The Power of God question

Hugh Freaking Dillon

As many of you have noticed, I am agnostic. But that's not what this question is. I've been thinking lately about what those who believe in him (and those who don't if you have constructive insight) believe is his power. For example:

-does he control all events on earth?
-is he just some force that created life but has no influence on the day to day operations?

I've heard many people use the term "God's plan". That to me means those people believe god controls all life's events. Does this not disturb you, that you don't have free will? Or is there something to this that I'm missing?

I will clarify one more time: this is not a "does god exist?" thread. Leave that to God Christ The Bible page 177. I'm merely looking for what most people (believers and non alike) think is his power over us.

BhagavadGita

The word "his" is exactly the idea that inspires an answer to this post.

The force of "God" is not a sentient being... so some build ideas of what it could be by possibly making it sentient.

We build in our minds, tiny constructs or towers of ideas that we see as permanent, but actually they don't exist at all.

The "thing" we call "God" is not the tower we created by our egos, it is the nothingness that is left after those constructs are torn down by us.

..hope that makes some sense, because it does not to me right now but i'm too tired to retype something.

vomikus39

Yeah, free will and God's plan. Yes, God works in mysterious ways. Hmmm, thousands being killed in the Haiti earthquake is God's plan. I don't buy it. You should watch "Religulous" by Bill Maher. Most die hard christians don't have the answers. I believe EVERYTHING happens by COINCIDENCE and CHANCE. From the Big Bang to car accidents to everything. I would like to believe that there is a better place for all of us after this, but logic and common sense won't allow me too. For me "God" is the power inside all of us. The instinct of what is right and what is wrong. Choosing to live as morally as we can is what God is to me. I believe that it is a feeling inside all of us, not a man in the sky. It's our instinct and reasoning. It's our ability to choose what's right. Probably sounds crazy, but that's what God is to me.

The Roman Emperor Constantine formed the current day bible. I don't need to read it in order to live a moral life, I have free will lol, given to me by God....

vomikus39

Paul David wrote:

As many of you have noticed, I am agnostic. But that's not what this question is. I've been thinking lately about what those who believe in him (and those who don't if you have constructive insight) believe is his power. For example:

-does he control all events on earth?
-is he just some force that created life but has no influence on the day to day operations?

I've heard many people use the term "God's plan". That to me means those people believe god controls all life's events. Does this not disturb you, that you don't have free will? Or is there something to this that I'm missing?

I will clarify one more time: this is not a "does god exist?" thread. Leave that to God Christ The Bible page 177. I'm merely looking for what most people (believers and non alike) think is his power over us.

I believe we are ALL agnostics, no one knows for sure.

Hugh Freaking Dillon

tell that to the diehards!

vomikus39 wrote:

I believe we are ALL agnostics, no one knows for sure.

vomikus39

LOL, thats why you should watch "Religulous" if you haven't yet. The responses from the die-hards are simply comical. If your faith in whoever allows you to lead a morally good life, then I am all for it. However, how many millions have died in the name of all religions? Like most things of beauty, put in the hands of human beings, and it gets all fucked up.

Hugh Freaking Dillon

I wouldn't call it comical, really, as was stated no one really knows, not the religious, not the non-religious, so to the religious, our responses are equally comical (and/or sad) to them. So all things being equal, let's just say you don't believe in god in the fundamental sense.

vomikus39 wrote:

LOL, thats why you should watch "Religulous" if you haven't yet. The responses from the die-hards are simply comical. If your faith in whoever allows you to lead a morally good life, then I am all for it. However, how many millions have died in the name of all religions? Like most things of beauty, put in the hands of human beings, and it gets all fucked up.

vomikus39

Paul David wrote:

I wouldn't call it comical, really, as was stated no one really knows, not the religious, not the non-religious, so to the religious, our responses are equally comical (and/or sad) to them. So all things being equal, let's just say you don't believe in god in the fundamental sense.

vomikus39 wrote:

LOL, thats why you should watch "Religulous" if you haven't yet. The responses from the die-hards are simply comical. If your faith in whoever allows you to lead a morally good life, then I am all for it. However, how many millions have died in the name of all religions? Like most things of beauty, put in the hands of human beings, and it gets all fucked up.

