# What kind of God would you believe in and follow **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 22, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643 "2013-03-22T15:12:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/341 "2013-04-07T15:25:06Z")
> [@lekatt](#): > > I know the real Emmanuel wouldn’t mind since He teaches unconditional Love. I really liked Emmanuel with Jean and Anna Marie in the bath house. That’s some unconditional love right there. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/342 "2013-04-07T15:30:56Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > I really liked Emmanuel with Jean and Anna Marie in the bath house. That’s some unconditional love right there. This has to be one of the most reality-based statements in this entire thread. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/343 "2013-04-07T15:32:39Z")
> [@lekatt](#): > > The God of unconditional love is real and following the principles of unconditional love will benefit anyone that does so. It is a choice that men make when they understand > the benefit of doing so.It is the “better way” to live on this planet. The gate is open to all but only a few enter into the garden. Love All you have to do is read - really read - the bible to know that the love of that god is not unconditional. The vast majority of humans whom that god created (according to the bible) were killed in many ways, the largest number by drowning. According to the most recent texts accepted by believers, they will be resurrected, most to be tortured forever. 1 John 4:8 “God is love” is the biggest lie ever told. ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/344 "2013-04-07T15:38:41Z")
> [@lekatt](#): > > Jesus saved the prostitute which was a capital offense and forgave her. Just so you know, because your assertion above would indicate that you don’t, the woman taken in adultery story was not in the earliest texts found for John. It was interpolated much later. Consequently, even if you assume that other quotes are accurate (I don’t), this one should not be taken as true. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/345 "2013-04-07T15:53:02Z")
> [@lekatt](#): > > The God of unconditional love is real and following the principles of unconditional love will benefit anyone that does so. It is a choice that men make when they understand > the benefit of doing so.It is the “better way” to live on this planet. The gate is open to all but only a few enter into the garden. Love Your dreams and/or voices you hear can’t really be considered evidence in any sane sense of the word. ---
**Author:** ![lekatt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lekatt/32/7269_2.png) [@lekatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lekatt)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/346 "2013-04-07T17:21:49Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > That’s nothing but baseless assertion after baseless assertion. > > And “unconditional love” is _creepy_, not attractive. I agree that unconditional love is scary when first presented. In my experience I was surrounded by unconditional love so I knew it existed but actually doing it was different and though I try I am not there yet. But my life is greatly improved as to what it was before. Can humans ever achieve this level of love here on earth – I doubt it. Trying however helps a lot. A good compromise is positive thinking. ---
**Author:** ![lekatt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lekatt/32/7269_2.png) [@lekatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lekatt)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/347 "2013-04-07T17:30:25Z")
> [@Largo62](#): > > All you have to do is read - really read - the bible to know that the love of that god is not unconditional. The vast majority of humans whom that god created (according to the bible) were killed in many ways, the largest number by drowning. According to the most recent texts accepted by believers, they will be resurrected, most to be tortured forever. > > 1 John 4:8 “God is love” is the biggest lie ever told. I have read the Bible completely cover to cover twice. But I don’t remember everything I read. I hear you saying that the Bible lies, and if it lies how can you tell what is a lie and what is not a lie. I thought Christians were told to believe the Bible is God’s word even though it was written by men not God. If you are not a Christian then you may be unduly criticizing the Bible. Jesus taught unconditional love most of the time. It is true that we don’t know He said all the things attributed to Him, but the main theme is unconditional love. ---
**Author:** ![lekatt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lekatt/32/7269_2.png) [@lekatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lekatt)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/348 "2013-04-07T17:32:18Z")
> [@Largo62](#): > > Just so you know, because your assertion above would indicate that you don’t, the woman taken in adultery story was not in the earliest texts found for John. It was interpolated much later. Consequently, even if you assume that other quotes are accurate (I don’t), this one should not be taken as true. I can’t accept your word on that, I read Bible history and don’t find that to be true. ---
