Is There a God? Or Gods?

[Meriweather]

Yet he is willing to let you suffer for eternity if he doesn't bother to make himself known to you.

No.

 

[BULLDOG]

Yes, I believe in God. Experience childbirth, then tell me miracles do not happen. Give thanks and pray for safety and wisdom. You know how awesome God is? He loved me before I loved Him.

Yet he is willing to let you suffer for eternity if he doesn't bother to make himself known to you.

Haven't you suffered but learned something in the meantime? How can we have empathy if we don't experience disappointments ourselves. Those who suffere for eternity had the opportunity to have a relationship with God.

I also believe in reincarnation. God is so merciful he gives many another chance.

How did anyone have a chance if they were never given a logical reason to believe in God? Of course religious folks had mentioned God to them at one time or the other, but Buddhists, or Hindus, or any one of the others did too. All claiming that their way is the right way. Since your God never bothered to make himself known to the guy as the real God, how can anyone he be fairly judged to be worthy of eternal torture? I've asked that question in that form or close too it a lot of times. Nobody has answered it yet.

 

[IsaacNewton]

'Gods' were invented by humans who were constantly killed by fire, flood, earthquakes, lightning, famine, and all the other natural phenomena that exist on Earth. The earliest deities were gods of the corn, or the wheat, of the woods, of the sky, the night, the sun. When you are in your hut one minute and the next you are at the front end of a huge mudslide being pushed down the hillside it is easy to see why early humans that had acquired some ability to reason would think there was some 'being' more powerful than themselves doing this that they could not control and that killed them at it's whim.

The middle man 'gods' were created so humans could feel like they COULD influence these powers that were beyond their own. Throw a virgin into the volcano, the earthquake god was appeased and wouldn't kill half the village. Offer 10% of the harvest to a corn god and that would 'guarantee' a good harvest next year. this was an early way of humans trying to influence or control what perils the god would bestow upon them.

This evolved over millennia until the current monotheistic 'gods' were created. All the old attempts to influence the higher being that could kill you are still there. The sacrifice of a scapegoat (Jesus) to assuage the anger of the god. Praying (to all of them) to keep the bad stuff from happening. A list of rules 'given by the god' that if followed keeps you from pain and death.

There is no proof of supernatural anything to this point. None. If tomorrow Jesus shows up and raises the dead then I'll be on board immediately. But even people that claim to be 'true believers' don't believe that will happen.

I spilled a soda on my computer keyboard and I'd be happy as hell if a god would magically clean my keyboard. No such luck, 6-7 of the keys stick now and I have to choose between buying a new one or removing keys and cleaning them. I'm betting thousands of people though prayed to cure their cancer that died this week so I will deal with the keyboard debacle on my own.

 

[Spare_change]

Yes, I believe in God. Experience childbirth, then tell me miracles do not happen. Give thanks and pray for safety and wisdom. You know how awesome God is? He loved me before I loved Him.

Yet he is willing to let you suffer for eternity if he doesn't bother to make himself known to you.

You got that wrong ....

" ... if you don't acknowledge His existence."

 

[Spare_change]

Yes, I believe in God. Experience childbirth, then tell me miracles do not happen. Give thanks and pray for safety and wisdom. You know how awesome God is? He loved me before I loved Him.

Yet he is willing to let you suffer for eternity if he doesn't bother to make himself known to you.

Haven't you suffered but learned something in the meantime? How can we have empathy if we don't experience disappointments ourselves. Those who suffere for eternity had the opportunity to have a relationship with God.

I also believe in reincarnation. God is so merciful he gives many another chance.

How did anyone have a chance if they were never given a logical reason to believe in God? Of course religious folks had mentioned God to them at one time or the other, but Buddhists, or Hindus, or any one of the others did too. All claiming that their way is the right way. Since your God never bothered to make himself known to the guy as the real God, how can anyone he be fairly judged to be worthy of eternal torture? I've asked that question in that form or close too it a lot of times. Nobody has answered it yet.

Why is it necessary that you be given logic reason? Why does He have to come to you?

Why don't you go to Him? Why don't you find out?

Sounds pretty damn selfish to me.

 

[BULLDOG]

Yet he is willing to let you suffer for eternity if he doesn't bother to make himself known to you

He has. You reject Him

When?

 

[BULLDOG]

Yes, I believe in God. Experience childbirth, then tell me miracles do not happen. Give thanks and pray for safety and wisdom. You know how awesome God is? He loved me before I loved Him.

