The Concept of God

KC138045

Annafalk said:

I don't understand how people can really believe that when we die we just die, and it's the end of it. It's hard for me to grasp.

I don't necessarily believe that we just die and that's it.  I definitely do not believe in heaven or hell.  The thought of reincarnation has always intrigued me but I find that hard to believe as well.  What happens when we die will be one of life's mysteries that we will never know the answer to.

HughFreakingDillon

Annafalk said:

I don't understand how people can really believe that when we die we just die, and it's the end of it. It's hard for me to grasp.

I guess the opposite is the same....I can't grasp how there is some being up there/everywhere that somehow created everything, at least the way organized religion-any of them-explains it. 

rgambs

Annafalk said:

I don't understand how people can really believe that when we die we just die, and it's the end of it. It's hard for me to grasp.

Life isn't easy.
When you think of a lottery do you assume that you will win if you play?
That's equivalent to believing in Heaven.

Sure, it would be nice, but it's the biggest pipe dream there ever was.

KC138045

HesCalledDyer said:

KC138045 said:

HesCalledDyer said:

God is male. God is spirit.  Man is god's image.  God is infinity.  God has no gender.

I'm confused now.  Which bathroom does god use?

And does he use the fly?  Does he sit or stand when he pees?

Whatever he does, I hope he doesn't dribble on Soul's seat.

Maybe that's how the universe was created.  We are all just the dribble on God's toilet seat.

jeffbr

Annafalk said:

I don't understand how people can really believe that when we die we just die, and it's the end of it. It's hard for me to grasp.

I think that is a perfectly natural feeling, and is exactly what has lead to humans of vastly different cultures and eras to create their mythologies. A way of attempting to explaining the unexplainable. These mythologies can provide comfort, a sense of purpose, a reason for being, and a hope that there is something bigger and better in the great beyond. Some, like me, really have no use for these stories, but others do find solace and comfort in them.

Gern Blansten

KC138045 said:

Annafalk said:

I don't understand how people can really believe that when we die we just die, and it's the end of it. It's hard for me to grasp.

I don't necessarily believe that we just die and that's it.  I definitely do not believe in heaven or hell.  The thought of reincarnation has always intrigued me but I find that hard to believe as well.  What happens when we die will be one of life's mysteries that we will never know the answer to.

Science and logic tell us that we die just like a dog, cat, squirrel, etc.  Does a squirrel's soul ascend to heaven?  or hell?

We are animals, flesh and bone.  There is no "soul" that leaves our body upon death.  That's ridiculous.

HesCalledDyer

I became content with not knowing what happens after death a long time ago.  I don't need to have everything explained to me. I don't know why I'm here, but I'm here and I'm going to do to enjoy it while I am instead of spending my entire life worrying about what comes next.
If I can find beauty in the earth, plants, animals, oceans, stars, happiness, love, music, baseball, mountains, friends, planets, the color blue, and banh mi sandwiches then I feel I'm fulfilling my purpose.  That purpose is to live and enjoy it.  And if that's what someone calls God - ie the infinite, everything that surrounds me - then I'm a believer in that.  But I don't need to anthropomorphize that and worship it as a being that will judge what happens with me when I die.

HughFreakingDillon

HesCalledDyer said:

I became content with not knowing what happens after death a long time ago.  I don't need to have everything explained to me. I don't know why I'm here, but I'm here and I'm going to do to enjoy it while I am instead of spending my entire life worrying about what comes next.
If I can find beauty in the earth, plants, animals, oceans, stars, happiness, love, music, baseball, mountains, friends, planets, the color blue, and banh mi sandwiches then I feel I'm fulfilling my purpose.  That purpose is to live and enjoy it.  And if that's what someone calls God - ie the infinite, everything that surrounds me - then I'm a believer in that.  But I don't need to anthropomorphize that and worship it as a being that will judge what happens with me when I die.

this is what keeps me from enjoying life a lot of the time. maybe it's the depression/anxiety, or maybe becoming a parent, or maybe something else, but I have a really hard time with the "purpose". I just default to "what's the fucking point?" a lot of the time. 

HesCalledDyer

HughFreakingDillon said:

HesCalledDyer said:

I became content with not knowing what happens after death a long time ago.  I don't need to have everything explained to me. I don't know why I'm here, but I'm here and I'm going to do to enjoy it while I am instead of spending my entire life worrying about what comes next.
If I can find beauty in the earth, plants, animals, oceans, stars, happiness, love, music, baseball, mountains, friends, planets, the color blue, and banh mi sandwiches then I feel I'm fulfilling my purpose.  That purpose is to live and enjoy it.  And if that's what someone calls God - ie the infinite, everything that surrounds me - then I'm a believer in that.  But I don't need to anthropomorphize that and worship it as a being that will judge what happens with me when I die.

this is what keeps me from enjoying life a lot of the time. maybe it's the depression/anxiety, or maybe becoming a parent, or maybe something else, but I have a really hard time with the "purpose". I just default to "what's the fucking point?" a lot of the time. 

