Do you believe in god?

[Homeland Security]

Ultimately, who knows, but I can say that my own intelligence and ability demonstrates vastly greater power in my own life than any purported supernatural influence.

[AussieFanKurt]

Its fake hope because theres no one up there. When people are in such a dire situation and call to god but with no answer and their life gets worse, thats just an example.

Explain this: after WWII, there were at least 6 million jews dead. That many innocent lives just thrown away while many nazi camp officers like "Dr. Death" escaped and lived a full life. So basically, the innocent are killed in huge amounts and many of the officers who ordered their death survived. I mean there was a reason the 'Nazi Hunters' were created. Furthermore so many people who hid Jews were killed. So basically god is punishing these people for doing good. Yeah makes sense

Well you know something called the Crusades? Its this little war between Christians and Muslims and was fought due to religious clashes. It wasnt just against Muslims too. This war went for a little under 200 years. Theres at least one example for you.

Yeah lets forget about science, it hasnt helped us at all, we should just throw it out the window and forget about it

[DarkReign]

Seems like a segment of humans are going to find something to worship, even it's themselves.

True, in as much that we tend to try to find inspiration in something greater than ourselves.

Whether that be the vastness and complexity of the universe, or the stories handed down from generation to generation explaining the heavens and God.

But worshiping oneself takes it to another, even more dangerous extreme. Think the world is/was ed up based on whose God you believe in?

Imagine if it werent an invisible man in the sky, but a human who walked the Earth. The glory of humanity's God lies in his inability to dictate human matters beyond scripture (unless youre Catholic ).

A living God, like the emperors of Japan, inspire sacrifice and death to a level even the ardent Catholic couldnt imagine.

I personally don't care what people believe...I just don't like it being imposed on others, but again, that is a human tendency, not a religious one.

Ive never cared what people believe so long as it doesnt influence the decisions of my community and country in a way I find detrimental to the advancement of my community/country.

Sadly, our education system is a federal ins ution. Therefore, its curriculum is a mandate from Washington that either includes or excludes certain elements to the angst or pleasure of your average American.

Remove the government from education and you'll have regional differences in curriculum...which is far better than what we have now, even if the South (or whomever) choose to worship the Christian God in study hall, far be it from me to tell them they cannot.

[AussieFanKurt]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jETV...eature=channel

[Supergirl]

yes

[Supergirl]

FYI I did a survey about this about a year ago...
http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthre...eligion+survey

[AussieFanKurt]

Nice survey

[whottt]

Its fake hope because theres no one up there.

If it's fake then how come humans have believed otherwise independently of one another since time began.

How come civilizations that believed there was someone up there have prospered, while those that don't have done absolutely nothing?


Regardless of the validity of the metaphysics of it, that fake hope of which you speak has lead to more propserity and advancement than anything else.

When people are in such a dire situation and call to god but with no answer and their life gets worse, thats just an example.

Maybe so but can you tell me how no hope serves someone better than fake hope?

It's not like not calling on god does anything either.

Explain this: after WWII, there were at least 6 million jews dead. That many innocent lives just thrown away while many nazi camp officers like "Dr. Death" escaped and lived a full life. So basically, the innocent are killed in huge amounts and many of the officers who ordered their death survived. I mean there was a reason the 'Nazi Hunters' were created. Furthermore so many people who hid Jews were killed. So basically god is punishing these people for doing good. Yeah makes sense

See...your problem is with either your own conception of what God is or is supposed to be and do, or else you've been listening to bad interpretations....of which there are many. That is not the fault of religion, but rather those that interpret it tily.

They are all intended first and foremost to pass along wisdom learned through trial and error, tools for survivals, and how to live alongside one another respectfully.

Time and time again we just ignore that part of it and look at what we want to see to justify our views, whether we want utilize religion for our own gain, or reject it.


And that WWII of which you spoke was not a religious war, for Hitler did more than just go after the Jews, he went after most of Western and Eastern Europe, Africa, the ME, and along with the Japanese, Asia and the South Pacific...

And unless there is a huge Jewish population in China and the South Pacific I am unaware of, I doubt the Japanese could have cared less about Hitler's crusade against the Jews.


Jews at their core belief believe that you should avoid des ution, they tend to be prosperous and in positions of power because of this, which makes them targets for less prosperous and less powerful groups...


It's called greed and envy, base human flaws, not religion..and I'll point out that those Jews do not share opinion on religion, and it was they who went through it, not you.

Did you see them casting off their religious beliefs because of what happened? No they did not...they simply pointed out who did it.


Even the bible says we are in control of what we do. God didn't make us robots you see...

What would be the point?


Secondly I'll point out that it was a predominantly christian country entering the fray that the changed the outcome of that war.

Well you know something called the Crusades? Its this little war between Christians and Muslims and was fought due to religious clashes. It wasnt just against Muslims too. This war went for a little under 200 years. Theres at least one example for you.

Yeah lets forget about science, it hasnt helped us at all, we should just throw it out the window and forget about it

The crusades? You mean the desire of control of the wealth of the middle east wrapped in a religious cause?

Same as it ever was...the religions change but people are always fighting over control of the middle east...they also fought over it in WWI and WWII...and it's about the wealth of the region, not religion.

That Israeli Palestinian conflict is just as much about resources as it is religious differences.


I think the problem you mainly have is with your own view of religion...


I am not a christian, or if I am I am certainly not a follower of any organized sect. I am probably a lot closer to a pagan(sci -fi) than a christian, although I reject that term as well for it is as organized and on as much of a mission as any relgion these days. But I see people nowdays doing the same thing to christians that they accuse the christians of doing...and I think it's wrong and I will continue to defend against it simply on the basis that somneone needs too....


You see the real evil in the world, is not organized religion, it's people massing together in large numbers for long periods of time. And the bigger and more powerful that mass becomes, the stupider and more dangerous it gets.


I mean it's one thing to do it when there is an immediate cause, entirely another to do it when there is none. And when the task is accomplished but the mass remains, that is when the tyranny and oppression starts, that is when things turn ty, that is when humanity shows it's ass, whether it is wrapped in a religious guise or not.

[Blake]

I believe in whottt......even if he has me on ignore