Religion has done nothing but divide man from man, man from nature, and most horrificly, man from the Divine — since time immemorial. Great teachers have come to show people a very simple truth - the truth that the Divine lies within. After each teacher's death, religion took over and turned a living, sacred experience into a rigid set of belief/morality based teachings that once again "externalized" and alienated humans from the True Divine, the Divine that is accessible by all.

Thankfully, great teachers still take birth on this lonely planet and show humans that the road home is not far away, but indeed, closer than your very breath. One such great teacher is Prem Rawat. He has not only inspired millions around the world, but his "Words of Peace" TV series has won awards in Brazil and is now broadcast to over 25 million homes in North America every week. "Words of Peace" has been embraced by the Transforming Lives Network, broadcast into 300 prisons in the USA alone with life-transforming results.

God is indeed not dead, not located in scriptures, not hiding in a cave in the Himalayas and DEFINITELY NOT the property of any religion, cult or priest.

God is in YOU, in the most appropriate and accessible hiding place of all: the human heart.

I've attended church my whole life, studied the Bible in a Christian elementary School, read the bible daily. I believe it to be obvious that "A God" created this world. Whether that God is the one I've been taught to believe in, I question. The "creation" around us shows all the marks of design. Even though it's not perfect, it's amazing! Our bodies are capable of so many things. In order to play my guitar, for instance, my mind is capable of producing the thousands/millions? of subtle communications to my muscles, eyes and ears. I am also able to run long distance races, and train my muscles to compete. Our bodies don't appear to be the result of some fluke arrangement of molecules through evolution. Also, why would evolution need to produce such things as beautiful as flowers? Sure there are weeds, but they don't diminish the beauty of the flower.
I feel there is a God who has a passion for creativity and beauty and manifested that in the creation. However, I have great struggles with the God that the Bible portrays. It seems at times the cries of the suffering are ignored. The great promises that Jesus made about prayer in the Gospels appear to be greatly exaggerated. How can Jesus say nothing will be impossible for us if we have faith? If our prayers are not answered we say that it was not God's will. If God's will cannot be changed then prayer will have no effect.
I wonder if the Bible really is the very word of God.
Where is God today? He may provide strength and comfort to those who seek him but we certainly can't expect him to plan our lives for us. We've got to take the wheel in our own hands.

When man fell to sin he gave control of the earth over to satan, Jesus won
back that control and it is up to us to use it and to make this world right, we are not robots we were created with the free will to choose and some choose to harm others. Jesus already gave us every opportunity to make this world a better place, it is mankind's fault. Such is our society today, always finding someone else to blame!!!!!!!!

Well, God is everywhere where we look at.
God is in ourselves, and he is hope, peace and love.
We need to find the better way to communicate with him, and be his or her best friend.

I have a very idosyncratic faith, it belongs to me as surely as my perception of the world does. I have a strong affinity towards seeing the awestruck beauty of the world as an emanation of divinity. I don't attend religious services, nor do I indentify as being of a particular religion, but this doesn't negate my deep longing for spiritual wholeness.

I think much of the backlash against an appreciation of natural holiness and expressions of faith is rooted in divisive dogmatism associated with organized religions.

Organized religions should only serve as a place for people to congregate and share their common dreams, they shouldn't try to force their dogma on a secular society.

Secular society doesn't need to deny the importance of faith, however, it needs to be insulated from any bigoted demands that spring from misinterpatation of holiness.

I don't like organized religion because as a young female queer, I am not celebrated by any of the major players, and I think that anyone who purports to speak for god in a way that excludes people or casts aspersions on who they are-- is a sham.

If you believe your relationship with your god is a personal one, what then is the purpose of manmade religions? Are you not secure enough in your own beliefs, that you need confirmation, in the form of organizing with others of like minds? Is it to quell the doubts that you have? The only honest stance that any of us can take, due to our ignorance of the question of if there is a god or not, is that of agnostic, with certain beliefs.
The atrocities that organized religions have perpetrated on mankind throughout history, are well documented. It continues to this day, with the silence and the blessings of the flock.
Religions are full of hate, bigotry, racism and violence.
They are the bane of mankind, and the sooner they are done away with, the better.
Believe what you like, as long as it is not DETRIMENTAL TO OTHERS!!!
And above all, keep it to yourself.

Most people who think random mutation and survival of the fittest is the whole of evolution never even read Darwin's own words I bet, or probably even tried to discriminate what evolution does and doesn't account for.

It's like saying heat makes fire so there is no God. Heat does make fire, and people can sometimes walk on coals, and our theories admittedly only account for the tiniest fraction of what goes on and how things work. Because the universe has principles isn't really an argument against divine intelligence though...

“To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree.”

Darwin, Charles. The Origin of Species, J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd, London, 1971, p. 167.

Just because Darwin said it doesn’t make it true I admit, and for all the consmic coincidence, some people still wear glasses.

Mr. Banerjee's opinion piece "Seeing beyond cows and caste" in the CBC site confirmed my conviction, supported by experience, that religious affiliation should be as private a matter as the colour of one's underwear. Not only is his article rife with historical inaccuracies, but his attempts to "defend" Hinduism could lead to further religious bigotry and hatred. I consulted his Hindu Conference site and was further appalled by the many instances of hate-mongering against anyone that is critical of any Hindu institution or custom. Yes, Hinduism has many beautiful precepts but it also has many abhorrent practices and here I speak as an "insider". My father, a "high-born" Brahmin priest, abjured his caste privileges and prejudices to fight for India's independence, so that it could fulfill its mandate to become a secular and democratic country for all its citizens, regardless of religion, class or caste. His own version of Hinduism was that all paths in search for truth are valid, including other religious or non-religious ideologies, provided they are accountable to humanistic and ethical values (e.g. the UN Charter of Human Rights). Unfortunately, thanks to apologists and "religious activists" like Ron Banerjee (as he styles himself in his site), there is a resurgence of Hindu fundamentalism in India today with its many tragic consequences.

Existence of God doesn't need any proof, because is proved by our existence and by everything what exists around us. Existence of God doesn’t need to be proved by any religion and God doesn't belong to any religion. God is beyond our perception, so he /she /it can't be correctly explained or defined. But religion is very needed by most people and believe in God helps people through their life and makes our existence easier. All of the existing religions are equally good. If something is wrong, is wrong because of people within the religion, not the religion itself.

Whether or not there is a God, and if that God is who 'Christians' believe in, or Muslims believe in, or Buddhists believe in, we are not going to arrive at the Truth by discussing it on this site, nor are we going to be able to prove it in our lifetime.

I think that people who have strong belief and try to follow their belief in positive ways without looking down on others, who think differently, are not harming themselves, and have probably something in their lives which for them gives life a purpose. I know many people who live this way and I admire them and envy them sometimes.

The only thing that I think is really important to our lives is that we live in such a way that we do no harm to ourselves and others. We were taught as Christians the Golden Rule (also taught by many other religions in many ways). If we do unto others only what we would have them do unto us, and we don't do things that we wouldn't want them to do to us, we can't go too wrong, in my opinion.

Whether you believe in praying to Mary or other Saints, or you believe you must be baptized by full immersion, or you believe that you must be saved by attending and joining such and such a church is all silly. These are all conditions man has put on other men to try and control.

It is likely a fantasy, at least in the short term, but do you people think that if all people on Earth were to agree that we should take care of each other and let all religions disappear, we would all be better off?

What do the creationists here think of the Archaeopterics(spelling may be wrong). It's essentially a half bird half dinosaur? An evolutionary step? I know some people like to point out that the feathers aren't transitional, but we have found many transitional feathers.

This is one example of a lizard evolving into a bird, essentially.

Garet, I believe there is a process to answer your questions about differences in species. Adaption. The ability to adapt or expland on the abilities that serve you in your environment best. Either that or the beauty of creation, meaning that God made them to suit to their environment exactly. Close cousins does not necessarily mean the same breed.
Also, think about the differences we have form monkeys. And how come moneys have stopped evolving over the past (at least) 1000 years?

However I have never heard of bones or humanoid skulls that have not been disproved.

But I do know this:
-We did discover a man fossil on the same layer as a dinosaur fossil.
-At the rate the sun is consuming its own fuel, the earth would be within it '6 billion years' ago.

god’s hiding in an obscure cupboard from the likes of Daniel Dennett and Richard Dawkins and god doesn’t intend to come out any time soon.

'What does God mean to me". This is a very significant question for me as I have had quite the spiritual journey through my life, travelling through disbelief, cynicism, and criticism about religion, and then on to honest enquiry and openness about new ideas and concepts about God. Many years ago I read a book called "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. It was written by a woman in the 19th century,called Mary Baker Eddy. She openly challenged the commonly held beliefs about God held at that time, and shows through her words, and teachings her discovery about God as pure unconditional Love, an influence so transcending and powerful, and that is usable and sustaining through all time. By using the ideas in this book my family and I have experienced many healings, both physical and emotional. I am still studying and using this book. I understand that in this world, with so many tragedies and difficulties facing us every day that it seems there is no God, but I also know that there are many who have experienced this same divine protecting, healing influence that I have experienced and shared. It is not confined to one religion, but is open and free to all, and leads to the discovery that we have a relationship with that which some of us call God This relationship is the most worthwhile, richest thing in my life. It has enriched every aspect of my very full life, sustained me through sadness and hardship, lifted me out of fear and illness, and is the single most precious thing I own.

Religion, i.e., the belief in God, is irrational and meets criteria for a primary thought disorder, a condition of mental illness. When belief in something that has no evidence, that is not subject to validation or replication, that is replete with logical fallacies and distorted thinking - when such beliefs or their implications can be imposed on others through the media and through government policies, we are on a downward evolutionary track! People who insist on their irratiional and arbitrary beliefs need to be challenged actively. Their influence is dangerous to humanity.

""Evolutionists", please answer these questions with logical proof.
If we all evolved from a one cell organism to the amazing variety of creatures that now exist, why have we stopped evolving? And if we all are basically from the same 'life fabric', why do we not interbreed with other species in order to combine the best of the best? Is everything now perfect?"

Unfortunately, VJN, there will be no logical answers because your questions are based on a faulty, yet common, premise. Evolution is not goal oriented and has no obligation to improve living things. There is no great reference book for evolution to see what to do next.

So the answers to your questions would be. We have not stopped evolving. As far as I know the only way for a living organism to stop evolving is to become extinct. We cannot interbreed with other species as this is what defines a species. If we could the planet would be populated with a single species. Humans will never be able to reproduce with pine trees but the genetic researchers are doing some weird stuff (glowing pigs).

Lastly, what would perfect look like? Cyanobacteria?

There is no such thing as an evolutionist any more than there are gravitationalists.

If we don't learn to enjoy why we are a successful species through the imperfect process that is evolution and instead pretend we are created with purpose and intent from perfection we will provide evolution the opportunity for another species do it right. The one thing that will wipe our species out is religion, that is a lesson of history. The wonderful thing about evolution is that good ideas for survival keep coming up over and over again. We are not of perfection, we are imperfection. We are not successful as individuals we are as collaborators of groups of 5 or 6. Go find 5 or 6 friends and collaborate by exchanging millions of ideas and making little mistakes on something worthwhile doing.

If you want to believe that evolution never happened, and as such, can't happen, I have a few examples for you.

How would you explain the physical differences between people from different areas of the world? How would you explain superbugs (that have become immune to certain vaccines and antibiotics)? How would you explain the fact that island and mainland varieties of the same species have notable differences? How would you explain the very high commonality that we share genetically with monkies? How would you explain the various ancient homonid skulls and bones we have found? Sure, some have been faked, but with the self correcting nature of science, they get weeded out.

The question is not, "Where is God today?", the question is, "How developed is our ability to see and perceive God's presense all around us?" God is everywhere.

As I look out my window as I type this, I see God in the beauty of the fresh snow clinging to the trees in my backyard. I saw and experienced God in the community of faith where I worshipped yesterday. I experienced God powerfully for the 10 years I lived and worked in Africa with local farmers and local churches.

God is always closer than a breath away, waiting to embrace us, wanting/seeking to love us, if only we would receive and acknowledge God's love.

Seek and ye shall find...ask and ye shall receive...ask God to reveal Himself to you today. You wont regret it.

Has anyone thought of this FACT.

Any written word of any religion is by MAN?

It is man who writes it which means that man may omit or add ANYTHING he chooses.

Every story changes in the telling by a person.

Not one of us can say in HONEST TRUTH that what is written is fact or fiction because NONE of us were around when ANY of these books were written.

"Richard Dawkins, famous Oxford atheist, is frequently described by Christians, as "shrill, vitriolic, hateful, etc" but he is the most polite and attentive person in conversation, even when under direct personal attack. This portrayal of him is typical of the attitude of many religious towards atheists, and it is intolerance born of fear."

I started reading the God Dilusion. Every time I've watched a video of him, or read something, it seems like it would be hard to find a better spoken good person.

"I have read some of your posts and you show great zeal in your assertions that God has somehow been disproven. Although such a fanatical view lacks evidence and clear facts, it is, paradoxically, popular with some who extol the virtues of science. "

I've said that a lot of the bible is wrong, scientifically, not that god doesn't exist. Please don't put words in my mouth. The fact that I said god cannot exist as defined by the bible doesn't mean I said he doesn't exist.

Gerald, how can you follow the bible when the very foundations are wrong? I mean, if the book itself, which IS the word of God, is wrong, how can there be a god as defined by the bible?

I'm glad I can't calculate or figure out much about God, Creator of the Universe. When I have an honest look at His creation, it gives me sliver of what and who He is.

Thanks and praises to Robert Nesta Marley for introducing me to Jah Rastafari.There is no church, you don't need a ticket - you just get on-board.You don't need to be dread to be rasta.Peace,love,unity, eqaul rights and justice. Live the life you love,love the life you live.Get up, stand up - stand up for your rights.Songs of freedom.King Haille I Salassi I. Lord of Lords. King of Kings, Jah Rastafari.

God is everywhere-but you have to seek him and pray and read the Bible for guidance.He is the same-yesterday,today and forever. He does not cause or ignore the problems of the world-we have pushed him away! It is never to late to seek him!

My thought is that if there is no God, and matter is not coming or going from this dimension, how did it start? As my pastor mentioned, you need something with power, a will, and it would have to exist outside of time itself.
Some say that it was always here, or that it "exploded" to fill the area. I believe my friend 'the laws of physics' will assure me that an atom exploding does not mean a new, perfectly organized universe with planets and life itself!

The idea that it was always here may also force one to be flipped back to the concept of infinity, which some say is because the universe will begin again after it has all expired.
Look at the ash! No matter how much of it there is or long it sits it will never burned true again!

And look, a God needed to start all this has apparently made Himself known and has given instructions, and says He loves us. And evidence of the stories told in the instruction book has been found, and the instructions have been tested and discovered to work. It also says he loves us.

That is what God is to me. My Creator who set down the laws of science, good, and evil and I love him for it.

Any time someone speaks out about religion as a man-made article from the Bronze Age (which is true), religious people in this comment list say that it is "hateful".

Get over yourselves; what gives your particular superstition any special privileges against criticism? Or is it because your fantasy life is so easily punctured that you react so strongly to questions about it?

Richard Dawkins, famous Oxford atheist, is frequently described by Christians, as "shrill, vitriolic, hateful, etc" but he is the most polite and attentive person in conversation, even when under direct personal attack. This portrayal of him is typical of the attitude of many religious towards atheists, and it is intolerance born of fear.

Defend your faith, but do it by answering the questions that are posed, not by personal attack.

Where is God Today?

God is in people's minds. The God concept was created by people. It may have almost as many meanings as there are different people. For me, God as a synonym for something like love has some sense. But God as some"thing"/"one" that/who literally plans, guides or intervenes makes no sense.

I agree with the commentator who wrote that CBC should devote a series to the idea that the traditional intervening God does not exist.

Please!!,There is a good reason why the dates of birth and death of jesus are not known. He was not a real person. He is an idea, a not very good one at that, which was spread throughout the world with a printing press and weapons. Christianity is dying a slow painful death and this must happen if humanity is going to survive. Christianity is the biggest fraud to ever be inflicted upon EARTH. Christianlity is a product of civilization, it was and is used to stupify humanity into thinking this lifestyle is a happy one.

Where is God?

This is a question I ask myself on a regular basis. I as a parent would give my life for my child & do everything in my power to ensue the dafety of my children. BUt it seems our socalled almighty God is pleased to sit on his throne & watch 14 year old girls stabbed to death setps from their homes, fathers beat their wives & children with baseball bats while they sleep. I could go on but you get the point.

If ever there was a time we really need a God any God it is now.

Let's forget about books written by non believers & censoring what our choldren read & see & concentrate on getting our act together so another 14year old child does not die in vain.

it seems that a lot of people doubt the existence of a God. This is rather debatable but, thinking of the benefits, it is better to belive than to not. Obviously, if there is a God, if we belive, we gain, whereas, if we dont we lose. It there is not a God, if we chose to belive, we lose nothing. Therefore, I urge you, think about this. What is better for benefit? obviously beliving that there is a God and chosing a religion. However, there are many religons. However, only the Bible states that it is the only TRUE religon, and is obviously the true. Think about it. Another religon, muslim, had a prophet who started a religious movement but nothing more, Muhamad (spelling i forgot). However, he died and is still in his grave. However, Jesus died and rose again. This is another proof of the existance of God. If this is not enough, Jesus said: "I am THE way, THE truth and THE life, follow me". Now, to answer this discussion, I belive that God is everywhere, as many do. As you can see plainly, the bible says: I will be with you always. Therefore, it is obvious that God is everywhere.

Inu-Arnaq in Nunavut,

I hope you will see this. Your story touched my heart. My sincere condolences for the loss of your son and the suffering you have had to endure over the years. Please don't give up on God. He does not give up on us. Speaking of Jesus Christ, Psalm 37:9 says "For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light." Psalm 37:9 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1 "There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High." Psalm 46:4 I believe you have spoken honestly in telling of your pain. I will take you to our Heavenly Father in prayer and ask that He be merciful to you. Please remember we must walk by faith (Hebrews Ch.11)and although we may not see visible answers to our prayers in this life, we have the sure promises of God in His Word. Study God's Word daily and trust in Him, and He shall bless thee.

God dwells in the sole place where we appreciate consummate abstract ideals--in our minds. To have to ask, Where is God today? but reflects temporal values of a society which assesses most aspects of living in terms of economic or scientific merit, and insists upon anthropomorphizing God's attributes.

The real question, given that God's presence is ubiquitous and eternal, should be, Where are we today in relation to the ideal of love that, deep down, we hold most dear, but cannot reconcile within our ego-driven determination to deny peace with all other life?

Belief in God can only be attained through free will. It's not enough to know something intellectually, yet never put it to practical application. Our greatest challenge --forgiveness of all whom we condemn by our judgments, begins to open a space for a truly different way of looking at things. Psychological breakthroughs turn concepts of loving and forgiveness into the only practical answers for today's colossal miseries. What but peace puts an end to war? What but love most motivates us, and heals all emotional wounds? Without healthy relationships with others and our natural balanced world, we perish.

Much as proof that love and peace are the only values by which to abide exists primarily in our higher minds, belief in God can be a choice of similar practicalities. Knowing that creativity comes from the same mind by which we value truth, love and life itself--the mind where we are free to experiment with all forms of illusion, one might well examine what we mis-create--the likes of fear, hate, war, and unsustainable economic policies-- as being the only unreal aspect of our lives. I believe God resides behind these temporary blocks to love's awareness.

Natalia Kuzmyn,
Victoria, BC

Gerald

A flawed Bible? I would find it very difficult to believe in something that is not all true. How can you ever have faith in something that isn't true? There is no way that anyone could truly believe in something that they know is only partly true.

I agree with you that Christians are called to serve, ultimately to serve God by loving others. Christians are not just sit back and wait for God to make us better or rich. I disagree with you however on your statement that Christianity is not the only way to God. There is only one way to God, and that is through faith is Jesus. How can completely different beliefs and practices lead you to the same result?

Enough - religion has no place in the public sphere. People are free to believe in whatever they want - Jesus, Allah, fairies, voodoo. Just leave it at home and don't force upon the rest of us all of these delusions..

"Evolutionists", please answer these questions with logical proof.
If we all evolved from a one cell organism to the amazing variety of creatures that now exist, why have we stopped evolving? And if we all are basically from the same 'life fabric', why do we not interbreed with other species in order to combine the best of the best? Is everything now perfect?

Everyone has a standard by which they live their lives – innately believing they are necessary – applying words like 'right' & 'wrong' & without which civilized life is impossible.

Everyone will admit to not measuring up to that standard. This is reality.

This is exactly what the Bible says in Isaiah 53:6 "All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned, every one, to his own way. ..." Our experience – broken standards.

The 10 commandments are God’s standard. He says "You must be perfect, even as I am perfect". That is, never having broken any of the 10 commandments.

I am doomed. "The soul that sins [even once], it shall die" So what is the remedy?

God's remedy is "Without the shedding of blood there is no remission for sins".

Jesus, the only perfect human, whose purpose was to "die for sin" in order that His blood atones for our sin. We can then go free knowing He has paid the price "Tetelestai" - the Greek word for "Paid in Full!

But, more than that, through the Holy Spirit, God claims that, by our own personal invitation He will come and indwell whoever believes Him. In Revelation 3:20 he states "I stand at the door & knock. If any person hears my voice & opens the door I will come INTO him & feast with him & he with me".

So to answer the question "Where is God today?", He is inside of people who believe Him”. That is why Jesus could say "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my words & believes Him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into condemnation, but has passed from death to life"

Who are these people? They’re the one's whose live show these attributes: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness (soundness), faithfulness & self control. Who makes laws against these attributes? - qualities we wish everyone would have - qualities that would lead to no war & no hostilities of any kind. These are the "fruit of the spirit". "By their fruit you will know them".

I would ask Jake which "God" he would like to see back in the public realm?

Though many people like to argue that Canada is a Christian country, this is nowhere established in our constitution. Historically speaking, the Church of England was disestablished in 1854 (in Ontario).

Of course, Christianity was the de facto public religion well into my lifetime. I was forced to listen to Bible readings on the PA and say the "Lord's Prayer" at my public schools as a child.

As a father, I would deeply resent and vigorously challenge attempts by my son's public school to inculcate any religion. And as a humanist I would object to attempts to force me to bow my head and pray to someone else's god in a public forum.

At the same time I have tremendous respect for private religious beliefs and constantly question and challenge my own views about ultimate reality.

But I would deeply oppose any attempt on the part of the political community to shape those views, let alone dictate them. But why else would you argue for a place for religion in the public realm, if not to dictate a particular religious agenda?

God is in my life every day. He gives me strength to handle the tough times and the joy of the good times. Because of His presence in my life, I have great contentment and peace. I feel very sorry for many of my acquaintances who do not have His presence in their lives and are trying to find it at the malls, pubs, or gambling casinos. The Presbyterian book "Living Faith" is such a straightforward explanation of the power & presence of God, that I highly recommend it for anyone searching for this peace.

A wonderful, lasting, delicious feeling of inner peace that will thrill you and uphold you for your entire life, and which will grow stronger every day, can be attained with the practice of the [meditation] techniques of Knowledge [of the Inner Self] as taught by Prem Rawat.

Why do we give special status to religious fantasies? All the laws of our land roll over and die when someone takes 'asylum' in a church, and no one will confront this thing they don't understand, but you can't understand it simply because it is senseless. Religion is nothing more than tax-free superstition.

Peter RE:
A question for the scientist out
When one watches a farmer get the cows in the morning he will see that the breath of man goes upward and that from the cow hits the ground both warm air. big mystery it is
Leaves another Question about the soul for all of us

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peter, I was born and raised on a dairy farm and spent more than half of my life there, yet I can't say that I noticed that the breath of a cow goes down when a man's breath goes up. If what you say is true, then perhaps that is because the cows head is near the ground while the man's is 4 to 5 feet or more above the ground. Given the same conditions I would hazard a guess that there is no difference in the breath of a cow and a man, as far as to where it goes.

Even if I had a strong belief in God and the afterlife, I doubt your example would sway me to your way of thinking.

Again you are quoting the Bible to prove the Bible - it doesn't follow.

To me God is human perfection. God exists as a spirit in each and every one of us. We strive to be like the image we have of the supreme. Everyone has a God.
Religion is how we get along with ourselves and with others. If we could only realize that the universal God is the One that gets along with everyone. That takes efort on our part especially in dealing with each other. The only way to do that is by association in groups which should be the role of the church. Unfortunately Theologians mostly get in the way by trying to make God something he is not mainly so they can contol their parisioners. The true God is an open and revealing God who has yet to be discovered in entirety. We have a duty in that discovery and it cannot be done alone.

Garrett, you doth protest too much. You are like a man on a mission, but what is your mission and who or what sent you on this mission? I shudder to speculate.
I suggest that you observe a group of Christian believers and observe the peace and joy on their faces as they worship God. Personally, I would like to be among them as they share something I wish I could experience. Just because I haven't gotten to where they are in their spirituality, that doesn't make me want to persecute them as you do. You have used up a lot of space on this column trying to disprove something that escapes you and you do not understand. You should spend your energy and intelligence trying to understand or at least be tolerant of others beliefs. You seem angry and cynical in your promotion of atheism. Is that because Christians possess some inner peace that you think can never be yours? If you see Christian beleivers as your enemy, then be smart and get to know your enemies with an open mind. This would entail the unique situation of using intelect and complex emotion on your part. Are you capable of this? The question is asked with sincerity not sarcasm. When you find out why this select group of God worshiping people have that radiance that comes out from within them, please share with me, because I want some of whatever they have in my life too.

I cannot see Him, but God is all around me, I cannot see or touch Him and yet I believe. But it's been seven years since my eldest son committed suicide. No matter where christians are, they are persecuted especially in their own homes, that's what it was like for me, daily persecution, judged and found guilty. I tried to hang on to the comfort of the thought of being forgiven for all the mistakes that I have ever made. But I gave in when my son died, telling God 'You win'. Before that, I witnessed the answered prayers, the power of healing the joy of praising God. Now, I'm just a hasbeen.

Turn back to God, call to Him for help. He will meet you.

How wonderful would our world and lives be if we loved and served one another as if we were brothers and sisters!

I hope you hear this simple message that was brought to us by the Lord.

Garet,

I have read some of your posts and you show great zeal in your assertions that God has somehow been disproven. Although such a fanatical view lacks evidence and clear facts, it is, paradoxically, popular with some who extol the virtues of science.

It appears to me that fundamentalist God-deniers are like non-swimmers who stand in the shallow end at the pool telling the majority who splash around in the deep end that they can't possibly be swimming - it's just an illusion, or trick, or a lie they were told, or a way of getting their money, or that they are child-like to believe they're actually swimming.

Spiritual faith is much like swimming. If one never leaves the shallow end, or refuses to ever lift one's feet, or take a leap into deeper water, one remains rooted to the solid, yet limited comfort of the pool floor.

As others do make that leap and clearly enjoy their swim, they may encourage others to come and have fun swimming. The shallow-end doubters should not need to be so zealous in their shouts of "You can't be swimming!" Afterall, for many, swimming is what they love to do and will always do, and many more will join in the fun.

You are welcome to stay in the shallow end, but allow others to explore the deep in relative peace.

Andre has it right. The CBC is promoting religion in general, and has been very discriminatory in selecting which posts are shared on this site. In fact, CBC programming has been heavily biased toward Christianity and Judaism for the past decade or so. Rather than report objectively on the opnions of Canadians, it appears the CBC has a corporate agenda to influence the public rather than represent it equitably. w

The atheist thinks the believer's brain is either not working or lying to the believer.

I wonder if the atheist has the truth and nothing but the truth. I question the infallibility of the atheist's brain.

Where is God? Why not ask where the Flying Spaghetti Monster is, or where the Great Jube Jube up the Mountain is? Where are those Invisible Pizza Men anyhow? Where has that Shiva disappeared to? I, for one, would love to know what happened to Zeus. Why focus on “God”, and not just ask generally where any fictitious thing is? God hasn't seem to have done a lot in the past few thousand years and there is a reason for that – religions are not true. The Bible, the Koran, and all the holy books are ancient fiction, the words of ignorant men trying to either a) explain their surrounding or b) covert people to their religion. And if you are going to make an outrageous claim that an executed hippy is the son of God, you'd better make him do some fancy stuff like have him walk on water, covert water to wine, and heal a blind man (and why not just cure blindness in general anyhow?) Humans have been around a mere second on the Earth history calendar, and religions have been around for a second of that timeframe. Religions were manufactured in a day when we knew so little about the world. Today we know so much more, and it's really difficult to believe this stuff is still hanging around. It’s not possible to believe in this nonsense.

God does not exist. So He, She, It is no where.

God or gods, whether the Christian monotheistic god or the Hindu pantheistic gods are hangovers from primitive societies attempts to explain the observed world and the events in it.
There is no need for mythological explanations for the universe. Clinging to a religion is simply a fear to face the universe as it really is. Religious "scholars" go through so many contortions trying to reconcile the myths of pre-literate societies with our current knowledge of the world that it is almost pathetic. It is time for humanity to grow up and put away their childhood blanket in the form of religions.

Basing your belief system (Christianity) on the Bible is pure folly. This is not "the word" of any god. It was thrown together, by a group of men(Constantine, et al.), for political reasons, about 3 centuries after the proclaimed death of one JC. And later this Bible was modified repeatedly to weed out items that did not mesh with the dogma of the controlling religion. Many of the stories have good lessons, but most of these were borrowed from earlier manuscripts of legend and myth. But these stories have been manipulated and twisted for nearly 2 millenia, in order to play upon our human fear of death, to threaten us with hell and tempt us with immortality. It has been used to gain power and wealth, to control "the ignorant masses", and to justify torture and warfare and genocide.

The saddest thing for me, in this time of unlimited access to information, is that so many people still chose to be counted among " the ignorant masses", so desparately clinging to the dogma of old beliefs that they refuse to open their minds to alternative points of view. They chose, in stead, to continue hoping for some sign from above that the faith that they cling to is not based on a bunch of lies.

Love and kindness and generosity are what the world needs now, not religious fundamentalism, cultural isolation and holy wars. We need a simpler reason for being "nice" to each other. We need to end the greed and selfishness of the past. We need to start taking care of the only Earth we have.

There is no-one up there to forgive us, so we'd better get our act together or nature will carry on without us.

wv

An opinion is a position you hold with a varied degree of intensity that merely voices your preference.
A conviction is that which is rooted in your conscience.
If you were to toy with your opinions you are going to be jostling with your preferences.
If you toy with your convictions you are going to have to deal with your conscience before you can alter the conviction.
A conviction ungirded by love will make the possessor of it obnoxious and the dogma he (or she) possesses repulsive.
There are those that are not interested in hearing the message of the salvation of Christ. They choose to believe something else, or simply in nothing at all.
We can't force or explain it to non believers who are not interested in hearing the message. We are commanded to try, but we are not commanded to be successful. If a person is not interested or doesn't believe, it is their choice.
We are to be salt and light regardless of the reception to what we offer and live.

Garet,

Thanks for reading. I am ok with a flawed Bible that contains truth rather than a literal one. wish we could discuss this more.
blessings to you.
Gerald

Where is God? An interesting question and one a lot of people would liked answered. May I ask this question, "Why should God answer or help when we, as a nation, have told God to keep out of our goverment, schools and public places. We ignore Him, protest when God is given publicity, and yell "intolerant" when someone mentions what is right and wrong. Where is God you ask, right where we wanted Him to be, out of our lives!!
If you want an answer I would be glad to give one!!

In response to the question "Where is God?" the answer, in my view is, that God is present everywhere. God is a Spirit, and as a Spirit is omnipresent. This view is backed up by Scripture. For example, the Psalmist David said, "Where can I go from Your Spirit. Or where can I flee from Your Presence?"
While God is everywhere present as a Spirit, His presence, in a special way that can be perceived by humankind, comes usually by human invitation. God does not force Himself on anyone, but manifests His presence when He is invited to do so.
The Spirit of God indwells true believers in Christ. He does so because those individuals have invited Him into their lives. This concept is backed up by Scripture, which says that the believer's body is the temple of the Spirit of God. I have experienced this indwelling of God's Spirit in my life, and it is most wonderful and fulfilling.
God also presences Himself in a special way in Christian services where people gather to worship Him. Again He presences Himself because He has been invited to meet with those present. In our church services at Bethel Family Worship Centre in St Paul, Alberta, people sense the tangible presence of God.
In summary, God is a Spirit Who is present everywhere. To actually experience His presence in a real way, one must extend an invitation to God to meet with him.

Where are secular values today?

I feel that the CBC has given unfair coverage to religious views and has not represented my secular values that makes modern life possible. CBC gave a bull-horn to Ben Stein, full-time to church goers and unchallenged talk-time to the religious. If religion is a branch of science than what experiments are they refering to? If religion in the work-place is a right than what about my right to freedom from religion? If religion can occupy daily life than what room will there be for skeptical analysis? Please redress this one sided program with another on the value of embracing science, reason and fairness.

Thank you for reading this
Andre Couverette

The subject of religion, mythology or the existence of god has occupied over 30 years of my life. I graduated with a B.A. in literature and Psychology and did the research for an honorary masters in mythology(religious studies). I have been studying the history, mythologies,archeology and philosophies on this subject for the last 15 years with over 500 reference books in my own library and enjoyed your show yesterday, immensely. I have no use for organized religion, despite the few good effects that it may have had historically. I await the day when it is no longer a scouge to humankind anymore and is replaced with good old Greek standards of ethics and morality, coupled with the common sense of science and the future greatness that may lie ahead for my grandchildren. My selected reading for this week is by Christopher Hitchens:"God is not great".I would invite any priest, rabbi or other form of self induced representative of god on earth to a showdown on your radio show. The koran was written by a loon and woman hater, the old testament, a collection of exagerated tales and the new testament has been so tampered with over the ages that no one in any educational field or disipline, could ever separate the truth from the Catholic churhes lies. Zietgeist will give you a rough idea of the fabrication this religion is based on, a good documentary film. Anyone who wishes to email me or speak to me on this subject is more than welcome, since I;am currently working on a book titled,"The Reconstruction of God." I thank you for your time or an end to delusion.

Upon the birth of my son in 1980, I recognised that I am a participant, not the source of new life. Further personal research has revealed that I am powerless over much except myself, although I can have impact. Faith, I have found, is a learned comfort and resource, one I don't naturally reach for. Practice, discipline and need have assisted me in utilizing this asset, although I forget and think I can make alone. then, when I'm all twisted out of shape, I think, "Oh, yeah, I forget to pray." Sometimes I fell like a fool, but that's usually just my mind talking, not my heart.

I cannot see Him, but God is all around me, I cannot see or touch Him and yet I believe. But it's been seven years since my eldest son committed suicide. No matter where christians are, they are persecuted especially in their own homes, that's what it was like for me, daily persecution, judged and found guilty. I tried to hang on to the comfort of the thought of being forgiven for all the mistakes that I have ever made. But I gave in when my son died, telling God 'You win'. Before that, I witnessed the answered prayers, the power of healing the joy of praising God. Now, I'm just a hasbeen.

The biggest sticking point here seems to lie with peoples' idea of what faith is. People seem to think it is just a "feeling" that we get in our gut, a belief in something "that we can't understand". For people who have this inclination, and want to believe, this seems to be enough for them. And for people who are more inclined to use reason and thinking ability, the very idea of structuring your entire view of reality on something so flighty is borderline insanity.

