Is God real post your thoughts!

[Promise]

This thread was created to debate your ideas about whether a god does exist. This isn't restricted to Christianity, which seems like everyone is aiming at. This friendly place to exchange your beliefs and talk about it, but all I've seen are ignorant and disrespectful posts. Just because someone has a different belief, that gives you no right to look down upon them or call it wrong. God is a very vague term and can refer to anything from Buddhist Demigods to Jesus Christ. I won't name any of you, but flaming a person because of their religious beliefs is called discrimination. Something you might want to think about. I find it very sad that this is happening during the holiday season. :shame:

 

 

 

I'd agree that looking down on people with different beliefs is in bad tatse, but there's nothing bad about denouncing other's beliefs as wrong.

 

 

 

I don't know where you get that people here are being descriminated against because of their beliefs, either. Calling a belief stupid/insane or anything else for that matter isn't an attack on the person, it's an attack on the belief.

 

 

 

It's good you don't see those posts, but that's because those posts were deleted. There were posts boldy calling people [developmentally delayed]ed for being Christians. Any type of behavior towards another person based solely on his qualities or beliefs is considered discrimination. It can be good or bad, but in this case, religious discrimination is bad. Its nice to have threads were people can maturely talk about these things, but we have to remember, religion is a life style for some people, and will take it personally. I'm just trying to get us to take it down a notch. It's fine to not believe something and state your reason why, but attacking someone else for not sharing the same opinion is just uncalled for.

[assassin_696]

What about objects within the balloon? It's not like there's just one curved plane where everything exists, right?

 

 

 

Or maybe it is. I'm not sure. But if it isn't, then those objects wouldn't seem to be moving far away from us. Isn't Andromeda coming towards us?

 

 

 

EDIT: Sorry, I didn't read an entire section of you post (the one equating us to flatlanders). Back to the balloon analogy-- the expansion of the Universe could be observed in three dimensions, right? As in, we are not flatlanders, but creatures aware that we are within a certain layer on a certain position in the Universe. Isn't the space within the balloon host to several more objects?

 

 

 

This is where the balloon analogy starts to fall down. For it to work you have to imagine that the entire Universe is on the flat surface of the balloon, and this is all we know. The analogy is useful because we can obviously see the other dimensions which the balloon can expand in, we are one dimension higher than the balloon world inhabitants. To extend the balloon picture to three dimensions is harder (I've never really been able to do it) because we live in a three dimensional (spatial) world, and so can't easily imagine four dimenions.

 

 

 

Yes, Andromeda is coming towards us, but I believe this is simply due to loaclised gravitational effects. Nearly every other galaxy is redshifted.

[The Dark Lord]

I never got the idea behind church and worship. If God created our world, wouldn't he want us to enjoy it to the fullest instead of wasting our time extolling him and reciting the same verses over and over again?

 

 

 

No, he's just vain like that. His universe, his rules.

[warri0r45]

This thread was created to debate your ideas about whether a god does exist. This isn't restricted to Christianity, which seems like everyone is aiming at. This friendly place to exchange your beliefs and talk about it, but all I've seen are ignorant and disrespectful posts. Just because someone has a different belief, that gives you no right to look down upon them or call it wrong. God is a very vague term and can refer to anything from Buddhist Demigods to Jesus Christ. I won't name any of you, but flaming a person because of their religious beliefs is called discrimination. Something you might want to think about. I find it very sad that this is happening during the holiday season. :shame:

 

 

 

I'd agree that looking down on people with different beliefs is in bad tatse, but there's nothing bad about denouncing other's beliefs as wrong.

 

 

 

I don't know where you get that people here are being descriminated against because of their beliefs, either. Calling a belief stupid/insane or anything else for that matter isn't an attack on the person, it's an attack on the belief.

 

 

 

It's good you don't see those posts, but that's because those posts were deleted. There were posts boldy calling people [developmentally delayed] for being Christians. Any type of behavior towards another person based solely on his qualities or beliefs is considered discrimination. It can be good or bad, but in this case, religious discrimination is bad. Its nice to have threads were people can maturely talk about these things, but we have to remember, religion is a life style for some people, and will take it personally. I'm just trying to get us to take it down a notch. It's fine to not believe something and state your reason why, but attacking someone else for not sharing the same opinion is just uncalled for.

