Is there a God?

[percival]

Of course!

Check out this exhaustive list.



518. THE X-FILES ARGUMENT

1) The truth is out there.
2) God is the truth.
3) Ergo, God is out there.
4) Therefore, God exists.

436. ARGUMENT FROM I WAS A SICK SON OF A BITCH

1) When I was an atheist, I smoked crack, robbed gas stations, raped prostitutes, and stole candy from babies.
2) When I found Jesus, I stopped doing that stuff.
3) Therefore, God exists.

408. ARGUMENT FROM INTUITION

1) Democritus, and the writers of creation myths, and correct intuitions that there are atoms, and the world had not existed forever, respectively.
2) Therefore, intuition in general is reliable.
3) My intuition tells me that God exists.
4) Therefore, God exists.


409. ARGUMENT FROM LACK OF AN ARGUMENT (I)

1) Well . . .
2) Um . . .
3) You see . . .
4) Um . . .
5) Therefore, God exists.

37. ARGUMENT FROM SHEER WILL

(1) I DO believe in God! I DO believe in God! I do I do I do I DO believe in God!
(2) Therefore, God exists.


38. ARGUMENT FROM NONBELIEF

(1) The majority of the world's population are nonbelievers in Christianity.
(2) This is just what Satan intended.
(3) Therefore, God exists.


39. ARGUMENT FROM POST-DEATH EXPERIENCE

(1) Person X died an atheist.
(2) He now realizes his mistake.
(3) Therefore, God exists.


40. ARGUMENT FROM EMOTIONAL BLACKMAIL

(1) God loves you.
(2) How could you be so heartless to not believe in Him?
(3) Therefore, God exists.



For the record, I do believe that God exists, but I also know that I will never be able to prove it.

Comments

[chrysantza.livejournal.com]

Some of those "proofs" just made me laugh. Is it me or is there a lot of question-begging going on?

For the record, I do believe that God exists, but I also know that I will never be able to prove it.


I agree with you. I have the requisite Gary Zukav and Fritjof Capra and Jane Roberts and M. Scott Peck and Huston Smith and...I don't want to give you a list, but there are plenty of "intellectual theology" type books on my shelf, as well as "Science Meets God." To me, they make vastly interesting reading and provoke much thought.

Still and all, I believe that the "existence of God" or non-existence is something we puny humans will not ever be able to prove. It's not on the same level as, say, "proving" that King Arthur existed or "proving" that matriarchal societies did or did not exist. God is the Ultimate Mystery. It says more about us, as humans or maybe our Enlightenment-based Western culture, that we have this lust for "proof" rather than just accepting that there are things we might never, ever, be able to prove. We also have a need for getting that definitive "proof" and waving it at the other side and saying "nanny-nanny-boo-boo, I'm right and you're wrong." (Sort of like R/H vs. H/H shipwars on a much more grand scale.)

[scieppan.livejournal.com]

Still and all, I believe that the "existence of God" or non-existence is something we puny humans will not ever be able to prove.

I guess that's why they call it faith.

Strangely enough, one of the paths that led me to believe that there is a God is reading Contact by Carl Sagan, and visiting Alaska.

My favorite reason - #483 (Argument from Legolas). Amen, sistah!

[murasaki99.livejournal.com]

I would agree God exists, but proof (beyond existance itself) is a little beyond the ken of most humans. Interesting to note that Buddha himself didn't stress over the existance/nonexistance of God, he simply wanted everyone to 'awake' and remove themselves from the endless round of reincarnation. And perhaps since following the Way produces better humans, he might have assumed that God or no God, helping people live decent lives was A Good Thing.

[swampfaye.livejournal.com]

Can I recommend a book to you? I know you are in the UK but I started reading this book and it's FABULOUS - it's called Searching for God In America

It has a lot of interview with American Clergy of all types and all the insight on God is absolutely divine! I adore this book, I've started reading it (only read the prologue and introduction, but now I'm on the first section) and I'm addicted! You can get it cheap, and I highly recommend it.