GOD: How much do you believe in him?

[DerbyGull]

To be honest, I just wish I understood how that worked. When there is solid evidence to the contrary of something you believe - evidence that is available for you to see/test - how do you continue to believe? Is it done by deliberately choosing to ignore it? Or... no, sorry, I can't think of any other options.

I'm sorry, I know that may sound rude, but I genuinely just want to understand!

There's evidence that disproves god?

For me hearing/reading IS believing. I don't need any hard evidence. The bible is enough.

Do you believe that Jesus/God once existed 2000 years ago and that for some reason they're just not up in the sky anymore? or do you believe it's just stories??

Figures suggest 2 billion christians worldwide (1 third of the globe). Do you just think they're all deluded? ONE THIRD of the world DELUDED? Really?

 

[DTES]

I have no idea why anybody would accept the 7 day creation - I certainly don't.

I know. But some people do - but anyway, it was intended in the general respect of any particular individual part or item of faith.

Nor do I believe what the bible says - though it does have it's use in putting forward some practical 'rules' in how to run a successful society.

Like, as discussed above and agreed as sickening by a Christian: If your daughter is raped and then refuses to marry her rapist, you have to stone her to death. Yes, it's just one example - and yes, there are 'good' examples. But so what? If a book is going to be a guide on how to life, it needs to be significantly better than a mixed bag - otherwise you may as well pick a random man off the street to write it, and then live by that.

The Bible is not a good guide on how to live in the world we live in.

 

[DumLum]

As Neil says 'God is Dog backwards'.

 

[Mr Burns]

Jesus loves you

Off all the people I'd love to meet on here, you would be my number one. Not to give you a slap, even though you do need one, but to get to too repeat on African soil that the babies that are starving to death are the lucky ones.

Thinking about it, why go to Africa, lets just go to a large Jewish community and have to explain to them how lucky they were that Hitler took a dislike to them, and gassed 6 million of them. How lucky they are to be in a better place.

Seriously, I pity people like you. Something must have happened to you so bad, for you to turn to the bible at 29 and start having these extreme views, without even getting to the end of it.

 

[DerbyGull]

I know. But some people do - but anyway, it was intended in the general respect of any particular individual part or item of faith.



Like, as discussed above and agreed as sickening by a Christian: If your daughter is raped and then refuses to marry her rapist, you have to stone her to death. Yes, it's just one example - and yes, there are 'good' examples. But so what? If a book is going to be a guide on how to life, it needs to be significantly better than a mixed bag - otherwise you may as well pick a random man off the street to write it, and then live by that.

The Bible is not a good guide on how to live in the world we live in.

Arguably the NEW testament i.e. JC is a good guide, but the OLD testament is NOT a good guide.

 

[DTES]

There's evidence that disproves god?

For me hearing/reading IS believing. I don't need any hard evidence. The bible is enough.

Do you believe that Jesus/God once existed 2000 years ago and that for some reason they're just not up in the sky anymore? or do you believe it's just stories??

Figures suggest 2 billion christians worldwide (1 third of the globe). Do you just think they're all deluded? ONE THIRD of the world DELUDED? Really?

I thought I'd spelt this out clearly enough - three times - but apparently not.

My point isn't specific to the existence (or not) of a god, but of a general point. One example is 7 day creation - how/why do people believe in it when there is solid evidence to the contrary? But that is just one example - take any individual part of any holy book that is in direct contradiction to proven science and apply the same question.

What do I believe? I believe it's all stories. Why? Because there is no more evidence to support the conjecture that there is a god watching me than than there is to support the conjecture that there are fairies in my garden, or that there is an infinitesimally small elephant hovering above my head right now, just out of my eyesight.

The Bible is enough evidence for you? So you do believe in 7 day creation? Or you accept that part has been disproven but decide to still accept the rest of it? How much of it would have to be disprove before you start to doubt the pieces that are remaining?

The Bible must be true because the Bible says it's true - seems far too obviously flawed for me to take it seriously... on what basis do you accept the bible as anything more than just another historical text?

 

[DerbyGull]

Off all the people I'd love to meet on here, you would be my number one. Not to give you a slap, even though you do need one, but to get to too repeat on African soil that the babies that are starving to death are the lucky ones.

Thinking about it, why go to Africa, lets just go to a large Jewish community and have to explain to them how lucky they were that Hitler took a dislike to them, and gassed 6 million of them. How lucky they are to be in a better place.

Seriously, I pity people like you. Something must have happened to you so bad, for you to turn to the bible at 29 and start having these extreme views, without even getting to the end of it.

As you have no faith or belief in aftelife, it's going to sound sick to you. So lets leave it at that. Nothing bad happened, just curious about what was in the bible, i think it's a good thing to educate and enlighten yourself.

 

[Locky]

The Bible is not a good guide on how to live in the world we live in.

Maybe not but it does give us 10 commandments which IMO is a good start.

 

[Mr Burns]

So you can see my problem, Ive had the proof (Private to me before anyone asks) but now have so many questions.

If you have proof that god exists. Why would you keep it a secret?

 

[Mr Burns]

Maybe not but it does give us 10 commandments which IMO is a good start.

But why do you need a book to tell you that? Especially a book, that has had huge parts of it discredited. Can you not work those things out for yourself?

 

[Locky]

But why do you need a book to tell you that? Especially a book, that has had huge parts of it discredited. Can you not work those things out for yourself?

Dont get me wrong I have little time for the Bible and agree huge parts of it are clearley laughable, but just wanted to point out the plus points.

