Do you believe in God?

dead stars · 16 Apr 2005, 07:02

The thread about the Pope. Someone said "I have my faith". You do? I thought everyone here was a desbeliever.

Now I'm curious.

Sorry. I'm not even sure if this subject should be approached. But I'm simply curious.

PS: By God, consider any divinity you seem fit. Not necessarily the Christian God, of course.

Gottdammerung · 16 Apr 2005, 08:02

Well, I for one am a nihilist...

I mind one Mayday, on the annual kickabout, a policeman on the frontline asking me what I believed in..

Policeman "So what you representing here then?"

Me: "Nothing"

"Nothing?"

"Yup. Nothing"

"So you're not an anarchist then?"

"Nope. I'm a nihilist"

"So what's that then??"

"I don't believe in anything.."

"Nothing"

"Yup. Nothing.."

Much scratching of head ensued....

boudicca · 16 Apr 2005, 14:11

Yeah, I'm pretty much a sans God sort myself. Yet I consider myself quite spiritual (probably not a good word as I don't believe in the existence of "the spirit" necessarily).

I like my Nietschze... mostly. And I see a lot of my own... approach, rather than beliefs, in nihilsm.

I have an overwhelming sense that I don't know f**k all (excuse, and ignore, the double negative). I operate under the paradigm that there's no transcendent God-dude sitting on a cloud somewhere. But I can think of no way of being certain that I have any window on The Absolute Truth, and I don't think anyone else has ever thought of a decent one, either.

What I do have is a concept of divinity, and that's why I say I'm spiritual.
I look at certain things - the same things that have always inspired that sense of awe in man that I think makes our attraction to religion inevitable - and I see God in them, if we must call it that. I don't believe - I just appreciate. Maybe there is more, maybe not.

Buggered if I know.

taylor · 16 Apr 2005, 14:42

> I thought everyone here was a desbeliever

a man can to be a sisters fan and a believer at same time, isn'it ?

nodubmanshouts · 16 Apr 2005, 16:38

I mind one Mayday, on the annual kickabout, a policeman on the frontline asking me what I believed in..

Policeman "So what you representing here then?"

Me: "Nothing"

Just curious, if you represent nothing, why did you get out of bed that morning to go to the front line?

Gottdammerung · 16 Apr 2005, 17:16

I might not believe in any system /belief but I sure know what I'm against!

rian · 16 Apr 2005, 19:34

I'm not Goth at all. Honest, I aint

But I don't believe in God. I've been sure about that since I was 15, and still feels ok with it.

aims · 16 Apr 2005, 21:22

I still believe in God, but God no longer believes in me

That said, I currently have major issues with the being born a sinner thing along with a couple of rules that Paul wrote down but Jesus never clarified

Delilah · 16 Apr 2005, 21:24

I believe in My Own Personal Jesus...

Delilah · 16 Apr 2005, 21:33

Seriously though, being born in a catholic country, being forced to be a catholic (well, I didn't have a choice - I was only 1 year old when baptised) it was obvious I would rebel against church and its god at some point. So I convinced myself that I was an atheist and lived like that for a few years. But a few things happened in the meantime and I started believe that there is something/someone looking after me. and it is not the typical God, meaning that old guy with a long long beard living in heaven, it's more like my guardian angel or something...

emilystrange · 16 Apr 2005, 21:33

Motz wrote:I still believe in God, but God no longer believes in me

That said, I currently have major issues with the being born a sinner thing along with a couple of rules that Paul wrote down but Jesus never clarified

they never met...

aims · 16 Apr 2005, 21:51

That's my issue with it. The church only teaches a few things that I disagree with and they tend to be from Paul. When I point this out to any of the Youth Leaders they tell me that I can't pick and choose which bits of the Bible to use (despite the Papacy doing pretty much that in the early centuries when they ripped it to their Catholically acceptable pieces).

I guess it's just convenient that it fits with their idea of moral correctness

Obviousman · 16 Apr 2005, 22:01

I guess there must be something that keeps me going, but for sure the church isn't the thing that does.

Still, I think Jesus & Co aren't the ones to blame for what's wrong in the world, I think, it all went wrong when the romans adapted christianity, and made it more an instrument of power instead of just belief, like they did before when they just took local gods along with theirs.

But believing, in any organised structure no thanks, I'd rather think about everyting on me own, and have my own clerical rules and moral guidelines

Dave R · 16 Apr 2005, 22:09

In order to answer this, you need a clear definition of "god".....

an omnipotent divinity responsible for creation?

an archaic symbol as a crutch for the masses???

something to turn to when you get old and are looking straight in the maw of death and require confirmation that there is more to life than this?????

