**Official Religious Debate Thread**

[bennychico11]

PS - I don't believe Bennychico really exists. I'm just sayin'.

 

I concur.

 

 

[Enhance]

I'm not going to read through this entire cluster of religious babble, but here is my two cents worth.

 

I believe there is a God, but not in the sense of how religion describes God. I do not believe there is a man who floats above the universe picking and choosing what he wants to do. Believing in a God like that is, in my mind, similar to believing there is a real Santa Clause with magic reindeer. I do not believe God has a plan for people nor do I believe praying helps you. If praying helped you, then 6 year olds wouldn't die of cancer. If praying helped you, your favorite sports team would win every game.

 

Instead, I believe "God" is more or less some entity of sorts. Now I don't know if he is some ectoplasmic entity or maybe something a human has never seen before, but I do believe there is something out there that is responsible for why we are here.

 

In a sense, I believe in an entity that is responsible for us being here, but I do not believe he has direct control over anything nor that he influences us in anyway. Science has come a long way since the early years of humanity. Clinging to the ideological writings of the Bible and believing them word for word is useless, in my eyes. The Bible is just one big exaggeration put in place to tell stories and teach lessons. While I still believe that reading the Bible is something everyone should do, despite their beliefs in God, I don't believe it is meant to be taken literally.

[Husker_x]

I'm not going to read through this entire cluster of religious babble, but here is my two cents worth.

 

I believe there is a God, but not in the sense of how religion describes God. I do not believe there is a man who floats above the universe picking and choosing what he wants to do. Believing in a God like that is, in my mind, similar to believing there is a real Santa Clause with magic reindeer. I do not believe God has a plan for people nor do I believe praying helps you. If praying helped you, then 6 year olds wouldn't die of cancer. If praying helped you, your favorite sports team would win every game.

 

Instead, I believe "God" is more or less some entity of sorts. Now I don't know if he is some ectoplasmic entity or maybe something a human has never seen before, but I do believe there is something out there that is responsible for why we are here.

 

In a sense, I believe in an entity that is responsible for us being here, but I do not believe he has direct control over anything nor that he influences us in anyway. Science has come a long way since the early years of humanity. Clinging to the ideological writings of the Bible and believing them word for word is useless, in my eyes. The Bible is just one big exaggeration put in place to tell stories and teach lessons. While I still believe that reading the Bible is something everyone should do, despite their beliefs in God, I don't believe it is meant to be taken literally.

 

Good start. Now, why do you believe in the ectoplasmic entity/something humanity has never seen god?

[huskertim]

As to the literal nature of the Bible; most scholars contend that some books are meant to be interpeted as quite literal (much of the old testament is simply the historical record of the Hebrew people), whereas, others are written to be illustrative or alagoric. It's not always clear which style is being used at a given time and this can cause great confusion. It's not entirely helpful either that we have to rely on translations that seldom capture the provincial nature of a given story nor the backdrop of the time.

IE The prodical son was based on a common story of the time but Jesus changed the ending to demonstrate a point that to us seems obvious but would have been quite controversial in it's time.

[Incandenza]

God is numbers. Not God is in numbers, but God is numbers.

I'm no math wiz, but think about it. Numbers are perfect. They always equal out. Without numbers or math our world would not make sense. The advancement of mankind since the beginning of time is based on his ability to understand, make sense of, and manipulate numbers. The world is based on numbers. If the numbers don't add up, everything turns to sh#t.

I'm still working on this theory, but I like it so far. I also like that it doesn't contradict the Bible as far I as I've gotten.

[knapplc]

God is numbers. Not God is in numbers, but God is numbers.

 

And that number? 42, of course.

[Husker_x]

God is numbers. Not God is in numbers, but God is numbers.

 

And that number? 42, of course.

 

"Look at the sunset, Marvin."

 

"Yes, atrocious, isn't it?"

 

[huskertim]

I think it is funny that the OP has yet to chime in other then to post the original question, a follow up question (which was basically a play of the first question) 10 minutes later and then bolt.

 

Carry on.

Apologies. When I started the thread, I got a tid bit busy. Here is my opinion. Recently I have started to question my faith in Christianity...posing the very same points as the non believers in this thread. Like if we do have free will and God knows exactly what is going to happen, then logically we do not have free will or God doesn't know what is going to happen. I will say that the verse that really got me thinking was Ephesians 5:21-6:9.

 

"22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

 

25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church 30for we are members of his body. 31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32This is a profound mysterybut I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Ephesians 6

Children and Parents

1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2"Honor your father and mother"which is the first commandment with a promise 3"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."[c] 4Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Slaves and Masters

5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

 

9And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him."

