pagan?

[the_bird]

"I believe in god, but also evolution" - ppl see it as science v religion! but maybe god created elolution? makes sence to me..

Alright, I'll bite...

Why would God choose to create and influence life on earth through a mechanism (evolution) whose very nature does not require a deity? Evolution can function without the presense of God; why would that have been the instrument God chose to do his work?

 

[XELA]

Alright, I'll bite...

Why would God choose to create and influence life on earth through a mechanism (evolution) whose very nature does not require a deity? Evolution can function without the presense of God; why would that have been the instrument God chose to do his work?

maybe elolution Is god.. as in, god is everything (sorry, bit of a pagan veiw)

 

[homebrewer_99]

maybe elolution Is god.. as in, god is everything (sorry, bit of a pagan veiw)

That's exactly why existentialists suck at map making...they put little signs all over it that say "You are here".

 

[Ryanh1801]

Alright, I'll bite...

Why would God choose to create and influence life on earth through a mechanism (evolution) whose very nature does not require a deity? Evolution can function without the presense of God; why would that have been the instrument God chose to do his work?

Who knows, one of the many interesting things about this world. There is tons of proof of evolution though. Not sure where you are trying to go.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Who knows, one of the many interesting things about this world. There is tons of proof of evolution though. Not sure where you are trying to go.

...or what you'll look like when you get there...

 

[the_bird]

Who knows, one of the many interesting things about this world. There is tons of proof of evolution though. Not sure where you are trying to go.

There was an atheist scientist that Terry Gross interviewed on Fresh Air this past week. I absolutely believe in evolution, but I've always had in the back of my mind that evolution could be the tool that "God" would use to exert "his" influence in the world, but he made the statement that I paraphased; why would a diety influence the world with a mechnanism that would exist even if God "himself" did not exist? It makes no sense. It's his core argument (at least from what I heard of the interview) for him being an atheist as opposed to an agnostic.

Personally, I still consider myself a devout agnostic; I don't know, I don't think any of us CAN really know, but we'll soon enough find out!

 

[magno]

Alright, I'll bite...

Why would God choose to create and influence life on earth through a mechanism (evolution) whose very nature does not require a deity? Evolution can function without the presense of God; why would that have been the instrument God chose to do his work?

Maybe God is doing an experiment, like making a cosmic batch of beer. Put the people-yeast in and see what comes out.



- magno

 

[the_bird]

Maybe God is doing an experiment, like making a cosmic batch of beer. Put the people-yeast in and see what comes out.



- magno

Who wants to be the first to make the comment about how much CO2 we're forming?

 

[olllllo]

Can god make an object that is so heavy that even god cannot lift it?

 

[XELA]

Can god make an object that is so heavy that even god cannot lift it?

more importantly, who would win in a fight? superman or god?

lol

 

[Ize]

more importantly, who would win in a fight? superman or god?

lmao. God of course since supposedly he was the creator of Superman...

I like magno's idea tho. What if we're all just one big science fair project for some really BIG life form?

This IS an idea I could subscribe to....

Ize

 

[Orfy]

No Pagan here.

But I do believe Nature is a creator, so maybe I am a little?

 

[Yuri_Rage]

more importantly, who would win in a fight? superman or god?

Chuck Norris.

 

[Pumbaa]

Alright, I'll bite...

Why would God choose to create and influence life on earth through a mechanism (evolution) whose very nature does not require a deity? Evolution can function without the presense of God; why would that have been the instrument God chose to do his work?

Why not? I mean it's not like he's taxed much by whats going on. I like to think of it as a giant reality show for his own humor. On that note I also like to think he's sitting up their laughing his ass off by "planting" **** for us to ponder like evolution and the platypus.

God: hey Jesus, watch this
<big poof>
Jesus: WTF is that Pop?
God: The humans were getting a bit self rightous again so I just added a platypus.
Jesus: <ROFL> That should confuse the hell outa them for a few thousand years
<phone rings. God answers it. Satans on the other end>
Satan: DAMN IT!! I thought we had a contract! I'm supposed to be the great deciever and one in charge of confusion!
God: Go suck a dick and read the fine print in your contract.

 

[Ó Flannagáin]

Why not? I mean it's not like he's taxed much by whats going on. I like to think of it as a giant reality show for his own humor. On that note I also like to think he's sitting up their laughing his ass off by "planting" **** for us to ponder like evolution and the platypus.

God: hey Jesus, watch this
<big poof>
Jesus: WTF is that Pop?
God: The humans were getting a bit self rightous again so I just added a platypus.
Jesus: <ROFL> That should confuse the hell outa them for a few thousand years
<phone rings. God answers it. Satans on the other end>
Satan: DAMN IT!! I thought we had a contract! I'm supposed to be the great deciever and one in charge of confusion!
God: Go suck a dick and read the fine print in your contract.

hilarious....



as far as paganism, it seems like such a broad term. I've met lots of folks who call themselves pagans, but they all have different definitions of what they are. Are there sectors? Like mother nature-pagans, and black-wiccans, and healer-pagans, or something?

