Claims of bigotry coming from the person that called arabs "sand n***ers" and thought it was funny to post an "I'm gay" thread as an april fools joke. That's funny.

I don't. The difference is that God and science fill different niches. Science explains how things work. God explains why things work. (sort of a simplistic explanation, but I'm trying not to complicate things.)

For example, regarding our origins, I wouldn't go and say evolution and/or the big bang is right or wrong, but I would say that regardless of "how" those things occurred, they occurred because God wanted them to happen and because he strung those unlikely events together in such a way as to produce the results.

Back to equasions. 2 + 2 = 4. We all know that and we can prove it scientifically. If you take two rocks and add two more rocks, you're left with 4 rocks. Religion doesn't try to infringe on that basic equation. Instead religion explains who it was that put those 4 rocks together and why he/she was compelled to do it.

So you basically need a made up thing to give meaning to what is?

Yeah that is a pretty silly point of view.

By the way, if everything needs a creator, what created God?

God came back to my house, he has a headache.


(Way to ruin a thread everyone.)

Kirby and Antony, your responses show that you both haven't really read a lot into religion. Less so Kirb cus it's just an opinion, but that "what created god" gquestion has always bugged me.

Of course, neither have most religious people. There are huge, huge, huge discussions on both why we need a 'made up' thing (that seems like kind of closed minded way of looking at it. I mean, I'm not a believer either but still) as well as the idea of a genealogy of gods or god always existing. The "what created God" thing does nothing to disprove god and more to make the Mormons happy.

I'm surprised that a mod started this thread :\

We've had what, 10 religious threads in the past two weeks? Are you TRYING to break massassi?

This thread is starting to make me believe in God.

Evolution by natural selection is a beautiful and intricate process, producing progressively more beautiful and well-adapted creatures at every generation. Only a brute-force creator-being could make creatures as stupid as you guys.

Mort-Hog wins the thread.

I've been into religion deeper than most people. It is people's insane reasoning and broken logic that blows me away.

Believe in God based on FAITH, and participate in the real world knowing that you have an illogical belief in a creator. Don't try to pretend that it makes sense, or that the piece of literature you got your faith from is anything more than a mortal fairy tail about God. There's absolutely nothing closed minded about my opinions: This is my conclusion after years of being open to religion and hearing nothing but daft, illogical explenations for why you believe something someone told you when you were 3 and is written in a book that's only source is itself.

K, I see where you're coming from now.

The whole argument that religion and science are compatible because they explain different things is a load of rubbish. It's an argument made up by athiests who feared they would be imprisoned if they publically denounced God, it's an argument they created to allow themselves to get on with their work without persecution.

Now that admitting to being an athiest is no longer going to get you tortured the argument is no longer needed.

Religion doesn't explain anything, it just provides simple false answers that encourage people to not look for the real answers.

Somewhere along the lines someone very manipulative decided that the belief in something completely irrational is a virtue. This person has a heck of a lot to answer for

And what about the Cubs?????


THERE IS NO GOD!

:awesome::awesome::awesome::awesome::awesome:ok

Does anyone think of religion and God as two totally different things?

(I'm asking a question, not thrusting forth an argument)

I believe so, I think most people can differentiate the two.

You clearly don't understand sarcasm. And it wasn't an April fools day joke. Why must you persecute homosexuals?

On topic... I find the people who refuse to consider the possibility of God's existence as foolish as those who don't question it at all.

In spite of the flamebait nature of that comment, you actually have the general idea. As to whether or not God is a "made up thing" you're welcome to think what you want, it's your afterlife. But yes, he gives meaning to what is.

Reminds me of the "Is God Poison" stories in Macleans magazine, and all the responses about God not being the poison, but the way He is interpreted and the people who believe they are doing His will. Organized Religion is the poison.

Yes they have that issue at the library at my school. I have to read it monday.

Tiberium Empire is proof that no god could possibly exist.

Yeah, organized religion (in my opinion) has really messed things up.

you're an idiot.

You're losing. Badly.

So do you think it's just as likely that unicorns exist than if they don't? How about fairies?

Yep. Could be an underwater cave with wizards, too.

God, as in the one in the bible? Or God as in the idea of a creator? Or as a moral judge? Or how about all of the above?

If we're talking the bible God, then you're stupid. If you're talking creator, then we're talking big bang. If we're talking moral judge, then I must be a fool, eh?

I find people who refuse to consider the possibility of the letter A being written at the center of the universe in pink to be as foolish as those who believe in God.

You know, it really bugs me when people call God's believers foolish or idiotic. It's incredibly narrow minded.

Anyway.

Belief in a higher power has existed as long as man has, and every single culture in the world has and has had some form of religion. I find it much easier to believe there IS a god, than there isn't one.

I forget what it's called, but there's part of the human brain the responds to religious stimuli. So you could say that God is in the brain. But some people have let him into their hearts as well, and that is something that should be respected and not criticized.

God is in the brain, but not in the way you've explained. There is no part of the brain that responds specifically to religious stimuli. A child raised Christian is not going to respond to Olympian materials the same as they would to Christian materials. A child raised atheist is not going to respond to any of it differently than to a fictional book, or probably even a non-fiction book.
God is in the brain because mankind needs answers to everything. Mankind wants some kind of meaning, and underlying reason behind just why we're here. This is why we have religion. It is an elaborated reasoning of our lives. It probably started simple enough - what is the sun, why does it move across the sky? Our ancestors probably figured the sun was an entity. It brings us life and warmth, and it can take it away. It watches over us. What is more powerful, to us and especially them, than nature?
Not only is the idea of a god or creator a very simple explanation, it also adds meaning to our lives, even if we can't figure out what that meaning is. That may sound strange, but think about it. If life really is completely empty of soul, spirit, magic and meaning, what is left? Absolutely nothing. There's a vast and beautiful universe surrounding us, but is it still beautiful if it's all just a big accident? Billions of years of random chance? Or is it more comforting to say that there is meaning here. A grand and elegant Lord who gave us beauty, who made us in His image. To know that our lives may be hard but our goal is glorious, even if we don't know exactly what it is. To know that beneath our skin is the love and grace of the Creator of the Universe.


Of course, I think that's all bollucks. I'll admit that I do think people who belive in God - any god - are foolish, silly people. I might consider life to be pointless and empty, an amusing and curious accident, but all I need to do is look out the window or through the lense of a telescope to see that it's results are inspiring. To me, knowledge and discovery of just what else is out there is plenty reason enough to wake up in the morning, even if none of it matters.

I think the universe is more beautiful precisely because it had no creator.

You are a fool, but for different reasons.

Grow up.

I guess I retract my argument then.

agreed 150%. When I was a little kid going to my friends church, I thought it was really depressing that they needed God to give their lives meaning.

I find it depressing that you and so many others have missed the point entirely.

I understand your point, I used to share it. I just think it's absurd.

I think a more interesting question is can people differentiate the existence of god and the possible existence of an afterlife.

Who said God was what gave life meaning?

I honestly don't see what's not to get. Glorify God, love God, because he loves you, and made you, and that's good enough for me.

What's the real root of the whole thing? What's the absolute point of it? Worship God? Why? What reason do you have to worship God other than that he says so, and you don't want to go to hell?

Okay okay, look, here's the explanation of god (lower case "g").