What do you think of religion?

Hmm yes. But I can't wrap my head around god or gods being the answer to everything.

I wonder. Gods can't simply appear out of nothingness, non existence, 0% of nothing.
Something can't come from nothing...
It's like transfer of energy. We know that energy never goes away, it just changes into different forms.
There would have to be something that god or gods were/was based from...and then we ask what could that be?
God's gods?
Then gods of god's gods.
Etc etc infinity...

And if it really is as simple as god or gods being the orgin, it just seems too simple for me. Too simplistic an end to life in this world universe. If life is as complex as we understand it, It can't simply end at god or gods. As the gods lives would have to be equally or more complex and so their origins must exist.

There is never an ending after a beiginning, only a beginning after an ending.

It's fascinating to think about all this.

 

I can see how many people commit to religion etc.
The idea of an afterlife and euphoria, eternal forgiveness etc.
It's all very nice to believe for when we die.

It's a very respectable belief.
But for me personally it's too much of a final chapter moment to conclude life.

But saying that if it is a reality after death, one of the things I will want to ask god or the gods would be where did he/she/ they come from.

 

God is existence itself. There is no before God and no after God. As a human beings subject to time, we cannot fathom this, but we know there had to be a point where there always was something. It doesn't make sense to say there needs to be a beginning to God, or that God has to be complex, or that because our lives are complex God is therefore complex.

Is it now? It's nice to know that everything you've done in life you will have to render an account for? I gotta tell you that this was no comfort to me when I received my faith. I was perfectly comfortable with the idea that there were no eternal consequences for my actions and that I would just simply not exist at the end of my life.

You're in luck because that question has already been asked and the reply was; "I Am, Who Am." Basically the reply was I Am Existence Itself.

I've never had a problem with suffering. Love cannot grow inside of comfort zones, so it seems fitting that God would allow it to exist. With that said there is only two types of suffering in this world and that is; used or wasted.

 

So you are saying that at one point in time/existence etc god just existed. Just become the first something.

You see this is what I can't believe.
Everything has a foundation.

Its a nice idea sure, but it lacks thought. It's just like starting a novel with the words.

"On a cold night a baby was born..."
Who was the babies parents?
(This is a generic made up opening to a novel, not based on real works)
Why not start the novel with...
" On a cold night George and Lucy had a baby".

I just can't imagine 1 single god just exists from nowhere.

Every creation must have a creator, and the creator is also the created.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to disprove anything. But simply also sharing my view

 

This is not quite right. God did not 'come into' being at any point. He simply is. He is outside of time.

As we are inside time and have limited intellects, we can no more understand God's nature in this regard than we can understand the concept of infinity. As for why God would create us with such intellects, we do not understand all his reasons either. Being omnipotent, he can certainly choose to do so. Being all-good, such a choice must be good. Our intellects are powerful, but not infinitely powerful.

Granted, pondering these ideas can make one's head hurt. But consider this: the explanation for the universe being that God is the infinite origin of all creation does not break any rule of logic or metaphysics. The idea that there is no such God, however, does. One who holds such a position invariably must resort to saying something like, "well, we cannot possibly know," because there is no viable explanation to be given in such a case. (If there is, then by all means, let me know.)

No worries. We love discussion. I often wonder how many people (especially youth) give serious thought to the nature of existence.

 

Bingo!

What is the real wishful thinking? Is it that we can attain to everlasting happiness by living as God asks in this life? Or is it that we can do whatever we please with impunity because once we are dead, we account for none of our actions and experience nothing?

 

I hear ya...
You can see where I'm coming from though.

The idea of god being the beginning of all just seems (to me) like a method of understanding origins in a bitesize form, quickly finalised and complete.
A simple soloution to the conundrum to our life, an entity some choose to believe exists to fill the void of not knowing anything at all...yet.

I don't think I will ever believe or disbelieve anything until I die.

I think we will only really know anything remotely accurate after we die.
Until then it's just wishful thinking and strong belief

What if our after death experience is determined on how strong our feelings of our ideas/understanding of what lies afterwards was in this life.

E.g. An individual lives life believing in god, so that becomes the individuals reality after death.