 

 

 

I saw the posts before they were deleted and I don't think he criticised a Christian for being Christian, rather he criticised Christianity. You're the mod, though. I could just have a bad memory.

 

 

 

I'm aware people may take criticism of their beliefs very personally. As far as I'm concerned, that's exactly the problem. Even a mild negative criticism (ok, we're not talking anything eloquent here, but it's a lot lighter than the comments you deleted) is taken as "flaming" and people get personally offended as if it's character assassination.

 

 

 

Anyone that deeply tied to an ideology shouldn't be protected from criticism like an overprotected child is by a mother. They need to realise that there are people out there who want to speak out about their views, and do so vigorously. That's just reality, and people are going to have to deal with it at one point or another. On the other hand, I realise that in many ways I'm fighting a loosing battle here. If I want a freer debate about sensitive issues I can easily go elsewhere. Still, my point should be easy enough to understand.

[gman019]

This thread was created to debate your ideas about whether a god does exist. This isn't restricted to Christianity, which seems like everyone is aiming at. This friendly place to exchange your beliefs and talk about it, but all I've seen are ignorant and disrespectful posts. Just because someone has a different belief, that gives you no right to look down upon them or call it wrong. God is a very vague term and can refer to anything from Buddhist Demigods to Jesus Christ. I won't name any of you, but flaming a person because of their religious beliefs is called discrimination. Something you might want to think about. I find it very sad that this is happening during the holiday season. :shame:

 

 

 

 

 

Judging by the thread title, I think it's a logical assumption to think that the thread is about Christianity. Buddhist Demigods aren't referred to as "God". Jesus Christ deals with Christianity, as well. Nice job contradicting yourself. =D>

[psvstef]

i don't hope so.

[meol]

Your point is nicely put warrior, I understand what you are trying to say. However, the posts we're talking about were clearly over the line; we aren't babysitting beliefs, we are attacking harsh trolling. Why would you want to participate in a debate where the arguments are "lol god doesn't exist" and "anyone that believes in god is _____"?

 

 

 

Anyway, let's try and get the thread back on track.

 

I personally am an agnostic atheist. It seems to me that religion can't be more than a human invention that has always tried to "fill the gaps" -natural happenings like thunder in the ancient times, and the creation of the universe in modern times. The creation of religion is quite easily explained as a sociological event, as means of keeping social order, of giving people hope in the form of an afterlife, and of establishing a tight set of morals and ethics. To me, religion is society's answer to specific social circumstances.

 

 

 

That would mean I simply don't follow any religion, so I could also be a Pantheist or a Deist, but I simply can't force myself into believing through blind faith if there are no proofs. I simply am too much of a logical thinker, so you could say God made me an atheist.

 

 

 

Still, I wouldn't want religion to disappear, because it still has a function. Religion brings people together as communities, and it brings them together to work for charity. It's needed because some people might not follow the same morals without the expectation of eternal rewards/damnation. It's needed because it can bring hope to the desperate. Fundamentalism and is the only aspect of religion I can't stand, but I can't take those exceptions as the rule.

[Cup Lion]

I saw the posts before they were deleted and I don't think he criticised a Christian for being Christian, rather he criticised Christianity. You're the mod, though. I could just have a bad memory.

 

Eh, I remember the poster specifically saying something along the lines of "God is not real, and people who believe He is real are [developmentally delayed]".

