Why do/don't you believe in a higher power? (Any HP)

[Frostnia]

This.

The universe doesn't have to have an origin. All notions of "origin" imply a "beginning", which fit our current understanding of time. But to ask what happened before the big bang is as meaningless a question as to ask how apples tasted before apples existed.

THIS is theism. The only difference is that we believe that one of those things that existed before the Big Bang happened to be sentient. I think that THAT's the key between an educated theist and an educated atheist. We can all agree that there was a bunch of stuff that's always existed, the question is whether or not any of them are sentient

But isn't it meaningless to suggest something existed before the Big Bang?

[Australian rePublic]

Well, I don't believe, because the image of a "loving God" contrasts with a potential dickweed who left people on a planet with limited resources, some in abject poverty, and throws those who disagree into eternal suffering.

I could go on about the problem of evil, and how an omnibenevolent god can allow suffering, but that's a story for another day. Your entire argument is that God doesn't exist because he's evil. Just because something is evil, it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. If that were true, there would be no war, no robberies, no rape, no Hitler, no Communism, etc. Evil=/=non-existent. Now, that's assuming that God is evil, which He's not, story for another day

[Hrythingland]

Well, I don't believe, because the image of a "loving God" contrasts with a potential dickweed who left people on a planet with limited resources, some in abject poverty, and throws those who disagree into eternal suffering.

I could go on about the problem of evil, and how an omnibenevolent god can allow suffering, but that's a story for another day. Your entire argument is that God doesn't exist because he's evil. Just because something is evil, it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. If that were true, there would be no war, no robberies, no rape, no Hitler, no Communism, etc. Evil=/=non-existent. Now, that's assuming that God is evil, which He's not, story for another day

iF goD exist wHy people geT cAnceR?
-some random small brain

[Australian rePublic]

God came to me in a dream and told me that he wasn't real, and who could deny a sign like that?

Or Satan, disguised as God

[LiberNovusAmericae]

I see no direct evidence of a god, and I'm not inclined to believe just because of the contents of ancient holy books. The only somewhat compelling argument is the "watch/watchmaker" argument, but that can be explained away.

[Valrifell]

Is it me or does this thread get reposted every other month or so?

Anyway, the edgy answer is that god is dead and I killed him.

[The Huskar Social Union]

Is it me or does this thread get reposted every other month or so?

Anyway, the edgy answer is that god is dead and I killed him.

And then i ate him for lunch.

Man that fucker had huge kebs. Also Drumsticks for daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaays

[Internationalist Bastard]

I’m a Tengist because I believe in a higher power but I think that power is largely cruel and uncaring

[Australian rePublic]

THIS is theism. The only difference is that we believe that one of those things that existed before the Big Bang happened to be sentient. I think that THAT's the key between an educated theist and an educated atheist. We can all agree that there was a bunch of stuff that's always existed, the question is whether or not any of them are sentient

But isn't it meaningless to suggest something existed before the Big Bang?

No. There was ATLEAST a singularity which exploded into the universe. Whether or not anything else was there, and whether or not it's still around, well that's a matter of debate

[Neutraligon]

But isn't it meaningless to suggest something existed before the Big Bang?

No. There was ATLEAST a singularity which exploded into the universe. Whether or not anything else was there, and whether or not it's still around, well that's a matter of debate

Except that as far as we know time came into existence at the point of the big bang. Thus if time did not exist, then the concept of before makes no sense.

[Andsed]

No. There was ATLEAST a singularity which exploded into the universe. Whether or not anything else was there, and whether or not it's still around, well that's a matter of debate

Except that as far as we know time came into existence at the point of the big bang. Thus if time did not exist, then the concept of before makes no sense.

Well yes but that still leaves the question of what caused the big bang.

[Geneviev]

God came to me in a dream and told me that he wasn't real, and who could deny a sign like that?

But if God came to me in a dream and said he was real, then that would make him real.

[Neutraligon]

Except that as far as we know time came into existence at the point of the big bang. Thus if time did not exist, then the concept of before makes no sense.

Well yes but that still leaves the question of what caused the big bang.

For something to cause something else there must be time. The very concept of cause without time is nonsensical.

[Valrifell]

But isn't it meaningless to suggest something existed before the Big Bang?

No. There was ATLEAST a singularity which exploded into the universe. Whether or not anything else was there, and whether or not it's still around, well that's a matter of debate

To clarify:

A singularity is but one option as to the nature of the first part of the "Big Bang", it's possibly the most likely but we don't and can not know the exact nature of it. Nothing exploded, either, it was moreso a rapid expansion of material. By that, of course, I mean all material, in one big hot quantum soup. Again, we don't know if it was a singularity, but we do know it expanded really really quickly.

Of course the Big Bang is still around, you're it.

[Valrifell]

Except that as far as we know time came into existence at the point of the big bang. Thus if time did not exist, then the concept of before makes no sense.

