Faith and reason

[Gary Childress]

I was going to some local non-denominational churches. Some of the people there are somewhat new to Christianity from what I gather. There are also people who seem very informed on the Bible who claim that anything outside of Jesus is sacrilege. I mean, the Bible itself claims that only through Jesus does one make it to heaven and that anyone who doesn't "accept" Jesus as their savior get's the pearly gates (or whatever) slammed in their face.

Most of the churches I have attended are protestant and probably lean toward a 'fundamental' teaching of the Bible, looking at it word for word and interpreting it as sacrosanct. Are you sure the God you worship is accurately outlined in the Bible? Maybe you're in connection with the 'real' God and the 'real' God is something different?

I don't worship God.
I try my best to love the entity and respect it though.

There is nothing in the Bible literally commanding us to worship God, although Jesus states it Matthew 4:10, but that is where Satan wanted worship and Jesus being angry stated only Lord your God should be worshipped.


God is God....PANREALITY perhaps panetheism is more accurate, but all I am certain of is that God has the ultimate control over ALL of our reality (including what goes on in our brain, our grey matter)

You mean that basement-dwelling nerd who is controlling the program we are characters in..

I suppose we could maybe be pawns in some nerd/uber-IT freak's program. But if that is "reality", then what is the "reality" beyond us that contains the "basement dwelling nerd". Who or what created the basement-dwelling nerd? Is it possible that there is an overbearing uber-God above him?

[attofishpi]

You mean that basement-dwelling nerd who is controlling the program we are characters in..

Could be, I can't rule it out as a possibility, but I very much doubt it.

[Veritas Aequitas]

Faith and reason are mutually exclusive as faith becomes meaningless if there is a reason for God. God however said in Hebrews 11:6: "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." This means that there is no reason for the existence of God.

Faith and reason are inversely proportional;

Faith...- 0.1%..to 100%
Reason.- 100% to O.1%

What is mutually exclusive is empiricism and theism.
Both has elements of faith and reason in different degrees.

God can be believed both by 100% faith or 100% reason, or in combination, but the resultant God cannot be empirically real to the extent of answering prayers, create the universe or whatever humans think God is.

[vegetariantaxidermy]

I don't worship God.
I try my best to love the entity and respect it though.

There is nothing in the Bible literally commanding us to worship God, although Jesus states it Matthew 4:10, but that is where Satan wanted worship and Jesus being angry stated only Lord your God should be worshipped.


God is God....PANREALITY perhaps panetheism is more accurate, but all I am certain of is that God has the ultimate control over ALL of our reality (including what goes on in our brain, our grey matter)

You mean that basement-dwelling nerd who is controlling the program we are characters in..

I suppose we could maybe be pawns in some nerd/uber-IT freak's program. But if that is "reality", then what is the "reality" beyond us that contains the "basement dwelling nerd". Who or what created the basement-dwelling nerd? Is it possible that there is an overbearing uber-God above him?

Another basement-dwelling nerd, and on it goes-- to infinity!

[Gary Childress]

You mean that basement-dwelling nerd who is controlling the program we are characters in..

I suppose we could maybe be pawns in some nerd/uber-IT freak's program. But if that is "reality", then what is the "reality" beyond us that contains the "basement dwelling nerd". Who or what created the basement-dwelling nerd? Is it possible that there is an overbearing uber-God above him?

Another basement-dwelling nerd, and on it goes-- to infinity!

Turtles all the way down!!!!

[vegetariantaxidermy]

I suppose we could maybe be pawns in some nerd/uber-IT freak's program. But if that is "reality", then what is the "reality" beyond us that contains the "basement dwelling nerd". Who or what created the basement-dwelling nerd? Is it possible that there is an overbearing uber-God above him?

Another basement-dwelling nerd, and on it goes-- to infinity!

Turtles all the way down!!!!

Or you could be a Boltzmann brain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtlWS9TaCnQ

[attofishpi]

Another basement-dwelling nerd, and on it goes-- to infinity!

Turtles all the way down!!!!

Or you could be a Boltzmann brain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtlWS9TaCnQ

Nah, Gary Childress is definitely a Gary Childress brain that just needs a faith adjustment.

[vegetariantaxidermy]

Turtles all the way down!!!!

Or you could be a Boltzmann brain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtlWS9TaCnQ

Nah, Gary Childress is definitely a Gary Childress brain that just needs a faith adjustment.

To make him as stupid as you are? That would be a tragedy.

[attofishpi]

Ooo that hurt.

