Is There a Real God and Why Are People Still Seeking Him?

[Saint]

if there is really a real God out there, why people are stilling seeking God, and created many versions of their own Gods ?

how can the real God be silent and let us groping in darkness?

from here i infer that there is No God.

 

[Iacchus32]

Maybe God isn't so cold and blunt about it and believes in foreplay? ... and instead of groping about it, maybe He would rather we learned to be more articulate?

 

[Mentat]

Originally posted by Saint
if there is really a real God out there, why people are stilling seeking God, and created many versions of their own Gods ?

how can the real God be silent and let us groping in darkness?

from here i infer that there is No God.

Saint, this may be too religious a question for the Phil. Forum. But, while it's here, I feel it is safe to inform you that the Bible's God (Jehovah or Yahweh) gave a perfectly clear reason why He can't "left us groping in darkness": Because of a challenge from Satan.

Now, of course, the Bible's God is not the only God that people believe in, and many people who believe in God still don't believe in Satan (or any other wicked god), but this is the reason given in the Bible. As far as any other religious framework's explanation...I am absolutely clueless .

 

[Nomolesteporfavor]

Who's winning the bet?

 

[Mentat]

Originally posted by Nomolesteporfavor
Who's winning the bet?

Hahaha. I guess that remains to be seen...LOL!

Hey, I'm just posting what the Bible says - after all, it's the only religious framework I understand.

 

[Zero]

Originally posted by Saint
if there is really a real God out there, why people are stilling seeking God, and created many versions of their own Gods ?

how can the real God be silent and let us groping in darkness?

from here i infer that there is No God.

You'll note the 'dodge' that the religious folks use. "God needs faith, and if you had proof, there would be no faith", or the ever popular "because the Bible says so."

My take on it is that people included those ideas in religion to make it immune from rational analysis.

 

[Dave]

I doesn't matter that God may not exist.

Millions of people are helped by him and need him to help explain the world.

 

[Mentat]

Originally posted by Dave
I doesn't matter that God may not exist.

Millions of people are helped by him and need him to help explain the world.

For millions of people to be helped by Him, He needs to exist (obviously).

 

[megashawn]

For millions of people to be helped by Him, He needs to exist (obviously).

This is not so. A mere thought can move mountains, so to speak.

For instance, I can make a simple statement saying "Mentat, you must brush your teeth 10 times a day. If you do not, I'll use my l33t h4x0r sk33lz and track you down, come to your house and brush your teeth for you using my toilet brush."

Now, knowing that I can find you and brush your teeth with my toilet brush, whether I'm truly a hacker or not doesn't matter, but you just might start brushing your teeth 10 times a day.

Bad example really, but it makes the point.

People have always used gods to explain what they don't know. You know, Rain Gods, Sun Gods, etc.

In our progress, we've eliminated a lot of questions. We understand how rain and sun work. We do not need to pray to a rain god to know when it will rain again.

What we don't know, and probably will not, is where we come from, where we're going, and why?

Polytheistic Gods have done well to step up to the plate and answer these 3 remaining questions (yes, there's more) with "You come from dirt, you'll return to dirt, and because I say so."

In this sense, it makes people think they have some purpose to fufill. A person who believes he/she is doing gods work, may perhaps do amazing things during his/her life. If these amazing things benifit others, then regardless if a God actually does exist, the mere mental thoughts inspired by the assumption that that god does exist can affect things.

However, while the assumption that a god exists can cause good for people, it also causes bad. 9/11, for instance, was a person who used religous text to his advantage to brainwash people who unquestionally believed in Allah.

I mean, try to think about being a person on a death mission. You know your about to die. How could you possibly do it, unless you were promised great rewards for your efforts?

In short, its all a mind game, and if anything, we collectivly are god. We influence gods power, hell, control it really. We carry out gods will, and we believe it is true.

And yes, people rely on religion as a crutch. There are people who at a young age were hooked on crack or something. They hit rock bottom, started questioning Why, found a bible and got some answers.

I truly believe this was the main purpose of the bible. Not so much to preach fire and brimstone, but more so to give us something to hold onto when we have no where else to turn. A place for advice on how to live/continue living.

 

[Iacchus32]

Originally posted by Saint
if there is really a real God out there, why people are stilling seeking God, and created many versions of their own Gods ?

how can the real God be silent and let us groping in darkness?

from here i infer that there is No God.

Then again, like any good engineer, why shouldn't God design something that's stand-alone and fully functional? Why should it be left half-undone? Although for some reason, there seems to be a slight exception to this, with man himself (and his ability to question things). Hmm ... Or, maybe He just hasn't stuck the cookies in the oven yet?

Also, as in the case with art, why should God have to sign His own work, if in fact He were the only true artist? Who's He competing against? It still brings wonder and awe for those who care to appreciate it.

 

[TENYEARS]

If you want understand the universe, you had better seek god, because god will open you mind to physics. Get ready becasue you won't believe what you will find.

 

[Saint]

in old testament, God spoke through prophets regularly, God did so because he had important messages to deliver to his people Israel.

in this modern age, we also need words from God (if he is there) to clarify which religion is true!
But to our dissapointment, we are only left with a bible/Quaran etc. that are open to all kinds of different interpretation.