I beleive that we were created, and did not evolve from monkeys...
I beleive there is a 'force' beyond our comprehnsion that is responsible for the existence of life on this planet....
I beleive that over the passage of time the TRUTH has been bastardised by Organized religeon for its own ends....
I beleive that if no one can answer your questions on the whole 'big issue' that they are fecking useless and therefore dependant on dead faith....

Having said all that I beleive that life as we know it, science, mathematics, astrology etc etc are all things imparted to us ny an Alien race, to which end it kinda makes GOD as a totem, pretty much redundant.

Thats my two pence worth - for what its worth.....

canon docre · 16 Apr 2005, 22:17

I dont believe in the concept of "believing" at all. Why is it, that humans need to think that their mere existence gets heighten by believing in "God", "a god", "satan", "Allah", "a strange fluid",

or an "abstract higher power of undefined status"?
What, if there is not such thing existing and we all just get spit out, then exist, then die and decay? What is so frightening about that thought?

timsinister · 16 Apr 2005, 22:32

Waiting for clarification. It'd be nice to have a Creator-type person. Then I could have someone to kick in the shins and scream WHY? at very loudly.

Good thread, DS.

smiscandlon · 16 Apr 2005, 22:46

timsinister wrote:Waiting for clarification. It'd be nice to have a Creator-type person. Then I could have someone to kick in the shins and scream WHY? at very loudly.

Good thread, DS.

And good post, oor Timmy.

boudicca · 16 Apr 2005, 23:19

I'm glad someone got in with the Mish quote before I could embarass myself!

(Now, on to the next topic. Do you believe in the God SQUAD?)

timsinister · 17 Apr 2005, 00:29

boudicca wrote:Do you believe in the God SQUAD?

Brilliant quote; Personally, it's not God I have a problem with, it's his fanclub.
If I disbelieved in the Mods, they'd probably thunderbolt my account or something, though.

smiscandlon wrote:And good post, oor Timmy.

Cheers. If it had've been anyone else saying that, I'd have pulled your entrails out of your ears, mind.

Loki · 17 Apr 2005, 00:31

Yes, I believe in me. Next question ..?

Black Biscuit · 17 Apr 2005, 06:57

Obviousman wrote:
But believing, in any organised structure no thanks, I'd rather think about everyting on me own, and have my own clerical rules and moral guidelines

--- This wouldn't do much to help people who need spiritual teachers or guidance. However, I'm glad for you that you have sussed out your own belief system. Perhaps it's just an independent streak in you that makes you that way. Others are happier to accept an established religion....

Black Biscuit · 17 Apr 2005, 07:04

I worked with a guy about five years back in a job I eventually got fired from. I am yet to kick them in the head for that, but they'll keep.

Anyway, some new guy started work with us and it soon became obvious that he was a "born again". Shortly into the first shift, he said, "So, do you believe in God, hmmm?"

I replied, quite matter-of-factly, ".... Do I believe in Him?!? It's me!!!! You're workin' with 'im!"

Even a Muslim ass-ole I worked with in that joint hated me for that one! But this was before he and I nearly kicked the crap out of each other. Me is ten percent body fat - just bone and raw muscle. He soon learned that I ain't as stupid as I act!

Yeehaa!

Obviousman · 17 Apr 2005, 08:57

Black Biscuit wrote:
Obviousman wrote:
But believing, in any organised structure no thanks, I'd rather think about everyting on me own, and have my own clerical rules and moral guidelines

--- This wouldn't do much to help people who need spiritual teachers or guidance. However, I'm glad for you that you have sussed out your own belief system. Perhaps it's just an independent streak in you that makes you that way. Others are happier to accept an established religion....

That's very true, some people believe in the instute church (rather than god, I guess) just because of the need of a structure, which they can't find elsewhere, and believe that's a mayor support for them. If they feel much better because of that, I sure do respect that, because I think everyone has to have his own support in life, and freedom of choice is of main importance in this matter (which doesn't mean you have to go fundamentalistic, of course)

smiscandlon · 17 Apr 2005, 10:36

timsinister wrote:
smiscandlon wrote:And good post, oor Timmy.
Cheers. If it had've been anyone else saying that, I'd have pulled your entrails out of your ears, mind.

Note taken to avoid future aural evisceration.

smiscandlon · 17 Apr 2005, 10:37

smiscandlon wrote:aural evisceration

... and if I ever start a death metal band I now know what to call them.