If you're wrong about God, what then?

1. 0

   Elliott_Tposted 13 years ago

   So here's an interesting question, whether you believe in God or not: How big of a deal is it if you're wrong?
   
   Atheist: If you believed there was no God and then you died and met him, how big of a deal do you think that would be? What would you have missed in your life or what would you stand to lose in the afterlife?
   
   Believer: If you believed in God and then you died and that was it, there was no God, how big of a deal would that be for you? What would you have missed in your life, or what would you lose by missing an afterlife?
   
   Since forums have a tendency to get completely off track very fast, I would ask you to only post a reply if you have a sincere response. I think the believer vs. atheist responses themselves will prove enlightening to a person on either side.

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      LeslieAdrienneposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Most Believers have worldly experiences prior to being born-again. So, if we are wrong, we would not have missed anything of life. We would or rather I would be content in that my life was lived in love, peace and service to my fellowman....

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      Baileybearposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      which god? - there are many apparentlly

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      Beelzedadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      We can entertain any sort of "What if" question, but those questions that involve myths and superstitions can only be answered with pure speculation and imagination. And, since the questions are pointless and irrelevant, so would be the answers.

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      William R. Wilsonposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      If there is indeed a god, I don't think I'd be any better or worse off if I subscribed to some religion or other. 
      
      Quite honestly, if this god really gives a carp whether I followed Jesus or Mohammed, or listened to the Pope instead of reading the King James Bible, or chose to meditate rather than pray in a church... I don't really want to follow that god anyway. 
      
      Such a god would not be a just, loving god, and thus, unworthy of my respect.

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         jagandelightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         the point of no God is mute because there is indeed a God; a merciful, compassionate, forgiving, and loving God. Without God I would not be here on this earth and if I lived my life without Him as I did in the past my life was no life at all so I am missing nothing but gaining everything. Wont you try God and see for yourself that He is real and how much better a life you would have, what do you have to lose? Only your sins and gain righteousness and everlasting life.

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      megs78posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      good question!  I often think this way myself as my grampa once told me; 'better safe than sorry!'   But then my mother told me that there is no room for security blankets.  You have to firmly believe.

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      qwarkposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      God? God?...what the heck is this "god" thing you are talking about.
      Pls explain...ty
      Qwark     :-)

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      Shadesbreathposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      You might be interested in the conversations that go on around what is known as Pascal's Wager.  Livelonger's reply gets at some of the conversation.  While it may seem a safer bet to choose God over not choosing him, given the possibility of eternal damnation, the reality is that the question is totally ignoring every other possibility. You have created a false-binary.  God or not god, based on one type of god.  When in reality the question is: this god, that god, the other god, some other god, any other god, many other gods, mean gods, nice gods, cruel gods, bored gods, absent gods, spiteful gods    OR   no god.
      
      From there, your question becomes much more complicated. Worshiping a kind god makes sense, but what if you worshiped a god that actually hated being worshiped?  What if you worship the wrong god?  Etc.
      
      And that assumes we have the ability to control our beliefs as opposed to the other way around.  Also, etc.
      
      If you are really interested in this "interesting question" as you posed it, the conversation has been had for a long time and in fascinating detail by lots of very clever thinkers.
      
      http://www.iep.utm.edu/pasc-wag/

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         brotheryochananposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Thats all i needed to read. When one takes God out of the equation then impossible things are truly impossible, BUT when you add God into the equation, seas part and souls are saved.
         
         You only have to read the bible to know this is the path to God.
         in the beginning...
         set my people free
         i will be a god and they shall be my people
         for god loved the world he gave is only begotten son
         everlasting life
         
         and all the blessed beautiful parts in between that compose the ardent struggle of a God to produce a successful society without sin that he could be amongst. His wrath, tears, rebukes and plans to not so much as have quantity, but quality as every good baker strives for, the perfect loaf of bread.
         
         Its fine to say oh there are so many Gods i don't know which one to choose. So pray about it. diligently seek the face of God and He will hear you because really, who else is listening.

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      pennyofheavenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      It wouldn't matter to the athiest or the believer would it....because you would be dead?

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      Dave Mathewsposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      then I've wasted a few hours reading The Bible and enjoying what I've read.   But on the other hand if I'm right, I'll join God in Heaven and you may spend an eternity wishing you'd changed you mind and become a believer.