 

This really makes me think...if God truly is a loving creator, then why would he advocate a something as terrible as slavery?

 

Werein do you see advocacy that man shall enslave man. The author here clearly intended that the behavior of all men is thier responsibility regardless of station or circumstance. One could as easily be a rich a-hole or a poor a-hole, likewise one can make the best of what is given and strive always to act accordingly. Far too often people reationalize horrible behavior and cruelty because they themselves have suffered (mommy never loved me, so it's not my fault that I shot the people at the mall). Remember, Christ offered himself as a servant, not a king and clearly prefered humility to celebrity.

Maybe advocate was the wrong word here. Let me rephrase... It upsets me that the Bible embraces slavery. I would expect a holy text to denounce such a terrible thing the way it denounces murder, stealing, etc.

Sorry to bring this back up, but I felt compelled to reply. I think embrace is also a poor choice of words here. This passage, as with many others in the Bible treats slavery neither as good or bad, but simply a reality of the day. It wouldn't make much sense to base ones bahavior on the world as you would like it to be. I to find it frustrating that there is no outright comdemnation of slavery, but then again, if there were, it propably didn't make it into the common lexicon because of social norms of the day (see Gospel of Thecla).

The point is that Paul is trying to say how a chritian behaves, not how society is or isn't just.

[huskertim]

God is numbers. Not God is in numbers, but God is numbers.

 

And that number? 42, of course.

 

 

Can't beat Adams when it comes to answering the fundamental questions of life the universe and everything, eh.

[Husker_x]

I think it is funny that the OP has yet to chime in other then to post the original question, a follow up question (which was basically a play of the first question) 10 minutes later and then bolt.

 

Carry on.

Apologies. When I started the thread, I got a tid bit busy. Here is my opinion. Recently I have started to question my faith in Christianity...posing the very same points as the non believers in this thread. Like if we do have free will and God knows exactly what is going to happen, then logically we do not have free will or God doesn't know what is going to happen. I will say that the verse that really got me thinking was Ephesians 5:21-6:9.

 

"22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

 

25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Ephesians 6

Children and Parents

1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2"Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."[c] 4Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Slaves and Masters

5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

 

9And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him."

 

This really makes me think...if God truly is a loving creator, then why would he advocate a something as terrible as slavery?

 

Werein do you see advocacy that man shall enslave man. The author here clearly intended that the behavior of all men is thier responsibility regardless of station or circumstance. One could as easily be a rich a-hole or a poor a-hole, likewise one can make the best of what is given and strive always to act accordingly. Far too often people reationalize horrible behavior and cruelty because they themselves have suffered (mommy never loved me, so it's not my fault that I shot the people at the mall). Remember, Christ offered himself as a servant, not a king and clearly prefered humility to celebrity.

Maybe advocate was the wrong word here. Let me rephrase... It upsets me that the Bible embraces slavery. I would expect a holy text to denounce such a terrible thing the way it denounces murder, stealing, etc.

Sorry to bring this back up, but I felt compelled to reply. I think embrace is also a poor choice of words here. This passage, as with many others in the Bible treats slavery neither as good or bad, but simply a reality of the day. It wouldn't make much sense to base ones bahavior on the world as you would like it to be. I to find it frustrating that there is no outright comdemnation of slavery, but then again, if there were, it propably didn't make it into the common lexicon because of social norms of the day (see Gospel of Thecla).

The point is that Paul is trying to say how a chritian behaves, not how society is or isn't just.

 

"When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be punished; for the slave is his money."—Exodus 21:20-21

[huskertim]

Faith is not the end of questioning. Think of those things you believe in, do you fear to question them? I propose that if you do, it is not faith you have, but doubt. The wisest among us quest for wisdom. The best atheletes strive to be better. The cleric seeks God not as he would like him to be, but as he reveals himself to be. Doubt fears exposure but truth hides not from the light.

 

Very poetic, but also not addressing the issue.

 

Belief is not the end of questioning. But faith––belief WITHOUT evidence––operates under an entirely different agenda. There's also a subtle difference between the striving of a scientist and the striving of a preacher. The scientist may think he knows the answer to the question he's designing an experiment to answer, but is rewarded whether his hypothesis is proved right or wrong. With a preacher, he has faith that no matter what his quest turns up, his fundamental assumption will hold true; and since no demonstrable evidence was needed to establish his faith to begin with, no competing evidence would ever have the hopes of dislodging it.

