Do you believe in a higher power/source - why/why not?

[Witty_Sarcasm]

I'm an agnostic so I'm not set on any answer. But I'm open minded so I'm open to lots of possibilities of what really exists in the universe.

 

[Aurelia]

I'm an agnostic so I'm not set on any answer. But I'm open minded so I'm open to lots of possibilities of what really exists in the universe.

I consider myself agnostic too. Perhaps leaning a bit more toward atheism, but I'd never claim to know anything for sure unless there was proof of it.

 

[Gonz]

I consider myself agnostic too. Perhaps leaning a bit more toward atheism, but I'd never claim to know anything for sure unless there was proof of it.

This is pretty close to where I’m at with it.

Don’t actually believe in any god but, having been raised very Catholic, there’s still a tiny little part of me that says “maybe.”

 

[Human Ex Machinae]

Of course there's something higher than us. There's always something higher. There's always something lower, too. That thing, whatever it is, that's higher than us? There's something higher than it. Reality is a fractal.

 

[Aurelia]

This is pretty close to where I’m at with it.

Don’t actually believe in any god but, having been raised very Catholic, there’s still a tiny little part of me that says “maybe.”

I believe there's a god about as much as I believe there's a pink, flying unicorn with a limp hoof gliding across the sky, making it rain glitter every other leap year. Technically, it's possible, but highly unlikely.

 

[Aurelia]

Of course there's something higher than us. There's always something higher. There's always something lower, too. That thing, whatever it is, that's higher than us? There's something higher than it. Reality is a fractal.

What is your definition of higher or lower in the context of your statement?

 

[absured angel]

I feel like we are all just Sims :P
But I do believe in every thing having an energy source and that when something ceases to exist the energy just either doesnt exist anymore or disperses other places. Everyone's entitled to thier own beliefs i do enjoy hearing all the theories people have though

 

[Witty_Sarcasm]

I believe there's a god about as much as I believe there's a pink, flying unicorn with a limp hoof gliding across the sky, making it rain glitter every other leap year. Technically, it's possible, but highly unlikely.

Hey, I broke that hoof traveling the galaxy. It's still healing up, but I'm glad you saw me. :P

 

[Gonz]

I believe there's a god about as much as I believe there's a pink, flying unicorn with a limp hoof gliding across the sky, making it rain glitter every other leap year. Technically, it's possible, but highly unlikely.

That’s actually a pretty good comparison in that it’s something I don’t believe, but kinda wish were true.

 

[Aurelia]

That’s actually a pretty good comparison in that it’s something I don’t believe, but kinda wish were true.

Which one do you wish was true, god or the unicorn? Lol.

Hey, I broke that hoof traveling the galaxy. It's still healing up, but I'm glad you saw me. :P

That made me laugh way harder than it probably should have. :P

 

[Gonz]

Which one do you wish was true, god or the unicorn? Lol.

Both.

Basically, if you told me you had the absolute answer to the question of god’s existence (and I was dumb enough to believe you) I’d bet everything I have on there being no god. But, if I turned out to be wrong, I’d be pretty happy about that outcome.

Same deal with the glitter-unicorn, only replace “pretty happy” with “positively delighted.”

 

[Human Ex Machinae]

What is your definition of higher or lower in the context of your statement?

To an ant, a human is completely incomprehensible. Not just that, we're so beyond an ant, they can't even perceive us as they crawl up the side of our shoe. We're totally outside their experience of reality. If you asked an ant if humans exist, he might say, maybe, but he hasn't seen any proof yet, as he dangles from my shoelace. That's what I mean by higher. On the scale of an infinite cosmos, ants and us are at the same level. That's why I say of course there's something higher than us.

 

[Aurelia]

Both.

Basically, if you told me you had the absolute answer to the question of god’s existence (and I was dumb enough to believe you) I’d bet everything I have on there being no god. But, if I turned out to be wrong, I’d be pretty happy about that outcome.

Same deal with the glitter-unicorn, only replace “pretty happy” with “positively delighted.”

Honestly, I wouldn't be happy about it if it was the case, about god, that is. Mainly because if he exists, then he's obviously a narcissistic dick with a cruel sense of humor.