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       Shahid Bukhariposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Your "if" ... is quite similar to Ali's "if" ... in replying to a Question about God's Existence and the matters of Rewards and Punishment in the Hereafter ... as far back as early seventh century A.D..
       
       Ali's reply was ...
       
       "I do good, and abstain from evil ... because, I Believe, there is a God ...  Therefore, in Supposing, that there really is a God, I am a winner ... But supposing there was no God ... then you are the loser ... not me ...
       I remain a Winner in both theoretical eventualities."

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       PieterTheProphetposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       It is impossible to be wrong about God.

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       Dian'swords4uposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       If you believe the Bible, then you are not wrong about God.

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       just_curiousposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       I don't think people on either side would have missed out on much. I don't guess atheists have more fun than believers, but I bet the believers will have more fun in the afterlife, if they were right.

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       Shahid Bukhariposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Ali, Peace be on him, in answering a similar question, said ...
       
       "Since ... there is a God, I Pray, and do the good deeds, for I fear him ... I will surely be rewarded by Him, so at the end of the day, I will be a winner ... and supposing, as you ask, there is no God [God Forbid] I am still a winner ... for being a Good Human, while I lived ..."
       
       I don't know, why am I posting my reply to your question ... once again.

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   Jaggedfrostposted 13 years ago

   If I find out there is no God, I will live with the knowledge that I was of use to my fellow men.  I will know that I dragged quite a few from the gutters of desperation and wonder how they managed with no one to help them when they couldn't do it on their own before.

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   livelongerposted 13 years ago

   There are infinite different possibilities.
   
   God could exist and have demanded that you followed a particular "correct" religion, or else face an eternity of punishment.
   
   God could exist and have demanded nothing, no worship, no particular beliefs, no particular deeds.
   
   God could exist and could punish those who blindly believed, and instead reward the skeptics.
   
   God could exist in the form of a giant pink unicorn, and reward all creatures with one single horn and/or pink skin.
   
   God could not exist in which case it would seem there would be no consciousness or life after death, so no regrets or any other sensation.
   
   (This is just a handful of possibilities that pop to mind)
   
   No one can convincingly say they know the answer.

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      Castlepalomaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Most Christian believes there is a hell.
      Most Christian believe most people go to hell
      Most people in the world do not believe in Christianity
      Why pick on 3% atheists, why not pick on most people in the world
      
      Why sent your entire life preparing to meet the Lord, when it’s most likely you is going to meet Lord Satan.
      
      Why not why say, Satan be GONE!!!

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         Castlepalomaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Oh forgot, most christians are picking on most demonic people of this world.

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      kirstenblogposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Don't you think God would do a better job of making these demands, ya know provide constant updates as to the prefer sacrifices to make for each generation, with twitter it would be easier then ever now! Hey guys, I like my sacrifices young and juicy, oh and can someone tell Madonna to cove up a bit more, she is getting downright scary with them body builder muscles!
      
      This seems much more likely with the hands off approach this deity has had over the last few hundred years or so.
      
      
      Oh the irony here is delicious, this God has a sense of humor!
      
      Can we place orders with this God? I am thinking soft silk like pink fur instead of skin
      
      
      My ego no like! Good thing with this one there is no longer any ego to like or dislike (ego is I believe the root of desire for an afterlife and personal significance in relation to the expanse of existence)
      
      My idea is that God is the mind of the universe, and we are the ideas of the mind. Does not really matter if you believe, don't believe, believe something totally different, care or don't care. The point being that these are all valid perspectives that would contribute to a fuller understanding for said Mind of the Universe .
      
      This is what makes it fun

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   jay_kumar_07posted 13 years ago

   If you belive and noticed the things in your life period are not controled by you means you have to belive GOD.PL pass your Exam.
   
   People did not noticed any thing in their life, pl allowe them
   freely. They are already passed.Do not worry about them.

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   Mark Knowlesposted 13 years ago

   It really does depend on which or what sort of god it is. Still - having lived my  life firmly based in the here and now, in love, peace and service to my fellow man, I feel assured that it won't be upset with me for doing what talking monkeys do naturally and I will not have missed anything.
   
   I hope it is Thor. There is a God worth Worshipping.

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   brotheryochananposted 13 years ago

   This is a large gamble.
   Experience has taught me that gamblers entertain the illusion that they win and this would seem consistent with any atheistic viewpoint - illusion and that they are winning.
   
