Family & Relationships22 mins ago
Have You Really Come to Know God?
250 Answers
Many persons know about God. They may live in communities where most citizens claim to believe that he exists. But does this mean that they really know God? Well, there is a difference in knowing about the ruler of the country where one lives and in having a personal acquaintance with him. So, too, with knowing God.
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Slapshot .......sorry to hear, but to blame God no.
There are many people in the world who feel that somehow God is to blame for their plight. And with this generation rapidly developing into what one writer calls the “not-me” generation, this trend may appear to be escalating.
However, recorded history reveals that passing the blame on to others, with the excuse “I am not really to blame, has been around since man’s beginning. Ever since that time, humans have invented various forms of belief and have searched for exotic excuses that would exonerate them from any real accountability for their actions. Notable among these was the ancient belief in fate.
Children are not the only ones who ask questions. As we grow up, we keep asking. We do this in order to find our way, to learn of dangers that we need to avoid, or to satisfy our curiosity. But many people seem to stop asking questions, especially the most important ones. At least, they stop searching for the answers. No doubt you sometimes wonder.
What is the purpose of life?
Is this life all there is?
There are many people in the world who feel that somehow God is to blame for their plight. And with this generation rapidly developing into what one writer calls the “not-me” generation, this trend may appear to be escalating.
However, recorded history reveals that passing the blame on to others, with the excuse “I am not really to blame, has been around since man’s beginning. Ever since that time, humans have invented various forms of belief and have searched for exotic excuses that would exonerate them from any real accountability for their actions. Notable among these was the ancient belief in fate.
Children are not the only ones who ask questions. As we grow up, we keep asking. We do this in order to find our way, to learn of dangers that we need to avoid, or to satisfy our curiosity. But many people seem to stop asking questions, especially the most important ones. At least, they stop searching for the answers. No doubt you sometimes wonder.
What is the purpose of life?
Is this life all there is?
Mymom - “... I have been lurking around here for sometime before I joined. What I see is that there is a lot of disrespect for God...”
I don't disrespect god. You cannot disrespect something that doesn't exist. That's like disrespecting unicorns.
“... I know a few atheists and usually find them to be respectful even though they don't believe. I can't say that for those on this site. It seems to be all one big joke...”
I am a respectful atheist. I don't spend my every waking moment criticising those of you who believe. However, this is the “religion and spirituality” section of a discussion forum and as such, surprise surprise, we debate religion and its merits. Some of us believe and some of us don't. If you want to talk to theistic unquestioning automatons then there are literally thousands of discussion forums where you can debate the intricacies of intelligent design and other such non-scientific baloney.
And believe you me, it's no joke. Not to me and not to a great many atheists on this website and in the wider world. We take it very seriously indeed.
“... IMO it seems that you really want to know but are trying to give the impression you don't...”
What is it that you think we want to know? Do you think we're all closet believers who can't wait to be educated by the likes of Elderman? Do you think that we don't know much about religion, its origins and its goals? If you do, then I would suggest you 'lurk' a bit longer and perhaps study some of the previous debates that have occurred before you joined. What you'll discover is that most of the atheists on here know at least as much, if not more, than their religious counterparts.
“... Why don't you be honest with yourselves and give the likes of Elderman a chance? Or is that too simple for you?...”
What's obvious to me (and what should be obvious to anyone who can read and think clearly) is that Elderman is a troll who more often than not, doesn't even attempt to justify his theological position. He simply copies and pastes answers which have been purloined from other sources and tries to pass them off as his own.
I am more than willing to engage Elderman in rational debate but I fear that he doesn't really understand his own beliefs. If he did, he wouldn't be copying and pasting all the time – he'd be constructing arguments of his own.
Is that too simple for you?
I don't disrespect god. You cannot disrespect something that doesn't exist. That's like disrespecting unicorns.
“... I know a few atheists and usually find them to be respectful even though they don't believe. I can't say that for those on this site. It seems to be all one big joke...”