 

 

Your point is valid, but keep in mind that I was making an analogy, which by definition wouldn't be a spot on duplicate. I contend however that a scientist does not need demonstrable evidence to form a theory, merely an idea that can potentially be tested. Further, if the experimental evidence returns nagative results a scientists can and will adjust his theory rather than abondon is core rationale for the experiment.

[huskertim]

I think it is funny that the OP has yet to chime in other then to post the original question, a follow up question (which was basically a play of the first question) 10 minutes later and then bolt.

 

Carry on.

Apologies. When I started the thread, I got a tid bit busy. Here is my opinion. Recently I have started to question my faith in Christianity...posing the very same points as the non believers in this thread. Like if we do have free will and God knows exactly what is going to happen, then logically we do not have free will or God doesn't know what is going to happen. I will say that the verse that really got me thinking was Ephesians 5:21-6:9.

 

"22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

 

25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Ephesians 6

Children and Parents

1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2"Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."[c] 4Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Slaves and Masters

5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

 

9And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him."

 

This really makes me think...if God truly is a loving creator, then why would he advocate a something as terrible as slavery?

 

Werein do you see advocacy that man shall enslave man. The author here clearly intended that the behavior of all men is thier responsibility regardless of station or circumstance. One could as easily be a rich a-hole or a poor a-hole, likewise one can make the best of what is given and strive always to act accordingly. Far too often people reationalize horrible behavior and cruelty because they themselves have suffered (mommy never loved me, so it's not my fault that I shot the people at the mall). Remember, Christ offered himself as a servant, not a king and clearly prefered humility to celebrity.

Maybe advocate was the wrong word here. Let me rephrase... It upsets me that the Bible embraces slavery. I would expect a holy text to denounce such a terrible thing the way it denounces murder, stealing, etc.

Sorry to bring this back up, but I felt compelled to reply. I think embrace is also a poor choice of words here. This passage, as with many others in the Bible treats slavery neither as good or bad, but simply a reality of the day. It wouldn't make much sense to base ones bahavior on the world as you would like it to be. I to find it frustrating that there is no outright comdemnation of slavery, but then again, if there were, it propably didn't make it into the common lexicon because of social norms of the day (see Gospel of Thecla).

The point is that Paul is trying to say how a chritian behaves, not how society is or isn't just.

 

"When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be punished; for the slave is his money."—Exodus 21:20-21

 

 

 

Right, Moses was establishing a set of laws. I don't a gree with the idea that this condons slavery so much as codifies bahavior. If you recall the sermon on the mound, Christ warned that strickly obeying the law

wasn't good enough, but rather God would judge a man by his heart.

[Husker_x]

I think it is funny that the OP has yet to chime in other then to post the original question, a follow up question (which was basically a play of the first question) 10 minutes later and then bolt.

 

Carry on.

Apologies. When I started the thread, I got a tid bit busy. Here is my opinion. Recently I have started to question my faith in Christianity...posing the very same points as the non believers in this thread. Like if we do have free will and God knows exactly what is going to happen, then logically we do not have free will or God doesn't know what is going to happen. I will say that the verse that really got me thinking was Ephesians 5:21-6:9.

 

"22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

 

25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Ephesians 6

Children and Parents

1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2"Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."[c] 4Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Slaves and Masters

5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

 

9And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him."

 

This really makes me think...if God truly is a loving creator, then why would he advocate a something as terrible as slavery?

 

Werein do you see advocacy that man shall enslave man. The author here clearly intended that the behavior of all men is thier responsibility regardless of station or circumstance. One could as easily be a rich a-hole or a poor a-hole, likewise one can make the best of what is given and strive always to act accordingly. Far too often people reationalize horrible behavior and cruelty because they themselves have suffered (mommy never loved me, so it's not my fault that I shot the people at the mall). Remember, Christ offered himself as a servant, not a king and clearly prefered humility to celebrity.

Maybe advocate was the wrong word here. Let me rephrase... It upsets me that the Bible embraces slavery. I would expect a holy text to denounce such a terrible thing the way it denounces murder, stealing, etc.

Sorry to bring this back up, but I felt compelled to reply. I think embrace is also a poor choice of words here. This passage, as with many others in the Bible treats slavery neither as good or bad, but simply a reality of the day. It wouldn't make much sense to base ones bahavior on the world as you would like it to be. I to find it frustrating that there is no outright comdemnation of slavery, but then again, if there were, it propably didn't make it into the common lexicon because of social norms of the day (see Gospel of Thecla).

The point is that Paul is trying to say how a chritian behaves, not how society is or isn't just.