   He has improved my life. Given me peace and inspired me to do greater things than my own morality would have enticed me to do even though, i was pretty much a godly sort from the get go, certainly not a liar and i grabbed the truth when i heard it, unlike some who ignore truth and run away to return with an ice ball later for some unsuspecting person who just wants a straight answer, but i digress.
   God does exist and for that reason alone I (and many others) will be singing (hopefully on key lol) forever and a beautiful planet where the wiles of the sinful do not exist. Oh, in a spiritual body, woohoo. With a God who thinks our sense of humor and personalities are just terrific!

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      Beelzedadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Notice how the believer who fantasizes an afterlife does so in accordance with what they want or believe they'll get as opposed to what their scriptures offer.

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         brotheryochananposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         You have scriptures that say otherwise?

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            Beelzedadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            No, just reality.

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   mistyhorizon2003posted 13 years ago

   As my Step Dad always says: 'If we die and there is a God it is great and we will shall know we were right to believe. If however we die and there is nothing, no God etc, then we won't know anything about it anyway so we won't be disappointed, in other words it will just be as if someone turned the lights out'

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   Tom Cornettposted 13 years ago

   Think of God as a boss we've heard about but never met.  We are supposed to work without supervision. If he returns and we did a good job...cool!  If he never returns and we did a good job....cool!  If we sucked at our job....boss or not...it's pretty simple....we suck!

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   Jeramiposted 13 years ago

   @@@@
   mistyhorizon2003
     Tom Cornett
   
      both kool

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10. 50

    paarsurreyposted 13 years ago

    If you're wrong about God, what then?
    
    Just correct your concept.

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       skipper112posted 13 years agoin reply to this

       realy 'correct to what' ??????

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    paarsurreyposted 13 years ago

    If you're wrong about God, what then?
    
    Just correct your belief; if you know you are wrong.

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    qwarkposted 13 years ago

    I repeat:
    "God? God?...what the heck is this "god" thing you are talking about.
    Pls explain...ty"
    Qwark     :-)

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    Momma Miaposted 13 years ago

    Seeing truly is believing! Unfortunately the majority of people have not seen the higher existance that awaits us after we leave our vessel. Fortunately some have.....and try desperately to let others know of that heavenly place.
      Being of a scientific and sound mind.....I am one of the ones that have encountered such.  Out of body experiences is what I speak of. Before I had many of the same questions as do the scientist of today and as many here on the forum. 
    As a youth I was studing to become a missionary.  Read the Holy bible a few times.  The words meant nothing to me.....after my head injury I lost a total of 3 years memory (2 past and one forward) I do not now own a bible.  I do not attend church (since age 17)  My family and church teachings were lost (head injury) and I had my first out of body at 21.  From age 16 -21  I partied like there was no today...or tomorrow and God did not exist in my world. 
       From the out of body I changed my life and have spent countless hours talking with people about God. Without need of bible or verses.......just their belief in what i was saying....they believed me..  I am not forceful with my beliefs as it is not needed and no one will ever listen if I was. Most atheist and agnostic want to believe in something and seems to me that is why there is always forums and chat about this subject. all religion is flawed, as it is hearsay mostly and what is left Of Gods word has been altered or completely revised....for the control aspect.  I have seen personally modern day miracles and I have full knowledge that God exist.   Yes in my heart and my soul will rest one day in that beautiful light that I have been engulfed in 4 times. 
       I continue to help others find God for themselves....but I can assure everyone.........arguments and insults will never set a stage for others to find comfort in God and peace within themselves. 
         May all find God......within your hearts. May God find the ones that can't find their hearts.
    
                       Mia

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       Beelzedadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Yes, but please don't state you're of a scientific and sound mind and then make claims of pseudo-science nonsense. Thanks.
       
       
       
       Yes, but the latter is most likely a result of the former.

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    humagaiaposted 13 years ago

    If you're wrong about God, what then?
    If I am wrong about there being any god, then when I die, and it becomes evident that such a being exists and I am privy to its existence, I can say 'oh well I was wrong'.
    If I am correct and there is no god, then I am worm meat and it won't have mattered either way. At least I will not have wasted any of my time taking notice of religioso's that can give no physical evidence of an existence of any god.