 

[Cap'n Jewbeard]

People still worship greek gods? I would like to meet them.

I'm glad I can finally contribute to this thread in a way that won't get me banned or the thread locked.

Want to see people worshipping Greek gods? Check out an article in the Best Mag Ever.

 

[Ó Flannagáin]

Oh my god, I just about threw up laughing at that article Cap'n Jewbeard. This is excerpt was the best:

&#8220;Good afternoon,&#8221; I said to no one in particular, then advanced on the wine table. I filled an oversized copper goblet with what appeared to be a hearty burgundy then turned back to the crowd. They&#8217;d returned to their conversations and paid me no mind, save for one rather unsettling exception: From across the room a fiftyish crone was throwing what appeared to be gang signs in my direction.

&#8220;She&#8217;s giving you the Sign of the Evil Eye,&#8221; a smiling sandy-haired fellow refilling his goblet said in a stage whisper. He wore his hair shaggy and his prodigious sideburns joined forces under a long jaw. A facial tick that caused him to wink his left eye every two seconds or so gave him the demeanor of a licentious orangutan.

 

[z987k]

I'm glad I can finally contribute to this thread in a way that won't get me banned or the thread locked.

Want to see people worshipping Greek gods? Check out an article in the Best Mag Ever.

Well I read that and here's the quote that I think fits the story best:

"It is equally easy to dismiss the Order as a gang of besotted swingers justifying their behavior with the trappings of a dead religion."

Interesting though.

 

[desiderata]

I am not a Pagan for I was touched once by His Noodly Appendage and thus became a believer in Him.

Me Too! Thanks for helping me see the Light of Pastafarianism! I was agnostic up until then

 

[Cheesefood]

I was baptized Catholic.
I tried paganism in high school.
Also tried Satanism.
Only two religions make sense to me: Discordianism, the Church of the SubGenius, Buddhism, Church of Beer, and Atheism.

If you understand the first, you'll understand the last.

Also, I believe in Angel Pagan.
And I too was touched by His Noodliness.

 

[cweston]

Statistically something like 95% of North Americans respond to the question "do you believe in God" with "yes."

Obviously, way less then 95% actively practice any religion.

The theologian and religion professor Marcus Borg (who is also "openly" Christian, in a more "liberal" vein than the predominant strain of Christianity in the US) writes that students often tell him "Well, this is all very interesting, but I really just don't believe in God." He habitually replies "Tell me about this God you don't believe in." His point is that he usually can reply "Well, I don't believe in *that* God either."

I think too many people equate believing in God with 100% assent to every jot and tittle of doctrine *about* God espoused by some religious institution or another.

I personally think that the Divine is completely beyond our attempts to define and limit with words--that's why we tend to come up weith such goofy sh-t when we try.

 

[Cheesefood]

Why would a supreme being like God be so hung up on what people think of him? And why would He choose to be completely inefficient? If souls truly are unique and never recycled, that creates a model of inefficiency that isn't reflected anywhere else in nature.

Finally, why would God concern Himself with trivial things, like who ate meat on Friday, or why only one Prophet is the keeper of his true message?

 

[homebrewer_99]

Only two religions make sense to me: Discordianism, the Church of the SubGenius, Buddhism, Church of Beer, and Atheism...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that more than 2?

 

[cweston]

Finally, why would God concern Himself with trivial things, like who ate meat on Friday, or why only one Prophet is the keeper of his true message?

Or who wins a Notre Dame football game...

(Well, there are limits to this line of reasoning. I'm assuming that God likes seeing ND lose just as much as everyone else does.)

 

[Cheesefood]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that more than 2?

Therein lies the riddle. Fnord.

 

[Orpheus]

I never understood the whole doctrine that you live out your life and then, only at the end, you are judged and sent to heaven or hell.

How unfair is that!? I think God, like a good supervisor, should meet with you at the very least biannually to discuss your progress thus far. Point out your strengths and areas of need and help you draw up a plan to improve your performance in life.

I can imagine a lot of people get to the pearly gates and are confused as all hell when the powers that be tell them they're damned for eternity for something that a little guidance could have changed or prevented.

 

[Cheesefood]

Or who wins a Notre Dame football game...

(Well, there are limits to this line of reasoning. I'm assuming that God likes seeing ND lose just as much as everyone else does.)

Which brings us to a good point: two teams in the Superbowl. Both pray to God to win. One wins, one loses.
Meanwhile, a child dies while his/her parents pray that he lives.

My thoughts are this: there may be a Supreme Giver of Life, but whatever is there has no consciousness. Think of the sun as God. It's an enormous giver and taker of life, but it doesn't care what we do here. There's no consciousness.

