Question: Do you believe in God?

I believe in God as more of a feminine divinity.

I believe that Nancy Pelosi is the anti-Christ - but I don't believe her to be very feminine.

Why would you even post that comment below mine?

I think Erik is just stealing goats on this thread. (See his other comments below)

Why feminine? God doesn't have a gender. I use the male pronoun just because the Bible does.

Yes. I believe in God and intelligent design. If you believe in evolution, you have to believe that people evolved from rocks - after the "Big Bang".

Although many here on Gather make it believable that people evolved from rocks.

To be more precise, "evolution" is a different subject to "abiogenesis". The belief that we came from rocks is "abiogenesis". The belief that all living things have one common ancestor is "evolution".

Abiogenesis, according to all current information that I have been able to read, is impossible.

I don't believe that I and my pet Shi Tzu Poodle, cute as we both are, have any ancestors in common.

Dennis, thanks for teaching me a new word today!

Me, too

me three

me four. I gotta' get out more. LOL

Me Five !! LOL

Animal, vegetable, and mineral. Every time I spend an hour weeding in my yard, I am struck by the fact that if that weed were just more attractive, it wouldn't be a weed. Now I guess I need to ponder the rocks I find too.

Imagine if I found spirituality in all organic, and inorganic material, like some do. I think I'd be a basket case. Invisible "souls" crushed under my feet.

Just too fanciful a tale for me.

That's evolved from wet rocks. The water was important, too.

Well, Minnesota is filled with wet rocks.

Yes, I do believe in God, absolutely. In a world shaken by a culture of lies, greed and death, God is the only true source of goodness and love we can count on.

He guides me through my life. I believe when I meet Him, He'll have a big scroll of all my mistakes, but a wheel barrow of my achievements. Thanks.

I tend to believe that there's a force for (lack of a better word) 'good' and an equally and opposite opposing force - neither being able to exist without the other. But I don't believe in a personified deity or hierarchy and I tend to think that while there's a 'cosmic balancing act' on many levels...that you have to live as if there's NOT and merely do things because you believe they are right and not for some spiritual award or place in heaven later.

And my girlfriend informs me that when God created man she was only joking.

Never let it be said that God doesn't have a sense of humor-hers is almost as good a mine!

People should ". . . merely do things because you believe they are right and not for some spiritual award or place in heaven later."

Well said John. That holds true especially for those who claim that they worship God.

I don't believe in the concept of a "soul".

I think of it more as energy. We contribute to positive and negative energy forces when we pass.

"I don't believe in the concept of a "soul"."

Tim,

You've obviously spent a lot of time staring into the eyes of your liberal friends. I know its hard to imagine any "soul" when you do, but you have to have faith.

Faith depends on trust, trust must be earned. Tim just has not yet been given a logical reason to trust to the point of developing faith.

Tim, the concept of a soul that I keep hearing and reading about is illogical and just does not gel with what I've been reading from the Bible.

Tim,

You've obviously spent a lot of time staring into the eyes of your liberal friends. I know its hard to imagine any "soul" when you do, but you have to have faith.


Dennis this is exactly the type of stuff I am talking about.

You mean like this:

"So I think to myself yep that is EXACTLY the kind of group I WANT to join. The intolerant, self righteous, asshole brigade."

Erik you have issues. Among them anger and control. Also you seem to not want to take responsibility for your actions and pass the buck to others.

There are professionals that can help you deal with things like that.

Beyond that you are just proving to me how intolerant some christians are.

Erik
Take your fat a@@ and go sit in the corner!!

I'm not fat. I just have a SWEET hockey body.

Angel. Erik is just trying to steal goats on this thread. Don't let him get yours.

No Erik you are not fat; you are just short for your weight.

Yes, I believe there is God The Father, Spirit and Son.
HE has saved me from a life of sin.
HE is always there for me, no matter what.
When I felt like I did not deserve salvation, HE told me
I did.
God is so good to me.

i believe there is a higher power of some sort, nearly every culture down to the tribes in the middle of the rain forest think that there is some sort of power that started everything. maybe its just our way of trying to feel important, but i think there is something beyond just us. as for religion, not my cup of tea. but everyone has their own beliefs and thats just the way of the world.

