Bill Bond, Bonita Springs
Glad you asked
E.L Bud Ruff asks "Where is God?"
God is here, believe it or not, consoling us and answering our fervent pleas for personal help.
Just ask Him and He will reply.
(But, sometimes He will say "no").
Theologically speaking, God does not "control" us human beings, who have been given the divine gift of free will and so we can do whatever we want.
Unfortunately, we have often chosen evil, which is why there was the Holocaust, why there still are abortions, and, lamentably, religious wars, both Christian and non-Christian. It's also why millions die yearly from disease and starvation which human intervention could eliminate or at least sharply reduce.
The Almighty hasn't confided in me (and I don't think He ever will!) on why there are hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis and other natural disasters.
My own personal, very uneducated guess is that, after creating the very rigid physical laws of nature, He also gave it its own unique form of "free will" so that occasionally things in nature, maybe even involuntarily, slip out of control (plus, man-made pollution, global warming etc., adds to the dire situation).
So, yes, Bud, God is here and will continue to be here for the rest of the universe's natural existence and, more importantly, then for all eternity.
Collier County arrests 05-23-2012
Collier County arrests 05-22-2012
Editorial Cartoons: May 23, 2012
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 14
RobinofLocksley writes:
EVOLUTION, FEAR & RELIGION
Belief in religion is based on the concept of a shared consciousness or spiritual connection with a supernatural being. But there is no documented scientific proof of god. The only accurate way to understand nature is through the knowledge of science.
The only shared consciousness that humans have is 6 billion years of DNA evolution. For most of the 6 billion years we were rodent sized mammals
living in constant "fear of death" of being eaten by snakes and large cats.
2 million years ago our brains evolved to modern human consciousness.
Now when we experience a life threatening "fear of death" trauma, the emotional stress overwhelms our nervous system, causing our consciousness to imagine a relief from the stress through "wish fulfillment".
This "wish fulfillment" is our belief in religion and spirituality, which is a result of 6 billion years of the subconscious "fear of death".
This concept of the subconscious "fear of death" as the basis for our belief in religion and spirituality is not acceptable in the world we live in.
There is no god or spirituality. Only through the knowledge of science can we understand our 6 billion year subconscious "fear of death".
Arushure writes:
> For most of the 6 billion years we were rodent sized mammals
No, for most of the last 6B years, we didn't exist (nor did any other mammals, who are a rather recent type of living thing). For that matter, the earth itself didn't exist 6B years ago, although the universe has been around for over 13B years.
Other than that, agreed that if there were no death there would be little excuse for inventing religion.
dano5100 writes:
I have read your scholarly treatise with interest but I missed the part about WHY we are here.
pmz writes:
I thought that the LTTE was a good description of how the writer invests his Faith. His choice as far as I'm concerned. He obviously draws comfort from what he chooses to believe. Far be it from me to interfere in his peace.
Pragmatic1 writes:
Since you have positioned yourself as an expert, two questions ....
1. Would religion be better off without the church?
2. Who created God?
Nina6520 writes:
Mr. Bond, this has to be your most desperate and pathetic attempt so far to convince yourself and others that God exists. Even while admitting that tragic and vile things happen to people, you cling to the notion of a loving God who will answer prayers! Don't you think the Jews prayed even as they were being herded, naked and terrified, into the gas chambers? Don't you think parents in Somalia pray as they watch their children starve to death?
You say God will be around for all eternity after the end of the universe. What, exactly, will he be doing? And what, exactly, will have been the point of all the suffering? You make it sound like life on earth has been some sort of entertainment for God, and when he gets bored with it he'll just end it and find something else to do.
Intelligent people know that religion is pure superstition. Thought through seriously, the idea of eternal life is abhorrant. The fact that life is finite is what gives it meaning, and if people truly believe the next life will be better, why cling so desperately to this one?
If God is so powerful and so desperate to be worshipped, why not just smite all non-believers like me and be done with it? So much simpler than sending your son to be crucified or calling men to the cloth so they can spread The Word. Why do we have to seek the Lord - he could show himself and end all speculation.
Man invented God, not the other way around. Fortunately, more and more people are starting to realize truth.
anicou writes:
Excellent post Nina! Lately, I was asking myself a lot of questions about God and sadly I couldn't find one positive answer about his existence.
