Do you believe in God?

[Haverstaken]

I believe there is a greater being that has some kind of power/energy.

I think most religions were created to help people face death, to give the hope that our time on earth is not the end of everything. I guess since the beginning of humanity, people like to think that there is a afterlife, and because of this all kinds of Gods we're "created".
And I do think that having some kind of faith can help people face tough situations, etc.

 

[Ghost Lap]

Why do you believe in your god and not the thousands that have existed throughout human history?

What makes you right and a Hindu, for example, wrong?

I don't know anything about Hindiusm and I'm not claiming to be an expert on the matter. I'm just saying that I have a belief in God and the supernatural/non-physical in general, and I'm pretty open to different viewpoints on the matter.

 

[Scaff]

I don't know anything about Hindiusm and I'm not claiming to be an expert on the matter. I'm just saying that I have a belief in God and the supernatural/non-physical in general, and I'm pretty open to different viewpoints on the matter.

That doesn't answer the question, nor do you need to be an expert on Hinduism to answer it.

Why does your god exist and other ones don't?

It's a simple enough question, as the existence of Hindu gods would disprove your god (as written in your own scripture).

 

[Ghost Lap]

That doesn't answer the question, nor do you need to be an expert on Hinduism to answer it.

Why does your god exist and other ones don't?

It's a simple enough question, as the existence of Hindu gods would disprove your god (as written in your own scripture).

Why does it have to be "your God"? I just believe that there is "a God" period, is that simple enough for you?

 

[Scaff]

Why does it have to be "your God"? I just believe that there is "a God" period, is that simple enough for you?

No, it's really not.

Thousands of gods have existed across human history, now you used the singular, which rules out pantheons, so it's not unreasonable to ask which one it is and why not the others?

Otherwise, it's an exceedingly vague basis for a belief system.

 

[TexRex]

Thousands of gods have existed across human history...

 

[Imari]

Why does it have to be "your God"? I just believe that there is "a God" period, is that simple enough for you?

There's a "your God" as in "the God that you believe in".

If that God has specific attributes, then the question is why do you believe in a God with those specific attributes.
If that God doesn't have specific attributes, then the question is why do you believe in that God at all.

People have a bit of a tendency not to think through what it means to actually believe in something. This is kind of understandable if you've been raised to believe in something, it's established in your brain as a "fact" before you have the ability to critically examine it. But as adults it's worthwhile questioning what a universe where what you believe is actually true looks like.

 

[Ghost Lap]

There's a "your God" as in "the God that you believe in".

If that God has specific attributes, then the question is why do you believe in a God with those specific attributes.
If that God doesn't have specific attributes, then the question is why do you believe in that God at all.

People have a bit of a tendency not to think through what it means to actually believe in something. This is kind of understandable if you've been raised to believe in something, it's established in your brain as a "fact" before you have the ability to critically examine it. But as adults it's worthwhile questioning what a universe where what you believe is actually true looks like.

I guess I'd say I believe God to be non-physical and beyond form, I believe this because for me at least, it is the most obvious explanation for the existence of the physical universe. If God is non-physical, then by definition God is not bound by the physical laws of space and time. Thus, this also explains the whole "Well who created God?" question. If God is non-physical and is not bound by the physical laws of time, this would suggest that God has no beginning and no end, that God always has been and is all there ever will be.

Funnily enough, I was raised in a family who were very much anti-God, and I was essentially raised to believe that whole God thing was a load of rubbish, before I was old enough to even question such things for myself and form my own opinions and beliefs. It's only once I became an adult that things happened to me that made me question these things very deeply.

 

[Ghost Lap]

No, it's really not.

Thousands of gods have existed across human history, now you used the singular, which rules out pantheons, so it's not unreasonable to ask which one it is and why not the others?

Otherwise, it's an exceedingly vague basis for a belief system.

There have been thousands of different interpretations of God throughout history, most likely thousands of different religions, all with their own ideas and interpretations of God and what God might be like. I don't follow any particular religion per se, but from what I can gather, most of them seem to have one common theme. That common theme is that there is a God of some kind, as in, there is a one singular source from which everything comes from. I may look at different interpretations of God and not entirely agree with them, but I am in agreement that there is a God, or rather, that there is a singular source for all of creation, otherwise known simply as God.

