How Many T-Men Believe in God?

Off Topic Politics and World Issues
21

[quote]Headhunter wrote:
I can relate another experience, if any one is interested:

My fiance died 2 days before her 24th birthday. That evening, while lying on my bed, a voice said to me: “The Spirit” in a voice like I’ve never heard before. To call it ‘oceanic’ would be an understatement. An imaginary experience caused by grief? Possibly.

I’ve never heard voices before and only twice after. Once again, subjective and not open to experiment (hence not falsifiable). Conclude what you will.[/quote]

Firstly, I am sorry for your loss. That is a very hard thing.

As for your experience however, It is not that weird. It happens to me fairly regularly(at least a handful of times a year, sometimes multiple times in a month) It is almost always before I goto bed, or when I wake up, although similar things have happened during the day as well(but always tied into some sort of fairly monotonous activity).

I don’t know the ins and outs of it, but it has to do with feeling like you are awake when you are actually asleep. It is connected with lucid dreaming and sleep paralysis, and from what I understand, it can be caused by anything ranging from a traumatic experience, high stress, to simpler things like a bad mattress, a musky room, or indigestion.

Most people are likely to experience something similar at least once in their lives. As far as I am concerned it is the basis for the vast majority of unexplained phenomenon that happens late at night when no one is around(which is not to say these things can’t happen when other people are around).

Almost every culture has documented experiences tied into this stuff. Dream demons, incubus, ‘the witching hour’, boogie-man…etc. Some taking things more seriously than others.

Some terms to look up: Hypnagogia, sleep paralysis, and lucid dreaming.

Now, it has happened to me many times, and I have never placed its occurring on higher powers or supernatural forces. It comes from you. You create it, your brain. Nothing that has ever occurred in these situations have been indicative of anything, in and of themselves, but that is not to say nothing can become of them. If the experience gives you an idea, or otherwise inspires you to do something, then it might as well be God as far as I am concerned, same result in the end.

I know that I often hear music in these times. Incredible, complex, inventive, original and powerful music. But when I awake I can never remember it. It is my belief that the greatest composers experienced similar things, but for whatever reasons, they were able to harness those ideas and bring them to reality.

Anyway, that’s my ramble.

I don’t believe in God as a higher power, but I do believe in myself, and I don’t see a need to draw distinction between them.

22

I do

23

No. I’m a happy atheist. I think and feel strongly that the natural world as it is, needs no further spiritual explanation.

When we’re dead, we’re dead, so it’s important how we live - which is defined by our actions towards others. Hence, there is a need for ethics.

Having grown up in a very religious and scientific household, to combine Christianity and evolution is no problem at all. The Lutheran tradition I grew up in Germany sees the bible less literal, so I see no conflict.

Makkun

25

I believe that there is likely a God somewhere. I don’t know that it’s a physical entity, or that it really cares what happens in this world, but it’s likely there.

I don’t care what religion people subscribe to, but I hold nothing but disdain for extremists of any sort, be they Muslim, Christian, or whatever.

A strong subscripton to a certain faith, or an extreme devoutness, has always been a sign of a weak mind to me.

26

[quote]iflyboats wrote:
This is not intended to spur a debate over God’s existence. That has been done here and everywhere else a million times before.

All I want to know is, do you believe in God? YES or NO, and a reason if you want to provide one.

Seems to me that the whole concept of God is derived from the Judeo-Christian tradition. Modern culture has kind of taken that God and changed him into something more universally appealing, but the original idea of God clearly came from the Bible. So if you don’t believe the Bible, but still believe in God, then you’re basically inventing your own God, which is silly. And I don’t believe the Bible, so…
[/quote]

Dude, your post doesn’t make any sense. Anthropologists will tell you that most all cultures, even cultures that had no contact with Judeo-Christian cultures, believe in some sort of God. So instead of saying that “making up your own god is stupid”, you might want to be asking why most all cultures and peoples believe in a higher power?

I personally believe in God because I see the evidence of His existence. And while other cultures may have different beliefs regarding God, I think that they also see the evidence and that is why they believe as well.

27

[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
I believe that there is likely a God somewhere. I don’t know that it’s a physical entity, or that it really cares what happens in this world, but it’s likely there.

I don’t care what religion people subscribe to, but I hold nothing but disdain for extremists of any sort, be they Muslim, Christian, or whatever.

A strong subscripton to a certain faith, or an extreme devoutness, has always been a sign of a weak mind to me. [/quote]

So having a strong subscription or an extreme devoutness to nothing is the sign of a strong mind? Please!