[NoMoreDead]

This thread was created to debate your ideas about whether a god does exist. This isn't restricted to Christianity, which seems like everyone is aiming at. This friendly place to exchange your beliefs and talk about it, but all I've seen are ignorant and disrespectful posts. Just because someone has a different belief, that gives you no right to look down upon them or call it wrong. God is a very vague term and can refer to anything from Buddhist Demigods to Jesus Christ. I won't name any of you, but flaming a person because of their religious beliefs is called discrimination. Something you might want to think about. I find it very sad that this is happening during the holiday season. :shame:

 

 

 

 

 

Judging by the thread title, I think it's a logical assumption to think that the thread is about Christianity. Buddhist Demigods aren't referred to as "God". Jesus Christ deals with Christianity, as well. Nice job contradicting yourself. =D>

 

 

 

:wall:

 

 

 

There is no contradiction there. The thread is about the existence of a deity, and NOT about one specific deity. The reason we debate the Christian God as much as we do is because there are (1) More Christians on Tip.it than anything else, and (2) Christianity is the most followed religion in many of the countries where Tip.it'ers are from (USA, UK, ECT), and therefore people have more knowledge on the subject than they do on Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, ECT.

[Necrobean]

I couldn't resist. Not even in the mood to read all of these discussions;

 

 

 

 

Does conventional logic, in that case, work if you don't have a baseball? What else do you do?

 

 

 

Without having a baseball? That's a lie, so are we now saying that religion is a lie? Now we're getting somewhere...

[warri0r45]

I saw the posts before they were deleted and I don't think he criticised a Christian for being Christian, rather he criticised Christianity. You're the mod, though. I could just have a bad memory.

 

Eh, I remember the poster specifically saying something along the lines of "God is not real, and people who believe He is real are [developmentally delayed]".

 

 

 

You know what - you're absolutely right (and Meol is too).

 

 

 

Sorry, it's just my average memory. In a way I think my post still has some relevance to this thread as a whole, but not to those comments because they were obviously over the line.

[Lenticular_J]

Judging by the thread title, I think it's a logical assumption to think that the thread is about Christianity. Buddhist Demigods aren't referred to as "God". Jesus Christ deals with Christianity, as well. Nice job contradicting yourself. =D>

 

Yahweh. Allah. Dios. Vashni. Thor. Zeus. Jupiter.

 

 

 

There are too many hands waving. AUGH

[Cup Lion]

I couldn't resist. Not even in the mood to read all of these discussions;

 

 

 

 

Does conventional logic, in that case, work if you don't have a baseball? What else do you do?

 

 

 

Without having a baseball? That's a lie, so are we now saying that religion is a lie? Now we're getting somewhere...

 

Then that first comic has no relation with this thread. The problem is, we can't take God physically and show people that he is there. So, what do we do? How do we use "conventional logic" to prove God exists?

[Perakp]

I just don't get why people want to live forever. Other than that I guess I got nothing against christianity or those other religions where you reincarnate or you are reborn or w/e

 

 

 

I find eternity, as an idea, to be extremely dull, and in a way, frightening.

[Adam007]

I just don't get why people want to live forever. Other than that I guess I got nothing against christianity or those other religions where you reincarnate or you are reborn or w/e

 

 

 

I find eternity, as an idea, to be extremely dull, and in a way, frightening.

 

While others find a lack of consciousness equally frightening, if not more.

[Shinjula]

I just don't get why people want to live forever. Other than that I guess I got nothing against christianity or those other religions where you reincarnate or you are reborn or w/e

 

 

 

I find eternity, as an idea, to be extremely dull, and in a way, frightening.

 

Um, how old are you?

 

This isn't meant to be remotely insult btw, its just as you get older perspectives start to change, when you hit thirty you start getting these little twinges in your body, things don't work as well as they did in your twenties. I'm now 36 and it takes me maybe twice as long to get out of a chair as it used to. It's nothing really but the constant feelings of resistance from your body do impact how you view the world and it brings a lot of realisation that you will actually eventually someday stop.

 

I remember being young quite clearly, I remember how long it took for a day to pass and these days the days just fly past, if I stop paying attention and then turn around too quickly a year will have passed.

 

 

 

Then add to all those feelings the things left undone, I work as an artist, as a sculptor and I'm nowhere near as good as I want to be and eternity would allow me to perfect my abilities, as it is there is a limit to my abilities, my death. I also want to see my family continue, see my nieces grow up into the young women they will be see them conitune through their lives and have children of their own and see them grow up too.

 

 

 

And thats just the good stuff, theres also fear of the unknown, the fear of the pain of death and the fear of the pain of old age, theres being unable to contribute, unable to look after yourself and fear of being a burden.