[Age]

Faith and reason are mutually exclusive as faith becomes meaningless if there is a reason for God. God however said in Hebrews 11:6: "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." This means that there is no reason for the existence of God.

What a load of crap. Talk about non sequitur(s).

Faith and reason go hand in hand. God asks for faith for its existence to be revealed such that one no longer remains with faith only. I know God exists, and I know there must be a reason for its existence. Neither excludes the other.

Do you know what the reason is for God's existence?

If no, then just let me know, and then I will inform you.

[Age]

Faith and reason are mutually exclusive as faith becomes meaningless if there is a reason for God. God however said in Hebrews 11:6: "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." This means that there is no reason for the existence of God.

What a load of crap. Talk about non sequitur(s).

Faith and reason go hand in hand. God asks for faith for its existence to be revealed such that one no longer remains with faith only. I know God exists, and I know there must be a reason for its existence. Neither excludes the other.

I suppose it's possible that God exists (in the sense that God = that which created the universe).

And, how God is actually Creating thee Universe/thy One Self is rather really very, very simple and easy indeed.

I think the question then becomes. Who or what is "God" and is "God" what any of us imagine it to be?

God is certainly not what a lot of you imagine 'It' to be.

But, who God is; is just thee One Mind, Itself.

And, what God is; is just thee One Universe, Itself.

See, God is Creating the Universe, constantly always HERE-NOW. And, as HERE-NOW is always this 'constant-present moment' this and every 'moment' was Created by the very Thing/s the word God means and refers to, exactly.

There are various religions around the world and many don't seem to correspond completely with each other.

Just like there are many human beings around 'the world' and many 'thoughts', or 'the thinking', within them do not all correspond completely with each other. There are, however, some 'thoughts/thinking' which do correspond, completely, and/or exactly.

If there's a God, then it almost seems as if God doesn't appear to us all the same way, tell us the same things, or perhaps wants us to be very different in our perceptions of it.

But this is in Fact the very opposite of what actually happens. But there is no taking away from the irrefutable Fact that what you said just here is what 'almost seems as', well to you anyway.

As a side note, I heard it mentioned by two different people on separate occasions at the Christian groups I was going to labeling people outside of Christianity as worshipers of "demonic" entities.

Which means 'what', exactly?

I'm even less familiar with Eastern religions than I am with Mesopotamian ones. Do Eastern religions view other religions as "demonic" or worshipers of evil (or whatever "demonic" is supposed to mean)?

That would all depend on how people are brought up to 'view' others as. And, obviously, within the so-called "christian" religion there is, well at least was, a tendency to judge, and view, others who were not self-classed nor classified as "christians", as "others" and/or as 'less thans'.

As the resident "christian" within this forum shows very often.

Or is viewing alternative religious views and practices as evil maybe just a backward "redneck" or "peasant" thing?

Well it is certainly not the Right thing to do, in Life.

I'm sure every society has peasants.

How are you defining 'peasants' here, exactly?

And, if and when anyone, so-called "christian" or not, is 'judging' another as being 'demonic' or 'evil', then this is just 'for they know not what they do'.

[vegetariantaxidermy]

Ooo that hurt.

Sorry. I was trying to be as gentle and tactful as possible

[attofishpi]

Faith and reason are mutually exclusive as faith becomes meaningless if there is a reason for God. God however said in Hebrews 11:6: "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." This means that there is no reason for the existence of God.

What a load of crap. Talk about non sequitur(s).

Faith and reason go hand in hand. God asks for faith for its existence to be revealed such that one no longer remains with faith only. I know God exists, and I know there must be a reason for its existence. Neither excludes the other.

Do you know what the reason is for God's existence?

If no, then just let me know, and then I will inform you.

I don't know, please tell me Age.

[Iwannaplato]

Faith and reason are mutually exclusive as faith becomes meaningless if there is a reason for God. God however said in Hebrews 11:6: "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." This means that there is no reason for the existence of God.

If that sentence you quoted is correct. For example, no Hindu needs to care about that sentence.

How are you defining faith?

Don't we all assume things?

[attofishpi]

Faith and reason are mutually exclusive as faith becomes meaningless if there is a reason for God. God however said in Hebrews 11:6: "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." This means that there is no reason for the existence of God.

What a load of crap. Talk about non sequitur(s).

Faith and reason go hand in hand. God asks for faith for its existence to be revealed such that one no longer remains with faith only. I know God exists, and I know there must be a reason for its existence. Neither excludes the other.

Do you know what the reason is for God's existence?

If no, then just let me know, and then I will inform you.

I don't know, please tell me Age. (still waiting)