POLL: Is there a God ??

[SDC888]

There's an adage about philosophy: a little bit of it inclineth man to atheism, depth in it brings man to God. The same is true for science.



The modern scientist makes a mistake in not thinking like his predecessors, who saw science as a tool for understanding His great works, not one to be used to dismiss Him.

 

[SDC888]

And I think if aliens were real, we would know about them. We would be able to detect them...yet we look and we look, seeing nothing but nature.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

This is categorically false, and contradicts the laws of math.

Imagine finding a Rolex while on a hike in the woods and thinking "this watch must have assembled itself". That sounds ridiculous, but not as ridiculous as claiming that the much more complex natural universe assembled itself out of nothing.

You don't even need the Bible or any religion to tell you the earth was built by a super-intelligence...the vast number of complex, natural systems working in harmony and with great precision are proof enough. Pure mathematics demand a mathematician.

Nature is your proof. The Bible is your guidebook.

Atheism is nothing more than denial.

This has to be bait, lol

 

[MidseasonTweak]

“Atheism was invented when the first con man met the first fool, he took his money and his faith.”

—Insert Famous Yet Completely Pointless Person Here

See how stupid and easy that is? Why in the actual touch do I care what Mark touching Twain said about religion? That dude banged smelly 4 day post bath ***, ate porridge, lived with no AC and dropped N bombs, why do I give **** about his opinion?

Oh he was basically the only person that could write long form stories 200 years ago so he must be wise and brilliant!

And so is 99% of everything people buy, it’s all a con, what’s your point? You’ve absolutely bought some gimmick bs in your life this week so if that’s what you think religion is you’re just as guilty but with a different purchase, idiot.

-And science, imo, isn’t made or designed to explain God. I don’t think humans will ever “understand” or “know/prove he exists”, you’re not supposed to be able to, it’s incomprehensible and made that way.

If you could ever prove it you wouldn’t need faith, and faith is how god tests you. With absolute proof he exists he wouldn’t be able to test humans so why would he make any of it scientifically explainable?

Why does everyone think everything needs to explained? You’re not supposed to know everything, you can’t.

God was conviently around 2,000 years ago- getting involved in all sorts of ****, then he just goes away and expects everyone born later to believe words written by men and translated all to hell.

Some old dudes were smoking something goofy and thought it meant something.

 

[SDC888]

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

 

[WildcatfaninOhio]

“Atheism was invented when the first con man met the first fool, he took his money and his faith.”

—Insert Famous Yet Completely Pointless Person Here

See how stupid and easy that is? Why in the actual touch do I care what Mark touching Twain said about religion? That dude banged smelly 4 day post bath ***, ate porridge, lived with no AC and dropped N bombs, why do I give **** about his opinion?

Oh he was basically the only person that could write long form stories 200 years ago so he must be wise and brilliant!

And so is 99% of everything people buy, it’s all a con, what’s your point? You’ve absolutely bought some gimmick bs in your life this week so if that’s what you think religion is you’re just as guilty but with a different purchase, idiot.

-And science, imo, isn’t made or designed to explain God. I don’t think humans will ever “understand” or “know/prove he exists”, you’re not supposed to be able to, it’s incomprehensible and made that way.

If you could ever prove it you wouldn’t need faith, and faith is how god tests you. With absolute proof he exists he wouldn’t be able to test humans so why would he make any of it scientifically explainable?

Why does everyone think everything needs to explained? You’re not supposed to know everything, you can’t.

Instead of looking to advance your knowledge of how things work you prefer to accept stories from centuries ago?

I’ll never be able to understand this thinking.

Equally interesting is how you reject the Twain writings from 200 years ago. But fully embrace writings from well over a thousand years ago that were translated and revised multiple times over the centuries.

 

[The-Hack]

We would be able to detect them

I do not disagree with the premise, but your assumption that we have yet “to detect them.”

And the reasons for my confidence in their having been detected is the subject of another thread, or two.

But the likelihood of advanced alien life has absolutely no bearing on my faith. They are creatures of the same creation by the same Creator.

 

[The-Hack]

Instead of looking to advance your knowledge of how things work you prefer to accept stories from centuries ago?