Oh, believe me, I get that way too!  Maybe purpose is the wrong word. That kinda makes it sound like grand design, no?  Which I'm definitely not a believer in that.

jeffbr

HesCalledDyer said:

I became content with not knowing what happens after death a long time ago.  I don't need to have everything explained to me. I don't know why I'm here, but I'm here and I'm going to do to enjoy it while I am instead of spending my entire life worrying about what comes next.
If I can find beauty in the earth, plants, animals, oceans, stars, happiness, love, music, baseball, mountains, friends, planets, the color blue, and banh mi sandwiches then I feel I'm fulfilling my purpose.  That purpose is to live and enjoy it.  And if that's what someone calls God - ie the infinite, everything that surrounds me - then I'm a believer in that.  But I don't need to anthropomorphize that and worship it as a being that will judge what happens with me when I die.

Really well said, and I agree 100% (well, maybe not the baseball part, but definitely the banh mi!). Too many people seem to be consumed in their belief of an afterlife, and sacrifice current happiness in hopes of rewards in the hereafter. That leads many to feelings of guilt and inadequacy - not living up to a perfect standard. Life can be much more relevant, happy and fulfilling when given the proper priority.

HughFreakingDillon

HesCalledDyer said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

HesCalledDyer said:

I became content with not knowing what happens after death a long time ago.  I don't need to have everything explained to me. I don't know why I'm here, but I'm here and I'm going to do to enjoy it while I am instead of spending my entire life worrying about what comes next.
If I can find beauty in the earth, plants, animals, oceans, stars, happiness, love, music, baseball, mountains, friends, planets, the color blue, and banh mi sandwiches then I feel I'm fulfilling my purpose.  That purpose is to live and enjoy it.  And if that's what someone calls God - ie the infinite, everything that surrounds me - then I'm a believer in that.  But I don't need to anthropomorphize that and worship it as a being that will judge what happens with me when I die.

this is what keeps me from enjoying life a lot of the time. maybe it's the depression/anxiety, or maybe becoming a parent, or maybe something else, but I have a really hard time with the "purpose". I just default to "what's the fucking point?" a lot of the time. 

Oh, believe me, I get that way too!  Maybe purpose is the wrong word. That kinda makes it sound like grand design, no?  Which I'm definitely not a believer in that.

that's the problem. I don't believe in it either, so that then defaults to "there is no point, we're just here by accident/happenstance". I know I should enjoy life since we only (apparently) get one, but man, sometimes the shit that happens around you just makes it unbearable. 

brianlux

I'm so glad to be out from under the Christian guilt and fear thing I went through in the 70's.  My best friends at the time were devout Christians.  I tried but it just never made any sense. Moving past that for me was like moving though one of Erikson's stages of human development.   It's liberating to be free of superstition and accept that there is still some undefinable mystery in the universe that doesn't require a myth or a pat answer. 

RYME

I found myself in a Jewel mood when I got home tonight.  After  a few minutes I thought, respectfully listen to this angelic voice for 5 minutes and tell me again there is no God, seriously.  No this isn't the song about who will save your soul.
But it really does show off her angelic voice.
https://youtu.be/BLqI-cvFW6s

rgambs

RYME said:

I found myself in a Jewel mood when I got home tonight.  After  a few minutes I thought, respectfully listen to this angelic voice for 5 minutes and tell me again there is no God, seriously.  No this isn't the song about who will save your soul.
But it really does show off her angelic voice.
https://youtu.be/BLqI-cvFW6s

Jewel is a beautiful singer and artist.
Her vocal chords are a product of evolution and her control is a product of neurology and practice.

If you want God to get the credit for Jewel's voice, he's going to have to take credit for mine and Yoko Ono's as well bud.

RYME

rgambs said:

RYME said:

I found myself in a Jewel mood when I got home tonight.  After  a few minutes I thought, respectfully listen to this angelic voice for 5 minutes and tell me again there is no God, seriously.  No this isn't the song about who will save your soul.
But it really does show off her angelic voice.
https://youtu.be/BLqI-cvFW6s

Jewel is a beautiful singer and artist.
Her vocal chords are a product of evolution and her control is a product of neurology and practice.

