The Concept of God

Meltdown99

Smellyman said:

All religion is the same cult to me.  Some just go door to door more.

I have to agree ...

Thirty Bills Unpaid

God wasn't very helpful in this situation:
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/pastor-killed-by-crocodile-during-water-baptism/ar-AAyfQRv?li=AAggFp5&ocid=edgsp

Meltdown99

Rodrigo Duterte says he’ll resign as Philippine president if someone can prove God exist

https://globalnews.ca/news/4318403/rodrigo-duterte-resign-god/?utm_source=GlobalToronto&utm_medium=Facebook

Thoughts_Arrive

Meltdown99 said:

Rodrigo Duterte says he’ll resign as Philippine president if someone can prove God exist

https://globalnews.ca/news/4318403/rodrigo-duterte-resign-god/?utm_source=GlobalToronto&utm_medium=Facebook

The Argentinians will present Diego Maradona to him.

Thirty Bills Unpaid

Systematic pedophilia: 300 priests over 70 years in Pennsylvania abuse more than 1000 documented children (with 1000s more undocumented cases suspected).

Church officials cover up the abuse to protect their business interests.  

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/‘they-hid-it-all’-catholic-priests-abused-1000-children-in-pennsylvania-report-says/ar-BBLXtTS?li=AAggNb9&ocid=edgsp

HughFreakingDillon

GROSS

rgambs

This has me all fired up today.

Just on Monday I discovered my 6 year old niece being indoctrinated in Catholic culthood knows that my wife and I "don't go to church because they don't believe in Jesus and that's bad"

HughFreakingDillon

rgambs said:

This has me all fired up today.

Just on Monday I discovered my 6 year old niece being indoctrinated in Catholic culthood knows that my wife and I "don't go to church because they don't believe in Jesus and that's bad"

my brother, his wife, and their 20 year old son all think I'm going to hell with all the homosexuals and trans people. 

LongestRoad

HughFreakingDillon said:

rgambs said:

This has me all fired up today.

Just on Monday I discovered my 6 year old niece being indoctrinated in Catholic culthood knows that my wife and I "don't go to church because they don't believe in Jesus and that's bad"

my brother, his wife, and their 20 year old son all think I'm going to hell with all the homosexuals and trans people. 

I bet they don't. I bet they pray for you. 

HughFreakingDillon

LongestRoad said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

rgambs said:

This has me all fired up today.

Just on Monday I discovered my 6 year old niece being indoctrinated in Catholic culthood knows that my wife and I "don't go to church because they don't believe in Jesus and that's bad"

my brother, his wife, and their 20 year old son all think I'm going to hell with all the homosexuals and trans people. 

I bet they don't. I bet they pray for you. 

yeah, pretty sure I know what I'm talking about, since that's what they told me to my face. I didn't say they "hope" I'm going to hell, just that's where they believe all godless people go. 

KC138045

HughFreakingDillon said:

rgambs said:

This has me all fired up today.

Just on Monday I discovered my 6 year old niece being indoctrinated in Catholic culthood knows that my wife and I "don't go to church because they don't believe in Jesus and that's bad"

my brother, his wife, and their 20 year old son all think I'm going to hell with all the homosexuals and trans people. 

I'll save a seat for you at my table lol

Thirty Bills Unpaid

HughFreakingDillon said:

LongestRoad said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

rgambs said:

This has me all fired up today.

Just on Monday I discovered my 6 year old niece being indoctrinated in Catholic culthood knows that my wife and I "don't go to church because they don't believe in Jesus and that's bad"

my brother, his wife, and their 20 year old son all think I'm going to hell with all the homosexuals and trans people. 

I bet they don't. I bet they pray for you. 

yeah, pretty sure I know what I'm talking about, since that's what they told me to my face. I didn't say they "hope" I'm going to hell, just that's where they believe all godless people go. 

In a way... I bet there is a small part of them hoping for you to reap what you have sown as a sinner on this planet. I could almost guarantee they talk behind your back about your lack of virtues (if their conversations are like the same conversations I've overheard religious devouts have countless times).

