I'm sick of politics. Let's discuss religion.

[BoatBuoy]

Re: I'm sick of politics. Let's discuss religion.

Was there any gods before mankind inhabited the earth.
If so who was the first?

Now there's a question that directly addresses the abstract concept. Good one PJ.

 

[12Footer]

Re: I'm sick of politics. Let's discuss religion.

I have a question
Was there any gods before mankind inhabited the earth.
If so who was the first?

In the beginning, God was bored, so he created the mother of all firecrackers.
On the first day, he created a big match and lit it's fuse.
Today, scientists call that the "big bang"..... I wish he had created man first -- in particular ME, because i would've enjoyed seeing that.

 

[rolmops]

Re: I'm sick of politics. Let's discuss religion.

Was there any gods before mankind inhabited the earth.
If so who was the first?

Now there's a question that directly addresses the abstract concept. Good one PJ.

You just gave the chicken and the egg question a whole new dimension

 

[crunch]

Re: I'm sick of politics. Let's discuss religion.

Was there any gods before mankind inhabited the earth.
If so who was the first?

Now there's a question that directly addresses the abstract concept. Good one PJ.

You just gave the chicken and the egg question a whole new dimension

Not if you believe in what the Bible teaches...

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: I'm sick of politics. Let's discuss religion.

12footer i would have liked to have seen that also but only becouse i like astronomy.

 

[QC]

Re: I'm sick of politics. Let's discuss religion.

What rolmops says is very true and important though. Religion is the teachings and direction. I like to call it a compass, and I am reminded every time I see Pointer's avatar. I don't really care what you believe about creation or a creator (although that is another great topic), but I do care that we all choose to follow a set of rules; most established sets are reasonable. Believing those rules to be greater than us is important, but not required. Following them is required IMHO; if not it is every man's for himself. Sorta like every man for himself only different . . . a more scary, justified version.

Before dismissing this concept out of hand, think about it. If you don't subscribe to a set of rules, then you have basically determined that your view and perspective are all that matters. Pretty narcissistic if you ask me . . .

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: I'm sick of politics. Let's discuss religion.

I agree with you QC we all need a set of rules to help guid civilization and we must beleave that these rules will protect us,our familys,our countrys and the world.
These rules came from the great thinkers of past and present.Thay also came from many religons and non religon points of veiw.
I gess my biggest problem is most religons think there god is the only one and the great creator of everything we have and know.So whos #1?
just my two bits

 

[technostingray]

Re: I'm sick of politics. Let's discuss religion.

Not if you believe in what the Bible teaches...

So believing is seeing? Now there is an abstract concept. You need to change your handle to Fence Jumper or Mirror, Mirror, perhaps big chief two in face.

 

[crunch]

Re: I'm sick of politics. Let's discuss religion.

Not if you believe in what the Bible teaches...


There is no "I" in "you".

 

[samsam]

Re: I'm sick of politics. Let's discuss religion.

Was there any gods before mankind inhabited the earth.
If so who was the first?[/quote]

Now there's a question that directly addresses the abstract concept. Good one PJ.

[/quote]

You just gave the chicken and the egg question a whole new dimension

[/quote]

Sorry, I can't pass it up...

The chicken probably came before the egg because it is hard to imagine God wanting to sit on an egg.
-unknown

 

[rolmops]

Re: I'm sick of politics. Let's discuss religion.

Samsam,your comments fail to intellectually stimulate me

 

[samsam]

Re: I'm sick of politics. Let's discuss religion.

I have a question
Was there any gods before mankind inhabited the earth.
If so who was the first?

No.
If you believe the bible, God created heaven and earth so there couldn't be any others. To even contemplate others is setting yourself up to be smitten into a smoking heap.
If you're sensible, you realize that man created God. So either way, there were no others before man.

 

[samsam]

Re: I'm sick of politics. Let's discuss religion.

Samsam,your comments fail to intellectually stimulate me

If that's so, then why do you reply?

 

[rolmops]

Re: I'm sick of politics. Let's discuss religion.

I have a question
Was there any gods before mankind inhabited the earth.
If so who was the first?

No.
If you believe the bible, God created heaven and earth so there couldn't be any others. To even contemplate others is setting yourself up to be smitten into a smoking heap.
If you're sensible, you realize that man created God. So either way, there were no others before man.