 

[Scaff]

There have been thousands of different interpretations of God throughout history, most likely thousands of different religions, all with their own ideas and interpretations of God and what God might be like. I don't follow any particular religion per se, but from what I can gather, most of them seem to have one common theme. That common theme is that there is a God of some kind, as in, there is a one singular source from which everything comes from. I may look at different interpretations of God and not entirely agree with them, but I am in agreement that there is a God, or rather, that there is a singular source for all of creation, otherwise known simply as God.

A statement that utterly ignores the fact that the majority of religions throughout history have been pantheons, with multiple gods, singularly deities is most certainly not the "common theme" at all. quite the opposite, in terms of human history and religion, it's a recent aberation.

As such the question remains, even if you are unable to explain your god, you should be able to explain why you reject pantheons and stick to the idea of a singular entity

Harry Potter exists, as a fictional character.

 

[Ghost Lap]

A statement that utterly ignores the fact that the majority of religions throughout history have been pantheons, with multiple gods, singularly deities is most certainly not the "common theme" at all. quite the opposite, in terms of human history and religion, it's a recent aberation.

As such the question remains, even if you are unable to explain your god, you should be able to explain why you reject pantheons and stick to the idea of a singular entity


Harry Potter exists, as a fictional character.

I believe that God is singular, because ultimately I believe that there can only be one source for all of creation. If there were to be multiple Gods, this would then suggest in the need for a creator for these multiple Gods to explain away the duality of it all. When it all boils down to it, the only way to truly explain the existence for anything is to eventually come to the conclusion that everything in creation must have all come from one common source. A source that was never created by anything, a source that merely just exists and that always has been and always will be, and a source that is essentially beyond anything else, this is what I believe God to be.

It's quite deep stuff to wrap your head around, I'm sure there are videos on YouTube on Non-Duality that can explain it a lot clearer than I can, but its just stuff to contemplate for yourself I guess, if you're interested that is.

 

[Scaff]

I believe that God is singular, because ultimately I believe that there can only be one source for all of creation. If there were to be multiple Gods, this would then suggest in the need for a creator for these multiple Gods to explain away the duality of it all. When it all boils down to it, the only way to truly explain the existence for anything is to eventually come to the conclusion that everything in creation must have all come from one common source. A source that was never created by anything, a source that merely just exists and that always has been and always will be, and a source that is essentially beyond anything else, this is what I believe God to be.

It's quite deep stuff to wrap your head around, I'm sure there are videos on YouTube on Non-Duality that can explain it a lot clearer than I can, but its just stuff to contemplate for yourself I guess, if you're interested that is.

That argument doesn't go away with a singular god either, you are simply handwaving it away with 'it just exists', something that can just as easily be claimed for a pantheon as it is for a singular. The same 'leap of faith' is required for both scenarios.

 

[Ghost Lap]

That argument doesn't go away with a singular god either, you are simply handwaving it away with 'it just exists', something that can just as easily be claimed for a pantheon as it is for a singular. The same 'leap of faith' is required for both scenarios.

Well that's basically the crux of it all, and the mind **** that is reality my friend. The truth is that God or source has no explanation for it's existence, it just simply just exists, it is what it is. It's confusing at first because the human mind perceives things in terms of duality, and the idea that God just simply exists makes absolutely no rational sense at first to the mind. The human mind demands that there must be some sort of explanation for Gods existence, but the ultimate truth is that there isn't an explanation. God just exists, therefore reality just exists. I feel like the more I try to explain it in words, the more I'm going to confuse you and leave you scratching your head.

 

[Scaff]

Well that's basically the crux of it all, and the mind **** that is reality my friend. The truth is that God or source has no explanation for it's existence, it just simply just exists, it is what it is. It's confusing at first because the human mind perceives things in terms of duality, and the idea that God just simply exists makes absolutely no rational sense at first to the mind. The human mind demands that there must be some sort of explanation for Gods existence, but the ultimate truth is that there isn't an explanation. God just exists, therefore reality just exists.

You seem to be mixing up truth with your personal belief, one that you can't even explain yourself.

'Because' doesn't either explain nor prove existance.

I feel like the more I try to explain it in words, the more I'm going to confuse you and leave you scratching your head.

I'm about as far from confused as it's possible to get, you are unable to either explain your belief beyond 'because' nor offer anything in the way of evidence to support it.