 

"When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be punished; for the slave is his money."—Exodus 21:20-21

 

 

 

Right, Moses was establishing a set of laws. I don't a gree with the idea that this condons slavery so much as codifies bahavior. If you recall the sermon on the mound, Christ warned that strickly obeying the law

wasn't good enough, but rather God would judge a man by his heart.

 

44 " 'Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. 45 You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. 46 You can will them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly.--Leviticus 25:44-46

[huskertim]

I think it is funny that the OP has yet to chime in other then to post the original question, a follow up question (which was basically a play of the first question) 10 minutes later and then bolt.

 

Carry on.

Apologies. When I started the thread, I got a tid bit busy. Here is my opinion. Recently I have started to question my faith in Christianity...posing the very same points as the non believers in this thread. Like if we do have free will and God knows exactly what is going to happen, then logically we do not have free will or God doesn't know what is going to happen. I will say that the verse that really got me thinking was Ephesians 5:21-6:9.

 

"22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

 

25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Ephesians 6

Children and Parents

1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2"Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."[c] 4Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Slaves and Masters

5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

 

9And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him."

 

This really makes me think...if God truly is a loving creator, then why would he advocate a something as terrible as slavery?

 

Werein do you see advocacy that man shall enslave man. The author here clearly intended that the behavior of all men is thier responsibility regardless of station or circumstance. One could as easily be a rich a-hole or a poor a-hole, likewise one can make the best of what is given and strive always to act accordingly. Far too often people reationalize horrible behavior and cruelty because they themselves have suffered (mommy never loved me, so it's not my fault that I shot the people at the mall). Remember, Christ offered himself as a servant, not a king and clearly prefered humility to celebrity.

Maybe advocate was the wrong word here. Let me rephrase... It upsets me that the Bible embraces slavery. I would expect a holy text to denounce such a terrible thing the way it denounces murder, stealing, etc.

Sorry to bring this back up, but I felt compelled to reply. I think embrace is also a poor choice of words here. This passage, as with many others in the Bible treats slavery neither as good or bad, but simply a reality of the day. It wouldn't make much sense to base ones bahavior on the world as you would like it to be. I to find it frustrating that there is no outright comdemnation of slavery, but then again, if there were, it propably didn't make it into the common lexicon because of social norms of the day (see Gospel of Thecla).

The point is that Paul is trying to say how a chritian behaves, not how society is or isn't just.

 

"When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be punished; for the slave is his money."—Exodus 21:20-21

 

 

Again, codification of an existing practice. laws were enacted to goven the trade of slaves in the US, but those particular laws did not establish the pratice. Again, I am disappointed by a lack of condemnation, but I am not suprised given the common pratices of the day.

 

Right, Moses was establishing a set of laws. I don't a gree with the idea that this condons slavery so much as codifies bahavior. If you recall the sermon on the mound, Christ warned that strickly obeying the law

wasn't good enough, but rather God would judge a man by his heart.

 

44 " 'Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. 45 You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. 46 You can will them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly.--Leviticus 25:44-46

 

Again, this is codification of existing practice not establishment of a new one. I am disapointed that there is no condemnation of slavery but I am not suprised given the pratices of the day which continued well after Constantine's boys choose the books to be cantonized.

[Enhance]

I'm not going to read through this entire cluster of religious babble, but here is my two cents worth.

 

I believe there is a God, but not in the sense of how religion describes God. I do not believe there is a man who floats above the universe picking and choosing what he wants to do. Believing in a God like that is, in my mind, similar to believing there is a real Santa Clause with magic reindeer. I do not believe God has a plan for people nor do I believe praying helps you. If praying helped you, then 6 year olds wouldn't die of cancer. If praying helped you, your favorite sports team would win every game.

 

Instead, I believe "God" is more or less some entity of sorts. Now I don't know if he is some ectoplasmic entity or maybe something a human has never seen before, but I do believe there is something out there that is responsible for why we are here.

 

In a sense, I believe in an entity that is responsible for us being here, but I do not believe he has direct control over anything nor that he influences us in anyway. Science has come a long way since the early years of humanity. Clinging to the ideological writings of the Bible and believing them word for word is useless, in my eyes. The Bible is just one big exaggeration put in place to tell stories and teach lessons. While I still believe that reading the Bible is something everyone should do, despite their beliefs in God, I don't believe it is meant to be taken literally.

Good start. Now, why do you believe in the ectoplasmic entity/something humanity has never seen god?

Because to me, any other form of God doesn't make any sense. Why would he be something a human can relate to, when the chance that we are the only living thing in the universe is extremely small.

 

I don't know exactly what God is, but something that is unexplainable by mankind seems the most logical in my eyes.