I am a respectful atheist. I don't spend my every waking moment criticising those of you who believe. However, this is the “religion and spirituality” section of a discussion forum and as such, surprise surprise, we debate religion and its merits. Some of us believe and some of us don't. If you want to talk to theistic unquestioning automatons then there are literally thousands of discussion forums where you can debate the intricacies of intelligent design and other such non-scientific baloney.
And believe you me, it's no joke. Not to me and not to a great many atheists on this website and in the wider world. We take it very seriously indeed.
“... IMO it seems that you really want to know but are trying to give the impression you don't...”
What is it that you think we want to know? Do you think we're all closet believers who can't wait to be educated by the likes of Elderman? Do you think that we don't know much about religion, its origins and its goals? If you do, then I would suggest you 'lurk' a bit longer and perhaps study some of the previous debates that have occurred before you joined. What you'll discover is that most of the atheists on here know at least as much, if not more, than their religious counterparts.
“... Why don't you be honest with yourselves and give the likes of Elderman a chance? Or is that too simple for you?...”
What's obvious to me (and what should be obvious to anyone who can read and think clearly) is that Elderman is a troll who more often than not, doesn't even attempt to justify his theological position. He simply copies and pastes answers which have been purloined from other sources and tries to pass them off as his own.
I am more than willing to engage Elderman in rational debate but I fear that he doesn't really understand his own beliefs. If he did, he wouldn't be copying and pasting all the time – he'd be constructing arguments of his own.
Is that too simple for you?
Elderman
“... There are many people in the world who feel that somehow God is to blame for their plight...”.
If god does exist and he is omnipotent (unlimited in power), omnipresent (being everywhere) and omniscient (all knowing) as the biblical texts tell us, then god is to blame for their plight. How can he not be? He is aware of their plight (omniscient) and he can can do something about it (omnipotent). However, god apparently chooses not to help those who desperately need it.
Given the above, how is god not to blame?
“... Ever since that time, humans have invented various forms of belief and have searched for exotic excuses that would exonerate them from any real accountability for their actions...”
Correct. And that is why humans created god. This is something we can agree on. God is a human invention.
“.... But many people seem to stop asking questions, especially the most important ones. At least, they stop searching for the answers...”
Indeed they do. Just like yourself. You've stopped asking questions. You've switched your brain off and simply ascribed everything (both good and bad) to god. Job done. The explanation for everything – god.
“... What is the purpose of life?..”
To keep your specific species alive.
“... Is this life all there is?...”
Yes. Therefore, it is the most precious thing we have.
“... There are many people in the world who feel that somehow God is to blame for their plight...”.
If god does exist and he is omnipotent (unlimited in power), omnipresent (being everywhere) and omniscient (all knowing) as the biblical texts tell us, then god is to blame for their plight. How can he not be? He is aware of their plight (omniscient) and he can can do something about it (omnipotent). However, god apparently chooses not to help those who desperately need it.
Given the above, how is god not to blame?
“... Ever since that time, humans have invented various forms of belief and have searched for exotic excuses that would exonerate them from any real accountability for their actions...”
Correct. And that is why humans created god. This is something we can agree on. God is a human invention.
“.... But many people seem to stop asking questions, especially the most important ones. At least, they stop searching for the answers...”
Indeed they do. Just like yourself. You've stopped asking questions. You've switched your brain off and simply ascribed everything (both good and bad) to god. Job done. The explanation for everything – god.
“... What is the purpose of life?..”
To keep your specific species alive.
“... Is this life all there is?...”
Yes. Therefore, it is the most precious thing we have.
A survey in Britain asked church attenders there to name one thing they liked about their church. Fellowship invariably came first.
All of this shows that while a considerable number of people still believe in God, most are more concerned about what they can get now than about what is to come—or even about God himself.
Well under half of the American public and only one-third of the British know that the earth revolves around the sun once a year,” reports at Oxford University concerning surveys of over 2,000 American adults and 2,000 British adults. For example, in the American survey, Northern Illinois University, 21 percent thought the sun revolves around the earth, and 7 percent said they did not know. Of the 72 percent who correctly replied that the earth revolves around the sun, 17 percent said it happens in one day, 2 percent said it took a month, and 9 percent did not know. The surveys, which asked about 75 questions testing basic knowledge of science, showed that “only 6% of Americans and 7% of British meet [the] standard for science literacy,” says Science magazine.