I understand both views, although I belong the latter group. However, I DEFINITELY believe in God, and base my life around that belief. Not because of some fantasy world where I repeat mantras like "God is in everything" and "all faiths are paths to God" because it makes me feel better; rather, my faith is built from careful and thorough study of the Bible and calculated reasoning.

The Bible's definition of faith is found at Hebrews 11:1: "Faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities though not beheld." It means hoping in something that you are sure of because you've had 'evident demonstration' of its existence, power, and/or dependability. For instance, believing the sun will rise tomorrow morning is an expression of faith - it hasn't happened yet, but everyone believes it will because of the evidence they have personally experienced.

I've heard it said many times that one must be very quiet & bring your bible into your own personal space or whatever in order to 'hear' from God. He truly seems very, very elusive & in order to get something from this being, you also must be a chosen one, as many people say they tried to be quiet in front of God, yet only a small fraction are allowed to really hear from him.
Then there's the flip side, alter ego to God. He apparently rules the world & is loud & clear wherever one happens to be on the planet, as witnessed by the state of people today.
People can invent themselves to be cruel enough, we didn't need a 'loving' god to allow a dark angel in his midst to create a hell for us.

I once was caught in the confusing loop of religious belief & was often frustrated even as a youngster. When I thought something was dumb or didn't make sense, I was told I needed faith & one cannot question anything havning to do with the almighty master. This 'just because' mentality was the end for me, even at that young age because not allowing big questions & even doubts just told me that there wasn't a real basis for it-that it was, in essence, a house of cards, & all who live in that house must close down their minds & live off this 'faith' thing.
My confirmation of my thoughts were validated when I read the e-book at:
www.whywontgodhealamputees.com
I realize it sounds real corny at first, but I challenge any religious, praying person to read it & not be filled with questions & doubts.

Gerald, the literal bible is the only interpretation that would work. Otherwise it's flawed.

I've enjoyed this CBC program through the internet, and found it interesting, especially reading about religions with which I am not very familiar.

I have always considered myself spiritual without being tied to religion, but my youngest daughter (6) is very keen on church and finds reassurance in its messages so we started attending a local church where we get a gentle dose of religion, and enjoy the fellowship of other families. Though I do not wholeheartedly support all tenets of any church, some of the core values of all religions are the same as the core values for our family, and the church, therefore, has a supporting role in our personal family life.

My perspective is that this open discourse on religion is wonderful, and so hats off to those who are writing in to discuss something that - like it or not - is a huge part of our Canadian mosaic.

I am disappointed in some of the closed-minded posts of some contributors - both religions and non-religious alike. There can be no reasonable discourse without a willingness to at least listen and appreciate other people's views. The rancour and hostility expressed by some shows that tolerance for the views of others still has a long way to go.

Faith is very personal and I don't think we have any place putting down what other people choose to believe, regardless of our personal views.

From reading these comments,we have a long,long way to go in our understanding that we are more the same than different.

If our tolerance for each other doesn't happen soon,it will be the destruction of us all.

Who says we need a God to live in peace and harmony? Human beings are naturally predatory, we have been killing each other for thousands of years over access to food, water, and resources. Our acquired resistence to this penchant to kill each other is a growing understanding that we need to respect each other if we are to live together and survive as a species on this planet. Maybe that's where a need to organize ourselves around a belief in a supreme being came from. However, unfortunately today there seems to be a growing trend. One group of us believes "our" God is better than "their" God. Religion - particularly in the last several thousand years - has been at the root of many of the world's problems. It has not provided solutions or answers. Where is God? The answer is simple. There is no God. God doesn't exist, and never did. The evidence is all around you. Click on the evening news, pick up a news paper, surf the Internet.

I believe myself to be a spiritual person, one who wishes no harm, one who in any small way wishes to make the world a better place to live. I leave the "door open" to an omnipotent creature or God directing my actions.
What really disturbs and upsets me is how the various humanity generated religions interpret what their Gods want.
So much strife, chaos, war, murder and prejudice has been promoted in God's name. Religions appear to promote man's inhumanity to man, rather than practice peaceful co-existence.Religions seem to be about power and control over other humans, rather than love ans support. Today the world is a terrible place because of this.
As one comment also highlighted - there are too many people in he world. Does any God really want humans to reproduce to the point of unsustainability? It seems unlikely that having created such a wonderful haven as plant earth, a God of any name would want us to destroy it.
People of the world, step up and really pay attention to the ideals your religions profess to promote!
Ditch self interests and think of the long term - then maybe God will really appear to us!!!!

I think too many people define God and then deny the God they have defined. I certainly do not believe in the God that Dawkins, Hitchens etc. deny either. My God is not found in the literal bible, but rather in the truths that can be found in the Bible and by the works of saints such as Ghandi, Martin Luther King and Mother Theresa, etc. To paraphrase JFK; Ask not what your God can do for you, but what you can do for your God. Jesus, in the book of Matthew Chapters 5-7 did not make claims of God making us better people or rich. His words speak of caring for others. Rather than being served by God, we are called to serve.

As Christians, I also believe that we are not exclusive in finding God.God is found in other faiths and indeed those of no faith.
Like the windows in a building which look out into the streets of a city. Each window provides a different view, but the city is the same.

Oh for pity's sake! I am continually amazed that in the 21st century, so many apparently intelligent, educated people have imaginary friends and believe the tall tales handed down from bronze-age sheepherders. Can't we take responsibility for and deal realistically with the many actual issues we are facing in the world we live in? Mumbling to incorporeal creatures doesn't cut it.

"Evolution... a fanciful concept created by highly imaginative people who deny the existence of God. A concept used to ease their conscience and dismiss any responsibility or accountability for their actions. Proof of evolution... there is none, all 'evidence' is twisted in order to fit the presupposition that evolution is fact, a belief some scientists (not all) and people will amazingly cling to at all cost."

I think atheists have more accountability than Christians. You can just repent before death and be forgiven. An atheist cannot. They have to live with what they've done. Christians just say sorry.

I guess you haven't read any books about genetics, or all the transitional fossils we've found. What was that recent (within a year or so) transitional fish fossil we've found? The reason that not every scientist "believes" evolution is that some are still brainwashed.

Have you listened to any "intelligent design science"? They think that since Noah couldn't have 2 of every animal on the ark, he had 2 of every "kind". Now, kind is not actually defined. It cannot mean species, because even micro evolution (which creationists can believe in) shows that new species can be formed from old. ID "scientists" believe in "superevolution" where roughly 10 000 "kinds" of animals turned into every animal we have today, in 400 years.

Instead of asking, "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?", perhaps our time and resources would be better be spent enquiring: "How can we as a community solve the crime problem in Toronto schools, the rampant drug usage which has destroyed so many lives in Vancouver's Down Town East Side and the other real issues which face our society?".

I'm an agnostic but some things puzzle me.
Why do living things need to reproduce....survival of the species yes but what's so important about survival.....what drives it.
Why do crystals grow with such well defined boundaries?...which of the atoms decides to be a corner.
Why do snowflakes have so many regular shapes?

Where is God in your life today.
God's presence is very much a part of my life, has been when I was a child,and definitely more so today. As a practising Catholic, I personally could not have survived the 10 years + of desert that I went through without Christ and His Blessed Mother.
We live in a very multi-cultural society, and I have the opportunity to work with people from many different faiths. The basic tenent of each and every faith is the power of love and forgiveness.
God's presence is definitley in our world today.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
-Hebrews 11:6

You can't find what you don't want to have faith in,don't want to believe in, and think is a tyrant anyway...

Good points Gannyaa, however the 1st Commandment does not regulate good behaviour in the form of avoiding killing people. The 1st Commandment it is generally stated as 'I am the Lord your God'.

The three principal Commandments deal more with mind-control than advocating good social practices.

Go figure.

"Then science must be the new God. Science can explain the magic, illusions, of Criss Angel. Criss Angel doesn't say he is a god or his power comes from God. He doesn't try to mislead people, for power, or money."

I like the fact that Criss Angel does these very convinving street magic tricks. But they're just that. Tricks. It really bothers him, as well as other magicians, when they are said to have powers. Criss spends hundreds of hours to work out and perfect a trick that lasts 5 minutes.

The real problem with magicians are psychics. Mentalism is an illusion, plain and simple. Faith healers are as much of frauds as psychics, only they don't bother learning mentalism.

"An unbeliever believes in chance
But a believer believes that God rules"

Now, if God really rules, then we cannot have free will. How can that be? I thought god gave us free will. I know it's an explanation to cover some of the bs that is the bible, but you know.

God exists. God reigns supreme.

Evolution... a fanciful concept created by highly imaginative people who deny the existence of God. A concept used to ease their conscience and dismiss any responsibility or accountability for their actions. Proof of evolution... there is none, all 'evidence' is twisted in order to fit the presupposition that evolution is fact, a belief some scientists (not all) and people will amazingly cling to at all cost.

Your question "Where is God Today?" should really be "Where are you in relationship to God today?"
God is as omnipresent and as unchanging today as yesterday and tomorrow. Rather, it is humankind's changed personal relationship with God that is effecting 'God-less societies'. God is prohibited from schools and other public institutions. God has become politically incorrect. Instead we have raised the god of 'Human Rights' to dictate our values and morals. Our society 'worships' sex, money, drugs, fashion, entertainment and status and is violently thirsty in obtaining them. Look at the recent findings of abusive sex and the possession of guns among students within the Toronto School Board (and others).Look at the corruption in corporations and government. Look at the rise in street shootings, school shootings, child abuse/murder, and the escalation of poverty. We, as a society, have allowed this to happen by turning our backs to God and instead we now pursue our own desires. We are currently 'reaping what we have sown'.
Where is God Today? He is waiting for us to turn around and to know Him again.

Religions have arisen out of the spiritual encounters and experiences of a very small number of people who strenuously wrestled with the big questions and spent a lot of time in wilderness places in solitude and prayer or meditation before their insights came to them.

For people who join or align with a religious tradition, the decision is mainly a social one. Among those who join a religion, very few make any significant effort to seek a first-hand experience of God.

You can be part of a Canadian mainline church for years and never have anyone - aside from the minister in the course of his or her duties - speak of God as if the existence of God could possibly have any bearing on day-to-day living.

The decision to be an atheist can be an easy avoidance of the big questions.

What if you went to the trouble of praying to God to ask "Where are you?" and God answered, "I'm here , where are you?" Then you'd be stuck with the lifetime obligation of coming to terms with God. That's a lot of work. And possibly some nasty demands.

It's much easier to stay with the socially accepted priorities of family, job and recreational activities.

One thing I hope for is that people keep asking God their hardest questions. In essence, I believe Jesus is the master of living, he has mastered the art of life. God invites our questions - in a book recorded by Jesus friend Matthew
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

God is beyond all of our conceptions, doctrine and definitions and so is the message of love.

Where is God Today? Well, if the priests and magicians of biblical times, thought that static electricity was the power of God, or someone's magical illusions was a gift of God. Then science must be the new God. Science can explain the magic, illusions, of Criss Angel. Criss Angel doesn't say he is a god or his power comes from God. He doesn't try to mislead people, for power, or money.

Fear God, they say. Go ahead believe in some story teller. Don't go imposing your beliefs on me.

I say, fear the people that say, fear God. For in God's name, wars are fought (Iran, Iran ~ old syria). People are killed ! even though the first commandment is Thou shall not kill.

The bible is full of historical records, so are historical novels ~ all very accurate and detail the daily lives of the people at that time.

What's your relationship to the Genie in a Bottle, should be no different than your relationship with a God, or the Great Spirit.

I believe in the 21st century, humanity certainly has a more mature view of God and that no one person's religion is more right, just different.

Regretably, a complete belief in life after death and a deity who both looks after you and gives you authority over everything on earth may run counter to the ability to deal with the real issues which face humanity. Armageddon and the Day of Judgment are not seen as necessarily a bad thing (and may be a Good Thing, depending on strength of belief). The thought that some politicians work on the principle that "God directs what I do, ergo what I think must be right" is not comforting. The sooner we accept responsibility for what we do on earth without looking to ancient works of fiction or some uber-controller the better.

"In the future, I would appreciate if you were consistent in one other area. As you believe that the universe and everything in it are based on chaos and random chance, please use this technique while entering your rebutals. I, believing that the universe in based on logic order, will continue to reply by selecting which keys I will use."

If you're believing the universe was created by a logic and physics defying magic man, please use this technique while arguing. Oh wait, you are. Nevermind.

You clearly need to read up on the big bang and evolution, and probably reread your bible a couple times, then maybe you'll make sense. Also read up on logical fallacies.

"So the fact (undisputed by me) that a small number of people use a miscalculation based on a mistranslation means that the text in question must in all cases by interpreted via this error? Interesting concept. Let's apply "Garet's Hypothosis" to general science. Hmm... I don't think that this will go over very well. There are still (supposedly) a group of people that believe that the earth is flat. Based on Garet's Hypothesis, we must all believe it is. There are people that don't believe men have landed on the moon. By Garet's Hypothesis, we must all believe that NASA faked it all. There are people that do not believe in evolution. To be consistent, Garet (by his own hypothesis) must now become an evolution denier. Boy, if we had applied this to science in general, we would never have gotten ANYWHERE."

...See? This is exactly how creationist logic works. Logic is used loosely.

Firstly, theologists and scholars believe the world is 6000 years old. You know, the people who have read and understood the bible (ie not you). Now, if there's at least 3 seperate instances of the worlds age, why are you even refuting it? You're assuming that since you don't believe it, you're in the majority. You shouldn't start your little rant with a logical fallacy like that.

You know, it was a nice try, but you failed from the beginning.

"(which are called that because they are not facts)?"

...Evidence and facts are interchangable.

"This requires serious faith if you ask me, especially considering these theories are built upon each other assuming the previous theories were correct, meaning if a foundational theory were to be proven wrong, the entire house of theories would collapse."

Sure, this would require faith if you don't understand the scientific method, or don't understand how science is self correcting. Religion has neither method, nor any sort of self correcting. That is why it's a weak argument at best to call scientific knowledge "faith".

"Part of Christianity is based on the same type of belief system where you put your faith in the accounts of others as recorded in the Bible, but there is also the personal experience, and without it you have nothing. A true Christian KNOWS there is a God through his spirit-man. Our intellect may not be able to prove it, but our inner being was created to have a relationship with the Creator, and through this experience all doubts are removed and our spirit is awakened to the truth. The natural part of man is not designed to understand the spiritual matters of life, nor can he prove there is no God."

This might be true if everyone was born a Christian. Unfortunately, everyone is born an atheist. Some people are just brainwashed with the whole religion things. Others are correct at birth.

God is at the center of my life in everything I see or hear and try to do. I see him in the hands of a doctor, in the birth of a child. Through the seasons as they cannot be created by man. God gives me the spring and it reminds me of the birth of my children: a new awakening. In the summer he gives me the beauty and color all around, just like his many different races: In the fall with seniors and the wisdom as I see and like the leaves, slowly are getting older and soon to return to God, just as the leaves fall to nourish the ground. In the winter when the white driven snow is on the ground it reminds me that when we are born our soul is pure white, we are the ones that discolors the snow with pollution and many other things but when a soft wind blows where the snow has not been touch and a twig falls gently on the snow, I see the breath of God just as he erases our sins.God to me is in every part of my life and in every person even if they disclaim him. Man can work only with what God gives us to work with. Without God, I am nothing.

God is very important to my life. I read the Bible almost daily and pray at least once a day, but often I do it more.

It hurts me that so many atheists are aggressively campaigning to turn people away from God.

Where is the debate? Where is the answer? There is none. The fact is, is that belief in a higher power is a PERSONAL belief. It cannot be proven,, either by Garet or those who disagree with him.

PERSONAL is the key here...once the personal evolves into the social, that is when belief in God becomes a problem. People in positions of power take a personal belief, and begin to impose it on others, be it children, congregations or in the worst case, entire populations.

PERSONALLY, I have no issues with those searching internally for sprituality in their life...I have done so in varying degrees at various times of my life. What I have issue with is those taking a largely SOCIAL phenomenon and institutions and speaking of them as if they are absolutes.

For example, celibacy in the Catholic church. This is not a dictate of the Bible, this was an imposition by the Lateran Council in 12th century. Find me somewhere in the Bible where Jesus states that his followers must be celibate? It does not exist...as a matter of fact, I don't see a formal organization around the teachings of Jesus...I see a few people taking his simple message of charity, honesty and peace spreading it. It is the organized church that has since come in and made a total disaster of those teachings?

What would Jesus do?

Thousands of cultures have inhabited this planet. Western culture speaks with incredible conceit to the fundamental definitions of religion and god, and most comments on this site confirm our collective contemptible hubris. The realization that the human species is capable of an infinite variety of explanations for reality is a much better anthropological lens to view our world than the narrow, parochial and totally divisive teachings of organized religion. The major organized religions are essentially totally incompatible with one another, and anyone who disputes this statement simply has not thoroughly investigated and compared the texts of the organized religions.

I'm amazed and a little distraught at the opinions expressed here. Really - so many words wasted on trivial arguments like the 6000 year theory. Come on people - the planet is in crisis and we need to be smarter than this!

"We spend our lives trying to unlock the mystery of the universe, but there was a Turkish prisoner, Baha'u'llah, who had the key." - Leo Tolstoy

Consider a religion:

with followers who have NEVER killed in the name of its founder.

that states science and religion can and must eventually agree.

that recognizes the true value of all the world's great religious teachings.

that strives to eliminate racial prejudice.

that actively works toward the establishment of peace on earth, and teaches that it is inevitable.

that discourages proselytizing (i.e. television evangelists)

that will not solicit or accept financial support from outside its own organization.

that has quietly grown over the past 160 years to become the second most wide-spread religion on earth. (next to Christianity)

that is the most culturally diverse organization on the planet.

It is called The Baha'i Faith.

Christianity is built on the premise that if you don't accept Jesus Christ as your saviour, you will suffer eternal damnation.

God is apparently all knowing, all powerful and all loving. The notion that he would have to resort to spiritual blackmail and petty scare tactics is pathetic.

You only get one life. When you die, that's it. You might as well appreciate life and treat other people with compassion. You shouldn't and don't need a God to do that.

Base emotions are the essence of life - nothing trivial about that.

To be alive is to wallow in base emotions. Joy, love, peace, sorrow, hate, despair these are what define us as living.

I personally never had the honor of meeting Mother Theresa, but from what I have read she exuded such peace that her presence alone could alter the mood of a room. By being at peace herself she could spark peaceful feelings in others.

The same is true of all people and all emotion. Next time you are at a social gathering…take note…if you see a small group of people appearing to have a lot of fun, laughing and being very jovial their joy will spread and attract others to it - similarly an angry confrontation can dampen the spirits of a whole group.

Emotions are the by-product of life energy and conscious thought.

Give Love
Be Peace
Share Truth

A question for the scientist out there maybe one is smart enough to explain this one to me:
In Ecclesiastes 3 verse 21 it says Who knoweth the spirit of man goeth upward,and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth.
When one watches a farmer get the cows in the morning he will see that the breath of man goes upward and that from the cow hits the ground both warm air. big mystery it is
Leaves another Question about the soul for all of us

God is very powerful and I believe in him but not in the traditional ways like worshiping or going to church.

In my opinion God is the Higgs Boson or at least operates within that particle.

The Higgs Boson or God Particle is everywhere, in every cell of our bodies, in every atom and everything. Naturally, with this in mind, God would be in the workplace whether we are aware of it or not.

In my mind we should carefully monitor our thoughts if we want to stay healthy and productive members of society. Our thoughts should mostly be of a positive nature, mainly because every cell of our bodies communicate with each other and we communicate with other people especially our fellow workers.

I'm guessing that if we constantly dwell on the negative, we are using the power of the Higgs Boson for evil, which may eventually destroy ourselves and many others.

i am simply astounded what some people believe to be in the Bible, without ever reading it

I am a Christian and the stereotypes about Christianity are numerous and simply wrong. As Christian we admit we are imperfect and admit we mess up (a lot). So since people only see the Christians (who may or may not be practicing)they link our imperfect acts with the perfect acts of God. Basically, the only way to understand pure, true Christianity is to read the entire bible (not just old testament...a lot of atheists quote the old testament against Christians, when a lot of stuff has changed since then). While the entire bible is relevant, Christianity is based on Christ and if you want to argue against Christianity don't argue against what Moses or King David said. While Moses and David were holy people there were people, not God incarnate. So people should learn more about something before they criticize it

about Garet's comment of the bible not mentioning dinsoaurs

first of all the word dinsoaur did not exist when the bible was written

What do you expect the people to do?
Sure God could have got them to write the word dinosaur even though it had no meaning to them, but still people would just argue right now that we called them dinosaurs because they were in the Bible, so there is no way of pleasing you

anyways, i am fairly sure (i have to admit i havent' done my research on this) that it mentions a giant lizard in the old testament, which is pretty darn close.

An unbeliever will say
God is nowhere But a Believer will
say God is now here
An unbeliever believes in chance
But a believer believes that God rules
just a little story i came accros one day
a certain young man went to trap a friar with the following three questions
1 how can you say there is a God, when i cannot see Him and you cannot show Him to me
2How is it rightto punish man for the crimes if every thing he does is according to Gods will
3 how can God punish Satan with fire since that is his normal element
With a confedent smile, he waited for the friars answer. the friar asked him to return the following day.when the young did so, the frair a large clod of dirt and hit him over the head with it
A stunned and angry young man immediately went to the town judge He explained what he had asked the friar and the friars response.he complained of his pain to the judge. the judge sent for the friar and asked him why he had done this.
The friar replied i did this to answer his three questions
1 he complains of his pain-let him show me his pain.How can i believe in something i cannot see
2 Why is he complaining to you if he believes that it is wrong to punish aman for only doing what is Gods will
3 how could i punish him with earth since that is his natural element

I am high school student who has discovered my faith (Christianity) in High school. Now school may not be the same as 'work place', but I personally am all for religion in the workplace. I am not sure about at work, but i know many friends who have a lot of difficulty running Christian clubs at other schools, due to the opposition of administration. I am lucky enough to go to an awesome high school which is extremely tolerant and we can do pretty well whatever, but I know many school which are restricted. what i don't get is how principals (and possibly bosses as well) can not allow Christian clubs and yet allow other religious group to meet. I definitely believe the minorities should be allowed to practice their religions, but shouldn't the majorities also have the same freedoms? So i think that faith in the workplace is extremely important, and cannot be stopped without breaking the charter of rights and freedoms. As long as there are people strong in their faith, God will continue to be worshipped everywhere in the world.
Many religions begin in oppression, yet still flourish so i think that God in the workplace will stay

The question is that should be asked is: Why do we attack God?
God is the creator of the universe. The father who sent is only son, Jesus to die for us. The God who wants to give us everlasting life hem in complete joy and happiness. God will never force his will on us but loves us whole heartedly. God is love, light and truth. God is just in ever thing he does, we mortals don’t understand his wisdom. Maybe it’s time to go after the real cause of the earths mess “Satan” the father of lies.

Where is God in my life? Absolutely no where because he simply doesn't exist. It took me all of 60 years to decide this but, after being agnostic for most of my life, I finally got around to thinking about it prompted by a life threatening disease, and when I did I quickly realised that there is no absolutely no basis for belief in God or Heaven or anything like it.

Having "jumped over the fence" after so long I am incresingly amazed that I could ever have thought otherwise and I would encourage other people along the same path.

I don't know if there is a God. I do believe though, that what we 'Christians' think we believe is based on what we are taught by our elders, and this has continued for generations.

How the Christian religion got started and continues today, some 2000 years after it supposedly was founded, is interesting. Many have argued over the years that this fact alone proves that Christianity is the Truth. However other religions have lasted for thousands of years also, and I doubt many 'real' Christians would say they are right.

One thing that bothers me in a discussion about religion is when someone quotes the Bible to prove that what the Bible says is true. For example "You have to believe in Adam and Eve because it says so right there in Genesis". That assumes that the Bible is accurate, but to prove its accuracy there must be outside proof. When you quote the Bible to 'prove' something the only thing you are proving is that you can read what words are written. You are not proving that the words are true, or correct.

One of my favorite fiction writers is Stephen King. If I quote something that King writes in one of his books, does that make what he writes the Truth? No, it only proves that I can read, or that I can read and remember what I have read.

It might interest some of the atheists posting here to wonder why Albert Einstein found atheists to be as limited in their thinking as fundamentalists.

For me, the illusion of a higher power or any type of religion as a necessity and a guide for my life has dissapated and become non-existent.

Don't get me wrong religion is an enormous part of billions of people's lives and unites them as one when nothing else can, but it leads to vindication of others with different faiths, and I include atheism as a religion and faith in this circumstance.

So please, just respect one another and accept that each one of us is different. This is one of the main tenets of every religion.

"So, the position of any believer is exactly parallel. Where did your God come from?"

As linear TIME is part of the created universe, and as God is, by definition, not limited by that which was created (any more than you aren't limited to only being in your house), God is timeless, but can view and act into the environment that was created. (This also addresses supposed limitions by the speed of light)

"And for that matter, how do you know that the creator of the universe is *your* God? It could be somebody else's God, in which case, you're probably in deep trouble. Or it could be a God who is gone. Or doesn't know about you. Or care about you. Or many Gods. Or a fallible God."

My personal experience tells me otherwise. (It is why I am no longer an Atheist)

" Heavens, Christians! It could be a female God! "

THAT is irrelevant. It actually would not make an iota of difference. I don't believe that God is 'male' in the sense that we think of anyhow. I think that much of the description we are given is done in ways that we can comprehend.

Do you really think that individuals 6,000 or 10,0000 or however-the-heck long ago would have understood discussions on energy-to-matter conversion methodologies, nonlinear time, distances measured by light-years, or genetic manipulation? (and the list could go on a VERY long time) I think that much of what is recorded is phrased in a manner that beings of very limited understanding were able to relate to.

Likewise I think that the "maleness" of God is just a way of allowing us to relate better.

Steve from NL writes:

"Garet, have you personally witnessed all of the evidence that supports evolution theories (which are called that because they are not facts)?"

This is a common misunderstanding of the word "theory" when used in science.

A scientific theory such as the Theory of Evolution is based upon thousands of observable facts. It is the accumulation of many small observable facts that lead a scientist to propose a theory.

Also, scientific inquiry always questions everything - including the ideas proposed Darwin. As a result, you will never hear "Evolutionary Theory" being referred to as "Evolutionary Fact".

I think the question should be:

Where are we in reference to God?

God never changes, He was, He is and forever Be the same in everything. From the beginning until the end of this world as we know it.

I could not see but know I am not blind anymore.

That is where I am in reference to God.

Love in Christ,

Azcari

I'm an atheist so the consideration of what my faith is, is moot.
I think that if people just strive to do the right thing
without the hocus pockus and delusion of god beliefs the better off the human race will be.

If one man has a delusion we say he is insane. If many have a delusion we call it religion.

JWL

Reading this comment thread was like sitting in a room with a bunch of teenagers trying to be cool by bringing down "The Man".

What I don't understand is why it's so wrong for me to practice my faith. I have never called anyone a sheep, stupid, selfish, infantile, or so many of the other derogatory words people in this thread have to used to describe other people who choose to practice their faith in one way or another. So I ask those who have posted said comments: Why does it bother you so much that I practice my faith? Why is there such a defensive, knee-jerk reaction of "All religion is stupid, outdated, Neanderthal, and pathetic"? Why is there such intolerance?

Does it hurt you so much that I pray before I go to bed at night? Does it hurt you that I go to church, or that I plan on teaching my child what I've learned from my parents? Will you read this comment and automatically assume that I blindly accept whatever I'm told, or will you realize that I'm a person too, and that maybe I've gone through a journey in life that has lead me to where I am today?
Why are you telling me what I should or should not believe? Why are you mocking those who believe differently than you do? Why do you insist that anyone who does not think the way you do, is wrong?

I'm not asking anyone to put aside their own beliefs. What I'm asking for is a little tolerance. Let me practice my faith, without bigotry. In Canada, isn't that what we all want?

"I am a Christian and I would like to address all the atheists out there. Let's assume for a minute that the choice I've made to be a Christian is wrong, that all my beliefs are actually a hoax and that I have been deceived. There is no afterlife, no heaven, no hell. Jesus never came to earth and was not God's Son. What have I missed out on in this life? Well, I guess I missed sleeping in on Sunday's (because I enjoy going to church). Maybe I missed out on creating my own standards to live by."

Nothing. If you are a normal person living a normal life and at the end of that life you have no regrets and are happy with that life then I may envy you. In fact religion may make your life easier.

Living life without religion means that I have to take responsibility for my actions. I can only look to myself to fulfill my needs. It means that I consider life to be very precious because I believe that this is our one and only shot at it. I behave ethically and morally because I want to. I want to look back on life and believe that I hurt no one.

No religion, leaves me viewing all races and cultures on equal footing. I marvel at our differences rather than suspect them. I greet every person I meet warmly. I love humanity and treasure the human experience. I am virtually incapable of hatred.

Are all atheists like me? No. Some are hedonistic. Some are criminals. Some are just not nice people. Just like religious people.

Your post is somewhat reminiscent of Pascal's Wager. If you think that Pascal's Wager is a good reason for belief then I recommend that you better start believing in all religions and deities because you never know.

I think the comments regarding God being a "figment of my imagination" is a useful comment. Since several billion people share this falsehood, obviously our brains have tricked those who are believers.

Of course, if billions of brains are fooled by this lie, then what else are all of us fooled about. Could those who do not believe also have a brain that lies to them? If so, then there is a God and the non believer is lost.

I recognize that there have been many conversions from and away from belief in God. I have read many accouts of those who have believed and litteraly been transformed by this belief that they are loved.

So, at the end of the discussion, my brain and heart tells me that it is best to let everyone know that they are loved!

Of course, this is just one brain talking to a bunch of other brains. Some of you will think that my brain is fooling me again. An yet, I somehow strongly believe that you are loved.

God is in our coincidences, in the unexplicable, in the answers for what cannot be verified. This is where God 'is'. Where he cannot be quantified or qualified. Whether the idea of God was created or imparted the idea of God rests is reserved in the shelf of 'I guess it was meant to be', or 'this is a blessing in disguise'.

The pursuit of God (or god) or any religion results in 2 outstanding events. 1- That the adherent wrecklessly and without much regard for reason, logic or balance pursues this 'God' with increasingly substantive apologetic for why they choose to 'believe'; and 2- The adherent, already posessing dangerous qualities of fundamentalism peforms a 180 and chooses an opposing set of ideals and lifestyle sometimes to the detriment of themseleves and their community.

Neither option is particularly attractive. I should also mention that those who conclusively claim that there is no God are as loopty as those who definitively claim that there is such a one. I'd like to know where the book holding all the answers to the universe is, because apparently both camps - God believers and non belivers claim to have found it.

What does it matter whether one person believes or disbelieves... I'm afraid we're all taking things much too literally - and that's where the problems lie. Because of that, I won't state my opinion, beliefs, or faiths as to the "God debate". What i will say is, by reading the descriptions of different religions, it appears the intent of "religion" is to better ourselves, give answers and, most importantly, find peace within. If that really is the case, then can believing in a god do us any harm?

As I read the comments and listen to CBC radio on this subject one thing stands out...people really do not know much about the the God of the Bible. After all, that is where we get all our information about God and His role in our lives today.
Here are some interesting facts about the Bible you should know.

Here is a book:
1. written over a 1500 year span;
2. written over 40 generations;
3. written by more than 40 authors, from every walk of life including kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, scholars, etc.:
-Moses, a political leader, trained in the universities of Egypt
-Peter, a fisherman
-Amos, a herdsman
-Joshua, a military general
-Nehemiah, a cupbearer
-Daniel, a prime minister
-Luke, a doctor
-Solomon, a king
-Matthew, a tax collector
-Paul, a rabbi
4. written in different places:
-Moses in the wilderness
-Jeremiah in a dungeon
-Daniel on a hillside and in a palace
-Paul inside a prison
-Luke while traveling
-John on the isle of Patmos
-others in the rigors of a military campaign
5. written at different times:
-David in times of war
-Solomon in times of peace
6. written during different moods:
some writing from the heights of joy and others from the depths of sorrow and despair.
7. written on three continents:
Asia, Africa, and Europe.
8. written in three languages:
Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.
9.Finally, its subject matter includes hundreds of controversial topics. Yet, the biblical authors spoke with harmony and continuity from Genesis to Revelation.

This is truly a unique book and when understood properly contains one unfolding story about who God is and discloses the whole meaning to life here on earth.
The problem we see today with so many religions is in the interpretation of the Bible. People are offended by the Bible so some religions have even done away with it altogether. It's no wonder they really do not understand who God is! Read the Bible.

I think we should just try to ask questions about everything - "faiths", "theories", the whole lot. That, if anything, will open minds up in the long run and shut down fundamentalism on both sides. If we stop asking questions, and accept dogma, darkness will prevail.

LK:

"Yes, my favourite was Hawkins "A Brief History of Time" where he creates an infinite loop to explain the start of the universe, but conveniently fails to explain the start of the infinite loop. Quite the mental gymnastics."

So, the position of any believer is exactly parallel. Where did your God come from? And for that matter, how do you know that the creator of the universe is *your* God? It could be somebody else's God, in which case, you're probably in deep trouble. Or it could be a God who is gone. Or doesn't know about you. Or care about you. Or many Gods. Or a fallible God. Heavens, Christians! It could be a female God!

Where Is God
Look around at ranges of mountains
Or all the beauty beneath the sea
None of these
would be there to enjoy
If he had not spoken - Let it Be!
The everchanging sunsets and rises
Fresh showers followed by rainbows
Lightning displays with thunderclaps
Shade trees and
fragrant flower shows
A star filled sky
- Orange harvest moon
Eclipses, shooting stars
and comets too
Waterfalls, snowflakes
dancing in the sun
seascapes, serene lakes
and webs after dew
So much beauty
surrounds us everywhere
Yet many still ask
- Where can He be
Those with ears
should use them to hear
All those with eyes
can you not see
He then made animals
and human kind
And when everything was done
He did one more amazing miracle
Gave us his one and
only beloved son
If you lie, cheat, steal or
murder Drink - Are addicted
- Do things to excess
He will still love
and forgive every one
With only belief in
His Son and request

Garet, have you personally witnessed all of the evidence that supports evolution theories (which are called that because they are not facts)? I would strongly bet that you haven't had a first-hand experience to all the scientific data, but instead you believe most of what you do based on the accounts of others' experiences. In other words, through the writings of scientists and other educators, you have trusted their findings to be without error, and therefore have placed your beliefs in their conclusions without actually seeing first-hand how they came to it.

This requires serious faith if you ask me, especially considering these theories are built upon each other assuming the previous theories were correct, meaning if a foundational theory were to be proven wrong, the entire house of theories would collapse.

Part of Christianity is based on the same type of belief system where you put your faith in the accounts of others as recorded in the Bible, but there is also the personal experience, and without it you have nothing. A true Christian KNOWS there is a God through his spirit-man. Our intellect may not be able to prove it, but our inner being was created to have a relationship with the Creator, and through this experience all doubts are removed and our spirit is awakened to the truth. The natural part of man is not designed to understand the spiritual matters of life, nor can he prove there is no God.

I am a Christian and I would like to address all the atheists out there. Let's assume for a minute that the choice I've made to be a Christian is wrong, that all my beliefs are actually a hoax and that I have been deceived. There is no afterlife, no heaven, no hell. Jesus never came to earth and was not God's Son. What have I missed out on in this life? Well, I guess I missed sleeping in on Sunday's (because I enjoy going to church). Maybe I missed out on creating my own standards to live by.

"You confuse many with majority. There's your first problem. The fact that people have several ways of determining the world age according to the bible only enforces the 6000 year age of the earth."

So the fact (undisputed by me) that a small number of people use a miscalculation based on a mistranslation means that the text in question must in all cases by interpreted via this error? Interesting concept. Let's apply "Garet's Hypothosis" to general science. Hmm... I don't think that this will go over very well. There are still (supposedly) a group of people that believe that the earth is flat. Based on Garet's Hypothesis, we must all believe it is. There are people that don't believe men have landed on the moon. By Garet's Hypothesis, we must all believe that NASA faked it all. There are people that do not believe in evolution. To be consistent, Garet (by his own hypothesis) must now become an evolution denier. Boy, if we had applied this to science in general, we would never have gotten ANYWHERE.

Kindly do not make generalizations based on minority opinion and apply them to all of us, unless you are prepared to accept that those same type of generalizations must be applied in all other cases.

In the future, I would appreciate if you were consistent in one other area. As you believe that the universe and everything in it are based on chaos and random chance, please use this technique while entering your rebutals. I, believing that the universe in based on logic order, will continue to reply by selecting which keys I will use.

Glen, you're trivilizing base emotions as god. That seems to take away all meanings.

A question for the faithful.

In my opinion there is no difference in the faith required to believe that splashing a baby with water while uttering some incantations will have a magical outcome, to strapping a bomb to oneself and blowing it up in a busy market to get the 72 virgins.

While obviously the outcomes are very different, one has no effect on bystanders while the other will devastate bystanders, the faith required to believe that either act has merit is the same.

If you are comfortable baptizing your children because you believe god wants you to, would you be comfortable murdering me if you believe god wants you to? Would I become a victim of your faith or would you allow your free will and morality to trump your faith because you know killing me would be wrong?

God is exactly where he has always been, right in your mind. He or it is nothing more then a figment of your imagination. Faith empowers him, truth dissolves him. Humanity is the only true power in this world. The human race survives on the basis of all good and evil. There is no such thing as god or satan, it is all just stories created to control people. When the rest of the world evolves, the human race will be able to rise above the inhumanities of the world.

"P.S. I won't misquote your evolution theories, so please don't misquote my Bible."

The thing about this is that not everyone believes in God.

Every person is a homo sapien. This is a fact. Every person has ancestors that evolved into homo sapiens. This is a fact.

A magic man in the sky who is unprovable through bad definitions and slippery arguments is not a fact.

So, it's not MY evolution theories. You are the same species. We know about earlier homonids and such. We know that eventually they became humans. We know monkies and humans have common ancestors.

What I find interesting is that there's no mention of dinosaurs in the bible. Sure, there's a snake, which doesn't come till much much after the dinosaurs. You'd think since the world is so young, 1 of those people must have noticed a 40 foot tall reptile, right?

If I were to create a story from my imagination then the story would be real. It would exist. The characters and events would not…just the story.

The on-going debate that exists here is the same. Valid points are listed on both sides and it’s a debate that will likely last until the end of time but the truth of it does not exist - the answer is simply not known.

A belief in god(God) is certain to exist. I suggest that everyone will agree that some people believe in god (God) and some people don’t. So the belief that there is God - is just as much a truth as the belief that there is no god.

So, in fact, all aspects pertaining to God(god)can be boiled down to belief – either for or against.

What is odd, is that all man-made god(s), when boiled down to their essence, tend to stand for love, peace and truth.

However, I also suggest that we all believe in and strive for a life full of love, peace and truth. I think it is human nature to want these experiences.

Now, if you were to attempt to define love, peace or truth you will find that it is rather difficult. In fact it is almost like trying to define god - God just tends to mean something different to almost everyone.

Hmmm – this is interesting…

It is also interesting that the only things in life that increase simply by giving them away are peace, love and truth – and the more you give them away the more of each you will have in your own life.

Now that is pretty cool. What is even neater is that there is an ‘unlimited’ supply of all three and they cost nothing.

I can love my wife, my family, my co-workers, my pets and still have plenty left over to love a stranger on the street.

So what do you call that part of you - that truthful, loving, peaceful part of your personality?

I call that little part of me, the part that I am always trying to make a bigger – I call that part God.

Give Love.
Be Peace.
Share Truth.

"Nice try, but absolutely wrong. The main "modern" source for the calculation was an 18th century Anglican bishop who got the number by adding up the ages of people as listed in the Bible, oblivious to Steve's point. There are a very few ancient Jewish comentators that tried the same reasing, but the illogic was rejected by the vast majority."

You confuse many with majority. There's your first problem. The fact that people have several ways of determining the world age according to the bible only enforces the 6000 year age of the earth.

"Garet, I have to say I appreciate this debate but am disappointed that you continue to make claims of the Bible saying something without providing a reference or any other proof of your claims. Do you reguarly read the Bible (a book that you don't believe in) or are you just giong on heresay?"

I've read it. How can anyone read it and not be an atheist? I don't remember exact chapters, because I'd rather not fill my head with useless nonsense.

"After years of studying Theology in university and in my occupation, I ensure you that I am not interpreting anything loosely. Unfortunately, we the creation are not faultless when it comes to solving the mystery of the Creator, so certain things can be interpreted in different manners. Also, the Bible is not written entirely in literal writings. The Bible uses the figurative, the allegorical, the symbolic, apocalyptic, and other forms of literature depending on the time periods each passage was written in."

You missed the point that the bible must be taken literally to actually be the word of god, which is the claim. Since a majority of the bible isn't based in reality, the word of god is wrong. Since God can't be wrong, clearly there's something wrong there.

God is so ill defined that it makes the question pointless.

The question should be "Is there Life after Death". Now all the parameters can be defined in measurable terms. And if the answer is no; then the questions regarding God and religion are mute if not just silly.

And the world would be a much better place if all the time and money wasted on religion would be spent on improving our lives.

Let's put "God" where it rightfully belongs: with Santa Claus,the Tooth Fairy,and the Easter Bunny. Maybe then,we can deal with daily events intelligently,unobscured by this farce promoted and perpetuated by powerful charletons and their pusillanimous followers.-Thank You

Andrew, I agree the Bible if full of nasty stories that make modern people cringe. Lot's behavior, especially regarding his daughters is one of them.

Many of these stories come unencumbered by editorials. They are fairly "dry" reports, and can easily be seen as such.

Journalism in most of the Bible isn't nearly as slanted or loaded as it is in many media today.

"Many people get the 6000 years thing from the use of the word "historical" or "history" in some chapter I don't remember off hand. Whichever word it is meant 4000 years."

Nice try, but absolutely wrong. The main "modern" source for the calculation was an 18th century Anglican bishop who got the number by adding up the ages of people as listed in the Bible, oblivious to Steve's point. There are a very few ancient Jewish comentators that tried the same reasing, but the illogic was rejected by the vast majority.

"Actually, historically there aren't many credible references to a man named Jesus existing. There are exactly 0 that say he is who the bible claimed. There are earlier writings of Apolonius of Tayana, who had pretty much the same story as Jesus."

Josephus, Tacitus, Julius Africanus quoting a (now lost work by) Thallus, Lucian, The Talmud Sanhedrin 43a

Regardless of your opinion of the veracity of those writers, there is one fact that cannot be denied: SOMETHING happened in Jerusalem that caused a group of people that belonged to a religion of strict legality with eventual eternal judgement to suddenly have no fear of death (and the judgement). THAT is a matter of massive documentation.

"Read the millions of books by scientists who do believe it happened by "chance". "

Yes, my favourite was Hawkins "A Brief History of Time" where he creates an infinite loop to explain the start of the universe, but conveniently fails to explain the start of the infinite loop. Quite the mental gymnastics.

"Religious writings are not historical writings."

So, artifacts like the Dead Sea scrolls aren't considered to be historical writings?!

"Many people get the 6000 years thing from the use of the word "historical" or "history" in some chapter I don't remember off hand. Whichever word it is meant 4000 years."

Garet, I have to say I appreciate this debate but am disappointed that you continue to make claims of the Bible saying something without providing a reference or any other proof of your claims. Do you reguarly read the Bible (a book that you don't believe in) or are you just giong on heresay?

"Sure, if you loosely interpret a book that has to be taken literally for the religion to work."

After years of studying Theology in university and in my occupation, I ensure you that I am not interpreting anything loosely. Unfortunately, we the creation are not faultless when it comes to solving the mystery of the Creator, so certain things can be interpreted in different manners. Also, the Bible is not written entirely in literal writings. The Bible uses the figurative, the allegorical, the symbolic, apocalyptic, and other forms of literature depending on the time periods each passage was written in.

P.S. I won't misquote your evolution theories, so please don't misquote my Bible.

Religion is the by-product of primitive forbearers who lived in fear of being eaten. Just think how far we've come, in spite of religiosity, and how fantastic it is to be able to reflect on the progress of our species, culture(s) & society - on our collected knowledge and think, wow, there's so much out there we still don't know! We've fought hard, thought even harder, and killed alot of innocent fellow beings in the name of this god nonsense. Isn't it time we looked at ourselves as being rational enough to know right from wrong – I mean one human to another? Why do we need to give every bit of undiscovered knowledge over to an imaginary thing or some master scheme? What is so comforting about knowing there’s some higher plan while millions of our fellow beings are suffering all around us and we do practically nothing?

I expected the faith-heads to come out in force once this series began, but reading through these responses depresses me on a level I cannot express. When will humanity get a clue and rid ourselves of this superstitious clap-trap?

I was immersed in the silly and dangerous dogma of the christian tradition and I am so elated to be free of it you have no idea. I'm grateful to my own persistent curiosity to have had the time to teach my kids the pernicious, mind-numbing and deceitful nonsense that is dogmatic religion.

So to review… 1. You won't have an afterlife. 2. You won't go to heaven, but you won't go to hell either. 3. There is no god, benevolent or otherwise.

Your irrational fears codified by the ancient ramblings of some seriously screwed up bronze-age hippies will not change this one iota! My point is, this is it folks! SO MAKE IT COUNT! (You’re already a CBC listener so you’ve got that going for you.) You have it in you not to be so paralyzingly stupid - read a book, and get this sorted. You owe it to yourself and the rest of us too.

A quick review of today's religions and their proponents demonstrates that magic and mysticism are just as alive as they were mellenia ago.
Is it simply coincidence that almost without exception all major religions are dominated/headed by male figures as are any deities they proclaim to be 'speaking through them'? And, that the females of the species are relegated to roles of subordination/subservience and have been treated throughout history as nothing more than chattels without civil rights or rights of property?
Religions have been and are nothing more than a poorly disguised rationalization for the subordination of females by males and bears, in large measure, the responsibility for the ongoing violence perpetrated upon females throughout history
How infantile to presuppose that humankind needs some benevolent father figure to look after us and who will decide our fate.
Isn't it about time we as a species grew up?

Let me say again that these pages contain all one needs to read on the subject. The question is however, whether anyone will get what 'it' is all about.

Look at this way: what are you nurturing? and, who does it serve? All one has to do is ask these questions and soon they will get 'it', with a little help from their friends, of course. Isn't this the value of true spiritual activity? Shouldn't it nurture community, eschew 'ease and convenience' and elevate or empower the [s]individual? When one engages in a worthwhile spiritual pursuit, then it will do just that. Then this individual will have a positive impact on all around him/her.

So shine on brother/sister, shine on and just see what results. Manifest the 'godliness' we all are, and see what occurs for others, and you, of course. Be more like those cats and dogs and not the delusional [s]individual and find true happiness, peace and freedom.

It is a co-incidence and a blessing to all of us that CBC launches a discussion like this well needed topic openly.

My personal opinion to the question is that God is within each and everyone of us. We all have to make a concerted effort in trying to also see God in each other and therefore it leads to the question on how do we do this? There are six "evil" qualities which we need to overcome in our daily lives so that we can get closer to God and our fellow beings. What are these qualities - they are Lust, Anger, Pride, Hatred, Greed and Attachment. The infamous saying of Charity begins at Home has many interpretations. We at first glance will take it literary; but God has given us all this opportunity of having a family where we should all strive to maintain peace and harmony and work together with love. all people crave for peace. Though the source of peace and bliss is within themselves, they seek this in the external, like one pursuing a mirage. owing to restless activity, endless worry and limitless desires, man has lost peace of mind and has become prey to discontent and misery. At the outset peace has to be cultivated within ourselves. And then that peace has to be extended to the family. From the home it should spread to our locality. Thus, peace should begin withthe individual and spread to the whole society. Therefore each and everyone of us is a spark of the Divine or God. Some of these "Sparks" are huge. Like Mother Teresa, Gandhi and Einstein - others are not but we all are striving and should be striving to better ourselves to make all mankind work like the ocean. Why the ocean you may ask - in the ocean we have bubbles, waves and collision but they all come back to the ocean which is their source. Likewise people are of different natures but we all have a "common thread" which is the God within us all. Therefore my answer to the question God is within each and everyone one of us.

Thank You.

"You also mentioned there are 0 historical accounts of a man named Jesus - that's almost laughable. Whether He was who He said may be debateable, but His existence is undeniable as there are hundreds of historical writings mentioning Him."

Religious writings are not historical writings.

Many people get the 6000 years thing from the use of the word "historical" or "history" in some chapter I don't remember off hand. Whichever word it is meant 4000 years.

"These 2 factors considered, the Bible leaves room for the possibility the earth is much older than 6000 years."

Sure, if you loosely interpret a book that has to be taken literally for the religion to work.

Covering his head in shame and saying "mea culpa"

For all those who firmly believe that there is a deity that answers prayers, here is a question that requires an answer. Why, in all of recorded history has no god ever answered the prayer of an amputee?
Where are the regrown limbs? Do the gods all through time look on amputees as lesser beings?

Guy Consolmagno writes:

"You know cats and dogs are not particularly worried about meanings for life, and they seem to get along pretty well."

Yes, he's right - the cats and dogs have it right; they are not delusional like some humans.

Pat Sharp, atheist people can also do good things, just to let you know. Only atheists aren't doing it for a reward. They are the few who can actually be good. Christians can't. They are working their life to get in good with God. They want a reward.

There is nothing rational about religion, religion is a dogma and a dogma that has been proved scientifically and historically wrong, over and over. Why believe in a christian god, but not in Thor, or Ra or any other god invented by men, all the gods of human history, have the exact same value in face of science. They are all - every single one - unsubstantiated myths, and all gods have equal probability of existence, which, given the fallacy of the dogma on which they are based, is very low.

Faith is no more no less than a delusion, an irrational one, and sometimes a dangerous one. Its primary objective is to control the minds of those that fear.

For those of us who truely believe in "God" and Jesus as the Lord and Savior; there is no doubt that we are living in the last days of history....the bible fortold EVERY kingdom throughout history and every detail is accurate. No historian or scientist can deny this or come up with any other book that was even close to being as accurate as the Bible.

Christians today need to wake up and see that the Commandments of God are not being followed in todays society....the Sabbath is on Saturday, not Sunday and if (or when) the government passes a SUNDAY law....it will be just like in the days of Daniel (who was told to worship the king instead of God) We must stand up to fight this law. Those who make it to heaven will OBEY the commandments of God....Do you think he wanted us to forget his Saturday Sabbath when it's the only commandment that begins with the word REMEMBER?

I can explain how the Sunday worship came to be and I can give MANY accounts of how the Bible fortold events of today but there is not enough room here....but for those who want to not only read their Bible but understand it...watch AMAZING FACTS on Vision TV; it's probably one of the best shows that demonstrate BIBLE truth.

Thanks

Very interesting reading. Clearly, too much knowing, thought, belief and faith all over the pages. Here is the problem, even if others may say this is total nonsense.

Why do we always seek meaning, where there is none? Why do we always seek to explain the unexplainable? Why don't we simply cherish the wonder, the beauty everywhere?

The Bible and Koran were written by man, and like always, they are interpreted by man. Wonderful, and we have all seen the results and these pages clearly show why we have many, many people who don't buy the religious dogma too readily!

If there is a god, that god is you, and me, of course. And as surely as you breathe, you sign the sun, as do I. Lighten up everyone and remember that you are not you. Do you get it? Fun all this.

Thank you.

God is everywhere. He is with us all the time. The beauty of His Creation surrounds us every day. The question should be "Where are we today?" not "Where is God today". God is love! Have we opened our hearts and let Him in? Do we love one another as we are supposed to? Or is our world filled with hate and distrust? I know that God loves me and I return His love by loving my neighbour. Let us show mercy and compassion to all, for we are all equal in God's eyes. And we will gain inner peace. God loves us all, whether we return his love or not.

I believe I am a spiritual person on a personal spiritual search. Religion plays absolutely no part in my conscious daily life.That is the way I want to keep it. Intelligence in the universe and our connectedness to it is quite likely in my opinion. I can't explain it and no one can. It may even come from within us. I like so many others was raised with so called Christian values. Fear is the main tool used by Christianity and all other religions. With Fear of death and eternal damnation being the ultimate control. A very wise spiritual writer (Jacquelyn Small)once said if someone tells you God spoke to them they are lying. I believe her. Our main religion in our society today is materialism, it says if I have more than you then I must BE more than you. Until we change that we will remain stuck.

Religion in my experience, is an excuse for people to commit crimes 6 days of the week, and on the 7th day, everyone forgets what happened last week. Including the native girl that was raped last week, the native woman that was killed before. And "good" God fearing Christians have committed the worst sexual, physical, emotional crimes to humanity. Christianity is a false front, to harbor humanities worst criminals.

Faith can play a vital role in how we work, study, and interact with family and friends.

People have faith in me all the time, especially when I am helping them out. You can have Faith in anything not just God, or religion. My mother believes in me, I have faith in that.

But for many others, God has little or no presence.

God does exist, as does the Great Spirit, Genie in a bottle, or the billion names of God. God or a name therefore can be used by any religion. God is a spirit, not someone's religious toy.

Does religion play a large part in your day-to-day life?

Religion is just an excuse so people do not have deal with spirituality. If people were to be true to themselves, they wouldn't need priests, ministers, or guru's.

I applaud CBC Radio and CBC online for undertaking this series. I highly enjoy reading the personal accounts written by followers of each faith. While most are honest accounts from regular people, one entry in particular contains an unfortunate and unambiguous political thrust for people familiar with the religion in question. The beauty of this series is hearing from regular people who don't normally talk to each other about the issue of religion, and hearing each one's point of view. Please take effort to screen out organized interests CBC!

Larry from Niagara, you asked “Where did God come from, when there was nothing?”

One of God’s attributes is his self-existence. He is independent of all that He has created. “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (Psalm 90:2) God has being in and of himself without any outside influence. “He is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.” (Acts 17:25)

Science tell us that nothing begets nothing. Therefore to believe that all the universe that we see around us somehow came together by an accident of colliding atoms begs the questions where did the original atoms come from? Did they always exist from eternity past? If so, then those atoms must have had being in and of themselves.

I would simply affirm that to believe that this is all the result of an accident takes more faith then it does to believe that there is a God and creator who was able to speak everything into existence exactly as he designed it to be. “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17)

We are all going to die someday. No one can get away from it. Either God is all a myth, and I will go into oblivion along with everything else and will have lost nothing. I will only have gained a life of peace and joy and happiness on this earth. Or this is the truth as God has declared it to be. In that case, I have gained everything. I have gained peace in this life and an eternity with Him in heaven. That brings true hope for today and tomorrow!

The same place he/she has never been! I'm my own personal savior!

Think about this.

For some years I have been worried by the following astro-theological paradox. It is hard to believe that no one
else has ever thought of it, yet I have never seen it discussed anywhere.

One of the most firmly established facts of modern physics, and the basis for Einstein's Theory of Relativity, is that the velocity of light is the speed limit of the material universe. No object, no signal, no influence can travel any faster than this. But light takes not millions, but billions, of years to cross even the part of Creation we can observe with our telescopes.

So, if God obeys the laws He apparently established, then at any given time He can have control over only an infinitesimal fraction of the universe. All Hell might (literally) be breaking loose ten light years away, which is a mere stone's throw in interstellar space, and the bad news would take at least ten years to reach Him. And then it would be another ten years, at least, before He could get there to do anything about it. . . .

You may answer that this is terribly naive - that God is already "everywhere". Perhaps so, but that really comes to the same thing as saying His thoughts, and His influence, can travel at an infinite velocity. And, in this case, the Einstein speed limit is not absolute; it can be broken.

The implications of this are profound. He is coming just as quickly as He can, but there's nothing that even He can do about that maddening 186,000 miles per second.

It's anybody's guess whether He'll make it here in time. Paraphrased from Arthur C. Clarke

I definitely believe in god and jesus.As far as the bible is concerned,well...I don't exactly agree with everything in it because I believe a lot of it was made up by man in an old school era believing in old school beliefs.That being said,I do agree with some of the teachings of the bible.I came out of a very depressing time in my life and I believe that my faith in god and jesus and my prayers to St-Jude have helped me out immensely.I may not read the bible anymore but I pray everynight and I believe that I'm better because of this.Just my opinion...thanks

Zed, in my opinion the bible does promote abhorrent behaviour. For example, Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Lot is saved because he is viewed as just by god. But in Genesis 19 it says how when 2 angels are in Lot's house and the mob turns up to do something not very nice to them Lot offers the crowd something else:

"Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes."

Lot is then rewarded by god for his virtue. I think that that this promotes this kind of behaviour. Anyway, I certainly wouldn't let my children read that kind of thing.

(Of course Lot's daughters later have sex with him when he has drank himself unconscious - something else that it hardly up there with Winne the Pooh in terms of gentle children's tales I would read to my kids)

Garet,

You said the Bible states numerous times that the earth is 6000 years old. I'm just wondering which Bible you're reading because mine doesn't say that, unless you can give me the references so that I can find it.

The reason why many creationists believe the earth is 6000 years old is based on believing the 6 'days' of creation refer to literal 24 hour periods and then adding up the years listed in the geneaologies. Not to say I necessarily disagree with this but there are 2 facts to consider. First, the Bible says a day is as a thousand years to God. We cannot know for sure what time period He meant when dictating the creation account to Moses. Second, when the Bible says Abraham begot Isaac, the original Hebrew could be translated to mean Isaac was his grand-son, not his son. In other words, generations could be skipped as they may not be relevant. The main purpose in the geneaologies is to show that Jesus came from the line of David as prophesied. These 2 factors considered, the Bible leaves room for the possibility the earth is much older than 6000 years.

You also mentioned there are 0 historical accounts of a man named Jesus - that's almost laughable. Whether He was who He said may be debateable, but His existence is undeniable as there are hundreds of historical writings mentioning Him.

For those who make the argument that religion is the root of all evil and nasty things in the human race, think again.

A leading skeptic has stated this: "For every evil deed done by those of faith there have been 10,000 positive individual and corporate acts of kindness and helpfulness done by those of faith".

This skeptic is not a believer and quesions faith based beliefs. Worthy of contemplation, for those willing to think!

The story of blind men each telling what an elephant was like as they touched different parts of the animal comes to mind. We all have our different experiences, however it is through the heart not the intellect that we see the beauty of each day, the good in those around us, our common threads that let us know we aren't really separated by our differences when the heart speaks of our common humanity. As a Christian I have worked closely with Orthodox Jews for many years and seen our common bonds and goals and rejoiced in that. I have never debated the existence of God, I don't need to I can see Him/Her in a smile, a kind act, goodness in the midst of atrocity. Our children so often have wonderful insights into the beauty and goodness of the world, for me they've often brought warmth and honesty into a world that can seem godless.

OK, so here's my Top Ten (alright, 20) reasons why people turn to, or hold religious beliefs:

- Comfort.

- The promise of eternal life.

- Fear of death.

- Desire for fellowship with others (a social outlet).

- A sense of belonging.

- A sense of community.

- Emotional dissatisfaction with the logical implications of not having a god belief.

- Personal injustice or victimhood.

- Personal misfortune such as disability, injury, illness, or the misfortune of a loved one. (crutch syndrome).
(I know a guy who became a christian right after having a heart attack).

- Personal failure or crisis related to substance abuse, gambling, guilty conscience, imprisonment, etc.

- Personal dissatisfaction with one’s social, romantic, or vocational circumstances.

- Desire to reform one's morality or behavior.

- Desire for hope in divine reward.

- Fear of eternal damnation.

- Feelings of guilt or shame (the slick time-worn tools of christianity).

- Non thinking, or a lazyness in thinking, including a love for pat-answers.

- A failure of an education system.

- A desire (and need) for a certain "governance" in their lives.

- A certain child-like emotional trigger activated in the brain by a story in which they are loved by an authority figure or imaginary being.

- And probably number one: It just happens to be the religion that you were raised with.

"People here say they know there is God because they see God all around them, in the beauty of the Earth, the Sun, the Sea, whatever. "

I don't like when people say this. It really cheapens emotions and appreciation in things.

"The word translated as "day" in Genesis is translated in other place to mean (roughly) "an unknown period of time". This knocks out the whole 6,000 year-old earth issue as a culturally biased mistranslation by people whose significance is threatened by a 14.5 billion year old universe."

...Actually, there's several points in the bible where it says the world is 6000 or so years old.

"There are more (non-Christian) references to the real existence of Jesus than there are to the existence of Julius Ceaser, including Jewish letters asking superiors what to do about "these Christians that keep healing people"."

Actually, historically there aren't many credible references to a man named Jesus existing. There are exactly 0 that say he is who the bible claimed. There are earlier writings of Apolonius of Tayana, who had pretty much the same story as Jesus.

"Atheists can never answer these questions: Why is there anything at all instead of nothing? Why is there a universe that has laws that make creatures like us possible? Their cop-out is "who says it needs a reason?". You might want to check some of the books by Dr Hugh Ross (an astronomer), who details how improbable the delicate balance of the universe is, and how unlikely it is that it happened spontaneously."

Read the millions of books by scientists who do believe it happened by "chance". Isn't saying some magic man in the sky did it a cop out?

If anything, the Scientologist view of the universe is much closer to reality.

All religion ever seems to do and always will do is cause violence and death. This has been going on since relgion was invented. It is always a case of "my religion is right and yours is wrong".
As far as I'm concerned relgion is a man made myth that has always been used for the wrong reasons. Just look at the state of this planet today and how much of fighting occurs due to the different religions of the world!

In the beginning (although not the very beginning), God created man. Man, being only human, promptly returned the favor.

A few points:

The word translated as "day" in Genesis is translated in other place to mean (roughly) "an unknown period of time". This knocks out the whole 6,000 year-old earth issue as a culturally biased mistranslation by people whose significance is threatened by a 14.5 billion year old universe.

No-one will ever be able to "prove" the existence of God. If we could, there would be no room for faith, and the only relationship would be one of fear.

The atheist says (as I used to) that since he/she has no proof that God exists, and has never encountered anything outside of the physical realm, that God therefore does not exist. This presupposes that they have experienced everything possible, and that other experience is a delusion. At some time, however, they just may find themselves facing something with no explanation in the natural world, and realize that there is, indeed, someone out there.

I do not deny that many evils have been done by people who attended churches. Some of them were even Christians (we make mistakes, too!). However, walking into a church no more makes you a Christian than walking into a barn makes you a cow. It is all about a relationship with Jesus Christ.

There are more (non-Christian) references to the real existence of Jesus than there are to the existence of Julius Ceaser, including Jewish letters asking superiors what to do about "these Christians that keep healing people".

Atheists can never answer these questions: Why is there anything at all instead of nothing? Why is there a universe that has laws that make creatures like us possible? Their cop-out is "who says it needs a reason?". You might want to check some of the books by Dr Hugh Ross (an astronomer), who details how improbable the delicate balance of the universe is, and how unlikely it is that it happened spontaneously.

Searching the submissions for "imag", to get "imagination" and "imagine", I found only a couple of writers who have recognized that the human imagination has produced God (as evident to anyone who studies mythology), though others imagine the reason for the production: the control of human misbehaviour.

What the world has to imagine is that God is now the UN Declaration of Human Rights, despite and even because of the objections to it. It is about the the best we can imagine to control our misbehaviour to this point. Religions contributed to the ethical creation of the Declaration, but it transcends any religion and comes closer to "God" than any of them do.

Imagine a church of human rights. Right now, I would call it the university, or at least those where free thought prevails. Sad that everybody can't get to them, and all the more necessary that those fortunate who can model the behaviour the Declaration exhorts.

Buddhists don't believe in other faiths. The act of becoming Buddhist is called Taking Refuge. When one does that, one takes a vow to not seek Refuge outside the Triple Gem of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. CBC, please do your research before publishing false information.

If we were raised in the Christian Church, as I was, we believe without question what we are taught, the same as most of us believed there is a Santa Claus, until older kids at school broke that bubble. In many cases our parents do/did really believe in God so there was no real reason to question.

For those of us who got a bit more education as we got older, than perhaps our parents had, we learn to think for ourselves, rather than just to accept everything we are told.

That in itself does not prove or disprove God, but it does lead to questioning some things that are taught as FACT when all they really are is BELIEF.

People here say they know there is God because they see God all around them, in the beauty of the Earth, the Sun, the Sea, whatever. The fact is they choose to see God in that beauty and the beauty they see is their own making, because to another person the sea might be ugly - something that take lives.

Some people that I talk with, who are devout Christians, say that they have had a personal experience with God. Though I was very much into the Church for over 40 years, I have never had a personal experience with God, so I have no idea what they mean who claim they have that.

There are times in my life however when I very much wanted to believe in a God and an afterlife, especially when someone very close to me died, because I could not accept their death without believing that they were still somewhere. That was not proof though, but wishful thinking; my way of dealing with my sorrow.

I would not want to take away anyone's faith who has only that to keep them going, however I would challenge anyone to give me actual provable 'proof" (now I sound like Cretien) of what they claim proves the existence of God. My bet is that no one here or elsewhere can prove to me the existence of God.

A short note to Andrew Ridlles. Contrary to your statement, the Bible does not "promote" abhorrent behavior, but it certainly reports it.

I'm very happy to be finally rid of all superstitions nonsense in my life. The road was not easy. After a great deal of reading and thought I was finally able to break free. I could not be happier.

It's unfortunate that so many people can't break free of their brainwashing as well and worst yet continue to impose their beliefs on their children. I hope society will eventually become educated enough to finally grow up.

Andrew Riddles:
"I can only assume that people who believe it and worse still make their children read it are mentally ill."

People wonder why atheists are often viewed as having a chip on their shoulder, no wonder with the demeaning comments like this guy used, I sure sense some bitterness there.

Besides that, give me a break, talking of things children shouldn't be exposed to, have you turned on a television in the past 20 years, checked out a video game, or even glanced at magazines promoting nothing but filth placed at the eye level of children in the aisles of our checkouts at retail stores.

Do you happen to have children, Mr. Riddles? I do, and I would with out a doubt prefer to read Bible stories telling my children that they were created with a purpose and they have a Heavenly Father that loves them, than to have them exposed to what our godless society offers them. If that makes me mentally ill, than so be it, but what exactly are your credentials to make that judgement call?!

Since Joe in Halifax was kind enough to post some very interesting quotes on this topic, I'd like to offer one that would be food for thought for the intelligent:

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." Albert Einstein.

If any other book promoting the sexism, racism, sexual abuse of children, incitement to violence, incest and generally abhorrent behaviour that the bible promotes were published it would be banned and - quite rightly - kept away from children. I can only assume that people who believe it and worse still make their children read it are mentally ill.

As an atheist it is difficult for me to participate in a discussion about god. The language of religion has stacked the deck against me.

I am described as a non-believer, a person without faith, or sometimes, godless. These words have a negative connotation and that is not by accident. Religious terminology is favorably biased towards those who believe in god. In particular, I strongly disagree with people who would label me as a non-believer.

My atheism is hard won. It took me time and self-introspection (dare I say soul searching?) to discover what I believe to be true about my life. In religious terms, I have a ‘system of beliefs’ and I use those beliefs to guide my life.

I am a believer. I believe in many things. I just do not believe in the existence of a god.

Garet,

Yes the Bible is right and timeless, it is the inerrant and infaliable Word of God. I neglect to see exactly what you meant by your question, but I will repeat what I said previously.

The OT is not to be discarded, however Jesus fulfilled the old covenant through His coming to earth. One of the main purposes of the OT was to prohecy of the Messiah's coming and life on earth, which was fulfilled from 4 or 5 BC to 28 or 29 AD.

The key point I'm trying to make is that we live in a different culture and a different position in relation to God than those of the OT. Although I believe the OT is the Word of God, I do not believe, for example, that He requires women to cover their hair as stated in the OT. Again, the covenant has changed and so has our culture, but this doesn't make the Bible invalid.

...Which books have you read exactly, joe? Chuch approved ones?

Maybe you should find some PEER REVIEWED journal publications. You know, what actually scientists believe.

Do you find this garbage in the same books that prove holistic medicine works, or that magnets heal? Perhaps you can post some scientific evidence that light flares on pictures are ghosts as well, because that is just as credible.

Genetics have not been falsified. Fossils have not been falsified.

Honestly, you've got to be kidding.

Yes, we have the same common ancestor as monkies. This is a fact, like it or not.

Micro evolution and macro evolution have been proven. This is a fact.

Superevolution, ie a crazy ID "theory", has not been proven because it is utterly ridiculous.

Are those the 3 "theories" you are talking about?

Michael Thomson, you state that:

The fact is that God is very real. To argue that He is not is pointless. I can argue all I want that tomorrow will not come, I can even convince myself and others that I am right. However, tomorrow will come and my blindness to that fact will not change the truth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I agree that to argue that God is not real, or to argue that God is real, is pointless. Your 'proof' in the above statement is not logical. Yes, tomorrow will come, but that has nothing to do with whether or not God is real, except, of course, if you believe that tomorrow will come ONLY because there is a God.

One argument that I think blows away the existence of God is what was there before God created everything that we say he created. If there was nothing, than nothing would have also included no God. Since we know now that man has been here for millions of years and the earth for billions, it would seem that God would have been here before either were created for an eternity of nothing.

Where did God come from, when there was nothing? What was nothing like? If you even try to explain what nothing was then you would have to use 'something' to describe 'nothing', which would then disprove 'nothing'.

I think the best you can say is that YOU believe what you have said, but the fact YOU believe it does not mean that it is actually true.

Garet said "Please read some evolution books"

We did and found them to be absolutely without any merit or validity. Even the 'evolutionists' you keep citing have admitting that any and all theories of evolution and its related 'facts' are all falsified to trick people into believing they came from some common ancestor monkey.

Besides, the 3 'theories' of evolution each 1 proves beyond all doubt that the other 2 are not possible. That means that atheism/evolution is starting with 6, count 'em 6 strikes against.

Peter Sinclair (below) said it perfectly... But Honestly, if 'God' exists/cared so much, don't you think sometime in the last two thousand or so years of religious fighting,'he'd/they'd/she'd' have dropped in and settled the match? To stay 'up there' watching is a bit perverse, don't you think?

But Steve, the Bible is the word of God. It should always be right, and be timeless. God is all knowing, right?

I heard a radio ad on CBC One this morning for the "Where is God Today?" that mentioned how people today are turning away from "Western religion." I'm not sure what is meant by a "Western" religion? I think they were referring to Christianity, but Christianity is actually not a "Western" religion. Born out of the Middle East, if forced to label it something, Christianity is deeply "eastern."

Kajin, did you miss the sexism, racism, biggotry, homophobia, excessive rules telling you to kill, proofs that God is evil, and everything else in the Old Testament?

I think it's hard to read the bible and not be an atheist.

First of all, the Bible as a whole represents a different time and a different culture. Is it irrelevant today? - Not at all. However, we have to understand that a lot of the OT is an historical account of the creation of the earth, the fall of mankind, the consequences of that fall, and preparations to unfold a plan to give mankind a second chance. The OT needs not to be brushed off but used to teach us of where we came from and the mess we have created through our sin.

During this time period, man had been separated from God through disobedience and could only approach Him through the blood covering of an innocent animal. When Jesus came and shed His blood at the cross as an innocent man, He became the ultimate sacrafice that would once and for all pay the debt that we owed because of our sin.

This created a new covenant where we no longer have to follow rituals to be righteous as they did in the OT but now we are made righteous through the blood covering of Jesus. He didn't come to break the law but fulfill (or expand on the principals of) the law. We still follow the 10 commandments and so on but we are now under a new covenant where we could never measure up on our own, but it's ok because we don't have to.

The bottom line is that we were created with a free will and despite God's sovergnity we are given the opportunity to choose to believe or not to believe. Only time will tell for sure the consequences of your decision.

Christianity is not about following all the rules in the Bible but about the mercy and love from Jesus Christ which is mentioned in Old and New Testament. The fact that the Old Testament laws and New Testament laws seem to contradict is out of the context in my view. I do see that it is a valid question to ask why the Old Testament is still in the Bible when the strict laws are not followed anymore. I am no Bible expert, but I find the Old Testament full of good teachings and demontration of love and mercy from God even when people had abused the freedom that they were given. I read the Bible cover to cover twice to come to this discovery (and the Old Testament three times.) I wish people actually read through the Bible word for word from cover to cover and took time to study it before starting to criticize the book.

I have spent the last few years studying theology (and related history, archaeology, philosopy). My current belief, in this ONGOING search, is that ALL faith-based religious belief is founded on some, or all, of the following: fear, ignorance of science, political/social control of a society, economic exploitation. It is allowed to exist through the influence of parents, religious institutions, and general society on children long before they reach the age of reason. It also exists due to intellectual laziness on the part of the faithful who think they have all the answers but haven't read enough to even know the questions. Most know very little of their own religion let alone being aware of other viewpoints. Religion thrives on this. The fear of being a social outcast and losing favour with family and friends is a large factor also. Science has been unravelling long-held beliefs ever since these beliefs began but organized religion has hung on tenaciously. Even though science will continue to disprove religious doctrine, it may not have the expected influence on current beliefs that it should. Understanding this new science requires greater and more highly specialized education. If we simply accept science without understanding it, we run the risk of simply forming a new faith-based doctrine without having evidence and reason.

So, can God make a a burrito so hot even he can't eat it?

I find it amusing how even atheists will take the time to blame God for the troubles of the World. How about the good in the World? Shall we blame God for that too?

I do understand how people might want to blame God for the troubles of the world. I have blamed God for things before as well. However, I only came to learn that I was just behaving like a child who blames everything on my parents for my troubles. Why play the blame game? I would rather try to improve and do things the best I can and accept what I cannot change.

"Here is something to consider. Science disproves the eveloution theory. Sciene has not been able to make life from something that is in animate. How then did the first living cell form? Science has not been able to do this even with all the knowledge we have."

Evolution has been proven. The problem is you're confusing origin theories with evolution, which is wrong. We DID spilt from the same common ancestor as modern monkies/apes. We have mountains of genetic and fossil evidence to prove this. You're also confusing the term "hasn't proven" with disproved. This is a big mistake. Please read some evolution books.

"Don't blame God for the conditions within the world, He gave us the ability to choose, this is the result of our choices, and what a mess we created with our choices. "

Now, if God is all knowing, we can't truely have free choice.

"Can you find one flaw in the life of Jesus? Jesus showed us the true character of God. "

Besides the fact he didn't exist, or at least as written? He'd only help those who begged him.

"Here is something to consider. Science disproves the eveloution theory. Sciene has not been able to make life from something that is in animate. How then did the first living cell form? Science has not been able to do this even with all the knowledge we have."

In the month of August 1990, at 18 years of age, God used a seed of a tree outside my grandmother’s house at 774 King St. Fredericton to testify of Himself to me. The witness of design evidenced in that tiny winged seed opened my eyes to the power and intelligence of a Creator that programmed this tiny seed weighing a few grams to grow into a tree weighing many tons!

My thoughts then went to considering the complexity of my own body and my heart raced with excitement and fear as God through creation’s witness rolled back the blinds on my eyes to reveal Himself! Great excitement flooded my soul because that I knew without a doubt there was a God and great fear as well because my conscience awoke and slayed me with condemnation as I considered the evil way I was living and the evil I had done.

My life changed dramatically that day. I was brought to life spiritually. The sin I once loved, I now hated, and the God I once hated I now loved. I began walking in repentance with a new fear and joy that God knew me and could see me wherever I went. God revealed to me Jesus’ death for my sin. There was a deep gratitude in my heart towards Jesus for rescuing me and given me a living hope, which propelled me to warn others of His coming Judgment and the mercy that He provided at the Cross where he drank the cup of God's wrath on my behalf, bled, died and defeated death to rise again 3 days later. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” Romans 1:16

www.goevangelism.blogspot.com

I think both God and Satan exist. I believe God is more powerful than Satan but it did not make a strategic sense for God to confront Satan right now and that is the cause of agony for most believers. We people on earth are living in an occupied territory. Those of us who continue to worship God will have to pay a high price (such as being tormented, humiliated etc.) for being defiant to the rule of the occupied land. Those who don’t care about religion (such as scientists and agnostics) are not hostile to the rule of the occupied land and therefore are leading a satisfying life. Believers, on the other hand, are under tremendous scrutiny by Satan and have to face torture and humiliation. I am not sure if the behavior of scientists and agnostics is acceptable to God later on but for now they have made a wise decision.
I believe Jesus Christ was a son of God who came to this world to wage some sort of unsuccessful guerrilla warfare against the rule of the land and was caught and prosecuted.

AS A MUSLIM THANKS TO GOD I DONOT SEE CONTRAST BETWEEN SCIENCE AND ISLAM WE KNOW THAT WHEN WE READ QURAN THE BOOK OF ISLAM , OTHER THING I HAVE NO ANY KIND OF DBOUT ABOUT THE EXISTANCE GOD ALMIGHTY THE CREATOR OF EARTHS(7EARTHS)AND (7 HEAVENS) AND THE CREATOR OF MANKIND TO WARSHIP HIM ALONE NOT MONEY OR OTHER IDOL OR ANY THING EXCEPT LOOKING OF HIS PLEASANT ALMIGHTY THAT IS THE REASON WE ARE HERE IS TO WARSHIP ACCORDING TO THE TEACHING OF HIS MASSENAGER PROPHET MOHAMED PEACE UPON HIM ,READ QURAN U WILL GET YOURSELF THERE WILL GET THE BOOK OF QURAN TRANSLATED TO ENGLISH AND FRENCH OTHER IN WINNIPEG LIBERARY PORTAGE PLACE OR A MUSLIM SHOP OF BROADWAY AND MARRLAND...

BE CLOSER TO GOD ALMIGHTY U WILL TASTE PEACE

THANKS

Where is God? He is everywhere, and everything. He is where He has always been. Just take a look at the many "coincidences" in your life. God's timing is immpeccable and He is with you way more than you know, whether you consider yourself to be good or evil. God is always there loving, nudging, and helping us, through good times and bad. All He has ever wanted, was for us to choose Him over the ruler of this world. And truly this world is not the greatest place, but it makes a good bridge to the life after.

I have no shame in admitting that I am a follower of the Christian faith.
As I read over the comments here I am amazed at the amount of people who disapprove of religion because of one bad experience.
If I stopped doing things based on one bad experience I would be missing a lot in this life.
This very morning a motorist and I as a pedestrian had a close encounter as I crossed a road. Does this mean that I am never going to cross another road?

A major part of religion is keeping an open mind. I invite you to keep an open mind. One bad experience shouldn't warp your thoughts, opinions etc. to the extent that some portray it has.

As a practicing Christian Scientist, my experience has been that whenever I have made the effort, mainly through prayer, to know God better, I experience a reciprocal activity coming from God's side. So, for me, explaining "where God is in my life" to others conveys only half the story, and may be the less convincing half. What convinces me of faith is that, when given a chance, God meets me halfway. I don't know how it is He does His work, I can only say that I know how I pray. Prayer is a developable skill, like any other.

My favorite chapter on Prayer is in the book "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." In it the author, Mary Baker Eddy writes, quite simply "Prayer is the utilization of the Love wherewith He loves us." That's how it feels to me.

GOD is LIFE, you dont have to beleive in her or any other religion, all you need to do is protect and give life.
GOD is LOVE, it is the energy that can shine and create anything including human beings, as we are all part of her and she is part of us. She feels through us, she touches and experiences through us, she enjoys, cries, laughs through us, and most of all HE is talking to us all the time, but we don't listen to him.
Nothing matters is this world except the love we share and because we are all ONE with GOd, anything we do to the others, we do it to ourselves, so why would you want to be bad with yourself?

It is always an annoyance when public funding is spent on programming like this. CBC seems to have a self identified mission to fan the flames of faith whenever it can - as long as the faith fits into neat accepted boxes. The will be no discussion of Santa Claus-ism, although most North Americans pay at least lip service to the old elf (and lie to their kids about his existence). The Great Spaghetti Monster will be ignored, ditto the Church of the Sub-genius.

My family and I have been through a lot of truly nasty staff, enough to make us the atheists in the foxholes. We have always found more comfort in the police, EMTs, surgeons and firefighters than any invisible friends, their agents, or magic horseshoes.

We have always wondered why the believers take up room that we could use in the foxholes instead of trusting in divine intervention as they strolled around the battlefield.

Yes, I agree with Carey, your god(s) have generated nothing else than wars and conflicts, and continue to do so. I just discovered my favourite jesuit in a short story by Arthur C. Clarke entitled The Star dating back to the 50's. I invite everyone to read it. Here is a man of god (the jesuit in the story, not the writer who already knew better)starting to doubt the existence of his icon after witnessing the destruction perpetrated to promote the lie.

I find it curious that so many people, including "Carey" and our friend who quotes Dawkins' book, attribute intolerance, violence and strife to "religion", when clearly the worst offenders in that regard are the societies that embrace atheism. Witness Soviet Russia, Nazi Germany, Communist China and Cambodia, Revolutionary France. Where are the atheist hospitals? The "humanist" orphanages? What human rights were ever gained by an agnostic revolution? Yet all these blessings have come through the influence of Christianity in western society.
God - or at least the idea of God - is truly the mainspring of morality in the world; for without a Lawgiver there can be no Law.
One commenter in this thread has stated that "whether or not God exists, ideas of justice and morality are worthy of consideration" - but he forgets to consider what makes them "worthy". If I, personally, don't feel that loving my neighbor is "worthy of consideration", what is there to contradict me? - unless there is a Creator who gives me - and my neighbor - meaning.

Calling this entire series "Where is God" is blatantly biased because it presupposes that there is a God in the first place. It just goes to show how successful churches and religions are at brainwashing children into sublimating their rational minds with ridiculous made up nonsense that we are still having discussions about a non existant being, who's followers have continously fought and killed others who don't share their beliefs.

The fact is that God is very real. To argue that He is not is pointless. I can argue all I want that tomorrow will not come, I can even convince myself and others that I am right. However, tomorrow will come and my blindness to that fact will not change the truth.

In the beginning God did create. If there was ever a time when there was nothing, then apart from a self-existent God who has being in and of Himself, there would still be nothing.

We were created for a personal relationship with Him, we were not an "accident" of an evolutionary process. Every human being knows that within them there is longing to be happy, to be complete. We spend our lives chasing after the things that will give us this and always find out that they never quite satisfy. Only a relationship with God can bring us the true joy and happiness that we seek.

We are separated from God because we have disobeyed him. We need his forgiveness. But how can we ever be forgiven? Can God dismiss the wrong we have done? Is God not a God of justice? How can he ever pardon us for what we have done wrong and still be called just?

2000 years ago God’s Son came and died on a cross for our sins. He had done nothing wrong, yet he gave his life for you and for me. God can now forgive me because my sins have be paid for by the death that Jesus died in my place. What separated us is gone. I now seek to follow Him and obey Him, not as a dictator, but rather out of deep love and gratitude to my loving Father who gave his Son for me.

It is always interesting to see what happens when one is confronted with evidence that directly flies in the face of one's beliefs. But Jews and evangelicals alike would probably cringe if they were to read "The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts" by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman.
To quote from a review from Amazon.com, The Bible Unearthed is a balanced, thoughtful, bold reconsideration of the historical period that produced the Hebrew Bible. The headline news in this book is easy to pick out: there is no evidence for the existence of Abraham, or any of the Patriarchs; ditto for Moses and the Exodus; and the same goes for the whole period of Judges and the united monarchy of David and Solomon. In fact, the authors argue that it is impossible to say much of anything about ancient Israel until the seventh century B.C., around the time of the reign of King Josiah. In that period, "the narrative of the Bible was uniquely suited to further the religious reform and territorial ambitions of Judah."
This evidence should shake to its foundation Jewish claims that they are the Chosen People or that God gave them the land of Israel or even that the Bible is God's literal word. However this book does answer many questions and inconsistencies in the bible and shows how it has been the greatest example myth making and religious propaganda in the history of mankind.

Man chooses to have conflict rather than to live in peace. This is evidenced in our families. Brothers and sisters fight among themselves and with their parents. This is niether God's fault or religion's fault, it is the fault of the individuals involved. Conflict is there because of greed, lust, or pride.

For Tyler:
If god only exists in the minds of people; how could He deceive people?

I am a college student, and I see God working in my life CONSTANTLY. Everyone in my life can see how everything works out perfectly in my life because I trust in God. "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4.
God is where He has always been, waiting with His hand extended. If you look for Him, you'll find Him.

120 million people exterminated in the 20th Century! What caused such unparelled suffering? Atheist states such as Russia and China, and totalitarian regimes such as Pol Pot's Cambodia and Hitler's Germany.

Stalin thought he was God, Mao said he had put an end to Christianity for all time. Hitler and Pol Pot demanded total submission to the false of god of state.

The Crusades were despicable. An estimated 9 million died (half of these Christian). People do evil things, but equate God or religion with all death and war would be to eclipse the 20th Century and to ignore 120 million deaths in the name of "No-God".

Maybe one should be more compassionate towards other people before posing such grand questions

Tyler: You are incorrect in saying that Richard Dawkins has said that Religion is the Root of all evil. He has never said that. His 2hr film had that title only because Channel Four in the UK insisted on it for a catchy title. Dawkins argued with them at length but couldn't change their minds. He got them to at least add a question mark at the end of the title.

A brilliant film which all should see, along with "The Enemies of Reason".

If you can think of a pink elephant, great! But try to think of something that you've never seen or heard about, try to think of a colour you've never seen. If something you've never concieved doesn't exist you cannot even talk about to prove it or not. But God, does exist in your mind (like tyler says) and thus 'possibily' exists outside of it, in a much greater capasity. By this argument God exists outside of mind because He exist in it...the better question then is, How are we to understand God?

Now you can't really fully understand Him unless He makes Himself fully understood, and since God has to be bigger than your mind to be God, you can only understand Him in a human way, no other religion has a God making Himself human but in Christ. IF you wanted an ant to understand you, you'd have to be one for them. Religion is human effort in finding God, Jesus is God's effort in finding you.

From birth I have been in a very religious Christian family, and I have participated very actively in the work and the life of the Church for many of those years. Yet today I am very doubtful that there is any substance to our beliefs, except that the teachings attributed to Jesus (and others in other religions) are good guidelines to live by.

If everyone only did unto others what they would want others to do unto them, except for very demented people who wanted to be harmed, we would have very few problems in the world.

I don't believe that any of the stories we were taught as children from the Bible (and especially the old Testament) are to be taken literally. In my opinion, the stories of Adam, Noah, etc. were stories written by people many millions of years after man first was on this Earth, perhaps trying to explain what was unexplainable.

One thing that I do take exception to is anyone (and that is most fundamentalists) who claim that the only way to Heaven is through accepting Jesus. That makes no sense, if one is to really think about it. There are billions of people on this Earth now, and before us their have been billions of others. Yes, Christianity is one of the largest religions that people claim to follow, but there are billions who never learned of Christianity, or won't because of the society they are born into, and all these people are not going to Hell, in my opinion.

I really have no idea what happens before we are born, or what happens after we die. I firmly believe that 100% of those who claim they do know are fooling themselves or trying to fool others, because I think no one knows until they die, and if nothing happens after you die, then no one ever knows.

As I stated earlier, I am Pagan by path - I am also a yoga instructor and therefore spirituality in all its forms are of interest to me; and there have been some really interesting viewpoints.

I applauded Troy for his truly Christian comments about tolerance for other viewpoints and a peaceful approach to all - I was raised Liberal Catholic (yes, there is such a thing)but found myself very angry at the Christian version of God due to circumstances that happened in my life (the classic, if God loves me, and I am a child of God, why did these bad things happen). I read the book, Conversations with God, and my mind and heart opened up to an idea of God, the same thing with my yoga practice.

The Neo-Conservative Christian Ultra Right places more emphasis on winning the 'War' than promoting peace, more emphasis on the power of Satan than God, more emphasis on describing the horrors of Hell than the delights of Heaven, and promotes the idea that we are all born of original sin and should therefore live in shame, than it does on the idea that we are all beautiful and Divine Creations made by a Creator, however we define it. The God that I believe in is a God (actually, she's Goddess first) that is loving and kind and striving for wisdom - as a Divine Creation this is what I strive to be.

As someone else here said - these sacred texts are guidelines for society, not hard and fast rules. Just a few more of my cents' worth - thanks for reading :-).

At the end of a debate between Richard Dawkins and Francis Collins (head of the Human Genome Project, author of "The Language of God"), Dawkins made the statement to the effect that: "if God existed, he would have to more incredible than any religion he had heard of had ever described". Collins' reply was that we really had not done a good job of advertising.

Having been an athiest, and then encountering God (and fighting Him off for over a year), religion is VERY central to my life. I see God working around me all the time.

I am also a firm advocate of the separation of Church and State, as first articulated by Thomas Jefferson, and then formalized in the US 1st ammendment: the government shall not dictate what we believe. Please note that there is nothing going the other direction. Also note, that Canada has no such formalized policy in any manner, so kindly do not misuse that US legislation.

I also recognise that the entirety of our science rests on the premise that the universe was created by a logical being. We could never have developed our modern science if we belived that all was based on random chaos.

The best attempt I have seen at adding GOD to the scientific equation would be the analogy Stephen Hawking made in his book "A brief History of Time". In it he states, and I am paraphrasing, that if science was to explain God using the big bang theory, the big bang would be a soap bubble and God would be the one who blew it.

Evere since man created god(s) to explain the things he could not. There has been nothing but conflict over whose god(s)is the stongest or is the true god(s).

God walks beside us, while manifesting divine grace within us. We are free to follow, or to deny. That is our choice, our free will, which we have- alone of all creation.

Personally, I define myself as non-religious...but I do not believe this means I cannot practice my spirituality and mediate on the Power and Glory. God is shrouded within Mystery as in a fog; like a lighthouse to guide the faithful and doubtful alike. His foghorn is the Call that begins ALL spiritual quests; even those of my brothers and sisters- the new 'Pagans'.

Beannachd leibh, Blessings with you all

God only exists within the minds of people who believe that god exists. God has deceived humanity by creating a world with numerous conflicts instead of a world with total peace. God has caused evil to spread throughout the world. As Richard Dawkins said, "Religion is the source of all evil."

God is very important to me in my daily life (to answer the question on your website). There was a time in my life when I lived without conscious relationship with Him, and it was a dark time, with many questions, uncertainty and wrong action. It is not an easy thing to try and live your life by His standards which is why I think many people (including me in my younger years) don't want to acknowledge Him. In some ways it is easier to live by your own rules and standards that you make up or change as you go along, however there are things that only God can give that are priceless, such as peace of mind and heart.

I am really enjoying things written by Canadians across the country on this and encouraged by the statistics on your website about religious belief.

What a great way to start the New Year to get this talking and thinking happening! Jesus said it is better to be hot or cold than lukewarm.....thank you CBC

I still can't get over how, in 2008, we are still wasting what little precious time we have to enjoy life, discussing and arguing over fairy tales from medieval times. It does show that humans are the weakest animals on earth, and because we are the only animal likely to know that we are going to die, that makes us look for fantasies to find comfort in.
I wish we could get rid of all religions, but that's not likely to happen.

Where there is war there will be a god related cause

The bible was written by men. The stories that would be published in it were selected by men. Like any good publisher, the men tried to ensure consistency, and when it appeared this was no longer possible, a new version was published.

Religion and spirituality are mutually exclusive. Religion requires little thought, for you are told how to believe according to which institution you are a part of. No questions allowed, for the men who run the church know all the answers, and should you depart from their doctrine, well, you know where you'll go, don't you?

I only have one bone to pick with God and this is it. The way i was taught in sunday school is that in the begining when god created the world and all the little animals then man and the tree of knowlege and life that we were in eden but then heres where I start to pick the bone, Eve is tempted by satan the sepent and that is the start of sin in man and the ruin of eden, I was taught that God is infallible and that everything has a plan so in placing the blame for the sins of man on man he is in essence i think deflecting the blame from himself because in all his God like wisdome of knowing all he should have known that satan would throw a monkey wrench into his plan and God did nothing to stop it. So why is God blaming us for his failures?

I grew up in a strict, religious household, but over the years, I have slowly come to the conclusion that god is neither all good or all perfect. Never mind about all the secondary & tertiary debates, because if the basics are questioned, then there can be nothing else that matters.

If there are parents out there with young children (like me), follow along with this little analogy:
> You desire very much to have children & create a loving relationship with them.
> However, because you aren't sure about the outcome (which if you were god you should), you allow a horrible friend to build a vile torture chamber to administer unspeakable, nightmarish inflictions upon your children 'should' they dis-obey or not want anything to do with you.
> Then you create some children & because they are created with a beautiful, fantastic brain, they start to think & analyse their situation.
> You as the parent don't like this behaviour, so you let your demeted friend interact with them in order to spur them on in their intelligent quest. In this way, you will have a reason to denounce their wickedness & banish them to your friends basement.

Obviously, I'm talking about the Adam & Eve story & the serpent, etc., which we all know. I ask you, where is the choice of destination: because of Adam/Eve's single mistake, all the rest of humanity's default final home is hell. And where is the all loving god: a being which allowed hell to be created for our punishment, even before humans were invented is something I have a huge problem with.

God is everywhere. Most importantly, God is in us, our hearts.

People spend too much time arguing what His name is, Who is the correct One, how many Sons he may have had, and what is the right faith.

People, wake up, respect each other, Thank God for your life and the opprotunity presented to you for sel-realization and God-realization. Forgive me Father is just the start, and believing should be the out come.

God Loves all people and is indifferent to color, creed, faith, social status, etc.

The past Holy Scriptures are guidelines - not manuals - learn the key message; past miricals are irrelevant today;

Love All, Love God!

I am a factualist. I believe in facts. I think it is most important to ensure that everything we believe in is backed up by facts because when we are persuaded to believe things that are not supported by facts, we can be let by the nose to believe anything that sounds good to us but which in reality are totally false. The story of about the God's existence has no facts to back it up. I believe that many Canadians and people around the world have been seriously misled into believing that there is a God. This is where God stands in my life.

Modern religion like ancient religion of the past is nothing more than stories and myths. The amount of credibility assigned to this phenomenon is absolutely stunning. Wars, death, suffering, strife, hate, prejudice etc all have been caused by and will continue to be caused by religious activists.

There is no room in modern society for this religious hypocrisy. Science proves the existence of a flat earth, evolution etc.

To quote my brother when his 9 year old son asked him what God was he said: “son god is dog spelled backwards, now finish your home work so you can get a job”

Here is something to consider. Science disproves the eveloution theory. Sciene has not been able to make life from something that is in animate. How then did the first living cell form? Science has not been able to do this even with all the knowledge we have.

I even believe Jesus said something about not being there to retract all the old laws of God (Old testament laws), but was there to spread the word.

How can both the new and old testaments be the word of God if they have different laws?

Where is God today? Good question. I think He's about to send His son, Jesus, to judge the world because of what's going on in it.

It's funny how Christians will brush off the old testament when convienient.

Steve,
If Christians follow the New Testament and not the Old, and are to follow the teachings in the New and not the Old, wouldn't it make sense to excise the Old from the Bible? However, since that hasn't been done, Old Testament teachings are still part of the Christian canon, and yes, that includes the persecution of homosexuals and other atrocities outlined in Leviticus (and elsewhere).

Garet,

Where do you read in the Bible where Jesus did the things you say the Bible instructs us to do? You are confusing the OT (old covenant) with the NT (new covenant). As Christians we are to followers of Christ, hence the name, and should follow His example and teachings. With Christ a new covenant was made with mankind that replaced the old covenant and released us from the bondage of the law (OT). God is a just God and will not allow sin to go unpunished, however, through the new covenant provided by Christ we are cleansed of our sin.

Jesus did not tell us to hate/kill homosexuals, disobedient children, nor any of the other examples you used. Anyone who does such is abusing christianity and does not represent the true Faith. "Jesus came not to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:17

"If we Evolve, how come we still need vaccinations for diseases and sicknesses from ages past? I don't know the answer so maybe some doctor would kindly post why.( don't take this wrong, I would like to study medicine myself)"

There are a couple answers I know of.

Firstly, for example, we have eliminated "wild" smallpox(I believe). We don't get vaccines for it any more because it doesn't exist outside a jar in some lab. Our immune systems wouldn't be ready for smallpox, since it hasn't had to deal with it, because that immunity would be lost within a generation or 2.

Another answer would be that viruses can evolve as well.

Mike, I think you should reread Einstiens work, and perhaps change your conclusions. You're trying to mix theology and science, but trying to make the science fit the bible, which doesn't work so well, if at all.

I attend our local Catholic church every Sunday and my daughter sings in the youth choir band. I have little connection however with the message being presented there. My most spiritual moments come through music or on a canoe trip with my family. I feel the old Christian message is rather hollow and detached from me. I feel I could find a place in the messages presented in the teachings of main line religions but after a lifetime of trying it is still elusive.

I thank you for your invite to express my vision and thoughts of God. I have tried to keep it brief. God to me is everything logic hints at and more. Einstein said if one travels at the speed of light time would stop. This would meet a condition required for omnipresence.

Einstein also stated there is a cosmological constant, where an equal but opposite force to gravity exist, but later refuted it and rightfully so. As a black hole is the most powerful form of gravity, we can look at God as being the highest form of energy, flowing opposite of gravity and entering this universe through a hole. After all, Jesus said my kingdom is not of this cosmo, yet flows from within whose beginning and end are one.

Many stumble at the concept of a loving God burning people alive in hellfire. In order for
God to flow from within, the flow of spirit must have increase. It is the property of increase
which causes transformation. I am an electrician by trade and know that transformation can only
happen when there is a change in current or flow. God's love, which Jesus described as paradise,
has the property of increase which also causes fear to increase seeing fear, too, is an emotion. The next thought in this theological context has not yet been written in such a way. If fear were to increase by the power of God unchecked, the sum of that terror would become a physical event resulting in living fire expiring at the time altering speed of light, or, eternal death. So here is the conundrum, how does God save us from himself, for he said I am a consuming fire and I will that none would perish.

Mike Ettinger

We have historical proof of a minor flood, and a Sumerian king waited it out on a barge. There's your historical Noah story. Zisudra(I believe) waited out the flood on a boat, and it was clearly embellished in the bible. It's impossible to build an ark big enough to hold 2 of every species, let alone specific animal. The story of Jesus is errily similar to that of Apolonius of Tayana. But there are earlier written accounts of Apolonius. It is physically impossible to crucify somebody in the manner that Jesus was.

If we Evolve, how come we still need vaccinations for diseases and sicknesses from ages past? I don't know the answer so maybe some doctor would kindly post why.( don't take this wrong, I would like to study medicine myself)
--
My favorite radio station is radio 2 cbc, plays the best music and has great radio hosts.There was a song I heard once leading me to get "Man in a Holocene", and since reading it; my favorite quote, "Naming something is not Synonymous to Knowing or Understanding". For all who call God, God, it is purely out of convenience because... he has been called that through the ages. Non-believers, (I should abstain from using Atheists since I do not understand thier position) should probably used another word.
--
Things that happen in history is... misunderstood... we did not live in those times, we did not understand how people think in the past. Thinking has evolved these days, mostly into a business type money making thinking. Hitler doing things in the name of God? maybe he just felt like saying that as a cover up, take what a maniac says lightly.
--
Time is now, live it. Do you want to know the answer to life? If you do, what will you do then? will you change? Not really. Your mind has already been set in stone, your hearts hardended. The answer lies... beyond death.
If you think there is nothing beyond death, so be it, but your mindset for that will change, whether you want it or not, during your final breaths.
--
Where is God in my life? (the question cbc is asking) I would have to guess, since I don't know... looking over the earth, the Universe, with his book open, the Book of life, writing down names, as more people are born and more people die.

I am an atheist. There are other ways to feel and share all those wonderful fuzzy feelings of 'faith': Acceptance, power, security, wonder, love. Construct these things out of the contexts of your everyday life. I personally feel that I do not need a bigger more 'powerful' deity to do this for me. I, and the people around me can be the judge. Period. That simple.

ZackH: Why do you think you need a magic man in the sky to give your life meaning? Many people who don't believe in that jive have had great important lives.

"Why is it that those who deny God's existence hate Him so much?"

You cannot hate that which doesn't exist.

"That has nothing to do with the fact that there is someone else fighting for your soul and wants you to spend eternity in Hell."

Again, no. This was God who sent the plagues. Not Satan.

"Just because people claim it is in His name doesn't mean it is. If we all followed the biblical teachings given by Jesus, we would live in a perfect world."

No we wouldn't. If we lived by the bible we'd:

1.Kill all gay people
2.Stay away from women on their perioid
3.Kill disobediant children
4.Be disgraced if you have long hair
5.Throw logic and reason out the window
6.Live by the teachings of 1 of many people who claimed to be the son of god
7.Be more hateful and discriminate than ever
8.Be okay with slavery

And many more. Great world he'd give us, huh?

"So, you're saying the sun isn't all present and powerful - that's a new theory I haven't heard before. I guess someone switches the 'off' switch from time to time."

...No. You're just missing the point.

"Only scientific theories which will eventually be proven false. The Bible hasn't changed in 2000 years, science is constantly changing as it proves itself false."

The bible is the word of God. God is all knowing. How could it possibly be wrong, and still be legitimate? It can't.

"So if we didn't evolve and we weren't created, I guess we just appeared. What is the reference of where the Bible contradicts the theory of the Sun? "

I didn't say that. I said you're confusing theories. Don't argue against evolution if you don't understand. Also, reread the old testament. It's in there.

"Pharhaoh brought that upon himself and Egypt through his defiance to God, it could have been avioded."

No, God put those plagues upon the people. God specifically did this.

I'm an agnostic with respect to god(s) as I am an agnostic with respect to unicorns and I have little interest in proving or disproving the existence of either. I benefited from a secular upbringing and education and I can't imagine indoctrinating my trusting children with a belief in the supernatural, be it theism, unicornism, reincarnation, astrology, transubstantiation or the power of ritual sacrifice.

Art Mclean, if you are still out there, I will read the the Dawkins book with an open mind. If that Strobel book is to elementary for you seeing as how you are obviously estute try some N.T Wright as I mentioned earlier. Cheers!

It is painful to hear christians regurgitate over & over again how "Jesus said this" or "Jesus did that". You've obviously been reading the bible like it's a comic book, or a newspaper article about an event that happened yesterday. The bible is NOT a historical document. It is faith document, and its origins are incredibly sketchy. There have been many who have left the faith after going to bible schools and finding out how shaky the whole enterprise is. (See Bart Ehrman's book "Misquoting Jesus"). A real biblical scholar, and now agnostic.

There are many historians and biblical scholars who are coming to the conclusion that it is more likely than not that there never was a historical person of Jesus. Rather, he is a composite of the myriad hero & saviour figures that were ubiquitous in that part of the world at that time.

Isn't it at least "interesting" that during the alleged time of this miracle performing Jesus (a time when they were fanatical about record keeping) that there is NOT ONE WORD mentioned or written about him. It all got pieced together 60 to 300 years later.

Please, do some research:

JesusNeverExisted(dot)com

POCM(dot)info

One final thought:

"Is the existance of what we can observe made easier or harder to understand by suggesting things that we cannot observe?"

I was disappointed with the radio piece aired by CBC 1 about the movie 'Expelled'. The commentary (like the movie trailer) focused exclusively on claims of academic bigotry against academics who want to 'follow the evidence for' the actions of a supernatural agent in life origins and diversification.
In fact, our society and academic institutions encourage such discussions, but under the rubric of theology and philosophy, not science. Such topics are simply outside the reach of science because they are neither testable nor have any predictive power in the natural world. Communicating science to the public is difficult enough without having it misinterpreted as including a one-sided Judaeo-Christian version of Creation and its offshoot, 'Intelligent Design.' There is no ‘big science’ conspiracy. There is frustration with the wilful subversion of hard-won scientific facts and knowledge, all under the guise of fair debate.

Wow...

It is intereseting how this simple questions sparks such debate. The truth is no one knows if god (God) exists. Some feel they know, others claim they know, some claim its impossible...but no one really knows.

If it were a question of belief...then I believe that love is the greatest weapon, that peace is the greatest heaven and truth is the greatest aspiration.

The question is however...Where is God today in your life? No where? Now here? A question of spacing? (to quote W.D.)

Such a personal question..but the strength of opinion is staggering.

We all exist in a universe of staggering proportion, wonderment and organized chaos...and each individual component (right down to the molecular level) is in total reliance on all the other components in order to exist in their individual coherant harmony.

The energy that gels the whole mess together is what I believe to be a good definition...or a least in answer to the question at hand...that is where God exists in my life today.

As one holding many taoist beliefs, I find this public dialogue delightful. Thank you to the cbc for creating the opportunity for so many to contribute and be heard/read.
Ironically, or ultimately, one's spirituality is a personal choice. I choose to lead a spiritual life. I choose the challenges that come with that choice. The Tao, the universe, God, nature (think of Spinoza)... the name, unimportant. How you live your life. The quality of your actions, your way, regardless of circumstance. At the end of the day you must live with yourself. Do you learn? Do you repeat mistakes? Are you open? or closed? Can your faith bear scrutiny or criticism? All learning opportunities.
Again, your way is deeply personal. And every aspect of your choice reveals you, if to no other, than yourself.

thank you

Previous post was response to Garet from Winnipeg

1. "No. This is a terrible analogy. The sun is not said to be all present and powerful. God is supposed to be all good and all powerful. The fact that ANY suffering exists proves this wrong."

So, you're saying the sun isn't all present and powerful - that's a new theory I haven't heard before. I guess someone switches the 'off' switch from time to time.

2. "It's already contradicted him."

Only scientific theories which will eventually be proven false. The Bible hasn't changed in 2000 years, science is constantly changing as it proves itself false.

3. "This is because you don't understand evolution. People who use that theory is a guess crap don't understand science. Want to know what else is a theory? That the earth revolves around the sun. The Bible contradicts that too."

So if we didn't evolve and we weren't created, I guess we just appeared. What is the reference of where the Bible contradicts the theory of the Sun?

4. "What about the plagues of Egypt? This is one of his many atrocoties in the bible."

Pharhaoh brought that upon himself and Egypt through his defiance to God, it could have been avioded.

5. "...This isn't anything."

Yet it still creates offense.

6. "I'll again point you to egypt."

That has nothing to do with the fact that there is someone else fighting for your soul and wants you to spend eternity in Hell.

7. "And much of that is in the name of God"

Just because people claim it is in His name doesn't mean it is. If we all followed the biblical teachings given by Jesus, we would live in a perfect world.

Where is God Today?
He is where he has always been - right inside our craniums. Ancient mythologies have morphed into religions and the concepts of external gods have remained in side our own heads, apparently imbeded in our unconsiousness from which we externalize our belief structutres. Of course I cannot prove this but if we view the God controversy from this perspective the action of humankind around the world makes more sense (at least to me). Appeals to God only allow use to transfer our responsibilities for our actions and beliefs elsewhere. There are no externally imposed absolutes in any religious Bible, Koran, Book of Mormon, Jehovah's Witness Bible or other religious "book of truth".

"It doesn't matter if God(s) exist or not. The fundamental ideas behind most religions, love, compassion, forgiveness are worthy of consideration and practice." - Brendan O'Brien

Then why does the Pope and so many followers of religion condemn homosexuals from attending church or get married in a church? Where's the love and compassion there? Of how about the countless sexual abuse cases around the world stemming from the Catholic priesthood? Is this how teachers of religion demonstrate forgiveness to children?

We don't need a religion to consider and practice respect, love and morality.

Why is it that those who deny God's existence hate Him so much?

Hey Garet from Winnipeg.

Just want to let you know that there is a powerful, live-changing love that can be yours if you simply accept it. If you put away all ideas of religion, all arguments of science or philosophy for a minute and simply concentrate on the fundamental (first order) questions (who am I, and therefore what is my value?; where do I go when I die?; what is my purpose/meaning of my life?; etc)then you will begin to see things in a new light.

I wish you the best. God Bless you.

The effort in the Scientific community to squelch discussion of the role of intelligence or planning(if any) in the the evolution of species dumbs down the inquiry and harkens back to the inquisitions of the medieval church. How can they consider themselves better if they excommunicate their own for talking about it. Heresy by any other name is still called heresy. They are still closed-minded.

I've come to the conclusion that my spirituality is deeply personal and best experienced in solitude. It's mine alone. I believe we are all doing our best to find meaning and purpose, and can only find fault with someone else's journey when it harms others.

God is, and as I believe always will be, the power from within. God can be found in much of the amazing world we live in but it only truly comes to life when yourself is put to the world as open and beautiful as the thought of god is! God wouldn't be here if we didn't beilieve he existed and I believe he exists in all of us.

I was not impressed by the report I heard on CBC radio this morning where the conspiracy theories of Ben Stein were expounded without question. Stein claims that "scientists" who believe in intelligent design (and despite their protestations, an intelligent designer) are excluded by the scientific community. There is no conspiracy in science to expel anyone because of their beliefs. There is certainly an open conspiracy to exclude anything that is not backed up by evidence. That's how science works, and that's why we know as much as we do about nature already. It's as simple as that.

The bible is nothing more than a rehashed version of other pagan myths. Emperor Constantine and the Romans made the bible, not disciples. Religion is the exact opposite of an open mind. It teaches people not to think about things they can't understand. It teaches them to just accept that God did it. Don't bother to study, think, examine evidence, just assign it to god and move on.
It also is closed minded with other religions. Each one believes that it is the "true" religion and all the other ones are wrong and probably that people that follow other religions will all burn in hell. (i.e. Jesus is the only way to heaven.)
So anyone saying that religion teaches you to have an open mind should look again at how religions teach you to view science, other religions, homosexuality, etc.

There isn't 1 scrap of proof that God exists.

We'll skip the word games about imnipotence being impossible.

What about all those Shrouds? Sure, it would be some pretty good proof Jesus existed if the Shroud was found. Luckily enough, at least 40 have been found. At least 39 are fakes, right? Well, from what I've read, all 40 are.

There are enough pieces of Jesus cross to make several crosses. Funny that, isn't it.

Isn't lying a sin?

We've proven that the earth is older than 6000 years. Yes, believers can say that carbon dating is wrong, or radiometric dating is wrong, but how about this: tree rings? We know that they are a ring for each year, with some years having a double ring, or a missing ring. There is a living tree that is something liek 4700 years old. Amazing, huh? Well, we can see the rings on that tree, and match it up with ancient wood from the environment. The rings for common years line up, and when you have enough years worth of rings to conclusively match up, you can see how old some of the wood we have actually is. I believe we've surpassed well over 10 000 years.

This is a contradiction of the bible.

Don't get me started on Noahs Ark...

God is man made; resides in the minds of the superstitious, perplexed, that need hope and fear death.
It has no monopoly on morality
If the bible was written today it would be cencored from school due to its violence.

I'm shocked that the CBC has given such wide play to the new intelligent-design propaganda movie, 'Expelled'. It's easy to claim that scientists have been fired and harassed for invoking God in their work-- but there are plenty of legal protections for employees: if they really have a case, let them take it to court. Until someone proposes a religious hypothesis that actually makes useful, reliable predictions about biology (or anything else, for that matter), religion can't have a place in science because it has nothing to contribute to science.

Look how many people in the world have die in the name of religion. I do believe in a higher power and if his name is God so be it. But the point of the matter is, we have lost the basic fundimentals of religion......the 10 commandments,what more do we need? not everyone elses interpretation and views, my way or the highway, hell and damnation and fire and brimstone.

I have always liked the values related in the New Testiment, kindness, gentleness, modesty, and genuine caring for fellow humans. I think all faiths share those humanist ideals. But I see very few who actually practise what they preach.

I was raised catholic but have walked away from all of organized religion because of the way people twist religion to suit their own needs and desires. The people who use religion to promote intolerence have turned me away from belief.

I think as I studied history and saw time and again the examples of humans butchering humans and despoiling the planet with no devine intervention I completely lost my faith.

Even in recent history there has been many times when God should have intervened if such a being existed. Where was God in the First and Second World Wars? Where was God in the killing fields of Cambodia, the Nazi death camps, or the Gulags of Siberia? Where was God when hundreds of thousands of people were incinerated in the blink of an eye in Japan in 1945? I don't know if there is a God but do know that I don't think I would like a devine all powerful being who lets his creations slaughter each other. Not a loving father figure from my point of view.

I now see religion as a crutch. At some point humanity is going to have to wake up and grow up and admit we are alone resonsible for our own actions and we are our own moral compass.

I am not in any position to question God's existence. I do have an issue when laws and policy are defined by people who want everyone to believe the Bible. Conservatives who need to punish do so because they have faith it should work. Faith based policies will fail, because the Bible is flawed. It left out why we are who we are. We are the product of chance. We are proof that collaborating, sharing, personal fit and trust are a genetic driven advantage of our species. And like beauty these are not characteristics of everyone. Just most of us (11 out of 12) which is the beautiful thing about most of us.

What really gets me is that people confuse evolution with origin theories. It has been PROVEN that humans and apes/monkies have a common ancestor.

The theory of evolution is not that one day a monkey had a baby human. Anyone who thinks that should just stop arguing against it and read a science (ie based on reality) book.

Creationist "scientists" are the worst. They believe in microevolution, but not macro evolution. Both have been proven. They believe in "superevolution" which is so full of holes, and has ridiculous wordplay. That's a joke. This is the stuff you'll never find in a peer reviewed journal.

A lot of what happened in the bible has been proven to not have actually happened.

Faith healing kills more people than it saves. Faith healers should go to jail.

Let's play the prove Steve wrong game:

1. That's like saying because storms exist, the sun cannot. However, the sun keeps on shining despite the storm that blinds us to it.

No. This is a terrible analogy. The sun is not said to be all present and powerful. God is supposed to be all good and all powerful. The fact that ANY suffering exists proves this wrong.

2. True science will lead to God, not contradict Him.

It's already contradicted him.

3. Our existance being based on evolution is a theory that has never been proven, at least I have never seen evidence of an ape changing into another species.

This is because you don't understand evolution. People who use that theory is a guess crap don't understand science. Want to know what else is a theory? That the earth revolves around the sun. The Bible contradicts that too.

4. God doesn't kill anyone, we do.

What about the plagues of Egypt? This is one of his many atrocoties in the bible.

5. Only to those who are afraid it may be true.

...This isn't anything.

6. God doesn't torture anyone, nor is He responsible for our chosen destination for eternity.

I'll again point you to egypt.

7. HUMAN history is littered with oppression and violence, it's our fallen nature.

And much of that is in the name of God.

Since some have provided a few quotes to support the various fables, I thought it fitting to post a few alternatives from some great minds.

"Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do understand." – Mark twain

"Calling Atheism a religion is like calling bald a hair color." - Don Hirschberg

"The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as His father, in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter." -Thomas Jefferson

"I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own -- a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human frailty. Neither can I believe that the individual survives the death of his body, although feeble souls harbor such thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotisms." – Albert Einstein

"The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie -- deliberate, contrived and dishonest -- but the myth -- persistent, persuasive and unrealistic." – John F. Kennedy

"The truths of religion are never so well understood as by those who have lost the power of reasoning" – Voltaire

"Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence. Faith is belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence" – Richard Dawkins

Couldn't the CBC find a better representative for non-religious Canadians than that blowhard Chris Hitchens?

I'm sure a call to the Humanist Association of Canada could have been productive; perhaps an article by Robert Buckman or June Callwood would have been of more value here.

I just don't see why people trya nd pull this "Hitler didn't believe in God" (which he did) or Stalin didn't, and somehow try and atrtribute their actions to their lack of faith. Exactly 0 people have been killed out of atheistic beliefs. More than I could ever count have died because of believing in the wrong god (or the wrong stupid revision of the bible for the SAME god). It's ridiculous. You could bring up prison statistics. A majority of them (unproportionally high) believe in some god. Now, using the data mining methods of those who brought up Hitler, we can conclude that Christians are criminals, right?

As for "morals", believers don't have those, by definition. They are "good" because there is a reward waiting for them. That Heaven thing. There is a punishment for doing "bad", that other place. Now, how is that actually being good or bad? That's no different than a lab rat learning what lever feeds him, and what lever electrocutes him.

Response to Brett's classic reasons that God doesn't exist:

1. That's like saying because storms exist, the sun cannot. However, the sun keeps on shining despite the storm that blinds us to it.
2. True science will lead to God, not contradict Him.
3. Our existance being based on evolution is a theory that has never been proven, at least I have never seen evidence of an ape changing into another species.
4. God doesn't kill anyone, we do.
5. Only to those who are afraid it may be true.
6. God doesn't torture anyone, nor is He responsible for our chosen destination for eternity.
7. HUMAN history is littered with oppression and violence, it's our fallen nature.
8. You're right - you're not.

I was brought up in a home that believed that God exists but that was the extent of it. Through a friend I attended some church youth programs and very quickly started to see what I was missing. The bible does teach that Christians must make disciples of others, but it also teaches that the decision to become a believer in Christ must be your own will...no one elses. As with anything, you must have an open mind and when you read the bible and the teachings of Christ, you will have a much better foundations to decide whether to place you faith in God...I know I did and have been much better for it!

God is everywhere. The questions are "how do we feel God, and how do we incorporate the wisdom and power of God into our lives." I feel God through my relationships with people, and my intense appreciation of beauty in all its glorious forms. Others feel God when they are in prayer or meditation. Many experience this feeling of wholeness when they are in a sacred space, like a church. There are so many ways to feel the love and connection of God.

When we have a personal knowledge of what the love of God feels like, we want to keep that amazing feeling with us every minute of every day. To do that we need to love, forgive, work to make life better for others, and celebrate this wonderful gift of life. Our religious or spiritual practices help us to do this. How or where we access our knowledge of the Divine is not as important as being open to the love of God, and to live lives of love.

Where is God? Obviously alive and well in the minds of terrorists everywhere! 9/11 has dramatically altered my view of religion. Whereas in the pre-event era I did not take the rants of the pious seriously and accepted them with tolerance today I view God and religion as the most dangerous evil of our time. It seems Salman Rushdie was exactly correct "Fundamentalists of all stripes are the fundamental evil of our time."

I am a Christian, but I do not claim to know who God really is. I only understand that it is impossible to understand God. I agree with C.S.Lewis who has questioned whether his dog understands what He is up to when he sits down and reads a book. I believe God is a superior being than a human. I don't think I can judge His ways. I also don't think the Bible can be taken literally, but I believe in the overall theme of the mercy and forgiveness from God through the blood of Jesus Christ. I do not judge others who does not believe the same either. Who am I to judge them? I only thank God for giving me the heart to love and care about all humans.

I am a creationist due to my experience of God, but, I also respect the theories of evolution. As a research scientist, I understand the concept of theory which is a human's explanation for the limited facts we discover. The same facts can lead one to believe in evolution or creation or anything else for that matter. We will only know the real truth after death, I think. I only hope the truth will be pleasant for all of us.

I think it is so unfortunate that parents brainwash their children with their own superstitions when they are impressionable and do not allow them freedom to come to their own spirituality when they are of an age to do so intelligently. If parents were to do the same with a belief in fairies we would be horrified but the equally unprovable case of the existence of God goes uncommented.
There is a taboo to look at religion objectively - almost as though it is in bad taste to even think about criticising it. It is a subject that need to be treated more openly to allow people to look at the topic objectively.

It amazes me that as education has improved that people still believe in God. When you look around at the world it is clear to a thinking observer that there is no intelligent creator - there is mayhem and disaster everywhere. I suppose God is a superstition that provides those with closed eyes with some comfort - but unfortunately it is a delusion.

According to these comments “Where is God today in your life?” seems to have three answers.

1. There is nothing apparent in space-time greater than our intelligence therefore nowhere.
2. He is a father figure who must be obeyed.
3. The limitation may be ours, selectively or otherwise; beyond that anything is possible.

I like the ‘anything is possible’ group. It’s got legs. Or doesn’t.

The real issue is time, not faith. We can't wrap our heads around the idea that time did NOT have a beginning, so we hang on to the childish notion that there MUST have been a First Mover, something to get this universe under way. So mythologies spring up to try and explain what is unknowable. Time is looking to be infinite in many directions according to physics, without a beginning or end. Without the need for a First Mover, there may be no need for a "God". The universe and all the creations with in it are beyond our mental capacity to understand, and it's THAT which should inspire our awe, knowing we, and our supposed superior consciousness, are just another creation, no different and no less amazing than a blade of grass, an exploding star, or a laughing child.

Brett:
Strange, Brett, but I don't subscribe to any of your classic reasons for god's non-existence!

Many of my fellow humanists/atheists/antitheists have already advanced the argument that god is a human construct. This is sufficient for me, thanks.

If you promise to read "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins, I'll reads yours.

To Bill Welsh:

Aw, Bill, you equate Christianity and religion and use those favourite 'ad hominem' arguments - no chip on this shoulder!

If you read my early posts I spread my critique around. I did not solely target christianity.

Many years ago I read Aquinas (and Augustine and many other church 'fathers') like you, Bill, but I found them wanting in the extreme.
Tell me, Bill, do you think with your spirit?

If God doesn't exist, then why are we here? If there is no external source of purpose for my life, then it is up to me to give my corporeal life purpose - to decide what's important for me to experience, and then to experience whatever that is.

If God does exist, then why are we here? If God has given my life a purpose, what is it? Can I really find the answer in buildings or books declared sacred? If so, which buildings, which books? If I can't know for sure, then it is up to me to give my corporeal life purpose - to decide what's important for me to experience, and then to experience whatever that is.

To experience Life, to learn who I am: this is the purpose I've given myself. This is how I experience God.

To Chuk: from Edmonton

Rationality is certainly not truth or reality but our reasoning processes represent our best hope to get along in this universe.

Surely, you wouldn't suggest that god and religion (with their tract records) are better tools?

God quit and the rest of humanity is on it's own to figure it out. Truth be told it could be a nexus singularity or a avatar like sun. It's a likely guess at best.

To Chad: from Brandon

I am not trying to convince you or anyone else that god does not exist. He/she probably doesn't exist but I admit that I know this with less than 100% certainty.

I find your assumption that I am angry more revealing about your psychological state.

I am concerned that the public discourse in our country, at times, centers around probablistically non-existent ideas, which cannot by their very nature, be subjected to human reason.

The church (to paraphrase Trudeau) has no business in the bedroom of the state.

To:Jacques Boutin

It is precisely because we believe in a god that we can't believe in ourselves and the wonderful accident that is the universe.

And I was wrong to lump the easter bunny and santa in with god. At least every one knows they aren't real and we don't have people running around claiming they are responsible for the creation of the universe.

Faith is just disguised hope. Some people need hope of some sort to get through the day...so what... let them have it...for anyone educated even a little on the subject, Christ was not the Son of God as believed by Christians...but no matter, because his message is a good one (if not complicated)...the real problem with religion (all religions) is the organized church. This is where the messages get twisted and warped in their meaning to the point where people who read the same book (bible koran,etc) cannot agree, get along with, and even kill each other over it.
The messages from all religions are good ones...the organized church is the problem in most societies.

I believe in God who has created the universe and everything in it. I believe that God has given humankind free will - a costly gift (which any parent of teenagers will attest) - that evil exists because of the poor exercise of said freewill, and God will not dishonour our freewill by interfering, unless requested, and even then is somewhat limited. However, I've noticed that in the long run, most things do work out in the end, and I think humankind, and the world will eventually do so as well. Sometimes people have to suffer a lot before they realize that they are part of the problem. Meanwhile, the sense of being totally loved by God, moves me to do my best to be loving and understanding of others, not to blow them off the face of the earth. I agree that fundamentalist views of religion are often used politically as a way of seizing power or resources - and that is what causes a lot of killing and worse atrocities, in the name of religion.

"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?"

- Epicurus, 341-271 BCE

Before you answer the question “Does God exist?”, please answer the question: “ Did I create myself?” And if you believe that God exists but cannot believe that He is good, ask yourself the question: “Why then do those who do evil, desire to make others think they are really good?“
Answering these two questions will reveal to your own conscience that a good God created you in His own image. He created us good, but we have failed to reveal His goodness because of our sin. Why else would each and every human being be born only to die? Could this be the punishment for our sins? Yes, He is the Creator, you and I can only accept that He is greater. Our lives are in His control. We cannot even guarantee that we will be alive tomorrow. He gives us a way of escape from the punishment of our sins. Jesus is the Son of God who paid for of the sins of each one who believes and trusts in Him. Only a good God would ever do such a thing for us, His creatures.

Religion is no different than the myth of Santa Claus. It is the result of childhood parental abuse..deceiving children with simplistic and fantastical lies no different than the story of the stork delivering a new baby. No matter what religion, at basis, it is the denial of scientific reason replaced with fuzzy and sloppy primitive primate superstition.

I've had an out of body experience and seen the "other" side first hand. I can honestly say that every religion is correct. Fundamentally they all describe the same thing. If you invited five people to your house from around the world and told them to write a book about it. The stories would be slightly different due to their cultural differences and frame of reference. The meaning of life is to grow and learn, the biggest sin is preventing another soul from doing the same.

God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. It is only us who change, and as we grow in "human intellect" we walk further away from Him. Where is God today? He is here with us, we just need to take the time to listen to Him.

Religion has lost its reasoning behind it, to set the rules for harmony of society. We have become more narcissistic, in according to Charles Taylor. We create our own philosophy to give morality to our perception of our reality. Now it is up to the individual to gain a perspective from the other, thus living in harmony and gaining a wider perspective. The search for the utopian state by any dogma has/is a fallacy. The power of the group religion has fallen aside to the schwerpunkt of malaise of modernity.

Jesus said;
"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, but through Me." My Bible says: It is for man to die once and then on to Judgement.
You have the right to beleive what you want, just make sure it's the truth.
Gerhard Hummel

I think people are busy with their routine and only have a few hours each day for entertainment or growth. During this time it is often a low priority for them to decide if the religion their parents chose for them makes sense. Until more people spend their time exploring the evidence of science and religion dispassionately we will have a religious majority, and a generally hostile planet.

There is no god. None.

There is no evidence for the existance of a diety. This is a construct of the imagination of men to control others and used as a club to dehumanize others. Once dehumanized then one can justify the murder, torture and hatred of others who do not believe what you choose to believe, dress like you want them to or worship like you want them to. Religion is out of my life and in the trash can where it belongs.

I don't need religion to live my life in a productive way nor to justify acting in an altrustic way. We do not need religion to create a just and civil society, rather I would say that we need to ban religion in order to do so.

If one more person tells me that their religion is a religion of peace then I may just have to lose my lunch. Every Monothestic religion accounts for a hell of a lot of spilt blood on this planet not to mention reams of foolish piety and double heapings of hypocrisy writ large. The flies are well and active on this heap of manure.

Where is God? Is there one? The issue is irrelevant and a great deal of time, and effort has been wasted on this matter.

The real question is what are you doing with your life and your talents? Will this planet, society, community, family, etc. be a better place upon your departure than it was upon your arrival.

There is no evidence for the existence of God. The three Wise Men, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Michael Hitchens, will tell you so. Read anything they've written and begin the journey to trashing your Bible. It's a crock.

Take a deep breath! What if it is your last? One day, one breath will be your last - are you ready to meet God? In the Bible God says he knew you before you were formed in your mother's womb. You were born with 'free will', God did not make man a robot, you have the choice to be perfect or not. He also knew that sin would be a part of your life, and because God is perfect, then your sin must be paid for before you can enter His presence when you die. The only way He can have you enter His presence is in a sinless state: so God wanted so much to have you in Heaven with Him that He took the offer of His Son, Jesus, to take upon himself your sin and die in your stead. The Gift that can give you a home in heaven cost God His Son. God won't make you accept the gift of His Son - like any other gift it isn't yours until you accept it. The choice is yours.

Basically every religion claims their god is the only god and all who don't believe in their god shall go to hell (or equivalent).

That only matters if you think there's something after death.

Even then, what if you picked the wrong god to worship? Then what? If you're lucky, the "real" god will be christian so you can at least repent all your sins and get into "heaven".

Organized religion is the source of all evil. What is the difference between a "cult" and organized religion? The number of people who belong to each group. The catholic church is a cult. Islam is a cult.

Humans desire to belong. That is why we create family units. Interestingly enough, humans are not the only animal that does this. Many birds mate for life. Do you think they are joined in "holy matrimony"? Why not? Why would "God" only be for humans?

God was the first serious mistake that humans made and is now the most challenging dilemma facing organized religion. Progressives in every faith tradition acknowledge that the documents that have created and supported their beliefs are all human constructs. Without those documents as proof of the existence of God, all that’s left is personal experience and personal experience simply does not a offer a good enough mandate for prescribing religious beliefs. Religious practices, however, have often moved individuals to acts of great justice and compassion and many religious systems continue to promote progressive social perspectives that are not widely supported elsewhere. The challenge will be to rid religion of the dogma that has encrusted the spiritual values of love, justice, and compassion and find ways to support and enhance our capacity to honor all life not just that which walks, talks, and believes the same way we do. If we could access the rich spiritual practices of the myriad faith traditions and see them as tools not requisites for personal spiritual growth, religious practice could go a long way to helping us find the keys we need to living with respect and humility with our own selves, others, and the rest of the planet.

Where is God today? Same place where he was yesterday. Same place where he will be tomorrow. The real question, in my humble opinion, is whether we allow God into our hearts or not.

Pax vobiscum,
Siro
(former atheist)

The central problem for atheists is that they have no way of explaining where the "big bang" came from if they start right at the beginning (if there was one). Atheists must be able to believe the bang's "Original Cause" came from a vaccum, a "nothing" out of which somehow, something came.

The "big bang" theory (or at least one of the more popular ones) requires hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon, which somehow occured, and then, when they collided, produced a series of events out of which came (eventually, after millions and millions of years...a stock phrase) a countless variety of incredibly complex and perfectly working organisms and systems, that all had to mesh at the same time in order for any of them to work individually or together. All these things, every one of which is "miraculous", had to occur out of nothing, and proceed and develop out of blind, random chance or chaos, according to atheists.

While I have no argument with much of the thinking that atheists do, I must protest that the idea that all of this life and all of these thousands of layers of interacting systems came about through chaos, random, directionless "chance", and had no source, and are not evidence of design and purpose, is absurd. That would be just as stupid as insisting that God made Eve from a rib, or that creation occured in six 24 hour days.

Atheists might like to explore the idea that science and faith are perfectly compatible, once it is understood what tiny, silly creatures we are. To be struck dumb with awe is a good place to start, as Albert Einstein discovered later in life.

I have come to realize over the years, that God is very much like a Parent.
Like a Parent, he has created us.
Like a Parent, he has loved us unconditionally.
Like a Parent, he sets you free and hopes that you have learnt all that he has taught you, so you may find your way in life.
Like a Parent, he hopes that you will visit and share your ups and downs, but knows you must find your own way. Free will.

Would you ask your Parents to prove their love for you?
A mother's body creates you, but who created the first woman?

Granted is is all very confusing, but you have to search beyond your human territory to a spiritual way to find him. It is the only way to find him. You wouldn't give up trying to phone or contact your parents if you didn't hear from them. So don't give up trying to reach God from time to time. After all what have you got to loose!
If so many people, such as myself, stick with it and keep trying to find him, at some point you will see that he is truly there. Open mind, open heart and NEVER give up, until it happens. This is coming from a person, who has turned her back on him, and been angry at him and all the rest. I can not turn my back on him ever again. He is very much real, very much there. But, don't take my word for it, try it yourself.

God is everywhere. He fills all void and the depths of seemingly all emptiness. According to scripture, God is Omnipresent - he is everywhere present and nowhere absent. God is a spirit. He is as close as the mention of his name - Jesus. Jesus is God. He was persecuted in the NT for claiming to be God. His birth was prophesied in scripture, his imminent return is prophesied in scripture. Countless, indisputable prophesies where foretold of his first arrival as a babe in a manger will you believe the prophesies of his second coming?

Being sequestered in the unofficial capital of the bible belt in Canada has been no easy feat. God, in what ever form anyone wants to express him or her as, has long ago ceased to be a productive force in the development of mankind. As a matter of fact,the belief in any deity on a mass populace level has been a hindrance to the development of the human race. Religion by its very nature is exclusionary;you are a believer or you are not, you are Christian or you are not, etc. and as a result policys, behaviours, attitudes, and discriminations of every sort from mere learned slights to unimaginable horrors has been the result. It is time to abandon religion, gods and deities and start recognizing that any form of spirituality should only remain at the individual level and that in the matters of the human race, local, national, and international be based upon a secular morality governed by the mutual respect of our shared humanity upon this Earth.
Anyone espousing a religious agenda should be immediately dismissed from any valid discussion on any subject outside religion because they all possess the powerful and illusory qualities of delusion, ignorance and the wilfull stubborness to remain that way.

I would first like to thank cbc for presenting this forum. The answer to the question, 'Where Is God Today' is that God can be found each and every day in the tabernacle of any Roman Catholic church. The reason that Jesus became flesh and died on a cross was for love of each and every one of us.....he is the "hound of love" and constantly implores our love. John 6:57: As the living Father sent me and I draw life from the Father, so whoever eats me will also draw life from me.

Does god really exist? I do not think so. At least not the ways religion decribe it. It's all in the interpretation. If god is real our world today would be totally different. If god exists, he or she is the one doing nothing but watching us.

Having said that I always think people who belive in god are lucky people. Religions explain things humain could not understand, help people go through difficult time as long as you believe it. For people like me, an atheist, would rather have faith in humain being than God. We still manage to have a good sleep at night.

Interesting question - where is God. I'll relay some stories...He answered the simplest prayer I had which was to have a sweet pea plant to grow on my balcony; He was working in the body of a very young boy who had drowned and been resuscitated - doctors saying he would never be able to function as he had before, the doctors and nurses were amazed that God heard the prayers of his parents and those who prayed around his bed; He enabled Moses to lead God's people to their own land, freed from slavery and oppression from worshipping the living God; He came to earth as a babe and looked in the eyes of those gathered to hear Him speak and witness the miracles He performed; He was lifted on a cross as prophesied 600 years prior to Him coming to live among us; and He lives in the hearts of those who hear His knocking and welcome Him in.
I became Christian in my late twenties - prior to that I had subscribed to???? unorganized, pluralistic, pantheistic faith - one that I thought included faith in Jesus Christ. But I got challenged by a Christian on how I could believe in Jesus but not listen to anything He had to say about Himself - things like "He is the light and the way", "He is the Alpha and Omega". I was invited to a church and listened and was amazed that a) there are a huge number of Christians despite what I had previously been led to believe, b) and that Jesus is so powerful and so personal, knowing every persons story - even my own.
SO as you can see it is hard to say where is God, He is everywhere - He is in the church, He is in the miracles and simple providences, He is in the hearts of believers, He is guiding our lives and guiding our world. He is awesome!!!

Where is God today? He is alive all around us in the hearts and lives of those who have chosen to accept him as God of their life. The way God has made this possible is through the death of his son, Jesus Christ 2000 years ago. He lived a sinless life and died, taking the punishment for all the sins of mankind. Only because of what Jesus did can I or anyone have a personal relationship with God, the creator of the universe. This is not just what I 'believe', but I have seen evidence of him in mine and other's lives.

One of the things I love most about God is that it really doesn't matter to Him who is right and who is wrong, just that He loves both equally and desires a relationship with both equally. One will say yes to Him, the other says no (or maybe). Both have the choice. A gift not received remains without value. Just get on with it and choose.

I noticed that one person seemed to get it right.

They mentioned the Native way of long ago.

It is living in harmony with everything and everyone around you.

It is have respect for man and nature.

It is reverence for the spirit of all things.

Couldn't ask for a simpler answer to such a complex question that brings out the worst of everyone.

Need look no further than the opinions expressed here to validate my point.

This conversation has sadly proven--has it was bound to, really--that no dialogue is possible between atheists and evangelicals (for that is what most of the theists here are). Too many of the comments seem more like parodies of their respective positions, and assertions, rather than arguments, have the day. In particular, I note the quoting of the Christian Bible in capital letters; there's no context, no attempt to persuade the opposing side to believe in the Bible--just an action that looks like an attempt at pseudo-magic.

Meanwhile, there are several former-atheists here claiming that God has changed their lives. My story is the other way: where I once detected a personal Christian God, I now see nothing. In my case this was the culmination of intensive study of the Hebrew Bible and Greek New Testament at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

For me, one of the greatest parts of life is a realization of its divine (small "d") element; this realization becomes both tragedy and farce when it is allowed to degenerate into fundamentalism and false claims about history and science, as is inevitably the case with the major world religions.

(By the way, CBC, I hope at some point that you will allow websites to be placed in the web-forms that the commenters are filling out.)

Before anyone can answer the question, we have to clarify what exactly is meant by "God/god". Until we do, it's a meaningless question. The ball does not make it over the net.

Is it Ganesh? Quetzalcoatl? Jesus? Allah? The Divine Turtle? Apollo? Jupiter? Isis? Vishnu?

For some people god is more of a vague idea: love, or peace; for others he's a bearded sky-god prepared to send the vast majority of us to an eternal hell. Some treat "God" as a divine rug under which all things not yet known can be swept. In that case, God is a euphemism for plain old ignorance. No idea how life could just "evolve"? No problem! Just say "God did it!" and it saves you from all that education stuff.

Me, I believe that the term "god" does more to confuse than to clarify.

We shouldn't forget that there have been literally hundreds (if not thousands) of gods over the course of human history. The gods that are still around today are the lucky ones--the ones whose adherents had the best weapons and the worst tolerance for competitors (cf. Yahweh's "I am a jealous god")

I am tired of the religious claiming the right to adjudicate on all matters of truth and morality, and then demanding immunity from criticism in your return. If I don't like your religious views, I'm going to say so.

It doesn't matter if God(s) exist or not. The fundamental ideas behind most religions, love, compassion, forgiveness are worthy of consideration and practice.

I remember a great statement an extremely intelligent friend of ine said, " There are no atheists in fox-holes during a battle". All these atheists expounding their grat knowledge of life and its meaning, but doing so as life is going great for them as they are priveledged living where they are. BUT I can tell you that there will come a time when your own perceived greatness of yourself will be unable to comfort yourself. As you are taking your last breath of life, not knowing what will happen next ,you will not be able to comfort yourself. Now if it's as Carl from BC says and we are all just Carbon based creatures the instant you die , all of your thoughts, memories, loves, emotions all dissapear as if you never even existed at all. Now if your right then both of us are the losers regardless, but if God does exist and he is on the other side or dimension or someplace unfathomable to a living human and that person does beleive in him and what is written, and appears in HIS GLORIOUS PRESENCE, while the other is forever not in his presence, then someone is a winner and the othewr the loser, not both. Remember God created man to be with him FOREVER not just a lifetime.

If there is a God then let's see some proof. Apparently in biblical times he interacted with mankind quite often. If that's the case why doesn't god make an appearance and remove all doubt. But the best he/she can seem to do these days is the occasional parlour trick like a weeping statue of the Virgin Mary or the image of Jesus on a piece of toast. Stigmata may impress the religious but it doesn't do much for me. For me reason trumps faith everytime.
If there is only one God then why do so many religions have differing view points about who or what God is. One would think that if God cared about mankind he would act to stop violence committed in his name.
Matthew Alper in his book The "GOD" Part of the Brain: A Scientific Interpretation of Human Spirituality and God, maintains that we as humans are hard wired genetically to believe in a supreme being and the idea of Heaven and everlasting life. Without this belief, mankind, the only species on this planet who are aware of their own mortality, would be unable to function effectively. Alper's book is a concise, logical study of the biological foundations of human spirituality and deserves to be read by everyone.

The christian god sounds like he is well on his way to mythilogical status alongside Zeus, and Apollo.
I just wish that the Arab and Asian people could also see the truth. Our planet seems to be our creator and one day we will know the truth. Hopefully all the worlds people will have all the info someday soon.

Regarding the Einstein discussion, I am not an expert but he clearly did not believe in a 'personal God'. However, he also seems to have disliked being called an Atheist - he was uncomfortable with atheists of his day: "The fanatical atheists are like slaves who are still feeling the weight of their chains which they have thrown off after hard struggle. They are creatures who--in their grudge against traditional religion as the 'opium of the masses'-- cannot hear the music of the spheres."
Personally I see the same fundamentally (no joke intended) dogmatic position on both sides - very few people are actually prepared to admit they could be wrong. The religious are 100% certain of God, atheists are 100% certain there is no God (whatever those statements mean) - thus there is no dialog. Personally I would prefer to sit and talk with an agnostic - at least the conversation can give me the illusion of progress :)

I always thought that a God did exist, whether he is a man or whether she is a woman. But I always had to wonder, when going to church...why would we have to ask for forgiveness from a being that claims to give it anyways? For those in the Roman Catholic churches, what is the deal with bowing when told to, saying hymns when told to, doing this and that when told to? It runs as if it were a cult of some sort, which I never really agreed with. Growing up and being told that a God does exist...I had to wonder. I believe in a higher being, since there are so many variations with each culture. People say "Why would God let war/famine/killing/violence etc happen?" the truth is..."GOD" doesn't let it happen, we let it happen. It annoys me when people place the blame on some being that we hardly even know exists. Wake up people, we do that to ourselves. But my mind is always open to the possibility of a god....whatever his/her name is. Nothing happens to us because of "God", it happens because we let it happen. The choices we make, the paths we choose, the things we say....if the things that happen to us are the paths "God" chose for us, then you could say we are puppets and he/she is the puppet master. Imagine....billions of puppets and one almighty puppet master. I may be coming off as synical but has anyone ever stopped to think about that? It's like saying we don't think for ourselves, someone else does it for us. We could all be "God" and we could emmulate that when ever we make our decisions. Our decisions affect a person unknowningly whether we know them or not. I could go on forever but I'll stop here.