 

 

 

Really theres some good reasons to want immortality.

[EdgedThesis]

I just don't get why people want to live forever. Other than that I guess I got nothing against christianity or those other religions where you reincarnate or you are reborn or w/e

 

 

 

I find eternity, as an idea, to be extremely dull, and in a way, frightening.

 

 

 

You'd prefer not existing to being bored?

 

 

 

Oh come on.

 

Having the inability to think is freaky.

 

Sure, nonexistence wouldn't be too bad, primarily because you couldn't experience it, but I would rather be bored and still able to ponder my boredom.

[Zierro]

Judging by the thread title, I think it's a logical assumption to think that the thread is about Christianity. Buddhist Demigods aren't referred to as "God". Jesus Christ deals with Christianity, as well. Nice job contradicting yourself. =D>

 

Yahweh. Allah. Dios. Vashni. Thor. Zeus. Jupiter.

 

 

 

There are too many hands waving. AUGH

 

 

 

I thought Zeus was the Greek version of Jupiter.

[Alg]

Judging by the thread title, I think it's a logical assumption to think that the thread is about Christianity. Buddhist Demigods aren't referred to as "God". Jesus Christ deals with Christianity, as well. Nice job contradicting yourself. =D>

 

Yahweh. Allah. Dios. Vashni. Thor. Zeus. Jupiter.

 

 

 

There are too many hands waving. AUGH

 

 

 

I thought Zeus was the Greek version of Jupiter.

 

Right. King of the gods, same position in both faiths even if there are differences. Yahweh and Allah are different names for the God in the three main Monotheistic religions too, if I'm not mistaken...

 

 

 

I do believe in a God, to answer the question. I don't think It (for lack of a better term) would be in a position to openly moderate everything in life though.

 

Be careful when saying that there's no concrete proof in the existence of any God(s). There's also no proof that there isn't.

 

There may or may not be a God, afterlife, etc. . I'm taking my chance that there is.

[Lenticular_J]

Judging by the thread title, I think it's a logical assumption to think that the thread is about Christianity. Buddhist Demigods aren't referred to as "God". Jesus Christ deals with Christianity, as well. Nice job contradicting yourself. =D>

 

Yahweh. Allah. Dios. Vashni. Thor. Zeus. Jupiter.

 

 

 

There are too many hands waving. AUGH

 

 

 

I thought Zeus was the Greek version of Jupiter.

 

Technically it is the other way around. The Romans loved to take religions. The Roman Empire had several state religions in its run as "MASTER OF THE WORLD". All stolen from previous civilizations.

[Perakp]

I just don't get why people want to live forever. Other than that I guess I got nothing against christianity or those other religions where you reincarnate or you are reborn or w/e

 

 

 

I find eternity, as an idea, to be extremely dull, and in a way, frightening.

 

Um, how old are you?

 

This isn't meant to be remotely insult btw, its just as you get older perspectives start to change, when you hit thirty you start getting these little twinges in your body, things don't work as well as they did in your twenties. I'm now 36 and it takes me maybe twice as long to get out of a chair as it used to. It's nothing really but the constant feelings of resistance from your body do impact how you view the world and it brings a lot of realisation that you will actually eventually someday stop.

 

I remember being young quite clearly, I remember how long it took for a day to pass and these days the days just fly past, if I stop paying attention and then turn around too quickly a year will have passed.

 

 

 

Then add to all those feelings the things left undone, I work as an artist, as a sculptor and I'm nowhere near as good as I want to be and eternity would allow me to perfect my abilities, as it is there is a limit to my abilities, my death. I also want to see my family continue, see my nieces grow up into the young women they will be see them conitune through their lives and have children of their own and see them grow up too.

 

 

 

And thats just the good stuff, theres also fear of the unknown, the fear of the pain of death and the fear of the pain of old age, theres being unable to contribute, unable to look after yourself and fear of being a burden.

 

 

 

Really theres some good reasons to want immortality.

 

I'm a 18-year-old student from Finland. I understand that we view things from different perspectives. I stand behind my opinion.

