Either there is a God, or there isn't.

[diablodelmar]

There is no other way out (strangely enough). Both possibilities are frightening. If there is a God then we'd better find out who he is and what he wants!

If there isn't a God, then we are hurtling through space at 66,000 MPH with nobody to care about us.

Which side do you take?

I believe there is a God, because whichever way you believe, it is by purely faith. There is no imperical evidence to support the (non)existence of a God. Frankly, I would rather believe that we were created by a loving God who has a purpose for us than to believe we came from a rock and are getting better progressivly. In effect, evolution teaches us that we are Gods. We are slowly becoming more and more like perfect Gods through a slow process.

What is your take? If you don't believe in a God (Atheist) then tell me, in some relative detail, what (or who, more specifically) defines right from wrong? The government?

No personal attacks please.

 

[FreeTerminus]

I believe there is a God, because whichever way you believe, it is by purely faith. There is no imperical evidence to support the (non)existence of a God.

Hi Does there need to be evidence for the nonexistence of something before we believe it doesnt exist?

 

[The Last Conformist]

”An atheist doesn’t have to be someone who thinks he has a proof that there can’t be a god. He only has to be someone who believes that the evidence on the God question is at a similar level to the evidence on the werewolf question.”
-- John McCarthy

 

[GenMarshall]

I am a Roman Catholic and I believe in God. I believe that God is devine in three persons known as the Holy Trinity; The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit.

 

[diablodelmar]

Hi Does there need to be evidence for the nonexistence of something before we believe it doesnt exist?

Not at all! Thats not my point.

 

[diablodelmar]

”An atheist doesn’t have to be someone who thinks he has a proof that there can’t be a god. He only has to be someone who believes that the evidence on the God question is at a similar level to the evidence on the werewolf question.”
-- John McCarthy

That more or less answers my question about your take!

 

[diablodelmar]

I am a Roman Catholic and I believe in God. I believe that God is devine in three persons known as the Holy Trinity; The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Thats my belief, except minus the Catholic bit (although I have no problems with Catholics). I'm a protestant.

 

[FreeTerminus]

Not at all! Thats not my point.

Hi My take is that it isn't really a matter of faith to say "I don't believe in the existence of a god", because I can't really see any evidence for that existence. I think its more an extension of reason.

 

[diablodelmar]

Hi My take is that it isn't really a matter of faith to say "I don't believe in the existence of a god", because I can't really see any evidence for that existence. I think its more an extension of reason.

My point was not the former, only I wanted to just include in my post how the arguement "I have proof God doesn't exist" is not realistic. Think of it this way, but let me ask you (FreeTerminus) a question. Do you know half of everything?

 

[FreeTerminus]

My point was not the former, only I wanted to just include in my post how the arguement "I have proof God doesn't exist" is not realistic. Think of it this way, but let me ask you (FreeTerminus) a question. Do you know half of everything?

Hi Alright, I agree with you; but I haven't heard many people say that they have proof of the nonexistence of god.

No, I don't know half of everything. Or, if I do, I'm not aware of it

 

[diablodelmar]

Ok, well then, lets imagine you do know half of everything. Do you think it might be possible that God exists in the other half that you don't know?

I find that an interesting thought.

 

[GenMarshall]

Seeing in previous religious polls, I would not be supprised to see atheism being a majority in this forum.

 

[diablodelmar]

Seeing in previous religious polls, I would not be supprised to see atheism being a majority in this forum.

Yes, I was aware of the other religious polls, but I simply wanted to make a point, and decided to make a poll to attract people in/make the post more interesting.

 

[FreeTerminus]

Ok, well then, lets imagine you do know half of everything. Do you think it might be possible that God exists in the other half that you don't know?

I find that an interesting thought.

Hi Yes, its possible (unless its a logical contradiction). But from my point of view, I don't think I should subscribe to something just because it has a possibility of being true.
And hey, these kinds of polls are useful for us new people, too!

 

[Pyrite]

diablo, what you're essentially doing with your question "do you know half of everything" is putting an accurate amount of uncertainty into the equation. And it's a good point, since we know so very little about the universe, what makes us think so grandiosely that we know for certain (at least at the moment, out of negative reasoning, reasoning based on the absence of something!) that god does not exist? But I don't know about other things in the universe because they don't effect my life really. The galaxy a billion light years away, I have no idea what the conditions in it are like, because it means absolutely nothing to me, it doesn't factor in, in everyday life. Now, god for example should be different. If there is a god, I should certainly be aware of it. If I'm not, me being this cosmically minute speck of dust, cannot be blamed. So, to me, it's either no god, or a ****ed up god playing peekaboo every thousand years or so.

 

[diablodelmar]

Hi Yes, its possible (unless its a logical contradiction). But from my point of view, I don't think I should subscribe to something just because it has a possibility of being true.
And hey, these kinds of polls are useful for us new people, too!

But you definitly should deeply consider the possibility! By the way, I suppose your an Evolutionist? What about you CivGeneral? Are you a Creationist or Evolutionist?

 

[diablodelmar]

diablo, what you're essentially doing with your question "do you know half of everything" is putting an accurate amount of uncertainty into the equation. And it's a good point, since we know so very little about the universe, what makes us think so grandiosely that we know for certain (at least at the moment, out of negative reasoning, reasoning based on the absence of something!) that god does not exist? But I don't know about other things in the universe because they don't effect my life really. The galaxy a billion light years away, I have no idea what the conditions in it are like, because it means absolutely nothing to me, it doesn't factor in, in everyday life. Now, god for example should be different. If there is a god, I should certainly be aware of it. If I'm not, me being this cosmically minute speck of dust, cannot be blamed. So, to me, it's either no god, or a ****ed up god playing peekaboo every thousand years or so.

About the "half of everything" reponse, precisely!

 

[FreeTerminus]

But you definitly should deeply consider the possibility! By the way, I suppose your an Evolutionist? What about you CivGeneral? Are you a Creationist or Evolutionist?

Hi I considered the possibility. I used to be really religious (I was raised that way), but I asked myself enough questions that it just didn't make sense for me to believe anymore.
And yes, I think evolution has had enough evidence to give it serious weight. What about you?

 

[GenMarshall]

What about you CivGeneral? Are you a Creationist or Evolutionist?

For me, this is kind of a complex viewpoint that I should best simplyfy. I believe that God has indeed created the entire universe as well as providing the ingredience for life (The basic chemical elements for DNA and amino acids) and I believe that God has let evolution take it's natural course. In a sense I am an Evolutionist as well as a creationist (note the lower casing since many Catholics dont take creationism literaly as God created every living thing) with a belief that God created the universe at the Big Bang.

 

[A'AbarachAmadan]

Well, can't vote in the poll because I'm agnostic. I believe both poll options are belief in something that hasn't been proven either way. I prefer to reserve judgement until I see evidence one way or the other. I often play Texas Hold'em Poker; right now I have no idea what the down cards are in the other hand.