I kinda want to, or am going to, open up a big can of worms here. That’s ok, all ideas are welcome.

On God:
In reading some of the posts about homosexually, some speak of “how God made us” or “God made us to do different things.” I would like to discuss what God means to the members of the forum. Does the term God refer to the specific Godhead to you or is it more analogous to an idea or way of life. For my part, I feel that God, or the term God, represents a way of life that is necessary and good for coexistence within the framework of society. However, I don’t believe in a formal Godhead per se. Is it possible to believe these seemingly contradictory ideas side by side? I don’t believe in the creation either, I think we are descendents of animals. I find it difficult to argue with science on this point.

On the Church:
I don’t believe that it is necessary or required to attend church (of any denomination) on a regular basis to subscribe to, and adhere to, the teachings that are within the Bible. In fact, I am somewhat, more or less, against organized religion for this reason. After reading the Bible and studying it for myself, I find it not helpful for someone to tell me how to interpret it or how to apply it to my life of good service to others. I think the Bible was meant for the reader to apply and interpret it on their level, not for the reader to be told, “this is how it is, this is what you should do.”

Do you see what I’m trying to say… Is God a way of life for you, or is God, to you, a being that created you and I?

I mean no disrespect to anyone of devout faith, perhaps I am just of a wayward faith…

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Jonathan
1998 S600
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This outta get good

Just one comment from me. If you have read the Bible, and (apparently) accept what it says, don't you find a conflict in also saying you believe in evolution? To me, it's one or the other. Either the Bible is right, and we were created by god in His image, or you evolved from slime in a lake.
Most here know where I stand on these issues, so won't get real redundant here. But my beliefs are of a God/Godhead, the Bible is what it says, ect.

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To me, God was an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present personal being who created everything and all of us. (my perspective is a bit different now... )

Could you elaborate on this? Are you saying that you see God as a concept rather than an entity, and that you equate this concept with morality? Just seeking clarification...

I respect the concept that you're putting forth. I find it incredibly arrogant to profess belief in a Christian God unless you buy each and every word of the Bible. The flipside is that if you reject any single part of the Bible, you should reject it all. I mean, it's either the word of God or it isn't, right? Who are we to pick and choose what we believe from the (supposed) word of God?

Off spocks list I'm going to pick #1, 3, 9 & 10.

Actually, I am a spiritual seeker. I profess to have no answers and a lot of questions. I think that most religions have something very redeeming to offer mankind, but have a hard time squaring with any one religion that excludes others (usually by professing it to be the "one true religion." I believe in God or a "Greater Power" but not one as defined by any religion.... yet.
The faith concept is a big hangup for me as well.

God is French!
well at least the french think so!

When you think of a nice croissant you must consider the possibilty of a god.

God is a gorgeous 19 year old thai girl!
well at least I think thats what she said!

I love the simple things in life. Maybe that is the meaning of god.


But to make it extremely simple for a simple mind like mine I consider god to be either everything or nothing. There is no intrigue or interest for me to consider the nothing angle.
When I consider everything as a part of god maybe the pieces fit together. When I say everything I mean everything. From the booger you just flicked into your friend's salad (who need enemies...) to the most perfect pepper steak you have ever had.
Even terrorists are a part of god. And they are soon destined to be meeting thier maker. We are doing them a favour by killing them.

All or nothing. How can a simple human suppose to limit god? God is in my new mac power book which is pissing me off right now. But I'm confident the gods of apple will come through! This is a test of my character!

God is a nice kentucky bourbon on ice (clink clink). cheers

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Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
Calvin Coolidge (1872 - 1933)

One small problem -- evolution is not a theory -- it's a fact. You can spend some time at a couple of lakes in East Africa (Lakes Malawi and Tanganyika among others) and see dynamic speciation in action. Within a generation or two, completely new species have evolved in these lakes right before our eyes. I have also seen evidence of human evolution just within my lifetime. Have you noticed how tall kids are these days?

Are you referring to the God that the Koran (Muslim) refers to or the God that the Bible (Christian) refers to. I did notice that while watching the video where they were decapitating Berg that they kept saying God is great so those guys must be pretty doggone religious.