 

I discussed this with my sister (22) and mother (46). I presented your reasons as mine, but they still disagreed with me. So age doesn't always bring the search of immortality with it. But it is possible that I've learned my negative thoughts from them.

 

They said that you'd be bored of it no matter what, you could search the world and meet all the cool people, master everything and watch every movie, but you still wouldn't die. You could see your children grow up, and you would see their children grow up, and so on. I'm sorry, but it sickens me.

 

And then the next argument. "You can't get bored in heaven, because you live together with God"

 

I can't understand how one could be happy forever. It doesn't work that way. You have to be miserable at times to be happy another time. It can't work any other way.

 

 

 

I just don't get why people want to live forever. Other than that I guess I got nothing against christianity or those other religions where you reincarnate or you are reborn or w/e

 

 

 

I find eternity, as an idea, to be extremely dull, and in a way, frightening.

 

 

 

You'd prefer not existing to being bored?

 

 

 

Oh come on.

 

Having the inability to think is freaky.

 

Sure, nonexistence wouldn't be too bad, primarily because you couldn't experience it, but I would rather be bored and still able to ponder my boredom.

 

Definitely, I'd prefer not existing over being bored. Being bored forever.

 

Not being bored > being bored, simple as that. What life is an eternal life?

[Promise]

This thread was created to debate your ideas about whether a god does exist. This isn't restricted to Christianity, which seems like everyone is aiming at. This friendly place to exchange your beliefs and talk about it, but all I've seen are ignorant and disrespectful posts. Just because someone has a different belief, that gives you no right to look down upon them or call it wrong. God is a very vague term and can refer to anything from Buddhist Demigods to Jesus Christ. I won't name any of you, but flaming a person because of their religious beliefs is called discrimination. Something you might want to think about. I find it very sad that this is happening during the holiday season. :shame:

 

 

 

 

 

Judging by the thread title, I think it's a logical assumption to think that the thread is about Christianity. Buddhist Demigods aren't referred to as "God". Jesus Christ deals with Christianity, as well. Nice job contradicting yourself. =D>

 

 

 

:wall:

 

 

 

There is no contradiction there. The thread is about the existence of a deity, and NOT about one specific deity. The reason we debate the Christian God as much as we do is because there are (1) More Christians on Tip.it than anything else, and (2) Christianity is the most followed religion in many of the countries where Tip.it'ers are from (USA, UK, ECT), and therefore people have more knowledge on the subject than they do on Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, ECT.

 

 

 

Well put, but I'd like to explain myself a little more. I know that Buddhist demigods aren't called "God" but if if someone named their thread called "Did Siddhartha really exist post you thoughts" do you honestly think people would post a reply without having to go on wikipedia? :roll:

 

 

 

 

 

Back on topic. Based on a class that I was required to take, religion is used to explain the super natural, I.E. Jesus Christ, in ways that humans can comprehend. I believe there is a greater being, but I can't say I follow any real specific religion. There's a name for this, but that class was extremely boring when you have a teacher who talks in a monotone voice. :oops: In Hawaii, we have a god for pretty much everything, volcanoes, mountains, oceans, war, and anything you can think about. Similar to Native Americans, they believed in greater beings that represented something else, like how a coyote represents life. What I'm trying to say is that every religion will eventually lead to the same God, or greater being.

[Lenticular_J]

I believe that would simply describe yourself as a theist.

[tryto]

I just don't get why people want to live forever. Other than that I guess I got nothing against christianity or those other religions where you reincarnate or you are reborn or w/e

 

 

 

I find eternity, as an idea, to be extremely dull, and in a way, frightening.

 

 

 

You'd prefer not existing to being bored?

 

 

 

Oh come on.

 

Having the inability to think is freaky.

 

Sure, nonexistence wouldn't be too bad, primarily because you couldn't experience it, but I would rather be bored and still able to ponder my boredom.

 

 

 

 

 

Not really. You didn't exist for billions of years before now. Was it that bad?

[Zierro]

Not really. You didn't exist for billions of years before now. Was it that bad?

 

 

 

Yeah, I bet it's probably a lot like sleeping. Being that sort of consciousness would be cool since I feel at peace when I sleep.