Do you believe in GOD? Prove that God exists!

[on-ramp]

go ahead.

Prove that God exists.

(this ought to get interesting).

[IROC]

I don't believe that he exists, but if other people take comfort in his existence, that's fine with me.

There is no proof. That kinda ruins the whole "faith" thing.

Mike

[gassy]

[Nathans_Dad]

Silly thread.

And Trollish to boot.

[AFJuvat]

I'm agnostic bordering on athiest

It cannot be neither proven nor disproven. It is impossible to hold a reasonable or logical discussion between one with faith in God and one that does not believe.

This is why many religions have some form of a statement of faith. Christians accepting Jesus as their savior, muslums making the statement that there is no god but god and that mohammed was his prophet, etc.

All of that said even as an agnostic\athiest, I can still find some moral lessons to be learned from religious writings. The 10 commandments aren't a bad basic set of rules to live by, regardless of your faith.

AFJ

[on-ramp]

silly thread?

this goes to the heart of our existence, the meaning of the universe, our history, the meaning of life, and so on.... as far from silly as you can get, IMHO.

[gassy]

[livi]

What IROC said... till I saw that pic. My GOD !

I would actually rephrase the question to What is God ?

[Nathans_Dad]

Yes, silly thread. You cannot prove nor disprove God's existence...it has been tried for centuries. Therefore, silly thread.

[IROC]

Why must god exist? What elements of the world around us could have *only* come into existence through a supreme being? By "only", I mean, that there is no possible explanation other than the supernatural.

I don't know of any. There are things we don't understand, but that does not mean that the only answer is "god did it".

Mike

[widebody911]

Yet the christians insist god is male...

Originally posted by gassy

[Jims5543]

Originally posted by AFJuvat
I'm agnostic bordering on athiest

It cannot be neither proven nor disproven. It is impossible to hold a reasonable or logical discussion between one with faith in God and one that does not believe.

This is why many religions have some form of a statement of faith. Christians accepting Jesus as their savior, muslums making the statement that there is no god but god and that mohammed was his prophet, etc.

All of that said even as an agnostic\athiest, I can still find some moral lessons to be learned from religious writings. The 10 commandments aren't a bad basic set of rules to live by, regardless of your faith.

AFJ

I have a lot of respect for you stating that and you are 100% right trying to reason with a zelot will get you nowhere. Same goes from religion to religion and between political affiliations. That is why I do not bother arguing religion nor politics.

I have a question for you though.

Do you celebrate christmas?

Do you have Children?

If you do does it bother you that your school is probably teaching them about Christmas and other religious holidays when you do not believe in them?

[Jims5543]

Originally posted by SoCal911SC
Kids are exposed to a lot of stuff.

They'll grow up and decide what to believe and not believe.

I do not send my kids to PUBLIC schools for religious instruction. Church and State should be seperate and last time I checked my kids school was run by the state.

My wifes girlfriend is Jewish and was upset over the fact that she has had to explain to her little girl why they do not believe in Santa after she came home from school and was taught about him in class.

Religion should be taught in church and at home. Not in school.

I am sure its an upopular opinion. How would you like your kid to be taught satanism in school? You wouldn't be too happy. So, whats the difference?

[Jims5543]

Oops! I am arguing Religion AND Politics... never mind you do not have to answer my question.

I am more interested in AFJ's answer.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally posted by widebody911
Yet the christians insist god is male...

Ha! If God was a woman, would she make another one like that? No way in hell...

[Nathans_Dad]

Originally posted by Jim Cesiro
My wifes girlfriend is Jewish and was upset over the fact that she has had to explain to her little girl why they do not believe in Santa after she came home from school and was taught about him in class.

Wait...correct me if I'm wrong, but Santa is a secular figure, not a religious one. Unless of course you are referring to his origins as Saint Nicholas, but he's been pretty well mutilated beyond recognition there...

Does you friend get upset about Frosty and Rudolph too?

[rrpjr]

St. Anselm "proved" the existence of God. My brother teaches this in his Philosophy 101.

A precis:

The first, and best-known, ontological argument was proposed by St. Anselm of Canterbury in the 11th. century A.D. In his Proslogion, St. Anselm claims to derive the existence of God from the concept of a being than which no greater can be conceived. St. Anselm reasoned that, if such a being fails to exist, then a greater being — namely, a being than which no greater can be conceived, and which exists — can be conceived. But this would be absurd: nothing can be greater than a being than which no greater can be conceived. So a being than which no greater can be conceived — i.e., God — exists.

[AFJuvat]

Originally posted by Jim Cesiro
... I have a question for you though.

Do you celebrate christmas?

Do you have Children?

If you do does it bother you that your school is probably teaching them about Christmas and other religious holidays when you do not believe in them?

I'll answer the second question first.

Yes, I have two children, 13 and 11.

Do I celebrate christmas? A tricky question really. If, by the term celebrate, do I put up a tree, decorate the house, give gifts, and make an effort to be a kinder, more charitable person, then yes, I celebrate christmas. Do I celebrate it in the traditional christian sense, no.

Does it bother me that they are taught what it means in school - no. FWIW, the area I live in has a large population that is Jewish. Schools in this area mention both Christmas and Chanukah. In most classrooms, you will not see a christmas tree without also seeing a menorah.

I told them what it is supposed to mean long before the school taught it. If my children were to decide that they wanted to attend a church, by all means they are welcome. IMO, a person's faith, or lack thereof, if a deeply personal matter. If you ask me my opinion on religion, I'll give it to you. If I ask you yours, I would expect you to give it to me. We may not see eye to eye, but we can agree to disagree.

AFJ

[Jims5543]

Originally posted by SoCal911SC
I went through public shools K-12. My wife is a public school teacher. My kid goes to public schools. None of us have ever heard of any kid ever being taught religion in school.

That includes even the religious aspects of Christmas, Hannuka, etc. Although to me explaining the factual basis of any widely celebrated holiday isn't really "teaching religion" and wouldn't be a big deal to me. But at least in the schools around here, there is such terror over religion in the schools, even that it isn't really done.

I have no terror over religion being taught in school. I do not think it needs to be covered. There are more important things to be taught. Its just not appropriate. I counter what is being taught to my child with open dialogue at home and teaching him what I believe. When he gets older he can decide where he wants to be in this world unlike christians that baptize their babies into their religion when they are born giving them no choice and forcing them to have to denounce their faith in order to make a deicsion.

Teaching facts about other religions is one thing when they are old enough. When they are in K-2nd grade its a little inapropriate to have them color Santa pictures and Reindeer etc..

I was taught about Hinduism, Muslim, Jewish and many other religions in school we were taught the facts. We never partook in their customs though. Only christianity customs.

[Nathans_Dad]

Originally posted by Jim Cesiro
When they are in K-2nd grade its a little inapropriate to have them color Santa pictures and Reindeer etc..

Wow, this is impressive. I would think you also get p-o'd when you see "Merry Christmas Charlie Brown" on TV, or the Grinch, or those STINKING CANDY CANES (look like shepard's crooks don't they?). Those friggin lights on houses (resemble STARS like the ones that lead the wise men)and stupid little elves in boots (work for the evil Santa). Heck if I were you I'd teach your kids to leave poisoned cookies for that dirty Santa-man and rid the world of him FOREVER!!


Who's that I hear? Oh...it's the Ghost of Marley coming for you...

Sheesh man. Don't even get you STARTED on the Easter bunny either!!