On a serious note I find it hard to believe that people that don't "believe" are going to a place called HELL. Although the Native American Indians did not worshop any God but Mother Nature I struggle with the concept that they all went to HELL. I think they were more AWARE of their surroundings and the importance of keeping a balance than the current inhabitants of north America are especially the ones that burn up the roads in their 12-18 mpg SUVs.

You have opened up a can of worms on the forum. Hopefully there will be no personal attacks to make it get closed down.

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Jim

Too late -- read the post above yours.....

LOL

It always happens when you start talking God or politics doesn't it Ron.

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Jim

Spock,
If you see human evolution in your lifetime, it is because you want to see it, or need to see it--its a matter of faith for you. The example of people being taller is NOT evolution. They are still humans. If you had witnessed humans turning into another specis, then I'd have to say you saw something.
There is a God. He has revealed Himself to us. Any concept that we create God is arrogance at its best/ worst.

I did not see a personal attack in your post Spock.

I was typing my response about the time you posted yours.

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Jim

Albert Einstein said that we pipsqueak humans live in an immense and incredibly conplex universe inside a three dimensional box we call Earth. His mathematical work pointed the possibility of more than three dimensions. He was convinced that if there was a god, he must be so complex and intricate,being an inhabitant of a world we had no access to, to be beyond human comprehension. He said all thru our history we have tried to pull him down inside our little three dimensional box, to make him look like us, talk like us and think like us, and the only result was war and repression thruout the ages. His conclusion was, that due to all this complexity and the uneven results of our faith, perhaps the best way to understand god was to admit we, beng only human, will never have the ability to understand him. I agree.

Oh boy – here’s a chance to go totally boring ballistic. I’m not going to be here much this evening, so I’ll just throw this one idea out. The small text I’m going to upload comes from a book called “Some Answered Questions” by Abdul-Bahá. The questions were posed to him around 1900 while he was imprisoned. The lady asking the questions was from New York and they tend to cater to a Christian perspective. He was starting to get into the concept of God – it’s carefully translated from the original Persian.

“1. NATURE IS GOVERNED BY ONE UNIVERSAL LAW

Nature is that condition, that reality, which in appearance consists in life and death, or, in other words, in the composition and decomposition of all things.

This Nature is subjected to an absolute organization, to determined laws, to a complete order and a finished design, from which it will never depart--to such a degree, indeed, that if you look carefully and with keen sight, from the smallest invisible atom up to such large bodies of the world of existence as the globe of the sun or the other great stars and luminous spheres, whether you regard their arrangement, their composition, their form or their movement, you will find that all are in the highest degree of organization and are under one law from which they will never depart.

But when you look at Nature itself, you see that it has no intelligence, no will. For instance, the nature of fire is to burn; it burns without will or intelligence. The nature of water is fluidity; it flows without will or intelligence. The nature of the sun is radiance; it shines without will or intelligence. The nature of vapor is to ascend; it ascends without will or intelligence. Thus it is clear that the natural movements of all things are compelled; there are no voluntary movements except those of animals and, above all, those of man. Man is able to resist and to oppose Nature because he discovers the constitution of things, and through this he commands the forces of Nature; all the inventions he has made are due to his discovery of the constitution of things. For example, he invented the telegraph, which is the means of communication between the East and the West. It is evident, then, that man rules over Nature.

Now, when you behold in existence such organizations, arrangements and laws, can you say that all these are the effect of Nature, though Nature has neither intelligence nor perception? If not, it becomes evident that this Nature, which has neither perception nor intelligence, is in the grasp of Almighty God, Who is the Ruler of the world of Nature; whatever He wishes, He causes Nature to manifest.

One of the things which has appeared in the world of existence, and which is one of the requirements of Nature, is human life. Considered from this point of view man is the branch; nature is the root. Then can the will and the intelligence, and the perfections which exist in the branch, be absent in the root?

It is said that Nature in its own essence is in the grasp of the power of God, Who is the Eternal Almighty One: He holds Nature within accurate regulations and laws, and rules over it.”

The entire book of questions can be found at http://www.bahai-library.com/writings/abdulbaha/saq/

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"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."
Marcus Aurelius