Do you believe in god? the gods discussion thread

[REDZULU2003]

I have just acquired loads of e books on all the religions and will have them up soon. Will anyone read them though?

 

[Turnover]

There has to be a God (creator) this all didn't happen by chance and if it did who set up the chance

I'll drink to that!

 

[stillwantmore]

I believe in a god in as such that "it" is a creative force for all life in the Universe. The "gods" of different religions though...I honestly believe are mankind's misinterpretations of things he had no explanation...or vocabulary for. Many languages for example have no word for things we express in English...so they use our English words amidst a sentence of their language. Thoroughly investigate ANY religion...I challenge you to...anyone to..and you find similar stories of things like "Chariots of fire", "pillars of smoke", "those from wince the heavens came", "star people" (American Indian "myths"), "Angels"...or beings who had the power of flight...just one example of "coincidence" in religions.

 

[Crazy Doc]

I see no logic in any gods. Through history men have invented gods to deal with explaining things they are ignorant of. It is illogical to conclude that all those other gods are false, yet yours is real-I've never followed how theists don't see that! What are the odds that that god over there is false, and so is that one, and so are those other 10,000 gods... but YOURS is the one, real god... really??? cmon!
There is no evidence of any gods, nor of any creation. The best evidence I think theists can come up with is "but look at all this stuff" which is fallacious reasoning that creation is necessary-which of course they contradict by not requiring a creation for their own god... Much of this type of "reasoning" is prevalent when you press them for reasons behind the faith.

Ultimately-gods are just santa clause for adults. The only difference is that we are told at some point NOT to believe in santa. Just as you LEARN to believe in a god, just as you did to believe in a santa or tooth fairy. It is only because our parents believe in such things and it's a tradition I like to call "self mental caging". I see nothing positive that has come out of faith in gods-frankly the darkest periods of human history seem to usually be closely connected to some theist faith and its ideas...

 

[n8dogg]

this is god

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWSvwBHemas&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZgVimp4-J0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLeDiUD5cj4&feature=related

 

[stillwantmore]

I see no logic in any gods. Through history men have invented gods to deal with explaining things they are ignorant of. It is illogical to conclude that all those other gods are false, yet yours is real-I've never followed how theists don't see that! What are the odds that that god over there is false, and so is that one, and so are those other 10,000 gods... but YOURS is the one, real god... really??? cmon!
There is no evidence of any gods, nor of any creation. The best evidence I think theists can come up with is "but look at all this stuff" which is fallacious reasoning that creation is necessary-which of course they contradict by not requiring a creation for their own god... Much of this type of "reasoning" is prevalent when you press them for reasons behind the faith.

Ultimately-gods are just santa clause for adults. The only difference is that we are told at some point NOT to believe in santa. Just as you LEARN to believe in a god, just as you did to believe in a santa or tooth fairy. It is only because our parents believe in such things and it's a tradition I like to call "self mental caging". I see nothing positive that has come out of faith in gods-frankly the darkest periods of human history seem to usually be closely connected to some theist faith and its ideas...

Exactly. I once said something like (to a "religious" person) "Wouldn't it royally suck if you got to heaven one day and realized ah shit...the Buddhists (or whoever) were right?"

 

[Shooting for 7"]

Wow,

What a fantastic question and yet soooo difficult to answer on a forum.

I found my spirituality a few years ago - before then I can't say what I was.... perhaps a totally confused person ?

I wasn't religious (though my parents insisted I was a muslim!), didn't believe in God as such, yet my life wasn't working. I knew I was here for a reason, but didn't know what that reason was. I'd spent most of my life searching.

When I read some of the comments on here about God/Religion etc etc etc, to me the problem is not God, but MAN and his HEAD.

When man 'interferes' with stuff, writes books (bibles, korans, etc) then we are all open to misinterpreting the words within them. For they are only words, words which will mean one thing to one person, and another thing to someone else.

I believe in God, and in fact I actually believe totally in God and believe a lot less in Man....... I believe that when man can control his ego letting his 'godly-ness' shine, then I will trust man.

