Does God really exist?

[1894]

I haven't heard this before...

If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.
Voltaire
French author, humanist, rationalist, & satirist (1694 - 1778)

Not arguing with any poster, just pondering why it would be necessary to invent something/someone who did not exist ?

Personally, I do believe in God, however I can sympathise with every non-believer here and I ask all those same questions myself - why suffering, why wars, why global catastrophies, why mass killings, why, why, why ???

I have no easy answer, and to some extent, it depends on what concept people have of 'God'. My belief is identified as christian, and therefore identified with Jesus.

I respect people who do not believe, and I don't abuse their non-belief; in return I never get paint-balled for mine. We have to co-exist, even as City fans.

Who declared only non-believers could support City ?

Just think, if we'd have signed Kaka, would we be lampooning him for his obvious beliefs ?

Gentlemen, let us 'agree to disagree' and maintain mutual respect.

Everyone - have a good day today !

 

[Lrrr]

My opinion is that the idealism of god is some sort of safety valve to stop the human race from going mad. Unfortunately it has somehow backfired by creating wars and conflicts between people who believe in different versions or visions. In days gone by it religion would have been a simple answer to anything that man could not understand scientifically, ie why the sun rises, rain falls etc.
I personally used to believe there was something in it when I was younger due to having a christian upbringing but as I have got older I have changed from this view. Life is grossly unfair on many levels, just when you are enjoying life it can be taken away from you in an instant, without any fault of your own, whether you believe in god or not. My main reason for this point of view comes from he death of my mother less than three weeks before the birth of her first granchild from my brother, she was so looking forward to that event and incidently she was a relegious person.
I could go on but have probably bored you all by now!! I do however respect peoples own beliefs and would not try to influence either way.

 

[GJF]

..interesting thoughts from everyone on this..

In the end its what you believe `god' to be really.
Let me try and explain..

do you believe that there is some being with white hair etc watching over us that decides our fates and lives?
our do you believe in `god' (or religious deity), of your choosing that acts in a different way?

I have expereince many great things in life, but personally the last few years have been tough (my wifes mother died 2 days after we were mmarried..my wife has been ill ever since,and a few months ago got diagnosed with Cancer); should that define whether I believe in a god or not?
What i do know is that life is full of choices, and paths, its up to us to make those choices. Things may happen to us as we walk those paths, but nothing is pre-destined, and there is no `white haired man' that can take credit for the fortunes in my life, nor the blame for the bad. What i can say is that i do try and live to the words `do unto others as you would have those do unto you'. And i`m sure evryone can agree with that.
There are bad things in the world, but there are also good things. A man can kill another in the name of religion but they can also offer help and aid in the name of religion.

in the end, relegion/God, are teachings, its Man who makes the choices.

We can choose to persecute those who are different, we can choose to attck the vulnerable, but we can also embrace those who are different, and help the needy.

So in a debate about God, if peopole say that there is no evidence of God because `bad things happen', surely there is also evidence of God (by using the same logic), because `good things happen'.

I know ive rambled on...but if any of you made it through..thanks for your time! :)

 

[Ally.P]

I believe in God, a loving and forgiving God. And a loving God gives us all free will. Thats why bad things happen and bad people exist.

JMO.

 

[mat]

This

 

[ussy]

Its obvious god exists, as many of the top scientists have said themselves. The world is too too complicated for it all to be generated by pure chance alone. If you study the universe very carefully you will see that there is a flawless design of how the world was created. Now just because bad stuff happens to people, or even you, then how can you use this to then say that "if god exists why would he let this happen". Truth is its up to us to change things because god has put us in these situations. Each person has a different life and its up to that person to live how they will. Its really sad how these athiests have taken over, its rare now that you can hardly find a person on the street who believes in god. This is something i find very very sad. I believe god has given every person a different way of living to see how each of us would react to the good times and hardships also. These are just my beliefs so im not coming on here to say "your wrong".

 

[ElanJo]

I haven't heard this before...

If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.
Voltaire
French author, humanist, rationalist, & satirist (1694 - 1778)

Not arguing with any poster, just pondering why it would be necessary to invent something/someone who did not exist ?

Personally, I do believe in God, however I can sympathise with every non-believer here and I ask all those same questions myself - why suffering, why wars, why global catastrophies, why mass killings, why, why, why ???

I have no easy answer, and to some extent, it depends on what concept people have of 'God'. My belief is identified as christian, and therefore identified with Jesus.

I respect people who do not believe, and I don't abuse their non-belief; in return I never get paint-balled for mine. We have to co-exist, even as City fans.

Who declared only non-believers could support City ?

Just think, if we'd have signed Kaka, would we be lampooning him for his obvious beliefs ?

Gentlemen, let us 'agree to disagree' and maintain mutual respect.

Everyone - have a good day today !

It wasn't necessary, but it was inevitable that early man would assign persona's(supernatural gods/forces) to natural processes and events. The reasons being that early man, by his very nature, created things (tools etc), so when they looked at rock formations they saw sculpture not erosion. They looked at the world, not knowing anything about evolution, and felt "this world fits me perfectly... therefore it was built for me, just as I build" They looked at the bright being on the horizon, who brought them light, and felt safe from predators, and gave it a persona - the most important God of all who chased the night/danger away. It's an inevitable result of ignorance, and that persists today with the religions (which are derived from early mans false science)

I have no problem with what early man did, it was their first tentative steps into the realm of science. We now know that they were wrong but they weren't privy to the technology we have. Today's religions on the other hand do not have the same excuse. They have nothing to do with science/reality. They are cults and they are very very dangerous.

 

[keemcfc]

With all the shit going on in the world can there really be a good guy up there? If there were would he let it all go on?

simple answer, no.

but if some people want to belive, i have no problem with that, because it is comforting to think that theres a good guy watching over us.