But the unicorn, I mean, come on. Who wouldn't be delighted about that?

 

[Aurelia]

To an ant, a human is completely incomprehensible. Not just that, we're so beyond an ant, they can't even perceive us as they crawl up the side of our shoe. We're totally outside their experience of reality. If you asked an ant if humans exist, he might say, maybe, but he hasn't seen any proof yet, as he dangles from my shoelace. That's what I mean by higher. On the scale of an infinite cosmos, ants and us are at the same level. That's why I say of course there's something higher than us.

That's an interesting explanation. I mean, I don't think it necessarily means that something higher always has to exist, but it seems logical and plausible nonetheless.

 

[bhawk]

personally i see no reason to believe in a god, if everyone here, brought up in the modern world had never heard of the concept, who can honestly say they would conclude on their own that there is a divine being?
I have many issues with the idea of an afterlife too, i would not want an afterlife, so why should i be forced to have one?
And why should anyone "serve" a divine being?
As it is, i am fascinated by religion, i often visit the church i grew up in and recently have started visiting a local mosque, not to learn about their shared god, but to learn how it guides them in their lives. How it impacts the human experience.
I used to be against religion as i have seen the harm it can do, but now i try to focus on the good it can do to their every day followers.
If there is such a thing as a divine being, i could not see why it would be interested in our every day matters however.

 

[Gonz]

Mainly because if he exists, then he's obviously a narcissistic dick with a cruel sense of humor.

Fair.

But for me, it’s kinda like... You know how sometimes brilliant artists are also terrible assholes in real life? But as long as you don’t have to interact with them personally, then their existence can still improve your experience of the universe.

 

[Human Ex Machinae]

That's an interesting explanation. I mean, I don't think it necessarily means that something higher always has to exist, but it seems logical and plausible nonetheless.

It's sooooo unlikely that there is nothing out there in all of that that's higher than us, if that was in fact the case, it would mean that there was something special about humanity, and implicit in that would be the existence of a higher power, one with some divine plan that we play an important role in. So when people say that there's nothing beyond and above humanity, they're actually saying that there is:p

 

[nprwtd]

Do you believe that there is something beyond this world? Do you believe there is a power that is the source of life?
I do, because this world is finite and for finite to exist there must be infinity, infinity being the source of the world. I haven't actually worked through what I believe about the infinity although being that the finite would be a creation of the infinite, the finite world would tell me a heck of a lot about the infinite I believe in.
What do you believe? And why? My main question is the why, more than the what.

For the sake of my reply making sense I'm going to refer to a Higher Power as "God". Also because I'm lazy and God is only three letters. I believe in God, but I do not believe in this idea of God being "All Good". I feel like many would argue that, however I cant believe that an omnipotent, all-knowing, all-powerful being would allow for things like terminal illness, war, hunger, mental illness to exist while being "All Good" at the same time. Albert Einstein himself has even spoken on why he considered even believing in an anthropomorphic God naive, but preached a pragmatic view of believing that God would not trouble himself with human troubles. So I do believe in a a higher power, but I do not believe that it is inherently "Good".

 

[Innocent Forever]

To an ant, a human is completely incomprehensible. Not just that, we're so beyond an ant, they can't even perceive us as they crawl up the side of our shoe. We're totally outside their experience of reality. If you asked an ant if humans exist, he might say, maybe, but he hasn't seen any proof yet, as he dangles from my shoelace. That's what I mean by higher. On the scale of an infinite cosmos, ants and us are at the same level. That's why I say of course there's something higher than us.

I love this answer!!!!
It's why whenever I try to explain what or why I believe I get stuck, because how can I put into words what I mean by infinity or higher, or something outside the realm of time and space. It's just so beyond me. Which is why my understanding will always be imperfect at best. More like not really existent for whatever I understand is so little.

 

[Innocent Forever]

So I do believe in a a higher power, but I do not believe that it is inherently "Good".

Why do you believe in a HP or God (HP is shorter than god )? For the purpose of this discussion I'm leaving out the good or not good part.