Is god real?

[The Parkus Empire]

See, this is ridiculous. The creator didn't make us in His image, we made Him in ours. We alter what our own religions "really" mean until God coincides with our ideal. If our ideal is too far from that religion, then we might even look for another one.

I laugh. God is not made in the image of man any more than the moon is.

The Moon is a rock that orbits the Earth. "God" is a mythological fabrication, and not half as good of one as Zeus or Odin.

[The Murtunian Tribes]

I explained that earlier. God was an attempt at an explanatory concept. It no longer serves that purpose. The only reason it exists is because of the cultural inertia of religion.

OK, but what about all the people who genuinely believe what their religious leaders tell them?

Simple. They're stupid.

[The Parkus Empire]

See, this is ridiculous. The creator didn't make us in His image, we made Him in ours. We alter what our own religions "really" mean until God coincides with our ideal. If our ideal is too far from that religion, then we might even look for another one.

Yeah, but most of the religions we have (or at least the ones I've experienced) personify God/the creator. So is it really ridiculous to not want one that does that?
[This is an honest question. I understand I'm probably naive and crazy.]

Point is, you're just going to keep searching for "the answer" until you find some organization that shares your ideals of what God should be. Or you're going to say: "Fuck it, this is retarded."

[Gagatron]

I laugh. God is not made in the image of man any more than the moon is.

The Moon is a rock that orbits the Earth. "God" is a mythological fabrication, and not half as good of one as Zeus or Odin.

Yeah, I'm gonna let you believe that if you want to.

[Ellara (Ancient)]

Simple. They're stupid.

Hmm. I can agree to this... sadly.

[Hydesland]

OK, but what about all the people who genuinely believe what their religious leaders tell them?

Simple. They're stupid.

That's basically trolling.

[The Parkus Empire]

Does God have a penis?

You should know what my answer is going to be by now.

"It's long, hard and likes to fuck humanity in the ass"?

[Lauchlin]

I explained that earlier. God was an attempt at an explanatory concept. It no longer serves that purpose. The only reason it exists is because of the cultural inertia of religion.

OK, but what about all the people who genuinely believe what their religious leaders tell them?

That's fine. They have their reasons to believe what they want to believe, and most of them don't try to pretend it's reasonable. The whole point of faith is believing something you have no good reason to believe. I disagree with those people, but I can respect them.

My issue is with so-called agnostics and theists who try to pretend there is a good, rational reason to believe in God. There is none.

And Aristotle can be excused for thinking some kind of creator existed. He had next to no understanding of the universe. Anyone living in a western country in the 21st century does not have that excuse.

[Grave_n_idle]

See, this is ridiculous. The creator didn't make us in His image, we made Him in ours. We alter what our own religions "really" mean until God coincides with our ideal. If our ideal is too far from that religion, then we might even look for another one.

I laugh. God is not made in the image of man any more than the moon is.

The difference being that only one of those is empirically measurable. You're attempting to compare something we can objectively assess, with something that varies with cultural bias - which seems like a really shaky foundation for the point you're trying to make.

Thinking about it... I'm assuming that was your goal, and that I'm actually responding to parody sufficiently subtle that I missed it. In which case, bravo, sir.

[The Parkus Empire]

The Moon is a rock that orbits the Earth. "God" is a mythological fabrication, and not half as good of one as Zeus or Odin.

Yeah, I'm gonna let you believe that if you want to.

Really?!!? CAN I? Oh thank you ever so kindly!!!!!!!!!

[Lauchlin]

The Moon is a rock that orbits the Earth. "God" is a mythological fabrication, and not half as good of one as Zeus or Odin.

Yeah, I'm gonna let you believe that if you want to.

Haha That's very gracious of you.

[Ellara (Ancient)]

Point is, you're just going to keep searching for "the answer" until you find some organization that shares your ideals of what God should be. Or you're going to say: "Fuck it, this is retarded."

I somewhat quit looking because most religions sounded ridiculous to me... or their faiths had become consumed by some kind of evil (greed, for example).
So you're probably right. I've already kind of said, "Screw it."

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

I laugh. God is not made in the image of man any more than the moon is.

The Moon is a rock that orbits the Earth. "God" is a mythological fabrication, and not half as good of one as Zeus or Odin.

We can relate to Zeus, for example. He wasn't perfect, like humans aren't perfect. I guess the reason why many people cannot relate and doubt the existence of YAHWEH is because this deity is pictured as a perfect entity.

However, if someone wants to blindly believe in God, I see no reason to begrudge them.

[Ellara (Ancient)]

Simple. They're stupid.

That's basically trolling.

Ha ha. -thumbs up-

[The Parkus Empire]

The Moon is a rock that orbits the Earth. "God" is a mythological fabrication, and not half as good of one as Zeus or Odin.

We can relate to Zeus, for example. He wasn't perfect, like humans aren't perfect. I guess the reason why many people cannot relate and doubt the existence of YAHWEH is because this deity is pictured as a perfect entity.

However, if someone wants to blindly believe in God, I see no reason to begrudge them.

YHWH wasn't perfect. He was a whiny, jealous bitch. But he did claim to be perfect, unlike Zeus.

