On the TV show Star Trek there is a god like creature named Q.
Q has the form of a human, is all powerful and lives forever.

Do you believe there is a real God?

No idea. If you ask me, "Do you believe in God," I'll say, "No, I don't"

If you ask me, "Is there a god?" then I must reply, "I've no idea. The only real truth is that we simply don't know."

Don't know. Don't care.

RB

I don't believe that there is a real God, but I do know that Star Trek is real. Live long and prosper! /finger-hand gesture.

Most of us have seen the line in the sand and taken our positions relative to that line. I'm on the 'no ghawd' side of the line, and far removed from the fray that exists from those on both sides who draw near to the line. I'm over the hill and far away.

My explanation for all that happens resides in the Bell Shaped Curve. I also believe that 'attitude' is the most important ingredient we can bring to bear on how we feel about life. That, and 'letting go' of the need/desire to control what others think of us.

I 'believe' in a God.

Not the biblical or any religion's God.

Everyone makes it back to the 'between-life heaven' since we reincarnate.

No requirements for any worship, baptism, membership in any organization, no temple, etc. etc.

The overall goal is for people to continue to improve world conditions and improve their lives by experiencing life to the fullest on this planet in whatever condition they find themselves in. Most of which was planned and agreed to.

We have 'help' in making major decisions to support the plans we made, even if we don't recognize it. Every life, death, marriage, divorce, major illness or injury was based on plans made before we incarnated here (but some have options) none are random!

Obviously, I have no proof for any of this except personal experiences. Just to let people, that may be interested, aware of what 'some' probably only a few believe.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/27/2016 11:53PM by spiritist.

That's what I believe too.

God is not outside, God is inside. It depends on which side of the fence you sit whether or not God exists.

trespass on my land and you will find out.

If there is, it certainly doesn't want me to know about it.

In fact it seems like (if one exists) it's going out of its way to avoid being detected.

There is not just 'a' god but lots and lots of gods and even goddesses that humans on this earth believe in and worship.

So, I guess with that line of reasoning they do exist on some level because they exist in these people's lives. And, based on my observation, these beliefs of people in god or gods cause endless amounts of heartache, headache, and wars and rumors of wars.

Do I myself believe in a god or gods. Nope. Seen no proof for that one, but seen plenty of proof that they are man made and fit the culture they are conceived in.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/28/2016 01:58AM by presleynfactsrock.

If there is a god, he/she/it certainly isn't represented by any religion that I have ever encountered.

There's no evidence of any such thing, so no reason to believe one exists.
If one does, it's not one that actually ever *does* anything -- so why care?

all gods are equally real

Q is a fun smartass. One of the few reasons I sometimes watch Star Trek.

Human sacrifice on a cross for the sins of everyone else, then ritual cannibalism to remember it is just downright sick and offensive to me. I don't believe in the God of the Bible or the Jesus of Mormonism.

I tend to believe that the human need for religious things is part of our evolution. I fill it with life. Getting caught up in the migration of Sandhill cranes arriving in Nebraska and observing more than 300,000 at one time with their ancient calls filling the air with red-winged blackbirds singing at the same time on a cold spring morning at sunrise gives me more than any experience I ever had with Mormonism.

I get similar experiences watching Mercury transit the sun or observing M31 or watching a pair of bald eagles teach their young how to catch fish, or red-tailed hawks hunting, ... I suppose what happened to me is that once I discarded the fantasies, being a part of life and just watching it began mattering more to me.

michaelm (not logged in) Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Q is a fun smartass.

Veering off-topic for a moment, but related...

In 2004 I was on a flight from LA to London. I have a hard time sleeping on planes, so I was up, and walked around to stretch. Ran into another guy doing the exact same thing -- John DeLancie, the actor who plays Q. Nice guy. We made fun of each other for not being able to sleep (good-naturedly). He said Q was one of the most fun roles he ever had, the directors let him really ham it up and make up lots of his own lines. :)

Thanks for the info about him. I suspected that some of my favorite lines of his were his own and not scripted by other writers.

I have no idea--maybe, maybe not. I don't even mull the question much anymore. My mind is occupied with more immediate concerns.

Folks have all sorts of hobbies--skiing, knitting, shooting traps etc. Pondering the existence of God is one of those hobbies. I don't have any of those hobbies.

Edit; Sorry, this wasn't uttered of arrogance, it was my daily allowance of blaspheming God so I can ensure my place in hell.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/28/2016 09:31AM by quinlansolo.

You guys ever see that movie where Ra gets offed by a nuke?

I think there is a series that they spun off so they could kill other gods with machine guns and shit.

Even Q was stripped of his powers.

jacob Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You guys ever see that movie where Ra gets offed
> by a nuke?
>
> I think there is a series that they spun off so
> they could kill other gods with machine guns and
> shit.

Stargate (the movie), Stargate SG-1 (the spun-off TV series).
Good stuff :)

All of the previous gods were unreal, but I'm putting my money on this one. Not much, maybe 20 bucks.

If there is an all-powerful god, there's no excuse for the suffering it allows. I can't stand to see my kids in pain, but it allows rape, torture, excruciating pain of all kinds.

