Point Blank: Is there a God, why and why not?

Like everyone else out there, I'm looking for answers to my cosmic questions, and God is one of them. A lot of posts here at this great website seem to ask such things as "How literally do you take the Bible," etc. What I want to know is, do you believe there is a God, if you do, why, and if you don't, why not?

Now my definition of God is an entity that is omnipotent and omnipresent. Now, I don't mind if you think God is dead, but back it up. Feel free to explore the question of "what is God," but try to tell me...is there a God?

There is absolutely no evidence for God.

Spiritual energy or a universal connection that links all life together maybe, but no God. Religious texts are heavily flawed, based on numerous tales - complex mixture of numerous cultures - and compiled by political forces (Ottoman and Roman Empire)

Organised religion also pollutes and dictates the meaning of the text for profitable and exploitative means. Mankind evolved from a common ancestor and not a deity - it is more logically to suggest we were genetically engineered by aliens than God (if you believe in the utterly redundant creationism). Humans already have basic intelligence and technology to create life.

God also forgot to tell us about the dinosaurs, planets, moons, the infinite amount of stars and the ice age (which wasn't mentioned) too. He might have selected memory, alzheimer's disease or a mild case of amnesia. Or, more logically, he does not and never did exist in the first place.

Most religious believers contradict everything within the religion too. And their God is unwilling to stop them. So yes, no God.

The existance of pure evil convinced me when I lived in a house where witch craft had been practised. I was a nominal christian at best then. I would wake up paralyzed in the night and eventually got to where I would "know" when the evil was present. It was so hateful it was terrifying. I have never been hated like that in my life. I told my pastor about my problems and he didn't believe a house could be possessed, so I was left on my own. It's a long story, but it all came to a head one evening when "it" manifested in my kitchen like a cloud at head level. It is so hard to explain how I knew it was there. I stopped what I was doing and pointed directly at it and commanded it in Jesus name to leave. Poof! It was gone. How can the name of Jesus have any authori8ty over something like that? The thing wasn't done with me. It came back twice and I had to deal with it each time.

Fast forward a couple years after that and my faith was growing deeper and richer. I was doing house hold chores and just having a pleasant time and opened myself up to loving God with my whole heart. I was CRAVING the presense of Jesus and it was like I wasn't in the room anymore....I was with him. I have never felt such love in my life. When I came back to myself, I felt brand spanking new. I walked around for weeks just loving everyone to the fullest and for the first time I was comfortable in my own skin. I instantly developed a dislike for christian radio and christian books. I felt like they were merely a replacement for a relationship with an awesome God. Scripture became absolutely alive and I became aware of so much pride in the christians in my life. at the same time, I had the Holy Spirit working on my attitude towards others when they fall short. The whole thing was so humbling and life giving to me.

I wish everyone could have this experience and I believe it is possible. I think back to the time before this happened and it was like I was not totally alive.

I just know that I know we were created and we are loved by our creator Father more than you can ever imagine and he has a purpose for everyone of us.

reply to post by infinite


I love playing devil's advocate (and I'll do the same when someone says there is a God). So let me ask: just because the Bible states that God, or Yahweh, never mentioned dinosaurs, stars, ect., what makes the Bible the end-all be-all of religious texts? And who says that any of the current religions are right; maybe they're all wrong and God exists in some form that we have not theorized about yet.

And by the way, I agree that most organized religion is in it for the money.

reply to post by hardamber


I'll play Devil's Advocate:
Is it possible that you confronting the "evil" in your house scared it away, instead of using the name Jesus. And you said you were "CRAVING" the presence of Jesus... maybe you filled the void with believing, instead of real devotion or evidence.

First let me tell you that I am an idealist and instrumentalist. That being said I do believe there is an "entity" or as I would like to call it a "state of perception or understanding" that understands itself as being omnipotent and omniscient.

We may call it God, but personally I think that is an obsolete word that only causes confusion and conflict between people. The word God makes most think of something separate, unattainable and/or superior, it causes a lot of psychological trouble in my opinion.

I rather call it essence, absolute or something less anthropomorphic.

The reason I believe in God is based on my Idealistic view of the world (in which mind and ideas are the ultimate nature of reality). The belief (or the idea of the existence) of God or the Absolute is a useful and powerful tool for many reasons.

I believe its all about your perception. So there will be God if you believe so, there won't be if you don't believe so. God is just another tool like any other concept, its up to you to realize the potential of each tool and use it for your own growth.

reply to post by ineverknew


Buddhism, which is more a philosophy, is the only religion I respect - which could be plausible. If life is universal and the soul does exist, it makes logically sense for reincarnation. Which the Abrahamic religions do not mention (transported to our fate, heaven or hell)

The E.T paradox is interesting, what happens if mankind encounters a far superior civilization that has a different or no god. The existence of humanities religion will be called into question.