HesCalledDyer

I was once told by a friend "I pray for you because you don't know any better."  I was like, do you also pray not to be a condescending cunt?

HughFreakingDillon

Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

LongestRoad said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

rgambs said:

This has me all fired up today.

Just on Monday I discovered my 6 year old niece being indoctrinated in Catholic culthood knows that my wife and I "don't go to church because they don't believe in Jesus and that's bad"

my brother, his wife, and their 20 year old son all think I'm going to hell with all the homosexuals and trans people. 

I bet they don't. I bet they pray for you. 

yeah, pretty sure I know what I'm talking about, since that's what they told me to my face. I didn't say they "hope" I'm going to hell, just that's where they believe all godless people go. 

In a way... I bet there is a small part of them hoping for you to reap what you have sown as a sinner on this planet. I could almost guarantee they talk behind your back about your lack of virtues (if their conversations are like the same conversations I've overheard religious devouts have countless times).

doubtful. they are very nice people. my brother and I get along swimmingly and we have learned to just avoid that topic for the most part. sometimes we have discussions about "facts", and that's about it. 

I'm sure longestroad is partially right in that they probably pray for me. But they certainly would not wish for me to pay for my sins. 

Thirty Bills Unpaid

HughFreakingDillon said:

Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

LongestRoad said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

rgambs said:

This has me all fired up today.

Just on Monday I discovered my 6 year old niece being indoctrinated in Catholic culthood knows that my wife and I "don't go to church because they don't believe in Jesus and that's bad"

my brother, his wife, and their 20 year old son all think I'm going to hell with all the homosexuals and trans people. 

I bet they don't. I bet they pray for you. 

yeah, pretty sure I know what I'm talking about, since that's what they told me to my face. I didn't say they "hope" I'm going to hell, just that's where they believe all godless people go. 

In a way... I bet there is a small part of them hoping for you to reap what you have sown as a sinner on this planet. I could almost guarantee they talk behind your back about your lack of virtues (if their conversations are like the same conversations I've overheard religious devouts have countless times).

doubtful. they are very nice people. my brother and I get along swimmingly and we have learned to just avoid that topic for the most part. sometimes we have discussions about "facts", and that's about it. 

I'm sure longestroad is partially right in that they probably pray for me. But they certainly would not wish for me to pay for my sins. 

You'd know better than me. Good for you guys.

My experience with religious folk he not been fantastic to say the least.
 

HughFreakingDillon

Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

LongestRoad said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

rgambs said:

This has me all fired up today.

Just on Monday I discovered my 6 year old niece being indoctrinated in Catholic culthood knows that my wife and I "don't go to church because they don't believe in Jesus and that's bad"

my brother, his wife, and their 20 year old son all think I'm going to hell with all the homosexuals and trans people. 

I bet they don't. I bet they pray for you. 

yeah, pretty sure I know what I'm talking about, since that's what they told me to my face. I didn't say they "hope" I'm going to hell, just that's where they believe all godless people go. 

In a way... I bet there is a small part of them hoping for you to reap what you have sown as a sinner on this planet. I could almost guarantee they talk behind your back about your lack of virtues (if their conversations are like the same conversations I've overheard religious devouts have countless times).

doubtful. they are very nice people. my brother and I get along swimmingly and we have learned to just avoid that topic for the most part. sometimes we have discussions about "facts", and that's about it. 

I'm sure longestroad is partially right in that they probably pray for me. But they certainly would not wish for me to pay for my sins. 

You'd know better than me. Good for you guys.

My experience with religious folk he not been fantastic to say the least.
 

don't get me wrong.....there were many tough times when he first "came out". we all hated his wife for a very long time, and he was obnoxious as fuck ("oh my god" someone would say...."mine too" he'd reply). But once they figured out they weren't going to change us, and judging us wasn't the best tactic, things improved dramatically. 

PJ_Soul

LongestRoad said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

rgambs said:

This has me all fired up today.