Which is why I don't understand how you can face reality and ditch Mormonism but stay in denial about some kind of loving god.

I believe there is a God, but not the one taught in Mormonism. I believe He is patient, loving and accepting

I believe God does exist. If you ask me to prove it, I can't. It is my faith in Him that guides my interactions with others in this life. I will also respect others who believe or not because it is for us each in our own way to seek Him or not. I'll not judge anyone for how they choose to believe concerning Him. Having, myself, experienced Mormonism, I understand what many here are going through and how they have arrived at their decision about God.

What if god is non-binary? It might not enjoy being referred to as male.

Come on. I'm an old fart so cut me some slack on the sexuality of God.

There is no evidence that I've seen that would point to such an existence.

Edit to add, and since there's no attempt to connect to me in a way that a human can relate or understand, I assume that it's not a goal and therefore likely no such being. Either way, it clearly doesn't matter.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/28/2016 05:05PM by Devoted Exmo.

Is anything sacred? Are there matters of ultimate concern?

I tend to answer 'yes' to those out of existential commitment, not out of empirical conclusion. I think questions of "God" ought to be similar.

"God," as I understand the term, is an anthropomorphic metaphor used in the Abrahamic faiths (and maybe elsewhere) to try to talk about the sacred, about matters of ultimate concern. I believe in making use of this metaphor-- I practice rabbinic Judaism and have found this tradition a deep, rich, nuanced, wise resource for thinking and talking about ultimate concern, the sacred. Your mileage may vary.

Unfortunately, some folks' use of the term "God" has become so shallow and banal that references to "Q" seem analogous. In this context, some times I think atheism could be the most pious position: "If *that* load of tripe is what is meant by 'God,' then no thanks."

touchstone, I like your attitude.
I would simply question...if we're actually talking about matters of ultimate concern, why not just call them that?
Why anthropomorphize them, or call them "god?"

So, why use the term "God" instead of "ultimate concern?"
My short answer: poetry.
I pray to God. I might offer analysis of my behavior as a form of mindfulness practice which often entails communal ritual element developed over centuries within a specific cultural blah blah blah... But I pray to God. For Jews, that we pray to God (not just "I") is often really important.
It's a bit like how I speak English, rather than Urdu or Greek or what-have-you: English is the vehicle I know for doing that language-thing that humans do.
My answer is fragmentary, but I hope it at least suggests a possibility. My mind's too elsewhere at the moment to be more systematic.

Perhaps praying to "ultimate concerns" seems less like "praying" and more like "wishing?" :)

Hey, whatever gets you through the day. If you're kind, honest, and genuine I couldn't care less what you do or don't pray to. I just wonder, sometimes, why people admit the "god" they believe in isn't a "god," but call it one anyway :) Thanks for the answer.

Most of my prayers are of praise, not intercession. Be that as it may, making one's wishes explicit before the throne of the Most High can push one to consider whether one's wishes are the worthiest, of the highest ideals. I expect there's value in that.
For mystics and theologians it's old news that God is bigger than our conception of God; different people have expressed this insight in different ways. Mine may not be the most elegant.

Again, I'll say if the only available conceptions of God are "god-as-puppet-master," or "God-as-quasi-scientific-explanation," then I could view atheism as more pious.

I believe there is an Is. The Is existed before the universe (which scientists now know had a starting point). Because it is the Is, humans can't/don't understand it, so we anthropomorphize it. The words "sacred" and "divine" are now so associated with conventional religion that they may no longer be useful descriptors for the Is.

Let's imagine you're right. If the "Is" doesn't try to communicate to us humans in a way that is recognizable to humans, does it's existence make any difference one way or the other?

Well, that all depends on one's agreed-upon criteria for "ways that are recognizable to us humans." Obviously, variable criteria would elicit substantively different answers to that question.

I mean in a way that can be scientifically acknowledged. Not feelings, not impressions, not dreams, etc.

Post mormonism, we know such things cannot be verified as trustworthy therefore, not indication of any universal meaning.

Adding a layer of unknown does not solve anything. We don't know the where, why, what or anything beyond our universe.

Adding an "IS" only adds more unanswerable questions.

I'm not disagreeing though. It just seems pointless.

Once we recognize "the universe is sitting on the back of a turtle" and the turtle is standing on the back of another turtle, there is no point adding more turtles. (Mormons picked up on this problem by changing the stack of turtles to an eternal chain of gods- as if that helped.)

I get that people call this dead end of knowledge "God" but we already have words for that, like "We Don't Know."

Is there a God? The very need for the question answers the question.


Does anyone ever feel they need to ask,

"Is there a sky?"

"Is there a sun?"

"Is there a a moon?"

No one asks those questions because, well, obvious. There is no need to ask them.

So the fact that "Is there a God?" is even a somewhat relevant question speaks volumes.

The real question is, "Do you want there to be a God." If you do, then it is automatic to give this personage the characteristics that you would like your god to have, namely, 'make me special* and punish everyone who I don't like.'

Special in religious terms is the equivalent of swimming in cash.

