WHY is there a god?

[graceinspace]

WHY there should be a god? WHY? To make me feel good? To protect me? From what? And why should this god protect me anyway? So I don't die? That is ludicrous; of course I will die some day! Does god exist to create a world for me to live in? Didn't the omnipotent god realize that I would make a mess of the world some day? Kill off so many of the world's other inhabitants? Why doesn't god protect the deer and the snowy owl, too? Am I simply part of god's "ant farm"? God's plaything?

[graceinspace]

habiba, I know that air is around me because I also know when it is not around me; that is, there is a definite effect when breathable air is present or not; namely, I can or cannot breathe. I do not think this is analogous to the presence of a god, as I cannot tell whether he is around or not! You may answer by saying that god is always with me, hence, I will not notice the change that would occur should he depart, however, that is not a very good argument. The presence of the air around me can be nicely explained scientifically by examining models of plant growth that simulate plant growth patterns that occured millenia ago. This plant life ingested (?) carbon monoxide, (a plentiful gas present on the planet long ago, as can be demonstrated by examining the earth's strata that corresponds to the relevent time-frame) then returned oxygen as a by-product, very rapidly raising oxygen levels on the planet to an impressive 21%, leading to the existence of various life forms that could tolerate air that contained that level. Many, many species of creatures died as a result of this increase in oxygen, by the way, as oxygen is a corrosive. The study of physical geography makes this plain. Now you may say that all this did indeed occur, but by god's design. Why? And really, the question is : why do we all buy into the idea of god when science already explains the presence of the air I breathe?

[RevShirls]

habiba,I respect your views although I don't necessarily share all of them. The problem was that you claimed the Koran contained the truth and Punky claimed the Bible contained the truth. Either you are both right, one of you is right, or neither of you is right. I have a problem with people claiming that there is "absolute truth". I can accept that we, as individuals, have certain things/beliefs that we consider to be true/the truth. They are true for us - that doesn't mean that they are absolute truths. The famous philosopher of science, Karl Popper, once said that "truth is not manifest". If it were manifest then we would all know it.

[undercovers]

gods were created to control us, religion has played a very important role in the civilising process and mankinds rapid advancement would have been impossible without it. It is a means of uniting a very large group of people towards a common goal with very few worldly benefits to the worker involved (the reward for your work happens when you die - perfect - now back to work). This process is still continuing to some extent, but we have moved beyond building castles or pyramids we now feel the need to join something almost anything because in many senses that is what we have evolved to need, this in itself is a good thing what makes religion bad is that as it is a means of control it can be subverted and used by the powerful for nafarious purposes.

[woofgang]

graceinspace, my dog may believe that I exist to feed her and take her for walks because that is what she can understand. That doesn't mean that she is right. Like God, I don't need to have a reason in order to exist, my existence is the reason for my existence.

[PunkyD20391]

Sorry, I'm not trying to scare people about going to hell. Sorry. I didn't really mean it like that. Oh, and about the whole Koran thing. I am around 14, and I had no clue at the time what that was. I'm not muslim or anything like that. I believe in the Bible, and I'm a Christian. I was just confused there for a second.

[graceinspace]

woofgang, do you really think your dog, granting it the ability to do so, would consider you a god? The dog can see, smell, and experience your presence in a fashion that is far from sublime. It is simply not a convincing analogy. But since you bring it up, who's to say that the dog would be mistaken? Maybe we all are here to service our pets! I think I have to agree with undercovers; god is used as a socializing agent.

[Closer]

Can someone please describe the proof that is all around me that god or anyone made the earth? I don't really believe in god, but I do accept that other people do and that their beliefs help them in whichever way they need. By the same token I support West Ham, and still accept that some people support Tottenham, but I certainly don't understand why. RevShirls comments are the most coherent and unbiased on this topic and graceinspace has asked a brilliant question.

[Clanad]

A major problem with providing a satisfactory answer to this question is the inability to get to an understandable "starting point". Not unlike my profession, which happens to be aviation. To answer the innocous question of "how an does an airplane fly", one has to find a beginning point that has some relevance to the questioner. A simple, adequate answer is not possible; however, having said that, whether one accepts Christianity as true or not, how does one answer the question of Jesus' empty tomb? On a more simple note, how does one explain the continuing existence of the Jewish nation? These and other "simple" questions require a basic understanding of all relgions and the uniqueness of Judaeo/Christian belief. At least that's what I think.

[graceinspace]

Really the question I posed is not that profound (I thought!) For one to say that one believes in god because the proof is all around us is not quite the answer I sought, rather, I sought to understand what function god serves in one's everyday life. So I do not wish to know GODS reason for existence, but rather individual persons reasons for believing in god. I understand that for some god serves as a support, for others god is a function of their socialization, and for yet others god has no meaning.

[graceinspace]

As it pertains to my original question, for example, I thought some people invoke god as protection: "there are no atheists in the foxholes"!; on TV at least :) I have heard lots of people appeal to god to not let them or their loved ones die (they are so grateful to god when they do not die, too, it's touching, really); and of course a few people at this forum have mentioned the wonders of this planet we inhabit: I guess they believe god created for our consumption so they think of god as "creator" anf therefore their reason for gods existence is to provide for them. Are there any other reasons out there?

[WALSHJO]

I am. I think so. I'll settle for that. God is. I believe so. It is a question of faith. I believe so. When I have prayed - what does that mean? When I have believed that I am in conversation with God I have believed that He has given me guidance which has helped me. Not only that He has helped me physically in times of illness and mentally in times of stress. But is He just a figment of my imagination or does He really exist and is He good? What does it matter if He or the belief in Him is the priority as long as I am loved and cared for or so I believe - and that is what matters as far as I am concerned.

[alawibaz]

graceinspace look around our enviromentdo you not see that every family has a head; every school has a principal; every city town has a mayor every province state has a governor and every nation has a head of state. we know that every product is the work of a producer, and that every art is the ceation of some great artist. all this is obvious yet it still does not satisfy those that hunger for knowledge and the curiosity of a man about these great things we also realise that nothing on this earth comes into being on its own we observe that the univese exits and functions in the most orderly manner, and it has survived for hundreds thosands of years. can we, then, say all this is accidental and haphazard come on what more proof do you want if you were some where standed in an island there was no one there but you go further in to explore you see a small hut with a logfire burning would you not staight away feel the existance of someones present it is god who has subjected the sea for you,and he has subjected for you as for him,all that is in the heaven and on the earth. behold; in that there are signs indeed for those who reflect man can only know him by reflection and through meditation he exit at all time and his great powers alone can provide mankind with the best possible explantion of many mystrious things in life. this is the safe way to true knowledge and spiritual in sight.before god created you and the rest of mankind our souls had seen god he asked the whole of mankind that who is your lord and we all said it is you the great one when our soul came to this world each every one but were aware of this but each and every one being individual brought up difrently this is where our test begins know we have to seek knowledge to become aware of it again and the first step is to believe in the oneness of god with true from the heart you must believe to make it work for you