Keep in mind that the Hebrews were also very interested in the symbolism of numbers. Certain numbers like 40 represented a macro time (or a large amount of time), so Jesus may not have actually spent 40 days in the desert, but using the number 40 symbolizes that he spent a long time in the desert. Of course, if the days are as short as 6 hours, then again he may have spent 40 days in the desert.
God
- Thread starter matt182
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Keep in mind that the Hebrews were also very interested in the symbolism of numbers. Certain numbers like 40 represented a macro time (or a large amount of time), so Jesus may not have actually spent 40 days in the desert, but using the number 40 symbolizes that he spent a long time in the desert. Of course, if the days are as short as 6 hours, then again he may have spent 40 days in the desert.
Hardcore traditional Catholic here. And God knows I'm not going to get into a theological debate on these forums, don't want to be starting a flame war on the boards, which I can guarantee will happen. I answered the poll question.
Same here no need to justify what I believe in.
I have nothing else to add to the discussion but I just wanted to say how great it is that a topic like this has been brought up and discussed rationally that would normally reduce other forums to a war of words and petty name calling.
It's good to see that the standard of people I'm wasting working hours on the net with are above that
It's good to see that the standard of people I'm wasting working hours on the net with are above that
I have nothing else to add to the discussion but I just wanted to say how great it is that a topic like this has been brought up and discussed rationally that would normally reduce other forums to a war of words and petty name calling.
It's good to see that the standard of people I'm wasting working hours on the net with are above that
I 100% second that. But if the days were 6 hours that would be 240 hours in the desert. That is still an impossible amount of time to survive, isn't it?
i choose Atheist - we developed through evolution, all this god stuff makes me laugh
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of course theres a God... what a silly question
And what did the monkey evolve from, a rock?
Lol man you really need to study evolution (don't get excited Evo im not talking about you).
alright, did do some research and found this Timeline of evolution - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anwsers many questions on how nothing became something. there still is the arguments of how the sun earth, and bacteria came out of nowhere though. i still believe god created the world.
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I chose - perhaps a higher intelligence has created us. Be it God or something else.
I have been reading through this thread for the past few days. I guess I wil make a few of my own observations.
Belief in God and evolution at the same time is possible. Hey, if the guy can create a universe he can create life that changes and adapts to new and different things as time moves on. I always find it interesting that Christians have such a hard time making that connection.
Religious faith is extremely important in many peoples lives. It helps them get through tough time periods and situations, and creates an answer to what happens after we die. Which is very comforting. Certainly being religious has helped people make better decisions in their life and held people to a higher moral ground.
At the same time religion has caused more war, death, deceit, and destruction than any other single topic throughout history. People kill, lie, cheat, and manipulate others in the name of their religion. As if it is an excuse for bad behavior.
Either way religion is a very powerful thing.
I grew up catholic and am now..... Thinking that there might be a higher power. But, the only way to find out is to die. I am not taking that risk.
The reason I have questions about a god is not so much whether the existence of a god can be proven but the behavior of gods followers. Every significant time I have been screwed, stabbed in the back, or treated like total crap, it was by the most religious people I knew. They were more willing to treat me like crap as opposed to doing the right thing. All in the name of their religion.
My questions came because I do not want my "god figure" to have followers that behave this way. So if god does exist, I am not sure I want to be on his team.
Though I have all of these questions I am not going to hate on anyone who has a different set of beliefs.
What DO I believe in?
- Myself - I know I have always got my back.
- My Wife - she has and I know always will be there for me. I will be the same to her.
- My Friends - If "it" hits the fan I know that these are the people that do exist and will be there if I need them. I will always be there for them.
I believe in these people because you are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. I think I have found some of the best there are.
I have been reading through this thread for the past few days. I guess I wil make a few of my own observations.
Belief in God and evolution at the same time is possible. Hey, if the guy can create a universe he can create life that changes and adapts to new and different things as time moves on. I always find it interesting that Christians have such a hard time making that connection.
Religious faith is extremely important in many peoples lives. It helps them get through tough time periods and situations, and creates an answer to what happens after we die. Which is very comforting. Certainly being religious has helped people make better decisions in their life and held people to a higher moral ground.
At the same time religion has caused more war, death, deceit, and destruction than any other single topic throughout history. People kill, lie, cheat, and manipulate others in the name of their religion. As if it is an excuse for bad behavior.
Either way religion is a very powerful thing.
