God, with a capital "G"

[KC_MCDOHL]

I believe in God. But God is simply the Christian word to refer to 'the creator'. If you look at all major religions, faiths and philosophies, you will notice that they all have the same core beliefs. I am going beyond values and morals here, and am going way beyond what has happened to religions, faiths and philosophies in the political sense after humans have got their hands on these 'beliefs' and used them for self serving profit.

All belief systems hold the exact same keys to wisdom and meaning of life and human existence. They also equip us with the neccesary tools for navigating through life in a more 'spiritual way'. There is more than one belief system simply so truth can be translated to the followers in the variety of ways neccesary in a world filled with such varied culture and diversity.

(I hope I am not coming across as pompous and dogmatic? I'm simply adding my input onto this thread...)

Therefore, there is but one truth, one 'God', but many different ways to access these. I see God as the building block of every single material and immeterial building block of existence. Therefore 'he is in us and around us all the time'. Kind of like the Lifestream in FF7, if that helps us gamers understand . I seen others talking about beauty, in relation to truth, earlier on this thread and was pleased with what they had to say. I, for one, certainly find it true when you sit in nature, or otherwise, and go beyond the simple physical beauty of, say - a tree. You can reach the stage where you 'see' the tree for what it really is, which is really beautiful, and then realise that it is part of you. You are then filled with with an amazing feeling of connectedness. Within this feeling, when staring at the tree, it is as if you are looking into a mirror.

Perhaps I am going to deep here? I am merely trying to suggest that, in my experience, there are many things not easily recognised by the normal state of mind, but we can all access them! Training your mind to think spiritualy is what is needed. It is barely even possible to acess spiritual truth if you are thinking normaly and not spiritualy. No wonder so many people give up trying or simply do not even beleive. But you can acess these truths, we are all capable of it. We are all part of a greater design.

Yes, the universe may have been created coincidentally, but the many factors involved in this 'coincidence' make it more unlikey than likely. Also, when you combine science (the big bang theory) with 'faith' (or spiritual reasoning for those who refuse to make assumptions based on faith alone) you can then look at evolution from a spiritual standpoint - that is, what evolution means in the grand scheme of things - the greater design.

If you merge science, what we know about the material world, with spiritual thinking (intuition, soul, and spirit. Yes, you can acess these) then you can have some amazing revelations about what life around us means and why we are here.

Note: Please don't confuse spiritual thinking with religion. I understand alot of people are set in their ways when it comes to a religion the same way many are set in there ways when it comes to science. I am not offering 'spiritual thinking' as an alternative to either, as it is not a specific faith or belief system. On the contrary, I am offering it as a way to compliment your beliefs, as without it, any belief system would not be possible.

[jannypan]

if everything was just 1 big huge coincidence...if everything happened from 1 big bang then how would everything perfectly fit?

[Xelinis]

Perfectly fit? What do you mean by that? The universe is an enormous jumbled mess.

[son_michael]

yea, the more I go to my geology classes the more I believe in God. The statistics are quite amazing.


Coincidence? I don't think so, or do you want to say that the earth and humanity was all just one big accident or random occurrence?

[gilgamesh31]

the earth and humanity was all just one big accident or random occurrence?

I couldnt have said it better myself actually, how arrogant for people of faith to assume that the whole universe was made for us. I was raised a catholic and even made my first holy communion but im so glad i woke up it really is like being in the matrix. Who wouldnt want to belive that when we all die we go to cloud kingdom with all our dead friends and relatives and that "god" has a divine plan for each of us, so we can be lazy and just wait for "god" to answer all our prayers? I mean its a hard pill to swallow especially if youve been brainwashed since birth.

The whole Heaven thing was just made up to control you how cant you see this? i mean theres that old saying "you'll get youre reward in heaven" an empty promise meaning if you work youre arse off and be on youre best behaviour that when you die you can finally be rewarded. I mean its true to some extent if you think that a reward is eternal slumber, but thats not what youre told.

I am obviously an athiest but i never actually attack peoples religion even though its complete nonsense but when someone is trying to ram their crazy beliefs down my throat and try and converte me i say to them one word that they have no answer for: DINOSAURS!
Heard of them? i am seriously shocked that after dinosaurs were discovered that religion didnt die out alltogether i mean it completly pulls "god" apart. Add in evolution and a strong beliver falls mute they just plain out contradict each other.

Please people forget about this ancient control scheme and start living youre lives because you really only do get one.

