Poll
Question:
Does God Exist?
Option 1: No
Option 2: I Don't Know
Option 3: Yes
There's an obvious and clearly correct answer to this, however I'm interested to know how many of my colleagues are aware of it.
Funnily enough I bumped into to some Jehovahs Witnesses today giving away their "Watchtower" publication in my local town. An elderly couple at one end of the town and some JW "youth" at the other end.
A substantial part of Western Europe seems to live without any religious affiliation but I realise globally there are regions of religious growth.
However I think the answer , despite all the scientific advances has to be "don't know". Every scientific advance puts the existence of a God further in doubt., I certainly have no time for any religion that does not understand evolution, geological time frames or dietary choices. But I back the fact that people have free will to believe what they want (as contradictory as it sounds)
Sorry, I somehow missed out the "Yes" option in the poll ::)
Fixed now.
Quote from: Nick on June 18, 2022, 06:42:43 PMFunnily enough I bumped into to some Jehovahs Witnesses today giving away their "Watchtower" publication in my local town. An elderly couple at one end of the town and some JW "youth" at the other end.
A substantial part of Western Europe seems to live without any religious affiliation but I realise globally there are regions of religious growth.
The JWs are an example, IMO of religion being quite harmful in their attitude to blood transfusion and other medical interventions.
Just looked up their attitude to vaccination, apparently they don't mind it now. Surprising.
Quote from: Slim on June 18, 2022, 06:49:54 PMQuote from: Nick on June 18, 2022, 06:42:43 PMFunnily enough I bumped into to some Jehovahs Witnesses today giving away their "Watchtower" publication in my local town. An elderly couple at one end of the town and some JW "youth" at the other end.
A substantial part of Western Europe seems to live without any religious affiliation but I realise globally there are regions of religious growth.
The JWs are an example, IMO of religion being quite harmful in their attitude to blood transfusion and other medical interventions.
Just looked up their attitude to vaccination, apparently they don't mind it now. Surprising.
I think they also believe only a finite number of JW's go to heaven and I'm not sure how that is supposed to work over time as any increase in numbers to their church (presumably what they are looking to do) is going to ruin your personal percentage of meeting your maker.
no need for the "yes" because there is no god.
There is a life force ie nature. But not an old man with a beard creating shit.
Strictly speaking: "I don't know".
For everyday purposes: "No".
Answering "Yes" then begs the question why the answer is "No" for the scores of others.
I'm a "no", not an "I don't know".
Like everything else in life: I don't know.
Does God exist? No
Do aliens exist? No
Are there such things as ghosts? No
Is there a Loch Ness Monster? No
I like these easy questions.
I've voted 'don't know'
I'm close enough to finding out and I wouldn't want to upset him ;D
(My wife's a 'Yes')
Quote from: pxr5 on June 19, 2022, 01:26:33 PMDoes God exist? No
Do aliens exist? No
Are there such things as ghosts? No
Is there a Loch Ness Monster? No
I like these easy questions.
what no loch ness monster...dam I saw the film! defo is a loch ness monster.
My option is always: I don't care.
Just keep away form me with your hobbies, do that on your own time. Oh and stop intimidating people and children.
Have to say though, as an oppression scheme religion is pretty impressive.
Quote from: pxr5 on June 19, 2022, 01:26:33 PMDoes God exist? No
Do aliens exist? No
Are there such things as ghosts? No
Is there a Loch Ness Monster? No
I like these easy questions.
I think aliens very probably exist. Just not on our own planet.
Just the sheer number of beliefs makes the whole thing a mockery.
Quote from: Slim on June 19, 2022, 06:35:08 PMQuote from: pxr5 on June 19, 2022, 01:26:33 PMDoes God exist? No
Do aliens exist? No
Are there such things as ghosts? No
Is there a Loch Ness Monster? No
I like these easy questions.
I think aliens very probably exist. Just not on our own planet.
What makes you think aliens exist?
Quote from: pxr5 on June 19, 2022, 09:13:32 PMWhat makes you think aliens exist?
I think they
probably exist. Just the maths - we know now that extrasolar planets are relatively common. There are hundreds of billions of galaxies, each of which has billions of stars. A sizeable proportion of those will have planets with conditions that could support life.
We know that life arose on Earth, in geological time-span terms, pretty much as soon as it was possible. Technically speaking even bacteria on another planet in some distant galaxy count as aliens, but I think there are probably sapient creatures, with critical reasoning, technology, a system of government and the rest of it. Just because of the sheer weight of numbers.
Quote from: Nick on June 19, 2022, 09:00:37 PMJust the sheer number of beliefs makes the whole thing a mockery.
That's exactly what was a major factor in setting me off on my "journey" from Catholicism to atheism: what made my religious belief right and all the other (mutually-contradictory and therefore mutually blasphemous) religious beliefs wrong?
Obviously you're meant to feel guilt by even considering that question; and the fact I automatically did only made me even more aware I was being played.
The emancipation from all that poisonous, manipulative claptrap was a glorious feeling. And still is.
