Do you believe in God?

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Do you believe in God?

yes
64
66%
no
33
34%
 
Total votes: 97

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trey_phish83
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Do you believe in God?

Post by trey_phish83 »

quite the heated debate on my facebook right now.
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Libertarian_Geek
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by Libertarian_Geek »

I believe in God. But for all I know, the we're just a figment of his imagination.
I also believe evolution. (Sounds like a contradiction, I know.)
I don't believe in astrology, big-foot, ghosts, space-alien encounters, (though I do believe in the possibility of intelligent life outside of Earth).
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by misfit762 »

I do believe in God. I'm not sure that God is what I was taught in Sunday school, though.
I do believe in evolution as well. I don't think that its so one or the other. Why couldn't God use evolution?
I don't believe in Big Foot. I'm not sure about ghosts. I do believe there is other life in the universe, but I'm not so sure about visitors.
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Hush
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by Hush »

Sure, why not believe, what do you have to lose? If I say no. I don't believe in him the time will come when I die and he'll say no, I don't believe in you either, take a hike.
Now most people say there is no God, if there's a God why doesn't he help us, I say he's on vacation, we have to learn to help ourselves, free will and what goes with it, we make our choices and live with the consequences or rewards of the choices we make.
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jupiterdraft
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by jupiterdraft »

Any particular god you would have us believe in?

A wise man once said, "better to be a theist and be wrong than be an atheist and be wrong"
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by JustAnotherName »

Hush wrote:Sure, why not believe, what do you have to lose? If I say no. I don't believe in him the time will come when I die and he'll say no
jupiterdraft wrote:Any particular god you would have us believe in?

A wise man once said, "better to be a theist and be wrong than be an atheist and be wrong"
Pascal's Wager.

No I don't believe in god, I'm an Atheist. Science will never and can never, disprove the exist of god. Nor will religion or the bible itself, prove the exist of god.
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Hush
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by Hush »

"There can be only one!" :mrgreen:

Remember he said "Thou shall have no other God's before me". (in a thunderous voice.)
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by warjunky1428 »

I believe in the existence of the power called "god" by religion.
I'm agnostic.
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by Hush »

I've heard it said that God can be looked upon as a good, positive force while the Devil or evil as a negative force.
I say be happy and believe in whatever you want to, I have no intentions of pushing whatever I believe onto anyone else and I can't stand people who do this and I don't want others to try pushing their believes onto me.
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by Libertarian_Geek »

Hush wrote:I've heard it said that God can be looked upon as a good, positive force while the Devil or evil as a negative force.
I say be happy and believe in whatever you want to, I have no intentions of pushing whatever I believe onto anyone else and I can't stand people who do this and I don't want others to try pushing their believes onto me.
Ditto.

As far as the God/Devil scenario. I tend to view God as all. Meaning the whole multiverse (if you subscribe to various physics theories, "universe" if you don't). My little joke about us possibly being a figment of God's imagination isn't too different from what I actually believe.

The "devil" is more of a abstract concept that's more misinterpreted than it is defined. In order for faith to have a purpose and free-will to have any significance, the option to do wrong has to exist. Basically, when he gave("gave"/"we took" that's another discussion) us free-will it came with it the ability to sin. We got good and evil (not unlike various eastern religions with a strong focus on balance and symmetry). Up/Down, Left/Right, Heaven/Hell, Coke/Pepsi, electron/positron.

However, this option of "doing wrong" doesn't stick too well with the church (humans in general). It must be someone's fault, right? It's not my fault. It's not our fault, we're the church. It's not your fault because we want you to follow us. It's the boogie man's fault. So it eventually got wrapped into the concept of the devil and dramatized by artists and writers over time (not to mention politicized for personal gain by so-called "holy men".) The devil that most people think of is "conjured" up more from literature than the descriptions in the bible. I doubt that many churches teach this way because modern churches are a popularity contest at best(I oversimplify here). Don't like one church, go to one that tells you what you want to hear. Nah, I don't play that game.

My political views tend to mesh well with my religious views. Live and let live. I set my bearings on basic rights of the individual and my spirituality tends to match. I have my own relationship w/ God that doesn't need a man, his building or his coffer.
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by Hush »

Libertarian_Geek, I liked your post and found parts of it amusing.

I wonder if anyone ever took a poll to see how many religious/church leaders actually believe in God?

I'd say you have a healthy or balanced outlook on the subject, don't let anyone try to change that. :)
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by doubloon »

Undecided.

You can't prove he doesn't exist and I have no proof he does.

I believe in things that have proofs.
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by bikefreek »

doubloon wrote:Undecided.

You can't prove he doesn't exist and I have no proof he does.

I believe in things that have proofs.
...well there is proof that christianity as well as most other religions are a rehash of other previous religions....speaking of past religions, Im sure most of the people that followed them were pretty sure they were right...
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Selectedmarksman
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by Selectedmarksman »

trey_phish83 wrote:quite the heated debate on my facebook right now.
This isn't very specific. Which 'God'? Are you only allowed to believe in one?
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libertyman777
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by libertyman777 »

You know in this day and time, I'm probably in the minority.

I believe in God and that he manifested himself in human form in the person of Jesus Christ, that he was without sin and gave his life as a ransom for all who will accept it as payment for their sins. And that belief on him, which amounts to trusting in, adhering to and relying upon Him, is the only way to heaven and eternal life.