Or

you believe in infinite galactic freedom and that becomes the individuals reality.

Just 2 of infinite potential after life realities for each an everyone of us.

After all, they say "life is what you make it", so what if we have that same choice for an afterlife.


There's so much to wonder...
I plan on living this life as long as im meant too. But I look forward to my eventual death.
Sounds negative but it's actually positive.
See what lies ahead.

 

I once knew a girl who told me something very similar to this. She essentially said she couldn't accept such a simple answer. It saddens me to think about it...

Our belief is not blind. We believe in divinely revealed truth. Jesus Christ is a historical person who claimed to be the son of God, and backed up that claim throughout his life. He taught about various things, including the nature of God.

If God had not revealed anything to us, then I might tend to agree with your standpoint.

 

Its strange that this is the first thread in the off-topic section considering I just burned a bible in my yard. I came to the realization today that the only law is karma. Only a cruel god would put us here and then judge us for our actions. He/she should judge himself.

 

Yes, they all say that people who die of diseases or get killed in vain etc go straight to heaven.

But why would a god who is all loving create a world with diseases in it, and people who's minds are crazy and want to kill others.

This to me is one of the biggest things I don't like about the god idea.

Innocent children who die from things like aids or cancer or starvation.

Believers will say that god saves them by letting them die and takes them to heaven but that to me is completely hypocritical of what god is meant to be.

If he is all loving why doesn't he grant everyone a healthy safe life.
An estimated 6.3 million children under 5 years old died in Africa in 2013.
If that's roughly the same each year. How is god all loving to allow that.
Why does he never do divine intervention?

This is why I really struggle with the believe in god.
The whole straight to heaven thing is just trying to avoid the thought of innocent people dieing in vain.

 

Kind of self defeating, right? If you get there, He exists and created both language and reason. It would then be difficult to "destroy" him verbally. Blaming him for deaths on Earth would also then not really matter a whole lot. If you get to judgement, then the lives of people now aren't super significant, assuming we evaluate them in view of eternity.

 

The whole god thing is just too much ownership over a persons soul for my liking.

As far as I'm concerned, regardless of whether a god made me or not, or made my souls or not etc etc. I own my body and I own my soul.
I don't like the idea of living life, being overshadowed by a god (if it's truth).

Also If when I die and the whole god thing turns out to be real, and if the the whole heaven and hell thing is also real. I will be deciding my own fate.
I won't be judged by a god, even if he/she made me.

All the texts depict god as some all mighty ruler. We have those on earth, called dictators.
So isn't god simply a spiritual dictator?

I just don't like the concept...na nah...don't like it at all.

It all comes down to this.
People who believe in god like to be lead, to follow others and be part of something.

I on the other hand am my own person through and through, do not like to be lead, do not like to be part of something with others, do not like to follow others.

I choose to walk this Earth alone (spiritually).

I also do this somewhat on purpose too, to see what happens after death if you don't follow the herd. Because I'm happy with eternal nothingness if that is a reality.
I'm happy with eternal suffering.
I'm happy with anything, as long as in this life I am my own ruler.
If god turns out to be real I'm sure he won't like me for not praising him.

I live my life following the 10 commandments but I don't live my life to follow a god.
To me the 10 commandments are just how to be good to people rules, nothing more.
My only idols are my family.

The big question I have about religion is this.

Isn't everyone who follows "god" only doing so to have a feeling of guaranteed acceptance into heaven and avoid hell?

Too me this means they are scared of death so they believe in god so they go to heaven.

Religion is a great way to control people to behave good with a reward that we will never know in reality until we are dead.
And religion tells of a hell for anyone who doesn't believe, isn't this just to get a greater following?
Scare tactics?

My thoughts are that we can be good people without following a god. Just be true to yourself and others.

Anyhow that's my thoughts on religion.

 

So, for the purpose of full disclosure, I do believe the God of the Bible exists. That being said, I enjoy discussing things, and I'm down to talk about whatever.

Really though, I don't think there's as much of a dichotomy between self determination and following God as you make it out to be (with due respect of course). So, if you choose not to believe, to make your own fate, you've chosen this on your own, correct?
On the other hand, if I choose to believe in and follow God, I have also chosen my fate, no?

