Jesus Christ . .

[BillyL]

Stephen Hawking says there is no God . .

What say ye . . ?

Yes, No or not sure . . where do you stand, sit or kneel on that statement.


I read an article many years ago that stated that if you believed in something, that you were more likely to live longer.

I go to Church, been doing so since I was 3 years old . . I'm a believer.

 

[dadika13]

I believe God is omnipotent so any feelings about what it is will be wrong because humans aren't capable of understanding.

Did Jesus exist? Yes. Did he preach some really good things? Yes. Did he perform miracles, rise from the dead, and the result of a virgin birth? Not likely.

Organized religion is 98% good but the 2% bad has resulted in millions upon millions of deaths since the beginning of time.

 

[Terror Beard]

 

[tarheel0910]

I believe God is omnipotent so any feelings about what it is will be wrong because humans aren't capable of understanding.

 

[cletusnow]

I want you to imagine a glass cylinder. Inside that glass cylinder is nothing but air. On one end, There is a little rubber hose that constantly sucks all the air out, Creating a vacuum (It's sealed on the other end. ). Now, An atheist or an agnostic would, Most likely, Look at it and conclude that there is nothing inside the cylinder and, Admittedly, They would be correct. However, They fail to realize that the glass cylinder, Itself, Also plays an important role in the existence of "nothing" and without it, "nothing" would be unable to exist. In conclusion, In order for "nothing" to exist, Something must be present to give it form.

 

[tarheel0910]

I want you to imagine a glass cylinder. Inside that glass cylinder is nothing but air. On one end, There is a little rubber hose that constantly sucks all the air out, Creating a vacuum (It's sealed on the other end. ). Now, An atheist or an agnostic would, Most likely, Look at it and conclude that there is nothing inside the cylinder and, Admittedly, They would be correct. However, They fail to realize that the glass cylinder, Itself, Also plays an important role in the existence of "nothing" and without it, "nothing" would be unable to exist. In conclusion, In order for "nothing" to exist, Something must be present to give it form.

 

[heelbent]

Stephen Hawking says there is no God . .

Wonder if he still believes that...

 

[heelmanwilm]

I believe in science and logic and reason. I do suspect that theres more to our existence than we’re aware of and that religions try to explain that the best they can. Theres zero proof for it however and imo it doesnt matter one way or the other. So i guess that makes me agnostic

I believe jesus existed and was a very special and unique person. I dont believe he was god or that he fathered himself through a virgin. The trinity is a hopeless concept that makes me smh at the mental gymnastics involved to try and justify the contradictions it implies.

I dont believe ththe bible is “the word of god” i do believe its a great book with lots of wisdom concerning how to live and treat your fellow man. However it should be ignored on matters of science.

Btw i was raised christian and served as an assoc pastor for twelve years in a calvary chapel. I poured myself into studying the bible and the hebrew and greek and the history. The more i studied the more i realized it was not the inerrant word of god and that i was living a lie. The youth pastor sending my daughter dick pics didnt help either. Esp when the pastor took his side and claimed my daughter was lying. So here i am. I do nt have a prob with believers. So long as they keep it to themselves and keep it out of politics and education.

 

[Terror Beard]

There's no downside to having faith. If all the believers are wrong, then so what? But on the other hand,...

 

[uncboy10]

I believe in god like I believe in russel’s teapot.

 

[prlyles]

I want you to imagine a glass cylinder. Inside that glass cylinder is nothing but air. On one end, There is a little rubber hose that constantly sucks all the air out, Creating a vacuum (It's sealed on the other end. ). Now, An atheist or an agnostic would, Most likely, Look at it and conclude that there is nothing inside the cylinder and, Admittedly, They would be correct. However, They fail to realize that the glass cylinder, Itself, Also plays an important role in the existence of "nothing" and without it, "nothing" would be unable to exist. In conclusion, In order for "nothing" to exist, Something must be present to give it form.

There is nothing inside the cylinder and if there is nothing on the outside also the cylinder is useless and not needed.

 

[coolwaterunc]

I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior many years ago. My life would not be anywhere near the same if I never did. I'm truly blessed and thank God for everything that has ever occurred in my life, good or bad.

 

[uncboy10]

Hawking did some incredible work on the origin of the universe. I recently read some of his writing on time, and why human intuition is not structured to understand it. We imagine time as linear. Every action must have a prior cause, including the creation of the universe. But this is just an infinitely regressive rabbit hole. If you claim the universe must have been created by a god, because there must be a proximate cause to the universe coming into existence, then you logically must accept that god would also have needed to be created by a prior cause. And so on forever. Claiming god is “timeless” is just creating an exception to your own argument.

The theory of relativity states that time slows down near large bodies of mass. Time flows extremely slow near black holes, because of their extreme density. If you reverse the Big Bang then the universe becomes more and more dense as you move towards the singularity. Meaning that time slows more and more. At the point of singularity the density of the universe would be virtually infinite from a mathematical standpoint. And so time would move infinitely slowly, so basically there is no flow of time. Time only begins to exist as the universe expands and establishes the laws of physics. Our linear understanding of time is a big problem with why we can’t understand where the universe comes from, and have to invent deities to fit our intuitions. There isn’t one shred of evidence to suggest any of these deities are real, and extensive evidence to demonstrate that they are works of human fiction.

 

[strummingram]

There's no downside to having faith. If all the believers are wrong, then so what? But on the other hand,...

The bolded part is the potential downside to society. The motivation, the impetus for that outcome (the other hand) is the driving force for almost every religious person I have ever encountered. They're driven by the fear of being sent to Hell after they die. And, some people fervently believe in these locations of Heaven and Hell. There is a very literal interpretation of Scripture, and thus their faith, that forces people to try and meet an impossible standard. There are many downsides. One downside is that they are willing to denounce, humiliate, kill, and even commit blatant hypocrisy to what is written in order to maintain that standard. That affects the entire remainder of humanity, and the world in general.


"Iff all the believers are wrong..." Well... All the believers have a unique perception of the institution and the faith itself. However, they prefer to believe that there is only one correct belief. No such belief exists except to the individual!

God is all of us, and we are all God. God experiences God's self through us. It's perpetual. I don't believe in a finish line or eternal after-party once this body expires. Right and Wrong, Good and Bad, Up and Down are all just polarities that we measure our feelings and perceptions, and PREFERENCES against. It is perpetual, and it's all happening right now. It's everything and nothing at all. The Alpha AND the Omega.

It's all our imaginations combined.

 

[strummingram]

This is the Word of God

 

[strummingram]

More of the Word of God

 

[BillyL]

 

[strummingram]

If you have 50 minutes to have your understanding expanded, and the desire to have that occur, here is God communicating to us:

 

[uncboy10]

FTR I'd gladly have a beer with any of you religious folks

 

[Terror Beard]

So like I said, there’s no downside to believing.

 

[strummingram]

FTR I'd gladly have a beer with any of you religious folks

Do you consider me to be "religious" because I believe that God exists?

 

[uncboy10]

Do you consider me to be "religious" because I believe that God exists?

Not in any conventional sense. Your use of the word god bears no resemblance to the definition that religious people use, much less monotheists' concept.

I would contend that your definition is circular. You seem to claim that god is us, and we are god, therefore god exists because we exist. But you aren't establishing the claim of existence of any entity that isn't a byproduct of human consciousness.

 

[Grayhead]

I firmly believe in God. I was raised in church till I started to work. Spent almost 10 years partying and living like a rock star (without the money)

Had an experience that forever changed my life. I grew up in a holiness church, and even when I was living a sinful life I still knew good and evil exist. My faith is mine. The Lord helped me overcome drug addiction, sexual perversion, and cleaned me up overnight. I became an avid teacher of the Word, and this past year accepted the call to preach.

I understand the tone on this board is usually not favorable to someone who believes wholly. It's a secular viewpoint that some have accepted completely. But I dont gage my life off of someone else belittling me for my belief, or making it thoer mission to attack my point of view. Morality is lost today. To use @heelmanwilm example, backs my stance. There are many good people who believe as I do, that shun such disgraceful acts. There are wolves everywhere. That person will have to deal with that one day.

 

[strummingram]

Not in any conventional sense. Your use of the word god bears no resemblance to the definition that religious people use, much less monotheists' concept.

I would contend that your definition is circular. You seem to claim that god is us, and we are god, therefore god exists because we exist. But you aren't establishing the claim of existence of any entity that isn't a byproduct of human consciousness.

And, I don't drink! lol You could have the beer. I'd have sweetened iced tea.

 

[dadika13]

God, Jesus Christ, and organized religion are 3 incredibly different things.

 

[tarheel0910]

I can tell you that I had a series of events happen to me a little over three years ago that gives me no doubt God exist in some form.

The real question is does @#1UNC believe? He doesn't really seem to mention his beliefs.

 

[dadika13]

I can tell you that I had a series of events happen to me a little over three years ago that gives me no doubt God exist in some form.

The real question is does @#1UNC believe? He doesn't really seem to mention his beliefs.

Definitely an atheist.

 

[uncboy10]

And, I don't drink! lol You could have the beer. I'd have sweetened iced tea.

Smart move. Free refills that way lol

 

[tarheel0910]

Where's old @mikeirbyusa at? This thread is right up his alley.

 

[strummingram]

One thing that I find very interesting about the lives and the beliefs of those who claim to be protestant, especially devout, strict Baptists, for example, who prefer to interpret the Bible literally as possible:

It's amazing to me that they can balance a spirituality that is based entirely in a monarchical system- with a King, and a Kingdom, and an entity that presides over it all that they are inferior to and owe everything to HIS service. And, then, also be able to objectively participate in a democracy, or democratic republic in our "earthly society", which is completely antithetical to their spiritual morality.

 

[BillyL]

Where's old @mikeirbyusa at? This thread is right up his alley.

He's still lamenting on the "where are the old heads' thread . .

 

[Terror Beard]

 

[uncboy10]

For every person who claims their prosperity or luck is the byproduct of god, there is a child dying from some horrible congenital disease that has nothing to do with human “free will.” If you want to believe that there is a god takikg care of you, then you also have to accept there is a god “working in mysterious ways” to cause child cancer, earthquakes, tsunamis, and all other sorts of events that resout in undue human suffering. I think it’s ectremely myopic to claim you know there is a god because your life is good, or because you escaped some tragedy.

This is one of my biggest issues with theism. If everyone you know and loved was killed by a bridge collapsing, you certainly wouldn’t say that engineers work “in mysterious ways” and we just can’t understand it because we’re mere mortals.

 

[coryfly]

I am a believer. I understand why people are not though.

 

[Terror Beard]

 

[Terror Beard]

The best part about faith is how personal it is. And moreover, how I don’t have to explain it or rationalize it one bit to anyone else.

 

[Terror Beard]

 

[dadika13]

 

[tarheel0910]

 

[prlyles]

The best part about faith is how personal it is. And moreover, how I don’t have to explain it or rationalize it one bit to anyone else.

That is great, you have found a shoe that fits you. Don’t expect me to wear your shoes and we will be fine.