There is a God. So what?

Really depends on the god, I suppose. I am really not into worshiping any being so if it’s that kind of god, forget it…but if it’s a being that envelops me and all else into itself or its reach is farther than I can conceptualize, my little speck of a life will continue to be lived with good intentions regardless. I would ‘serve’ it, so to speak, if it gave me knowledge and I understood the purpose of my service as a positive one for people.

If there is a god, it should be worshipped for its own sake, not because of anything that it will do for me or give me like Santa Claus. If there is a god, I should live in such a way to please it, and that leaves a lot of room for debate. If there is a god that has not unmistakeably revealed itself to humans, then we should ignore it and go about our business as usual.

That’s what I say. god either exists or doesn’t exist and what any one of us believes or doesn’t believe regarding the existence of god has no bearing on what the reality actually is, so why does everyone have to get their knickers all up in a twist about it all time? If there is no god then what does it all matter? And if there is a god I have a very strong suspicion that whatever anyone anywhere has every thought about the nature of god is probably, most certainly, wrong. So people prancing around, proclaiming god is this or god is that are wasting their time, IMHO. So chill everybody.

I think I do have a more nuanced and intellectually sophisticated answer to this question in me, but tonight may not be the right night.

If you insist there is a god then it depends on what is your god? What if you do not know? Then ask yourself “how do I spend most of my time and resources?” If all your time is spent chasing the almighty dollar then money is your god and money is what you worship (hold sacred to you). If you spend all your time with charity work then charity is your god and you value self-actualization above all.

@lillycoyote Hehehe. Prancing?

@Trillian I like to use that one, don’t know why. :) For me it makes the folks go around the world proclaiming things and claiming to speak for god with absolute certainty as foolish and silly as they actually are.

Well, there will be consequences for my actions so I’ll have to stop murdering and pillaging as I please.~

@Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard You should stop that kind of thing anyway and learn to play nice, whether there is or isn’t god, if only because you live in redneck territory and “meeting your maker” may be the least of your worries. :-)

if god’s intentions are beyond comprehension, there are no conceivable consequences of your actions besides those already known.

That is a great point, and yet another reason to not believe in gods. If there are god(s), then to all intents and purposes they are irrelevant to our existence. Why would a deity create a world in which they are irrelevant? That is not a likely state of affairs in my opinion. Any deity that created humanity would likely want some sort of interaction with humanity, and since it is not readily obvious that such a deity exists, it is likely that they do not.

But what if we suck up to the god(s) in hopes of getting eternal life or a new car!?

oh wait, that’s religion :P

if there is no way to understand the relevance of god, it does not automatically follow that god has created a world where it is irrelevant. in assuming that god would likely want interaction with humanity, you are assuming intention, which is precluded in the question. therefore, you have interpreted the point to lend support to one side of the argument when it lends support to none.

@iamthemob You said it is arrogant for us to try to understand the intentions of a god, but I think it would be a gross assumption for us to not try. To assume that we would not be able to understand a god is to disqualify yourself from the race before you even know if any other athletes are faster than you. So it seems I didn’t answer your question, but I don’t agree with the premise you based it on. We should at least try to understand any god that might exist, and its potential intentions.

The god wouldn’t effect my life. If it did, it’d be a measurable effect. If it’s a measurable effect than it’d be scientifically verifiable. Since there has been no such effect, then I conclude there is no god.

However if there is a god who does not interact with my life (meaning the existence of the universe around me) then I argue that it is irrelevent.

We have free will and have an awareness of right vs wrong. Even though I believe in a higher purpose (not a literal god) we have no way of knowing what this “god” would want us to do, how to worship it or even tell us which religion (if any) is the right way. We can only try to live our lives to the best of our abilities with the intention of trying to help each other in times of good and bad.