What is Godly-ness ?? Essentially, Truth and Love.......

People who don't believe in God, and this is going to sound extremely attacking, but to me, they're blind. They're blind in that they are ignorant about themselves, they are unaware that there is God within them and within us all and that we can all be truly great. Instead the vast majority of us (men) are walking zombies, using our 'heads' and hardly our hearts.

Hence why not a lot of people believe in God.

We are all God's children and contrary to what and why a 'man' might put fear into you, saying that God punishes you for this or for that, I'm afraid that that is simply wrong - that, again, is man's ego, coming from fear to have control over you.

A brilliant book (if you're ready) and very easy to read is Neale Donald Walsch's "Conversations with God".

Better still, buy the Audiobook (it'll have you in tears).

Oh, and to all the Atheists, you need to suspend disbelief in life sometimes, again, that's your ego wanting to know/calculate/fathom every single minutiae before accepting something.......sheesh !

Peace to you all.

P.S. I'm not a muslim anymore (that was a religion 'given' to me at birth) - I keep my options open for there are many great teachers out there and that is what it's all about for me. For example, when his words are explained to me, I totally get Jesus' teachings and they resonate/make perfect sense to me. I think that's the case with a lot of the other religions also, i.e. there is goodness in all of them. The trouble starts happening when man (there we go again!) starts 'inter-fearing'.......

 

[Crazy Doc]

Oh, and to all the Atheists, you need to suspend disbelief in life sometimes, again, that's your ego wanting to know/calculate/fathom every single minutiae before accepting something.......sheesh !

.

See... now earlier you mentioned meditation.... and you do realize what you describe is much closer to Buddhism than any Theism yes? Generally, Buddhism is what we call an "Atheist Faith". Atheism does NOT mean you don't believe in anything or don't have spirituality, or don't have faith. But that is a common misconception.

Atheism is a very simple concept it simply means "Without Theism" or "Without Belief in god/s". Nothing more, nothing less. The largest group of atheists is BABIES (you have to learn about a god to have faith or belief in one, nobody is born with a faith or belief in a god or gods). The second largest group of atheists is BUDDHISTS. Lots of Christian and Theist Scholars today begin to describe god as more of a "force" or "law" than an entity. To do so is beginning to approach Buddhism and it's really stretching to describe that as "theism" once you've reached that point.

My faith runs very deep, I've seen things that most might not have the fortune to see... yet I am in fact an atheist.

 

[REDZULU2003]

I'll link this thread in here as-well. Has loads of e books on many religions.

 

[REDZULU2003]

 

[Shooting for 7"]

See... now earlier you mentioned meditation.... and you do realize what you describe is much closer to Buddhism than any Theism yes? Generally, Buddhism is what we call an "Atheist Faith". Atheism does NOT mean you don't believe in anything or don't have spirituality, or don't have faith. But that is a common misconception.

Atheism is a very simple concept it simply means "Without Theism" or "Without Belief in god/s". Nothing more, nothing less. The largest group of atheists is BABIES (you have to learn about a god to have faith or belief in one, nobody is born with a faith or belief in a god or gods). The second largest group of atheists is BUDDHISTS. Lots of Christian and Theist Scholars today begin to describe god as more of a "force" or "law" than an entity. To do so is beginning to approach Buddhism and it's really stretching to describe that as "theism" once you've reached that point.

My faith runs very deep, I've seen things that most might not have the fortune to see... yet I am in fact an atheist.

I believe that this thing called God exists - I don't believe that it is in any form that *we* as human beings may currently understand.

I don't think that it's that Old bearded man up in the sky, I believe it's something far more 'energy' based as it were.

But I *do* believe that whatever word you want to give it, that yes, there is a 'god' and that we are all part of the great plan of the Universe, we are evolving, along with the Universe's expansion - we are part of that expansion.