 

[Mr Burns]

As you have no faith or belief in aftelife, it's going to sound sick to you. So lets leave it at that. Nothing bad happened, just curious about what was in the bible, i think it's a good thing to educate and enlighten yourself.

How you can leave it at that. You have said on two occasions, 750,000 people due to die in Africa through starvation, probably one of the worst ways a person could die, could be considered lucky. I think that would sound sick to 99.999% of human beings to be honest.

So if you have such faith in the after life, why not kill yourself to be closer to god?

 

[DTES]

Maybe not but it does give us 10 commandments which IMO is a good start.

10 Commandments, some of which are pretty irrelevant. I fail to see how whether or not I work on a Saturday/Sunday (depending on which brand of Old-Testament believers you choose) has any bearing on whether I have a good life or not. I certainly don't see it as on a par with committing murder.

As I said above - anybody on the street could write a list of rules, some of which would be good, some bad. The existence of some good ones is not sufficient to make it a good guide.

 

[Locky]

If you have proof that god exists. Why would you keep it a secret?

I said I had proof given to me. Unfortunately you were'nt there at the time so you would only have my word for it and that in itself would not be proof to you.

 

[birthofanorange]

I know. But some people do - but anyway, it was intended in the general respect of any particular individual part or item of faith.



Like, as discussed above and agreed as sickening by a Christian: If your daughter is raped and then refuses to marry her rapist, you have to stone her to death. Yes, it's just one example - and yes, there are 'good' examples. But so what? If a book is going to be a guide on how to life, it needs to be significantly better than a mixed bag - otherwise you may as well pick a random man off the street to write it, and then live by that.

The Bible is not a good guide on how to live in the world we live in.

Where did I say it was 'good'? I did say there were 'some' practical rules...not all, some. Just as there are some sickening ones.

As to finding a random man on the street, he'd have to be a pretty special 'random' to write something as enduring as the bible.

I really don't think the bible has any bearing on the OP's question anyway. It didn't for me.

*shrug*

 

[Mr Burns]

Dont get me wrong I have little time for the Bible and agree huge parts of it are clearley laughable, but just wanted to point out the plus points.

Fine, I really fail to see how someone like you, you admits huge parts of the bible are laughable, would take any notice of the rest of it. Surely the laughable parts, discredits any other parts where proof doesn't exist.

After all, if we had this converasation a the year before Darwin published his theory, you'd have probably thought the world was created in 7 days, and god created man in his own image. But because we now are 99.999999999999999999% that evolution is probably correct, and that the earth was formed over millions and millions of years, these parts of the bible are now laughable to people. So why would you take a ounce of notice of the rest of it?

 

[Locky]

10 Commandments, some of which are pretty irrelevant. I fail to see how whether or not I work on a Saturday/Sunday (depending on which brand of Old-Testament believers you choose) has any bearing on whether I have a good life or not. I certainly don't see it as on a par with committing murder.

As I said above - anybody on the street could write a list of rules, some of which would be good, some bad. The existence of some good ones is not sufficient to make it a good guide.

Doesnt make it a bad one though does it ?
Rules are normally installed into us via our parents, who in turn got theirs from their parents.
Do you not think that maybe it all started by adhereing to values installed by said commandments.
Christian Values ?

 

[DTES]

As to finding a random man on the street, he'd have to be a pretty special 'random' to write something as enduring as the bible.

I agree; it would take someone in a position of power. But it would be just as good if chosen as a guide for life. Apologies if you didn't mean it was good, that was how I read it at the time.

I really don't think the bible has any bearing on the OP's question anyway.

Agreed. I'm just trying to understand how/why people that do believe he exists, do believe.

 

[DerbyGull]

I thought I'd spelt this out clearly enough - three times - but apparently not.

My point isn't specific to the existence (or not) of a god, but of a general point. One example is 7 day creation - how/why do people believe in it when there is solid evidence to the contrary? But that is just one example - take any individual part of any holy book that is in direct contradiction to proven science and apply the same question.

What do I believe? I believe it's all stories. Why? Because there is no more evidence to support the conjecture that there is a god watching me than than there is to support the conjecture that there are fairies in my garden, or that there is an infinitesimally small elephant hovering above my head right now, just out of my eyesight.

The Bible is enough evidence for you? So you do believe in 7 day creation? Or you accept that part has been disproven but decide to still accept the rest of it? How much of it would have to be disprove before you start to doubt the pieces that are remaining?

The Bible must be true because the Bible says it's true - seems far too obviously flawed for me to take it seriously... on what basis do you accept the bible as anything more than just another historical text?

JC's life is enough evidence for me, i don't feel i need to justify myself further. I don't care when we were created, 5000 years ago or 25,000 years ago or if there was and Adam and Eve or whether we came from apes. I care about Jesus's teaching, I'm only reading the Old testament to get an overview and to say i've read it. Knowing about the Red Sea being parted or whether some bloke lived 900 years and fathered 500 children, or that non-virgins should be stoned is totally irrelevant to me and not aimed at me as a Christian. I'm only interested in what JC is saying, which is the same for all catholics. That's not picking and choosing.

 

[DerbyGull]

How you can leave it at that. You have said on two occasions, 750,000 people due to die in Africa through starvation, probably one of the worst ways a person could die, could be considered lucky. I think that would sound sick to 99.999% of human beings to be honest.

So if you have such faith in the after life, why not kill yourself to be closer to god?

Keep playing on words why don't you. You're so full of vitriol it's unhealthy.