Hmmmm.

WildcatfaninOhio, an interesting take!!

Regarding the oft cited biblical “translations/revisions” the essential words of Christ have been effectively traced to the common “Q” source . . . an impressive body of thousands of words which repeat, identically in most instances in Mathew, Luke and John. Mark had sources independent of “Q” but spoke of the same story and philosophy.

The “Q” source may date from the life of Christ, and is certainly no older than 12 years post his crucifixion. Most Christians recognize these words as “the words in red.”

There is no doubt as to Christ’s central message.

And interestingly, while you could point to examples in the Old Testament of words or thoughts contradictory of modern science, no one has found the “words in red” to contain such ancient fallacies!!

Proof of Christ’s ultimate divinity or sheer coincidence??

The Bible, especially the Old Testament, contain prejudices and paradigms of early philosophy in a rural area.

Yet the words that led me to God do not.

 

[WildcatfaninOhio]

Hmmmm.

WildcatfaninOhio, an interesting take!!

Regarding the oft cited biblical “translations/revisions” the essential words of Christ have been effectively traced to the common “Q” source . . . an impressive body of thousands of words which repeat, identically in most instances in Mathew, Like and John. Mark had sources independent of “Q” but spoke of the same story and philosophy.

The “Q” source may date from the life of Christ, and is certainly no older than 12 years post his crucifixion. Most Christians recognize these words as “the words in red.”

There is no doubt as to Christ’s central message.

And interestingly, while you could point to examples in the Old Testament of words or thoughts contradictory of modern science, no one has found the “words in red” to contain such ancient fallacies!!

Proof of Christ’s ultimate divinity or sheer coincidence??

The Bible, especially the Old Testament, contain prejudices and paradigms of early philosophy in a rural area.

Yet the words that led me to God do not.

So, no chance in your mind that JC was actually “born from a young girl”, and it was mistranslated into “born from a virgin”?

And JC supposedly using his magic wand to turn water into wine doesn’t contradict science? Him supposedly walking on water? Him supposedly healing lepers with his words? Him supposedly feeding 5,000 people with a filet o fish sammich?

 

[SDC888]

I do not disagree with the premise, but your assumption that we have yet “to detect them.”

And the reasons for my confidence in their having been detected is the subject of another thread, or two.

I think such evidence is inconclusive at best. If aliens existed, we'd be able to detect their presence elsewhere in the universe, and they us, unless it's the case that as civilizations advanced, they'd inevitably destroy themselves such that their detectability is merely a blip.

The fact that we don't see a universe teeming with life is a very strong argument against there being any.

So, no chance in your mind that JC was actually “born from a young girl”, and it was mistranslated into “born from a virgin”?

And JC supposedly using his magic wand to turn water into wine doesn’t contradict science? Him supposedly walking on water? Him supposedly healing lepers with his words? Him supposedly feeding 5,000 people with a filet o fish sammich?

It doesn't, no. And yes, no chance to the former.

 

[Beatle Bum]

That’s a lot of faith in scientists my friend. I think that’s a difficult thing to calculate. For all we know there are thousands of planets with human like creatures.

Actually, for all we know there is … one.

 

[The-Hack]

And JC supposedly using his magic wand to turn water into wine doesn’t contradict science? Him supposedly walking on water? Him supposedly healing lepers with his words? Him supposedly feeding 5,000 people with a filet o fish sammich?

Miracles are the work of an
omnipotent power. A misrepresentation of scientific fact is like the Old Teatament suggestion the Sun stopped circling above earth for two hours, or that Jonah was swallowed by a large “fish” that had to be a whale . . . or a suggestion the world is
flat . . . or that there are only 5 planets . . . .

These latter examples are clearly indicative of a simple rural people’s
(mis)understanding of the cosmos of
that period. Yet Christ, who sprang forth from that same rural people, uttered thousands of words rendered all
the more timeless by their lack of expression of 1st Century scientific ignorance.

Again, coincidence?