Nina6520 writes:
Hi anicou, I've missed chatting with you. I really don't like this new forum format - I'm sure I'm missing lots of interesting posts from people I admire.
I'm glad to hear you have been asking questions about God. We should question everything and base our conclusions on logic and evidence.
I do not believe an omnipotent and merciful God would allow so much evil and suffering. If he has the power to stop it and does not, then he is not merciful.
If I am being raped and murdered and I pray to God to let me live, according to Bill Bond's 'logic', I must die because the murderer is exercising his free will.
What rubbish.
American_by_Choice writes:
Given the evidence demonstrated through this 'contribution'; with regard to "... our brains evolved to modern human consciousness." if there's any truth to your thesis, then appears that there's devolution has now set upon the species.
Pray tell Robbinoflocksley does one find within your reasoning, the evidence that 'there is no God'?
You merely run through a thumbnail explanation of human history, with massive gaps in that would-be account, then leap to conclude that, apparently by virtue of the account itself... God does not exist.
Where's the BEEF? You seem to feel that because your theory accounts for mankind as having evolved from lower forms of life, that this rules out any potential for God.
The problem is that, in terms of valid reasoning, your conclusion does not follow from the premise...
Needs work.
EPIC FAIL!
But tell you what, you work out the massive leaps in reasoning, and get back to us.
American_by_Choice writes:
LOL...
"We should question everything and base our conclusions on logic and evidence."
Which of course requires one to understand the meaning of "Logic" and "Evidence", before we can begin to question with regard to those guiding terms.
Logic is the study which seeks to identify, recognize and apply natural principles which relate to the structural processes of reasoning which assure validity in reasoning, essential to the determination of truth.
Evidence is the body of facts applied in the consideration in the search for the truth.
Your 'contribution' provides little evidence of either...
God endowed you with life; thus that life is yours and exists on no less an authority than Nature's supreme authority; therefore no lessor authority can rightfully bring harm to, or take that life, without a sound moral justification; which without exception requires that you were an unjustifiable and imminent threat to another's life.
The only appropriate prayer under such terms as you've presented is for God to give you the strength to destroy that life which threatens the gift he endowed to you, thus in so doing set upon you the duty to defend.
In short, where one is intent upon destroying your innocent life, it would fall to the offender to send futile prayers for God to spare them from the wrath he set upon them, for their unjustifiable actions...
Understand?
Now, if you people can NOT understand these simple principles, you should at least pray for the strength of character to avoid engaging discussions wherein such requires nothing less.
See THE SOLUTION...
Nina6520 writes:
More convoluted claptrap from ABC.
It is not up to Atheists to prove that there is no God. We're not the ones going around telling other people to beleive in something they can not see, hear, touch or feel. Furthermore, we are not the ones blackmailing others with threats of eternal suffering if they do not believe.
If you cannot understand this simple fact, that is because you are brainwashed and irrational.
anicou writes:
You are not the only one Nina who doesn't care about the new format forum.
We still have the old one which time to time is`appearing, but not too many of the old bloggers are showing up lately.
About the religion, I also ask myself why are so many good people suffering and so many bad ones getting away with murder.
I was in Catholic boarding school with nuns at the young age of 6 until 19.
My grand parents were very religious and one thing I did like with being them such believers is they never had a fear of dying. They believed in God taking them with the angels in a peaceful paradise. So, this is the nice part of it.
Unfortunately, after seeing so much misery and unfairness in my life, I became more and more skeptical about the existence of God.
There is no evidence of a God who rewards the good people and punishes the bad ones.
But, but... there must be someone in power somewhere who created this world and Adam and Eve.
Such a mystery of the creation.
Ironbutterfly writes:
I understand the simple fact your mind must be very weak to believe people are trying to harm and blackmail you into having faith.
I for one have more faith in a God I can't see than a person who refuses to see anything but their own flawed reasoning.
Nina6520 writes:
I see, my reasoning is flawed, but yours cannot possibly be. Is that how it is?
If you don't think it's blackmail to tell children they will burn in hell for all eternity if they don't believe, then you are, quite literally, blinded by faith.
My IQ is in the top 6 percentile. So much for me having a weak mind.
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