What Is Your Belief or Non-belief in God?
 

If you have voted and want to also comment on the thread, please state that you have voted. I sort of want to get a general overview of the kinds of beliefs or non-beliefs folks here have.

Since a person's belief or non-belief in God is very personal, please do not attack, ridicule or otherwise belittle another person's opinion or belief.

I voted for #2 as it fit closest. I find my maker not in a person but the world. AA said it best for me Good Orderly Direction.

I voted :cool:
I believe there may be a Heaven and I believe there may be a Hell what I don't believe in is paying someone every week to tell me that it is still there.


Amen

personally speaking i am a non practicing atheist.

Do we need a definition of God? Does it matter which God? For example if you believe in the Koran, that means you believe in God right? What about if you believe that there is a creator but that the Bible's interpretation is completely wrong. Does that mean you believe in God or not?

Wow! Touchy subject for a public forum. (Better get a fire extinguisher.)

I did pick #2 though. :smile:

Your own definition of God will suffice.

Yes, if you believe in the Koran's version of God or the God of any other holy book or religious group, you believe in God.

That means you believe in God, yes.

Good questions, btw :cool:

Keep the votes coming :biggrin:

Well I was raised an atheist in an intellectual family that was too clever to believe in God.

Since then I have come to change my views.

First of all I can not believe in the "Santa Claus" God that many out there seem to worship. I can give you a few good reasons, ie the genocides by Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Mao, genocide of the North American Indians, genocidal slavery system in the United States in the last century, etc etc etc. Any God who allowed these things to happen (many of them perpetrated by Christians) is not a God that I will worship.

IMHO there is a God but this God is different from the one taught by various religions. Evidence of this God's existence can be found by observing life anywhere and everywhere. Simply put, the fact that myriad life forms exist to exploit any energy gradient found anywhere is proof of this God's existence. I am not sure if this God is a separate entity from these life forms or if God is an integral part of the life forms.

One thing is clear, God does not value people over a tube worm or an Isopod.

Anyway, sorry if I have offended anybody but these ideas are my own based on observations I have made.

I am sorry everyone I had to chose the last one.

Matt

Every one has to make thier own choses in life I voted # 1 the way I see it is if you believe in God and believe in all that he blesses you with i.e. good health,food.shelter the freedom to live in this beautifull country where we can talk like this and share our ideas without being punished then I believe I should go to church to praise and worship God out of thankfullness for all He has done for me. :biggrin:

That's a tough question. I could have answered in several different ways, But I pick #4, with a bit of #2 and #6 :smile:

Walter

It's kind of funny how in many cases people who don't bellive in God still have some form of prayer when it's convenient. (Eg: When a loved one is in some kind of danger or seriously ill, when their own mortality has become very aparrent or even just when they see or hear of something terrible.)

Many of these people can be heard saying things like "Oh my God!" or "God help me." just to name a couple. These words have been known to leave the lips of many people at very trying times, yet they say they do not bellive in God the rest of the time.

hmmmmm.......

Just my opinion though. Keep in mind that I'm not a church going person either and not trying to change any minds with my post.)

So please don't flme me for this.

:smile:

I believe in god, however I don't fall into any particular religious "group", because for the most part they are completely off the wall and can't possibly make any sense.

Ie. The Jesus Christ crusifiction. They do incredibly awful things to Jesus that would send them to hell in a heart beat, yet God forgives our sins for this?? They kill his own son for forgiveness? not sure if it's because 2000 years have passed since, but if someone were to do that to my son, there wouldn't be any forgiving happening...

I also believe that you do not need to goto "church" to worship God. God to me is the decider of my fate, I will thank him for what he has given me, for taking care of those who I loved that have passed on, and for those who I love when I pass on.

and for the "creation of earth" theory. which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Great discussion :biggrin: Keep it up! Each individual's views are valid for that individual and should be treated with respect, as you are doing so far :cool:

More voting please!

some have said that to believe in evolution is to make that your faith for it to is a theory

Sorry you lost me on this one.

the point is some people say they dont believe in God or religion but they believe in evolution. Evolution is itself a theory it is not proven so by believing in something that is not proven something that is just a theory it has become your faith your belief.

I must say it is very interesting hearing different views on this matter. I must make one comment I am extremely glad that I live in a country like Canada where we can discuss this and everyone respects the fact that everyone is entitled to thier own opinions ... Canada rocks :exclaim:

I think you'll find that people in your first group do believe in god or something but don't practice worship in any real form.

the second group who use phrases like you pointed out for the most part do not believe or at least not enuf to care as that is taking the lords name in vain or commonly cussing and isn't something some one who is a god fearing person would do.

personally I can't pic a option in this thread as I don't believe in god in the common way but I believe rather that people need hope and something to look to for explanations for the unexplained and so one. So god, Jesus, Valhalla, and so on and so one are a persons manifestation of there desire to hope and believe. this is also why there are so many different versions of religion, heck there more flavors of Christianity alone than at baskin robins :mrgreen:

Steve

#4 - I definitely do not believe in God, and I do not believe science will answer all our questions about where the universe came from. There are some things we will never be able to explain. Life is more interesting that way.