Maybe I'm too cynical but to say what you just have Slim can equally be argued to say that the conditions required for life are phenomenally small - and to happen in the same biilions of years to create life at the same time as us, even a basic bacteria, makes it so unlikely as to be impossible. And with zero proof of any form of alien life anywhere leads me to assume there is nothing out there - and even if there were, we would never know about it. Therefore there are no such things as aliens.
It makes me laugh, back in the 40s/50s/60s/70s there were numerous times when so-called UFOs were photographed when people rarely had a camera at hand. Now almost every person has a camera in their pocket and no pictures of UFOs, ghosts, Loch Ness monsters appear these days.
Sorry, gone a bit off topic there.
I'm more persuaded by the statistical argument there must be intelligent aliens "somewhere"; unfortunately it's just one of those things that looks like it can't be known.
(And) "the meek shall inherit the Earth"
I suspect he/she /it doesn't exist.... Happy to be proved wrong tho...
My mind frequently plays around with the thought that in a world of several billion humans, Paul McCartney is probably only the second most famous.
Quote from: The Picnic Wasp on August 29, 2022, 07:27:42 PMMy mind frequently plays around with the thought that in a world of several billion humans, Paul McCartney is probably only the second most famous.
Behind Queen Liz? :)
Dear Lord God I have paid £2.50 into this weeks Euro millions, if you exist can you make me win it, it's only the rearrangement of a few numbers.
Many thanks.
Quote from: Nick on August 31, 2022, 07:36:39 PMDear Lord God I have paid £2.50 into this weeks Euro millions, if you exist can you make me win it, it's only the rearrangement of a few numbers.
Many thanks.
Reminds me of the old gag about the chap (usually referred to as a Jew in politically very incorrect versions) who prays to God every week, pleading that he wins the lottery.
After several weeks of the prayer being unanswered, he asks God why he hasn't yet won the jackpot; to which God immediately replies, "Mate, you need to meet me half way - and actually buy a fcking ticket".
Probably because I dreamt about Neil this week, I woke up with the lyrics to Faithless in my mind this morning. I feel very content about the inclusion of the line "I still cling to hope". Dreams are strange. They can have definite hangover period at times, or sometimes just evaporate to nothingness in an instant. Anything by way of creative writing moments that I've felt compelled to record in the past was directly inspired by Neil's lyrics (leaving aside the being dumped dirges). I hope his hope paid off.
He died, so ultimately - no. Not for him, anyway.
Quote from: Slim on November 26, 2022, 08:24:00 PMHe died, so ultimately - no. Not for him, anyway.
Wow! Seventy three books in the Bible and you only need nine words, James. Respect!😁
Quote from: The Picnic Wasp on November 26, 2022, 08:32:04 PMQuote from: Slim on November 26, 2022, 08:24:00 PMHe died, so ultimately - no. Not for him, anyway.
Wow! Seventy three books in the Bible and you only need nine words, James. Respect!😁
That'll be because we can think about these things with about two more millennia's worth of accumulated scrutiny, discovery and knowledge.
Nowadays, we need only two syllables for the books of the bible which sums them all up quite comprehensively.
Quote from: Matt2112 on November 27, 2022, 11:16:43 AMQuote from: The Picnic Wasp on November 26, 2022, 08:32:04 PMQuote from: Slim on November 26, 2022, 08:24:00 PMHe died, so ultimately - no. Not for him, anyway.
Wow! Seventy three books in the Bible and you only need nine words, James. Respect!😁
That'll be because we can think about these things with about two more millennia's worth of accumulated scrutiny, discovery and knowledge.
Nowadays, we need only two syllables for the books of the bible which sums them all up quite comprehensively.
The irony of your username being one colon away from a New Testament reference never fails to tickle me Matt.😉
Quote from: The Picnic Wasp on November 26, 2022, 08:32:04 PMQuote from: Slim on November 26, 2022, 08:24:00 PMHe died, so ultimately - no. Not for him, anyway.
Wow! Seventy three books in the Bible and you only need nine words, James. Respect!😁
There's an important, eternal truth that can be expressed in a mere four words: God is not real.
Quote from: Slim on November 27, 2022, 03:27:55 PMQuote from: The Picnic Wasp on November 26, 2022, 08:32:04 PMQuote from: Slim on November 26, 2022, 08:24:00 PMHe died, so ultimately - no. Not for him, anyway.
Wow! Seventy three books in the Bible and you only need nine words, James. Respect!😁
There's an important, eternal truth that can be expressed in a mere four words: God is not real.
It might be quite apt if this thread ends with a written singularity, but I'm not intelligent enough to come up with an ending that couldn't be violated. I'm sure you'll think of something.😉
Already have :)
Quote from: The Picnic Wasp on November 27, 2022, 02:13:57 PMThe irony of your username being one colon away from a New Testament reference never fails to tickle me Matt.😉
If that colon is used by anyone in my user name I'll kick off and turn some tables over. ;D
Quote from: Matt2112 on November 28, 2022, 12:02:38 PMQuote from: The Picnic Wasp on November 27, 2022, 02:13:57 PMThe irony of your username being one colon away from a New Testament reference never fails to tickle me Matt.😉
If that colon is used by anyone in my user name I'll kick off and turn some tables over. ;D
Excellent!😁