God would not want us to fear Him, It is man who wants us to fear Him. Why would God use fear to get His way? And I am an atheist! Pulsar
This top has certainly brought forth some interesting comments. Personally I don't think God exists. I just wanted to bring some ideas to the table. God is a like a father figure. Something people have created to feel safe and protected. Where did the idea of perfect came from? The only possible answer is that we experienced it from a perfect being (God).
God is a like a father figure. Something people have created to feel safe and protected i agree its a fable to teach us right and wrong so why dont go crazy plus whos bible is right --jews,muslims koran,budda,etc im not saying they have a bible persay--but why do they die for their god and we saw ours is right --its a weird battle plus the bible was written by men who was around---well stories do get misconstrued so i dont know what to believe---but if it heals your soul to believe then believe to you hearts content-----as long as your a better person for it
2000 years of Highly Intelligent People that have believed and studied about God, and you guys believe that you have the perfect idea of what God is, or whether or not He exists? Think More, Friends. You will find a good answer in your silence. Bad things happen. This is one of the trickiest things to explain. Without going into too much detail right now: If good things could not eventually come from Bad Things, God would not allow them. Soil would not grow the Vegetables we eat if it were without impurity. It is the Free Will that we have been given that people abuse. If we loved Him because he MADE us, what good would that be? It is a horrible thing when Priests and Ministers do bad things. But that is the Ministers and Priests doing the bad things, not God. Shame on them for abusing the trust they have been given. But also, shame on people who believe that somehow thay are not Human, just like us.
Linuxfed3, Why would I let someone else think for me? Just because they may or may not be smarter than I am. No one here claimed to know what God is or isn't. They just gave their opinion. Personally I think religion is more of a problem than anything. But on the other hand if we didn't fight over religion I'm sure we would find something else. I don't understand what is so important about a being that we don't even know exists or not. Most people view God as someone that loves us all. Why do we worry about it. We can't see, feel, taste or smell God. There is know danger associated with God. Why does anyone care?
In the time of Jesus,people around him like Thomas ,where gnostics, they believed every single person IS god, thus blocking the influence of the church, a powerstruggle began and the church won ! i think the way we believe in god(not the way we experience him) is indoctrinated from birth!(familie,peers, media etc.) only an inlightened person thinks for himself! and in doing so, creating new way of believing living and think for yourself !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Would you let someone work on your car if they had 1 year of experience, or 15? If a Newbie was telling you about Computer Hardware, would you listen as opposed to someone you knew had years of experience with computers? Can your few years of deliberating about God match the years, and thoughtfulness that have came before? We let people think for us all the time. Commercials and Advertisements seem to guide our culture the way it wishes. The products we buy, the clothes we wear, do you really think you are thinking for yourself? Religion, Friend, is a TOOL. I can build a house with a hammer (tool), or I can hit someone with it. A tool is at the mercy of it's user. I feel the wind on my face, but I cannot see it, smell it or taste it, does that mean it does not exist? I mean little disrespect, but I believe a lot of people don't think long enough or hard enough when it comes to thinhgs like this. A lot of the proof about God resides in the persons who have believed. Mother Theresa believed. John Paul II believed. Ghandi believed in one way or the other. These are some of the greatest people who have walked the Earth besides Christ. Don't you see the connection?
believing is not knowing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ps. i'm not a mechanic but i fix my own car(just mounted a new driveshaft)
"I feel the wind on my face, but I cannot see it, smell it or taste it, does that mean it does not exist? " But you still FELT it. With one of the 5 senses. I always hated that one. People before us used to think the sun went around the earth and that the world was flat. I'm sure they put a lot of thought into that one too. But then again, i've never went completly around the world...so do i know, for sure, that it ISNT flat??!!?? All i know is what they told me..all these thoughts...time for my head to explode.
I think that it it time I resign myself from this thread. I came to this Forum looking for DVD advice (That I appreciate very much) and I will be back. As a few have said, this really isn't the place to discuss such things. At the risk of sounding like I Planned all this, Please come to a place that you can debate better Christian Guides. The people there are very gentle, and will help some of you with the information you seek. It may suit some of you to remain as you are. So be it. http://forums.catholic.com/ I will still visit this thread, but I will not respond. I hope I have given you a good idea of what you may be missing. Please. Actually spend some time thinking about God. Not just on this Forum, but somewhere that you can actually concentrate. You will be surprised by the outcome. SEMPER FIDELIS
I would take computer advice from a Newbie. Just because the title is new doesn't mean the information is. Sometimes new is better. For example you have a new doctor and an old doctor. Yes the old doctor would have lots of experience but the new doctor would know about new treatments and techniques. Everyones thoughts are directed by one thing or the other. Its what comes out after taking that information that is your own. Personally I think this place is as good as any to have a conversation about God. Its better than a forum designed for a religions group. It opens the table up to a wider variety of ideas. The problem is that fighting is more likely to occur here because of the variety. If someone throws out and idea and some else just decided to come on it say its wrong that will cause problems. Opposed to the small group of like minded people where everyone agrees on everything (no fighting).
again you say you felt the wind --- i havent felt god in fact i feel my brothers fist more-- he treats me like im less so is he god---should i bow down look again if your a thinker and it heals you to belive then just believe were all born with different identities some believe some dont--- god is within all of us whether the name be alah,buddah, etc... i belive the real god is karma------
well i youst gotta say i dont belive in a church god. but it is a proved fact that humens need a god to look up to. for example when people are in trouble often you will pray to god for help.... people ask god for help even if thou they are not religous.. can anyone explain why????
To the Author of this thread: Google search " Dr. Ivan Panin " (a Russian Mathematician) and just study his work for 1 hour out of your life. To all the aethiests: When your burrowed in the trench and bullets are flying inches from your helmet; WHO will you call for? ( your mother doesn't count ) For the evolutioninst: If we evolved from apes, why aren't any apes still evolving into humans? Some religions have been circumsizing all male offspring. This has been going on for over 4000 years. So why don't the genes learn to be born circumsized? For those that believe in luck: The number 7 really is a lucky number; it has been woven into all facets of life that we know, in more ways than our minds can comprehend.