#6 - Believing in God is not for me. I'd rather believe in myself.


These are the closest two choices for me, but, as you can see from the modifications, neither is right on. So, I didn't vote.

Just had to comment on this first. I don't think its Canada, more its this forum and the maturity level of the members. If this thread were started on other forums I am sure it would have degraded into a flame war. I am constantly impressed with the 'giving' nature and attitudes of Reefers. Scavanger, whom I've only emailed once, I met for the first time yesterday and he loaned me a ballast and 2 PC bulbs so my softies have a better chance until I can go MH...amazing...but I'm off topic....

I could not vote as I didn't feel any of the questions really related. I do not belive in God as the church defines, nor even a single higher being. I do believe in a mix of paranormal theories/beliefs.
Ghosts, spirits, energy afterlives, aliens, ESP, that the entire universe is tied together by energy that affects us and that we can affect. I believe our brains have dorment power that we have not even begun to comprehend. Perhaps in our next evolution? As for the theory of evolution...yes and no. All things evolve, but where did it start. Was it a random chemical/electrical reaction that started life on earth? Was earth 'seeded' with life. Perhaps we are just an experiment that is still being observed...... too many questions....so few answers.

One of the moderators here at Canreef PMed me with concerns over this highly controversial poll and thread, and are considering closing it down if there is even a hint that the comments are getting out of hand :eek:

Personally, I hope that doesn't happen because I find it very interesting to read about individual's beliefs, even if I do not fully understand all of them or agree with all of them.

For the sake of the continuation of the poll and thread, it might be prudent to refrain from quoting the statements of others and only talk about your own beliefs.

Thanks, everyone, for being fair and respectful of others and their beliefs :cool:

More voting and/or comments, please :biggrin:

I consider myself a worshipful person, and even though I align myself with a major world religion, I follow and try to honour a living Faith rather than a set of prescribed standards and rules.

However - I seem to have started worshipping my Tank, my little Reef (so I'd better capitalize it :confused: ). What started out as a fascinating and absorbing hobby seems to have developed (degraded?) into an obsession. While it still offers pleasures galore at times, I wonder at the overall effects.

I spend a disproportionate amount of devotion, attention, time, effort and money on this Obsession, which -by some definitions pertinent to this thread- qualifies it as an idol (as in, something that replaces God as the principal subject of worship in my life).

For example:
When I'm away from home for a day, I can't wait to get back to check on the tank. I think about the tank when I'm not here. When something is amiss with the tank, it affects my whole world, and I don't feel right until it's fixed. I give priority to tank matters over more important things (and people). I check this board 20 times a day - at least.

I think I have a problem here.

And I checked #1. :confused:

It is my belief that one should never discuss religion, or politics. Finding out what another person believes invariably colours the way your perceptions about that person. Therefore I don't even read other people's comments. :eek:

I believe, not because of my family's beliefs and practices, but because of what God has done to show me he is real & alive in my life. As a kid, I went to church because my brother & sister did. It was a social event, rather than a Faith-driven one. I dropped away from the church during my rebellious teens when I found I was being hypocritical & becoming a Sunday-Christian (good on Sunday, whatever the rest of the week :frown: )

During my University-years, I found there was a void in my life & eventually figured out that it was because God had little or no part in my life as a fall-away Christian.

At present, my wife & I try to make it to church on Sundays, but my work schedule makes that difficult. The other option is our church has a Sat. pm service so I may go that route.

I voted #1 but for the past month I've been #2.

JME

Anthony (also thankful we live in a free country like Canada)

Post deleted by request.

something I would like to see in this thread is YOUR beliefs and if they differ from your parent(s) beliefes.

My mom is incredibly catholic, even went to a catholic school when she was young. Then there's me who I can't even consider to be a christian.

Useless fact of the day: did you know that faith is what separates Mayahana Buddhism from Theravada Buddhism? (I'm in a religious studies course in school right now, it's fun) :mrgreen:

Bob, in general I would agree. Given previous discussions, however, I think it may be valuable for others to know that I consider myself an (ambivalent) agnostic, that is, I don't know, and I don't really care.

Did you hear the one about the dyslexic agnostic insomniac?

He lies awake at night wondering if there is a Dog.

Being someone who enjoys the beauties and marvels of this hobby and the relationships between so many creatures, symbiotic or otherwise, tells me someone with infinite wisdom and purpose designed all these things we enjoy so much. I even see a sense of humor and an artistic flair that is beyond blind chance or any other chance. I think He cares what we do as people and what we do to this earth. I`ve enjoyed reading all your responses and it`s nice to know other people think about things too.