 

[WildcatfaninOhio]

Miracles are the work of an
omnipotent power. A misrepresentation of scientific fact is like the Old Teatament suggestion the Sun stopped circling above earth for two hours, or that Jonah was swallowed by a large “fish” that had to be a whale . . . or a suggestion the world is
flat . . . or that there are only 5 planets . . . .

These latter examples are clearly indicative of a simple rural people’s
(mis)understanding of the cosmos of
that period. Yet Christ, who sprang forth from that same rural people, uttered thousands of words rendered all
the more timeless by their lack of expression of 1st Century scientific ignorance.

Again, coincidence?

Correct if I’m wrong here. Don’t you people believe that 3 can equal 1? As in, the invisible man, his kid (JC), and a spooky ghost? In the two paragraphs above you make a clear distinction between new testament JC and old testament invisible man. But they’re the same, not different? Or has that changed?

And if a loose collection of ancient tales that’s been pieced together from dozens of sources, translated multiple times, and edited multiple times, lacks scientific ignorance, then yes…coincidence!

 

[SDC888]

Christ had to speak to man of the tiem and place in a manner intelligible to men of that time and place.

He couldn't just say E=mc^2 and that the speed of light is constant in a vacuum like "your" atheitst objectinos demand of Him. That His words are as potent today as they were then is a testament to their veracity.

 

[WildcatfaninOhio]

Christ had to speak to man of the tiem and place in a manner intelligible to men of that time and place.

He couldn't just say E=mc^2 and that the speed of light is constant in a vacuum like "your" atheitst objectinos demand of Him. That His words are as potent today as they were then is a testament to their veracity.

So JC/god/ghost created man and woman? And they/them created man and woman to be too mentally slow to possibly comprehend the simplest of scientific facts that we currently expect 6th graders to have a firm understanding? And because they/them created us with such a minimal ability to understand basic facts, they/them talked down to us? Sounds patronizing and condescending.

 

[WildcatfaninOhio]

 

[TCurtis75_rivals88839]

So JC/god/ghost created man and woman? And they/them created man and woman to be too mentally slow to possibly comprehend the simplest of scientific facts that we currently expect 6th graders to have a firm understanding? And because they/them created us with such a minimal ability to understand basic facts, they/them talked down to us? Sounds patronizing and condescending.

Patronizing and condescending? Sounds like most Christians in the world today including those in this thread.

 

[Beatle Bum]

The irony.

 

[TCurtis75_rivals88839]

The irony.

Is lost on you. Not surprising.

 

[Beatle Bum]

Atheist Michael Shemer has a discussion with Stephen Meyer without being demeaning. That is only one interesting aspect of this video.

 

[Beatle Bum]

The relationship between belief and religiosity is an interesting topic. Religiosity, if not even belief itself, at least in Western civilization, is/has been on decline. There are many who study this phenomenon, quantifying and attempting to understand/explain why. Here are just a mere couple of the MANY videos exploring this complicated and fascinating issue:

There is no decline in religion in the U.S. There may be more religion today than at any time in my life. The distinction is that the rise of new religions are not accepted by many, including the people who worship within, as religion. Nevertheless, theist religions have been replaced by non-theist religions. I avoid the word atheist, even though that is one of the religions for some atheists, purposefully.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

There is no decline in religion in the U.S. There may be more religion today than at any time in my life. The distraction is that the rise of new religions are not accepted by many, including the people who worship within, as religion. Nevertheless, theist religions have been replaced by non-theist religions. I avoid the word atheist, even though that is one of the religions for some atheists, purposefully.

Religion is on the decline here, and around the world.

Religious extremists appear to be on the rise though, as religion shrinks.

 

[Beatle Bum]

So JC/god/ghost created man and woman? And they/them created man and woman to be too mentally slow to possibly comprehend the simplest of scientific facts that we currently expect 6th graders to have a firm understanding? And because they/them created us with such a minimal ability to understand basic facts, they/them talked down to us? Sounds patronizing and condescending.

There actually is no evidence that I am aware that people of any Biblical age were mentally slower, as you say, than people today.

 

[Anon1640710541]

Still no.

 

[Beatle Bum]

Religion is on the decline here, and around the world.

Disagree.

Religious extremists appear to be on the rise though, as religion shrinks.

