God does exist

hey, I was going through my e-mail, and one of my friends sent me this... and I know we've had a few religious arguments on here, and I don't really intend to start another one, I just thought this was kinda cool:

Originally Posted by: > A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard
trimmed. As
> the
>
> barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation.. They
> talked
>
> about so many things and various subjects.
>
> When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said:
"I
> don't
>
> believe that God exists."
>
> "Why do you say that?" asked the customer.
>
> "Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God
doesn't
>
>
> exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people?
Would
> there be
>
> abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering
nor
> pain.
>
> I can't imagine a loving a God who would allow all of these things.."
>
> The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he
didn't
> want
>
> to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer
left
> the
>
> shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street
with
> long,
>
> stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard.. He looked dirty and
unkept.
>
>
> The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he
said to
> the
>
> barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist."
>
> "How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I
am
> a
>
> barber. And I just worked on you!"
>
> "No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they
did,
> there
>
> would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like
that
> man
>
> outside."
>
> "Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is, people do not come to
me."
>
> "Exactly!"- affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES
> exist!
>
> What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him.
That's
> why
>
> there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

nice thread. i believe in God...

Ghey.

If god existed all the problems of this world would be his fault as, assuming omniscience, he would have known everything that would happen before creation. By creating the world with the knowledge that certain bad things would happen and the knowledge that without creating the world or creating the world in a different manner the bad things would not happen he created the inevitability of them.

If you pick up a gun and shoot someone it's not the bullet's fault, it's yours. The bad things people do that god created the inevitability of are god's fault.

Belief in God has been shown to be beneficial to one's health and longevity (in general). Prayer has also been studied to show it does yield results more than doing nothing. Yet that in itself does not suggest the existence of "him". Neither of these helped Job out much huh? I think too many times we underestimate our own abilities and potential, and rely or expect divine intervention.
Another related subject of interest is the afterlife. Most people who die and come back, don't see anything. Although about 25% report an experience of seeing their body, then going through a tunnel or going upwards usually with a guide like a deceased family member. An interesting fact here is that there are almost zero reports of religous figures anywhere...only an ecstasy beyond words. An even smaller % of these people report a "hellish" experience, but again, no pitchforks and fire though.
I don't think I really have a point here...just keep an open mind I guess. Don't get too dug into beliefs and dogmas that you can't accept new ideas.

That was a pretty good story 6Strngs. I'll have to use that sometime. ;)

God exists, because an e-mail told me so! Haha sorry, know thats not the point of this. But being cynical as I am, sometimes I have my doubts about God. Other days I think well, how can there not be a God? I'm just really moody about my beliefs like that.

Today by the way, God does not exist. My eye hurts.

I'm agnostic and that's how I prefer to keep it. No sense in me trying to explain something I know nothing about. But the story's catchy all the same. Kind of reminds me of the crap my grandmother used to send me (before I put her on my blocked list just so my inbox wouldn't be flooded with that crap). Everything she sent was either go christianity or go republican. Myself being an agnostic and neither democrat or republican I found both to be bothersome on such a regularly occurring basis. Only thing is every email she sent me was blatently biased and contradicted itself at least 5 times over. Oh, and one more thing. I can see the religious debate brewing right now.

The ancient Romans and Greeks worshipped Gods... we call them crazy to worship their individual Gods because there can only be one. The Aztecz, Incas, and Mayas all worshipped individual Gods as well... we called them crazy becuase they would sacrafice people for their Gods... Bhuddists (Sp??) worship Bhudda... and they believe the best thing to be reincarnated as is a frikkin cow.... we call them crazy... Muslims pray to Alah (once again sp?)... we call them crazy to pray 10 times a day with their little rugs and all their bowing.... I say you're all crazy. I just try to live the best life that I can so that when I die I will go to whatever heaven there is......... if there is one. Just my two cents. I liked the story though because it could somewhat be true. People are entitled to their individual beliefs as well and I respect everyones beliefs.

Originally Posted by: HammurabiIf you pick up a gun and shoot someone it's not the bullet's fault, it's yours. The bad things people do that god created the inevitability of are god's fault.

So kind of like how tobbacco farmers are responsible for cigarette smokers?

Originally Posted by: aschleman. I just try to live the best life that I can so that when I die I will go to whatever heaven there is......... if there is one. Just my two cents.

I quite agree with most of that...but also,I think that their must be some sort of "divine being", because I see proof of that everywhere...I guess I have chosen to call this being God, but as to what God is, that I am not sure.
DUNNO if I only try to live the best life to go to heaven...I just try to be a nice person...well, cos I just kinda think it would be nice if we were all nice to everyone else......nice is such as **** word...and I used it so much

I believe in God and have faith that he is up there watching over us. As I believe that there is only 1 almighty God, I have to question how he is the only supreme being. How was he created? Why would only one be created? Mabey the gods that the Romans/Greeks/Amer Indians believed in are "helpers" of god, supreme disiples. Also, of course all that happens on earth and anywhere else is at God's fault. He set up a scenario to be played out, and then he creates speed bumps along the way. If you were alone and buy your self with all this power, you wouldn't do the same thing?

Originally Posted by: aschlemanBhuddists (Sp??) worship Bhudda... and they believe the best thing to be reincarnated as is a frikkin cow....

You're thinking of Hindus. And I don't think that it's that it's the "best" thing to be reincarnated as a cow, but it's simply one of the things we are reincarnated as after being humans.

Bhuddists believe that we are reincarnated as humans until we reach enligtenment at which point we ascend to a higher plane of existence (Nirvana).

I know religion is a very touchy subject, but I am gonna go ahead and give my opinion. There is a God, the thing about God is that he lets us choose whether to believe in him or not. He gives everyone the right to their own opinion and I respect everyone's as well, and hope everyone will respect mine. God lets us choose because if he forces us to believe in a god, then there is no faith involved, which is my belief as a christian is the only way to heaven, believing in Jesus. Just my opinion.

aw, you believe in me

yeah danny C. I wake up and talk to a God i cannot see, hear or touch but still i just know he exists. There is no proof scientifically, its something that has to be experienced personally. As danny said, we do have a choice of whether to believe or not and we aren't forced.

If there was a god, he'd make sure I didn't have dry spells. And by dry I mean... thirsty *cough*.

The irony here for me is that just earlier today I watched Penn & Teller's Bull**** episode on the bible.

Originally Posted by: Jolly McJollysonSo kind of like how tobbacco farmers are responsible for cigarette smokers?

No. Not even close.

Originally Posted by: HammurabiNo. Not even close.

really? Because it sounded EXACTLY the same.

"Even satan believes in Christ......." he just doesn't worship Him.

The end times must be near because satan is setting up his army to fight the fight to end all fights because his time is near to be finally defeated.

"Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!"

The forums are filling up threads with believers and non-believers all of the sudden. Something is brewing. What could it be.........................