Frankly, I do not know where is God today but I am certain that God does not exist in any of the religious groups around the world.

Reading the comments from others leads me to believe very few people have read much of the Bible. This is tragic. I believe to express an informed opinion about God, one must at least read a significant part of God's Word, the Bible. It should be a compulsory part of the education system to have a working knowledge of what is in the Bible. Even if you don't believe what the Bible teaches, it forms the basis for our laws and culture of western society. Without a knowledge of the Bible, we become a heathen nation, which seems to be what we are.

My humble (earthy) opinion

No one in this discussion has come with a definition of the word 'god' so far. How can you argue or support any argument side if you do not know clearly what you're talking about? Think of this question: What do you mean by god? Who or what is god? Here's my view:
Mankind in its infancy has invented the concept to explain the big mystery, to find meaning, to deal with mortality and death and a multitude of other reasons. This has produced our culture, the institutions and beliefs that we have inherited from the the stone age. This geocentric, anthropomorphic view of god(s) as it evolved and embedded in our culture dictates that a supreme power (being?)is in charge of everything. Yet humanity has devoped a rational approach to thinking and uncovering some of the mysteries. Our understanding of our historic past helps analyse and interpret the myths relating to life and religion and the need for such myths to exist. Some great scholars of eastern religions and myths have come to define god as a metaphor for the natural process, a metaphor for the laws governing the universe, thr energies out there and inside the human spirit, since we are part of this universe. Once you have a clear understanding of what god is, then you can make sense of what you believe or not. Personally, compelled by the forces of rational arguing to viewing and studying the world around me, I still marvel at its complexity without the need to believe in any god. I'm not moved by the emotional attachment of those who are desperate to hold on to their god because they need one. I can find real meaning in relating to life's wonders without the help of a god because I am a small 'particle' of nature's energy. "Where are you in your universe today?" How do you relate to your universe today? These are the questions to be asking instead, I think.

Don't blame God for the conditions within the world, He gave us the ability to choose, this is the result of our choices, and what a mess we created with our choices.

Can you find one flaw in the life of Jesus? Jesus showed us the true character of God.

This is the life God wants us to live.

Bernie

Every logical bone in my body tells me it's all a bunch of hooey. But then again.....Agnostic will due for now.

Since he was too busy building an army of strawmen to knock down, Brett [January 7, 2008 04:54 PM] forgot to mention what’s arguably the number one reason for un-belief: the complete lack of any convincing evidence.
Since the burden of proof rests with those claiming the existence of something, not with those who doubt it, it's up to believers to provide convincing support for their own ideologies, whatever those may be. As far as reality goes, I think the words of Laplace apply rather nicely: "Je n'ai pas eu besoin de cette hypothèse."

Faith is not a virtue. It’s accepting a claim for no good reason, and that’s a huge shortcoming.

I'm Muslim, but I don't know why a public institution such as the CBC is debating the state of faith in the country. Shouldn't the fundies be worrying about this kind of crap? Shouldn't religion or the state of faith of the country be left up to the individual? CBC's a broadcasting service for the public, not a televangelist television network reaching out to the poor, the weak, the lonely and the dispirited in order to exploit them.

Eight classic reasons why god doesn't exist, are actually eight reasons to reject Christianity.

The deal breaker for me, in regards to belief in any gods, is a complete and utter lack of evidence for such a thing. Probably the most sought after concept in man's history and not a single shred of evidence. There isn't even a clear and common definition.

Faith doesn't compute in my brain. I need proof which I won't tend to believe until I can corroborate it.

I'm a life long atheist. Didn't know I was atheist until, at age seven, someone tried to explain god.

Faith is irrational.

Contrary to my organized religious upbringing (RC), I no longer believe in this 'male' God who has this white beard and is looking down on us all from this place called Heaven.

Nope - after much meditation & reading & experiencing that which cannot be explained, I now believe in the goodness within each individual - the choice of living a good and compassionate life is a decision we make - we decide the course our lives will take - not God. God, through silent contemplation, will provide us with guidance and inspiration and often with some form of protection. Of that I am quite certain - it's an energy like I said, which is tough to explain.

For now, this definition of God works for me. Silence and meditation and being present these last few years has worked wonders. Will my opinion or definition of God change at some point? As long as I keep learning & growing, I certainly hope so.

I find it banal to hear about religion on the CBC.

I would prefer that time and effort be spent on figuring out why we have homelessness, hunger and employed poor in Canada.

What people are doing to personally delude themselves is none of your business, and certainly unworthy of my interest.

God bless secularism.

George

I am learning the benefit of faith through the Church of Perfect Liberty. we have 21 Precepts for all humankind.
I just finished reading 'God is Not great' and I understand the auther's opinion but there are some religions that help our daily lives and his opinion is very negative to the core. our website is 'www.perfectliverty.org.com'.
Yoko Trotter a Canadian

The second we think we've got God completely understood, we don't.

I'm glad I'm finally okay with that. Thank God for doubt, and gradually answers where He sees fit.

One thing is sure: the world is completely beyond our comprehension. Another thing: as I look about me, especially in the natural world, I see such wonders that there is no way that "chance" could account for it. So for me, there is no doubt that there is a Superior Being. However, humans have done and continue to do such horrors in the name of "organized" religion and in the name of their God. Fanaticism of any sort is completely repugnant to me. I therefore worship in my own way, whenever I feel so moved. I was born and raised a Roman Catholic and consider myself a spiritual person, my husband is Jewish.

It seems to me that Troy Dyck's comments are truly the most Christian comments I've seen here - this is my perception of Christianity - and the message behind the 10 Commandments.

And I also thank Troy for his comments about the neo-conservative Christians who are so prevalent in the media today - they have shock value for sure - and nothing sells news like shock value.

I still maintåin that Church and State should have very separate postal codes - and while I would never in a million years vote for Stephen Harper, I think he has done a decent job of keeping his God out of his job - he's done a much better job than his warmongering Christian counterpart south of the border, that's for sure.

Margaret Atwood said that atheism is a religion because, "it makes an absolute stand about something that cannot be proven." Atheist either deny gods or disbelieve in them. I'd almost say Ms Atwood could be correct in that denying gods is making a stand. But not believing in something is not making a stand. I don't believe there's a small purple sphere floating behind my head disappearing when I try to catch a look at it. I can't prove it. That doesn't make my renunciation of purple spheres a religion.

Religion drives unbridled humanpopulation growth - the planet's greatest peril - rejects scientific reason and drives extremists to violence. It will play a decisive role in whatever fate awaits our species.

good to hear this topic. I am Baha'i and also have Cree and Metis heritage. The Baha'i faith recognises the inherent validity of all the greats faiths and traditions of the world. In this respect, there is scope for creating recognition space and unity amongst us. It doesn't get any more practical than that.

Fortunately, we live in a God-free universe. God is a mythical being, the product of human culture, very similar to Zeus and sharing many (fictional) attributes with Santa Claus, Leprachauns and Unicorns. Or with Hamlet or Oliver Twist. Like all mythical and literary characters, God is the repository of human anxieties and desires. Therefore, we can say that while the universe is God-free, human culture is God-producing. A God-producing culture in a God-free universe is, of course, a paradox. But the paradox is resolved as soon as we understand God as a symbol of anxiety and desire (or pain and pleasure), just as we understand Santa Claus as a symbol of generosity or jollity. The difficulty arises when we mistake a human symbol for a metaphysical principle. Symbols are human creations in a God-free universe.

Brett: You said:...that does not make the atheists claims true.

Athiests make no claims other than what can be observed. Atheism is one thing and one thing only: Not believing in god or gods. That's it. It is not the assertion that "I know there is no god". There is no book of atheism, belief system or dogma. Two atheists may have nothing else (or plenty) in common.

I think that any atheist is and would be open to any and all evidence for the extraordinary claims made by theists, it's just that there isn't any. None. One believes because one wants to believe - and usually for very poor reasons (comfort,fear, guilt,shame, a sense of belonging, community, what you were raised with etc). But hey, there are many who really need that sense of governance in their lives, that cage of control, but that does not mean that the beliefs held are true, it's just that they serve a purpose.

Again, I was a (very real) christian for a quarter of a century, and since discarding the supernatural belief system (which clearly did not map onto reality), my life has blossomed in so many ways. I feel as though I woke up, or jumped from childhood to adulthood.

I am equally (if not more) moral than when I was a christian, and value my life experiences and people much more due to the realization that this brief puff of consciousness which is my life (100% brain activity), is going to end one day.
The purpose of the idea of "eternal life" is apparently to deal with that age-old "fear of death".

Let's be clear: I appreciate that the vast majority of people who hold a religious viewpoint have their moral compass pointed in the right and desireable direction (compassion, empathy, love etc), and I don't know any atheist who isn't also REALLY on-side with that, it just does not require embracing wild, fantastical, supernatural things about how the universe works. I think that the vigorous debate from atheists is really more of a call to reason and intellectual honesty.

Where is god? He works behind the bar of my local pub (seriously, only God could pull pints as perfect as this guy!)

Here are some classic reasons that god doesn't exist: 1: Since evil and suffering exist, god cannot. 2: Since miracle contradict science they cannot be true. 3: Evolution explains life, so god isn't needed. 4: God isn't worthy of worship since he kills innocent children. 5: It is offensive to claim Jesus is the only way to god. 6: A loving god would never torture people in hell. 7: Church history is littered with oppression and violence. 8: I still have doubts, so I can't be a Christan. Guess what, these are not so simple answers for your position. Try reading Lee Strobel's The Case for Faith and see if you can maintain, in all honesty, your position. I would suggest also that anyone who thinks these arguments are the end of the discussion realize that they are the beginning. Beyond these questions, that is where the real debate is occuring, not here for the most part. But this blog is a good guage of how much people really know about religion as opposed to what they think they know perhaps. Blog on, but also do your homework.

I am a Christian and I believe very strongly that God is alive and well. I constantly see a disconnect between the media representation of Christianity and reality. I believe that Christianity is under attack in the media and as a result Christianity is under attack in the prevailing culture. Christianity is a religion of peace, hope, justice, love and grace. Christ said that you will know a Christian by the fruit his life produces. The neo-conservative type of Christian produces warmongering, racism, intolerance and hatred toward people who disagree with them. Where a loving Christian who follows God produces peace, acceptance, tolerance and love for everyone. A faithless Christian oppresses or supports the oppression of others, and tries to force her/his way of life on others. A Christian who puts faith in Jesus stands up for the oppressed people of the world, and allows non-believers to choose their own values.

I feel God's presence in my daily life: in the strength and resolve I find within myself when I have to overcome obstacles; in the joy I feel when I am with those I love; in the awe I feel when I glimpse the beauty and complexity of the natural world; in the sorrow I feel when I see others suffering and in the hope I feel when I see the great compassion and sacrifice that people are capable of.

Simply put - in every day, in every thing, I feel a presence that is loving and greater than myself and I try every day to be worthy of that love.

That people see faith as a moral guide is ridiculous! Good people do good things, bad people do bad things. But for good people to do bad things it takes religion. there have been a lot more people that have been killed and murdered, "in the name of God," than in the name of atheism.
The fairy tale of Jesus and the bible is simply a tool to control people.
Also, it's interesting that "blind faith" to believers is seen as something to be revered. What this demonstrates to me that religion promotes ignorance, whereas science breeds understanding.

In my view, God is where he/she/it has always been - in the minds of people searching for a convenient answer to the grand mysteries of life. To call all religious people weak-minded would be an oversimplification of the issue, however the temptation to do so remains. Only when such primitive superstitions are flushed down the toilet of history can humankind truly begin to evolve into what we can/may/should be.

I believe in God/Gaia/Divinity/Greater Power - I am Pagan and therefore pantheistic. I credit all religious systems for maintaining faith in the divinity in everything.

I do NOT however, have faith in the Church - which is a system just like any bureaucratic organization that uses obfuscation and manipulation to propigate itself. I do not need any man in a funny hat to be my conduit to my relationship with God/Goddesses, and quite frankly, I resent any spiritual system or any person that suggests to me that my Gods/Goddesses are not available to ME at any time. My church is the ground I walk on, the natural wonders around me.

Praise God, Allah, Gaia, Buddha, Shiva, Ganesha, Shakti, the Virgin Mary, wherever anyone finds faith is good enough for me. Just don't tell me what colour my palette should be because my relationship with the Divine needs no other intervention.

Andy T., Lethbridge

All religion is generational brainwashing; adults indoctrinating their children during their formative years with the doctrine and beliefs of their particular religion. Children should not be instructed in religion until they are old enough to critically evaluate the teachings of their parents religion.

Just as racism is generationally transmitted hatred based on lies and ignorance, religion can be quite accurately defined as generationally transmitted belief in the supernatural. Consequently God, or seveal gods, do not exist as well as all of the other supernatural things associated with religion do not exist; angels, devils, demons, ghosts, hell, heaven, etc., etc.

In Canada, only 20% of Canadians now attend church; the rest have evaluated the religious beliefs in the supernatural handed down through past generations. Canada has fortunately escaped the irrational fundamentalist Christian movement of the United States, which they intermingle with their politics. The united front of the religious conservatives, the moral majority, or whatever you call them led to the election of their present president which in turn has led to the misguided direction of their nation.

Religious persons and organizations state the earth, our solar system, and the expanding universe is too complicated to be explained by present accumulated sciencific knowledge and by ongoing development of scientific theory. They claim that all a person needs to do is believe that a supernatural being has created all things and that explains everything. This of course is too simplistic for today's world.

The existance of the type of god that is worshipped in organized, fundraising institutions is almost certainly not the god that created this universe. Perhaps after millions of years more of evolution on this planet will be a living creature capable of seeing and understanding God.
Since god(s) is not a presently scientifically observable or varifiable force it is questionable to have unshakable certainty in this belief of god's presence.
And until we can scientifically disprove the existance of god, then it is also questionable to blindly dismiss god's existance.

1. Hurray for this discussion! 2. There are many roads to Heaven, after all is said and done! 3. So many people are not aware that religion exists which is tolerant of others, moderate in beliefs, respectful of other traditions (except those bound to bigotry and racism), unconcerned with "dogma" and "basic tenets" and truly based on unconditional love. 4. People need to read, read, read. Current favourites are Drs. John Shelby Spong, Marcus Borg, John Dominic Crossen, Karen Armstrong,and most recently and delightfully, A.J. Jacobs, (for humour and guidance through the separation from fundamentalism to faith-affirmed wisdom.) For example, there is a profound quote in one of Dr. Borg's books: "I don't know if this really happened this way, but I know this story is true!" 5. It's all about semantics after all.

Such unhappiness expressed by many who do not believe in God (yes, capital G) is cause for thought. 6. The old theology that God can control everything that happens is a faith-stage which requires work and thought for development. Try "Why Bad Things Happen to Good People", by a Jewish rabbi who lost a teen-aged child to leukemia.

Mankind's greatest mystery: where do we go from here? Amazing what happens if we are attuned to possibilities beyond our routine perceptions. I'm a nurse, and the more people I help move to "the other side", the deeper my own faith becomes.

Fred Nickerson (January 7, 2008 01:54 PM) challenged us to "Look at what happens to any community when the Godly & faithful withdraw. Evil reigns in his place. Is that not enough evidence?"

I looked for a place where the Godly & faithful withdrew and found Sweden - up to 87% of people are atheists. However, in Iraq, Somalia and Rwanda, fewer than 2% of people are atheists. Where would you rather live Fred?

Canada has reached 17% and is trending in a positive direction.

I seem to be immune to religion, but I am fascinated by the grip it has on people.

GOD! In all of humanity, we've been in search of this wonderous being. But to my amazement (since we all want to experience EDEN in our lifetime),we have had very little progress over the last 2000 or so years in getting there. In fact, it seems like we are regressing. So, its simple yet complex as we forage 6 billion + strong into the future with what appears to be no end in sight. YET, with all these freedom fighting souls jockeying for position to lead everyone there, we have not seen or heard from anyone that can simplify the journey without an uprising due to a difference in opinion. However, we've beaten ourselves up over and over again without realizing that we are all in it together.These battles are being waged time & time again over the same arguement, I WILL LEAD YOU. NO YOU WON'T. When we decide to grow up as a civilization and accept the fact that there is more money & resources that mother earth has to offer from here to eternity, only then will earths citizens be rewarded with what you are looking for. Stop the madness, its getting old already!

God is as much a part of my life as Santa Claus - Santa Claus teaches children that if they behave well, they will be rewarded for their actions. I was brought up in a Mennonite community, where everyone is expected to attend church. I went to Sunday School, learned all the stories, and thus learned that good people are rewarded when they do good things. Just as I have outgrown the concept of Santa Claus, I have outgrown the concept of God, however, I have maintained the morals and ethics learned from my upbringing. My faith lies not with God, but with my fellow humans. If we all had faith in one another, rather than, or including our respective Gods, wouldn't life on Earth be that much easier?

I'm an atheist myself and I have no problem with people of faith. The thing that frightens me is people trying to impose their particular religion on someone else. If you want a good scare, check out House Resolution 888 in the U.S. and see how some are trying to rewrite history. A Christian based theocracy is real possibility.....

1. Hurray for this discussion!

Many hold so closely to the idea that the christian god is a mass murdering, child killing, vindictive phsycopath therefore under the contradiction that they claim "god is good", you reject the christian god. So you should, any logical person would do the same. Christians still belive and hold to this seeming contradiction. Therefore anyone who believes in this god is either ignorant or deceived or stupid etc. end of issue. Here is the rub. Although many believers are ignorant etc. about what they proport to believe that does not make the atheists/antitheists claims' true. There are tens of thousands that can easily match arguements with the supposed derialing "reason" of atheists/antitheists. Not to mention thousands of writings more that explain the complex, yes complex, christian faith. Not to mention many of these argue with rational logic and with another thing; love. I would like to see Chris Hitchens accomplish that. He seems more like the kind of guy that would champion the perceived inhumanity of the old testament considering his vitriol. I don't often pay much attenton to these writers that haven't even begun to understand what they are talking about let alone angry, hurt, victims seething from a bad childhood as he claims. For those of you that want to have a real debate after you have vanquished the weak with the old "god can't be good and do such evil so he can't exist" arguement, try brushing up on some theology. N. T. Wright wrote Evil and the Justice of God is a good start or ask a real theologian. It's better than getting your ideas about christianity from televangelists. The issue is not dead and there is much debate to be had. My apologies for sounding a bit testy but one does tire of such slanderous ignorance when it comes to a dear and personal endevour such as faith. I have read all these popular nay-sayers listed in this blog and not one of them has come up with anything near as workable as their opponents.

To clarify an issue several people have raised. Simply because I do not accept the theory of a god or a divine being does by no way mean I have no faith.

My faith, which is unshakable, is in my fellow human beings, the only entities that have been shown capable of rational thought and the only entities that have provided evidence of their being.

Religious beliefs and the accompanying texts are merely new interprestations of earlier religions going back to when the orthodox view was of many gods, some good, some bad and some that played tricks on you.

Religion may have been refined over the millenia, but it hasn't become more real by even one solid fact.

It is truely amazing the level of arrogance and intolerance such a topic will generate. On one side people claim 'There is a God' and they put their "faith" in Him, on the other side people claim 'There is no god' and they put their "faith" in science/alternatives. Both sides claim to be wise and label the other as fools. How about a little humility and respect for your fellow man regardless of what they believe. Wars have been fought because of the intolerance of others differences. Those who claim to be wise and superior are indeed fools.

Maybe he couldnt find a point of contact for individuals who are parthenogenetically reproduced? so far, there's none on this planet that seem to exist?

Does God exist? This is one of the questions that have haunted humans since we could form thoughts.
Right up there with “What is the meaning of life?” and “Why me?”

Like all emotionally charged subjects there is no one right answer.
Like many others I started as a Catholic and wandered down other paths, eventually I came back to my origins but with a different view from my childhood. As a person I evolved, so did my faith.
What I see from the other posts in this discussion is confusion between faith in God and religion.
I have faith in God, but not always in the religious institutions that claim to speak in the name of God. Faith is essential to all people. We could probably do without most religion. But then how would we learn about faith?

God/faith/etc has absolutely nothing to do with morality or ethics except for those unable to assess a situation and decide for themselves. Atheists are also far from self absorbed, uncaring individuals and in fact are often far more open and caring toward their fellow humans than many self described religious individuals.

Bad and good exist in both camps of course but the idea that atheists are some sort of selfish, immoral, breed of people is pure propaganda and/or ignorance and all one has to do is look to history to understand that belief or non-belief in god-X has little to do with human actions. We are presently looking at hundreds of thousands of dead civilians in Iraq and countless domestic scandals all due to the actions of a professed born again president and devout church attendee for example. Oh but wait, that wasn’t due to god that was due to man – I just love that constant catchall problem solver for christians.

If people wish to delude themselves with their little personal gods then have at it but the true danger of religion lies with its occasional creep into real world issues such as politics. When we have things like creationist nuts in positions of power or people believing that versions of often translated ancient texts are the actual commands some omnipotent sky fellow from thousands of years ago then we have a real problem with basic logic, reasonable thought and rational policy being the tools that guide our society and that is simply not acceptable.

Believe what you wish but I encourage people to try to think a bit more freely and if you cannot do this then please keep your religious ideas out of the real waking world of the rest of us at least.

Where is god today? Good question because 30,000 children will die today because of hunger and pocerty related diseases. 30,000 died yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that. Where was this guy god? I'm told that he's omnipotent and omniscient so he must know that this is happening and he has the power to stop it and he doesn't? But he loves us all. Yes, we are to believe this all-loving god created a hell where we sizzle and fry forever, yes, FOREVER,imagine that, just for not believing in him. Is he a vain egomaniac or not? Should Canadian tax money be going to fund private religious schooling? Here we are in the 21'st century with the knowledge to send people to the moon and yet we fight over religion,resources,power, etc. We can't get along together. What's our solution? Private religious schools that prevent sikh,muslim,catholic,protestant,and jewish children learning and playing together when 5 or 6 years old, and then expect them to get along when they are 18 and have their attitudes more set. Real smart!

"Can any athiest out there explain what happened at the Cova da Iria in Fatima, Portugal on October 17, 1917? After 5 previous months, the Virgin Mary had been appearing to three children and said that in October (on the 13th at noon) she would perform a miracle so that all would believe that she was there. 70,000 (athiests and secularists included who were only there to poke fun at the spectacle) people crowded into the rain-soaked and muddy feild, soaking wet and filthy. As the sun reached it's zenith, the coluds parted like a curtain and the sun began to "dance", sway, and spin in the sky, throwing off colours in all directions. Finally, after 10 minutes of this, it detached itself from its' position in the sky and fell towards the earth. It never reached the ground before returning to its position, but when things returned to normal all the people's clothes had dried, were clean, and the ground was also dry. The best accounts we have of what happened came from unbelievers. What was that?

And what is happening at Medjugore where she is now appearing for what she says is her last apparition on earth - after this, she says she will no longer need to come anymore as all will believe.
"

I think if the Sun really moved around as much as you say, which is already wrong considering it is relatively stationary, the proof that this didn't happen is that we are all still alive. People without any understanding of how the galaxy works as a system, could believe this, I guess. It's no doubt similar to many other "miracles" which are scientifically proven false. Crying statues have been proven false for as long as they've been "discovered".

You are alive, Melanie, right? I know I am.

First, to Melanie of Edmonton, I would like to say this. Considering the year of Fatima, I wouldn't be surprised if there were opiates involved. Why? 1917 was the year of the Spanish Flu, and at the time, opium was very legal and widely available. It's very easy to put two and two together to see how easy it is to believe something like that would happen.

To those saying evolution has wholes and is a weak theory, too bad you didn't pay attention in science class, otherwise you'd realise that it's called a theory because it can be tested using the scientific method. Evolution can be tested. Creation and God cannot be tested, hence cannot hold up in a science class as a scientific concept.

To the rest, leave us atheists alone. We don't care if you think God exist. We want proof and so far, all that proof has been chest thumping and a single source, the Bible.

You can have morality without religion, but you cannot have religion without morality.

Further, the morality attached to religion is childish. It's a punish-reward system; a carrot stick mentality style of dictating morality. ie: if you do X, then Y will happen.

Mature morality relies on empathy and realising that you don't do something to a fellow human being because you know you wouldn't want it to happen to you. ie: I wouldn't attack someone with a knife because I know that if I was attacked by a knife that I would be injured or worse.

Max:"Almost all scientists working on 'evolution' agree - it's a joke & a hoax."

...You forgot to dispute the genetic evidence. Or the fact that we have observed macro evolution in laboratories. You know, what scientists without agendas have proven. You, my friend, have been duped by some "scientists". Notice how it's a book you reccomend, and not a peer reviewed article. I think that is enough proof.

"Albert Einstein, no dummy by anyone's standards, declared himself a "deist" after "following the evidence".

Unless you're stubbornly blind, you can't help but notice patterns, natural "laws", predictable systems, and balances and harmonies of such intricate complexity as to render any belief in random chance, or "nothing" absurd.
"

Unfortunately, we can prove this "random" chance. If the best you have is a misunderstanding of science, you haven't got much going for your case. Also, Einstien didn't believe in a God. If you research this, you can easily find it. Please don't attribute things to Einstien which he did not say. That's as bad as the people who have this dilusion that Darwin renounced his theory on his death bed.

"All peoples of all cultures have had a least some notion of His existence for as long as we can see through historial and archealogical research. "

...This is just blatantly wrong.

People will doubt the existence of God when a lack of understanding exists. (I know...I have been there.) Our culture has an abundance of religions and most of those just add to the confusion and misunderstanding about the character of the one and only true God. The only way for one to confidently say that God truly exists is by proper understanding of who He is (and is not) and personal experience.
How we view God is often based on upbringing, culture and our own conclusions from looking at other people and religions. This does not produce an accurate result. Many of today’s religions have gone through thousands of years of syncretism and watering down to come up with a belief system about God that is acceptable to man yet far from truth. The only way to really understand who God is through His Word...the Bible.
To say that there is no God is like saying there is no wind. You can't see the wind but you can see the effect that it has. I can't see God with my eyes but I can see the positive life-changing effects that He has made in my life (and the lives of many others). I experience the true peace and rest that only He can provide. And when I die I have full assurance of my acceptance into Heaven for all eternity, not by any amount of good deed that I have done but rather simply by my accepting, by faith, that His Son paid the death penalty required for all our sins...mine included.
So through the understanding of the simple message of the Bible, and the difference He has made in my life I am able to say (without a shadow of a doubt) that there IS a God!

I think that Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, etc, enlightened prophets with messages of peace and ethical behaviour, would be absolutely appalled to see what much of what mankind has done in their name.

Shame on anybody who takes their book of faith literally, forgetting the real essence of what was intended by simple fables.

Shame on anybody who uses their "faith" and literal interpretations of man-made scripts to justify genocide, war, rape of the environment, or the oppression of others.

You are choosing what a book says over the real voice of God within you.

Looking for something that does not exist will keep one busy for a long time.
Take a break.

Randy (Canada), great post!
I think far too many people consider 'God' and 'religion' to be synonomous. I believe they are not. Believeing in God is dependant on the individual. Saying there is no God is based on as much faith as saying there is a God...ther's no proof either way.
I believe 100% in science...evolution is real, physics is real, chemistry is real. I also believe in God. Unlike science, my belief is based on faith, not fact. There is no logical argument I can provide to prove his existence, it's just how I feel.
What I don't believe in is religion. Religions portray themselves as being 'all-knowing' and prevent people from seeing the truth.
The Bible is not the word of God, science is. If you think that the Bible is the word of God, you have insulted God, in my opinion. He is far more perfect than that political biook of fairy tales. His perfection lies in science.

Many hold so closely to the idea that the christian god is a mass murdering, child killing, vindictive phsycopath therefore under the contradiction that they claim "god is good", you reject the christian god. So you should, any logical person would do the same. Christians still belive and hold to this seeming contradiction. Therefore anyone who believes in this god is either ignorant or deceived or stupid etc. end of issue. Here is the rub. Although many believers are ignorant etc. about what they proport to believe that does not make the atheists/antitheists claims' true. There are tens of thousands that can easily match arguements with the supposed derialing "reason" of atheists/antitheists. Not to mention thousands of writings more that explain the complex, yes complex, christian faith. Not to mention many of these argue with rational logic and with another thing; love. I would like to see Chis Hitchens accomplish that. He seems more like the kind of guy that would champion the perceived inhumanity of the old testament considering his vitriol. I don't often pay much attenton to these writers that haven't even begun to understand what they are talking about let alone angry, hurt, victims seething from a bad childhood as he claims. For those of you that want to have a real debate after you have vanquished the weak with the old "god can't be good and do such evil so he can't exist" arguement, try brushing up on some theology. N. T. Wright wrote Evil and the Justice of God is a good start or ask a real theologian. It's better than getting your ideas about christianity from televangelists. The issue is not dead and there is much debate to be had. My apologies for sounding a bit testy but one does tire of such slanderous ignorance when it comes to a dear and personal endevour such as faith. I have read all these popular nay-sayers listed in this blog and not one of them has come up with anything near as workable as their opponents.

I believe in a creator, life is a miracle that only God could of created. Im sad on how religon has separated us. It is clear to me more then ever that religon is for mans control of man. The things religon has been used to do breaks my heart. Religon evolved like language, there is no right or wrong its just different. We should just be good to each other, that's what I teach my kids now. I don't teach team about walking on water or water in to wine as I believe that is man trying to understand the meaning of life as best they could 2000 years ago. Any religon that discriminates againstt another of God's creation makes no sense as God created everyone.

Even if deities did exist I wouldn't support them. History is replete with evil done in the name of religion, all for the sake of these non-existent deities.

The single biggest fear for non-believing Canadians are those nutcase religious fundamentalists running the U.S. south of our border - and the continuation of same with Harper's like minded regime in Ottawa.

We are animals,who sometimes get a sense of eternity, and have to interpret this through what we already know and understand. I could say I believe in Anything without it actually being real. As a child I "believed" in Santa too, because I was told He was real. We have made Santa a force that motivates millions of people to spend their last penny to satisfy their child's spoonfed illusions, and thereby we approach the utter societal Mind Control that is religion. Be a Buddha not a Buddhist, a Christ not a Christian, etc...(insert Ethical Framework for Societal Betterment of your choice here) and you might escape the naive dreams of children and live as a freethinking being in an infinite universe of wonder; but you can't put a river in a box, and still call it a river.

Let me introduce myself, I am a believer in Jesus Christ. The rest does not matter, that is how I define myself and if I am true to it that is how those around me would describe me.

I have faith in what I can't see, isn't that what faith is all about?

I believe that God has given all of us the right to choose our own paths. It is difficult for me to read some of the comments on this thread, I am tempted to lash out and claim that those who do not believe as I do are wrong. Christ has given his believers the example on how to live our lives and witness to those who don't have him in our hearts. Given that, to those who have felt rejected, judged, excluded, and belittled by religion I am truly sorry. I have been guilty of all of these if I am honest with myself. I praise the Lord for continually accepting and loving me despite my failures and I pray that with this reflection and His strength I can grow.

Peace and Love in Him

I am a "cradle" Catholic. God has always figured in my life. When I chose to leave the CAtholic church and "do it on my own". It led to a life of misery and unhappiness for me. When I finally woke up and returned to my faith, I was accepted, loved and forgiven. My faith has now sustained and comforted me to depths that I was not aware of before. I am attuned to God on a deeper level. Every beautiful sunset, every delicate flower, the colors of a rainbow show me that God is there and always has been. The tenets of my faith are ones of hope for the future and a life spent in eternity in heaven with God. This makes all the difficulties in life bearable and gives purpose to my life and even the everyday mundane things take on a special purpose. LIfe without God, to me, is a life of torment and misery.

THE MAN WITHOUT THE SPIRIT DOES NOT ACCEPT THE THINGS THAT COME FROM THE SPIRIT OF GOD FOR THEY ARE FOOLISHNESS TO HIM AND HE CANNOT UNDERSTAND THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED.

Which specific 'organized' God are you willing to place your eternal all-or-nothing bet on?

'God' is strictly personal, who - or what - you personally believe in and is entirely separate from any organized religion.

Organized religion has no role in 'God'. Organized religion simply allows mob mentality support for proselytizing, controlling and, in not-so-extreme cases, killing those who offer differing beliefs.

A young Canadian soldier was attending some college courses between assignments .

He had also completed missions in Afghanistan .

One of the courses had a professor who was a vowed atheist. One day the professor shocked the class when he came in. He Looked to the ceiling and flatly stated, "God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you exactly 15 minutes."

The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, "Here I am God. I'm still waiting." It got down to the last couple of minutes when the young soldier got out of his Chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him; knocking him off the platform. The professor was out cold. The young man went back to his seat and sat there, silently. The other students were shocked and stunned and sat there looking on in silence.

The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the soldier and asked, "What the hell is the matter with! you? Why did you do that?"

Came the reply,

"God was too busy today protecting our soldiers who are protecting your right to talk stupid and act like an asshole. So, He sent me"

Carl,

In your response to Tasmin, you reference a video by Pat Condell. I took the time to view this video which is an Athiest rant that takes the view that all religions are not deserving of respect due to the lack of evidence in the existence of God. I am not a religious person, but I try to look at all issues with an open mind.

If Mr. Condell really believes that respect is not "deserved", why did he waste his time producing a 5 minute video for public consumption as if his opinion meant anything to anyone? He has freely admitted he does not "deserve" our respect, so why bother. Because he does not truly believe that, that's why. He has the need to feel important in the universe just like the rest of us, and because I understand his need, I gave him 5 minutes of my time.

The truly ignorant are those who believe the elimination of faith is the "cure" for the world's problems. In the absense of GOD we would still slaughter each other over our differences. Oil, diamonds, gold, food, water, etc... would remain the true causes of violence on this planet.

Beliving/not believing in GOD is not a sin. Using that belief, whatever it is, to promote hatred or disrespect is.

Message for Keith....

You've just proposed Pascal's Wager on the belief in god and unfortunately you've made the same gaping oversight he did. If I pray and believe in god simply because it is prudent and in my own self interest to do so than surely if there is a god he will see right through my self-serving ruse and punish me accordingly. Furthermore, you're proposition says NOTHING WHATSOEVER as to whether or not god exists, it merely argues that you should believe in him. I prefer to believe in truth. Truth gained through learning about the world around me, in all its infinite wonderment. I don't need a god for that. It's just a shame that you do.

Mortal man is attempting to comprehend the creator of the Universe. Creator is everpresent, has no beginning and no end, sustainer and destroyer of all--even those who do not believe! Without fear and without animosity. Realized by only few, whom he chooses---rest of us keep wondering...........