[edit on 21-9-2009 by infinite]

My belief is that the existence of God is black and white, he either exists or he does not exist. Our human religions are an attempt to put a worship-able face to the concept, and to judge him based on our childish depictions of what he "must" be like are wrong, to my mind.

From my own perspective, the universe around me makes me believe in a creation force. There so much precision in the universe, mathematics, and so much order coming from random accidents and occurances seems unlikely, so I believe, without claiming any knowledge or understanding of he she or it, that it is logical to conclude that there's more planning than we are made privy to.

My belief in God does not create him, another person's lack of belief does not destroy him. God will continue existing, or not existing, completely independantly of our belief systems.

It is actually more probable that a Creator God does not exist, rather than the universe popping into existence - fact.

It's a fact because the Creator God is more complex than the universe, as he had to create it. A more complex thing is less likely to spontaneously appear, rather than the less complex thing (universe). Thus, the universe is more likely to not have a creator.

You see, God is the ultimate in Irreducible Complexity (IC), turning intelligent design theory back on themsleves.

reply to post by ineverknew


I do not get into disputes about what happened to me. I know what happened and leave it at that. I responded out of pure motives, thinking what I had to say would be helpful. All I know is nothing is the same for me anymore and I'm changed....a new person. If you are truly seeking something more out of life, you can speak to me privately.

reply to post by Unsane


I like your argument, except for one point.

I feel there is a logical flaw your argument in that you assumed that God had a beginning (spontaneously appeared). This brings in the concept of time, which must also have been created by God, thus making your argument cyclic, and logically unsound.

Originally posted by infinite
Humans already have basic intelligence and technology to create life.

so why haven't they managed it?

reply to post by ineverknew


god can only be omnipresent or omnipotent if it is outside all known laws of the universe so if it exists it would be so far outside of our frame of reference that we couldn't even understand the nature of its existence.

you wouldn't know god, even if you looked right at it, so you'll never know. either you feel god exists or you don't. logic just gets in the way.

If you think you are for one second you are the God of 12th grade, well then.

This will humble you like it did me! 12th grades, been awhile but still...

Look at this . That dot right there, that is still in your mind is our sun.

And we expect aliens to find the miniscule life next to it on a planet! what a challenge!

And now at this, we think we are gods among men, we are peasents, among peasents, among the poor, and bow down to the homeless, which are we!

[edit on 21-9-2009 by Republican08]

[edit on 21-9-2009 by Republican08]

Originally posted by infinite
The E.T paradox is interesting, what happens if mankind encounters a far superior civilization that has a different or no god. The existence of humanities religion will be called into question.

What if that advanced civilization had the same concept of God as we do?

The argument works both ways.

You never know. There could be malenvolent aliens controlling the way a lot of people think; and they could be creating the warm and fuzzy feeling folks get when they think about God.

It could be them all along. No sarcasm here. I'm serious. What I don't understand is how people 'think' they know so much.

To the topic, I don't think that it is illogical to believe in a divine entity. I just think all the regulations and scary stuff was made up to control people, but it is very possible that there is a creator and there is some evidence to suggest so.

IMO, there isn't any evidence proving that people go to this 'hell' just because they don't believe in God. So, if you do absolutely nothing wrong and in fact the opposite during your life, but you don't have faith in God, you get to suffer for eternity? Really? Does anyone really deserve to suffer for eternity?

Just sounds like brainwash to me....

reply to post by Saurus


that would be mind-blowing. imagine coming in contact with an alien civilization and their holy books are verbatim the Bible or Koran!

regarding the OP.

God is not a personal god.

He/she is not a personal god, obviously

He/she is not a god of the religious text.

Since that, it'd be a hidden god, a mischeveous, and brutal, lustful, and rapist god.

Now this is a truly sadistic god!

And obvious as so.

There is no god.

If you need more proof, just go to my profile, hit threads, and read through them all all of them!

reply to post by Saurus


Hmmmm, but there must have been nothing before God, right? The same way there was nothing before the universe.

It is still less likely that a more complex thing could exist without a creator. (god was not created, he just 'was'.)

reply to post by Unsane


in regards to existing without being created, the same can be said about the universe; how could it be created from nothing, the same way the God couldn't have been created out of nothing, logically speaking.

reply to post by Unsane


Must there have been something first?
The universe is expanding into pre-existing space...

It seems to me an absolute certainty that we have an incomplete understanding of infinity/time/space.

I think to make an assumption with respect to God based on our flawed understanding of eternity automatically negates the logic of the argument.