Well yes but that still leaves the question of what caused the big bang.

A false vacuum state?

[Neutraligon]

No. There was ATLEAST a singularity which exploded into the universe. Whether or not anything else was there, and whether or not it's still around, well that's a matter of debate

To clarify:

A singularity is but one option as to the nature of the first part of the "Big Bang", it's possibly the most likely but we don't and can not know the exact nature of it. Nothing exploded, either, it was moreso a rapid expansion of material. By that, of course, I mean all material, in one big hot quantum soup. Again, we don't know if it was a singularity, but we do know it expanded really really quickly.

Of course the Big Bang is still around, you're it.

I thought it was an expansion of space-time.

[Ifreann]

God came to me in a dream and told me that he wasn't real, and who could deny a sign like that?

Or Satan, disguised as God

Lord Sobek is unmistakeable.

[Valrifell]

Well yes but that still leaves the question of what caused the big bang.

For something to cause something else there must be time. The very concept of cause without time is nonsensical.

To the degree time exists and its nature is still up for debate, while our current understanding of physics has the "before" question of the big bang as nonsensical, there's a few theories out there that try and answer it anyway.

[Australian rePublic]

I could go on about the problem of evil, and how an omnibenevolent god can allow suffering, but that's a story for another day. Your entire argument is that God doesn't exist because he's evil. Just because something is evil, it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. If that were true, there would be no war, no robberies, no rape, no Hitler, no Communism, etc. Evil=/=non-existent. Now, that's assuming that God is evil, which He's not, story for another day

iF goD exist wHy people geT cAnceR?
-some random small brain

Honestly, that's a low hanging fruit answer. Another low hanging fruit answer is "God exists because the Bible says so". Watching atheists vs theist debates does my head in, because, in most atheist vs theist debates, you have the low hanging fruit from one side attack the low hanging fruit from the other side, leaving both sides to think that the other side is idiotic. Rarely you get people who have progressed beyond the low hanging fruit stage debating others who have progressed beyond the low hanging fruit stage, but when you do, you get a new perspective on the world, and a new perspective on your own faith

[Andsed]

Well yes but that still leaves the question of what caused the big bang.

A false vacuum state?

A what?

[Hystaria]

I just dont see any form of god or spirituality or anything unique from a person who does and doesnt, only that one believes in some old book about a space maker who has interest in us.

There is just not enough evidence. People claim to of felt to have god, but in some cases they are just on a drug or even allergic reactions, but they still claim it was gods influence.


With the word religion itself. It has nearly lost all meaning. They say most people are religious, while the entirety of china follows Confucianism an atheist form of though, Shinto, and budism has that as well, but they are called religions.

Plus the fact that there is so many religions with the same conviction. There is no evidence of god, and their is no evidence for a specific god.

People sometimes state that you cant claim that god cant exist because hard evidence is hard to come by. thats a claim that can defend the people who still believes in elves, santa, etc. You never seen him so how could you know is BS

Also i noticed something. Why do people think science is a religion, and that we believe in all the scientists, and we never doubt them. Thats the opposite of why many people reject religion. That you are telling us to believe in something that has no modern or realistic evidence with thousand year old texts translated, changed meaning and modified books from the Roman era.
What next are you going to want Colosseums and fighting championships

[Valrifell]

To clarify:

A singularity is but one option as to the nature of the first part of the "Big Bang", it's possibly the most likely but we don't and can not know the exact nature of it. Nothing exploded, either, it was moreso a rapid expansion of material. By that, of course, I mean all material, in one big hot quantum soup. Again, we don't know if it was a singularity, but we do know it expanded really really quickly.

Of course the Big Bang is still around, you're it.

I thought it was an expansion of space-time.

The Big Bang was an expansion of everything, including space-time.

[Australian rePublic]

Well yes but that still leaves the question of what caused the big bang.

For something to cause something else there must be time. The very concept of cause without time is nonsensical.

Yes, which is, once again, why nothing created God

[Hrythingland]

iF goD exist wHy people geT cAnceR?
-some random small brain

Honestly, that's a low hanging fruit answer. Another low hanging fruit answer is "God exists because the Bible says so". Watching atheists vs theist debates does my head in, because, in most atheist vs theist debates, you have the low hanging fruit from one side attack the low hanging fruit from the other side, leaving both sides to think that the other side is idiotic. Rarely you get people who have progressed beyond the low hanging fruit stage debating others who have progressed beyond the low hanging fruit stage, but when you do, you get a new perspective on the world, and a new perspective on your own faith

Indeed, it is rare to see a good theological debate.

[Valrifell]

A false vacuum state?

A what?

It's where a quantum field looks like it's at it's lowest possible energy state, but could actually get lower.

There's other theories about what came before the big bang, namely an endless cycle of crunching and expansion, but as NS Batman said it's kind of nonsensical to ask what happened before or what caused it.