Can any athiest out there explain what happened at the Cova da Iria in Fatima, Portugal on October 17, 1917? After 5 previous months, the Virgin Mary had been appearing to three children and said that in October (on the 13th at noon) she would perform a miracle so that all would believe that she was there. 70,000 (athiests and secularists included who were only there to poke fun at the spectacle) people crowded into the rain-soaked and muddy feild, soaking wet and filthy. As the sun reached it's zenith, the coluds parted like a curtain and the sun began to "dance", sway, and spin in the sky, throwing off colours in all directions. Finally, after 10 minutes of this, it detached itself from its' position in the sky and fell towards the earth. It never reached the ground before returning to its position, but when things returned to normal all the people's clothes had dried, were clean, and the ground was also dry. The best accounts we have of what happened came from unbelievers. What was that?

And what is happening at Medjugore where she is now appearing for what she says is her last apparition on earth - after this, she says she will no longer need to come anymore as all will believe.

There's no explaining why 95% of mankind needs religion, or why 5% can step out of the box and look quizzically at believers, wondering how grown adults can actually believe such a load of tripe.
One would think discovery of life on other planets might put these myths to rest, but knowing the religious they'll just; a)deny it exists and call it a scientific hoax, or b)find evidence in the bible (or Koran, etc.) that of course life exists elsewhere...says so right here.....
Magic books that can say absolutely anything you want them to.

Groan. There are still so many comments here about evolution which display the failure of an education system.

Here, this might help:

http://uk.youtube.com/profile?user=potholer54

Those who say there is no proof that God doesn't exist....well there is no proof that Santa and the Easter Bunny don't exist, but most people over the age of 10 are wise enough to figure it out.

Some people just have to believe in something, whether it be card reading, horoscopes, or that an all powerful "god" made everything, knows everything, and sees all. Yet he/she wants you to give them money.

i have never been unfaithful to my wife. i have never killed anyone. i have never smoked crack. i have never hit my children. i have never turned my back on freinds or family in times of need. i have given generously to many charitys. i have shown kindness to many strangers. i have never judged anyone based on their skin color or spiritual beliefs. i have never judged a woman who has an abortion. i have gay freinds. i do not believe in god. but i do not need to. because inside every person the instinct is to be nice to others, otherwise we would have become extinct a long time ago. aethiest and free. that's me.

I think that the claim that only ignorant, irrational people believe in God is ignorant in its own right. Many intelligent people, in academia, business, medicine, and all walks of life find meaning and reason in their religion, myself included.

I don't think that religion, or lack thereof, should be forced on anyone, but I do urge anyone who claims to be a rational person to explore religion for themselves. I have found reason, clarity, and peace in my choice, and I wish the same for others.

Finally, think about the consequences of your faith. If you believe that there is no God, no afterlife, and no redemption, then consider what your life means. I find purpose in answering God's call for my life, and I urge you to find yours.

God bless you all.

Art McLean (and many others in this forum, it appears) seems to have a large chip on his shoulder about Christianity. "Religious Thinkers" is not an oxymoron, Arthur. Of course, the term shoud be more like "Spiritual Thinker", but this might further offend a broad-brush artist. In truth, I used to think like Art McLean, but then I came to discover the work of Thomas Aquinas - one extremely rigourous Christian philosopher, as well as C.S.Lewis and G.K. Chesterton. I am not a Bible-thumper, but I constantly see the marvels in Christian philosophy. What is incredible to me is to see so much vitriol and ignorance demonstrated by those who want to put Christians in "their place". Some have written about "religious wars" doing so much harm in the world, hence justifying a disregard for Christianity (ever study the spread of Islam and what they (the Muslims) did to the Byzantines, Jews, and Hindus???I hope that you all do not think that Christianity is the principle offender in this area, if you want to go in that direction) However, these same folks do not stop to think of what a Pol Pot, Stalin, or Hitler did to people which were several magnitudes of terror greater than anything (including the Crusades and the Inquisition) the bad ol' Christians did. Of course, truly understanding this involves research and digging for facts, and that is just too much like work for some people, so they do the easy thing - they just simply write it all off with some cheap throw-away sound-bites on Christianity and God. We Canadians might be able to dominate world hockey, but we sure are a bunch of intellectual illiterates when it comes to these types of arguments. I cite some of the postings in the forum as evidence.

These are fun to read. I guess I'm like the agnostic hippy that thinks, Hey, what do we really know after all?
I was appalled, after my dad died, to hear my nephew being indoctrinated with all the 'right answers' about life's big questions - where we come from, why we are here, what will happen when we die. Come on!! In the meantime, someone in another culture is getting the same speel, only different.
Faith, yes, can be a fine friend to some: it gives them comfort, joy, peace, a community, structure, a scaffold of belief that regulates their lives and gives them a sense of identity/belonging and even perhaps a sense of purpose. Someone's religion may be all they have.
To others, it just doesn't work and/or we don't feel the need for it. Or we've outgrown the scaffold, or have had some other sort of mindset brought about through life experience.
Maybe it's something chemical/biological - you have something that allows you the sincerity of continued belief, or you don't? It's all a matter of neurons firing away anyhow, our processes and perceptions and conclusions. Be all and end all?
However, if believing makes some people happy/fulfilled, why not? Just don't try to convince others that you are 'right.'
We can all use a little more humility, compassion, and kindness, no matter the origin/source/motivation.
In the end, we'll hope we've been kind, especially to those closest to us, and not caused anyone any grief/pain. That's all I have to say about that.

No matter what culture, no matter what period, human kind has looked within themselves and found the voice of reason in their thought process. We have always without the help of others found our way to God in whatever way God is presented.

God is our idea of harmony and perfection. We can not achieve this transcendence without guidance. This guidance comes from within. The human spirit at one point took hold and we as a species gained the ability to plan ahead and we have been the dominant race on this planet ever since.

It is easy to see why we believe we are closer to the creator of all than every other life form on earth. On the surface this is powerful from the point of view of the individual in that it allows them to make decisions based on their inner philosophy. It is even more powerful in the hands of those who seek to control the individual by using these philosophies to their own end.

Books inspired by God have come through the hands of talking monkeys and have immediately become tainted by those who see this as an opportunity to exploit the masses. There are examples of this in the stories portrayed in the Old Testament for Christians but I'm sure they can be found in other religious texts from other religions as well.

What is really frightening is that at present, both the Christian and the Muslim God are exactly the same entity by account of the Old Testament yet Protestants still see Islam as a threat while Islam sees Christians as infidels. This is shaping up to be a holy war which will in the end smite human kind. We can try to blame God, but God allows us to do whatever we want. The words to follow are in the Bible but few find the true meaning or intent of the Universe.

Follow your heart; you have an inner voice which will guide you. This is your divine gift. Problems only happen when we do not listen or follow the advice we are given through this gift.

It is rather surprising to see the amount of bitterness and anger conveyed by some of those who have posted messages. God is not a delusion. All peoples of all cultures have had a least some notion of His existence for as long as we can see through historial and archealogical research. But,more importantly, they have experienced Him in a personal way, which is probably what you lack. Or, perhaps the bitterness comes from a lack of humility and swollen pride. Those who desperately try to deny the existence of God tend to act as if they were divine themselves. If you cannot see the objective and valuable role that faith has played in history, you are in seriously in need of help. There is some deep wound in you that needs to be healed which is blocking you from seeing reality. Go and witness all of the holy men and women who have given up their lives to help the poor and desperate. How many athiests have done the same? But, nevertheless, they may have also had a negative experience with certain members of the Church. That is forgivable. We haven't always acted the way Jesus Christ expects us to act. Regardless, to trizialize something as important as the meaning of life, and eternity is quite sad considering that the actions we perform in this life have eternal consequences. My prayer for each of you is that you open your hearts and minds and try to pray. You will be surprised at what will happen. I was once an athiest for many years. I am now a neuroscientist and a religious missionary. With respect, Peter

Religion is man-made for sure. But, just because the stories of Allah and Yahweh are made up to explain the inexplicable, the idea that there is "something" out there is worth pursuing. Answers will not be found in the Christian explanation (God sent his only son to earth to get bloodied on a cross so that the rest of us can go to heaven!!?? How gross and gruesome!!) but the pursuit of getting at the meaning of life is still valid. Let not anyone stop this pursuit because religions are not the answer!!

The old school god, sitting on lofty clouds, bowling during thunderstorms, and raining frogs down on unbelievers, is dead. This is a god of myth, the god that was created to allay fears, to explain away nature and to instill respect and honour into society.

What we've come to understand is that morality can exist with God, without faith. I'm still not sure why the faithful use this as a "reason" for their beliefs, that for some reason we're only moral because of faith. If we follow this, then without faith I'm assuming they'd just be running around stealing candy from babies. Thank God for God.

Faith is about honouring the goodness, the divinity, the God-spark in someone else, other than yourself. Morality and ethics influence how we live individually; faith is about how we live collectively. Ethically, I don't have to help a homeless person. Morally I don't have to give a crap about the woman raped and since kicked out of her home. Faith is the bridge between morality and ethics, and the aid that we're required to show other human beings. God is then the wake up call if you will, to step outside of our own petty, often self-concerned ways, and actually care about someone other than ourselves.

Where is God? It depends on your beliefs.

I grew up a Christian and was required to attend church. I too questioned God as I grew up.

Currently, I do not believe in God; He is not present in my life.

For me, if there would be a God, then all the wars, hatred, greed in the world would not exist; humans would live in harmony together as well as with the environment.

However, I do believe in respect and love. The saying goes: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Is it not what every religion is about in the end? No matter your religion, beliefs, should it not be all about love and respect?

We have to acknowledge the fact that everyone on this planet has their own beliefs. As long as you respect/love one another, then is it not what that matters? Please do not push your beliefs on someone else and do not make fun of those with different beliefs than you. Do not start wars based on what is written and do not kill anyone based on what you think is written.

If there is a God out there, then I would like to think that God is in the form of love and respect.

My reaction to Dawkins when he said that "there is no evidence for 'god'", was to the contrary, that the "evidence" for "God" is obvious, overwhelming, and everywhere.

Some lifelong atheists such as Anthony Flew finally come the the conclusion that there is "something" behind everything by, as he said, "following the evidence."

Albert Einstein, no dummy by anyone's standards, declared himself a "deist" after "following the evidence".

Unless you're stubbornly blind, you can't help but notice patterns, natural "laws", predictable systems, and balances and harmonies of such intricate complexity as to render any belief in random chance, or "nothing" absurd.

The human mind is "wired" for faith, which is why it's everywhere on the planet in one form or another.

While most faiths have gone way beyond some childish belief in a big old white man in the sky, wrapped in bedsheets, it seems that many atheists assume believers think this way. They are wrong.

I address these comments to Lena Hassan, who laid everything out on her sleeve for all to see, so to speak.

Why is it that I can wear a cross and no one makes a comment.

You can wear a yarmulk, or black felt hat, and no one cares.

Why have we allowed a bunch of crazies to so poison us against our fellow human beings?

Go to www.acommonword.com and see what the sane heads on both the Christian and Muslim side have to say.

Peace.

Evidence of God's presence is obvious to people of faith. Conversely, those with no faith can't recognize his presence or influence. Look at what happens to any community when the Godly & faithful withdraw. Evil reigns in his place. Is that not enough evidence?

Rather than me speak, I am copying an email I received from a friend recently.
"It was so great to get to visit with you if only for a short time. It brought back a lot of good memories, made me feel young again. I have always admired you and thought of you as a great role model. I can't believe all you've gone through in your life and still remain so strong in many areas, like your faith, and you still smile genuinely!"
This is what faith has done for me. Without God I do not believe I could have gone thru the things I have gone thru and be who I am today. Seeing God work in the midst of the hard things as well as the community of Christians who have been there for me, are my proof of God's existence. My experiences have also enabled me to connect with many others going thru hard circumstances and to be able to give them reason for hope.

Where is God today in my life, you ask? The same place as Mother Goose. (Ask a silly question...)

No, there's quite a difference between those characters. Mother Goose, for example, is not reported to have instructed her fanatics to commit genocide.

But seriously folks, how on earth does a True Believer reconcile a loving God with a genocidal, infanticidal maniac? If you don't know what I'm talking about, give the "Holy Bible" a good hard read. Here's a lovely example:

'Babylon, you will be destroyed. Happy is the man who pays you back for what you have done to us - who takes your babies and smashes them against a rock' (Psalm 137:8-9)

So much for pro-life.

If you're bored on a rainy Sunday, try going through the Bible and tabulating God's body count and compare it with Satan's. Guess who "wins"? It's not even close.

I see, hear, and feel God and everything God has created every day ...from the moment I awake until I fall asleep whispering "Thank You My Sweet Lord...and I love you."

God is my everything! There is absolutely nothing in this life or world that satisfies like Jesus. A "God" presence has nothing to do with 'religion'.Religion is MAN MADE. However "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." James 4:8. Jeremiah 29:11-13 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."God is ever present in my life. Psalm 27:8(NLT) says it for me...My heart has heard You say,"Come and talk with Me." And my heart responds,"Lord I am coming."

From Garety: "...Read ANY modern evolution book. We've found so many "missing links" and so many pieces of genetic evidence that you'd have to be ignorant to not know that evolution exists."

Yes, those new discoveries are bones - from dolphins misconstrued to being human; a single tooth - from wild pigs, thought to have been from 'primitive man'; skeletal remains - of a young man in his early 40s suffering from crippling arthritis.

Almost all scientists working on 'evolution' agree - it's a joke & a hoax.

Why do we assume that God is a conscious intelligent being? And that if it is conscious it sides exclusively with humans? To me God is the immensely complex culmination of all the systems and relationships in the universe interacting continously.

I can understand why 2000 yrs ago we were arrogant enough to assume that the universe revolved around us and that God was primarily concerned with the human condition.

But we've sinced evolved to realize that Humans are just another organism in this beautiful complex thing we call life. Yes it seems our intelligence makes us special, but isn't intelligence just another adaptation of a species to its environment?

An adaptation that makes our species so abundant and voracious that we're devouring the planet's resources at an alarming rate without sufficient awareness to stop ourselves.

The days are coming where humans will be culled from this planet via natural processes (famine, disease, global warming, war, etc) like frogs in an overpopulated pond. This is God's natural solution to protecting the planet and us from humans.

To avoid this, we have to stop holding on to ancient teachings that no longer fit the times. I know religion can be a security blanket that shelters us from pain and uncertainty, but that is a superficial pain-killer. Real spirituality demands that we have faith in ourselves, embrace pain and uncertainty fearlessly, and most of all it means that we stay true to the greater good which includes all life on Earth, not just your family or your nation.

Keith: The flaw with that is pretending to believe God is not enough to go to heaven. That's also assuming your God is the right one. If you want to play little games like that: God is all knowing. Humans have free choice. If God can see what we're going to do, then we don't have free choice. If we ultimately do have free choice, then God cannot be all knowing. Either way, 1 pillar of the Christian logic gets knocked down with that one. Or, God is infinitely compassionate. Yet, read the Old Testament. For example, the plagues of Egypt. Killing every INNOCENT first born is compassion? Now, it's been proven that the pyramids weren't built by slaves. It's been proven that the Jews weren't enslaved by the Egyptians, so this is a bad example.

One of the main logical problems with religion is that it is not allowed to modernize. We know a lot more about everything, which shows that a lot of "Gods word" is just plain wrong.

"I'd just like to put it out there, how can rational and logical people explain the existance of man, plants, animals and the earth itself apart from the existance of a creator? It's ridiculous to think that everything that exists happened by chance and circumstance. We're finding out more and more through science that we exist in such a delacate balance - things like that don't happen by accident. Coming by way of monkeys and fish out of a puddle of slime is far less logical or rational than a creator."

Evolution has logical proof. We have genetics, biological evidence, fossil evidence as well as laboratory tests to back up evolution. Also, please bone up on evolution before posting that monkey crap. Monkies and humans came from common ancestors. It wasn't like one day a Monkey had a baby and it was human. That is a Creationist fairy tale.

All we have to "prove" god is a bible. A book that has more holes in it than Swiss cheese. I'm surprised such a book could keep the religion afloat this long.

I don't even see why evolution is the only aspect of modern science that contests what the Bible says.

We all know the world and universe is older than 6000 years. To argue that would be ridiculous.

We all know the earth revolves around the sun.

We all know the world is not flat.

If the Bible were truly the word of God, then it should at least be accurate. Now, it is the word of God, not inspired by the word of God. There's a big difference that seems to be flip flopped by believers, depending on the situation.

I did not know God because the bad world blinded me. As a result, I looked at all the wrong places as opposed to where he really was!

One day I went to a church out of sheer curiosity. I remember pastor reading the verse from the Bible, saying blessed are those who do not see, yet, believe for theirs is the 'Kingdom of Heaven'.

God is Spirit. He lives in the inner most parts of those who hear and 'open the door' to his Word of love, truth and righteousness.

The question should be: "Where are all the people God created?"

I'm completely sick of this entire argument! There are too many people on both sides of it who who have these elite attitudes because they're "right". No one can be right! There is no way to know what the true answer is. The fact that you can't prove that God exists does not mean that he is merely a human creation, but, at the same time, the fact that you can't disprove his existence does not mean he is real. I'm truly sick of the arrogance of many athiests who act superior because they feel they're "more educated". I'm sick of the self-righteous religious fanatics who try to force their beliefs on others. Why can't we just accept that people believe different things and move on with our lives?

I find God in my own heart whenever I can stop being busy doing a lot of not so important things. I also find God in nature and in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

Although I do not believe in God, I cannot say he/she does not exist. Religion does have its place, at its best it gives the world a moral compass but at its worst is the cause of much of the world's heartache. Its a shame so many millions of people have died over thousands of years because of their faith.

God didn't create man. Man created god.

God is a fiction. The religious depend on faith - the absence of fact. If proof of God existed there would be no need for faith.

God (the Christan, Jewish and Muslim God) has been hopelessly overhyped.

Their God is both all powerful and compassionate ("suffer the little chilren to come unto me") yet allows disease and natural disasters to kill good people (even devout believers) and innocent children.

In fact, if you read the Old Testament God is a mass murderer of ghastly proportions.

Certainly no one worthy of worship and adulation.

God did not create man but man surely created god.

We collectively seem to have a strong desire to establish ourselves within some sort of spiritual construct that provides stability in an unknown sea and religion/god has provided that since the beginning of recorded time. From the most primitive tribal societies to the ancient Egyptians and Romans and on through to the present day, humans seem to need to create religious fantasy that comforts them rather than have the personal and social strength to face the reality of our lives and existence. I suppose believing in Ra was comforting for the pharos but it didn’t make it any less wrong.

Like it or not there is absolutely zero evidence for any sort of god and taking the old ontological argument position is just a childish and fearful hedging of bets. Additionally, claiming that because something is complex or mysterious to us today it must then necessarily be due to some sort of divine intervention amounts to people who have never seen an airplane worshipping pilots. Mental comfort and adherence to a false yet clear view of the universe is obviously appealing but to truly believe these things is also intellectually dishonest and basically a brain pacifier to the weak to snuggle up against.

The world is a wondrous place and we have so much to learn and explore that believing in fairy tales with cheap dime store novel plot lines cheapens what it means to be human.

Religion is the placebo for lifes hardships. While reality, though hard to swallow, is the cure.

I have dedicated my entire life to God (father, son, and holy spirit). I have in essence written Him a blank cheque and said "you fill in the amount". Therefore since I have dedicated my life to Him in this way, I pray, read the Bible, attend church, etc. These things don't give me salvation; they are not the reason I can have a personal relationship with Christ, they are a result of it.

Ok, so let me get this straight. There may have been a "big bang", which we evolutionists tend to put our "faith" in as the reason we now have planets, solar system etc.

But I'm reading here that this could not be, simply because "someone" had to have been around to set off the big bang in the first place.

The logic (l guess) extending from that is there is a god because there is no one else who could have done that.

Well, just for a moment let your mind wonder a bit and imagine other worlds, in another dimension if you will, or where little (but very smart), green people had something to celebrate and choose celestial fireworks to express it.

You tell me I'm wacky if I accept those beliefs, because, of course, no one (except the mad) have seen little green men or experienced another dimension.

In short no proof.

Well then, just what "proof" (not words strung together by humans), is there a god ever existed?

One clear indisputable example will do folks.

I just wanted to respond to the comments that Max posted about go read the book "The Vanishing Proofs of Evolution", first of all don't read it is a waste; I actually did read that book and let me tell you what a farce written with a religous purpose.

The books says there is no proof of Evolution! What about bones, DNA and the similarities in bone structure between animals today and through out the ages. There is the abundance of useless structures in animals (Like a human apendix which is useless in humans but vital to herbivores or the comparison of a whale pelvis and an aninal leg bone structure).

My advise is to put down the one sided religiuos based books and try the other side such as reading any Biology book or even the book "The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins".

God is here and He is a person.

With an open mind logic and reason will lead to belief in God, as it did for me. Sometimes I wish that God did not exist... I don't want to be told what to do either! But He does exist. And if He does exist and He is God then He has a right to do with His creation what He wants.

But He is not evil. He is the standard for goodness. We blame God or faith or religion for the wrong things we do... we need to take responsibility for these things ourselves. All of us have done wrong and we know it if we're willing to admit it. We fail, we hurt, there is something wrong with us.

But we can find forgiveness and power to change through the historical Jesus Christ, who is God in the flesh. There is solid evidence that Jesus Christ lived, died, and resurrected. He died to take on the debt we owe for our evil, and He resurrected to live in us and change us back to what He created us to be... good, like Him! God is merciful, compassionate and gracious and longs for every person to return to Him Who is the source of life.

i am a progressive christian and have after many years managed to shed the indoctrination theology of "the big guy in the sky", virgin birth, resurrection and all the 1st century ways of trying to explain the mysteries of life.
Read John Spong, Tom Harpur.
God is within and part of each and everyone of us - it is NOT a supernatural, all seeing all knowing being, whether you are christian, muslim, jewish etc.
The closest I have seen to what we should all be experiencing as fully alive human beings is thro the Buddhist teachings which look inward to the person and not outward to a deity.

I guess you could say I am a "Born Again Pagan". I was born and raised a Christian. But as soon as I was old enough to question the world, I knew something wasn't right. As I got older I pushed those thoughts out of my mind and became a good Christian boy who went to church dutifully and stopped my bad habits since I didn't want to go to hell because of something that could be considered a sin.

One day, years later, it happened. It seemed my wife and I were always fighting. She, like me, had been raised to be a good Christian, but she hated the rigidness of the religion. The lack of "spiritual openness". We came to within inches of divorce, mainly about religion. Like I had done so many times in the past, I went to pray for guidance. I rarely received an answer but this time I did. A book fell off a bookcase and when I looked around to see what fell, there it was. My answer. The book that had fallen, which to this day I still don't know how it could have since it was stuck tight in the bookcase, was an old book of Norse Mythology. I looked through it long and hard and that old feeling I had from when I was younger re-emerged. I went to my wife and told her point blank that if we could not agree on our Christian principles, how about something else. I showed her the book and at first she laughed, but when she saw I was serious, we did some soul searching and some research on the internet and in the library.

Today, we are happier now than we ever have been. I have started to teach my eldest child about the Gods of my ancestors and we make a point of celebrating the holy days of Asatru - the religion of the Norse People - and the connection the religion has to the spirit and the world around us. If you ask me, those old "pagans" had it right.

Here are my comments:

I believe people should be allowed to believe in whatever faith and/or religion that inspires them. That being said since everyone has a different set of beliefs and follow many different religions we must separate the church and the state. To do otherwise would create a huge problem- not unlike the religious based conflicts we see in the middle east, Africa and elsewhere. We must learn to live together accepting one another. Religion in whichever form one chooses is ' personal'. We should respect one another and understand that people/neighbours may have different values and religious beliefs than we do. What brings us ' in common' is our location on the planet and our multi diverse Canadian culture. Keep religion out of the state and keep it within your homes and places of worship.

the question - Does God Exist? is one that every human being eventually asks himself, and ultimately it is a question that every human being must answer for himself.
It only remains to decide where one will look for evidence, what evidence will one accept as credible, and how earnestly and honestly one will seek the truth.

It is unfortunate indeed that far too many folks abandon the pursuit of truth and blindly accept someone else's conclusion which happens to serve their convenience at the time.

I would like to encourage everyone to take this pursuit of truth as a life or death issue. Here is why-

IF you decide there is no God, and you are wrong, you have placed yourself and those you influence in danger.

On the other hand, IF you decide there is a God, and you serve him faithfully, your life will be enriched and no harm will befall you should you be wrong.

-----------
Please consider this one suggestion- If you are inclined to doubt that God exists then do this-

Pray privately, earnestly and repeatedly over an extended period of time, to the Almighty and Most High God of all creation, expressing your doubt and your desire for him to reveal himself to you, so that you may know him and believe!

Now if there is no God, no harm is done.
And if there is a God he will surely respond to such an honest prayer by a sincere child of his.

You have nothing to loose and everything to gain...go figure.

Here are a couple of very relevant web sites;- www.doesgodexist.org
www.dandydesigns.org and www.whypain.org

Tamsin: You wondered why supernatural beliefs aren't getting enough respect.

I'll let Pat Condell on YouTube say it best:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPAC_cGVnUg

To say that there is no God (spirit or force) puts one in the position of being all knowing (A characteristic of God). I am skeptical of religion, but am aware that I cannot know enough, or be rational enough, to eliminate God.

For those that are believers in scientism (science will prove all) you are right! Science will keep searching for answers regarding our planet and the universe we live in. Of course, the mythology in this belief system is that science will define truth for us.

In spite of the great power in science, we are finding that, the world is more complex the deeper we search. We have not even begun to understand how quantum theory realy works.

For those who believe in the power of rationality read the book "C.S.Lewis' Dangerous Idea". Written by a rational person.

Finally, we all live by faith. You are like me in that you do not have enough information or rational abilty to dismiss God. So, well you can dismiss religon on any number of grounds, you ultimately will have to know everything to completely say there is no God. Only after we become all knowing will be able to dismiss this notion completely.

For many the truth lies in seeing is believing. Why is it then that we believe in air, gravity, and the smallest of atomic structures when we can't see them? I believe in science more so than I believe in religion because 90% of what you read in the bible is made up. That is why I believe in Intelligent Design by an intelligent force or whatever it is. The universe is a finely tuned system controlled by natural physical laws. To say that it exists by accident is to say that you can win the grand lottery a hundred times in a row. I call this force or whatever created the universe God. To blame all the wars and crisis' on God is like blaming your parents for putting you in this world when you are suicidal. We are in this mess solely due to our own stupidity and not that which governs the universe.

God is everything to me. His son Jesus Christ died for all humanity, we just have to repent and ask Him for forgiveness of our sins, but that is just the beginning of the relationship! I strive to be pleasing to God each and every day. He brings me peace and joy that is hard to explain until you receive it! If I fail in my quest to please Him he is loving and forgiving. So many people view God as condeming and harsh but that is not true if we accept what He has provided for us.View it as if you were preparing for a trip around the world and would be gone for months and have to make many preparations for that trip. Passport, luggage, bills paid in advance, appropriate clothing, time off from the job, etc. We are eternal beings, we also have to prepare for a trip. We prepare here and now for life after death. God does not force himself into our lives. We have a choice. What kind of preparations are you making?

I'd just like to put it out there, how can rational and logical people explain the existance of man, plants, animals and the earth itself apart from the existance of a creator? It's ridiculous to think that everything that exists happened by chance and circumstance. We're finding out more and more through science that we exist in such a delacate balance - things like that don't happen by accident. Coming by way of monkeys and fish out of a puddle of slime is far less logical or rational than a creator.

Ten years ago, I had a series of unsuccessful operations that left me unable to walk and be independent. While I was in hospital I noticed some Christians, not all, were able to put aside their own pain and reach out to others. I wanted that grace. However, the fundamentalist idea of "I'm saved and you are not" neverr worked for me. It lacked compassion. Also how could I say I believed in the virgin birth and physical resurrection when these concepts didn't make any sense to me.

When I left the hospial, I re-read Mathew Fox's "Original Blessing" The idea that God was immenand and panentheistic "God was in all and all was in God" made sense to me. Even with my limited knowledge of ecology I knew the God was the Wholeness of creation.

Where is Jesus in this? I started to read Macus Borg. Bishop John Spong, Tom Harrper, Elaine Pages. For me the debate as to whether or not Jesus was historical staart to become irreelevant. What became important was to see Jesus as the archetype of how we as human being should live with each other within creation. Jesus shows us how to let go of our need to hold on to our individual survival and see ourselves as one with humanity and creation. Suffering is an important part of this transformation. Jesus shows us how to transform our individualism to the oneness of compasion as did Buddha, Mohammed and others who symbolize this archetype.

My journey need to continue. I do experience only breif moments of this transforming grace in moments when I feel the connection of compassion.

Watching the political situation in the US makes me everday thankful that we have managed to better separate church and state north of the border than they have to the south.

Now let's tax the churches and make the break complete.

Happy New Year, God is within each and every one of us if we allow Him, we have to want the Grace and Peace only individuals will know when they have a strong, tight relationship with God. In order to have God in your life,you have to first believe He chose a virgin girl (not a movie star, politician) to be the mother of Jesus - that is the first Step in accepting God in your life.
The Spiritual World is what holds back people from accepting God as their personal savior. The people in the World are fooled by Satan's lies (he is the Father of Lies). For example, Cancer is just a word in God's eyes, He moves mountains, people of the world give too much credit to the "C" word. People who choose to have God as their Father can only be examples. The power of media, the Internet, etc. are Satan's way of promoting the evil Spirits of the world., its the mentality of the more we show how normal it is to accept marriages between 2 males, the more the people of the world accept this type of behavior, love the human not what they do, just continue to pray for them. A term that is a big lie as well is "mother nature" - NO SUCH THING for a strong Christian like me, God is the Alpha and Omega, Amen.

G-d is in you, trying to get out!

Einstein proved, a long time ago, that all mass is energy/light. Jesus was talking about the same light, just in different terms of reference, which means that humanity has been evolved for at least 2,008 years.

Everything in the perceivable environment is just light refracting off the retina within the eye. It is free will, prejudice and/or judgement, that gives reality to the surrounding matter. The tension that exists in the world is due mainly to the fact that reality is refracted through a variety of eyes. If one is able to remain still, without moving the body or the eyes and without judging the experience, one can experience G-D.

For scientific evidence, one must only research neutrinos. These are particles of energy/light radiating from the sun, which are so miniscule that they actually move THROUGH the earth and all of humanity. It is the movement of these particles that you perceive when you practice relaxation and stillness.

To praise and experience G-d, one only has to reflect on the movement and speed of the Sun. After all, humanity is just a mutated form of the Sun's energy.

Reflection is an organ of the soul.

Peace and love!

You ask, ”Where is God? My reply is “Where do you want God to be?” Do you prefer to believe in the Big Bang Theory? Then I ask you; where did the primary matter come from in the first place? The Bible is not a law book; it is more as a tool of reference as to how you can be a better person. It is filled on ideas of doing things to not hurt people. Neither you nor I can tell if all the written activities in the Bible are true or not. Why? Simple - we weren’t there! If you believe the stories, which are written in today’s magazines, and newspapers and what not, why do you have such difficulty with the writings in the Bible? There are some radicals to all religions who think they are doing God’s work by killing people. To them I ask; do you really think that God needs your help? No matter what name you use to identify The One, it all returns to one end and beginning. No matter which religious road you travel, they all end at the same point. The destination remains the same. It’s the decisions you make during your journey, which determines the quality of your life.

God created Adam and Eve in a paradise in perfect harmony and communion with God. However, they rebelled by eating fruit of the one tree they were forbidden to eat from. Consequently they separated themselves from God and the whole human race since that time has inherited a fallen and rebellious, sinful nature. However God did not leave man in this state without a solution. The existence and power of God is revealed to all through the creation. Then God revealed Himself further and revealed the way of salvation through His written Word, the Holy Bible. Finally he sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth as the Saviour for all those who believe in Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that salvation (eternal life) is only through faith in Jesus Christ. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6

Someone commented that what is needed is love, community, and faith in the church. Love is a good thing, but only comes through knowing the true God of the Bible. The idea that the church can save someone is contrary to the Holy Scriptures and the verse above (John 14:6). The church cannot save anyone. Only Jesus Christ can save. Read the Gospel of John and the study the New Testament.

I'm amazed by how harsh some of the anti-religion comments here are. I don't see why people cannot respect other's beliefs without sneering, labelling them as 'fairy-tales' and 'delusions' and screaming that the mere mention of religion is anathema to our public broadcasting system. Come on! A great number of people in this country believe in a higher power, and they don't deserve to be publically mocked for that.

What about people that attend services as a way to connect with their ancestors and traditions, even if they don't follow all the beliefs of their religion? Myself, for instance.

I beleive it was the native peoples of the earth that have it most right - That it's the spirituality of the individual and how they interact/fit in with the natural world. Organized Religions are written by men at a time when society was much different - IE - If you beleive in most religions, you must also beleive women are inferior to men as is often suggested in man-made organized religions. Hardly true - just one example of how beleifs then are much different than reality today.

I was a secular man of 21 with no place in my life for God or the Church. My Mother and two sisters were Christians and I knew they were praying for me, desiring that I would change. I made it a point to be out on the town Saturday night drinking alchohol and dancing late enough so I would still be sleeping when it was time to go to Church. Many things happened in such a way that I did not go out one Saturday night and was up in time so I had no excuse not to go to Church when they asked me to. Again, there are many events that brought me to the point where I wanted God in my life. I was 22 by then. There were special meetings at the Church and the second night I went forward to receive Christ as my personal Savior. When I did, glory came down and heaven filled my soul. That was sixty years ago and God has been very real to me and guided me through all those years. I have never been sorry that God changed my life.

Again and again I see that those who do not believe, evidently do not know. More connecting the sinful acts of man to the religion they claim to represent. Please people, judge a man by his faith, and his doctrine, not the other way around. If an NDP gets voted in and lowers taxes along with pulling out social programs - do not the left wingers of Canada rail against him? For these are not the acts of a typical NDP'er. So should Canadians rail against a so-called Christian (present or past) who clearly does not act according to his faith.

I find it disconcerting, that CBC who are, like all real bodies of journalism are supposed to be non-biased, still refer to the monotheist's "god" as a capitalized proper noun when discussing the issue. For those of us, who's numbers I might add exceed those of the numbers of Canadian who vote NDP, who are non-theists, the word god refers to a diety or one of a number of deities that persons of particular religious bodies beieve in. A more non-biased term would be "a god" or "a diety". To just say "God" espouses the implication that the CBC position is one that affirms the existance of such.

There is nothing more frightening to me than people who blindly accept that a god exists. There is no god - there never has been and there never will be. I am an awe of people who can actually believe in such things. My parents are believers, and I love them dearly, so there is no anger or frustration to the people of the world who believe in god. Just awe, and amazement. Clearly they possess something that I don't. I believe in science. I do not believe in god. God is just a convenient excuse to believe in your eternal existence.

I am truly ashamed at the "enlightened" "tollerant" liberals on here labelling those who believe in God as a backwards or ignorant. I am a believer, but once shared your view of the world; that those with faith were the backward ones. However, through experience, I now know that it is those without faith that are backwards, and worse, guidless in their life. Anyone who says they are moral people borrow all of their ideas and expectations from faith, especially that of the Christian faith, for if we truly just evolved or had to answer just to ourselves, then where do there ideas of morality come from? God has written right and wrong on our hearts!

God does not exist separate from our experience. We are more connected to everything then we realize. Our senses deceive us into living small by distracting us. Life is not a miracle, it just seems that way because it is rare and fragile. Consciousness is an oppurtunity. We have the oppurtunity to create the world the way we want it. Right now humanity is confused. With so many competing ideas we lose interest and assume our senses are correct. Believe in your self, quiet your mind, and listen to what the Universe tells you. This is the path to enlightenment, for you, me, and someday, for everyone.

