Does God exist?

So you're saying that it would be impossible for religious people to do good without their religion? That's a shocking admission. I'm surprised you'd admit to that, let alone claim it to be a good thing.

Personally I have a bit more faith in people, including the religious. I don't think for one second they do good because of their religion or that without religion anyone would be incapable of doing good. I think that even the religious do good because, like normal humans, they are compassionate and feel the suffering of others on a personal level.

If you want to reduce charity and compassion in the religious to nothing more than obedience then that's your call, i'd avoid it if i was you though. You aren't painting the religious in a good light when you claim religion is required in order to good things.

I have bolded the specific part i want you to respond to.

 

Of course it is not impossible in the sense that people can do anything they wish, but I don't think that Albert Sweitzer would have finished up helping people in the way he did unless he felt that was a call from god, and that God awakened him to the need. Are you telling me that if he had been an atheist he would have done the same things, I think not.

Would Gladys Aylward have been in China helping women whose feet were bound from birth to make them small and enabling that to be outlawed have been there and done that if she had not felt that God wanted her in China and so she moved heaven and earth to make that possible. Are you saying that she would have been if she had been an atheist? I think not.

Would William Wilberforce have had the courage to fight against the powers of the time to get slavery abolished without his belief that it was a mission given to him by God and that he felt his eyes had been opened to the iniquity of slavery by God? Are you saying that he would have done that if he had been an atheist. I think not.

People get vision and energy from many places, people like the ones I have quoted above and many others BELIEVE *themselves* that they are called by God and given motivation by God and without that they would not have had the eyes to see or the strength to do what needed doing.

If Revd Stephenson founded a charity, still working today, in 1869 for street urchins, how would he have been in that deprived area if he had not been sent there as a clergyman, and felt that what he saw meant God was calling him to do something for these desperate kids. Would he have even been there, would he have started the organisation now called Action for Children if he had not been called by God as a clergyman and he believed sent by God into an area where he felt that god wanted him to do a special work for street kids. Would he have been there if he had been an atheist, I think not.

Would people who in essence began the hospice movement for dying people have done so when the word 'hospice' was first used from the 4th century when Christian orders welcomed travellers, the sick and those in many kinds of need. Would those brothers and sisters have grouped together in an order dedicated to help if they had been atheists or did it come through people with Christian convictions living together in monasteries and convents that reached out to those who were sick because they believed it was God's call for them to do so.

You look at the foundations of many modern institutions dedicated to caring and at the bottom you will nearly always find people who from their Christian convictions believed that in serving others they were serving the God whom they believed in and believed loved them.

Is it impossible for religious people to do good things without their religion, I think they would say that they were motivated, given the eyes to see the issues, strengthened and sustained by their religion. Their religion took them from being what humans naturally are, self centred and they became God centred and in so becoming sought to serve that God in the way that they believed that God wanted them to serve him.

 

So it's not "required" now? Make your mind up.

 

I did, you can't read.

 

Is it required or not?

 

I have a perfectly good concept of death; I know that I am going to die one day, maybe tomorrow, maybe in 90 years time. I'm sure you don't have any pets that share this trait hence they don't need an imaginary being to pin their hopes on either. People believe in an afterlife because they cannot cope with the idea that once you die that is it, and God is a manifestation of this with human characteristics that we can identify with.

To the other poster who replied to me, I think religion is definately greater than dealing with death, it's about imposing rules, justifying actions and building social bonds - religions are just primative and out-of-date forms of politics, telling people what is right and wrong. The idea of a God however is related far more closely to the subject of death and what comes after it.

 

ofcourse GOD exised we cant see but is all round us n watching us

 

Traditione, while objectively there are no rights (nor much of anything, for that matter), including the right to reproduce, we must be very cautious with holding that thought. Personally, I am not a subscriber to Deism or Theism, yet I share several views with our fellow brothers and sisters of faith, like abortion for example, and believe that we should treat morals and a large aspect of life subjectively. If the intellectuals of us deny the existence of any god-given or inalienable right, then we leave ourselves very vulnerable to those adamant and working on stripping us of these rights, i.e. the government and most monolithic establishments - arguing the validity and/or existence of any 'human right' is irrelevant and pointless, since we rely on them and must defend them with any means necessary.

A sense of mental dualism, if such a thing, is needed; to understand that objectively there is very little in this universe, if any truth and logic, yet simultaneously bear the very subjective morality contradicting the former, in order to live life as a humanitarian. To look at either 'set' of thoughts with the other is futile and pointless. Compassion, morals and principles have very little to do with religion and spirituality, in my opinion. Many of us express the moral attributes commonly associated with religion, without any particular faith.

Live and let live

 

yes, no, maybe, whatever - get on with it - be compassionate and non-judgmental - to yourself and others - life is better that way - and if there is something on the other side, you've covered your bases.

 

So from beyond the Infinite, the Infinite comes; and from the Infinite the finite extends.
The creature is in Brahma, and Brahma is in the creature: they are ever distinct, yet ever united.
He Himself is the tree, the seed, and the germ.
He Himself is the flower, the fruit, and the shade.
He Himself is the sun, the light, and the lighted.
He Himself is Brahma, creature, and Maya.
He Himself is the manifold form, the infinite space:
He is the breath, the word, and the meaning.
He Himself is the limit and the limitless: and beyond both the limited and the limitless is He, the Pure Being.
He is the Immanent Mind in Brahma and in the creature.
The Supreme Soul is seen within the soul
The Point is seen within the Supreme Soul,
And within the Point, the reflection is seen again.
Kabîr is blest because he has this supreme vision!

 

hi, I do believe in supernatural power(above all powers) who controls everythings

best regards

 

pardon if I involve in your discussion in this stage without follow all comments of this thread.

I think you are right tottaly. I think people deed/behavior more refer of their mentality. we have to consider the persons as they are not their category but religion, culture, living condition affect us anyway.

 

I think a "NO" would suffice.

 

hmm, was watching something on the show "the universe" last night & heard some stuff about some organisms being trapped in asteroids... maybe thats how we got here? Who knows.

 

Since God has not replied in digitalpoint even after 470 days , I guess he does not exist .

 

yes he exit really

 

This is why the average IQ of non believers is higher than those that believe in a god.

 

LOL thanks for the laugh, dunno if its a coincidence but all Canadians I've met are cool/fun/great people

 

If you think that's dumb, check out these retards.

 

this one from that page caught my attention