[Gagatron]

The Moon is a rock that orbits the Earth. "God" is a mythological fabrication, and not half as good of one as Zeus or Odin.

We can relate to Zeus, for example. He wasn't perfect, like humans aren't perfect. I guess the reason why many people cannot relate and doubt the existence of YAHWEH is because this deity is pictured as a perfect entity.

However, if someone wants to blindly believe in God, I see no reason to begrudge them.

Blindly?
I'm blind?
I dispute that.

[The Parkus Empire]

Blindly?
I'm blind?
I dispute that.

I remember seeing ghosts when I was kid. Obviously I should believe in them.

[Grave_n_idle]

The Moon is a rock that orbits the Earth. "God" is a mythological fabrication, and not half as good of one as Zeus or Odin.

Yeah, I'm gonna let you believe that if you want to.

I'm simultaneously confused and enthralled by the prospect of people who (claim they) can believe what they want.

The idea that 'belief' is a matter of choice has always confused me - how can you 'believe' in something you tailor to your own preference? Doesn't your own involvement invalidate your ability to attribute 'truth' to it?

[Horsefish]

I laugh. God is not made in the image of man any more than the moon is.

The Moon is a rock that orbits the Earth. "God" is a mythological fabrication, and not half as good of one as Zeus or Odin.

Zeus ect. knew how to have a good time.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

We can relate to Zeus, for example. He wasn't perfect, like humans aren't perfect. I guess the reason why many people cannot relate and doubt the existence of YAHWEH is because this deity is pictured as a perfect entity.

However, if someone wants to blindly believe in God, I see no reason to begrudge them.

Blindly?
I'm blind?
I dispute that.

Because we are only talking about you and your faith, right?

We can relate to Zeus, for example. He wasn't perfect, like humans aren't perfect. I guess the reason why many people cannot relate and doubt the existence of YAHWEH is because this deity is pictured as a perfect entity.

However, if someone wants to blindly believe in God, I see no reason to begrudge them.

YHWH wasn't perfect. He was a whiny, jealous bitch. But he did claim to be perfect, unlike Zeus.

That's what I said...
Can we, as imperfect as we are, relate to a deity that is pictured as perfect or to a deity that has defects (Zeus), like we do?

[Hydesland]

My issue is with so-called agnostics and theists who try to pretend there is a good, rational reason to believe in God. There is none.

And Aristotle can be excused for thinking some kind of creator existed. He had next to no understanding of the universe. Anyone living in a western country in the 21st century does not have that excuse.

Sorry, but you really come off as sounding like someone who has no fucking clue what they're talking about. Do you know why I'm an atheist, because Anthony Flew made some fantastic, probably the best arguments against the existence of God I have ever seen, and basically every argument I ever see on these forums are shitty rehashes of his early arguments (falsification, death of a thousand qualifications, presumption of atheism, null hypothesis of no God etc...), and Russell's tea cup. He was a Cambridge professor, and probably had a better understanding of cosmology than anyone on this forum, nevertheless, he became a theist after studying cosmology for many decades, and while I disagree with him, I don't have the pompous arrogance to assume he's an idiot and that he is necessarily irrational, he would absolutely decimate me, were he still alive, in any logical debate on cosmology.

[Gagatron]

Blindly?
I'm blind?
I dispute that.

I remember seeing ghosts when I was kid. Obviously I should believe in them.

I don't personally believe those were ghosts. But your senses picked up on something, so you must believe that you saw something.

[Grave_n_idle]

We can relate to Zeus, for example. He wasn't perfect, like humans aren't perfect. I guess the reason why many people cannot relate and doubt the existence of YAHWEH is because this deity is pictured as a perfect entity.

However, if someone wants to blindly believe in God, I see no reason to begrudge them.

Blindly?
I'm blind?
I dispute that.

Blind in this context tends to refer to the the ability to either ignore contrary evidence, or to 'believe' based on nothing concrete. Theoretically, Christians should relish the blind-ness of their faith - scripturally, it's the best kind.

[The Theban Legion]

As a side note I believe he exists without a doubt.

how come? have you seen him? Or do you just believe what priests say and read from a book written by men.

No, in a more basic sense. In that the idea of God exists and therefore God exists, at least as an idea, because thats the very definition of existence. He exists in books and words and in everyday conversations for sure.

Beyond that yes I believe in the scripture and what the priests say. Not that I have any evidence to prove what they say.

[Ellara (Ancient)]

That's fine. They have their reasons to believe what they want to believe, and most of them don't try to pretend it's reasonable. The whole point of faith is believing something you have no good reason to believe. I disagree with those people, but I can respect them.

My issue is with so-called agnostics and theists who try to pretend there is a good, rational reason to believe in God. There is none.

And Aristotle can be excused for thinking some kind of creator existed. He had next to no understanding of the universe. Anyone living in a western country in the 21st century does not have that excuse.

...So, if you believe in a creator or WANT to believe in a creator, you're stupid?
Because science explains everything?

Look, there are a lot of things we don't know. Is it stupid to try to fill in those gaps with something to believe in?
Your point is rational, but that's all it is. Besides, going around calling people (and what they believe) dumb doesn't make your point any more realistic.