Extremism may be on the rise. I believe, for example, that atheists are becoming more extreme. There used to be a handful of evangelistic atheists. Now, there appears to be many.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

Disagree.



Extremism may be on the rise. I believe, for example, that atheists are becoming more extreme. There used to be a handful of evangelistic atheists. Now, there appears to be many.

What do you mean you disagree? It's statistically true

 

[Beatle Bum]

What do you mean you disagree? It's statistically true

I am assuming you are defining religion as only those belief systems that are theist. As I explicitly mentioned, I believe religion exists beyond those traditional religions.

 

[KentuckyStout]

You should stop confusing/conflating religion with God's existence.

Read what Paul was inspired by God to write about religion (Babylon the Great) while in prison on Patmos. It's written in the final book of the Bible. (Hint: it doesn't end well for religion).

 

[megablue]

I am assuming you are defining religion as only those belief systems that are theist. As I explicitly mentioned, I believe religion exists beyond those traditional religions.

There is no decline in religion in the U.S. There may be more religion today than at any time in my life. The distinction is that the rise of new religions are not accepted by many, including the people who worship within, as religion. Nevertheless, theist religions have been replaced by non-theist religions. I avoid the word atheist, even though that is one of the religions for some atheists, purposefully.

Would it not be correct to say, by definition, that non-theists are secular, while theists are religious ??
Based on that, many research studies and surveys show that religion is on the decline in the U.S. and Western Civilization.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/gra...s "of or relating,limit of a human lifetime).

 

[Beatle Bum]

Would it not be correct to say, by definition, that non-theists are secular, while theists are religious ??
Based on that, many studies show that religion is on the decline in the U.S. and Western Civilization.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/gra...s "of or relating,limit of a human lifetime).

What studies? Certainly not census surveys. You would not mean that for “studies.” So, what studies?

BTW, I don’t mind the word “secular,” but secularism has been regarded as a religion.

 

[megablue]

What studies? Certainly not census surveys. You would not mean that for “studies.” So, what studies?

BTW, I don’t mind the word “secular,” but secularism has been regarded as a religion.

There are research studies, that employ surveys, but perhaps I should’ve used surveys, versus studies. Indeed, there are distinctions between studies and surveys, but I believe both research studies and simple surveys have indicated a decline in religion in the U.S. and Western Civilization.

I will edit my post to include research studies and surveys to make it more accurate.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[Beatle Bum]

There are research studies, that employ surveys, but perhaps I should’ve used surveys, versus studies. Indeed, there are distinctions between studies and surveys, but I believe both research studies and simple surveys have indicated a decline in religion in the U.S. and Western Civilization.

I will edit my post to include research studies and surveys to make it more accurate.

Thanks for the reply.

Yeah, the problem with surveys or even research is that if “religion” is used, most people only think of traditional religions, which tend to be theist or Buddhist.

 

[WildcatfaninOhio]

 

[cole854]

Still no.

Still wrong, but you're still in the game so you have a chance.

 

[ukalum1988]

Alleluia!!! Jesus Christ is risen! Have a Happy & Blessed Easter!!

 

[mcnicKY91]

Alleluia!!! Jesus Christ is risen! Have a Happy & Blessed Easter!!

He is risen indeed!! Happy Easter to all!

 

[crashtestdummy_rivals61973]

 

[BMoore2]

Still haven’t conclusively determined the presence of the metaphysical? You guys keep it up, and we’ll figure it out.

 

[RunninRichie]

And I think if aliens were real, we would know about them. We would be able to detect them...yet we look and we look, seeing nothing but nature.

LOL, you think we would detect aliens? How so? These are advanced beings that are wayy more advanced than we are. It's more plausable that aliens created us than a man in the sky. Why do you think UFO sightings spike when we start testing nukes?

 

[Beatle Bum]

LOL, you think we would detect aliens? How so? These are advanced beings that are wayy more advanced than we are. It's more plausable that aliens created us than a man in the sky. Why do you think UFO sightings spike when we start testing nukes?

So, you’re saying aliens are undetectable and yet so many people believe in aliens. Interesting.