O.K. then what or who is God?

[mikem8634 10]

 

Exactly! It seems you don't know the answer to what it is you believe in.

 

 

There's nothing wrong with saying I don't know. Faith is about spiritual conviction rather than the dimensions of the afterlife.

 

The journey can be of interest on many levels even if the destination is unknown.

[Jakester 10]

I think people, in times when they didn't know much about the world, invented gods to help explain why we exist and why life can be good or crap. They also invented gods to give them a sense of control; not just over the harsh environment, but also over others - especially over who or what they feared. Over the centuries, because of accumulated knowledge about the environment, people and the universe, there are fewer reasons - especially fear based reasons - to believe in a god.

 

So, now god beliefs are on their way out -or becoming more wishy washy - what do people do? They start inventing scenarios where aliens might have made us - and, in some cases, invent fearful scary aliens to boot.

 

Same old same old.

 

Very well articulated. The Hubble telescope has discovered millions of galaxies out there in an ever expanding universe. Galaxies are being formed constantly.

 

The law of physics and also averages deem there will be life out there. It just saddens me that it could be thousands of years before we encounter any as even the nearest galaxy of Andromeda would take thousands of years to get to with current technology. It took voyager 35 years to get to the edge of our own solar system!

 

We are nothing special on Earth and there is no great meaning for us being here. We are but a tiny insignificant dot in a massive universe. You live then you die , end of.

[Lockjaw 11]

I'm religious!

.

 

Yeah, fair point.

 

I guess I meant religious theists or, probably, followers of religions which promote ideas involving gods, miracles, afterlives and other such ideas ... bit long, though.

 

---------- Post added 09-12-2012 at 09:56 ----------

 

Well, a brief example is this...

 

I'm sure you know the difference beween hoping for something and claiming to have knowledge of something.

 

You continue with this...

 

I'm sure you also know the difference between belief, hope and knowledge

 

Well, yeah, but I think you're missing the point of my questioning which, as always, is to get to the bottom of what these people actiually believe and why they believe it. That's always been my underlying motivation on here. The trouble is, and this is why I responded in agreement to Richard, as soon as one appears to be getting somewhere and the crux of the matter is in sight, the evasion, riddle-me-re, insults towards or claims of insults from arrive. I'm not just talking about Janie here - Look at Fisky's responses, for instance.

 

If it appears I am hounding Janie then that's probably tribute to her resiliance and the fact that she stays around to continue engagement.

 

That does not (in my opinion of course, as always) mean that she is not guilty of evasiveness when the difficult questions come along.

 

Also,

 

There's nothing wrong with saying I don't know.

 

Of course not. It is often a very helpful answer.

 

Faith is about spiritual conviction rather than the dimensions of the afterlife.

 

Yeah, I got that bit back in the early seventies, I think. What I have spent the subsequent decades trying to get to the bottom of is where that spiritual conviction comes from and, of course (in this instance), how spiritual conviction leads to some idea that where all going to be having a big old party after we're dead.

 

I probably hold some sort of "spiritual conviction" myself but that's not in any way supernatural, it's simply an understanding and acceptance of the fact that I'm just one part of a huge thing and that my bits have "always" been here and "always" will be. This does not need or lead me to conclude that there's a guy in the sky making sure I'm not naughty or that I'm going to meet all my lost loves when I snuff it. I'm sure, as it happens, that many of my lost loves would consider that the very definition of damnation.

 

Um, are we allowed to say "as it happens" any more?

 

Anyway in short "spiritual conviction" - yeah ... ok then, "faith" - why though?

 

 

The journey can be of interest on many levels even if the destination is unknown.

 

Of course it is but my own experience proves that it is very easy to have an exceedingly interesting journey without resorting to any mumbo jumbo or having to pretend that my conciousness will continue to exist after I die.

Edited December 9, 2012 by Lockjaw

[FACEBOOK 10]

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Edited January 13, 2013 by FACEBOOK

[blues1 10]

In a recent study outlined by Dawkins,the bible belt areas of the USA watched more internet porn than secular areas.Ifind this quite amusing and wonder if any of our forum believers have an answer as to why God is not spiritually meeting their needs

[FACEBOOK 10]

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Edited January 13, 2013 by FACEBOOK

[RootsBooster 24]

In a recent study outlined by Dawkins,the bible belt areas of the USA watched more internet porn than secular areas.Ifind this quite amusing and wonder if any of our forum believers have an answer as to why God is not spiritually meeting their needs

 

It could be that in these areas, before the advent of the internet, the people weren't as aware of how much free-thought there is out there in the rest of the world. If you were raised somewhere where the vast majority of people automatically believe what they are told to believe (in terms of theism) it may well be that you aren't aware there are so many people who disagree/question/reject such stuff. The internet is full of discussions, debates, arguments, videos, articles and blogs about theism.

 

It may well be some have realised they have no reason to believe what they have been told, and while they're online also discovered what they may have been missing out on carnally

[janie48 95]

So, taking it a little further back, then: why do you believe there is an afterlife?

 

Its a long story,i'll tell you all about it some other time.In the meantime i'll keep you guessing.

[macmellus 10]

And I meant "Did you mean imagine?"

And I meant 'Do you mean 'Is it capable of anything?'.

[FACEBOOK 10]

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Edited January 13, 2013 by FACEBOOK

[Ryedo40 10]

In a recent study outlined by Dawkins,the bible belt areas of the USA watched more internet porn than secular areas.Ifind this quite amusing and wonder if any of our forum believers have an answer as to why God is not spiritually meeting their needs

 

I'm sure I read this study. If I remember correctly, Sundays was the only time porn consumption dropped to a more secular level. There are probably a few reasons for that, and one of them is that there may be more going on at church than just praising a god:D

[Lockjaw 11]

Its a long story,i'll tell you all about it some other time.In the meantime i'll keep you guessing.

 

I rest my case.