As we survey all the evidence, the thought insistently arises that some supernatural agency—or, rather, Agency—must be involved. Is it possible that suddenly, without intending to, we have stumbled upon scientific proof of the existence of a Supreme Being?
Atheists, of course, have their counterarguments. Some shrug off the apparent fine-tuning in nature, saying: ‘Of course the observable universe is capable of supporting human life. If it weren’t, we wouldn’t be here to worry about it. So there’s really nothing to explain. We’re just here, and that’s all there is to it.’ But do you find that a satisfying explanation for our existence?
All of this shows that while a considerable number of people still believe in God, most are more concerned about what they can get now than about what is to come—or even about God himself.
Well under half of the American public and only one-third of the British know that the earth revolves around the sun once a year,” reports at Oxford University concerning surveys of over 2,000 American adults and 2,000 British adults. For example, in the American survey, Northern Illinois University, 21 percent thought the sun revolves around the earth, and 7 percent said they did not know. Of the 72 percent who correctly replied that the earth revolves around the sun, 17 percent said it happens in one day, 2 percent said it took a month, and 9 percent did not know. The surveys, which asked about 75 questions testing basic knowledge of science, showed that “only 6% of Americans and 7% of British meet [the] standard for science literacy,” says Science magazine.
As we survey all the evidence, the thought insistently arises that some supernatural agency—or, rather, Agency—must be involved. Is it possible that suddenly, without intending to, we have stumbled upon scientific proof of the existence of a Supreme Being?
Atheists, of course, have their counterarguments. Some shrug off the apparent fine-tuning in nature, saying: ‘Of course the observable universe is capable of supporting human life. If it weren’t, we wouldn’t be here to worry about it. So there’s really nothing to explain. We’re just here, and that’s all there is to it.’ But do you find that a satisfying explanation for our existence?
> As we survey all the evidence, the thought insistently arises that some supernatural agency—or, rather, Agency—must be involved.
It most certainly does not!
> Is it possible that suddenly, without intending to, we have stumbled upon scientific proof of the existence of a Supreme Being?
The problem there, of course, is that people like sandyRoe would no longer have their blind faith. If the existence of God were scientifically proven, then there would be no further need for faith.
It most certainly does not!
> Is it possible that suddenly, without intending to, we have stumbled upon scientific proof of the existence of a Supreme Being?
The problem there, of course, is that people like sandyRoe would no longer have their blind faith. If the existence of God were scientifically proven, then there would be no further need for faith.
(i) could you give the reference for this survery that claims about the level of knowledge of the sun and earth?
(ii) sounds like education has not worked, nothing about spirituality.....
However, one may deduce by your logic may work in that faith is associated with a lack of a half defect scientific education. And that wouldn't surprise me that much.
(ii) sounds like education has not worked, nothing about spirituality.....
However, one may deduce by your logic may work in that faith is associated with a lack of a half defect scientific education. And that wouldn't surprise me that much.
Mymon, now you see why it is such a waste of time coming on R&S, anyone with faith are unwilling to join in with the sarcasm and the banal, plus the cut and paste jobs that come with it, not to mention the 20-40 or so lines of the same by certain posters. As I see it God created the heavens the earth and man and all that dwell therein, we are responsible for our lives as we live it. The Bible/koran/Talmud, whatever, is purportedly the guide to living a good honest life, by the parables and stories of the beginning of the faith and the way they began to live by the word of the Lord. Some poor misguided soul on here is blaming God for taking two of his childrens lives. He didn't take the lives of my two babies, I was ill unable to carry full term, and so were my babies. We are the masters of our own fate, the world as it is now is down to our own actions. From what I have read on here are some very poor excuses for being a so called atheist. Lazy or ignorant spring to mind. End of, I broke my promise to myself not to visit this site again.
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