The most rational way for a believer to view God and the afterlife

[Docta G]

Originally Posted by iiandyiiii

Pandas are bears.

Aren't they marsupials? I guess God is real then.

[akennett]

Originally Posted by kanicbird

, though it clearly is possible.

Go ahead, show that it's possible. Since it is so clear, you shouldn't have any problem showing that the existence of God (including all the baggage that this form of the word carries with it) is possible. Ball's in your court.

fills you with such fear

No fear here. Nothing to fear. Realizing that there are no gods is the single most freeing thought imaginable.

But I also know God

Great, then you know how to reach him. Tell him I'm still waiting for the $100 million in cash that I prayed for (and so he owes me) back when I was still stupid enough to have faith.

[florez]

Originally Posted by Valteron

So how about it? What is an "existential force" anyhow? How do you know such forces exist? How do they work? Moi needs answers.

Maybe the "existential force" liberates 2ManyTacos from distress over the complexity and perversity of his brute physical world. Perhaps he creates a plate glass of existentialism to shield him from a breakdown in his drive toward spiritual understanding.
But I also wish for 2ManyTacos to share more information on this "existential force".

[Fear Itself]

Originally Posted by Docta G

Aren't they marsupials? I guess God is real then.

Koalas aren't bears.

[iiandyiiii]

Originally Posted by Docta G

Aren't they marsupials? I guess God is real then.

Nope, bears.

[monavis]

Originally Posted by fumster

Well actually existence has to be "E", but we'll put that aside for the moment.

So a creator can just be "be" but the universe can't? This is pretty much argument by definition: if something has always existed we'll call it "the creator". You could just as easily call it "the universe" and leave out all the implications the word creator implies.

The universe is in existence,if it were not in existence it wouldn't exist.

[Bryan Ekers]

Oh, how convenient, a way of looking for God that doesn't require looking through a telescope. Get back to work!

[Czarcasm]

Originally Posted by monavis

The universe is in existence,if it were not in existence it wouldn't exist.

Are you defining "existence" as a condition, or as a location? For the purposes of this discussion, can we just pick one and stick to it?

[monavis]

Originally Posted by Czarcasm

Are you defining "existence" as a condition, or as a location? For the purposes of this discussion, can we just pick one and stick to it?

It would be a place, one needs a place to be, before they can exist. Perhaps a condition is just the way one exists?

[Czarcasm]

Originally Posted by monavis

It would be a place, one needs a place to be, before they can exist. Perhaps a condition is just the way one exists?

If something exists, it is a place?

[monavis]

Originally Posted by Czarcasm

If something exists, it is a place?

Where else would it exist if there was no place? Existence must exist, or it wouldn't be existence. If something doesn't exist it is nothing.

[Incomprehension]

Originally Posted by kanicbird

I know God, I have met Him, and I have seen His 'spiritual' world and have been privileged enough to see the illusion of our physical world He has provided us from His prospective.

As far as 'believing in God', I don't take that statement as 'believing that God exists', as He obviously does, but I do believe that statement (taken from scriptures) refers in His ability and saving power from our physical world, and has nothing to do with believing in His existence, as even the scriptures state that demons believe God exists, so belief in His existence is not what is referred to.

It's said that part of the Homo-Sapien brain is solely for religious experiences. It's to help one accept death. You are looking at this the wrong way, matter is one as a whole solely defined by it's chemical makeup. When you die you will decompose back into these simple structures and make life possible for others. Do tree's have an afterlife, do dogs, how about fungus, or possible cancer cells? You are looking at this in an arbitrary way and claiming that Humans are more superior than all living life.

[monavis]

Originally Posted by Incomprehension

It's said that part of the Homo-Sapien brain is solely for religious experiences. It's to help one accept death. You are looking at this the wrong way, matter is one as a whole solely defined by it's chemical makeup. When you die you will decompose back into these simple structures and make life possible for others. Do tree's have an afterlife, do dogs, how about fungus, or possible cancer cells? You are looking at this in an arbitrary way and claiming that Humans are more superior than all living life.

All things change back to the atoms etc. as they were before coming into earthly existence). If you burn a piece of paper (as I understand it) it becomes carbon or what ever atoms were in it. There is no way of knowing if a human has an after life, anymore than an animal, or plant. Just the hope that there is!

[Darth Panda]

Originally Posted by Docta G

Many people claim to be god. Many people think aliens taught Egyptians to build pyramids. Many people think pandas are bears. Many people think Elvis is alive. Many people are fucking idiots.

Giant pandas are bears, red pandas are not.