[WolfCoder]

I still think Google makes an awesome god.

[Shukumei]

So far from what I have seen the replies mainly deal with the 'exsistence' of God and or just random comments of sillyness(sillyness in this context refers to any comments that are not directly related to the main question at hand).
The said question, however asks 'Is God Real?' In order to answer this you would need to define the word 'real'; what is real? Academically I learnt to find the 'real facts' and then base my responses to my assignments on these 'real facts'.

'Real facts are those that are found to be commonly accepted and taught by the educational system.' - One of my random lecturers.

The educational system teaches evolution not Godly creation, so if we decided to weigh God's 'realness' on what I learnt at uni then we can safely say that God is not real.

However another lecturer of mine stated that 'There is no such thing as fact.' (if you want more info on that - just ask me.) Now if there are no facts then 'real facts' can no longer exsist and with no facts I can not define the word 'real' nor can I answer the question 'Is God Real?' Which leaves us in the position to say God might or might not be real.

Last but not least I learnt from another lecturer that anything in exsistence is real, wether it be physical, mental, emotional, etc - So with that said I could safely say God is real, because he exsits in the minds of many.

One educational system and three ways to look at the same question. And yes my lecturers thought I was a headache

This post has been edited by Shukumei: 23 September 2008 - 03:19 AM

[macC++a]

Shukumei, on 23 Sep, 2008 - 08:17 PM, said:

So far from what I have seen the replies mainly deal with the 'exsistence' of God and or just random comments of sillyness(sillyness in this context refers to any comments that are not directly related to the main question at hand).
The said question, however asks 'Is God Real?' In order to answer this you would need to define the word 'real'; what is real? Academically I learnt to find the 'real facts' and then base my responses to my assignments on these 'real facts'.

'Real facts are those that are found to be commonly accepted and taught by the educational system.' - One of my random lecturers.

The educational system teaches evolution not Godly creation, so if we decided to weigh God's 'realness' on what I learnt at uni then we can safely say that God is not real.

However another lecturer of mine stated that 'There is no such thing as fact.' (if you want more info on that - just ask me.) Now if there are no facts then 'real facts' can no longer exsist and with no facts I can not define the word 'real' nor can I answer the question 'Is God Real?' Which leaves us in the position to say God might or might not be real.

Last but not least I learnt from another lecturer that anything in exsistence is real, wether it be physical, mental, emotional, etc - So with that said I could safely say God is real, because he exsits in the minds of many.

One educational system and three ways to look at the same question. And yes my lecturers thought I was a headache

You would find if you studied beyond the Kantian era of total confusion and untenable logic, a much clearer set of philosphies millenia old and inline with reason. Like I said previosly the modern student is largely robbed and subjected to the most outrageous philosphical and ethical theories.
You give good example of why the subjectivist position is impossible...you will never meet a true subjectivist. When it counts they demand objective truth for themselves. A supposed subjectivist on a flight overseas will want to know the pilots, mechanics and refuel guys are objectivists! He is sure to abandon the flight if the fuel guys declare the amount of fuel needed and supplied is subjective and cannot be determined for sure!

This post has been edited by macC++a: 24 September 2008 - 05:16 AM

[Shukumei]

Quote

A supposed subjectivist on a flight overseas will want to know the pilots, mechanics and refuel guys are objectivists! He is sure to abandon the flight if the fuel guys declare the amount of fuel needed and supplied is subjective and cannot be determined for sure!

So very true... In class right now. will give more thought provoking responese next week have a 3 day confrence starting tomorrow

[DaneAU]

I don't believe in a god. I went to Catholic schools all my schooling life and church weekly etc and i seriously don't buy the bullshit as presented. Thats not to say i don't think there is something else out there, however i do not believe that this power was given to a human (jesus) and that there is hell / heaven and all people go to one of these places. Some simple questions i asked myself is - why was a human of all creatures given this role by 'god'... A creature that kills, pillages, rapes and basically breaks every commandment... I mean when you sit back and look at other creatures on this planet and how humble they are... It makes us humans look like pieces of shit with respect to how we act, if anything the animals on this planet deserve more than us, as they serve to provide sustainence to humans... What do we give to any other creature on earth ? Nothing. Everything we do is about taking more and more and that in itself is greed.