God is illogical.

So is believing that people come from rocks...

Hi Lori, God is not the one who is illogical. The illogical ones are most of those who claim to be worshipping them, but that is not for this thread.

OK so believing some guy up in the sky created the world in 6 days is more logical than believing we evolved from a lower organism into what we are today?

Dennis I have to agree with you on that. I see so many people today use god and relgion to justify their horrible bigoted behavior.

Perhaps if there were less people like that there would be more people who believed in god.

Lori,

Anyone can recognize micro-evolution, but evolution is still just a theory because it cannot explain macro-evolution.

If you have any scientific evidence that people evolved from rocks, please share it with us.

Until then, Intelligent design is a framework of logical thinking based on the observable evidence that can be used to analyze scientific data.

Both Intelligent design and evolution are theories and neither can be proven or disproven yet.

This is what usually happens.

I say I dont believe in god. The next person comes in and tells me I AM GOING TO BURN IN HELL FOR IT AND THEY WILL PRAY FOR ME CAUSE I REALLY NEED IT

So I think to myself yep that is EXACTLY the kind of group I WANT to join. The intolerant, self righteous, asshole brigade.

Little South Park dude.

The question was whether I believe in god not whether I can prove Intelligent design or evolution.

But on that note please provide proof of the existance of god and the theory of creativity.

Lori,

You're very good at spinning a yarn or making stuff up.

Who said, "GOING TO BURN IN HELL FOR IT AND THEY WILL PRAY FOR ME CAUSE I REALLY NEED IT"?

I won't tell you that you're going to Hell. But I will tell you that if you can't stand the heat - get out of the kitchen.

Kristi,

I am not discounting the "theory of Evolution". I'm only pointing out that it IS just a theory. Too many people believe it to be a fact.

In fact, I noted-above that, "Both Intelligent design and evolution are theories and neither can be proven or disproven yet."

"It simply states that the genetic material of an organism changes over time"

And how does that discount Intelligent design?

Its too hard to debate members when English is obviously their second language.

"If you have any scientific evidence that people evolved from rocks, please share it with us."

I doubt that there will ever be any scientific evidence that people evolved from rocks. There isn't much carbon in rocks. There's certainly evidence that methane + ammonia + lightning will yield organic chemicals. Evolution isn't about the origin of life, by the way. It's about the diversity of life and how it got that way. The origin of life is an entirely different question.

Intelligent design is a classic example of begging the question, the logical fallacy where you assume that what you intend to prove is true in order to prove that it's true. It's not something that you can test scientifically.

As far as complexity vs. probability, when I was in high school a couple of my friends played over 100 hands of War, the simplest card game this side of Indian Poker. One of them won every game. That's 100 times 52 cards were shuffled and dealt into 2 piles. The odds of that happening are 1 in 2^100. It only took a few hours. Think about what could happen in a billion years.

Kristi,

If we discount Intelligent design, can evolution stand on its own? I don't think so. The theory of Evolution suggests that mankind is the result of chance or an accidental fusion of molecules?

Life has always been replicated by another form of life. To the best of our scientific knowledge, life doesn't happen by accident.

I won't tell you that you're going to Hell. But I will tell you that if you can't stand the heat - get out of the kitchen.

I have no problem with the heat. Seems like you are the only one getting your panties in a twist over this.

I can no more "prove" evolution or intelligent design any more than you can "prove" the existance of god.

But go back to your slams and name calling. Whenever I see someone like you I realize how right my decision of not believing is.

"To the best of our scientific knowledge, life doesn't happen by accident. "

Like the old Lone Ranger joke, "What do you mean 'we'?"

One more time. Evolution, as a scientific theory, has nothing to do with the origin of life. That's a totally separate question. Evolution is about the diversity of life forms.

One more point: The word "theory" in science refers to an explanation that's been validated repeatedly by experiment and/or data gathering. It doesn't mean "the idea I came up with while I was smoking meth last night."

I get tired of criticism of science that's based on fundamental misunderstandings of what science is about.