It stands alone among religions, God dying for this people and then rising from the dead. There is no greater love, than a man lay down his life for his friends.

I know many find fault in this and I admit there are problems. But the corruption sometimes found in Christianity lies at the feet of fallen men, not in the redemption of a Holy God.

If you're looking for a reason not to believe, then you will find one. If you don't care or are indifferent then ask Him to show Himself to you. He will.

It doesn't matter if you do not believe in God. That does not stop Him from believing in you.

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Selectedmarksman
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by Selectedmarksman »

I wouldn't go so far as to say that it stands alone because of that.

Off the top of my head, consider Persephone. Supposedly she doesn't just die once, but descends into Hades for several months every year, during which no plants could thrive (winter). Spending 1/4 to 1/2 the year in Hell for eternity is a bit heavier than 3 days on a cross for a god/goddess.

Then there is Prometheus, who felt man was unjustly denied fire, gave man that knowledge and power. His punishment was to be forever chained to a rock and eaten alive by scavenging birds each day as his immortal body would regenerate each night.

And that's just two I remember from school.

As to the 'you have nothing to lose' argument for believing in a diety. Let us say that diety exists. You die, and face that diety. It knows that you only believed in it for fear of the alternative. Do you think it would find that flattering, or in any way equivalent to actual, positive faith? If I were that diety, I would sooner let a sincere non-believe into paradise than admit those who wanted to hedge their bets.
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by Libertarian_Geek »

Hush wrote:Libertarian_Geek, I liked your post and found parts of it amusing.

I wonder if anyone ever took a poll to see how many religious/church leaders actually believe in God?

I'd say you have a healthy or balanced outlook on the subject, don't let anyone try to change that. :)
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by ThePatriot »

I don't, but I have no problem with people taht do. That being said, organized religion is a joke.
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by trey_phish83 »

Hush wrote:I've heard it said that God can be looked upon as a good, positive force while the Devil or evil as a negative force.
that reminds me, have you ever read 'the present darkness'?
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by JustAnotherName »

doubloon wrote:Undecided.

You can't prove he doesn't exist and I have no proof he does.

I believe in things that have proofs.
You can't prove god's existence because god's existence can't be tested in the realm of science.

Believing in something without proof is called faith. I'm not a fan that, and I live life OK without believing in god.

Keep in mind that sometimes you don't need proof or validation to believe in something that exist. For example, you could tell me right now that you are happy, but how will I know you are not lying? Can you prove to me how you are feeling? Can anybody validate your feelings? No.
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continuity
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by continuity »

Cripes, even Satan believes in God.
What amount of a man is composed of his own collection of experiences... and the conclusions that those experiences have allowed him to "know" for certain as "Truth"? :Ick
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by jdj »

Do you believe in Thor? How about Zeus, Bael, Vishnu, Waheguru, Tenri-O-no-Mikoto, Achiyalabopa, Ahone, Aiomun-Kondi, Antu, Awonawilona...?

No? Now you understand why I don't believe in your god.
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by Selectedmarksman »

I'm glad jdj returned to the fundamental assumption made by the OP and most posters. The question "Do you believe in God" is insufficiently specific to be meaningful.

I would take this one step further to say, if you believe in the "Christian" God then which version of this Christian God. Does he/she/it/they operate as Catholics portray? How about Mormons? One of the various and diverse flavors of Southern Baptist? Greek Orthodox? Methodists? Quakers?

So, then, if you answered 'yes' how would you characterize the Deity in which you believe?
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by libertyman777 »

Selectedmarksman wrote:I'm glad jdj returned to the fundamental assumption made by the OP and most posters. The question "Do you believe in God" is insufficiently specific to be meaningful.

I would take this one step further to say, if you believe in the "Christian" God then which version of this Christian God. Does he/she/it/they operate as Catholics portray? How about Mormons? One of the various and diverse flavors of Southern Baptist? Greek Orthodox? Methodists? Quakers?

So, then, if you answered 'yes' how would you characterize the Deity in which you believe?

This statement speaks for itself.
libertyman777 wrote:
I know many find fault in this and I admit there are problems. But the corruption sometimes found in Christianity lies at the feet of fallen men, not in the redemption of a Holy God.
As does this:
libertyman777 wrote: If you're looking for a reason not to believe, then you will find one.
I'm not spoiling for a fight. And I apologize for no Christian Religion. I'm just silly enough to take God at his word, that's all.

"The fool hath said in his heart that there is no God." Psalm 14:1

The beauty of America is the right to believe or not believe how one wants to. I cast no stone nor do I judge. Jesus did the dying and He does the saving. Many people make the mistake of viewing this through the kaleidoscope of organized religion. Just read the Bible and let Him speak to you. The Gospel of John is a great place to start.
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Selectedmarksman
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Re: Do you believe in God?

Post by Selectedmarksman »

I appreciate the civil response and the explanation for your outlook. Even though I am not a believer in the Christian God I've attended Bible Study sessions, Mass, and other services out of both personal interest and to offer that opportunity for 'Him' to speak to me. The existence of a deity would be pretty cool, actually, so I'm open to being proven wrong.

There are other religions that are very interesting, too.

May The Force be with you, always.

And for you unbelievers, I find your lack of faith... disturbing.
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