If you want God to get the credit for Jewel's voice, he's going to have to take credit for mine and Yoko Ono's as well bud.

That's alright buddy lol.  I thought I'd approach this from a different and refreshing angle.  I'd call it a good try.
Here is a masculine Angelic voice just asking questions.

https://youtu.be/KD4a24dVJ38
Alright this ain't the lounge car, I'll stop posting songs here.  I thought it was worth a shot though.

brianlux

An angelic voice of another kind:

I was born like this, I had no choice/
I was born with the gift of a golden voice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpLBtWG3JR4

Annafalk

Thank you everyone for your answers regarding thoughts about life after death or not. It's very interesting to read how everyone is thinking.
Did God make rainbows or is it just there because it is? There is a lot of beautiful things in nature, in animals and also in people.

PJfanwillneverleave1

Annafalk said:

Thank you everyone for your answers regarding thoughts about life after death or not. It's very interesting to read how everyone is thinking.
Did God make rainbows or is it just there because it is? There is a lot of beautiful things in nature, in animals and also in people.

This is like a backhanded insult.  Of course rainbows are a beautiful but I am pretty sure you along w/ millions of others on this planet know the science of how one is presented.  god did not do this why would you even question as to if god made rainbows? it just ruin the beauty.  I would rather believe in a pot of gold at either end.  As to the concept of life after death I used to in my younger days be scared as hell of dying because I have always felt that once we die that is it, no more just eternal time carrying on w/ out me.  Time will never end and there will always be something forever after I die just not me included.  It sucks but I got over it  a long time ago and count myself lucky to even be given a life to experience. Even though it is as life w/ a President Trump in it.

Annafalk

PJfanwillneverleave1 said:

Annafalk said:

Thank you everyone for your answers regarding thoughts about life after death or not. It's very interesting to read how everyone is thinking.
Did God make rainbows or is it just there because it is? There is a lot of beautiful things in nature, in animals and also in people.

This is like a backhanded insult.  Of course rainbows are a beautiful but I am pretty sure you along w/ millions of others on this planet know the science of how one is presented.  god did not do this why would you even question as to if god made rainbows? it just ruin the beauty.  I would rather believe in a pot of gold at either end.  As to the concept of life after death I used to in my younger days be scared as hell of dying because I have always felt that once we die that is it, no more just eternal time carrying on w/ out me.  Time will never end and there will always be something forever after I die just not me included.  It sucks but I got over it  a long time ago and count myself lucky to even be given a life to experience. Even though it is as life w/ a President Trump in it.

A backhanded insult now that's funny. The reason I brought up rainbows is because as I see it, rainbows has no reason to exist, it doesn't do anything it's just there being beautiful, why ? I know the mechanism behind the light bending in the prism but still. 
Another thing that exists without any real reason for it is unselfish kindness.

rgambs

Annafalk said:

PJfanwillneverleave1 said:

Annafalk said:

Thank you everyone for your answers regarding thoughts about life after death or not. It's very interesting to read how everyone is thinking.
Did God make rainbows or is it just there because it is? There is a lot of beautiful things in nature, in animals and also in people.

This is like a backhanded insult.  Of course rainbows are a beautiful but I am pretty sure you along w/ millions of others on this planet know the science of how one is presented.  god did not do this why would you even question as to if god made rainbows? it just ruin the beauty.  I would rather believe in a pot of gold at either end.  As to the concept of life after death I used to in my younger days be scared as hell of dying because I have always felt that once we die that is it, no more just eternal time carrying on w/ out me.  Time will never end and there will always be something forever after I die just not me included.  It sucks but I got over it  a long time ago and count myself lucky to even be given a life to experience. Even though it is as life w/ a President Trump in it.

A backhanded insult now that's funny. The reason I brought up rainbows is because as I see it, rainbows has no reason to exist, it doesn't do anything it's just there being beautiful, why ? I know the mechanism behind the light bending in the prism but still.

It's a phenomenon, a side effect of physical properties that govern the universe.
Light is a specific form of energy with specific properties that exist for definite reasons.  
The sky is not blue either, but blue light scatter makes it appear that way.  
There must be millions of phenomena like that occuring throughout the universe (and here on Earth) that we can't even perceive, or are located beyond the reach of intelligent life, but are just as beautiful and fleeting.  Are those intelligent design too?

It's much easier for me to believe that blue sky and rainbows are just happy circumstances​ than to believe that a God intelligently designed the very laws of the universe to tickle the fancy of some critters that exist for a short time in a tiny little piece of His cosmos.