In the book I mentioned, Neale asks 'God' to make himself visible so that he could see who/what it was that he was channelling - and God replied along the lines that 'I am a form you would not understand'. The cynics would say "Nice cop out", whereas most of us can accept that. If there was a Creator, he (oops !) must be extremely advanced and way ahead of our current knowledge I'd be sure of that.

Do you not feel that you are here for a purpose ?? That you are playing your part in this great scheme of things ??

Peace to you all.

P.S. I'm not sure I'd agree that the largest group of atheists are babies !!! I could argue that they are the largest group of believers in God !! For to me, they come from that pure place of love (I'm not talking about the love of their parents) and it's only over a period of time, as they grow up, when humans (especially adults) taint them with Ego that they start to lose their 'god-li-ness' and become less from God and start questioning why this and why that (back to ego-ic mind/thinking).

 

[stillwantmore]

I believe that this thing called God exists - I don't believe that it is in any form that *we* as human beings may currently understand.

I don't think that it's that Old bearded man up in the sky, I believe it's something far more 'energy' based as it were.

But I *do* believe that whatever word you want to give it, that yes, there is a 'god' and that we are all part of the great plan of the Universe, we are evolving, along with the Universe's expansion - we are part of that expansion.

In the book I mentioned, Neale asks 'God' to make himself visible so that he could see who/what it was that he was channelling - and God replied along the lines that 'I am a form you would not understand'. The cynics would say "Nice cop out", whereas most of us can accept that. If there was a Creator, he (oops !) must be extremely advanced and way ahead of our current knowledge I'd be sure of that.

.

This couple paragraphs sums up my feelings along with the ideas that basically, man's whole CORRUPTION of religion is the ARROGANT view that "my CHRISTIAN, BUDDHIST, MUSLIM, MORMON, CATHOLIC, (insert religion) view of God is the only correct view and damn you if you don't believe what I do" I have yet to find a religious person who was not truly open minded about religion. It (religion) is honestly one of the most closed minded, (dare I say) brain-washing indoctrinations that exists.

 

[Shooting for 7"]

This couple paragraphs sums up my feelings along with the ideas that basically, man's whole CORRUPTION of religion is the ARROGANT view that "my CHRISTIAN, BUDDHIST, MUSLIM, MORMON, CATHOLIC, (insert religion) view of God is the only correct view and damn you if you don't believe what I do" I have yet to find a religious person who was not truly open minded about religion. It (religion) is honestly one of the most closed minded, (dare I say) brain-washing indoctrinations that exists.

No disrespect to you my friend, but I wouldn't get so defensive about religions - just take from them the good that resonate with you and disregard what doesn't.

We are all 'teachers' - man there are things which people on this site have explained fantastically, which I simply haven't understood otherwise. It's how things are explained whether they'll work for you.

If they don't they'll work for someone else. Take muslim religion - now that was something that was shoved down my throat for most of my life (I'm 48). When both my parents died, I went through divorce etc etc, I was finally able to 'please myself' - guess what ?? I got rid of the Muslim label - for years I was told to believe in something which felt alien to me. My parents didn't know better (for I live in the UK and the Muslim religion was prevalent where they came from). With my little knowledge of their mother tongue and my own being English, Christianity or rather the teachings of Jesus Christ resonate easier with me.

I think there is good in religion, but man 'inter-fears' too much - and where does that fear come from ?? The ego-ic mind. This forum's about LOA etc and that stuff comes from the sub-conscious mind. So, yet again, I'm pointing back to man and his interferences......

Peace to you.

 

[REDZULU2003]

This couple paragraphs sums up my feelings along with the ideas that basically, man's whole CORRUPTION of religion is the ARROGANT view that "my CHRISTIAN, BUDDHIST, MUSLIM, MORMON, CATHOLIC, (insert religion) view of God is the only correct view and damn you if you don't believe what I do" I have yet to find a religious person who was not truly open minded about religion. It (religion) is honestly one of the most closed minded, (dare I say) brain-washing indoctrinations that exists.