Dyslexics of the World Untie!



Invigor, interesting subtopic, re differing views from parental influences. My parents beliefs are similar to mine, though I am more ambivelant.

My wife, however, comes from a background more like yours. Her entire family for generations have been a deeply religious group, except her. By the time she was 14 she was blocking her door with a chair so she could avoid being dragged along to her parents church. She was just not satisfied with the answers to her numerous questions about what she was being taught. It still does not make sense to her, and because of this there will always be a rift between her and her closest relatives, no matter how much they love and care for one another.

So, though I can't understand from a personal level how that feels, I can easily see why that would be paramount in any discussion of religious and life beliefs.

Which I thoroughly enjoy, BTW! As long as the people involved are mature and understanding enough to know that it is untrue to say someone else is wrong when it comes to such a topic.

Thanks for the thread and the guidelines, Bev. Disappointed I can't vote, however.

better yet..

Do dyslexics worship a dog?

I want to publically apologize to trilinearmipmap for over-reacting to his post on page two of this thread yesterday, and requesting his comments be removed. Unfortunately, at the time, I was stressed that the thread would be closed by mods worried about flame wars erupting over such a controversial topic. This stress led to my request.

For the most part, everyone is behaving very well. Thank you, everyone :biggrin: However, please keep to the topic of your personal beliefs or non-beliefs of God.

To trilinearmipmap, please restate your comments if you feel you'd like to. Again, my most sincere apology for my over-reaction to your post.

No we don't. if we did it would be a dgo, or a odg not a dog.

Steve

blame ellen, it's her joke.

I went with door #4 though it wouldnt be my exact answer.

I'm just too scientifically minded to be convinced of something as significant as God without (scientific) proof.

Wow!!! :eek:

This is very intense. :biggrin:

I respect other peoples beliefs and opinions as I hope they will respect mine.

I am sure I have been most everything a non Christian should be at some point or another. Lots of Drugs , Rock-n-Roll, Pre marital sex ,( Sorry Honey... :redface: ) Long Hair wannabe, rebelious tendancies etc etc. BUT.... even in those days I felt I was somewhat looked after or guarded by some higher being. Or maybe I was just fortunate enough not to get caught. :mrgreen:.... One thing I've learned about life is you can't blame GOD for your misfortunes. He does not cause disasters, He does not cause hardship or grief. Earthquakes and Tidelwaves are not his doing............."It is always easier to blame a person when they are not in the room". Humans in general are like God. We have the power to create life and take it away. And we do both disrespectfully. We can live longer by having the choice to eat better and get more exercise or not etc. We have a choice in many things with the time we are given on this planet. It is up to us to decide the fate of our own lives. Why blame God? . All he did was give us life. What happens to our own induvidual lives are just in the plans and the will to survive. ( We all have hardships of some sort . i.e. lost loved ones for many reasons) But most of us have a choice. Life is a gift. What we do with it is up to ourselves for the most part.

So in general. What I'm trying to say is.... it is easier to be mad at someone than forgive them. ..... It is easier to be bitter about life than actually trying to change it for the better.............. it is easier to be misreable than happy or understanding when things don't go our way....... it is easier to take the easy way out than to fight to good fight...........life is worth fighting for....WE have the power to change what happens but sadly most of us including myself don't know how or are too scared to try it........LIFE IS A GIFT.... IT SHOULDN"T BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED!!!!. So that is why I belive in GOD. I choose to belive in something healthy and spiritual. I think most people are good and yet I have met lots that are mean and disrespectful. I think most people have a good heart but I know lots who cheat and steal. Those people choose to live their lives that way. I do my best ( and it is difficult belive me ) to fight the good fight. That is the challenge I gave myself.

I belive in having God in my corner makes me stronger and more confident to deal with life in these hectic times.
As Life gets tougher I find myself needing more of Gods strength and my own to get through tough times. From things I've seen and felt I know he is real. And belive me... I have had my own can of suffer, yet I still have faith. It is what keeps me going and I'm thankful for everyday I'm alive.

Just to let you know about me personally.

I drink Beer. ( probly too much ) :rolleyes: ...... I swear alot....... I have Tattoo's....... and I look mean :evil: I get mad at SH**Y drivers and don't always get along with everybody I know and I think I have Pis**d a few people off in my time as well, not sure why .. :cool: ????? .......... But I am Human.... :mrgreen: And at the end of the day, I still respect my gift of life and others and the choices I have..........

I love this hobby and enjoy all who share it with me. I respect everyones opinions and Ideas. This is a tough topic for many including myself and I think this may have been more of a confession than a actual comment .... EH!!!!

SO thank you all who shared.

JMHO

Cheers

I don't think Bev has actually answered this question herself?

I voted, but did not feel the desire to explain my personal belief in God.

Keep the votes coming, though :biggrin: