williamalex1
Money List Winner
its the only thing in life that every one has to do
Too many people have lost their lives through religion and personally it isn't a subject that I'm happy discussing. Everybody has their own beliefs and views and this should be respected even if they aren't agreed with
I'm a non believer. The more thought that I've given it over the years, the less sense the concept of a supreme being makes.
I have absolutely no problem with people who believe in a god as long as they don't try to impose their views on me.
The last three funerals that I've attended have been Humanist and very nice they were ( if a funeral can ever be called nice )
I've also attended one which had absolutely nothing. No music and no words at all apart from when the coffin was brought into the crematorium and the funeral director asked everyone to stand until the curtains closed. It was a bit surreal.
I have absolutely no problem with people who believe in a god as long as they don't try to impose their views on me.
The last three funerals that I've attended have been Humanist and very nice they were ( if a funeral can ever be called nice )
I've also attended one which had absolutely nothing. No music and no words at all apart from when the coffin was brought into the crematorium and the funeral director asked everyone to stand until the curtains closed. It was a bit surreal.
sev112
Tour Winner
Conversely there are a large number of "scientific experiments" which have been seriously ill founded with hindsight causing much harm.
And just as many numerous examples of the good of religion .
PS. he didnt jump from space - it was all filmed from a studio behind some railway arches in south london - you can tell because the sun was in the wrong position and you could see footprints on the roof of the capsule
lobthewedge
Challenge Tour Pro
Good thread Snelly, about time someone brought some good, intelligent, topical debate back to the forum.
I dont believe in the big, mainstream religions, they do a lot more harm than good in my opinion. That being said, I am not against the idea of higher powers or an afterlife, maybe even reincarnation, Im just not ready to pin my colours to any one mast yet.
As someone who studied a bit of classics and is interested in ancient history, I would love to think that those old Olympian gods are out there somewhere, and that individual rivers, forest, mountains, deserts, winds etc all have their own gods like in the Homeric poems. As a golfer and firm believer in the golfing gods, this sits well with me.
I dont believe in the big, mainstream religions, they do a lot more harm than good in my opinion. That being said, I am not against the idea of higher powers or an afterlife, maybe even reincarnation, Im just not ready to pin my colours to any one mast yet.
As someone who studied a bit of classics and is interested in ancient history, I would love to think that those old Olympian gods are out there somewhere, and that individual rivers, forest, mountains, deserts, winds etc all have their own gods like in the Homeric poems. As a golfer and firm believer in the golfing gods, this sits well with me.
viscount17
Money List Winner
for the definitive statement on gods and religion I recommend Terry Pratchett's Small Gods
Personally I was agnostic until I was 15 when I became antagonistic, a view I have held ever since.
one fundamental of my non belief is that the word hypocrite didn't exist until after religion was invented
it is also true that no religion is wrong, it's the people running them - if you believe in a God have the balls to speak directly - you don't need an interpreter.
Personally I was agnostic until I was 15 when I became antagonistic, a view I have held ever since.
one fundamental of my non belief is that the word hypocrite didn't exist until after religion was invented
it is also true that no religion is wrong, it's the people running them - if you believe in a God have the balls to speak directly - you don't need an interpreter.
G1BB0
Money List Winner
I dont believe in a god per se but I live in hope that there is a supreme being and heaven exists. Without that hope it would be pretty pants knowing for definite that we are purely worm fodder, nothing more, nothing less!
Idlenorth1
Head Pro
What about Jedi? Wasn't this'd recognised a few years ago after the census report
quinn
Q-School Graduate
Its a no for me.I can prove god doesnt exist alot easier than someone who says there is one.
SwingSlow
Head Pro
My personal belief is that yes He does and we can have a personal relationship with Him. In line with many of the sentiments expressed on here by others, I do not wish to impose my beliefs on others where the discussion is not sought, so shall not comment further.
palindromicbob
Tour Winner
Here is one for you re: evolution and the existence of a God.
DNA similarities might just be because he used the same parts. Hand a child a box of lego and see how many different things can be created from the same building blocks. And surely an intelligent all knowing designer would allow for a species to adapt to the environment to ensure survival rather than stay the same and eventually die out.
Evolution does not prove no God as it does not explain the initial creation of life. All it does is show that God had the foresight to ensure his initial creations could spread out and survive.
