God does not exist.

Bat Attack · 12-12-2008, 03:18 PM

Discuss atheism and the statement “God does not exist”.

Why do people worship God? The answer cannot possibly be – for giving them life, as without life there would be no God. So why do people worship God?
Prayer is a waste of time. If it seems to work, coincidence is usually the answer.

Some quotes:
Stephen Roberts - I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours .
Epicurus - Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?

Godslayer Jillian · 12-12-2008, 03:24 PM

http://bligbi.com/wp-content/uploads...l-atheists.jpg

MollyMac · 12-12-2008, 03:27 PM

In the Christian faith I was raised in (Pentecostal), we were taught essentially that because there is life, there is Origin. Where there is Origin, there is God.

Made me think of the All-Spark from the Transformers, but then that is not the worst parallel one can draw.

For many Christians that I have met, God is life, the pulse, the reason.

I can get that in the sense that for many, the idea of no Origin, no Afterwards is terrifying. It is calming for many to think that their life is the middle of a story and not the set-up or take-down. There is less responsibility that way.

Prayer is only a waste of time if you are giving it lip service only.

Bat Attack · 12-12-2008, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Godslayer Jillian

http://bligbi.com/wp-content/uploads...l-atheists.jpg

Either that link doesn’t work, or I don’t get it.

HumanePain · 12-12-2008, 03:39 PM

God exists in my mind, and because He does, I can do things that I couldn't do before. Your mileage may vary.

Godslayer Jillian · 12-12-2008, 03:40 PM

I can do things no one else would dare to do because I'm a narcissist.

Bat Attack · 12-12-2008, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MollyMac

In the Christian faith I was raised in (Pentecostal), we were taught essentially that because there is life, there is Origin. Where there is Origin, there is God.

Made me think of the All-Spark from the Transformers, but then that is not the worst parallel one can draw.

For many Christians that I have met, God is life, the pulse, the reason.

I can get that in the sense that for many, the idea of no Origin, no Afterwards is terrifying. It is calming for many to think that their life is the middle of a story and not the set-up or take-down. There is less responsibility that way.

Prayer is only a waste of time if you are giving it lip service only.

So MollyMac, are you a religious Christian? Because if you are, I would like to ask you this (out of pure curiosity): What if, for example, you were bought up as a religious Jew?

Bat Attack · 12-12-2008, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HumanePain

God exists in my mind, and because He does, I can do things that I couldn't do before. Your mileage may vary.

Why "He"?

..................................................

HumanePain · 12-12-2008, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bat Attack

Why "He"?

..................................................

Because "It" would remind you people of The Addams Family.

Eclipsing the Son · 12-12-2008, 03:44 PM

I rarely pray for anything but the strength to continue with what I can recognize as God's will. What will happen will happen outside of human control but it is not impossible that what happens is in the control of a higher power. Prayer for the ability to cope is all that religion truly asks of a person. Most people have it twisted when it comes to the beliefs of others.

To believe that what we perceive with our limited human senses is all there is in the universe is very arrogant and incredibly naive.

Bat Attack · 12-12-2008, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HumanePain

Because "It" would remind you people of The Addams Family.

Then why not "she"? Tell me HumanePain, in all seriousness, do you believe that God is male?

HumanePain · 12-12-2008, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bat Attack

Then why not "she"? Tell me HumanePain, in all seriousness, do you believe that God is male?

In all seriousness, no, I do not.

Bat Attack · 12-12-2008, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eclipsing the Son

To believe that what we perceive with our limited human senses is all there is in the universe is very arrogant and incredibly naive.

And it's easier.
To believe what we DO NOT perceive with our limited human senses could be seen as imaginary.

Duane · 12-12-2008, 03:48 PM

He might exist, but I don't believe so.

HumanePain · 12-12-2008, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Godslayer Jillian

I can do things no one else would dare to do because I'm a narcissist.

And because you have a few billion more neural connections than most of us.

MollyMac · 12-12-2008, 03:50 PM

No, at best I am Unitarian these days. But for the sake of argument- if I was brought up in the Jewish faith/belief system, I suppose that the bukc of what I believe would be the same, save that I wouldn't have learned about Christ in such gory detail at Bible Camp.

Not saying any of that to be facetious, either.

I have always wondered about faiths and denominations that have pre-set prayers and penances. Seems like it would lose some flavor and feeling if you just recite; it always seemed hollow to me to just recite words. Seems to me like they would be a waste of time as I have always thought that one's relationship with their deitym or lack thereof, should be an individual, personl thing. Not a Wal-Mart like epithet.

Bat Attack · 12-12-2008, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HumanePain

In all seriousness, no, I do not.

So do you believe that God is a supernatural being? Or just some sort of magical energy/power? Surely if it is some sort of magical energy/power, then it is not God, but a force.

MollyMac · 12-12-2008, 03:54 PM

God is just a word for an idea. Some people's idea is Charleton Heston, some is something like a nebula, some are neurons.

HumanePain · 12-12-2008, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MollyMac

No, at best I am Unitarian these days. But for the sake of argument- if I was brought up in the Jewish faith/belief system, I suppose that the bukc of what I believe would be the same, save that I wouldn't have learned about Christ in such gory detail at Bible Camp.

Not saying any of that to be facetious, either.

I have always wondered about faiths and denominations that have pre-set prayers and penances. Seems like it would lose some flavor and feeling if you just recite; it always seemed hollow to me to just recite words. Seems to me like they would be a waste of time as I have always thought that one's relationship with their deitym or lack thereof, should be an individual, personl thing. Not a Wal-Mart like epithet.

I agree; this is what left me "thirsty" and searching for something more, mainly, to read and reread the bible completely on my own until I could understand and come to my own conclusions.

I came to prefer Jesus over the pre- and post-Jesus writers of the bible.

Duane · 12-12-2008, 04:00 PM

There is a chance that he/she exists, and that he/she has filled the world with confusion over his/her existence as a test. One where everyone has a chance of failing or passing, with no regards to wether they be christian/islamic etc etc.

Bat Attack · 12-12-2008, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MollyMac

God is just a word for an idea. Some people's idea is Charleton Heston, some is something like a nebula, some are neurons.

But in that case, God definitely DOES exist, as it could be anything. Or of course it could mean the complete opposite that God definitely does not exist. I think that the main idea of God, is in fact a supernatural being, or something along those lines. It does get rather confusing, when people say that God can be anything that people want it to be. That can't be, or else it wouldn't be GOD. Some people say that God is a metaphor. How can one worship a metaphor?
Oh dear, my paragraph is rather jumbled. I hope it makes sense.

Godslayer Jillian · 12-12-2008, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MollyMac

God is just a word for an idea.

It's hard to believe all the people that say this actually believe it when they go about attributing all sorts of arbitrary qualities to this idea.
Besides, if they really believed it, why do they insist in calling him God when I tell them it's more akin to Satya?

EDIT: Oh wait, if we read it as an idea of a supernatural being that can be as arbitrary as anyone chooses (e.g. a nebula) then the above argument doesn't count, but neither does the quote, as we're talking about reasons to believe, not beliefs.