Obvious That God Exists?

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='stevil' timestamp='1307534246' post='2251205']
I am assuming that for you hospitals, universities, international law and human rights are proof of god, not man made things.
[/quote]
Hospitals started when christians followed the commandments [ of God] to love one and other and care for the sick and dying.
Universities came about groups of people gathered to be educated for the priesthood.
Human rights ( and therefore the concept of International law ) came about when the Spanish theologians objected to the ruthless treatment of the peoples of the New World.
All were inspired by Church teachings inspired byGod.

[mortify]

[quote name='xSilverPhinx' timestamp='1307330083' post='2250322']
In another discussion Amppax wrote the following:
I found this to be intriguing, especially since, to me it is not obvious that god exists. I'm curious to know what your thoughts on this is. [/quote]

God's existence is not self evident, but with some reflection it is knowable.
[quote]
So...what is God?
[/quote]

Infinite Existence

[AccountDeleted]

[quote name='xSilverPhinx' timestamp='1307330083' post='2250322']
In another discussion Amppax wrote the following:



I found this to be intriguing, especially since, to me it is not obvious that god exists. I'm curious to know what your thoughts on this is.

So...what is God?
[/quote]

God isn't a 'what' to me. God is a 'who'.

It's pretty obvious to me that you exist through your interactions here. It's pretty obvious to me that God exists through His interactions with me. It isn't that difficult, but Jesus did tell us that unless you become as a little child.... well, you know the rest. You are just going to 'clever' your way into a place of no hope.

[britannia]

I'm an agnostic who would love to believe in God.

I do not believe that God is the necessary cause of the universe: just because we can't yet explain everything does not prove God. Conversely I do not think that science in any way disproves God. I don't believe that the existence of human morality proves the existence of God: it proves that human beings are remarkable

I don't believe God can be proved, because if God exists then God is going to be more unimaginably wonderful and more unimaginably complex and more unimaginably simple than all the measures of human science and philosophy can ever aspire to test.

The only mark that God (if there is a God) leaves is the perception of God which human beings have. The fact that human beings want to believe in God does not mean that there is a God. Perceiving beauty in religion and insight in scripture does not mean that there is a God. Some people think they experience God in prayer. Perhaps they do; but this is not something which can objectively be demonstrated to those of us who have not had that experience.

Likewise, the fact that I have never (yet!) experienced God does not mean that God does not exist

[Cam42]

[quote name='xSilverPhinx' timestamp='1307330083' post='2250322']
So...what is God?
[/quote]

[url="http://www.newadvent.org/summa/1002.htm"]Summa Theologica I:I:2 art. 1-3[/url]

In short, we cannot know what God is, but rather we can know what God is not.

Edited June 22, 2011 by Cam42

[Mr.Cat]

No... not that it matters to me.

[dells_of_bittersweet]

[quote name='britannia' timestamp='1308682755' post='2256887']
I'm an agnostic who would love to believe in God.

I do not believe that God is the necessary cause of the universe: just because we can't yet explain everything does not prove God. Conversely I do not think that science in any way disproves God. I don't believe that the existence of human morality proves the existence of God: it proves that human beings are remarkable

I don't believe God can be proved, because if God exists then God is going to be more unimaginably wonderful and more unimaginably complex and more unimaginably simple than all the measures of human science and philosophy can ever aspire to test.

The only mark that God (if there is a God) leaves is the perception of God which human beings have. The fact that human beings want to believe in God does not mean that there is a God. Perceiving beauty in religion and insight in scripture does not mean that there is a God. Some people think they experience God in prayer. Perhaps they do; but this is not something which can objectively be demonstrated to those of us who have not had that experience.

Likewise, the fact that I have never (yet!) experienced God does not mean that God does not exist




[/quote]

Does the Resurrection prove the existence of God to you?

[mortify]

[quote name='britannia' timestamp='1308682755' post='2256887']
The only mark that God (if there is a God) leaves is the perception of God which human beings have. The fact that human beings want to believe in God does not mean that there is a God. Perceiving beauty in religion and insight in scripture does not mean that there is a God. Some people think they experience God in prayer. Perhaps they do; but this is not something which can objectively be demonstrated to those of us who have not had that experience.[/quote]

Humans want to believe in God. But why? If something exists in us that need not exist, there must be a reason why it's there. I too was an atheist, and not merely an atheist, but a nihilist, i.e. I didn't say, "I don't think there is a god" rather, I said, "There is NOTHING!" What's strange, and I didn't notice how mysterious it was at the time, that there were moments where I would gaze out my window and simply, "There must be a God!" Ha! How interesting we are! The reality is we are built for God, it is in our nature to seek what is beyond us. Just like it is our nature to seek water, and thus we thirst, and to seek food, and thus we hunger. Notice that thirst and hunger lead us to realities. That is, we have a desire and it can actually be fulfilled. Now, you recognize a desire in yourself about God. You WANT to believe. Dont you realize that this reflects a supernatural need that can only be fulfilled by a supernatural reality?

Friend, make it easy on yourself. Try faith out some time, it'll do you no harm. Don't worry about which religion to choose, or which book to read. Just believe! Talk to this god every now and then, seeing if it even is listening, and see where it takes you.

What's to lose? Not like you're charged by the hour!

[xSilverPhinx]

[quote name='mortify' timestamp='1308981307' post='2258480']
Humans want to believe in God. But why? If something exists in us that need not exist, there must be a reason why it's there. I too was an atheist, and not merely an atheist, but a nihilist, i.e. I didn't say, "I don't think there is a god" rather, I said, "There is NOTHING!" What's strange, and I didn't notice how mysterious it was at the time, that there were moments where I would gaze out my window and simply, "There must be a God!" Ha! How interesting we are! The reality is we are built for God, it is in our nature to seek what is beyond us. Just like it is our nature to seek water, and thus we thirst, and to seek food, and thus we hunger. Notice that thirst and hunger lead us to realities. That is, we have a desire and it can actually be fulfilled. Now, you recognize a desire in yourself about God. You WANT to believe. Dont you realize that this reflects a supernatural need that can only be fulfilled by a supernatural reality?

Friend, make it easy on yourself. Try faith out some time, it'll do you no harm. Don't worry about which religion to choose, or which book to read. Just believe! Talk to this god every now and then, seeing if it even is listening, and see where it takes you.

What's to lose? Not like you're charged by the hour!
[/quote]

I'm curious, were you an deconverted atheist who then reconverted or were you always one before you came to the conclusion that there is a god?