Unfortunate, as is often the case with deists, you've simply resorted to patronising nonsense in place of reasoned answers.

 

[Ghost Lap]

You seem to be mixing up truth with your personal belief, one that you can't even explain yourself.

'Because' doesn't either explain nor prove existance.

As I just said, there is no explanation for reality, just as there is no explanation for God. It just is, it's as simple as that, but as I explained this will make no sense to you, because your mind demands that there must be a concrete explanation for it, and I'm afraid you will never find one.

You want proof of existence? Just look around you and notice existence, notice that things exist, is that not proof enough for you?

It's okay if you don't get it, we'll just go on with our lives and leave it at that.

 

[Scaff]

As I just said, there is no explanation for reality, just as there is no explanation for God. It just is, it's as simple as that, but as I explained this will make no sense to you, because your mind demands that there must be a concrete explanation for it, and I'm afraid you will never find one.

We have explanations for the vast majority of existence, so once again, nor it's not just a case of saying 'because'. What I don't feel the need to do is insert 'because god' into anything that we don't currently have an explanation for.

The universe makes quite a bit of sense to me, as does the rationale behind why people find comfort in blind faith, I simply find it absurd when they start to deny falsifiable evidence to support the fantasy they have constructed.

You want proof of existence? Just look around you and notice existence, notice that things exist, is that not proof enough for you?

Simply put no. If humanity limited itself in the manner you wanted we would not be able to have this conversation.

It's okay if you don't get it, we'll just go on with our lives and leave it at that.

How about you stop with the patronising assumptions, focus on being able to explain your own beliefs.

 

[Ghost Lap]

We have explanations for the vast majority of existence, so once again, nor it's not just a case of saying 'because'. What I don't feel the need to do is insert 'because god' into anything that we don't currently have an explanation for.

What is the explanation for the existence of the universe? I guarantee you that you'll never be able to find one without first conceding that there must be some sort of God or source that is beyond the physical universe as we know it. It's okay though if you want to waste your time looking for verifiable Scientific proof, I've been there myself, and I can assure you that you'll find nothing but dead ends so long as you limit yourself only to what the 5 senses can perceive.

 

[Scaff]

What is the explanation for the existence of the universe?

Our current universe? The Big Bang, as yes we do have sufficient evidence for it's occurrence.

I guarantee you that you'll never be able to find one without first conceding that there must be some sort of God or source that is beyond the physical universe as we know it. It's okay though if you want to waste your time looking for verifiable Scientific proof, I've been there myself,

I just did, so I can only conclude you didn't put too much effort in.

and I can assure you that you'll find nothing but dead ends so long as you limit yourself only to what the 5 senses can perceive.

We have a lot more than five senses.

 

[Ghost Lap]

Our current universe? The Big Bang, as yes we do have sufficient evidence for it's occurrence.

And so what is the explanation for "The Big Bang"? There was nothing, and then all of a sudden the physical universe just popped into existence all by itself? Right, because that makes a lot of sense...

 

[Scaff]

And so what is the explanation for "The Big Bang"?

That's quite well established.

What Is the Big Bang Theory?

The Big Bang Theory explains how the universe began.

www.space.com

There was nothing, and then all of a sudden the physical universe just popped into existence all by itself?

You're mixing things up here, the events of the big band are well known and evidence based, what existed before the Big Bang is unknown, and numerous hypothesis exist.

What happened before the Big Bang?

Has our universe cycled through numerous "big crunches" and "big bounces?"

www.space.com

Right, because that makes a lot of sense...

Oh the irony...

 

[Ghost Lap]

That's quite well established.

What Is the Big Bang Theory?

The Big Bang Theory explains how the universe began.

www.space.com

You're mixing things up here, the events of the big band are well known and evidence based, what existed before the Big Bang is unknown, and numerous hypothesis exist.

What happened before the Big Bang?

Has our universe cycled through numerous "big crunches" and "big bounces?"

www.space.com

Oh the irony...

I can tell you the most obvious answer as to what existed before the Big Bang, that answer is and always will be God. It's also pretty funny that you accuse me of having blind faith, and that the events of the Big Bang are evidence based, yet the title of the link you posted is funnily enough called "What is the Big Bang Theory?". Keyword here being "theory", as in not an absolute and unquestionable truth or fact.