28

[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
I believe that there is likely a God somewhere. I don’t know that it’s a physical entity, or that it really cares what happens in this world, but it’s likely there.

I don’t care what religion people subscribe to, but I hold nothing but disdain for extremists of any sort, be they Muslim, Christian, or whatever.

A strong subscripton to a certain faith, or an extreme devoutness, has always been a sign of a weak mind to me. [/quote]

Or a great deal of faith…

I always thought that religion was man’s attempt to explain God. In the end I think he gets a chuckle out of the attempts.

29

[quote]hedo wrote:

I always thought that religion was man’s attempt to explain God. In the end I think he gets a chuckle out of the attempts.

[/quote]

Hahha. Well that I agree with wholeheartedly. It’s very arrogant to assume that we could know the first thing about what’s really going on in the next world.

30

No I do not. But I’m not that angry about it, and I don’t care when others are religious (so long as they’re not angry about it either).

31

[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:

A strong subscripton to a certain faith, or an extreme devoutness, has always been a sign of a weak mind to me. [/quote]

I once thought the same, but actually the opposite is true. Faith results in strength. Fear is an absence of faith.

I understand you qualify that with “extreme”…and to an extent I agree with you, but not in general.

32

I have studied western and eastern religions and have come to the conclusion that all religions, whether you believe in one God, many gods, or no god, are different means to the same end.

A Christian for example may face a tough problem and say “God give me strength,” while a Zen Buddhism would tap into this same strength through meditation.

I think this strength, or God, if you will, exists in all of us.

33

Good question, but wouldn’t it be better to keep religion and politics separate and place topics like this in Get a Life?

I know the urge to merge politics and religion is irresistible to some and actually is their sole mission in life, but thought I’d mention it just for the hell of it.

history is littered with the awesome aftermath of this merge in all cultures and it ain’t pretty at all.

we each need to be conscious of this at all times so we can prevent another god damned crusade or inquisition.

floripa

34

Yes, I believe in the Christian God.

35

[quote]Headhunter wrote:
Once again, subjective and not open to experiment (hence not falsifiable). Conclude what you will.[/quote]

Falsifiability requires time travel.

36

[quote]Gkhan wrote:
I have studied western and eastern religions and have come to the conclusion that all religions, whether you believe in one God, many gods, or no god, are different means to the same end.

A Christian for example may face a tough problem and say “God give me strength,” while a Zen Buddhism would tap into this same strength through meditation.

I think this strength, or God, if you will, exists in all of us.[/quote]

Yes, but the Buddhist thinks all things will be reincarnate based on their actions, while the Christian thinks the Buddhist is going to tortured eternally in hellfire.

(Not that Buddhists can’t be bastards as well, of course).

Humans will always find reasons to hate and do evil things to each other.

A good person will do good things, regardless of whether or not he has religion.

An evil person will do evil things, regardless of whether or not he has religion.

But for a good person to do evil things, that takes religion. Of course, the opposite is also true. For an evil person to do good things, religion is usually in there somewhere.

37

[quote]Lorisco wrote:

Dude, your post doesn’t make any sense. Anthropologists will tell you that most all cultures, even cultures that had no contact with Judeo-Christian cultures, believe in some sort of God. So instead of saying that “making up your own god is stupid”, you might want to be asking why most all cultures and peoples believe in a higher power? [/quote]

You missed the point completely. The particular “GOD” that most people entertain in modern western culture is derived from the Jewish/Christian Bible.

38

[quote]Gkhan wrote:
I have studied western and eastern religions and have come to the conclusion that all religions, whether you believe in one God, many gods, or no god, are different means to the same end.

A Christian for example may face a tough problem and say “God give me strength,” while a Zen Buddhism would tap into this same strength through meditation.

I think this strength, or God, if you will, exists in all of us.[/quote]

We all have some sort of internal strength, some more than others. But this should not be confused with God. A true Buddhist does not believe in any sort of God. And in fact, the founder of Buddhism never claimed any sort of deity.

39

[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
I believe that there is likely a God somewhere. I don’t know that it’s a physical entity, or that it really cares what happens in this world, but it’s likely there.[/quote]

What leads you to “think it’s there”? I’m just curious.

Do you feel the same way about those who are extreme about lifting weights, building muscle and 100% into the fitness lifestyle? And tell me how far you think that one should go regarding their faith. Is it extreme in your opinion to pray each day? Twice per day? Tell me where the cut off is.

Then is the opposite true as well?

40

[quote]kroby wrote:
The god that you put in a box (for example the Bible) does not exist.[/quote]

It seems that you have great faith. What is this great faith based upon?