I think the contrast between God and a spiritual dictator is that God gives us freedom here (on Earth) to decide between the two. Some would say "his grace is irresistible." I would disagree. I don't think there's any option but to use free will to choose to believe and follow or not.

(Sidebar: anyone who is following a herd anywhere is likely not going to make it far - I respect your thoughts on that)

 

I appreciate you are an open minded spiritual person.
Too many will just throw everything I say out the window.
I neither believe nor disbelieve and will decide when I see what's after death if there is anything to be seen of course.
But yes for now I will just live life as a good person.
Yeah I chose to not follow. But I wonder if our choices are even our own or if we were meant to chose this way in the first place.
It contradicts free will.
I'm stuck inbetween everything in our known lives.

 

I think some people feel it has created discord and disharmony in humanity as a whole. I think some people feel some religions are forms of monetized 'crowd control'. Some people view all religions as dogmas to follow blindly.

I think humanity wouldn't have a need to try and create any religion if everyone behaved decently towards one another and were basically just good people. But what do you see in the world today? I don't think any religion is to blame for the problems in this world.

 

Nobody knows as some people say. Some people are not happy with not knowing. Some people think science can be limiting at its current stage, and find solace in religion. I look on all religions equally. I think true religion has truth and love as its essence.



As for life after death? Nobody knows you could say, or you could search for 'scientific proof of reincarnation' and find research by Dr. Ian Stevenson. Also Jim Tucker, a child psychiatrist who has a book on the subject of remembering past lives.

 

Maybe if you spent more time reading the Bible instead of burning it you would realize that the world God had created for you was one which had zero death, disease, and suffering for mankind. Someone though fucked that up, and I'll give you a hint, it wasn't God.

 

A good person according to whom? What makes a good person? To what law of morality do you susbscribe to and by who's authority? We cannot be creators of our own morality since we are prone to excusing our own behaviors and actions. We know other people can't be the authority for our morality because we don't recognize in them the right to tell us what we should do with our lives. So who or what could have the authority to tell us if we've been good or bad? Where did this moral law come from if no human being has the authority to impose it?

Also free will is not the ability to do what you want without consequence, that's licentiousness. Free will is the ability to do what you ought! Law and Freedom go hand in hand as the law is the guide which directs us how to correctly exercise our freedom. You have an obligation to follow these laws or else there is consequences. Yet if God allowed the type of "freedom" under licentiousness, which so many advocate for these days, then thieves could steal and no one could stop them. Killers could murder and never face justice. That version of "freedom" is worse than God's version, but it shows and reveals an import aspect of that person spiritual life. The reason they hate God isn't because they don't understand Him, it's because His moral Law doesn't let them live the way they want to and they're too attached to their own ways and behaviors.

 

Do you accuse a judge of being obsessed with prisons when he imposes sentencing? Do you accuse the judge as putting this person in prison or do you acknowledge that the accused put themselves there by their own choice? No you wouldn't! Anything which is good is a reflection of God who is Goodness Itself. It's not that God imitates us but when imitate Him when we are merciful and just. Parents who do not give their kids everything they want because they know that's not good for them imitate God who does not give us everything we want for the same reason. The parents who take away their child's favorite toy when they've misbehaved in order to teach them that there are consequences for their actions, immiate God who does the same to us. The judge who imposes sentence on the accused who willfully broke the law doesn't do so because he hates the accused but because justice and charity demand it. This judge imitates God who unlike the judge in the courts, has to impose sentencing on his own children who willfully break the law because justice and charity demand it. So who's worse? God or us for forcing God's justice?

Why does God want us to worship Him? Why do parents tell their kids to obey them? Is it for the parents benefit or for the child's? Obviously it's for the child's benefit, so it is with us and worshiping God. God knows if we do not worship Him then we will worship something else which will hurt and fail us like: sex, pornography, drugs, food, relationships, money, etc. You see we have a society of addicts because the majority of us have grown up in a Godless culture! Our addictions are the result of misplaced love, misplaced worship! Love, which if directed towards God in worship, would actually heal you and help you live a happier life.