Nips so correct.

It doesn't mean "the idea I came up with while I was smoking meth last night."

So true Nips. I had an ephiphany about colors all being really black and white and the true meaning of life...I was listening to the Cars "Moving in Stereo" and smoking some really good weed but I dont base my whole existance on it.

'The word "theory" in science refers to an explanation that's been validated repeatedly by experiment and/or data gathering.'

Actually, to be more precise, a scientific theory is an opinion arrived at based on observation, data collection and/or experimentation. It is not exactly "validated" just supported.

As I have mentioned on another thread, two equally qualified and experienced experts sometimes look at the same evidence and arive at different conclusions. The theories are the personal opinions of scientists, supported by carefully investigated evidence.

"It doesn't state where life came from only how it has changed!"

Exactly. That's why I believe in intelligent design.

"I have no problem with the heat. Seems like you are the only one getting your panties in a twist over this."

Wait.... wasn't this your comment?:

Lori F. Oct 20, 2009, 4:06pm EDT
This is what usually happens.

I say I dont believe in god. The next person comes in and tells me I AM GOING TO BURN IN HELL FOR IT AND THEY WILL PRAY FOR ME CAUSE I REALLY NEED IT

So I think to myself yep that is EXACTLY the kind of group I WANT to join. The intolerant, self righteous, asshole brigade.


If your personality is that split, perhaps you should consder signing in and out and making believe that you're different members.

"One more time. Evolution, as a scientific theory, has nothing to do with the origin of life. That's a totally separate question. Evolution is about the diversity of life forms."

Wrong. Evolution is entwined with the origin of life. Unless of course, you referring to microevolution.

The origin of life is what calls macroevolution into question.

But it's hard to get the big picture when you have such a small mind.

Erik Kartman you have some serious anger/tolerance/empathy issues.

"I was listening to the Cars "Moving in Stereo" and smoking some really good weed but I dont base my whole existance on it."

Why is it always the godd*mn dope-smoking-hippies that tell Kartman he has issues?

Kristi you are such a nice person.

Kristi,

Congratulations! I heard your IQ test came back negative. You must be relieved.

"Would it feel better If I told you that you have issues? I don't smoke at all. Not even cigarettes..... *Snort*...."

So... you're a godda*mn coke-snorting-hippie. You're all the same as far as Kartman is concerned.

"That's the best you have? Seriously?"

No. I hope you croak you sick little frog.

Why don't you go kiss a prince and give him warts?

How can a IQ test come back negative? Honestly Erik google insults there are much better ones out there.

"Only the beverage!"

If you were here I would offer you a croak-a-cola and laugh after you drank it.

Kristi,

I thought your avitar was a frog. But it must be a toad. Because when you leave a comment, everyone can tell its toad stool.

was he referencing poop?

Lori,

Keep buggin' me. I hope your little frog friend mistakes you for her dinner and chokes on you.

"..... and was poorly executed."

I hope you're poorly executed by a rat snake when you hopping home tonight.

why is it that you cant have a conversation with an overly zealot self righteous non christian like self proclaimed christian guy without the conversation always going to his bodily functions? i have news for you Erik and all the other overly zealot self righteous non christian like self proclaimed christians guys out there...your bowel movements and flatulance are not nearly as funny and thrilling to us as they are to you.

And while I am on the subject despite what you mother says SIZE does matter.

"Frogs eat insects not swine. Were you sleeping through biology?"

Did you already have a falling out with Lori? Why are you calling her a swine?

And no I didn't sleep through biology. Some of my fondest memories came when I was slicing apart the frog like a Ninja warrior.

"Rat snakes tend to avoid confrontation."

Well, then I hope you're confronted by a car then. I know cars don't mind confronting frogs, especially after it rains.

"And while I am on the subject despite what you mother says SIZE does matter."

If size is really a problem for you, try and flush twice.

"Besides as a swine she can give you the flu!"

Did Paris Hilton tell you that? Besides, I'll bet you were checking out her avatar because you thought it was a VW Beetle.

