Is god real?

[Grave_n_idle]

Minor temperature changes are 'extremely dangerous'? That's not really about belief, my friend - what you're selling now is just hysteria.

Have you read his post? He saw a being with the power to change the surrounding temperature. This is very supernatural.

Actually, he seems to be describing a phenomenon where he may have perceived either a physical entity, or an illusion of some kind - and where there may have been a temperature change (or an alteration in his own perception).

The only one talking about supernatural phenomena is you. This explains a lot about your approach to theology.

[The Parkus Empire]

I am not sure if this topic belongs to such a site.

It nearly defines this section of it, actually.

[The Theban Legion]

It should, especially the way Christians sell it. Jehovah's Witnesses call their belief 'The Truth'. However, the reality is quite different.

Truth isn't a pure thing, though. If you honestly believe in something, it is true to you, and you can call it the truth. You're right, though; 'The Truth' implies a universal truth, which is not necessarily (or statistically) real.

Or what you said in simpler terms.

[Grave_n_idle]

Truth is irrelevant to belief in general. And yes belief should reflect truth. Ideally. Ideally is a joke,

Truth, for all intensive purposes, is provable, objective and quite possible to base one's beliefs upon. Gravity doesn't exist because we think it's groovy.

Be awesome if it did, though.

[Farnhamia]

Minor temperature changes are 'extremely dangerous'? That's not really about belief, my friend - what you're selling now is just hysteria.

Have you read his post? He saw a being with the power to change the surrounding temperature. This is very supernatural.

Parkus wrote, "I remember seeing ghosts when I was kid. Obviously I should believe in them." I don't get the impression that he believes the ghosts were actually real.

[The Parkus Empire]

Truth, for all intensive purposes, is provable, objective and quite possible to base one's beliefs upon. Gravity doesn't exist because we think it's groovy.

Be awesome if it did, though.

Amen. Especially at parties.

[The Murtunian Tribes]

Truth is irrelevant to belief in general. And yes belief should reflect truth. Ideally. Ideally is a joke,

Truth, for all intensive purposes, is provable, objective and quite possible to base one's beliefs upon. Gravity doesn't exist because we think it's groovy.

Truth of God and truth of gravity are not the same thing. One is observable, the other isn't.

[Farnhamia]

I am not sure if this topic belongs to such a site.

It nearly defines this section of it, actually.

This kind of thread is required by the forum software, it's part of the licensing agreement Max signed or agreed to.

[The Murtunian Tribes]

Have you read his post? He saw a being with the power to change the surrounding temperature. This is very supernatural.

Actually, he seems to be describing a phenomenon where he may have perceived either a physical entity, or an illusion of some kind - and where there may have been a temperature change (or an alteration in his own perception).

The only one talking about supernatural phenomena is you. This explains a lot about your approach to theology.

Either that or he has some sort of repressed memory syndrome.

[Ellara (Ancient)]

I didn't call anyone stupid.

Try to avoid the "so-called" thing, then. I'm honest when I can be. If you can point me in a better direction, do so in a more open fashion.

I appreciate your argument, though. It's food for thought.

[Farnhamia]

Truth, for all intensive purposes, is provable, objective and quite possible to base one's beliefs upon. Gravity doesn't exist because we think it's groovy.

Truth of God and truth of gravity are not the same thing. One is observable, the other isn't.

And that, for all intents and purposes, is why the observable one is truth and the unobservable one is not.

[Hydesland]

I was under the impression that Antony Flew became a deist, not a theist.

Deism is a subset of theism.

Regardless of how much he knew about cosmology, it is entirely irrational to attribute the characteristics of the universe to any of the religious gods, and meaningless to use a deist god as an explanatory method for the universe.

This is the whole debate, isn't it. You can't assume an answer to a contention and then use that as an argument for your side of the contentious issue, that's circular. Seriously, cosmology isn't easy, it gets unbelievably complicated and quite bizarre, you can't just categorically state one side is irrational and one side is rational.

[The Parkus Empire]

Truth, for all intensive purposes, is provable, objective and quite possible to base one's beliefs upon. Gravity doesn't exist because we think it's groovy.

Truth of God and truth of gravity are not the same thing. One is observable, the other isn't.

You were talking about beliefs in general.

[Lauchlin]

I didn't call anyone stupid.

No, but did call some of us dihonest. Some would that is worse.

It is worse, but thankfully you can do something about that, while stupid people can't do anything about being stupid.

[Ellara (Ancient)]

Or what you said in simpler terms.

I'm a simple person. It's OK, I think.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

It should, especially the way Christians sell it. Jehovah's Witnesses call their belief 'The Truth'. However, the reality is quite different.

Truth isn't a pure thing, though. If you honestly believe in something, it is true to you, and you can call it the truth. You're right, though; 'The Truth' implies a universal truth, which is not necessarily (or statistically) real.

And therein lies the whole dilemma. We cannot know God exists. We cannot know God doesn't exist. So, how exactly do we go on into truth when belief doesn't necessarily reflect it?

I say believe what you want, but stay away from preaching to/judging others because they do not believe like you do.

[The Theban Legion]

And I support this

Which is the main problem with religion.

And I support this. I'm not saying I'm making the best decision for you by believing, I'm saying I'm making what I see as the best decision for myself by believing in God and the teachings and philosophy of Christ and the apostles. Not that I'm not open to new ideas or altering older ones. As I learned in my ethics class, its all a matter of human construction and there are no unfalliable truths out there. I just believe that certain beliefs would best help restrain humanity from violence.

[Grave_n_idle]

Actually, he seems to be describing a phenomenon where he may have perceived either a physical entity, or an illusion of some kind - and where there may have been a temperature change (or an alteration in his own perception).

The only one talking about supernatural phenomena is you. This explains a lot about your approach to theology.

Either that or he has some sort of repressed memory syndrome.

Which would be yet another possible explanation that doesn't require us to multiply entities unnecessarily.

[Ellara (Ancient)]

You were talking about beliefs in general.

Isn't this debate on whether or not "God" (or a creator) exists?

[The Murtunian Tribes]

Truth of God and truth of gravity are not the same thing. One is observable, the other isn't.

You were talking about beliefs in general.

No I figured we were still on the whole God thing. Whatever.

No, but did call some of us dihonest. Some would that is worse.

It is worse, but thankfully you can do something about that, while stupid people can't do anything about being stupid.

Now you're just being an ass.

[The Parkus Empire]

deleted

[Ellara (Ancient)]

I say believe what you want, but stay away from preaching to/judging others because they do not believe like you do.

I love this idea.

Figure out what you believe and stick with it. Don't go buggering up other peoples' ideas.
Sounds lovely.
Now if only the majority of people could actually do that...

[The Parkus Empire]

You were talking about beliefs in general.

Isn't this debate on whether or not "God" (or a creator) exists?

Yeah, though that particular post was about the invalidity of beliefs in general.

[Ellara (Ancient)]

You were talking about beliefs in general.

No I figured we were still on the whole God thing. Whatever.

It is worse, but thankfully you can do something about that, while stupid people can't do anything about being stupid.

Now you're just being an ass.

Agreement.

[The Murtunian Tribes]

Isn't this debate on whether or not "God" (or a creator) exists?

Yeah, though that particular post was about the invalidity of beliefs in general.

NO it wasn't. Perhaps I should have been more clear.