As for a god, well have a look up in the night sky and think about the possiblities and think to yourself how and why. How are we here and why am I here in this spot, you can never answer the question... Are you here to live a good life and go to heaven ? Well isn't that pointless ? You live to go to heaven, it has to be the stupidest practises of all, animals live to form part of a food chain so that other animals can coexist... Would it not make sense that we are just another animal in the food chain ? Here right now to server another creature ? If you deny this then our lives are pointless... What are we here to keep a lid on the food chain on earth as the self proclaimed 'peak' of the chain? There is to many flaws in the idealism's of religion and the idea of a god with heaven, paradise, hell just takes human imagination way to far... I do hold value for scriptures in the idealistic concepts and the fables told through them to educate men and women on how to live a good life with others... However i don't take them as a source of guidance for my afterlife or what to expect the day i cease breathing... Look at a dead animal, watch a cell die... These are all living creatures to, what happens to them at this point ? Do they move on to heaven or some other place... Honestly do they ? The way i figure life and death is the following...

The earth is a system, we are growing, as in matter collides with earth and brings more to earth... The sun provides our energies at the base level to ensure that life continues... When we die or any animal dies for that matter, it in no way leaves earth, energy is transferred into other life forms, maggots eating flesh, feed to birds and worms etc... We live in in spirit with those who knew us, the energy we gave to them through our life continues in memory and the physical memory of us in terms of matter lives on in all animals that have gained life through our body. This might sound stuffed up to someone from a religious belief however its my rationale for why we are here. Not for some ultimate paradise and after life, we never move on, we are simply transferred from life to life in mind and matter. Eventually we become so diluted that we become earth. Mother Earth.

[Programmist]

To answer your question nobody knows for sure, no matter what they claim. Many people think god exists, but to these people I say, "prove it." The pat response is usually, "prove god doesn't exist", which I never claimed, but which does make my actual point: no one knows.

[fountainoftruth]

Programmist, on 3 Oct, 2008 - 12:09 PM, said:

no one knows.

Exactly. I classify myself as a Catholic Agnostic. Anyone who chooses an absolute (whether it be "I'm an Christian and there's only one God" or "I'm an Atheist and there's no God") is automatically wrong in my eyes.

This post has been edited by fountainoftruth: 04 October 2008 - 01:33 AM

[RedSonja]

If there were a god it would be a single-digit integer.

[baavgai]

RedSonja, on 4 Oct, 2008 - 08:23 AM, said:

If there were a god it would be a single-digit integer.

Or an imaginary number?

Personally, I'll go with a repeating decimal. I like (1 + sqrt(5))/2.

[bodom658]

I believe in a higher power who has been given the label "God" because it is so far beyond our reach. Scientifically, there are a good number of impossibilities in the bible, which i believe makes it fallible, that and the fact it was written by the hand of man. One cannot say that it is infallible because of divine inspiration, as we too are divinely inspired and may be God's most fallible creation. I believe the bible is a mix of myths and parables written in order to explain why things are the way they are. Religion is a waste of time, and has caused too many wars. Science and the order of the universe would suggest the existence of some superior "creator" if you will, as the order in which the universe exists is seen as highly improbable without one, even some scientists suggest so. I consider myself an Agnostic, as I have discovered the very beautiful difference between the belief in God and the conforming to a religion, which tells me how I should see God. I leave you with this thought: Is Man the Mistake of God? or is God the Mistake of Man?

[RedSonja]

That is a silly question. Not a mistake; a delusion, a con-trick, voices heard by schizophrenics and substance abusers, lies spread by fat paedophiles in silk suits.

There is no god, no heaven, no hell. Just little us, and maybe some aliens out there. If you want or need to have an imaginary friend, if you can't function without papa to keep an eye on you, then that is sad.

But if it keeps you from sawing people's heads off then I suppose it will do for the moment.

[KYA]

I can't help but wonder why you are so cynical about this issue. I would not lump all Christians in the same category as the Catholics. That'd be a huge mistake on your part.

[GWatt]

@RedSonja:
Some people believe in a higher power because it gives them a sense of self worth. They feel that no matter what happens to them, there will always be God who is there for them and loves them. I don't think there are many people who believe in God simply to keep from doing bad things.

@KYA:
Sonja's not lumping all Christians with Catholics. There are plenty of Evangelical ministers who like them some little boy too.

[KYA]

Let me rephrase, don't judge many by the actions of a few.

[supersloth]

oh look, you're all still trying to prove and disprove a measure of faith, ya know, the unprovable.

quaint.