Does God exist? (14 Viewers)

[smcoc]

Has ne1 heard of the appearance of St Mary at Zeitoun?

 

[youBROKEmyLIFE]

Has ne1 heard of the appearance of St Mary at Zeitoun?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia

 

[Slidey]

Has ne1 heard of the appearance of St Mary at Zeitoun?

Has anyone heard of this old disease called 'stupid'?

 

[Enteebee]

It's really not up to me to choose... honestly, it's not, I would really want to believe it's all true. Believing in God (i.e. an interventionist supernatural being of any type) would just be entirely inconsistent with my modus operandi.

 

[Enteebee]

I have no more choice to believe in God than I do to believe in Santa, or believe Evolution is wrong, or believe 9/11 was an inside job. It's really not a choice.

 

[Enteebee]

Why do you say that? (I'm just curious given my own background with this particular subject...)

Well I don't think you have a choice to be an atheist either, do you get what I mean now? It's not like you can decide 'oh now I'm gunna believe in God!'... If I don't have the satisfactory evidence to establish a belief/non-belief in something I really don't think I can just will it true.

 

[Enteebee]

Well I think the only reason there's a perceived notion of choice when it comes to choosing between religions is because you don't really believe in any, so it's more "what do I want to HOPE is true"... I hope what I say isn't too offensive, I really don't mean it to be but these are my real (I guess offensive) views and I don't know how else to communicate them.

Goodnight malfoy et al!!

 

[Slidey]

I have no more choice to believe in God than I do to believe in Santa, or believe Evolution is wrong, or believe 9/11 was an inside job. It's really not a choice.

Well said.

 

[darkliight]

I'm a free-thinking Catholic

... ? Never heard that one before.

 

[Iron]

http://tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/

Blair's Launching Speech

...you cannot understand the modern world unless you understand the importance of religious faith. Faith motivates, galvanises, organises and integrates millions upon millions of people.

Here is the crucial point. Globalisation is pushing people together. Interdependence is reality. Peaceful co-existence is essential. If faith becomes a countervailing force, pulling people apart, it becomes destructive and dangerous.

If , by contrast, it becomes an instrument of peaceful co-existence, teaching people to live with difference, to treat diversity as a strength, to respect "the other", then Faith becomes an important part of making the 21st Century work. It enriches, it informs, it provides a common basis of values and belief for people to get along together.

...

This is a century rich in potential to solve problems, provide prosperity to all, to overcome longstanding issues of injustice that previously we could not surmount. But it only works if the values which inform the change are values that unify and do not divide. Religious faith has a profound role to play.

For good or for ill.

The Tony Blair Faith Foundation will try to make it for good.

Also not on website

Religious faith with be of the same significance to the 21st century as political ideology was to the 20th century. In an era of globalisation, there is nothing more important than getting people of different faiths and cultures to understand each other better and live in peace and mutual respect, and to give faith itself its proper place in the future

 

[Slidey]

... ? Never heard that one before.

Then you're not listening very hard.

In my experience, Catholics are the most secular and abstract of Christians (in the West, not Africa).

 

[Iron]

Get thee behind me Ssslidey

 

[11kloseboy]

I don't believe in god if it did exist i would be playing along side Rooney and Ronaldo at the Old Trafford. Ok if god did exist why is there people of different status's in the world?Not everyone is rich and famous.Some people are born deaf, some are born with special talents. If God did exist, everybody would be the same

 

[Slidey]

I don't believe in god if it did exist i would be playing along side Rooney and Ronaldo at the Old Trafford. Ok if god did exist why is there people of different status's in the world?Not everyone is rich and famous.Some people are born deaf, some are born with special talents. If God did exist, everybody would be the same

If these are the real 'reasons' god doesn't exist, I think I might just convert back to Christianity.

Get thee behind me Ssslidey

Interesting choice of words. Almost implying that as a proponent of Catholicism, I am in fact a pawn of Satan.

 

[darkliight]

Then you're not listening very hard.

In my experience, Catholics are the most secular and abstract of Christians (in the West, not Africa).

Maybe I have my defintions mixed up, but I thought freethinking really goes against the christian grain - regardless of how secular and abstract your christian stance is.

 

[Captain Gh3y]

the pope is antichrist

 

[Slidey]

Maybe I have my defintions mixed up, but I thought freethinking really goes against the christian grain - regardless of how secular and abstract your christian stance is.

I'd agree with you in the case of Protestants, but not Catholics. Most humans are extremely capable of double think to begin with, such as the Protestants who say "Evolution is false! Now give me that flu vaccine, doc!" or "The big bang is fake! Oh dammit, why is my mobile phone playing up? Damn microwave interference." but the many millions of Catholics who are scientists (including biologists) should be evidence enough it doesn't kill free thought. Perhaps you should also actually determine the Catholic church's stance of scientific endeavour and interpretation of the Bible (decidedly more abstract than literal) before future remarks on the religion.

I quote, in regards to scientific endeavour:

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994, revised 1997) on faith, evolution and science states:

159. Faith and science: "...methodical research in all branches of knowledge, provided it is carried out in a truly scientific manner and does not override moral laws, can never conflict with the faith, because the things of the world and the things of faith derive from the same God. The humble and persevering investigator of the secrets of nature is being led, as it were, by the hand of God in spite of himself, for it is God, the conserver of all things, who made them what they are." (Vatican II GS 36:1) 283. The question about the origins of the world and of man has been the object of many scientific studies which have splendidly enriched our knowledge of the age and dimensions of the cosmos, the development of life-forms and the appearance of man. These discoveries invite us to even greater admiration for the greatness of the Creator, prompting us to give him thanks for all his works and for the understanding and wisdom he gives to scholars and researchers.... 284. The great interest accorded to these studies is strongly stimulated by a question of another order, which goes beyond the proper domain of the natural sciences. It is not only a question of knowing when and how the universe arose physically, or when man appeared, but rather of discovering the meaning of such an origin....

Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_and_the_Roman_Catholic_Church#Catholic_teaching_and_evolution

Not to mention that Catholic schools teach evolution during science, not Creationism (which is often taught in religion classes as an abstract notion).

 

[Iron]

lol BS
The Protestant movement was a PROTEST of rational men against the arbirtary and authoritarian nature of Roman Catholicism. It liberated scientists to say things like, o-er, the earth is round.
SORRY I DONT HAVE THE WIKI ARTICLE TO BACK THAT UP

 

[Slidey]

Oh, certainly that might have been true... 500 YEARS AGO.

 

[Iron]

Oh, well, sure SORRY I DIDNT REALISE THAT THE POPE GAVE UP HIS DISCRETION TO DEFINE TRUTH