 

[Scaff]

I can tell you the most obvious answer as to what existed before the Big Bang, that answer is and always will be God. It's also pretty funny that you accuse me of having blind faith, and that the events of the Big Bang are evidence based, yet the title of the link you posted is funnily enough called "What is the Big Bang Theory?". Keyword here being "theory", as in not an absolute and unquestionable truth or fact.

Oh dear here we go again, incorrect use of the word theory in a scientific context.

The word theory has two definitions, one is it's common usage which is a guess. The other is a scientific theory (which is what is being referred to here) and is "a well-substantiated explanation of an aspect of the natural world that can incorporate laws, hypotheses and facts."

Scientific theory sits above singular facts, and is the highest level of knowledge on a subject.

What Is a Theory? A Scientific Definition | AMNH

In everyday use, it may mean a hunch, or a guess. Scientists understand the term quite differently.

www.amnh.org

That you don't know this seriously undermines your claim to have come to god after exhausting scientific explanations.

 

[Ghost Lap]

Oh dear here we go again, incorrect use of the word theory in a scientific context.

The word theory has two definitions, one is it's common usage which is a guess. The other is a scientific theory (which is what is being referred to here) and is "a well-substantiated explanation of an aspect of the natural world that can incorporate laws, hypotheses and facts."

Scientific theory sits above singular facts, and is the highest level of knowledge on a subject.

What Is a Theory? A Scientific Definition | AMNH

In everyday use, it may mean a hunch, or a guess. Scientists understand the term quite differently.

www.amnh.org

That you don't know this seriously undermines your claim to have come to god after exhausting scientific explanations.

No matter how you try to sugercoat it, its still just a theory at the end of the day isn't it?

 

[Scaff]

No matter how you try to sugercoat it, its still just a theory at the end of the day isn't it?

No it's not, you literally are ignoring the difference in definition now.

 

[Ghost Lap]

No it's not, you literally are ignoring the difference in definition now.

Okay, lets just leave it with this. I do have as you say have "blind faith", I have a great faith in God, it is what it is. Call me crazy, call me delusional, call me whatever you like, I accept it. I'm not really here to argue and debate over this and that, its just nice to see a few others who share the same faith, although it seems the overall attitude here towards the idea of God is very negative, just my two cents.

 

[Scaff]

Okay, lets just leave it with this. I do have as you say have "blind faith", I have a great faith in God, it is what it is.

I have no issue with people having faith.

Call me crazy, call me delusional, call me whatever you like, I accept it.

I've not done so, I've simply corrected an inaccurate claim you made.

I'm not really here to argue and debate over this and that,

It's a discussion forum, that's what they exist for.

its just nice to see a few others who share the same faith, although it seems the overall attitude here towards the idea of God is very negative, just my two cents.

Not quite.

Most are fine with people having belief, the issue comes when that belief is claimed as provable fact, is used to impose rules on others, or is used as an attempt to discredit what is observably true (to a scientific standard).

 

[Ghost Lap]

Well I'm glad things are cleared up then.

 

[Famine]

A source that was never created by anything, a source that merely just exists and that always has been and always will be, and a source that is essentially beyond anything else

Why?

And why can an intelligent being have this property, but not the universe?

The idea that God created the universe, because something had to, inevitably leads to the question of what created God. If you can simply handwave that question away with "nothing because God always existed", you can also handwave away the initial premise that the universe was created "because the universe always existed".

If you don't, you're willing to accept a lower threshold for an explanation that you prefer. This is what you're really saying when you say the universe was created by an eternal being.

just a theory

A "theory" is a coherent explanation for all knowledge on any given subject. It gathers together all facts, observations, and proofs, into a single answer - which is refined over time as more facts, observations, and proofs are uncovered using the tool we have for gaining knowledge.

Anyone who says "just a theory" in relation to science (usually something like universal expansion, or evolution; rarely gravitation, for some reason) has already laid their stall out.

 

[Liquid]

Okay, lets just leave it with this. I do have as you say have "blind faith", I have a great faith in God, it is what it is.

You're allowed to believe in something without proof as long as you don't claim to others that what you believe is 'fact' or 'the truth'.

 

[TexRex]

I'm just saying it never hurts to be a bit open minded...

When it all boils down to it, the only way to truly explain the existence for anything is to eventually come to the conclusion that everything in creation must have all come from one common source.