We have the consciousness. We are the ones who need love and attention and compassion. It's our flaw. We need to believe that we have a purpose other than reproduction and keeping nature in balance by being a top-level food user. Everything else we've done out of boredom and the need to keep our minds stimulated.

Religion is a tool created by man.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I never understood the whole doctrine that you live out your life and then, only at the end, you are judged and sent to heaven or hell.

How unfair is that!? I think God, like a good supervisor, should meet with you at the very least biannually to discuss your progress thus far. Point out your strengths and areas of need and help you draw up a plan to improve your performance in life.

I can imagine a lot of people get to the pearly gates and are confused as all hell when the powers that be tell them they're damned for eternity for something that a little guidance could have changed or prevented.

I think he does...they're called Near Death Experiences...car crash, heart attack, etc.

 

[cweston]

Which brings us to a good point: two teams in the Superbowl. Both pray to God to win. One wins, one loses.
Meanwhile, a child dies while his/her parents pray that he lives.

My thoughts are this: there may be a Supreme Giver of Life, but whatever is there has no consciousness. Think of the sun as God. It's an enormous giver and taker of life, but it doesn't care what we do here. There's no consciousness.

Briefly, this assumes a certain model of God know as supernatural theism--that God is a person-like super-person being that is out there, outside the universe, but intervening in the universe and in human lives. I do agree that it is problematic, but it's certainly not the only possible model for God. It is a pre-modern conception of God and the universe which has become very problematic in the modern and post-modern world.

 

[Ivan Lendl]

I believe in Harry Potter.

 

[McCall St. Brewer]

I pagan? No. I have always wanted to be an existentialist, but I've never really been able to understand what it is.

 

[dibby33]

This answer has been censored for the good of the subscriber...

I somehow feel the need to reply to this thread but I have been athiest since I was able to think. It is simple. I cannot understand anything else. I find it amazing that so many people can think otherwise. Good luck to you.

...why did the irish mechanic sleep under his car?














...because he wanted to get up oily in the morning.





life should be funny. Religion is not. I am going....

 

[Craig5_12]

You guys have it all wrong, didn't you see Dogma? God is a woman..........

doesn't that explain it all?

 

[Cheesefood]

This answer has been censored for the good of the subscriber...

I somehow feel the need to reply to this thread but I have been athiest since I was able to think. It is simple. I cannot understand anything else. I find it amazing that so many people can think otherwise. Good luck to you.

Me too. Drives my catholic parents crazy, especially when I was in grade school and told them I didn't believe in it all. Lots of fights, lots of arguments, then they FINALLY realized that they can't force beliefs on me when I see things in a completely opposite way. My mom now teaches religion class. I keep asking her when I can come in to speak.

We're raising our son to understand both points of view.

 

[Ivan Lendl]

I have been athiest since I was able to think. It is simple. I cannot understand anything else. I find it amazing that so many people can think otherwise.

I never understood dogmatic athiest. Sounds like faith to me. I'm agnostic, untill I see proof either way I'm gonna ride the fence. (By proof I mean if God deposits a million dollars in my account)

 

[rdwj]

I somehow feel the need to reply to this thread but I have been athiest since I was able to think. It is simple. I cannot understand anything else. I find it amazing that so many people can think otherwise.

And I find it amazing that people use the &#8216;rational thought&#8217; argument so often when claiming to be an atheist &#8211; like believing that is creation is somehow a less intelligent conclusion.

If you were walking through the woods and came across a bunch of rocks that were perfectly balanced one on top another, you&#8217;d have to assume that someone stacked them there. There is just no way that it could occur randomly. The universe as we know it &#8211; and especially the plant we live on, is MUCH more balanced than a simple stack of rocks, so the logical conclusion is that it was designed to be that way.

It wouldn&#8217;t happen &#8211; it couldn&#8217;t happen without design.

Honestly, I&#8217;m a bit surprised that this thread is being allowed to continue. I thought that religion and politics were taboo around here &#8211; as they should be. I&#8217;m especially shocked to see that TX posted in this thread. Personally, I&#8217;d rather see it shut down before it turns ugly.

&#8230;.and it WILL turn ugly.

 

[olllllo]

Coincidence?

Which one is shopped?

 

[the_bird]

As long as people don't say things like it COULDN'T happen (speaking in absolute terms ). You can argue that, while the design of the world looks perfect enough that there HAD to be a creater, had things not come together the way that they did (without help from a creator), we wouldn't be around to be asking the questions.

Hey, we're at post #78, and no one's pissed off yet (I don't think)! I'm proud!

 

[rdwj]

Coincidence?

Which one is shopped?

That's not a stack of rocks, it's one oddly shaped rock

here is a stack

 

[rdwj]

Hey, we're at post #78, and no one's pissed off yet (I don't think)! I'm proud!

It's a slippery slope.