On these forums your meeting lots of religious guys (Myself one Church of England) who are respectful and tolerant of all other religions and thoughts about higher beings and oneself. Many religious people are very respectful, perhaps its where you come from in the US? I know some piece of shit yank burned a Koran and started tons of shit in Afghanistan because he was a loser with no respect for other religions, especially Islam and only his religion counted. Here in the UK we are very open minded, have many places of worship for all religions plus we got the alternative stuff for those who meditate or even worship Satan.

I know some guys think they are god, the source runs via them and we are all god in a sense. Sure if that is your belief go with it.

 

[REDZULU2003]

No disrespect to you my friend, but I wouldn't get so defensive about religions - just take from them the good that resonate with you and disregard what doesn't.

We are all 'teachers' - man there are things which people on this site have explained fantastically, which I simply haven't understood otherwise. It's how things are explained whether they'll work for you.

If they don't they'll work for someone else. Take muslim religion - now that was something that was shoved down my throat for most of my life (I'm 48). When both my parents died, I went through divorce etc etc, I was finally able to 'please myself' - guess what ?? I got rid of the Muslim label - for years I was told to believe in something which felt alien to me. My parents didn't know better (for I live in the UK and the Muslim religion was prevalent where they came from). With my little knowledge of their mother tongue and my own being English, Christianity or rather the teachings of Jesus Christ resonate easier with me.

I think there is good in religion, but man 'inter-fears' too much - and where does that fear come from ?? The ego-ic mind. This forum's about LOA etc and that stuff comes from the sub-conscious mind. So, yet again, I'm pointing back to man and his interferences......

Peace to you.

Exactly. This sub-forum is about all things religions, Occult, Spiritual, Art and Science really not just LOA. The LOA to me is nothing new at all, nothing fancy. Its used by us all the time if we know or not. Prayers, Meditation, Invocations, Chants all work by either going through yourself (Higher being) via a god or other deity but they all will feed off ENERGY and that when you break it all down and think about it is very much how the LOA comes about and reverts back to the whole universal cosmos thing.

I have known many very successful Jews and they know something many dont, but now they do. This secret is knowing how to unleash and 'manipulate' to your advantage the powers of the universe and is why to some extent 5% of the nation has all the money and power. It didn't happen by accident, sure many work hard for it but the occult has parts to play. These people know the score (Masonry) but now we all have the chance to tap into the potential, what you do from thereon in is your business.

For me this whole debate around 'Do you believe in god' is useless because those who practice anything involving meditation, occult, religion etc are connecting in some way to a god source. Thats my thoughts around it. Those who meditate and claim its all within, well your using energy aswell and this energy isnt all yours ... the whole universe as Quantum Psyhsistcs suggest is a power source, so we are tapping into it ... the god if you like for those who have no thoughts on gods is the UNIVERSE, the cosmos is the ultimate god. God is everything, its power and its all around us ... its just us pathetic humans cant see this yet or the vast majority cannot see this and instead ASSUME god is a person or has to be something we can see or touch.

 

[Crazy Doc]

Gotta assume you don't have kids then. Babies think about eating and gas, that's about it lol. One can use semantics to prove any argument. There is no question that faith is something one learns about, and certainly not as a baby. If "faith in a god" was inherent-then there would be no atheists. So stretch this concept of "god" all you like, but there's no indication that one baby would know what you are talking about. And the closest thing in theism that you are describing here would be LDS-so maybe you're a mormon and just don't know it yet!

 

[Crazy Doc]

This couple paragraphs sums up my feelings along with the ideas that basically, man's whole CORRUPTION of religion is the ARROGANT view that "my CHRISTIAN, BUDDHIST, MUSLIM, MORMON, CATHOLIC, (insert religion) view of God is the only correct view and damn you if you don't believe what I do" I have yet to find a religious person who was not truly open minded about religion. It (religion) is honestly one of the most closed minded, (dare I say) brain-washing indoctrinations that exists.