[Raww Le Klueze]

I always found it fascinating that people with so-called "faith" are so quick to believe in their god, but will readily discount ideas such as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny even though they have the exact same properties.

[gilgamesh31]

Yes, the universe may have been created coincidentally, but the many factors involved in this 'coincidence' make it more unlikey than likely. Also, when you combine science (the big bang theory) with 'faith' (or spiritual reasoning for those who refuse to make assumptions based on faith alone) you can then look at evolution from a spiritual standpoint - that is, what evolution means in the grand scheme of things - the greater design.

If you merge science, what we know about the material world, with spiritual thinking (intuition, soul, and spirit. Yes, you can acess these) then you can have some amazing revelations about what life around us means and why we are here.

But if you merge stuff like religion and science together then youre picking and choosing even more then people who belive in one religion. So you could basically make up youre own religion based on selected ideals plucked from anything. oh wait we already have religion scientists and scientologist dont we.

I might as well start a new religion right now thats how all the others got started: ill say that the 27 true runes actually govern everthing on our planet Earth, we are desended from pokemon and when we die we go to either the waiting room from Beetlejuice or Mt.Olympus who wants to sign up?

[son_michael]

KC Mcdohl wrote: "Yes, the universe may have been created coincidentally, but the many factors involved in this 'coincidence' make it more unlikey than likely. Also, when you combine science (the big bang theory) with 'faith' (or spiritual reasoning for those who refuse to make assumptions based on faith alone) you can then look at evolution from a spiritual standpoint - that is, what evolution means in the grand scheme of things - the greater design.

If you merge science, what we know about the material world, with spiritual thinking (intuition, soul, and spirit. Yes, you can acess these) then you can have some amazing revelations about what life around us means and why we are here."

But if you merge stuff like religion and science together then youre picking and choosing even more then people who belive in one religion. So you could basically make up youre own religion based on selected ideals plucked from anything. oh wait we already have religion scientists and scientologist dont we.

I might as well start a new religion right now thats how all the others got started: ill say that the 27 true runes actually govern everthing on our planet Earth, we are desended from pokemon and when we die we go to either the waiting room from Beetlejuice or Mt.Olympus who wants to sign up?

I see a design in everything, in the earth, humans,plants and animals,it all comes together. Amazing little bits of scientific information that I'm learning about in my geology classes just makes me think,"there's no way all this happened by coincidence". To think that everything is a random occurrence and that there is nothing beyond death, I think that takes a lot more faith than believing in religion. Also, its just very sad that people have no hope after death.


As for your theory on religion being created to control others.....that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Obviously religion was created as a means to explain ones existence, also because of miraculous events that inspire faith. Sure there have been corrupt people in religious positions but that's just the nature of humanity, there's always bound to be a few bad guys on any side. For many people, religion was about improving themselves and attaining a closer connection to God. I really don't think St. Benedict went into isolation and lived on a pillar for 40 days or w/e it was because he wanted to rule others. Nor do I think the Mendicant monks sold all their belongings and left their lives behind, constantly preaching poverty while living in it themselves.....I don't think any of those decisions were made with the objective to rise in power and control others.

[gilgamesh31]

I really don't think St. Benedict went into isolation and lived on a pillar for 40 days or w/e it was because he wanted to rule others. Nor do I think the Mendicant monks sold all their belongings and left their lives behind, constantly preaching poverty while living in it themselves.....I don't think any of those decisions were made with the objective to rise in power and control others.

I think your sort of missing my point; those examples you gave of St.Benedict and the monks are the people being controlled by the religion, they didnt create it themselves. People are capable of achieving good deeds without religion and those that do are far more rewarded for doing so. An athiest doing a good deed isnt doing it for gods blessing or a step closer to heaven, they are doing it to help mankind.

I mean do you people only not kill or rape or other evil things because your scared of going to hell? are people really that sick in the head they need to have the world sugercoated for them to keep their emotions in check? Then why arnt all the athiests out causing chaos on the streets. More chaos has been caused by religion and thats a fact: from The holy crusades of 1095 to The Muslim conquest in the Indian subcontinent 1200's to the Arab–Israeli conflict thats still going on today. Religion not only controls people with threats of burning in hell for eternity it also is an excellent way to segregate people and keep people fighting each other.

Also: "Obviously religion was created as a means to explain ones existence, also because of miraculous events that inspire faith." your already admiting that religions were created meaning they were made up. So was greek mythology how comes no one still worships zeus? i know because your just following the beliefs that your parents were brought up on if you were born in Iraq you would probly be a muslim because your parents would be.