Lori,

Don't assume I'm a Christian Just because I'm intolerant. I just think that Intelligent Design makes more sense than the theory of Evolution.

Kristi,

Next time I see one of your endangered frogs at Golden Corral, I'm squashing it with a stick.

"I LOVE VW Beetles. I want a yellow one."

Of course you want a yellow Beetle. You're a frog.

I'm Kartman... I want orange cheesy poofs.

... and Kyle is a J-O-O.

Do you want me to sing you the song about his mom?

Kartman
You ate to many cheesy poofs they went to your brain.

If you keep acting like this God is going to punish your fat a@@

"You ate to many cheesy poofs they went to your brain.... If you keep acting like this God is going to punish your fat a@@"

I'm eating all these cheesy poofs so I can evolve.

Besides, according to 73% of Athiests, God won't punish me because he doesn't exist.

"Besides, according to 73% of Athiests, God won't punish me because he doesn't exist. "
Good one!

"Wrong. Evolution is entwined with the origin of life. Unless of course, you referring to microevolution. "

Evolution on whatever scale you want to talk about is about the diversity of life forms. The origin of life is a separate question. It's an interesting question but it's not a part of evolutionary theory.

What you're saying is comparable to saying that Newtonian mechanics includes the origin of the universe.

I believe in God. However my reasons for believing in His existence are not religious as you can see here: "Why I Believe in God"

Dennis,

Great article!

That was wonderful.

I'm an agnostic. I think the existence of divine beings is something that can't be proved or disproved.

Nips that is the best answer of them all.

My personal belief, totally illogical, is that there's no divine being. It's a question of belief. You can't argue about it and I don't try. It makes me happy and it doesn't hurt anybody.

I was agnostic and believed in reincarnation, but my soul/spirit changed and it wasn't me. It was God, but not everyone has that experience.

Carol I thought you were a pagan or wiccan and god set you on fire?

I am agnostic with strong atheistic leanings. I know that I cannot believe in the god presented in the Bible. I do believe in science. There is enough evidence for evolution that evolution is considered a fact by most true scientists. Do your own research if you do not believe me.

I do not believe in a christian god per say. I believe in many gods and goddess's.

Sparrow Boy,
Good to hear from you.

I Believe in One God- Jesus Christ , Our Lord and Savior. (My Lord and Savior).

I Need Him, Like I need Air To-Breath.

I believe in God ( High Power or whatever you want to call it)
I do not believe your soul dies, either you go to be with the maker or he makes you come back as someone else till you get it right.

why are you slamming her for what she believes. as far as not being a christian view I have seen very little evidence of you having a christian like attitude and outlook.

Scott,
Please no one knows the truth but GOD/JESUS.
I am sorry this is what I believe , NO one has to tell me anything.

Lori
Thank you !! You act more Christian then a lot of ChristianS lol
Lori you would make a damn GOOD Christian lol
{{{{{hugs}}}}

Scott
You tell me how I am wrong that your soul does not die????

Well where I got that is more on the personal side, family , Bible my contact with God/Jesus my personal relationship with them . So you tell me who is right ?

Scott,
Have you ever talked to God????
If you have then it stops here!
If not maybe you should start talking to him!!

Scott,
If you needed someone I d be there for you !! Because thats what God wants me to do.

Angel,
I used to believe exactly that. It made sense, but now I believe in God and we get one shot at this life. I'd like do overs, but that not Biblical. I do respect your beliefs and that we all take our own path to find truth.

I believe in one God. The maker of heaven and earth. and In his son Jesus Christ. Who died on the cross for the sins of man.

I believe in God.

Me too!

Back on track!

Yes, I believe in God.

Look, I've been fooled by people. How in the world could I know whether there's a God or not? I am a finite, fallible, forgetful old man. How could I possibly know how whether there is an unlimited, all powerful being? Put me down in the unashamedly ignorant column.

I believe in God Carol...I dont know how people get through life not having a faith of God.... seems to me it would be most depressing to think that if there werent any God or Heaven, you would never get to see your loved ones again...

I have seen things in my life that bring me to no other conclusion that yes there is a God or higher being if you must.