Do you believe there is a GOD?

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JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,557
954
126
Originally posted by: moshquerade
Yes I do. Most people who don't believe in God seem to ask for him on their deathbed.

They are just playing the odds at that point. Afraid of dying and there being nothing else...which is pretty much the reason most people believe in god anyway.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,167
18,768
146
Originally posted by: moshquerade
Yes I do. Most people who don't believe in God seem to ask for him on their deathbed.

Sounds like another myth to me.
 

datalink7

Lifer
Jan 23, 2001
16,765
6
81
Originally posted by: Amused
Nor has anyone been able to prove there are NO god or gods.

This is because you can't prove a negative.

Which is why it is always on the onus of the person who claims something to prove their claim, not for other people to disprove their claim.
 

Descartes

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
13,968
2
0
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Originally posted by: moshquerade
Yes I do. Most people who don't believe in God seem to ask for him on their deathbed.

They are just playing the odds at that point. Afraid of dying and there being nothing else...which is pretty much the reason most people believe in god anyway.

Yes, it's something of a Pascal's Wager, and it shows an extremely weak intellect, and an even weaker resolve. That's my opinion anyway.

I'm of the opinion that decisive behavior should be derived from reason. I find those who derive from fear, or other emotions, to be quixotic and disingenuous in their actions.
 

Cdubneeddeal

Diamond Member
Oct 22, 2003
7,473
3
81
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Originally posted by: moshquerade
Yes I do. Most people who don't believe in God seem to ask for him on their deathbed.

They are just playing the odds at that point. Afraid of dying and there being nothing else...which is pretty much the reason most people believe in god anyway.

That sounds about right.

I guess that's why I don't believe in a god..i'm not scared to die. I'm scared to lose my limbs, manhood, sanity, but definately not scared to die. Go figure.

Edit. Also scared to lose my hair..which is already happening.
 

datalink7

Lifer
Jan 23, 2001
16,765
6
81
##Controlled Singularity
#TECH27
Some would ask, how could a perfect God create a universe filled
with so much that is evil. They have missed a greater conundrum:
why would a perfect God create a universe at all?
^
^ -- Sister Miriam Godwinson,
^ "But for the Grace of God"
 

Descartes

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
13,968
2
0
Originally posted by: datalink7
Originally posted by: Amused
Nor has anyone been able to prove there are NO god or gods.

This is because you can't prove a negative.

Which is why it is always on the onus of the person who claims something to prove their claim, not for other people to disprove their claim.

Unfortunately, pointing out fallacious logic as you have often does little to elicit thought from those with such belief systems. In my post just above this one I believe I've established why: The derivation of truth-value from reason (something resembling what one might call logical positivism), or from fleeting beliefs either wholly impalpable or liberally based on various theological doctrine.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,167
18,768
146
Originally posted by: datalink7
Originally posted by: Amused
Nor has anyone been able to prove there are NO god or gods.

This is because you can't prove a negative.

Which is why it is always on the onus of the person who claims something to prove their claim, not for other people to disprove their claim.

You can prove a negative.

If I were to say "there is an elephant in your fridge" you could easily prove there is not, correct?

The reason the negative, "there is no god" cannot be proven is because one cannot be in all places in the universe at the same time to prove it. Therefore making the statement, "there is no god/s" is a logically untenable position.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,167
18,768
146
Originally posted by: rayray2
The fool has said in his heart, there is no God.

-Psalm 14:1

And a car salesman will tell me I'm a fool for not buying the undercoating or extended warranty.

All sales people will tell you you're a fool for not buying. Using the bible as evidence to prove it's own claims is called "circular logic."
 

Descartes

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
13,968
2
0
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: datalink7
Originally posted by: Amused
Nor has anyone been able to prove there are NO god or gods.

This is because you can't prove a negative.

Which is why it is always on the onus of the person who claims something to prove their claim, not for other people to disprove their claim.

You can prove a negative.

If I were to say "there is an elephant in your fridge" you could easily prove there is not, correct?

The reason the negative, "there is no god" cannot be proven is because one cannot be in all places in in the universe at the same time to prove it. Therefore making the statement, "there is no god/s" is a logically untenable position.

He probably should have said, "That's proving a negative" instead of saying you can't, because as you've pointed out, you certainly can. The fallacy merely points out the illogic in an argument like the following:

"God exists unless you prove otherwise."

That's essentially proving a negative. It's on the burden of someone who posits the existence to prove it.

[edit]Also, I'm curious how being in "all places in the universe at the same time" could prove god?[/edit]
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,167
18,768
146
Originally posted by: Descartes
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: datalink7
Originally posted by: Amused
Nor has anyone been able to prove there are NO god or gods.