If you are really sensible,you will have to admit that you do not have the slightest idea what G-d is because the very concept is far beyond our limited capabilities to even begin to imagine.
The bible is only one attempt to humanize the concept and thereby draw it within our sphere of understanding.
On a personal note.
If you look at a drawing of an atom with electrons flying around it and then look at a solar system, we see a repetition of the same concept.Atoms make up everything in our body.
Maybe solar systems are only the tiniest part of a much greater being. I sometimes think of that when I wonder what G-d is all about.
If that makes you feel really small,you might be on your way to a better understanding.

 

[QC]

Re: I'm sick of politics. Let's discuss religion.

rolmops,

I am curious if you have ever read any Gerald Schroeder? I haven't, but he's on my short list . . .

http://www.geraldschroeder.com/

samsam,

I think this may also be a good place for you to do some research. BTW, IMHO it takes as much faith or more to believe that we poofed out of nothing . . .

 

[rolmops]

Re: I'm sick of politics. Let's discuss religion.

I did read a bit here and there about his theories.He edges a bit too far toward "intelligent design" for my taste,but he is certainly extremely interesting.
My ideas about this cosmic being, we may all be part of, are my own creation and are not based on anything but my own ideas.I do not want to try and research it out of fear for trying to make sense out of a beautiful mystery.

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: I'm sick of politics. Let's discuss religion.

rolmops ive often thought about that theory.We could be just part of some ones table or a rock in the yard but think of posibilty that if the atoms that make up us and every thing around us were solar systems of a sort.The posibility of micro life forms.Im a firm beleaver that there has to be other life forms in outer space.
QC I like Darwins theory.

 

[samsam]

Re: I'm sick of politics. Let's discuss religion.

I have a question
Was there any gods before mankind inhabited the earth.
If so who was the first?

No.
If you believe the bible, God created heaven and earth so there couldn't be any others. To even contemplate others is setting yourself up to be smitten into a smoking heap.
If you're sensible, you realize that man created God. So either way, there were no others before man.

If you are really sensible,you will have to admit that you do not have the slightest idea what G-d is because the very concept is far beyond our limited capabilities to even begin to imagine.
The bible is only one attempt to humanize the concept and thereby draw it within our sphere of understanding.
On a personal note.
If you look at a drawing of an atom with electrons flying around it and then look at a solar system, we see a repetition of the same concept.Atoms make up everything in our body.
Maybe solar systems are only the tiniest part of a much greater being. I sometimes think of that when I wonder what G-d is all about.
If that makes you feel really small,you might be on your way to a better understanding.

There really is no way to argue this sort of stuff reasonably, as reason has to be suspended to believe. What, is it a sin to type 'God' with an o? Talking about circles, if it's so far beyond 'our' limited capabilities to even begin to imagine the concept, how can we be talking about it? I can't help it if you can't imagine the concept, but I can and I think it's preposterous. I don't remember the order, but the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus and God all went with the past. I sure miss Santa.
I came to not belive in a God(s) all by myself, nobody taught me that. Everybody said the opposite, I eventually thought, I don't think so, it doesn't make any sense. The idea of religion has to be put in your head, taught, perpetuated from before earliest memories until you're brainwashed by it. Primative fears and peer pressure tend to keep it going. The fear of God keeps children in line, it also helps keep the peasants from revolting.
One thing I really wonder about is 'awareness' or 'conciousness' or the ability to 'think'. Possibly that's what you have labeled 'divine'. The ability of sacks of protoplasm to recreate is another wonderous thing. I know that's labeled a miracle by most. Me, I just wonder about it.

 

[crunch]

Re: I'm sick of politics. Let's discuss religion.

Samsam,your comments fail to intellectually stimulate me

If you look at a drawing of an atom with electrons flying around it and then look at a solar system, we see a repetition of the same concept.

You must be looking at a drawing of a Hydrogen atom, (one Proton (the sun) and one electron (the planet) circling the proton) any other element will look much different.

For instance, the second element on the periodic table is helium. It has 2 neutrons and 2 protons as the nucleus, (that would be 4 suns REAL close together) with 2 electrons orbiting in "shells" not in the ecliptic as solar systems do. The 238th element would really disprove that.

Sorry to burst your bubble, I too thought of the same linkage when I was kid, but a bit of knowledge disabuse me of that notion.

When you get a sound, scientific grounding on how the universe is built , you realize how lame the "religious" explanation is... and if you really, really understand a small piece of it, the more sure you are that there really is a God, we just don't have a clue of who he/she or it is, or the goal

 

[QC]

Re: I'm sick of politics. Let's discuss religion.

QC I like Darwins theory.

Ahh, but young puddle jumpa (said like Grasshoppa), evolution was created, next question . . .