Do you Believe in God?

[bong_express]

how can we even debate this? its your own belief. if you don't believe then no one is going to make you believe and if you do believe then no one is going to make you lose faith. its all on you

 

[Elle]

I have held off posting in here because I wanted to see how the tone of the thread was going to shape up....and it's not turning out to be a good one. I think that certain things that have been said in here are completely inappropriate and it sets a bad example to a very new member. The point of this thread was to see what people's views on God were, not to slam people or flame them. So a noob put this in the wrong section, get over it, or better yet, let a mod handle it! Let's try being NICE shall we? That being said, my response to the ORIGINAL post....

I was brought up in a strict Christian home after my parents divorced. I was forced to go to church at least 4 times a week, sometimes more. I know the Bible cover to cover it feels like! I have repented, many times, felt the "Holy Spirit" inside me, cried more than my share of tears at the alter, and yet I still have no SOLID proof that God exists. It boils down to faith. God tells us that we must have faith in Him....I have faith that there is a higher being out there, but I'm not so sure that He's what I've always been taught that he is.

I was baptized Catholic and then in my teen years, lived with my hypocritical grandmother who drug me to her Lutheran church. Man, it was tempting to pray to God to strike me with a lightening bolt while sitting thru those horribly boring masses.

When I met my ex husband, I learned his family is pentecostal christian. I then eventually became a born again. I accepted God into my life and there were many MANY instances that I still get goosebumps over that I truly feel He had given me "answers" and I suddenly knew what to do, how to feel. As sudden as someone walking into the room and saying, "Juli, you should do this..." In 2005, my ex father in law died, and he was truly the patriarch to his family. The glue, the strength, the one to go to for answers about God. I still feel almost lost without him.

 

[Elle]

how can we even debate this? its your own belief. if you don't believe then no one is going to make you believe and if you do believe then no one is going to make you lose faith. its all on you

Thumbs up.

 

[bong_express]

i belonged to a pentecostal christian church at one time too. the only reason i dont know is because the one in my town is not very good. they do unethical things there

 

[Elle]

i belonged to a pentecostal christian church at one time too. the only reason i dont know is because the one in my town is not very good. they do unethical things there

The thing is, pentecostals get a bad name because of extreme christians running around picketing people's funerals and so on.

You always "know" when you're at the the right church.

 

[<useless>]

(to lazy to read every one elses comment so ill just give my opinion) no i do not belive in god a god or gods.

 

[DavyBoy]

Just another point on this... Tildy sometimes watches a show called 'Joan of Arcadia', a TV program that I believe tries to sell Christian ideas to a more modern and skeptical audience. In the show, God appears in the form of a different person a few times every show, to give Joan directions on what to do. Even though the directions usually seem strange at first, they usually have a positive outcome - i.e., Joan's brother and father start talking again, or Joan learns some valuable lesson, etc.

And one thing I can't help thinking throughout the show - why would God be so obsessed about helping Joan and the people around her through life's little ordeals, and yet turn a blind eye to the thousands dying of disease in Africa?

I know it's only a TV show, but the reason I bring this up is that I think this is the basis of many Christians' faith - that if they pray to God, they will get a job, or they will find the money to send their child to a good school. And yet, at the same time, you have these terrible things happening around the world - and what exactly do those people get? It doesn't make sense.

 

[Breath]

The belief in God has nothing to do with scientific evidence or common sense or proof or reasoning or what seems practical. Religious people do think of those questions and ponder them as well. But the lack of answers does not dissuade them from believing.
Because it is faith alone. Either you have it or you don't. Perhaps some have it and lose it. Perhaps some can find it.
If you require answers to those questions, you'll never get them. Just like the parent who tells the kid, "Because I said so", faith requires you to believe in God and trust, "just because".

 

[Elle]

You really shouldn't pray for "things", but rather guidance to which is right & strength to get through difficulties.

 

[boxer810]

You really shouldn't pray for "things", but rather guidance to which is right & strength to get through difficulties.

Agreed. The Bible tells us to pray for wisdom and God's guidance. A lot of people think that because they say something like "Well God if you just give this one thing I will do such and such...." that it's supposed to happen instantly. Doesn't work that way.

 

[<useless>]

im not trying to offend any one (even more so bc im new to this forum) but i belive all religouns were started for a couple of main reasons 1) To have controll of a large mass of people that will follow you without question under a devine name. 2) for power wealth etc.. similar to the first reason. 3) To have something to belive in explain the unexplained because human reaction to unknown things is usually fear, anger. 4) To have a reason to keep humanity, piece, *law* there are more reasons i cant think of atm sorry, but for me i belive we have nothing.

 

[Elle]

Nothing wrong with having your own theories.

 

[COOL_BREEZE2]

Peter, the Princess (or whatever the name sounds like with a lisp) wants to know why the Bible is called the Book of God if it was written by people.

Which sounds best:

Book of the People or

Book Of God?

Hard to sell the first one...

I'll hazard a guess that's it's referred to as the book of God because it's about God or the belief in God, the teachings of God etc etc.

See book of cars.

 

[Peter Parka]

I thought Christians actually believe the God wrote the book by telling the people who we know wrote it what to put, or is that just some Christians?:dunno

 

[COOL_BREEZE2]

Good God. And I say that to keep within the topic of the thread. You ASKED for a debate. Part of debating is the interaction that occurs between all of the parties. This is nothing. Wait until some of the real forum debaters get a hold of you. If you can't handle this, then don't ask a controversial question. No one asked you to defend yourself. I thought you were going to discuss your opinion about the question you posed in the OP. Now get your ass back here and stand up and be heard. And besides..you claimed to like someone who fought back. So fight me. You don't actually want me to have the last word, do ya?

Very well put.

And BTW, your first post hit the nail on the head.

 

[COOL_BREEZE2]

And to breath, I have no problem debating the topic at hand, and perhaps I am a tad edgy tonight. I do have my reasons though, I won't get into them but I do. I do apologize. I felt personally attacked, not because of the topic but just as a more or less personal attack. And the more people that join the conversation the further down my odds go because I don't know ANYONE here and you obviously do. I don't want to make any enemies, atleast not this fast anyway. I would love to continue the debate with you if we can do it in a civilized manor.

Bravo FE :clap. That's the spirit.

 

[COOL_BREEZE2]

I can respect that, its probably the path I should have taken. However, I took/sold drugs and drown my sorrow in alcohol and pushed away any real friends I had left. I'm better now though, sober for going on a year and a half. I just believe that I did it myself. I don't think anyone really helped me. I'm not trying to sob story even though I know it sounds like I am. Once you get to know me you'll know that I'll get shot and say I'm fine just to avoid the spot light. I'm not big on emotions or feelings, because everytime I ever showed them I got the shit kicked out of me until I became hard. However, I digress. I think I pulled myself out of my downward spiral by myself because if there had been something helping me through that time I question why they waited so long to come to my aid. I really wish I could believe, I really do. I just refuse to say that I do out of a 'God fearing' attitude or a 'fit in with the crowd' attitude.

Some may say that there was a purpose. That you had to go through A to B to reach C.

 

[livvy7678]

Everyone is to their own person

 

[COOL_BREEZE2]

I thought Christians actually believe the God wrote the book by telling the people who we know wrote it what to put, or is that just some Christians?:dunno

God inspired people Pete.

 

[gepart]

Short answer..........NO!