Nah, it's comical

Straitline

vomikus39 wrote:

Yeah, free will and God's plan. Yes, God works in mysterious ways. Hmmm, thousands being killed in the Haiti earthquake is God's plan. I don't buy it. You should watch "Religulous" by Bill Maher. Most die hard christians don't have the answers. I believe EVERYTHING happens by COINCIDENCE and CHANCE. From the Big Bang to car accidents to everything. I would like to believe that there is a better place for all of us after this, but logic and common sense won't allow me too. For me "God" is the power inside all of us. The instinct of what is right and what is wrong. Choosing to live as morally as we can is what God is to me. I believe that it is a feeling inside all of us, not a man in the sky. It's our instinct and reasoning. It's our ability to choose what's right. Probably sounds crazy, but that's what God is to me.

Couldn't agree more!!

arq

I like the idea of having a god, i like to have a scape goat, someone to blame for the horrors of the world, blaming our self is kind of boring, is better to have an almighty god who controls everything, but make the people who believes in him (and those who don't) fix all his crap, and makes them think that there's plan... yes the plan is to make the less fortune suffer and to make very wealthy a few of the people who supposedly speak on his behalf, THAT'S what i call a plan!

pandora

No, it is not by chance, this I know from my miracle. No way this life is all by chance and yes we have free will yet it is all fixed in a plan, this is confusing for human brains, beyond our limits at the moment. We see things in this time, in this space.
There is a divine hand or some force to explain what happened to me and to others every day.
The Power of God is love. It is where you will find your answers. It is all that matters.
It is unconditional love. Love without judgement. Love without fear.
Love without personal human gratification, something few if any of us understand.
If you open yourself to the possibilities you will see and feel it.

hey not making light but my heart is heavy today and light helps, this song always helps me
if anyone else feels like beaten down crap today I hope this helps
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPPlGFh6 ... ure=search

here on Earth we have heaven and hell
it hurts no one to believe least of all ones self
believe in the Power of Love

Cosmo

pandora wrote:

No, it is not by chance, this I know from my miracle. No way this life is all by chance and yes we have free will yet it is all fixed in a plan, this is confusing for human brains, beyond our limits at the moment. We see things in this time, in this space.
There is a divine hand or some force to explain what happened to me and to others every day.
The Power of God is love. It is where you will find your answers. It is all that matters.
It is unconditional love. Love without judgement. Love without fear.
Love without personal human gratification, something few if any of us understand.
If you open yourself to the possibilities you will see and feel it.

hey not making light but my heart is heavy today and light helps, this song always helps me
if anyone else feels like beaten down crap today I hope this helps
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPPlGFh6 ... ure=search

here on Earth we have heaven and hell
it hurts no one to believe least of all ones self
believe in the Power of Love

...
That works for you... but, it doesn't necessarily work for me. You faith is as personal as your life, emotions and opinions based upon your experiences. I'm not knocking faith, hope and belief... I believe them to be good character traits.
My belief is... I don't 'know', I 'believe'... and belief is not knowledge. I belive that there is some greater source out there that we cannot understand, let alone explain.
I believe that all religions are created by Man, based upon Man's knowledge of Nature as it was 5,000 or so years ago. They created gods to explain the movement of the Sun and the stars, the physiology of humans and the explanation of life and death. Man created God in his image... and attached human traits and characteristics to God. And the first of the monotheistic religions, Judaism, placed the Jewish tribe at the center of God's eye. There is a reason why the Bible states the Jews as the 'Chosen People'... because the text was written by Jews.
It's not that I don't believe in God... I don't have faith in the Church and the religions they have created. I am not allowing any religion to come between me and the God I believe in. I don't need a church to sit in... I have the ocean and the mountains... God's cathedrals... to speak to Him.
That's my take on the matter... I don't expect anyone to believe me. And I am not trying to dissuade anyone of their beliefs. I am just letting everyone decide which path they wish to take... and choose to follow my path, alone.

pandora

Cosmo wrote:

pandora wrote:

No, it is not by chance, this I know from my miracle. No way this life is all by chance and yes we have free will yet it is all fixed in a plan, this is confusing for human brains, beyond our limits at the moment. We see things in this time, in this space.
There is a divine hand or some force to explain what happened to me and to others every day.
The Power of God is love. It is where you will find your answers. It is all that matters.
It is unconditional love. Love without judgement. Love without fear.
Love without personal human gratification, something few if any of us understand.
If you open yourself to the possibilities you will see and feel it.

hey not making light but my heart is heavy today and light helps, this song always helps me
if anyone else feels like beaten down crap today I hope this helps
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPPlGFh6 ... ure=search

here on Earth we have heaven and hell
it hurts no one to believe least of all ones self
believe in the Power of Love

...
That works for you... but, it doesn't necessarily work for me. You faith is as personal as your life, emotions and opinions based upon your experiences. I'm not knocking faith, hope and belief... I believe them to be good character traits.
My belief is... I don't 'know', I 'believe'... and belief is not knowledge. I belive that there is some greater source out there that we cannot understand, let alone explain.
I believe that all religions are created by Man, based upon Man's knowledge of Nature as it was 5,000 or so years ago. They created gods to explain the movement of the Sun and the stars, the physiology of humans and the explanation of life and death. Man created God in his image... and attached human traits and characteristics to God. And the first of the monotheistic religions, Judaism, placed the Jewish tribe at the center of God's eye. There is a reason why the Bible states the Jews as the 'Chosen People'... because the text was written by Jews.
It's not that I don't believe in God... I don't have faith in the Church and the religions they have created. I am not allowing any religion to come between me and the God I believe in. I don't need a church to sit in... I have the ocean and the mountains... God's cathedrals... to speak to Him.
That's my take on the matter... I don't expect anyone to believe me. And I am not trying to dissuade anyone of their beliefs. I am just letting everyone decide which path they wish to take... and choose to follow my path, alone.

I don't follow a religion either

arq

pandora wrote:

I don't follow a religion either

You follow your heart/instinct? that's the best way to live a life IMHO

Cosmo

arq wrote:

pandora wrote:

I don't follow a religion either

You follow your heart/instinct? that's the best way to live a life IMHO

...
That's my take, too.
I don't believe things such as morality, charity, kindness, caring, forgiveness or acceptance are founded in Religion. I believe it comes from our humanity. I don't believe we are born into sin and are evil by nature.

Hugh Freaking Dillon

I was afraid this was going to turn into a religion debate again. That's not the purpose of this particular thread.

Those of you that believe in God: what power, if any, does he have over our lives?

arq

Cosmo wrote:

...evil by nature.

Well we can argue about it

fife

Paul David wrote:

I was afraid this was going to turn into a religion debate again. That's not the purpose of this particular thread.

Those of you that believe in God: what power, if any, does he have over our lives?

hopefully i am answering this questions correctly. in my view, God is that which everything came from. therefore, God has all the power over everything. and i know your next question is going to be then about freewill and i will tell you know that there is no such thing as freewill.

eyedclaar

fife wrote:

Paul David wrote:

I was afraid this was going to turn into a religion debate again. That's not the purpose of this particular thread.

Those of you that believe in God: what power, if any, does he have over our lives?

hopefully i am answering this questions correctly. in my view, God is that which everything came from. therefore, God has all the power over everything. and i know your next question is going to be then about freewill and i will tell you know that there is no such thing as freewill.

Yeah, but could God create a taco so big that even he couldn't eat it? Think about it...

fife

eyedclaar wrote:

fife wrote:

Paul David wrote:

I was afraid this was going to turn into a religion debate again. That's not the purpose of this particular thread.

Those of you that believe in God: what power, if any, does he have over our lives?

hopefully i am answering this questions correctly. in my view, God is that which everything came from. therefore, God has all the power over everything. and i know your next question is going to be then about freewill and i will tell you know that there is no such thing as freewill.

Yeah, but could God create a taco so big that even he couldn't eat it? Think about it...

oh a love that questions wrote a paper on in university but the question was can god build a rock he could not move and the answer is no. the reason is that GOD can't do the impossible.

ONCE DEVIDED

GOds power is the beleif many have in him.
not that I do
But I reckon thats the power