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       paarsurreyposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       One should look into as to how one would convince me that one does exist; we have never met one another physically so please tell me an argument that you really exist; you yourself are sure of your existence but how would you make me sure that you exist, existed and will exist. I think in the same line of argument we may know existence our Creator-God Allah YHWH.

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       miansmasposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       let me explain in simple term. How many things you have seen with your own eyes forget about scientists.
       Have u seen  VIRUS = NO but u believe there is virus
       Have u seen SMELL = NO but u believe .......
       Have u seen ATOM= NO but u ..........
       Have u seen MARS(planet) = No , but...............
       Similarly I have not seen GOD = NO , but I believe there is.
       GOD said believe me coz u coming to me n i will punish u of all the bad things u did,
       NOW then if there is no GOD , u die fine
       BUT if there is n u die - where will u , me or millions of other go - go back= NO - dats it taste the painful punishment of HELL for ever.

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          Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          

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    BillyDRitchieposted 13 years ago

    Well, I'm a Christian, so if I'm wrong about God then well, that's it.  Turn out the lights, the party's over.  But if I'm right, it's all good for eternity.
    
    Now if the athiest is right, he's no better off than me....lights out.  But if HE is wrong, and there is a God, then he has a lot more to lose than I do.
    
    Just sayin...

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       Castlepalomaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       If you’re right, you’re just only one step closer to heaven, as to winning the grand lottery ticket to heaven

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    Eaglekiwiposted 13 years ago

    If I was wrong about God ,then I had a great life filled with peace and joy. Gods instructions were(are) to protect me ,not harm me.

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       BeckyAposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Well said!!

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    paarsurreyposted 13 years ago

    One should look into as to how one would convince others that one does exist; we have never met one another physically so please tell me an argument that you really exist; you yourself are sure of your existence but how would you make me sure that you exist, existed and will exist. I think in the same line of argument we may know existence our Creator-God Allah YHWH.

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       Uninvited Writerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       If God posts on an online forum then maybe I would believe. I really want to know what drugs you are on based on you recent postings.

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       PieterTheProphetposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       I am more interested in finding out if you think you exist and how you know.  For the most part we are all about our senses; so a person's  evidence of them self is only available through them self.  If there were a connection problem between that particular self and their senses would they have any idea that they were here?  The God question almost seems unimportant.  What grabs my attention is the fact that humankind has spent a great deal of it's (so called) existence pondering the existence of god or gods; and fighting about it. Clearly we are obsessed.  Perhaps we can not get past the fact that we think that we are here..and then thinking about the thinking about that.  Maybe the entire exercise is all about us convincing our selves that we exist.
       
       What if God couldn't hear or see.. what would God do?  May be the only reason we are here is to let God know that he exist.  That could very easily lead to the conclusion that with out us God wouldn't exist.
       
       Wrong or right might have nothing to do with it.

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          paarsurreyposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          I don't agree with you.

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          miansmasposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          my friend tell me who is protecting me n u from harmful rays of sun (UV rays)
          Who has created gravity in earth,
          Why rain falls in tiny drops and not in big volume to perish the whole town or city
          Get more knowledge and u will find GOD

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             Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

             

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    pablomontanaposted 13 years ago

    live                                             .......................................................

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    puregraceposted 13 years ago

    I think it's because we all know deep down in our souls, our inner being, that there is a Creator God. And that there is life after this one. We all hope for a good life everlasting, but we want it our way, and there comes the struggle.
    We push the truth away, down, cover it up, numb it, in so many ways...but for the believer, when God reveals Himself to him or her, realizes that there is a reason for his or her existence that is our of this world!

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    Rafiniposted 13 years ago

    How big of a deal would it be, to me, if I died & discovered there was no God?  Well, if I could still think, I would be mighty disappointed that I wasn't a b!tch on purpose!!

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    CertifiedHandyposted 13 years ago

    Short post and to the point. Believing, trusting in Him and living according to His commands is a win-win. Not believing is a gambler's worst nightmare; to crap out ie in the deep do-do...

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       Mark Knowlesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Good Grief! - so you choose to believe in the Kristian Invisible Super Daddy because you are scared it might be true and he is such a nasty Invisible Super Daddy he will hurt you for not believing.
       
       How sad for you. No wonder your religion causes so many wars if it is based on this sort of reasoning.
       
       Believe or else.

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       Beelzedadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       So, if we don't believe in your god, we are in a world of hurt?
       
