brilliant. A few of his sayings:

"A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space."

"We experience ouselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us."

I say, why choose a god. Just put your faith in Whatever, and you will soon discover that you have faith in the same god the rest of us do. Whatever that is.