Just on Monday I discovered my 6 year old niece being indoctrinated in Catholic culthood knows that my wife and I "don't go to church because they don't believe in Jesus and that's bad"

my brother, his wife, and their 20 year old son all think I'm going to hell with all the homosexuals and trans people. 

I bet they don't. I bet they pray for you. 

That makes no sense. If they do pray for him in that context, it's specifically because they do think he's going to hell, and they're praying for him to find salvation.

I've been told by several religious people that I'm going to hell because I'm an Atheist. They truly believe it, and many seem to have little problem with saying it to people's faces, although many others would never say such a thing. I have a born again cousin. I know she and her husband think I and most of the family are heathens, lol, but they are too nice to actually say any bullshit to our faces. They did once feel the need to quietly leave the room together and go demonstrably pray for us all in the front yard ... They either forgot we could see them doing it through the giant picture window overlooking the front yard, or they intentionally meant for us to see them doing this so that we'd get the point. Since they're not morons, my vote is for option two.

brianlux

We watched a movie last night called "All Saints".  I generally avoid religious movies unless they are old classic "sword and sandal" movies  like "The Ten Commandments" or "The Egyptian", but we are fans of true story films and this one sounded interesting. It turned out to be too preachy for my tastes but it kept my interest mainly because of the subject matter- its a film about refuges from the Karen State (now called "Kayin") of Myanmar (aka Burma) who end up in Tennessee and seek help from a local church .   It's the story of how a preacher and family and these refuges helped save that church from being closed and demolished. 

At the later parts of the movie and in the extras, a lot said about how this effort was made possible by the locals and the refugees working and coming together as a community to save the church but, right on cue, the main emphasis always goes back to saying that this all happened because God made it happen.  All the credit goes to God and yet when you see what transpired, what you see is a group of people coming together as a community and taking action to do something huge and helpful to their situation.  These people worked  incredibly hard to make this happen but, for some strange reason, they all seem incapable of giving themselves credit.  All the credit goes to the invisible. 

This made me think that maybe the closest thing we have to a verifiable, realistic, experiential God is actually community.  Perhaps instead of a capital "G" god it would make sense to give praise and thanks to a capital "C" Community.

LongestRoad

PJ_Soul said:

LongestRoad said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

rgambs said:

This has me all fired up today.

Just on Monday I discovered my 6 year old niece being indoctrinated in Catholic culthood knows that my wife and I "don't go to church because they don't believe in Jesus and that's bad"

my brother, his wife, and their 20 year old son all think I'm going to hell with all the homosexuals and trans people. 

I bet they don't. I bet they pray for you. 

That makes no sense. If they do pray for him in that context, it's specifically because they do think he's going to hell, and they're praying for him to find salvation.

I've been told by several religious people that I'm going to hell because I'm an Atheist. They truly believe it, and many seem to have little problem with saying it to people's faces, although many others would never say such a thing. I have a born again cousin. I know she and her husband think I and most of the family are heathens, lol, but they are too nice to actually say any bullshit to our faces. They did once feel the need to quietly leave the room together and go demonstrably pray for us all in the front yard ... They either forgot we could see them doing it through the giant picture window overlooking the front yard, or they intentionally meant for us to see them doing this so that we'd get the point. Since they're not morons, my vote is for option two.

What helps you? What makes you feel better when your looking for the answer in life? To life? For me it's praying. 

BlackCircle

God exists in the sense that you have the mental capacity to create God or "God's" or imaginary sea creatures.

There is a voice inside your head that is not your present tangible self.  The voice inside your mind is simply your thoughts.  It can be turned off and therefore is not who you are.  

Like people who suffer with multiple personality disorder or schizophrenia, those voices can often create conflict inside the individual.

However, if those voices were shut off the person would still exist.  You and I would still exist if the voice inside out mind were silent.  

God exist inside our mind as a creation of our imagination in order to provide a simple explanation to something we once could not explain as pre-histiric or ancient man.

God has been inserted into our subconcious by the telling and retelling of God stories.

Therefore, God exists only in the sense that we have created him.