Noah could have taken pairs of every animal on the ark if you allow for a few assumptions. It doesn't say they were all adults. Egg lying species could have been taken in pairs as eggs and cared for as eggs. Larger mammals taken on as babies. Water creatures weren't a problem.
DNA similarities might just be because he used the same parts. Hand a child a box of lego and see how many different things can be created from the same building blocks. And surely an intelligent all knowing designer would allow for a species to adapt to the environment to ensure survival rather than stay the same and eventually die out.
Evolution does not prove no God as it does not explain the initial creation of life. All it does is show that God had the foresight to ensure his initial creations could spread out and survive.
Noah could have taken pairs of every animal on the ark if you allow for a few assumptions. It doesn't say they were all adults. Egg lying species could have been taken in pairs as eggs and cared for as eggs. Larger mammals taken on as babies. Water creatures weren't a problem.
JustOne
Ryder Cup Winner
What do you think would happen to people's state of mind (worldwide) and behaviour if it was categorically proved that you were 100% destined to be worm food?
I'm not saying for an instant that religion is a state of control for the masses but if 5 billion+ people were suddenly to have it proved beyond all doubt that there was no God then surely there'd be a huge shift in (for example) crime, murder, adultery......
No more religous wars.... they'd have to be real ones. No more church... no more Muslim, Christian, Jew etc... it'd be too HUGE to comprehend. Best to break the news slowly.......
S
Snelly
Guest
Here is one for you re: evolution and the existence of a God.
DNA similarities might just be because he used the same parts. Hand a child a box of lego and see how many different things can be created from the same building blocks. And surely an intelligent all knowing designer would allow for a species to adapt to the environment to ensure survival rather than stay the same and eventually die out.
Evolution does not prove no God as it does not explain the initial creation of life. All it does is show that God had the foresight to ensure his initial creations could spread out and survive.
Noah could have taken pairs of every animal on the ark if you allow for a few assumptions. It doesn't say they were all adults. Egg lying species could have been taken in pairs as eggs and cared for as eggs. Larger mammals taken on as babies. Water creatures weren't a problem.
Noah's ark? Do you know how big it would need to be to have two of every animal? And estimates put the number of species on earth at 10 million plus by the way. Not to mention the fact we are discovering about 15,000 new species per year. Who collected all the babies from every corner of the globe? What did the carnivores eat? Were there any woodworm on board? Who cleaned out the living quarters for them all? Just Noah and his Mrs? That's five million each. A lot of poo to shovel there.....
USER1999
Grand Slam Winner
A Julian Barnes reader?
Ethan
Money List Winner
Stating your view and putting the arguments for or against is absolutely fine in a thread of this nature. That is not imposing your belief at all. Anyone opening this thread will expect such arguments.
S
Snelly
Guest
No, I am not familiar with his work Murph. I will check it out though.
coolhand
Head Pro
Does a higher being exisit? - Yes - god's as good a label as any.
Are organised religions full of it? - Yes - thier folk stories to explain natural events twisted to control the masses.
Was live designed? Yes - there are just too many perfect adaptations to have occured via mutation and natural selection alone.
"and thereth finishes the lesson"
Are organised religions full of it? - Yes - thier folk stories to explain natural events twisted to control the masses.
Was live designed? Yes - there are just too many perfect adaptations to have occured via mutation and natural selection alone.
"and thereth finishes the lesson"
walshawwhippet
Assistant Pro
:thup:
This sort of stuff allays amuses me Snelly.
If you take the Old Testament as literal proof of human history, which some people are want to do, then Noah was around during the late neolithic, early bronze age periods of human history. The technology available to us at this time would of meant building anything much larger than your average canal barge impossible. It certainly would have been a tight squeeze.
S
Snelly
Guest
The Old Testament? You mean that book that states we should kill adulterers and homosexuals? And have slaves? Ah yes, I know the one. Written by people that thought the earth was flat? Yep. Familiar with it.
walshawwhippet
Assistant Pro
Sorry Coolhand don't agree.
Life as been around for 3.5 billion yrs, more than enougth time to have evolved to its present state.I think people have trouble getting thier head round just how long 3.5 billion yrs is.
You mention "perfect " adaptations, i argue there is no such thing. If your arguement is correct then evolution has stopped, and life on this rock is doomed. No evolution, no adaptation to changing conditions, no life.
Perfection is very, very rare, even comodaties that have been designed continue to evolve as technoligy advances.
Just my beliefs Cooklad, they just happen to be different to yours. Healthy debate, so refreshing. :cheers:
