What is your belief in God? (No racism or flaming please)

[Canoas]

but they know it's faith based not fact based. They aren't blind to that.

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Not really. The faith is to believe that he's listening to you and helping you, they don't question that his existance is a fact due to all the "fake" evidence provided by the Bible.

[beebskadoo]

No, @beebskadoo said it is based upon, not believing in, false principles. Obviously, I disagree with that, but we should be careful to understand what the other side says so we can understand why they might say it and address that.

Also, Beeb, I edited that post you quoted. Might want to check it for the corrections/improvements/alterations. They are minor, but they are there.

kk. Will do. Ty for clarifying what I said too. I don't have the will power anymore. 24 hours without sleep can do that to you:)

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[SMURG]

Wow, genuinely expected this thread to be locked by the morning when I went to bed last night...

[Lyons]

Surprised no one has even mentioned the devil

 

'The devil' doesn't exist. Religious deities don't exist; Non of it does, all of you guys need to just drop this crap and move on. Be a part of a productive, progressive society, not a traditionalist one with silly old beliefs. You can be a good person without following the bible, come ON.

[Vitalius]

'The devil' doesn't exist. Religious deities don't exist; Non of it does, all of you guys need to just drop this crap and move on. Be a part of a productive, progressive society, not a traditionalist one with silly old beliefs. You can be a good person without following the bible, come ON.

*grabs a mirror and reflects your avatar back at you to display how I feel about that statement*

I would be neither progressive nor productive if I were not a Christian and instead were an Atheist. This, I can overtly guarantee.

[Canoas]

each to there own....isnt jedi a religion?

Only in very few countries.

Dudeism is a much better religion though.

[Lyons]

*grabs a mirror and reflects your avatar back at you to display how I feel about that statement*

I would be neither progressive nor productive if I were not a Christian and instead were an Atheist. This, I can overtly guarantee.

 

That makes no sense whatsoever. There is nothing in modern life that requires you be religious.

[Canoas]

That makes no sense whatsoever. There is nothing in modern life that requires you be religious.

There is nothing in modern life that requires you to be an atheist either.

 

Also, what about becoming a priest?

[CornOnJacob]

'The devil' doesn't exist. Religious deities don't exist; Non of it does, all of you guys need to just drop this crap and move on. Be a part of a productive, progressive society, not a traditionalist one with silly old beliefs. You can be a good person without following the bible, come ON.

And you can be a good person by following it too. You can not believe in a deity and still believe in religious values like loving your neighbor or being a good person.

[Canoas]

@Canoas Dudeism that is awesome!

I'm actually an ordained priest of The Church of The Latter-Day Dude. Apparantly I can marry people in certain states in the US.

[Lyons]

There is nothing in modern life that requires you to be an atheist either.

 

Also, what about becoming a priest?

 

That's the point of atheism, it's a lack of belief, nothing drives you to it, nothing needs to.

 

The priest comment is just dumb.

 

 

And you can be a good person by following it too. You can not believe in a deity and still believe in religious values like loving your neighbor or being a good person.

 

Cool, what about all the bad bits? Christians don't have a monopoly on good. There's just no point when you can be a good person by just being a good human being.

[CornOnJacob]

Cool, what about all the bad bits? Christians don't have a monopoly on good.

You acknowledge that religion has (some) good values, so that is reason enough to not "drop the crap."

[Canoas]

And you can be a good person by following it too. You can not believe in a deity and still believe in religious values like loving your neighbor or being a good person.

Loving your neighbour and being a good person are not religious values. Those concepts existed long before the beggining of religion and will exist after it's end.

[CornOnJacob]

Loving your neighbour and being a good person are not religious values. Those concepts existed long before the beggining of religion and will exist after it's end.

They are not exclusive to religion by any means, but I think they are values of most religions.

[Lyons]

You acknowledge that religion has (some) good values, so that is reason enough to not "drop the crap."

 

Nope, not at all. The good bits in the bible aren't exclusive to the bible, like I said, Christians don't have a monopoly on good.

 

Also, for any of you genius' out there:

 

 

[Canoas]

They are not exclusive to religion by any means, but I think they are values of most religions.

They are the core values of all societies and communities, religions, as a part of society, also shares those values. Interestingly several studies have been done about it and turns out empathy is actually intrinsic to mammals. Even chimpanzee communities follow those principles and they can't even grasp the concept of religion.

[Vitalius]

That makes no sense whatsoever. There is nothing in modern life that requires you be religious.

I mean this on an individual basis, specifically the individual that is "Vitalius" or "Payden" (my real name). I speak only for myself in how the relationship with God works between He and I.

If I were to be an Atheist, I would not be productive, nor progressive. This is because Payden, by himself, is a terrible and horrible person. I have no love. I have no joy. Only hate and darkness. Things that would bring me and those around me down. 

I know this because this is how I was before I knew God. There was a void in my heart. I felt nothing. Not numbness. But literally and truly nothing. As if a piece of me wasn't there. 

Mind you when I say "nothing", I also don't mean 'I didn't feel emotion', but that nothing is what I felt, as if that were an emotion itself. Along with other things. Absence of existence maybe? Not sure. 

Think of how you would feel if you were dead. That's how I felt. If I were to deny God and walk away from all the things that He has taught me and gave me, I would be that same little boy again. Wronged by the world and filled with hate for it. It would be a prideful, selfish, and disturbed existence. One that sought only to share my pain with others.

There's a reason I often say I am one of the people Atheist's would prefer stay a Christian. I have no love to give other than what I am given. All that I give is from the God I serve. And I wouldn't have it if it were not for Him.

I've often seen that the way I work is in a form of reflection. Somewhat like the golden rule (treat others as you would like to be treated), but very different.

If people be nice to me, I reflect that to others. If people love me, I reflect that to others. I am like a computer. Without someone to give input, it would sit idly by, waiting, forever. I can't produce my own input, if that makes sense. 

As a child, I saw pain and imperfection in the world. Darkness and all that other imagery. And so I reflected that in my heart. It kinda almost destroyed me. And God was the opposite. He gave me love, so I started reflecting and learning from that. 

I think you get the idea. For society, religion may not be required, but for Payden, so that he is a "good" (in the sense that love is good), it most certainly is required. So that he can survive. Can live. It is necessary.

I'd rather not destroy myself. Thanks, but no thanks.

[Lyons]

I mean this on an individual basis, specifically the individual that is "Vitalius" or "Payden" (my real name). I speak only for myself in how the relationship with God works between He and I.

If I were to be an Atheist, I would not be productive, nor progressive. This is because Payden, by himself, is a terrible and horrible person. I have no love. I have no joy. Only hate and darkness. Things that would bring me and those around me down. 

I know this because this is how I was before I knew God. There was a void in my heart. I felt nothing. Not numbness. But literally and truly nothing. As if a piece of me wasn't there. 

Mind you when I say "nothing", I also don't mean 'I didn't feel emotion', but that nothing is what I felt, as if that were an emotion itself. Along with other things. Absence of existence maybe? Not sure. 

Think of how you would feel if you were dead. That's how I felt. If I were to deny God and walk away from all the things that He has taught me and gave me, I would be that same little boy again. Wronged by the world and filled with hate for it. Logic would have nothing to do with it. It would be a prideful, selfish, and disturbed existence. One that sought only to share my pain with others.

There's a reason I often say I am one of the people Atheist's would prefer stay a Christian. I have no love to give other than what I am given. All that I give is from the God I serve. And I wouldn't have it if it were not for Him.

I've often seen that the way I work is in a form of reflection. Somewhat like the golden rule (treat others as you would like to be treated), but very different.

If people be nice to me, I reflect that to others. If people love me, I reflect that to others. I am like a computer. Without someone to give input, it would sit idly by, waiting, forever. I can't produce my own input, if that makes sense. 

As a child, I saw pain and imperfection in the world. Darkness and all that other imagery. And so I reflected that in my heart. It kinda almost destroyed me. And God was the opposite. He gave me love, so I started reflecting and learning from that. 

I think you get the idea. For society, religion may not be required, but for Payden, so that he is a "good" (in the sense that love is good), it most certainly is required. 

I'd rather not destroy myself. Thanks, but no thanks.

 

I'm actually deeply sorry that you need something like religion to keep you going. It's very unfortunate, and in a modern world filled with the most wonderful things you could possibly imagine right at your fingertips, difficult to believe. Oh well, suit yourself

 

 

I wonder how kids in 3rd world countries who've had there live's torn apart by war and economic distraught must feel if kids like you can turn so easily to darkness.

[solosdk]

'The devil' doesn't exist. Religious deities don't exist; Non of it does, all of you guys need to just drop this crap and move on. Be a part of a productive, progressive society, not a traditionalist one with silly old beliefs. You can be a good person without following the bible, come ON.

 

Im not christian

 

Also, no thanks. This world is temporary and is a test. I prefer to live my life so that I don't end up in Hell.

[Lyons]

Im not christian

Also, no thanks. This world is temporary and is a test. I prefer to live my life so that I don't end up in Hell.

This post is devoid of sense.

[CornOnJacob]

This post is devoid of sense.

We've made it this far, be careful not to get the thread locked. Thanks

[Air tree]

This thread has strayed far from it's original intent of just being a poll.

 

I

[solosdk]

This post is devoid of sense.

Actually I am free thinking. I KNOW what im doing. Its not as you make it out to be; mindless person who follows what he is told to

So I suggest you keep your mouth shut

[Vitalius]

I'm actually deeply sorry that you need something like religion to keep you going. It's very unfortunate, and in a modern world filled with the most wonderful things you could possibly imagine right at your fingertips, difficult to believe. Oh well, suit yourself

 

 

I wonder how kids in 3rd world countries who've had there live's torn apart by war and economic distraught must feel if kids like you can turn so easily to darkness.

It's ... more complicated than that. 

TL;DR at the bottom.

To oversimplify, my specialty is understanding concepts and limits, and asking/understanding what is possible within the defined parameters considering those limitaitons. Even as a kid I was good at that, but that's what lead me to how I was before knowing God. I understood what the possibilities were in this world and in that, I was completely, and utterly unimpressed.

To be blunt, I kinda viewed the world as if it were made for me. Scientifically speaking, how am I to prove there is any other consciousness like mine in it aside from my own? I can only be certain of my own existence. Everything else must be taken upon assumption that the information I have is true. That my sensory input is real (i.e Matrix syndrome).

My heart desired righteousness. And in that, I mean I wanted to be "good", whatever you wish to define that as. And when I considered the limitations the world had, I judged it as unacceptable. Not good enough. Inferior. etc. This was because I wanted to be the best. Literally and utterly, the best. Basically God in a way.

I basically acted like I was a God. Ironic as it is. I was prideful because I wasn't interested in compromise or accepting anything less than perfect. 

To quote myself when I asked myself "What about all the good things in it? The beauty? The love?", my response was quickly "It doesn't matter. It has pain and suffering in it. Any good it has is not good enough to make that acceptable." 

Again, this was before I knew God. I was painfully wrong obviously. But that is still my response to you saying this:

"It's very unfortunate, and in a modern world filled with the most wonderful things you could possibly imagine right at your fingertips, difficult to believe."

 

My response, if I were still him, to that statement would be "What world are you living in?"

I need you to understand that this is a particular reason why I love the Bible. Why I love Christianity and what it teaches. Because I saw every shortcoming the Bible teaches how to either avoid or overcome in myself as a child. I was prideful, judging, and unaccepting of anything or anyone that wasn't perfect (i.e. no one) in my eyes. I couldn't love. 

As for the children in the 3rd world countries, they live in a world of unknowns. And in that, there is hope in their eyes, because they don't understand the odds of them ever coming out of their situation to something better (miniscule), according to the world (science, probability, and history). I lived in a world where I could easily find out the limitations on what is possible in this world. 

Because I felt I understood the limitations of this world and the people in it enough to realize how broken they are, I needed something that defied those limitations (A God who defined them to begin with) to feel like hope could exist in any form for anyone, ever.

Again, I was a terrible person without God. I recognize this. I was a product of the world I came from. Take it as you will.

 

TL;DR:

My child-self was a perfectionist who considered the world not good enough for him because it didn't let him be perfect due to logic and various other things. God justifies that in that He is perfect and offers to work & sacrifice (some of which has already been done obviously) to make me perfect and right the wrongs the world has done. 

That TL;DR is Over-over-simplified as there's way more to it, but eh.

[ivhyn]

I don't believe in god.

If he, she or it did exist, there wouldn't be that much inequity around. It's hard for us to imagine something before the big bang and there are certain phenomena not even science can explain, I still don't believe in god's existence. 

 

Funny note: I'm currently listening to Black Sabbath's "God is dead", what a coincidence