You're not listening very well- I already explained that Buddhists are mostly Atheists, so we have NO view of god, god is a contradictory concept to our fundamental beliefs. My point was that guys that try to twist god into something that really contradict the very foundation of what a god is... are kind of like closet gays... they do all these things that are gay, but then try to deny they are gay lol. It's better to simply know the self and just come out with whatever you are or believe. Also-there are many ATHEIST faiths, so again your statement appears a bit ignorant. None of those believers has ANY view of any god, period.

 

[Crazy Doc]

No disrespect to you my friend, but I wouldn't get so defensive about religions - just take from them the good that resonate with you and disregard what doesn't.

We are all 'teachers' - man there are things which people on this site have explained fantastically, which I simply haven't understood otherwise. It's how things are explained whether they'll work for you.

If they don't they'll work for someone else. Take muslim religion - now that was something that was shoved down my throat for most of my life (I'm 48). When both my parents died, I went through divorce etc etc, I was finally able to 'please myself' - guess what ?? I got rid of the Muslim label - for years I was told to believe in something which felt alien to me. My parents didn't know better (for I live in the UK and the Muslim religion was prevalent where they came from). With my little knowledge of their mother tongue and my own being English, Christianity or rather the teachings of Jesus Christ resonate easier with me.

I think there is good in religion, but man 'inter-fears' too much - and where does that fear come from ?? The ego-ic mind. This forum's about LOA etc and that stuff comes from the sub-conscious mind. So, yet again, I'm pointing back to man and his interferences......

Peace to you.

If the doctrines are TRUE, there is really no way to twist them. You can't blame man for all the bad and give some god credit for all the good. If what you say were true-then ALL RELIGIONS would kill in the same per capita ratio, yet they DON'T. This indicates a problem with some doctrines, therefore religions, NOT WITH MEN.

 

[Crazy Doc]

Exactly. This sub-forum is about all things religions, Occult, Spiritual, Art and Science really not just LOA. The LOA to me is nothing new at all, nothing fancy. Its used by us all the time if we know or not. Prayers, Meditation, Invocations, Chants all work by either going through yourself (Higher being) via a god or other deity but they all will feed off ENERGY and that when you break it all down and think about it is very much how the LOA comes about and reverts back to the whole universal cosmos thing.

I have known many very successful Jews and they know something many dont, but now they do. This secret is knowing how to unleash and 'manipulate' to your advantage the powers of the universe and is why to some extent 5% of the nation has all the money and power. It didn't happen by accident, sure many work hard for it but the occult has parts to play. These people know the score (Masonry) but now we all have the chance to tap into the potential, what you do from thereon in is your business.

For me this whole debate around 'Do you believe in god' is useless because those who practice anything involving meditation, occult, religion etc are connecting in some way to a god source. Thats my thoughts around it. Those who meditate and claim its all within, well your using energy aswell and this energy isnt all yours ... the whole universe as Quantum Psyhsistcs suggest is a power source, so we are tapping into it ... the god if you like for those who have no thoughts on gods is the UNIVERSE, the cosmos is the ultimate god. God is everything, its power and its all around us ... its just us pathetic humans cant see this yet or the vast majority cannot see this and instead ASSUME god is a person or has to be something we can see or touch.

Again we see some ignorance here, allow me to repeat: NOT ALL RELIGIONS HAVE A "HIGHER POWER". So you are quite wrong, MOST chants have NOTHING to do with a higher power, only the self. Most chanting is a form of meditation and may involve a mandala. Most mandalas are not depictions of a god, gods, or pantheon of beings. Not sure where you're getting your information zulu.

And by your argument, I could simply redefine pedophilia as "all things" just as you have redefined the concept of god to encapsulate everyone-including hundreds of millions that have NO concept of god nor of a "cosmic being" or whatever. This again is the fallacy of semantics. So back to the point, by your reasoning, I can now say "anyone who does any meditation, chanting, praying or any other faith based activity is a pedophile." Funny how semantics kind of throw out the rule book, idn't it

 

[DLD]

I think a higher power is always a part of belief of existence. I think everyone has a higher power but it may be defined as something completely different.