People don't like it when you question their beliefs. But anything goes when your on the interwebs.

The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of The Force.

I think he also means the non-theists. you can say that I am 'obsessed' with God considering I ponder his existence at some point every day.

I am not a theist because, using logical thought, I concluded that God does not exist, and if he did, should not be worshiped. Reference to Epicurus' quote that was already posted here as to why.

How average :\

Religions are not perfect. Many religions exploit marvelous concepts, which i think many people should practice... and learn. One of the downsides that religions gives to us is the ignorance of "the creator". Is there one who knows all? Then answer this... Does he who knows all, know that he knows not?

"The world beyond our own", is a cradle for the minds who are not ready to accept their finiteness.

I hope one day we can stop killing each other because of ignorant religions.

Has anyone noted yet that many of us simply might not be exposed enough to other religions, and THAT is why we believe in whatever religion we do? I read most of the posts and no one said that but I could be wrong, so sorry if I'm just reiterating old material. (Edit: I think that's what the poll was getting at too)

I like to ask people this question (in real life, not on the internet ). One of the answers I received was, though not verbetum, "because it gives me strength, because I like to think there's order in the world and someone's watching out for me."

(OMG my post was relevant to the topic? Lol. *Godsmite all you people not giving a why answer*)

If you used logic, you should have came to the conclusion that something did in fact create everything, be it 'god', a 'higher power', or just Universal Space Dust or something along those lines. Nothing just 'came' from nothing, there was a starting point, a source. If you want to add humanistic behaviors to it, go for it. Want to add Symbolism to it, go for it.

If you want to call that 'God', then go for it. If you want to call it a 'higher power' go for it.

But seriously, to claim you use logic in the finding of 'god' is ludicrous and cannot be done because most humans cannot perceive anything they cannot see.. Comprehending it is a different story from truly perceiving it.

I comprehend that there is a power in this Universe that runs it. I cannot perceive it because its beyond my scope of mentality (as with most humans), yet I can comprehend the possibility of there being a 'higher power'.

I am spiritual (fuck religion) and believe in a Creator because of the many times I've 'called' to this creator and have gotten a response in forms easy for me to understand.

Does that mean you're wrong for believing in the Christian God, or believing in Bhrama/Vishnu/Shiva? No.

So any of you who bicker and argue about 'whose right and whose wrong' are at fault because its preposterous to 'attack' someone and claim they're 'stupid' or whatever because of something they believe. And its not very Christian, either ;-P

I don't understand how me saying I used logical thought to deduce there was no God means I do not believe we were created by non-spiritual means. And of course humans can't visualize things they cannot see, but they can imagine something they can see the results of, just ask Newton.

You assume the universe needed to be created, and wasn't just always there. I deduce that the matter/energy in the universe has always existed. If it's impossible for there to be nothing, and then something, then I concluded that there was never nothing, and always something.

Not to mention, none of us (as far as I know) have any experience with the creation or destruction of universes, so it can't be reasoned out that the universe must have been created simply because we exist now.

So therefore, the creator of this thread just wanted to start a theology debate of circular reasoning ;-P

But no seriously, its just going to go in circles from this point on...

Yep, that's one of the prime thoughts this thread is intended to evoke. Some people seem to take their faith for granted, not truly understanding their choice because they never bothered to know what all the choices are, let alone learn about them.

I grew up a Latter Day Saint. I know what Christianity is about be it in the form of Catholicism or 'Christianity'. I don't like what they teach, too much hypocrisy behind their teachings.

I've researched Buddism, Taoism, Hinduism (and the many forms of it) and so I know my choices.

I choose to be spiritual because I believe religion is a way to enslave people and control them and keep them 'dumbed down'.

If I was to choose a religion, it would be Hinduism as a whole.

But since I don't believe in a 'christian god' or the polytheistic gods of Hinduism, I choose to be spiritual.

I believe in 'god' but not in the form religion sees it as. I am a part of god, you are a part of god, the grass and trees are a part of god.

Just take a look at the Native Americans and what they would do, and that's a pretty good example of what I believe in.

They believe that they are no better than the blade of grass that they slept on.

And word to that.

Essentially, all religions in some way humanize god. Those that don't it's useless to join, because that god doesn't require (or isn't able to accept) prayer or anything like that. That's my way of looking at it.

Define 'better'. I consider myself to be, for all intents and purposes, better then a blade of grass. Every comparison otherwise is essentially meaningless. That I can't synthesize energy from the sun doesn't make me inferior to a piece of grass. You can say 'we're equal' all you want, but if you start using that 'logic' to stop me from stepping on a blade of grass, I'd laugh. That 'comparison' is meaningless.

As for the universe always existing or being created, I don't know. It could easily have always existed, as that kind of infinite thinking is the same kind that lets the universe being essentially limitless. On the other hand, I can't comprehend something existing forever (I really wish humans were able to comprehend infinity properly...), so instinct fights it, saying the universe started at some point. I'd call the energy that started the universe god - and if that 's the energy that's now everywhere, then god is, for all intents and purposes, nonexistent.

A better example:

An Native American is hunting a buffalo and he asks him right before he kills him if its alright for him to take his life to help the tribe.

If the buffalo ran, it didn't agree to help. If it stayed, it agreed to help (this is what the Natives believed anyways)

So then after killing the buffalo they would use EVERYTHING and not waste anything, and they would pray for the spirit of the buffalo in its guidance to the other side and sacrifice some of its remains to the spirit and such.

They always payed homage to the things they took. Roots, animals, pretty much anything.


Because they understood that everything is in the 'circle of life' and everything is a part of 'god' (the great spirit or whatever they called it)


So yeah.. Does that help you understand a bit more? Your role in this world is just as important as the blade of grass's role, and the spiders role, etc...


That's what I believe neways.

My way of looking at it is that while my role is as important as anyone else's role, all those roles are completely unimportant. Me = It = 0. Everything ends. It's a spiritual way to look at it - however, from a practical look, how it relates to my life, all those roots and animals are very minor. I like to think myself a practical person (which doesn't say I am, but I try), and I'm not going to waste time praying to a being I don't believe exists so I can talk about how, deep down, everything is equal (which is mathematically impossible anyway, since I'm made of a ton of cells, and I'm equal to a blade of grass, and a cell is equal to a blade of grass... etc).

I don't understand exactly what you mean here. I believe the universe has existed forever, will exist forever, and is an endless expanse of empty space in every direction with one or more giant super-clusters matter (i.e. galaxies and galaxy groups)... and I seem to have no problems with the lack of any starting point or any other inability to comprehend it... What I can't comprehend is it NOT being infinite. What is at the "edge"? Were the cosmos to stand still (to stop the "the universe is like an expanding balloon!" theories just for this hypothetical) and I was allowed the ability to somehow "walk" or otherwise move in a given direction at a given rate for an indefinite amount of time, I don't see how there could be any edge to that. Would I hit some sort of wall or barrier? As far as I can imagine, I'd just keep going forever. I'd probably stop seeing matter as I passed by, but I could still keep going. Maybe I'd find another 'super-cluster' of matter.

The.. confusion comes from something existing and yet not having a beginning or an end. Humans can't understand infinity in non-abstract terms. Something not having a beginning or an end is an instance of infinity. You can comprehend that it has no beginning, but you can't actually think of it and understand it.

Theoretically the universe can be expanding in all directions at the speed of light, which would prevent you from ever reaching any corner of it and the best you could do is keep up - I'm pretty sure this is what the Big Bang theory entails.

What says the fastest way to travel in the Universe, is by light?