[son_michael]

I really don't think St. Benedict went into isolation and lived on a pillar for 40 days or w/e it was because he wanted to rule others. Nor do I think the Mendicant monks sold all their belongings and left their lives behind, constantly preaching poverty while living in it themselves.....I don't think any of those decisions were made with the objective to rise in power and control others.

I think your sort of missing my point; those examples you gave of St.Benedict and the monks are the people being controlled by the religion, they didnt create it themselves. People are capable of achieving good deeds without religion and those that do are far more rewarded for doing so. An athiest doing a good deed isnt doing it for gods blessing or a step closer to heaven, they are doing it to help mankind.

No they were not controlled, they were ordinary people that made the decision to search for God themselves. Are you going to just accuse everyone who made the decision to search for God to be a direct result of being raised on religion? No my friend, religion started from people that were searching For God.

I mean do you people only not kill or rape or other evil things because your scared of going to hell? are people really that sick in the head they need to have the world sugercoated for them to keep their emotions in check? Then why arnt all the athiests out causing chaos on the streets. More chaos has been caused by religion and thats a fact: from The holy crusades of 1095 to The Muslim conquest in the Indian subcontinent 1200's to the Arab–Israeli conflict thats still going on today. Religion not only controls people with threats of burning in hell for eternity it also is an excellent way to segregate people and keep people fighting each other.

No, when people become true Christians, they don't do those evil things because they were changed by God. I argued in my history of Christianity class that the crusades were fought with people that weren't Godly. See the Pope promised tax exemptions and a get into heaven free card for anybody that participated , so in my mind they were more like bounty hunters than Holy warriors. Not to mention, at that time in history it was required for everyone to be Christian, so people were considered Christian when the majority of them were probably spiritually dead and not true servants of God.

Also: "Obviously religion was created as a means to explain ones existence, also because of miraculous events that inspire faith." your already admiting that religions were created meaning they were made up. So was greek mythology how comes no one still worships zeus? i know because your just following the beliefs that your parents were brought up on if you were born in Iraq you would probly be a muslim because your parents would be.

Yea I do believe that other religions were made up but from my personal and spiritual experiences I believe my fundamental faith in the basics of Christianity(Judaism) are correct. And once again, those that do not seek God in faith will not experience these spiritual occurrences and the Bible explains why, so that's why its quite difficult to explain to the non believer why we believe.

[gilgamesh31]

Yea I do believe that other religions were made up but from my personal and spiritual experiences I believe my fundamental faith in the basics of Christianity(Judaism) are correct. And once again, those that do not seek God in faith will not experience these spiritual occurrences and the Bible explains why, so that's why its quite difficult to explain to the non believer why we believe.

Thats extremly convienient isnt it we cant see unless we believe good one! well i can actually see dinosaur remains and i dont have to believe in them first. Answer me this where Adam and Eve said to be ape like? and if youre answer is no then how would you explain evolution?

Look i know its so hard to admit that you and all the religions got it wrong but how long are people going to keep eating this rubbish? What a massive coincidence that the one religion that you were born under happens to apparantly be the only real one and all the others are wrong? Keep living in your delusions if they are what you need, people who hear the truth but continue to believe are just too weak to live alife without a God.

Why do we have to explain how the world was created or where we go when we die and how arrogant of youre religion to presume that it can answer these questions over 2000 years ago! Come on times have changed keep up, stop relishing in ancient storys and enjoy the beauty of the world that your so called "god" apparantly created.

[Hirathien]

I got a few questions for you "Believers".

Where were God during World War II?
Where were God during the Tsunami in Thailand, and the one in Japan recently?
What kind of egoistical maniac is God if he only helps you if you "believe" in him? Also, people that actually believe in him get in danger as much as the next guy, so tell me, how what does it matter to believe in this guy?

And lemme tell you, the bible is fiction, nothing but fiction. Why is it fiction? Because what can't be proven, is just that, fiction.

Good day.

[son_michael]

I guess I was mistaken thinking I could come back to this thread and have a respectable talk about religion



have a nice life gentlemen

[Jowy Atreides]

Excluding sites devoted to religious discussion, you will not find much intellectual debate regarding religion on the Internet.

[gilgamesh31]

its good to see that your “faith“ is so strong that it cant handle a few hometruths. and as for interlect at least we dont relie on some ancient scripture to tell us how to live our lives, i guess its too late for somepeople to open their eyes. have fun in cload land say hello to jesus for me, il just be burning in hell for not worshipping some old fairytale.

you keep believing il keep evolving.