Does God Exist?

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Originally Posted by Dentafrice

But I believe what I believe, whether these scientists "prove it wrong" over and over.

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I'm always worried by statements like these as they pretty much sum up the mentality of those willing to plunge planes in to buildings.
You can believe what you like about the unknown, but believing something contrary to known fact is somewhat worrying. Believing your table can fly does not mean it can. Facts win out in the realms of reality.

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I'm a Christian, and I try to live a good life.. and if what I believe turns out to be "wrong", then I'll die happy living a good life.. and will have lost nothing.

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Well you will have lost some time, time you could have helped someone wasted in preying for them, time you could have been learning wasted sitting in church listening to fiction and experiences you deny yourself based on a groundless morality?
So to me that is a loss, but its your life to use at the end of the day, just keep in mine. If we are right, this is the only one you get, so dont waste it :)

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Originally Posted by Mentor

I'm always worried by statements like these as they pretty much sum up the mentality of those willing to plunge planes in to buildings.
You can believe what you like about the unknown, but believing something contrary to known fact is somewhat worrying. Believing your table can fly does not mean it can. Facts win out in the realms of reality.


Well you will have lost some time, time you could have helped someone wasted in preying for them, time you could have been learning wasted sitting in church listening to fiction and experiences you deny yourself based on a groundless morality?
So to me that is a loss, but its your life to use at the end of the day, just keep in mine. If we are right, this is the only one you get, so dont waste it :)

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How is time wasted if you enjoy it? If I enjoy going to church, how is that wasted time? If I enjoy my responsibilities at church (sound, video, etc), that's not wasted to me.

I'm not going to be flying planes into buildings because I believe in god, and am a Christian?

You can believe whatever you want, just like I can.. so saying my mentality is the same as someone plunging a plane into a building, sums up a lot of the world who believes in some sort of religion.

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Originally Posted by Dentafrice

How is time wasted if you enjoy it? If I enjoy going to church, how is that wasted time? If I enjoy my responsibilities at church (sound, video, etc), that's not wasted to me.

I'm not going to be flying planes into buildings because I believe in god, and am a Christian?

You can believe whatever you want, just like I can.. so saying my mentality is the same as someone plunging a plane into a building, sums up a lot of the world who believes in some sort of religion.

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Just because you're a Christian doesn't change the fact that it is possible for extremists to attempt such acts, even if they are Christian, Christianity is responsible for some of the worst massacres in history afterall. I don't think he was suggesting you did, just the terminology you used suggests you could go to such extremes under the right pressure, anyone could really. Also to certain people, enjoyment doesn't equal time well spent (for some reason :rolleyes:), so because they believe there is no god, they don't see how preying to god is time well spent, so its a conflict in opinion over wasting time preying to a god which could exist and enjoying it.

In terms of what god would want, you're perfectly fine doing it considering he gave us free will :P.

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Originally Posted by .Sarcastix.

Just because you're a Christian doesn't change the fact that it is possible for extremists to attempt such acts, even if they are Christian, Christianity is responsible for some of the worst massacres in history afterall. I don't think he was suggesting you did, just the terminology you used suggests you could go to such extremes under the right pressure, anyone could really. Also to certain people, enjoyment doesn't equal time well spent (for some reason :rolleyes:), so because they believe there is no god, they don't see how preying to god is time well spent, so its a conflict in opinion over wasting time preying to a god which could exist and enjoying it.

In terms of what god would want, you're perfectly fine doing it considering he gave us free will :P.

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Correct.

Time well spent is just opinion anyway, you might enjoy say.. roller blading.. and enjoy it, and think it's time well spent.. and I might think it was stupid, and you could be doing something better..

but to you, it's something you enjoy, etc..

So it's all opinion tbh.

Anyone can perform an act of terrorism, any religion or belief, which includes athiests (which is a belief) :S Heck, alot of murderers are probably athiests! The argument seems to be side tracking to who can kill who :P Extreme Christianity is quite a disturbing sight, although the only extreme Christians I can think of is the Westboro Baptist Church, which arguably isn't a proper Christian denomination (they go against their own beliefs so badly that it'll be wrong to call them a church :P).

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Originally Posted by GommeInc

Anyone can perform an act of terrorism, any religion or belief, which includes athiests (which is a belief) :S Heck, alot of murderers are probably athiests! The argument seems to be side tracking to who can kill who :P Extreme Christianity is quite a disturbing sight, although the only extreme Christians I can think of is the Westboro Baptist Church, which arguably isn't a proper Christian denomination (they go against their own beliefs so badly that it'll be wrong to call them a church :P).

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Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing bad things, but for good people to do bad things, it takes religion. - Steven Weinberg

Theres alot of truth in those words. Blind faith is an incredibly dangerous thing.

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Originally Posted by Mentor

Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing bad things, but for good people to do bad things, it takes religion. - Steven Weinberg

Theres alot of truth in those words. Blind faith is an incredibly dangerous thing.

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Religion will always be here in some shape or form, and there is nothing you; or anyone can do about it.. but argue.

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Originally Posted by Dentafrice

Religion will always be here in some shape or form, and there is nothing you; or anyone can do about it.. but argue.

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Religion is in sharp decline within every first world country bar the US, if things keep going as they are chances are all traces of religion could be gone within the next few generations o.o

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Originally Posted by Mentor

Religion is in sharp decline within every first world country bar the US, if things keep going as they are chances are all traces of religion could be gone within the next few generations o.o

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The problem is that people will always wonder what will happen after we die and people will always fear it, there will always be people who want the answers and people will always want to have the answers and feel complelled to give them, so as long as this need exists, 'divine' belief and religion will always come back. Hopefully it wont get to the point that it used to be, but to the point that it wont be as influencial or controvercial.

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Originally Posted by .Sarcastix.

The problem is that people will always wonder what will happen after we die and people will always fear it, there will always be people who want the answers and people will always want to have the answers and feel complelled to give them, so as long as this need exists, 'divine' belief and religion will always come back. Hopefully it wont get to the point that it used to be, but to the point that it wont be as influencial or controvercial.

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Theres no need to wonder, the problem has nothing to do with not knowing the answer's, its purely with people not liking the answers they get.
There is no heaven, reincarnation or any form of life after death, when you die your body ceases to function. Thats all there is to it. You ether rot in the floor or get incinerated. If your a donor they may remove any useful organs too :)

Religion can no longer function as a answer to the unanswerable, since the unanswerable is fictitious. Religion just serves as an outlet for people in denial to avoid accepting the bits of the world they dont like. We have no freewill, no purpose, no destiny, were pure fluke - to think otherwize is contrary to the evidence we have. :)