**Author:** ![lekatt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lekatt/32/7269_2.png) [@lekatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lekatt)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/349 "2013-04-07T17:33:53Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Your dreams and/or voices you hear can’t really be considered evidence in any sane sense of the word. I agree, but millions of others will tell you the same from their experience. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/350 "2013-04-07T17:35:35Z")
Don’t fear God’s love. He hasn’t gotten anyone pregnant in over 2000 years. ---
**Author:** ![lekatt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lekatt/32/7269_2.png) [@lekatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lekatt)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/351 "2013-04-07T18:36:40Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Don’t fear God’s love. > > He hasn’t gotten anyone pregnant in over 2000 years. It is common for people to confuse love with sex. But love has nothing to do with sex. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/352 "2013-04-07T19:11:17Z")
> [@lekatt](#): > > It is common for people to confuse love with sex. But love has nothing to do with sex. So you’re asserting that sex is completely disconnected from love? How sad… ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/353 "2013-04-07T19:54:07Z")
> [@lekatt](#): > > I agree, but millions of others will tell you the same from their experience. I’ll just add that to the large pile of citeless claims you’ve made here and elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/354 "2013-04-08T00:51:30Z")
> [@lekatt](#): > > I agree, but millions of others will tell you the same from their experience. Shared hallucination is still hallucination. The fact that people describing near death experiences seem consistent proves only that they have all been exposed to similar images over a lifetime. Their “mind’s eye” sees what it expects to see. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/355 "2013-04-08T01:12:35Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Don’t fear God’s love. > > He hasn’t gotten anyone pregnant in over 2000 years. He discovered condoms. ---
**Author:** ![Raging\_Bull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Raging\_Bull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raging_Bull)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/356 "2013-04-08T01:18:09Z")
Id believe in one who was aesthetic as fuark… If he did not lift i would not want to believe or follow Arnold should be promoted to God or maybe Zyzz (RIP) ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/357 "2013-04-08T05:29:06Z")
> [@Largo62](#): > > Shared hallucination is still hallucination. The fact that people describing near death experiences seem consistent proves only that they have all been exposed to similar images over a lifetime. And it’s not all that consistent, anyway. Accounts of “NDEs” tend to be heavily cherry picked for having the appropriately impressive imagery; you hear about people who travel through a tunnel of light and meet their dead relatives or God or Satan. Not those who travel through a tunnel made of television screens and meet Bugs Bunny. The accounts that get pushed by the believers are the ones that fit their idea of a proper mystical experience, not ones that don’t fit that mold. ---
**Author:** ![lekatt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lekatt/32/7269_2.png) [@lekatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lekatt)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/358 "2013-04-08T14:33:29Z")
> [@Largo62](#): > > Shared hallucination is still hallucination. The fact that people describing near death experiences seem consistent proves only that they have all been exposed to similar images over a lifetime. Their “mind’s eye” sees what it expects to see. You are free to believe whatever you wish, but they are definitely not hallucinations. The only thing that matters is learning to love unconditionally. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/359 "2013-04-08T21:37:06Z")
> [@lekatt](#): > > You are free to believe whatever you wish, but they are definitely not hallucinations. Yet another empty, baseless assertion. There’s no reason to consider them anything else. > [@lekatt](#): > > The only thing that matters is learning to love unconditionally. No, that’s highly destructive, and would likely take some kind of insanity or brain damage to actually pull off anyway. Probably even the sort of person who loves a serial killer would stop loving him after he tortured her enough. ---
**Author:** ![lekatt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lekatt/32/7269_2.png) [@lekatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lekatt)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/360 "2013-04-09T00:37:25Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Yet another empty, baseless assertion. There’s no reason to consider them anything else. > > No, that’s highly destructive, and would likely take some kind of insanity or brain damage to actually pull off anyway. Probably even the sort of person who loves a serial killer would stop loving him after he tortured her enough. I think you have convinced yourself only your world is real. While there are multiple real worlds to live within. If you only hail to one you will miss most everything. The wise choice is to test other worlds of thought, who knows, you may like them. The light is real, it will take your breath away and make a new person of you. Labels are meaningless, theist, atheist, agnostic, whatever say nothing about the person. Find the real meaning of life in understanding the use of love. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643.md?page=19)