Yet he is willing to let you suffer for eternity if he doesn't bother to make himself known to you.

We are never to think of God's power in terms of what he could conceivably do by the exercise of what we may call sheer omnipotence which crushes all obstacles in its path. We are always to think of God's power in terms of his purpose. If what he did by sheer omnipotence defeated his purpose, then, however startling and impressive, it would be an expression of weakness, not of power. Indeed, a good definition of power is "ability to achieve purpose. Does it fulfill its purpose?

God's power is not put forward to get certain things done, but to get them done in a certain way, and with certain results in the lives of those who do them. Action which defeats purpose is weakness. Power is the ability to fulfill purpose. No one knows what it cost God to refrain from intervention.

“Religion’s Answer to the Problem of Evil”

Got it. We are required to pick the right God out of a lineup of all the religions with no way to tell one from the other, or which one might be the right one. No hints. The wrong choice means eternal torture. That doesn't sound like the loving and forgiving God that so many Christians brag about.

 

[BreezeWood]

Is there a God? Or Gods?

or god's ...

as surly as a freed spirit is admitted into the Everlasting there are among them those that would become god's and of those there would be an Almighty ... and hopefully something better than an elected leader with deep pockets. as it is, the metaphysical axioms lean to the better so whoever they might be at least the better side prevails, if only precipitately.

 

[ding]

Yes, I believe in God. Experience childbirth, then tell me miracles do not happen. Give thanks and pray for safety and wisdom. You know how awesome God is? He loved me before I loved Him.

Yet he is willing to let you suffer for eternity if he doesn't bother to make himself known to you.

We are never to think of God's power in terms of what he could conceivably do by the exercise of what we may call sheer omnipotence which crushes all obstacles in its path. We are always to think of God's power in terms of his purpose. If what he did by sheer omnipotence defeated his purpose, then, however startling and impressive, it would be an expression of weakness, not of power. Indeed, a good definition of power is "ability to achieve purpose. Does it fulfill its purpose?

God's power is not put forward to get certain things done, but to get them done in a certain way, and with certain results in the lives of those who do them. Action which defeats purpose is weakness. Power is the ability to fulfill purpose. No one knows what it cost God to refrain from intervention.

“Religion’s Answer to the Problem of Evil”

Got it. We are required to pick the right God out of a lineup of all the religions with no way to tell one from the other, or which one might be the right one. No hints. The wrong choice means eternal torture. That doesn't sound like the loving and forgiving God that so many Christians brag about.

There is only one. He doesn't care what you call him. You can't miss him.

 

[Meriweather]

How did anyone have a chance if they were never given a logical reason to believe in God?

Some of us didn't wait for a logical reason. We heard about God and set out to find Him.

 

[BULLDOG]

Yes, I believe in God. Experience childbirth, then tell me miracles do not happen. Give thanks and pray for safety and wisdom. You know how awesome God is? He loved me before I loved Him.

Yet he is willing to let you suffer for eternity if he doesn't bother to make himself known to you.

Haven't you suffered but learned something in the meantime? How can we have empathy if we don't experience disappointments ourselves. Those who suffere for eternity had the opportunity to have a relationship with God.

I also believe in reincarnation. God is so merciful he gives many another chance.

How did anyone have a chance if they were never given a logical reason to believe in God? Of course religious folks had mentioned God to them at one time or the other, but Buddhists, or Hindus, or any one of the others did too. All claiming that their way is the right way. Since your God never bothered to make himself known to the guy as the real God, how can anyone he be fairly judged to be worthy of eternal torture? I've asked that question in that form or close too it a lot of times. Nobody has answered it yet.

Why is it necessary that you be given logic reason? Why does He have to come to you?

Why don't you go to Him? Why don't you find out?

Sounds pretty damn selfish to me.

Go to him? Why? Without some logical reason, how can anybody know which God is the right God? Followers of every religion will tell you that they are the right one. They can't all be right, and closing your eyes and randomly pointing at the crowd of Gods to choose who you will dedicate yourself to, while hoping you made the right choice seems pretty dumb to me. Picking a God should have better odds than picking the right curtain on Lets Make A Deal. .

 

[BreezeWood]

Yes, I believe in God. Experience childbirth, then tell me miracles do not happen. Give thanks and pray for safety and wisdom. You know how awesome God is? He loved me before I loved Him.

Yet he is willing to let you suffer for eternity if he doesn't bother to make himself known to you.

Haven't you suffered but learned something in the meantime? How can we have empathy if we don't experience disappointments ourselves. Those who suffere for eternity had the opportunity to have a relationship with God.

I also believe in reincarnation. God is so merciful he gives many another chance.

How did anyone have a chance if they were never given a logical reason to believe in God? Of course religious folks had mentioned God to them at one time or the other, but Buddhists, or Hindus, or any one of the others did too. All claiming that their way is the right way. Since your God never bothered to make himself known to the guy as the real God, how can anyone he be fairly judged to be worthy of eternal torture? I've asked that question in that form or close too it a lot of times. Nobody has answered it yet.

Why is it necessary that you be given logic reason? Why does He have to come to you?

Why don't you go to Him? Why don't you find out?

Sounds pretty damn selfish to me.

Go to him? Why? Without some logical reason, how can anybody know which God is the right God? Followers of every religion will tell you that they are the right one. They can't all be right, and closing your eyes and randomly pointing at the crowd of Gods to choose who you will dedicate yourself to, while hoping you made the right choice seems pretty dumb to me. Picking a God should have better odds than picking the right curtain on Lets Make A Deal. .

.

Picking a God should have better odds than picking the right curtain on Lets Make A Deal. .

you've got it all wrong, the goal is admission however it is accomplished, a freed spirit and those there letting you in.

 

[BULLDOG]

Yes, I believe in God. Experience childbirth, then tell me miracles do not happen. Give thanks and pray for safety and wisdom. You know how awesome God is? He loved me before I loved Him.

Yet he is willing to let you suffer for eternity if he doesn't bother to make himself known to you.

We are never to think of God's power in terms of what he could conceivably do by the exercise of what we may call sheer omnipotence which crushes all obstacles in its path. We are always to think of God's power in terms of his purpose. If what he did by sheer omnipotence defeated his purpose, then, however startling and impressive, it would be an expression of weakness, not of power. Indeed, a good definition of power is "ability to achieve purpose. Does it fulfill its purpose?

God's power is not put forward to get certain things done, but to get them done in a certain way, and with certain results in the lives of those who do them. Action which defeats purpose is weakness. Power is the ability to fulfill purpose. No one knows what it cost God to refrain from intervention.

“Religion’s Answer to the Problem of Evil”

Got it. We are required to pick the right God out of a lineup of all the religions with no way to tell one from the other, or which one might be the right one. No hints. The wrong choice means eternal torture. That doesn't sound like the loving and forgiving God that so many Christians brag about.

There is only one. He doesn't care what you call him. You can't miss him.

Really? What makes him look any different than any of the other Gods? He seems to make great efforts to remain anonymous.

 

[Damaged Eagle]

Science uses the word - proof, Religion - Faith. The existence or absence of God is unprovable. In God one can only believe or not believe, but the concept of "believing" for science is unacceptable, therefore, the question of God can not be solved by scientific methods

Wouldn't that depend on what a person believes about God?

*****SMILE*****

 

[gtopa1]

Yes.

Greg

 

[Spare_change]

Yes, I believe in God. Experience childbirth, then tell me miracles do not happen. Give thanks and pray for safety and wisdom. You know how awesome God is? He loved me before I loved Him.

Yet he is willing to let you suffer for eternity if he doesn't bother to make himself known to you.

Haven't you suffered but learned something in the meantime? How can we have empathy if we don't experience disappointments ourselves. Those who suffere for eternity had the opportunity to have a relationship with God.

I also believe in reincarnation. God is so merciful he gives many another chance.

How did anyone have a chance if they were never given a logical reason to believe in God? Of course religious folks had mentioned God to them at one time or the other, but Buddhists, or Hindus, or any one of the others did too. All claiming that their way is the right way. Since your God never bothered to make himself known to the guy as the real God, how can anyone he be fairly judged to be worthy of eternal torture? I've asked that question in that form or close too it a lot of times. Nobody has answered it yet.

Why is it necessary that you be given logic reason? Why does He have to come to you?

Why don't you go to Him? Why don't you find out?

Sounds pretty damn selfish to me.

Go to him? Why? Without some logical reason, how can anybody know which God is the right God? Followers of every religion will tell you that they are the right one. They can't all be right, and closing your eyes and randomly pointing at the crowd of Gods to choose who you will dedicate yourself to, while hoping you made the right choice seems pretty dumb to me. Picking a God should have better odds than picking the right curtain on Lets Make A Deal. .

Actually, maybe they all CAN be right ....

 

[ding]

Yes, I believe in God. Experience childbirth, then tell me miracles do not happen. Give thanks and pray for safety and wisdom. You know how awesome God is? He loved me before I loved Him.

Yet he is willing to let you suffer for eternity if he doesn't bother to make himself known to you.

We are never to think of God's power in terms of what he could conceivably do by the exercise of what we may call sheer omnipotence which crushes all obstacles in its path. We are always to think of God's power in terms of his purpose. If what he did by sheer omnipotence defeated his purpose, then, however startling and impressive, it would be an expression of weakness, not of power. Indeed, a good definition of power is "ability to achieve purpose. Does it fulfill its purpose?

God's power is not put forward to get certain things done, but to get them done in a certain way, and with certain results in the lives of those who do them. Action which defeats purpose is weakness. Power is the ability to fulfill purpose. No one knows what it cost God to refrain from intervention.

“Religion’s Answer to the Problem of Evil”

Got it. We are required to pick the right God out of a lineup of all the religions with no way to tell one from the other, or which one might be the right one. No hints. The wrong choice means eternal torture. That doesn't sound like the loving and forgiving God that so many Christians brag about.

There is only one. He doesn't care what you call him. You can't miss him.

Really? What makes him look any different than any of the other Gods? He seems to make great efforts to remain anonymous.

I don't believe it matters how you see God. See him whatever way works best for you.

You are just throwing up excuses.

 

[BULLDOG]

Yet he is willing to let you suffer for eternity if he doesn't bother to make himself known to you.

Haven't you suffered but learned something in the meantime? How can we have empathy if we don't experience disappointments ourselves. Those who suffere for eternity had the opportunity to have a relationship with God.

I also believe in reincarnation. God is so merciful he gives many another chance.

How did anyone have a chance if they were never given a logical reason to believe in God? Of course religious folks had mentioned God to them at one time or the other, but Buddhists, or Hindus, or any one of the others did too. All claiming that their way is the right way. Since your God never bothered to make himself known to the guy as the real God, how can anyone he be fairly judged to be worthy of eternal torture? I've asked that question in that form or close too it a lot of times. Nobody has answered it yet.

Why is it necessary that you be given logic reason? Why does He have to come to you?

Why don't you go to Him? Why don't you find out?

Sounds pretty damn selfish to me.

Go to him? Why? Without some logical reason, how can anybody know which God is the right God? Followers of every religion will tell you that they are the right one. They can't all be right, and closing your eyes and randomly pointing at the crowd of Gods to choose who you will dedicate yourself to, while hoping you made the right choice seems pretty dumb to me. Picking a God should have better odds than picking the right curtain on Lets Make A Deal. .

Actually, maybe they all CAN be right ....

Not according to every Christian I've ever known.

 

[BULLDOG]

Yet he is willing to let you suffer for eternity if he doesn't bother to make himself known to you.

We are never to think of God's power in terms of what he could conceivably do by the exercise of what we may call sheer omnipotence which crushes all obstacles in its path. We are always to think of God's power in terms of his purpose. If what he did by sheer omnipotence defeated his purpose, then, however startling and impressive, it would be an expression of weakness, not of power. Indeed, a good definition of power is "ability to achieve purpose. Does it fulfill its purpose?

God's power is not put forward to get certain things done, but to get them done in a certain way, and with certain results in the lives of those who do them. Action which defeats purpose is weakness. Power is the ability to fulfill purpose. No one knows what it cost God to refrain from intervention.

“Religion’s Answer to the Problem of Evil”

Got it. We are required to pick the right God out of a lineup of all the religions with no way to tell one from the other, or which one might be the right one. No hints. The wrong choice means eternal torture. That doesn't sound like the loving and forgiving God that so many Christians brag about.

There is only one. He doesn't care what you call him. You can't miss him.

Really? What makes him look any different than any of the other Gods? He seems to make great efforts to remain anonymous.

I don't believe it matters how you see God. See him whatever way works best for you.

You are just throwing up excuses.

You should research the difference between excuses and questions.

 

[Meriweather]

Go to him? Why?

If you mean, "Why bother", then you really shouldn't.