If I were God, i could have send an angel to CNN press room, and declare to the whole world which God is true God.
But this is only my imagination because , I think, God is most probably False!

The universe is self existence.

And, i prefer to believe in Buddhism, because it teaches me the way of life to achieve happiness and I am in control of my life by doing good and practice meditation to attain Enlightment!

 

[Iacchus32]

What's the point in having a God if there were no afterlife? For it either exists or it doesn't exist, and if it does, then why do we need to be here? Could it be that there is something intrinsic that we need to learn about ourselves before we pass on? Or else why mix the good with the bad, which only promotes suffering?

Perhaps we should consider it a test, by which we gauge our moral fiber and learn to shore up any weaknesses? I mean is it such a God awful thing to learn how to be respectful and decent towards others?

Whereas how could we come to fear Him or revere Him if there were no means by which to hold us accountable for what we do? If there were no afterlife, then what would be the point? All that time spent on developing our character, and only to have it come to naught? Don't you think God would have better things to do?

 

[Zero]

Originally posted by TENYEARS
If you want understand the universe, you had better seek god, because god will open you mind to physics. Get ready becasue you won't believe what you will find.

That's funny! Especially since we already don't believe what you've 'found'...

 

[Zero]

Originally posted by Iacchus32
What's the point in having a God if there were no afterlife? For it either exists or it doesn't exist, and if it does, then why do we need to be here? Could it be that there is something intrinsic that we need to learn about ourselves before we pass on? Or else why mix the good with the bad, which only promotes suffering?

Perhaps we should consider it a test, by which we gauge our moral fiber and learn to shore up any weaknesses? I mean is it such a God awful thing to learn how to be respectful and decent towards others?

Whereas how could we come to fear Him or revere Him if there were no means by which to hold us accountable for what we do? If there were no afterlife, then what would be the point? All that time spent on developing our character, and only to have it come to naught? Don't you think God would have better things to do?

Maybe it is all made up by people who can't handle reality on its own terms?

 

[Mentat]

Originally posted by megashawn
This is not so. A mere thought can move mountains, so to speak.

For instance, I can make a simple statement saying "Mentat, you must brush your teeth 10 times a day. If you do not, I'll use my l33t h4x0r sk33lz and track you down, come to your house and brush your teeth for you using my toilet brush."

Now, knowing that I can find you and brush your teeth with my toilet brush, whether I'm truly a hacker or not doesn't matter, but you just might start brushing your teeth 10 times a day.

Bad example really, but it makes the point.

People have always used gods to explain what they don't know. You know, Rain Gods, Sun Gods, etc.

In our progress, we've eliminated a lot of questions. We understand how rain and sun work. We do not need to pray to a rain god to know when it will rain again.

What we don't know, and probably will not, is where we come from, where we're going, and why?

Polytheistic Gods have done well to step up to the plate and answer these 3 remaining questions (yes, there's more) with "You come from dirt, you'll return to dirt, and because I say so."

In this sense, it makes people think they have some purpose to fufill. A person who believes he/she is doing gods work, may perhaps do amazing things during his/her life. If these amazing things benifit others, then regardless if a God actually does exist, the mere mental thoughts inspired by the assumption that that god does exist can affect things.

However, while the assumption that a god exists can cause good for people, it also causes bad. 9/11, for instance, was a person who used religous text to his advantage to brainwash people who unquestionally believed in Allah.

I mean, try to think about being a person on a death mission. You know your about to die. How could you possibly do it, unless you were promised great rewards for your efforts?

In short, its all a mind game, and if anything, we collectivly are god. We influence gods power, hell, control it really. We carry out gods will, and we believe it is true.

And yes, people rely on religion as a crutch. There are people who at a young age were hooked on crack or something. They hit rock bottom, started questioning Why, found a bible and got some answers.

I truly believe this was the main purpose of the bible. Not so much to preach fire and brimstone, but more so to give us something to hold onto when we have no where else to turn. A place for advice on how to live/continue living.

Yes, megashawn, I had considered that that was what Dave meant, but I wasn't positive (he might have meant that God really does help people, and so the probability of God's not existing is really not important, since He obviously does), so I posed an argument for him to reply to.

Also, I think your approach to the Bible is commonly held, by many great minds (such as Daniel Dennett) who take a heterophenomenological approach to God.

 

[Mentat]

Originally posted by TENYEARS
If you want understand the universe, you had better seek god, because god will open you mind to physics. Get ready becasue you won't believe what you will find.

Is God wise, TENYEARS?

 

[Iacchus32]

Originally posted by Zero
Maybe it is all made up by people who can't handle reality on its own terms?

No, reality is for people who can't cope with dope.

Hmm ... Or would that be dopamine?

 

[megashawn]

Well, I mean you've asserted many times that if there is no god, no ultimate source of good things, then how can there be morals.

And really, it seems that is just a way of taking this cold hard reality and making it more bearable explanation for why most people are decent, instead of behaving like animals.

I mean not me or you can say anything about existence of superior beings as if it were fact.

And you say that in order for there to be a purpose, a reason, there must.

But really, this is nothing more then a way for you to assign some purpose for your life, whatever you may have suffered through.

 

[TENYEARS]

In god exists all things because god is all there is.