       But, that's the same thing all the other religions say, too?
       
       So many choices of threats on my afterlife, so little logic in their reasoning.

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    qwarkposted 13 years ago

    Golly! I can't get anyone to tell me what the heck this "god thing" is you are asking about!
    How in the world can anyone answer: "If you're wrong about God, what then." if there's nothing to offer but opinion in reference to a definition of "it?"
    If there's naught but an opinion, why would one even consider an answer?...except, of course, just for the fun of it.
    Qwark  :

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    C.V.Rajanposted 13 years ago

    If I am wrong about God, then...
    
    in all likelihood I will argue that I am right and God is wrong!

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       lone77starposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       C.V., this sounds like ego talking, but I've been wrong before in my interpretation. Can you explain, or were you merely giving a "tongue-in-cheek" response to show the futility of considering God doesn't exist?

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    networkrecruitingposted 13 years ago

    I would rather believe and later find out there is no God than don't believe and find out there is a God.
    The heavenly father is the creator of the world and he will be the distroyer of evil at the end of the world.
    
    Why would anyone want to live their life without having God's hand guiding them along the way?
    Why would they want their life to end in eternal damnation for living a sinful life?
    What is the fear that's stopping them from believing?
    Why would you want to class yourself with the murders and gunmen as sinners heading for the same place?

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    lone77starposted 13 years ago

    My views about God keep changing, so I've been wrong several times already. My ego has been bruised up pretty badly (self-inflicted), so I don't really care anymore about whether or not I'm wrong. Like a scientist, I just want results.
    
    The CIA tried to make "remote viewing" work a few decades ago, but couldn't. Why? Because their experiment was set up wrongly. Pity. It would've been so cool to have had invisible spy cams in every nook and cranny of the Kremlin. That's the "God" part of us, sans ego.
    
    A friend of my Dad's could do the remote viewing thing. You could ask him to describe a room his body had never visited, and he could even read off the titles of the books on your bookshelf. Pretty slick. Me? I've only experienced remote viewing once. Definitely cool. And even cooler to have it happen without drugs or physical trauma to mess with your head.
    
    I don't rightly know the nature of this "God" thing everyone is talking about, but I know it exists in some form or another. Perhaps it is merely the combined spiritual aggregate of all of us (bodies and egos excluded).
    
    I believe in a cause for the effect we call the universe (this one and any others which might exist). That seems only logical. There is no other effect studied by science which remains without a cause. I'm not talking about a rock creating another rock; I'm talking about conscious, spiritual source creating the constructs of space-time and allowing into that matrix the seeds of quanta and electro-magnetic forces--Big Bang, in other words.
    
    If you think you are your body and ego, then you can't get from here to there. Entering the spiritual realm is impossible with such solid baggage. That's the "eye of the needle" effect. I found that out over thirty years ago, in the vicinity of Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles.
    
    I don't care if I'm wrong or right. I just want the result of full spiritual awakening. I've already experienced some of it. Now, I want the whole enchilada. Yum! Oh, yeah. Having already been there for a short visit, I can attest to one thing: this God thing is definitely about love. And I didn't have to die to find that out.

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       Beelzedadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Unlike you, scientists do care whether they are right or wrong, please don't confuse them with your personal beliefs.
       
       
       
       Yeah, sure.
       
       
       
       Sorry, but the Big Bang does not align with your faith based assertions.
       
       
       
       Was that where you decided your god existed when a lane of traffic opened up? That was really funny.
       
       
       
       And, that's what it usually boils down to with believers, they just don't care whether they're right or wrong. This is a result of religious indoctrination and does not allow for clarity of understanding, communication or relevance to reality.

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    Precious Pearlposted 13 years ago

    I will have lost nothing by loving and serving my Lord.  A life that is filled with peace, joy and expectation of great things is not a waste.  It is because that I believe that I am forgiven that the capacity for forgiveness is greater than if I didn't believe.  That in itself makes it worthwhile ... and loving people as He has loved me ... that is the icing on the cake.  So wrong or not ... I will have lived a life worth living!

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    paarsurreyposted 13 years ago

    One should look into as to how one would convince others that one does exist; we have never met one another physically so please tell me an argument that you really exist; you yourself are sure of your existence but how would you make me sure that you exist, existed and will exist. I think in the same line of argument we may know existence our Creator-God Allah YHWH.

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