My journey unraveling what I thought about, not just what I was told to think, about Mormonism and then the question of other religions and god or gods has been, and continues to be, one of length, many questions, and much discovery. I studied and graduated with a degree in anthropology which aided my quest and my direction.

It has been an exciting journey that continues daily. I have found that humans all over the world are more alike than they are different. Universal themes permeate extremely diverse cultures. An example is caring and wanting to find out if there is a life after death and will I see my beloved ones again?

Another universal theme is that unending variation exists on the answers cultures come up with to explain life. They are colorful, creative, and sometimes crude, but they all deserve to be respected from the standpoint of being important to the individuals who created them One does not have to agree with them, believe they are right, just that they are important to these individuals.

And, I believe it is vital to question everything------especially a belief in a god or god and the religions created around this concept because often, more times than not, in questioning you will discover a plethora of issues that have been added on in this arena.

God is short for "Good".
Life is good, in as much as we exist. Therefore, good, order, cosmos, exist instead of the opposite, bad, nothing, chaos.
Einstein denied the reality revealed by quantum physics when he said, "God does not play dice with the universe."
God (nature, in this case) obviously plays dice with the universe on a quantum level, only the dice are just loaded in favor of life, otherwise we would not exist.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/29/2016 10:20AM by koriwhore.

"I say there is no God, but there is godliness" - Osho

Freeman I agree I simply do not understand how Mormons can watch the news and see all the diseases and disorders people have to deal with and little children getting brutally murdered and possibly think God could be sooooo loving. And the whole " free will thing is bullshit! I mean couldn't God have seen ahead of time what Hitler was going to do and say " ok I know your heart is evil your going to hell" oh excuse me the telestrial kingdom "how could I possibly forget?" And then let some bricks fall on his head or something? I mean isn't that a better plan then letting innocent people be tortured out of there minds and killed? I mean what kind of monster would let shit like that happen to people id be like SCREW FREE WILL!!!!! And wouldn't most people with half a heart?

Go watch this movie. It is an eye opener. Also read "The Lost Book Of Enki"
The Ancient Sumerian Cuneiform Tablets True Meaning Revealed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DEAzA6TNR0

I've heard of this theory before. Always fascinating to hear new ideas. As far as stories go this is just as plausible as any others. Funny how people get their panties in a bunch over ideas like this.

Posted by: Devoted Exmo ( ): "since there's no attempt to connect to me in a way that a human can relate or understand, I assume that it's not a goal and therefore likely no such being. Either way, it clearly doesn't matter".


Oh? Judging the thinking of man, vs. that of an all powerful God's purposes (including HisHer creations), is no contest.

A lawyer associate assures me that adding "clearly" to a position's defense just proves the issue is not "clear".

Is there a God? Might better be asked, "Is their a creator at the head of creations, including humans? Sure as heck, evolution didn't start things going (as Einstein indicated). At least, one never see's evolution "still" in progress, does one? No fish makes for a shore and stays there long enough to evolve to develop lungs and legs to stand-upright with.

A dog may be mated to change nose, tail, or legs length, but it cannot (and is not) bred to change it into a horse or elephant, no matter how many millions of years pass.

IMHO

And that means what, exactly? The fact that a dog will not change into a horse does not prove a single thing.

The fact that ant doesn't seem to care about whether or not humans are large and smarter than them and can control them means nothing to ants.

So, the idea that humans cannot know of the existence of a possible god -- because none has communicated to us in a meaningful way makes such a possible existence meaningless to humans.

I weep for your complete lack of knowledge concerning evolution.

:(

Some things are more relative than others.

If there is some puppet master watching over us...

What is it's realm? Where'd it come from? Why did it get involved in creating the biosphere of creatures that is earth? What would be the point of earth from it's point of view? Is there an end game for it? Does it have any equals, or does it exist in complete solitude, waiting to find car keys and bless bread and water? Why have so many cultures on earth apparently misconstrued their creator? If it exists, why the coyness? If we as humans exist as part of the biosphere of earth, is former and future life (eternity) a mirror of our biosphere? What would we eat, for instance? And so on and on...

Nah, too many 'out there' loose ends that make no sense, and probably wouldn't add up even in an 'afterlife' where all is revealed...

Exactly. It must be explained where it came from. And, if it is eternal, how does it re-generate eternally and what is its source of fuel? Too many questions.

For what it's worth, I live with a goddess. And I worship her, but in a typical male, lackadaisical way, involving beer and sports on TV.

And in a weird tribute to the past, I often cook up burnt offerings...

We all do and if the goddess ain't happy ain't nobody happy

Would you mind defining that term "god" for me please? I (along with everyone else in the world) don't know what that word is referencing in reality.

Thanks,

HH

Can YOU even imagine what this World would be like if there isn't a "God" watching over it???

He asked rhetorically.

Or so it seems to me...

Yes, it's called nature and it's much better, more powerful etc., than Jesus, zues, Muhammed etc. Nature lets us be part of it and understand it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/01/2016 04:54PM by perky.

Hmm, "god's" power seems to vary inversely with human knowledge/power. How about that...

http://i.imgur.com/61OvF.jpg

Jonas Salk, Jr. ghawd...