This is because you can't prove a negative.

Which is why it is always on the onus of the person who claims something to prove their claim, not for other people to disprove their claim.

You can prove a negative.

If I were to say "there is an elephant in your fridge" you could easily prove there is not, correct?

The reason the negative, "there is no god" cannot be proven is because one cannot be in all places in in the universe at the same time to prove it. Therefore making the statement, "there is no god/s" is a logically untenable position.

He probably should have said, "That's proving a negative" instead of saying you can't, because as you've pointed out, you certainly can. The fallacy merely points out the illogic in an argument like the following:

"God exists unless you prove otherwise."

That's essentially proving a negative. It's on the burden of someone who posits the existence to prove it.

Bingo! :)

At the same time, though, one cannot make the statement, "there is no god/s" because he is then making a claim he cannot prove either.

Therefore, the only logically tenable position is, "I do not know."
 

Descartes

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
13,968
2
0
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: Descartes
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: datalink7
Originally posted by: Amused
Nor has anyone been able to prove there are NO god or gods.

This is because you can't prove a negative.

Which is why it is always on the onus of the person who claims something to prove their claim, not for other people to disprove their claim.

You can prove a negative.

If I were to say "there is an elephant in your fridge" you could easily prove there is not, correct?

The reason the negative, "there is no god" cannot be proven is because one cannot be in all places in in the universe at the same time to prove it. Therefore making the statement, "there is no god/s" is a logically untenable position.

He probably should have said, "That's proving a negative" instead of saying you can't, because as you've pointed out, you certainly can. The fallacy merely points out the illogic in an argument like the following:

"God exists unless you prove otherwise."

That's essentially proving a negative. It's on the burden of someone who posits the existence to prove it.

Bingo! :)

At the same time, though, one cannot make the statement, "there is no god/s" because he is then making a claim he cannot prove either.

Therefore, the only logically tenable position is, "I do not know."

Precisely :D This is the position of many agnostics, but there is still another philosophy that simply suggests that such questions have no meaning. Agnosticism still allows for the possibility of its discussion, but those subscribing more to logical positivistic philosophies feel it simply has no meaning.
 

RobCur

Banned
Oct 4, 2002
3,076
0
0
the word "believe" makes me suspicious. what about I know there is a god? I know he exist?
believe whatever you want to believe is what I get from arguing with a believer since I am toward nonbeliever. our fears play trick on us and forces us to believe anything to feel safer, to feel secured, to fit in, to be part of the group. we are nevous wreck. that's why, life is crazy.
we are uncertain, we are never sure. we feel sure and definite, have faith in something feels very good!

 

dagnytaggart

Member
Dec 3, 2003
49
0
0
Originally posted by: dr150

An interesting contrast to that:

When Shackleton left with 2 people to that island off the Antarctica for help, he and his colleague independently admited that they felt as if a presence was with them, guiding them, pushing them onwards in the right direction.

Scholars have tried to duplicate what Shakleton did in his rescue attempt and all agree that it is miraculous/extremely amazing that anyone could survive such a harrowing journey.

just had to say, i love the story of shackleton!... maybe there was a higher being at work, but i think a lot of credit has to be given to shackleton himself and what kind of man/leader he was. maybe just the idea of something helping them out is what pushed them.

my sibling was taking a class on the existence of god and she learned about this experiment called the hand of god. (by the way, she said they no longer do this kind of experiment if it upsets people) so in this experiment, a rat would be put in a huge tub of water and left there until it would start to struggle and then right when it was about to drown either let it drown or reach in and pluck the rat out. Then the experiment was performed again with the rats that were saved and new rats. It was found that the rats who were saved, struggled longer than those who had had no intervention.

again, just thought it was interesting.
 

NikPreviousAcct

No Lifer
Aug 15, 2000
52,763
1
0
What gets me curious is people who see evidence of a supreme being's existence, but refuse to believe it and find some other way to justify it some other way -people who will do absolutely anything to find a reason not to believe.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,167
18,768
146
Originally posted by: Nik
What gets me curious is people who see evidence of a supreme being's existence, but refuse to believe it and find some other way to justify it some other way -people who will do absolutely anything to find a reason not to believe.

There is no evidence. That's the thing. I have yet to see one piece of empirical evidence suggesting a god or gods exist.
 

imported_JeReMY

Golden Member
Oct 10, 2004
1,576
0
0
It is impossbile for there not to be a god if you think of the way everything has been designed on earth and in space so perfectly.