I grew up catholic and am now..... Thinking that there might be a higher power. But, the only way to find out is to die. I am not taking that risk.
The reason I have questions about a god is not so much whether the existence of a god can be proven but the behavior of gods followers. Every significant time I have been screwed, stabbed in the back, or treated like total crap, it was by the most religious people I knew. They were more willing to treat me like crap as opposed to doing the right thing. All in the name of their religion.
My questions came because I do not want my "god figure" to have followers that behave this way. So if god does exist, I am not sure I want to be on his team.
Though I have all of these questions I am not going to hate on anyone who has a different set of beliefs.
What DO I believe in?
- Myself - I know I have always got my back.
- My Wife - she has and I know always will be there for me. I will be the same to her.
- My Friends - If "it" hits the fan I know that these are the people that do exist and will be there if I need them. I will always be there for them.
I believe in these people because you are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. I think I have found some of the best there are.
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I agree/believe with everything you said in that last post. Especially the part about how being religous has helped people make better decisions and have higher morals. I made the decision at the beggining of this year to stop being someone i wasn't. I really cant begin to explain how many 'friends" i lost and how bad i got my balls busted(i was quick to put an end to that) I did find my real friends though. Jesus didnt pretend to be someone he wasnt when he was spreading the word of god in hope they would believe him. Second i have realized through God that you better realize what the hell your doing before you do it. In the end it is nobody's fault but your own, and youll have to pay the consequence.(Adam and Eve)This is how believing in god has helped me. Not by praying to him in hope he will make my life great,not by going to church every sunday, but by learning from his examples.
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Who really knows if we actually meet God when we die? In life, we follow the laws that he supposedly created, in death, who's to say he doesn't have other laws in place? If you die and somehow are able to retain thought, and DON'T meet God or Gods, it doesn't mean they aren't there...
However, I'm pretty sure my thoughts on this matter are apparent. It really doesn't matter to me...lol. Unless God comes down and plucks me from the Earth, I will continue to live my life to the best of my ability. I believe in myself and I believe in my principles.
However, I'm pretty sure my thoughts on this matter are apparent. It really doesn't matter to me...lol. Unless God comes down and plucks me from the Earth, I will continue to live my life to the best of my ability. I believe in myself and I believe in my principles.
I agree. For some reason everyone thinks evolution automatically=we came from monkeys, so why are there humans.
I guess it goes back to Adam and Eve eating the apple...we just automatically assume they did because someone said they did. Everyone give a big thank you to Milton for creating that added descriptive piece.
Impossible is hard to quantify within a subject as subjective as religion. However, remember I said numbers were used for symbolic purposes. The number 40 signifies a big number=a long amount of time spent in the desert...not necessarily a specific amount of time.
I highly disagree that religion has helped people make better decisions and have higher morals. Even if were true, that has nothing to prove the existance of God.
My point from the poll is that a higher intelligence is different to a god in that they envolved gradually overtime, just like we may in thousands of years, compared to god who is just there.
I agree with LieYunfat that we try and be the best we can of ourselves and for other people, leading to a more fullfilling life.
Yes, religion might not cause all people to make better decisions and have higher morals, but for some it certinley has. And no it does not prove God exists, but having the type of figure there for people can help them. On the evolution theory "The world could not make itself; for that would imply a horrible contradiction, namely, that the world was before it was; for the cause must always be before its effect. That which is not in being, can have no production; for nothing can act before it exists. As nothing has no existence, so it have no operation. There must therefore be something which has existence in itself, to give a being to those things that are; and every second cause must be an effect of some other before it be a cause. To be and not to be at the same time, is a manifest contradiction, which would infallibly take place if any thing made itself"
Who ever you copied that off they need to learn how to write in english
Im not sure what it was trying to say, if it agrees with evolution but thinks a god created it because something cant just come out of nothing, then that is just shooting youself in the conceptual foot as a god to just come out of nothing is far far more difficult to believe - who would have been complicated, statistically improbable.
Just becuase we arn't yet capable of understanding the begginings, lets be carefull that we dont just jump to the easy way out and say a god created it to solve the question.
Im not sure what it was trying to say, if it agrees with evolution but thinks a god created it because something cant just come out of nothing, then that is just shooting youself in the conceptual foot as a god to just come out of nothing is far far more difficult to believe - who would have been complicated, statistically improbable.
Just becuase we arn't yet capable of understanding the begginings, lets be carefull that we dont just jump to the easy way out and say a god created it to solve the question.