Additional comment. I am a deist who has rejected all theology, doctrine and dogma currently available from the world’s religions and the world’s nuts as to the nature of god. I have decided that my puny, ordinary human brain is in no way qualified to describe, ascertain or fully understand with any reasonable depth let alone, with absolute certainty the true nature of god. I may have a little ace in the hole, but I am not certain. Other than that, I am relying living my life as a one of your basic, ordinary fairly decent but most certainly flawed people, that is your average ordinary human and on my belief that if there is a god, any god in order to fulfill even the most minimal definition of “superior being” would have to be, by definition, far less judgmental, merciless, petty, bureaucratic, angry, capricious and just plain nuts than the god that most religions portray. And as stated before, it really doesn’t matter what I think. God either exists or not and god’s nature and identity is either what it is or isn’t. What I or anyone else does or thinks cannot change the reality, IMHO.

I think once we have the power to create the universe, or actually understand what the hell happened at time 0, then we can perhaps begin to understand the intentions of a god. I personally believe in a higher power, but one that hit the start button and sat back and relaxed to watch how everything would unfold. A rather hands off god if you will. Who is probably amused by puny humans and other “intelligent” life bickering about whether or not there is a higher power or if this were all because of random chance. Then again, being a puny human, and in the eyes of some an immature teenager, how the hell would I know what a superior being is thinking, planning, doing, or even if one exists. I’ll keep my “silly” faith in a “god” and when we all die, perhaps we’ll get an answer, but then again, we’re all human, it’d be silly to declare being 100% sure that there is or isn’t a god. To think that we know everything, or most things, or even a significant amount of things is a pitiful and arrogant train of thought to have (that’s my opinion). “The one thing I know is that I know nothing,” I think there is quite a bit of truth behind that.

I’m not a deist, obviously, but I basically agree with @lillycoyote point of view.

Cool….looks like I am good to go, then. I mean, I never ruled out the possibility but at the same time, I never predicated any of my thoughts or actions on a god’s existence and I believe I have been and shall continue to be honorable and good, compassionate and respectful without knowingly or intentionally harming another. And, I’ve never been hung up with what might or might not happen following life as we know it. I always figured the way I lived my life would be as acceptable to a god as it was and is to me. Perhaps that makes me my own god, not inconsistent with the religious folk who claim god is within us. So, assuming you are cool with me having my say and carrying on, see ya…...Gary/wtf
identical response to the question “There is no god, so what?”

Good Lord! What is with all these religious questions lately. I blink and here is another one. I believe is God. I love the fact( it is a fact to me because I believe) I will go to heaven when I die and see my family. I love the fact of Angels. It help and guides me to be a better person. It gives me hope . I have someone to turn to in prayer.

@Frenchfry Whatever makes you feel comfortable. You could believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster for all I care, as long as it makes you happy and you don’t try to “evangelize” or judge.

@Frenchfry I am no bible thumper or Jehovah Witness. I don’t even go to church. I just believe . I hardly ever bring the subject of religion up. If asked I will say I believe.

@Frenchfry Sorry if I offended you, thanks for responding :)

p.s. My name is @arp, not @frenchfry. @frenchfry is you ;)

He does provide an instruction book, the Bible!

@BoBo1946 Firstly, that didn’t at all answer the question. Secondly, that book has much more simplistic fairy-tales with thinly veiled implications than actual moral lessons. “Dont wear linen and wool knit together because I told you so” ;)

Hardly an instruction book, in my opinion.

@Arp well congratulations! I’m proud to be tuned up this early in the morning. You made my day. Lurves to you for the love.

Do you really think that god would give us an instruction book for how to live, when learning in any case is better when you’re left to do it on your own?

@BoBo1946 It is noon here :x

:)))

Finding the answers and the mysteries is the adventure of life. The answers are there and they are for everyone. If there is a God and I believe there is though not anything like anyone has stated here or in all the other religious or otherwise questions. Here is one of his so called statements. “This is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man”.

@Arp Yeah! I got it right. No problem.

@Frenchfry did you read the comment to me…loll amazing!

Yeah if there is some god I don’t get him. So I’ll just live as I see fit, and if he doesn’t like it, well send me to hell then, I guess. What can I say?

I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn’t work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.

Either you believe in Him or Not and carry on. Don’t stop others .