I was a christian for 25 years (Yes, a "Real" christian). After putting the beliefs which I was raised with under the lens of reason, rational thinking, evidence and skeptical inquiry, they fell like a house of cards.
They fell not because I wanted to live a life of self indulgence, nor was I hurt by anyone, but the beliefs themselves are and were untenable, and bordering on insane.
God belief has its roots in our primitive, ignorant and bawling beginnings as a species after language appeared, and nothing more than a product of our pattern-seeking nature and desire for meaning. Unfortunately, the universe doesn't owe us meaning, it's just our own desire.

Surely it is time to recognize that we are nothing more than yet another a carbon-based life form which has cooked up on this pale blue dot in an apparently endless universe.

It is our ego which is the culprit for having us believe that not only are we the centre of the universe, but the imaginary creator of said universe is really interested in our day to day activities! The fact that there have been thousands of gods which have come & gone should be a hint that he/it is a product of our imagination. We created gods, not the other way around.

God belief is a pacifier, a crutch, and an imaginary friend for grown-ups. The tired & worn idea that we "get our morals" from religion is rediculous. Just check out the bible sometime, it is an absolute bloodbath to soothe the rage of a petty, genocidal maniac of a diety, and a reflection of incredibly , jaw droppingly ignorant patriarchal and tribalistic men.

For a sledgehammer of logic, check out: GodisImaginary(dot)com

Recommend new book "The Language Of God" by F.S.Collins. A scientist presents evidence for belief in God. Published by
Free Press, New York,2007.
Dr. Collins is head of the Human Genome Project in USA and working on study of DNA,the code of Life.
Recently debated on CNN with Richard Dawkins of Oxford.

Thankfully, god is no where, because it has never existed.

A god that demands worship, and allows people to suffer in a hell "forever" is not worthy of worship.

I've come out of the darkness (religion) and into the light (logic.) And from the looks of things, it seems more and more people are too.

For the people who say "I know god is real because I have experience and a relationship" is not actually evidence. A Muslim can just as easily say that "Allah is real because I have my own experience and relationship" and so can neo-pagans and etc.

I've become a far more happy, logical person since I stopped believe in any god. I'm so glad I was able to break free from dogma and delusion.

I thought God was speaking through George W. Bush

Just a quick point to the many, many people that want to blame organized religion for war and conflict throughout the centuries. Quite often 'religion' just acts as a cover for the many other differences between neighbouring peoples and groups. The example that springs to mind is the conflict over Northern Ireland, which was generally portrayed as a 'Protestant vs. Catholic' issue, but was actually nothing of the kind; rather a dispute between Irish nationalists and supporters of the UK.

In other words, while religion may have provided an easy scapegoat in many of these cases, I'm pretty sure we would have found other reasons to slaughter each other.

JESUS came to set us free. Free from what one may ask?Free from ourselves, free from the lies, the fears, the lusts and the sin of this world.I feel sorry for those who think loving God is a religion and that practicing your faith is for the foolish.It is the fool who says in his heart 'there is no GOD'

Glory to our Father who is in heaven, life is worth living when you have a sense of awe and wonder of who God is, then again only the Holy Ghost can reveal that.
Shalom

Imagining intelligence greater than ours is like the homeless or the sick; one more thing to avoid if you require bite-sized answers. It muddles the discipline of reasoning. It can also be quite vexing for important people. Science is perfectly adequate at providing suitable solutions for matters as complex as global warming. In fact there is an assortment of answers already available. String theory is promising to explain infinity and eternity to our finite minds. Allowing for the possibility of something greater than ourselves adds unnecessary difficulty to a hubristic lifestyle. Expanding thinking to include more than the obvious could damage hard won intelligence and should be avoided by those overwhelmed by possibilities rather than answers. If nothing else, God is a possibility. Why deny a possibility?

Derek Cunningham says "Returning to the church I found that it is all about "Love and Community/Family". Should these things not be the focus of our lives and civilization??"

I am an atheist and love is a thte absolute center of my life. My relationship with my wife and family, and with my community are the most important things in my life. I don't need some paedaphilic priest, or an organisation with billions of dollars of poor people's money to tell me how to live my life. I am proud of the fact that I do these things because they are right to me, not because some made up god says so. I feel sorry for thise who need such threats.

I believe in the sun. It keeps me alive, it gives me vitamin D, gives me warmth and gives me a nice glow. :) My faith is that the sun will keep shining my whole life :D Thats something I can depend on!

As a progressive Christian, I choose to explore a way of appreciating the reality of God that takes me beyond the defines and limitations of theism, deism, and atheism.

God is not a being, God is Being. God simply is all that was, is, and ever shall be. God is the source of all being and calls us to be fully that which we are called to be - fully human - fully alive.

We may visualize and experience that which we may speak of as the effects of God, but God remains forever beyond our grasp and ability to formulate. We can only use analogy and are otherwise limited in human language. This is why I understand religious thought as poetry in all of its imaginative aspects.

The mystical element within our religious traditions is primarily engagement within a process of consciousness where God is experienced in a silence beyond all words.

Our lives appear to be expanded when we take risks to expend our lives for others.
Health is but another word for wholeness and for holiness. We embrace the bruises of this world within our hearts, not to manipulate the strings of nature, but to unite ourselves with the well being of another.

Beyond theism, will we survive as being - as a human race, as a planet earth, as a universe within the cosmos? It’s up to us. To live beyond theism is to accept responsibility for being, for this gift of life. It requires us to live this life in ways that are life affirming and which promote a more abundant life within creation and within the lives of others. It is to live with hope and to share that hope with others so that they and indeed this very fragile planet earth may have a prayer.

God did not create man but man surely created god.

We collectively seem to have a strong desire to establish ourselves within some sort of spiritual construct that provides stability in an unknown sea and religion/god has provided that since the beginning of recorded time. From the most primitive tribal societies to the ancient Egyptians and Romans and on through to the present day, humans seem to need to create religious fantasy that comforts them rather than have the personal and social strength to face the reality of our lives and existence. I suppose believing in Ra was comforting for the pharos but it didn’t make it any less wrong.

Like it or not there is absolutely zero evidence for any sort of god and taking the old ontological argument position is just a childish and fearful hedging of bets. Additionally, claiming that because something is complex or mysterious to us today it must then necessarily be due to some sort of divine intervention amounts to people who have never seen an airplane worshipping pilots. Mental comfort and adherence to a false yet clear view of the universe is obviously appealing but to truly believe these things is also intellectually dishonest and basically a brain pacifier to the weak to snuggle up against.

The world is a wondrous place and we have so much to learn and explore that believing in fairy tales with cheap dime store novel plot lines cheapens what it means to be human.

God is a human concept and has no other existence, then questions such as “Why does an external benevolent God allow so many injustices in our society?” become meaningless, for that God is within ourselves. Another outcome of this interpretation is that the concept of heaven and hell has no validity. Regretfully, we will never see our loved ones in an after-life, therefore it behooves us to ensure that we behave in a loving and compassionate way while we are aware of ourselves on this particular planet. A further corollary is that God has nothing to do with the origin of the universe—that remains a scientific question, which may eventually be beyond our understanding. As Stephen Hawking says: “If you like, you can define God to be the answer to that question.”

If our societal problems are viewed from this perspective, it should be possible to understand much of human conflict, not in a religious sense, where much of human conflict originates, but rather as a conflict of interests, be they rights of power or of territory. Since I have arrived at this position, I personally, have been much more at peace within myself as I see many of man’s problems arising from believing the myths of his primitive beginnings and now his arrogant view of the world around him.

I do not think that you should be so certain as to blame organized religions or specifically God for wars and inhumanity. I would suggest that most wars are truly about power, ignorance and greed. Our current critisism of fundamentlists would be better directed towards the need for certain charasmatic leaders to wield power and exert influence rather than seeing people acting nefariously in an honest belief of God's will. If there is truly a constant and reoccurring theme in those who truly believe in a diety, it is that peace and care for the less fortunate is our responsibility. It is that message that is prevelant amongst those who are true believers in a deity. Every organized religion professes the mantras " Do to others as you'd have them do to you" and " love all others". Those are God's directives, and everyday we use them to guide our actions. Those who do not, are greatly deminished.

Where is God today in your life?

I believe you have asked the wrong question because the fact is,NO ONE can claim to know who God is,to have seen him even.

That is like asking,what does the wind look like?

It can be felt,described but can't be seen.

A more appropriate question would be,how has your BELIF in God,influenced your life?

Having no church close by to attend, God has nevertheless, played a big part in my life. He/she has helped me through overewhelming feelings of loneliness,fear,hate and anxiety, and been with me for all the joy my life has brought me. Because of God I am able to see beauty and love in everything I see,smell,
hear,taste and feel. (Well, maybe not taste.
The big problem seems to be "religion", not the existence of God.

"For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." (2Chron 16:9)

Dear fellow Canadians,
A careful read of the apostle Paul's letter to the church at Rome, the NT book of Romans (follows the book of Acts) provides some insight on this matter.

Romans chapter 8 is especially helpful.---
"Life in the Spirit -
8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. [1] 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you [2] free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, [3] he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.............
-----------------------------
May God have mercy upon us all!
May he continue to love us with a steadfast and faithful love.

P.S. Not all that is "religion" is of God.
keith

"I humbly applaud those who believe there is no God, for they have a greater FAITH than I have to believe that the intricate details of this universe and life as we know it all came together by chance."

Faith and evidence are 2 different things. We have more than enough proof that many "historical" events in the bible didn't happen. They've even figured out that slaves didn't build the pyramids. There goes some of the bible teachings, as well as most Easter TV specials you'll see...

"Humanists, such as Hitler and Stalin, neither man believed in God, have committed as many atrocities (sp) as have been fomented by differences in religion.
"

Firstly, I believe it has been shown that Hitler was some sort of Catholic.

Secondly, this is a terrible comparison. Hitler (we'll play along that he didn't believe in God) and Stalin didn't do things out of their atheistic beliefs. Nobody has said "Since I don't believe in God, I can kill people". Many people have said "Since you don't believe in my God/Went against his/her teachings, I can kill you". Many many many killings are done out of religious beliefs. How exactly are those supposed to be comparable? They aren't. You need to use a bit of logic here.

"The alleged proofs of evolution have been proven to be the grandest hoax ever."

...Read ANY modern evolution book. We've found so many "missing links" and so many pieces of genetic evidence that you'd have to be ignorant to not know that evolution exists. Even many Creationists believe in Micro evolution, and "superevolution".

Most of us a wrong, but we all feel we are right.

There can only be one truth, but which faith is it? Is it lack of faith or one specific faith?

There is no doubting the religious experience - it has moved many for good and some for evil. But can that experience be felt by those without faith but with a devoted and selfless commitment to a high and noble yet secular cause?

Ask yourself these important questions without bias of your experiences and influences if you can.

The Christianity of the last several centuries has had virtually nothing to do with Christ. I suspect Jesus would be utterly horrified if he were to see what 'his' religion has become. 'Erlösung dem Erlöser' (as Wagner put it) or count me out.

I was raised in a fairly non religious household, but my parents sent us to Sunday School every week. I know I started questioning religion at a pretty early age. As I grew up, the whole religion scene became more of a chore than a thing of peace. I quit attending sometime during High School. When I became a young adult, I really wanted to believe in a God, with all my heart. I went to many different churches, attended prayer groups and fellowship meetings and still I felt nothing. No bliss, no peace, no forgiveness. Now that've I've hit my middle 40's, I can clearly say that faith & religion have no place in my life. I do good because *I* want to, not because god guides me or because I'm afraid of punishment. I do it for the joy it gives me. I don't believe in a god and yes I'm an atheist. I'm happier now than I have ever been in my whole life.

With respect to the subject on God and religion, I can do no better than to submit the following:
Albert Einstein: "If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for a reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed."
Andrew Carnegie:"I don't believe in God. Teach a man to be a good citizen and you have solved the problems of life."
Alduous Huxley:"You never see animals going through the absurd and often horrible fooleries of magic and religion. Only man behaves with such gratuitous folly. It's the price he has to pay for being intelligent but not, as yet, intelligent enough."
Ernest Hemingway:"Not only did not believe in God but regarded organized religion as a menace to human happiness."
Arthur C. Clarke:"It may be that our role on this planet is not to worship God but to create him. Religion is a by-product of fear. For much of human history, it may have been a necessary evil, but why was it more evil than necessary? Isn't killing people in the name of God a pretty good definition of insanity?"
And, finally, belief in a god limits one to what is ordained; lack of such belief imposes no such limitation on mankinds potential.

The idea of God as creator of all things was created to provide answers to puzzling questions that have bothered humans since they began to have such thoughts.

Unfortunately, the idea of God does not answer the question, "Who made God?".

As Richard Dawkins writes in his book "The God Delusion", the existence of God is extremely improbable. I agree.

Why is it important to examine this question? Because, if there is no God then "Survival of the Fittest" means war and suffering will go indefinitely. If there is a God, an intelligent creator, then he is smarter than all the scientists in the world and he must have had a reason for making humans who have the ability to understand that intelligence. Searching for the answer is the responsible thing to do.

I remember as a kid finally getting my parents to fess up that santa, tooth fairy, easterbunny was fake, and I thought good, this Jesus and God stuff is a load too. But oh no, Jesus is real. And I have never trusted what leaders tell followers from then on.
I do not try to convince my mother otherwise because she gets great comfort from thinking there is an even better ride than this next go around. If you qualify that is.

Art McLean says: "Since the basis of religion is faith, that is a belief in something unknowable, please do not assign to religion the status of rationality."

And who is to say that rationality is truth or reality? Any human construct is subject, including the idea that as humans we can understand our origins. It's sad to hear people so detached from the wonder of life.

God inhabits the praises of His people!
This is why we are having this discussion:
2 Timothy 3
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

I struggled growing up believing that God could exist when there were so many people who lived in poverty and went days without food and water, children could die at such young ages, women were second class citizens and wars were the answer when people were in conflict. How could God let all this happen I would ask.
Instead of getting answers from the Christian religion only, I studied many, included many new age thinkers applied reason and and found:
God does not let people starve and suffer, we do. Those of us that have more than enough to give and don't. By not speaking up and making it unacceptable for people to live in poverty-do. Children die because God is saving them from a worst fate of pain and suffering. Women are second class citizens because we as human beings are allowing this treatment - not God. Wars occur because we start them and don't use our voices of reason.
I understand how non-belief in God occurs when one only looks to one religion or another. God did not write the Bible- we did.
The truth is that God is love and only asks that we treat others as we want to be treated. It's that simple.

My answer to those who do not believe in God is:

1. A small structure like a chair/table cannot be built without a builder.
2. A small institution/office/house/city/country cannot be run without a responsible person.

If you believe in above two points, then how can this whole universe can be created and run without any power (which is God).

For those of us who are rational thinkers, who are educated enough to make their own decisions, would realize that god does not exist. If you truly look at the vast amount of fossil evidence found throughout the world you will soon come to realize that the bible is not at all correct since humans have existed in one form or another for millions of years (please search “Human Evolution”). We were not created in a day as the bible would have you believe but instead have evolved through survival of the fittest. Genetics has shown that we all have ancestors that can be traced back to Africa; there was no Garden of Eden. The world as we know it was not created in a week but instead has taken billions of years; again this can be proven with science. Once our brains evolved enough to develop thoughts and imaginations, the more powerful and clever individuals of the world came to the conclusion that in order to control and manipulate the masses they would need a tool to do so. This would be the start and basis for what would become modern religion. The history of religion is a long and complex story, but it all came about in the same way, a form of control that would enable the strong to rule the weak. God was created as something to fear, if you did not believe you would end up in hell. Now please do not confuse my opinion of religion, I do believe it was a necessary evil. Without religion I would probably not be here today, so for that I am thankful. Religion made the way for many of the laws that we have today and subsequently has allowed humans to spread in larger and larger numbers throughout the world. Having said that, religion will ultimately be our demise since our numbers have spiraled out of control. Left unchecked we will eventually destroyed the world as we know it. But the world will go on without us, and the next dominate species will find their way to again control the masses.

The older I've gotten, the farther I've moved away from perceiving God as an agent external to the rest of the universe and the more I have come to perceive that words "God" and "universe" are synonyms. Before the moment at which the universe began, there was no time, no space and no being. At the moment the universe began, existence itself came into existence. The Old Testament captures this when Moses asks for God's name and God replies, "I am that I am." Everything that exists is part of the universe, that is to say, part of God, because God is the universe and vice versa. So the question is, what have you done today to explore and celebrate your existence?

I believe because I do....let it be. I don't care to tell you that I believe. This is personal. There is not a book or person that made this decision for me. I did.
"God" is not responsible for "God" debates. People don't get it. Who's forcing who .. Chill, let it be.

In my thinking, God does not sponsor any brand name religion.Unfortunately, he/she/it is sponsored by many who adamantly hold the notion that they alone have the "right path" for everyone else. Does an omnipotent being actually care about this opinion or that, or whether one religious body is winning the day in this fractured and troubled world? For me, the universe and all it's wonders would have to have some intelligence guiding it or giving it meaning and purpose. An open mind, is what serves me best on this matter and gives me peace of mind.

For those who are not sure if there is an intelligent creator, I suggest a documentary available at video rental stores. It is called "The Privileged Planet". From a purely scientific point of view (the documentary is made by renowned scientists) it leads one to question the theory of evolution in view of the facts now know about the universe.

"Humanists, such as Hitler..." Hilter was actually Catholic and was carrying out the Holocaust/Inquisition as Vatitcan had ordered.

As Hitler himself said,"I am only doing what the Vatican had determined should be done with all who oppose the Catholic church"

Check it out for yourselves.

I have come to discover that there is only one Supreme Being, no religion can own Him/Her as their own because this Being is the spiritual parent for all of us souls. There are as many names for this Being as there are langugages. This Being is completely benevolent, pure, sweet and loving and as a living entity of light wishes only to uplift.

This Being is a benchmark for all we consider the best and highest of humanity. As a power source, this soul has remained out of the drama of life and in this way has never lost perspective on truth. Easily we connect with this soul through meditation, understanding ourselves to be souls in bodies, beings of light we connect our consciousness to the Supreme.

In this way God/Allah/Jehovah/Krishna etc brings peace to the world through human beings who become peaceful by connecting once again to the Highest Source and their highest selves.

I'm enjoying a satisfying, personal, sweet connection with this Invisible Being - metaphysically it is a profound experience, the benefits of which are seen physically in the way I respond to life.

Blessings for a sweet new year.

Without doubt, human understanding of the source which has created all we know is imperfect, yet most intuitively recognize it's existence and refer to it as "God".

One only has to view the night sky & contemplate it's infinity to have faith in God's existence. The Galaxies could have not "created" themselves, anymore than I could have "created" myself before I was given life.

I think that disagreements about 'god' and 'faith' etc. are really more about semantics than anything else.
All of us, all the humans on the planet, share the following: our beliefs are shaped by our experiences, and we don't know what happens after we die.
Putting too much importance in labels like christian, muslim, jewish etc. is a waste of time.
Even an athiest has faith.
The universe is a big place. I understand a very small part of it.
The rest of it, the part I don't understand, I'll call 'god'.
Yeah, I think I'll do that.

When I read comments such as the one by Annonymous I just shake my head.

"The bad incidents built our patience and character. We no longer blame anyone, but are thankful for being alive. God does not let things happen to us that we cannot handle"

I've heard that said many times and I can only wonder about the cruel God some believe in. God wouldn't have given me cancer if he didn't think I could handle it. God wouldn't have given me a severely disable child if he thought I couldn't handle that. I wouldn't have been assaulted if God.....

This is the Father type figure all believe in. Gee, any real father, like living human being father, would be locked up with the keys thrown away based on what this God Father figure gives to people.

The more I learn about science, the less I believe in religion, but the more I believe in God.

I do not go to Church.I was taught to kneel down at my bedside and clasp my hands to pray to God.I have done this when I needed help and trust me I got help from God.Be carefull what you pray for you may get it.You were looking for God?,get on your knees and get Real.

the problem lies with the whole discussion. in such a discussion, the whole idea of 'god' is validated. that it is a human construct, is beyond doubt. but having said that, if the belief in a 'god' helps one, so be it, it can't be all that 'bad', right? wrong! science is getting closer to 'the truth' through quantum physics and evolutionary biology, but there is definitely something else out there. that 'something else' is all about 'all there is' which we are part of and which is far greater than an individual human being. it is that component of each living being, which is a huge element which different spiritual pursuits have correctly identified. this is for each individual to experience for him/herself, but not to be led to by the knowing believer. here is where differing 'faiths' go so far wrong and it is here where the root of all differences between human beings lie.

it is the experiential which leads one to an experience of 'all there is' but it does matter if one calls it 'god' or not. one cannot hold onto this experience, but must continue the practice which brought one there, and then, just maybe, the reoccurrence of such an experience will continue to manifest in one's life. in this experience, one is clearly connected to 'all there is' and there is no right or wrong, good or bad, just - ALL THERE IS!!!

if your discussion goes in this direction, great, continue. if not - so stop already.

thank you.

to me religion is a crutch used by many to guide their lives - which is not necessarily a bad thing - many people need the direction. but the kind of god represented as existant by the church seems highly improbable to me. johnny cash may have talked to jesus everyday, but god was no where to be found when mother teresa was looking for a little mercy for her clientele. maybe mother teresa should have taken advise from johnny on how to connect with the lord - which of course brings me to my point - what god is and isn't. sadly, he isn't.

CBC has asked the wrong question. The question should be "Is there a God". Personal, I have seen no evidence of a god.

I humbly applaud those who believe there is no God, for they have a greater FAITH than I have to believe that the intricate details of this universe and life as we know it all came together by chance.

Those who wish to believe in nothing are free to do so. Those who feel that God (in the religious sense) doesn't exist, are free to do so. The problem lies with people who confuse faith with politics. All hate and intolerance regarding religion and people come from the ignorance that all religions have in relationship to the other. It is a human desire to have a dominant this or dominant that and that is simply part of our structure as a human society.
If you look at any political structure, that is any setting where one group of people decide how a larger group will live or conduct their lives, you will doubtless find differences of opinion.
For those who believe that the world would be better off without the influence of religion over the past five thousand years, are fooling themselves. Humanists, such as Hitler and Stalin, neither man believed in God, have committed as many atrocities (sp) as have been fomented by differences in religion.
At any rate, I don't go around bashing atheists or humanists and I would appreciate if they too, were as respectful of believers as believers are of their particular perspectives. However, given the nature of human beings, that's not likely to happen.
No, some people aren't happy unless they're knocking down what they believe to be mere myths.
Those who demand tolerance the most, display it the least.

Returning to the church I found that it is all about "Love and Community/Family". Should these things not be the focus of our lives and civilization??

We seemed to have forgotten our history (culture), and without our moral compass (church) have lost our way in todays world!

Bless Everyone and Everything!

"...and that we evolved..."

Read the book 'The Vanishing Proofs of Evolution'. Scientists working with dinosaurs and evolution wrote it.

The alleged proofs of evolution have been proven to be the grandest hoax ever.

Good Morning,

I believe in God or a superior being responsible for creation and I truly believe in Dave's comment. "Reglion is good, extreme fundamentalism causes problems". One's own faith is very personal and does not require preaching to others or indicating that their belief system is wrong, or worse, looking down upon those who to not practice fundamental beliefs. God is obviously omni present to be involved in so many religions, but if he is there he must wonder to himself what his children are doing on earth bickering with each other all the time - I'm sure at times he would find it hilarious, if he has a sense of humour. The bible is a great book and excerpts from it have been the basis of many religions, but folks, come on, it's an interpretation and if you have christian faith and believe, that is your own personal relationship with God. I, nor anyone else, need to be bombarded with relgious groups (fundamentals or not) and be tossed aside as evil for not conforming. God is not about conforming or trying to change everyone, it's about loving and believing and acting Christian like in our daily activities - with all beings. Imagine a wonderful world like this. Religion has actually destroyed our peace and kindness.

Great stuff!

However the question ‘Where is God?’ seems to presume the existence of such a thing. As a former Roman Catholic Alter Boy I can see now that these ‘Gods’ clearly take many forms, along with the valid option of ‘None of the Above’.

A better question for next time might be ‘What is God, who made this stuff up and why?’ We would be really getting into the details with that question.

This is a tough topic to stay on top of with my three young children who receive all sorts of strange messages, and snippits of fairy tales, from our culture and their friends (parents).

Exciting times indeed, and at least for now in Canada I do not expect to be shunned, or much worse, for my views!

I have to say in my life Religion has no role. I grew up as a child with religion and even then was confused at the contradictions that existed and how people could be hypocrites. For example it’s amazing how many people attend church on a regular basis and call themselves a good christen but they are racist, violent or down right mean to their fellow neighbors and world. Religion does not bring peace to this world it creates rules and regulations and people use those to point out others and call them evil for not following those rules. Some religions reward their followers for conforming while others punish their followers for not conforming. For those two reasons of being hypocritical and creating out right not questioning conformity I am against organized religion.

God is everywhere also in my heart, once you recognize and accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior, the living God is in your heart.

God is the sum of human ignorance and he is (thankfully) shrinking daily.

Religion plays no role in my daily routine or in my life for that matter. Yes, I follow the morally accepted practices of society. I know right from wrong and attempt to live my life in a decent way, treating others with respect and earning my way through life. As far as religion goes, how can you believe in a religion that over the millenium has caused more death and anguish than all the wars put together. I don't know if there is a god, but if there is, he or she sure has a lot to answer for.

I wonder how many people from the previous posters will be surprised when they cross to the other side.

Pierre Alexander Emond said "If God exists...then I would choose to spend eternity well away from Him."

Sadly, he and many others, will have their wish granted. And when it is granted, Pierre and others will only then realize the horrible mistake too late.

Just remember, in eternity, there is no court of appeal or parole. When the judgement is made and the sentence read, it's over.

I find it interesting reading the comments of people who are so against believing that there is a God. They define Him as a 'crutch' or are quick to jump on the faults of believers. Faith is believing in something we can't understand. Do you really believe that the human mind can define or understand God?
Art McLean, you are trying so hard to convince us that God doesn't exist, why? It's funny, the people who usually try to convince us that He isn't there, are the ones who are so angry. We are more than flesh and blood, and your soul knows what it misses even if your mind tries to tell you otherwise.

Q - Where is God today in your life?
A - God, by the grace and mercy displayed perfectly in His Only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, is at the center of my Life.

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened...
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

The Righteousness of God Through Faith
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Religions are the belief systems of the backwards, and ignorant. If humanity is not even smart enough to see through the scams of religion it is little wonder we have so many problems in the world today.

God is in our hearts. We are to be temples of the Holy Spirt. Since we have stopped praying in our schools and our homes. People have stopped attending church and practicing a christian life. Look what has happened to our society. Abortion is all over. We are killing ourself, and we think it fine. Violence and hatred is everywhere. In order to get our society back on track, I feel people have to stop living and thinking for themselves and open their hearts so God can lead and direct.

You may as well believe in the flying spaghetti monster! No proof of God anywhere, more people on this planet killed because of Religion than anything.
Someday the human race will grow up and realise that we evolved on earth over millions of years and no one shook their magic bottle and poof here we are. Science rules religion drools.

I need to ask the right question, what is the nature of belief? and how does it(belief) apply to my life? if i utter "i beleive" then my freedom has been relinquished, i am held/bound to those beliefs, so how does one attain freedom?, Everyone has their own vision/idea of god, so to say i belong to a religion(anyone for that matter) is a fallacy,time to get honest?

WOW!!! Reading all these have given me a headache. There are so many differing views and reasons why we are either religous or not religous. Everyone of us has to make our own decision about our beliefs and should have no one trying to force their beliefs on us. That is my big beef. We all are different. Our experiences through life form us. From this and all the knowledge we gain, we each must come to our own conclusions. The mysteries of the life forces we see around us since man first started reasoning has led us to answers that we needed at the time. Those answers are very often more confusing than the questions. Religion has (In my opinion) caused more wars and conflict than any other idea ever thought of by man. Just as we have evolved, religion has to evolve along with us. Religion should be more of a moral compass for us to follow. One of love, compassion. tolerence, truth, and knowledge. Religion should give us all a place to come to with all of our fellow human beings to enjoy and learn from each other. With no doctrines laid down. A freindship club if you will. After all, we are all one species - Human. I guess you could call me an agnostic hippie.

the most useful service which most religions supply to the community, is to bury the dead with some form of dignity, and console some of the bereived. The most un-useful service is to spread hatred for all those outside their circle.
If indeed their were a god who had "made" everything on earth, do you not feel that he/she would be totally pissed at the destruction of species metered out by corporations and legitimized by their political lackies. Would their not be a continuous storm of lightening strikes removing the ungodly king pins by a heavenly fingertip ?

As a youngster I was required to attend church every Sunday. However, as I grew older and, hopefully, wiser, I began to question the existence of God. I finally came to the conclusion that the more salient question was, '..where is Santa and the Easter Bunny..'? A logical answer to this question would automatically answer the former.

I question why CBC even runs a huge feature like this. Many people have a favorite color but CBC does not run features on that. But it is about as relevant. Religion should have no influence on public life. It is a personal delusion and yet it somehow forces itself upon the political agenda. The only happy sign is that many more people now than ever before regard religion as the ridiculous set of fantasties it is.

God is non existant. It is a figment cultures have derrived to create hope and faith within communities. People believe because they need a reason to exist. We exist not for someone but to recreate, like every other animal on this planet. We should have faith in ourselves and eachother. But I do believe something else exists out there, another alien world with beings much like us, but no "god". We have proof dinosaurs existed, and that we evolved, what more proof do people need?? Life is short -live it.

God is good for some (not me). Mostly poor people, third world country's or people that can't rationalize there existance and need to believe in something in order to keep there sanity. Good for those people. Also wanted to comment that I believe there was a Jesus Christ human being, and thoughts of his resurection come from religious people who say this because his bones were missing out of his tomb. Little do they know, someone stole them right after his body was covered. God bless us everyone! :)

Where is God in my Life?

I beleive in the ineffable, the understanding of our natural world, my placement in it and the wisdom of seeing something bigger than just myself; A type of enlightnment that is realized in our terrestrial world; The infinite horizon, the rocky mountains from my ski lift chair- There I see God.

Is it not ironic that the most hateful, vitrilioc, and intolerant comments here come from those uplifting atheism as a solution against intolerance?

Religion, like anything, has its merits and faults.

At the core of most major religions is a decree to be kind to your fellow person. ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.")

Being a liberal Anglican myself, I believe that this statement is one that all people, religious or otherwise, should strive toward.

Religion is good. Extremist fundamentalism causes problems.

We will all find out what is true or not eventually.

Amen.

My clock-radio woke me up today with its faithful reproduction of the CBC announcer's voice - this time with a startling revelation that our state-owned radio media outlet is one step closer to proselytizing.

A believer in the merits of strict separation of church and state, I continue to hope that in public discourse chemistry will replace alchemy; astronomy will replace astrology; biology and its centrepiece, evolution, will replace creationism, and mostly that, as in the national academy of sciences, the vast majority of us will cease to venerate any form of Bronze Age mythology.

Need it be said that these forms of supernatural belief pre-date our knowledge of DNA, the atom, electromagnetics, relativity, and the evolved altruistic nature of simean societies?

This immoral nonsense needs to be removed from the public domain and be relegated to the private lives of those who value it. This means secular wording in our national anthem or on printed currency - in an ancient fairytale we do NOT trust - on courtroom walls, and it means secular topics covered by our publicly owned media!

It means revoking tax-free status for purely religious institutions and sweeping the last remnants of religious trappings from government activity, (e.g., opening prayers at council meetings, military "chaplains", etc.).

The best form of "Freedom of religion" includes "Freedom from religion".

As an atheist, I obviously believe that there is no god(dess), so religion plays a very small role in my life. In my view, religion is an understandable response of a thinking mind to questions like "what happens when we die?" that cannot satisfactorily be answered. As much as anything else, atheism is the acceptance that some questions cannot be answered and simply making up a father-figure to answer them for us is unnecessary.

And no, atheism is not a religion, it is a rejection of religious belief.

There are certainly moral and ethical beliefs that are a large part of my belief in God. This belief is a guiding force in my life. To ask me to reduce this concept of God into the limits of mankinds language and our ability to explain this life force is a great challange. In science, when a great mind finally explains a concept of physics in language that we can understand, we can finally conceptualize the notion. It isn't that this great idea didn't exist previously, it is just that we finally overcame our limitations in explaiining it.

"Many thinking people argue that it is difficult to be both moral and believe in a god. "

Exactly.

Practicing Christians (for example) don't do good. They work for a reward. It is a reward/punishment system, not a good/bad thing. It's not right to say they have morals, because they're working for a reward, not being good.

i see God in the struggle for justice and human rights - in the work of Amnesty International and Doctors without Borders. i see God in the arts - in a Margaret Atwood poem or a Bruce Cockburn tune. i see God in people making a difference in their communities, in generous giving of their time and skills. i see God in my church community, a community that calls me to account when i get lazy, that challenges me to push the envelope and that also challenges me to re-examine tradition.
i see God in refugees and street people, in children and artists - in everyone who, like Tommy Douglas, takes courage because it is not too late to build a better world.
That better world includes listening to those we usually ignore...it is depressing that in the video clips on this topic, 5 of the 6 speakers are men, and all are (at least!)middle-aged.

As education and social principles have grown over the past four millenia, so has the collective sense of God changed. Unfortunately, organized religion has not changed at the same pace. Churches, mosques, and synagogues are still set up like schoolrooms, with the teacher at the front, and everyone else parroting back what they are told. Long ago, the person at the front was the only person who could read. Churches were the only community institutions, doing many of the roles that civic/social society takes on today. I think the main reason people don't go to church/mosque/synagogue anymore is that as an institution, it's no longer seen as necessary to spirituality and barely significant in other aspects of life. We can read our own spiritual books, listen to our own music, have our own discussions, and pray or meditate on our own. God has become freed from religious institutions.

God is in fiction books in my life, where such a being belongs.

God is a crutch people need for some reason or another. A pretend friend who is there for all your good times, and somehow gone for the bad. For example, when somebody has cancer, they wouldn't blame God for being a jerk, but when the DOCTORS cure that person, the person thanks God. Why the disconnect?

I do like the religious. They're funny with their lack of reality. The "Intelligent Design" "science" is a complete joke. Superevolution? Ha. The world is over 6000 years old. That is pretty much a fact that we've proven a long time ago. The bible doesn't think so. The Earth goes around the sun, contrary to what the bible says.

Kate, you made an interesting point about material wealth being spiritual poverty. How would that explain how the Vatican is the richest town per capita in the world?

I am glad that the western world as a whole has given up on following the bible. There is some terrible stuff in there. Killing disobediant children? Killing gay people? Killing people who work on Sundays? I'm glad that the "teachings" have become a joke.

God and the Christian life is everything to me. To me the personal God who made the universe including earth is the same God who lives in the hearts and minds of men (women) who trust him. He also created us allowing us a personal choice.
It says in Romans "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are withot excuse.

I hold the right of religious freedom dear in two ways. One is the right of anyone to chose their own spiritual path, and to practice their religion any way they see fit. As long as a person's faith doesn't require them to interfere with the rights of others then I say anything goes. I think the world, our nation and even each of us would do well to better respect the beliefs of others. The other aspect that I hold dear, and even more important, is our right to reject all religion. People can come to God in their own way, or not. If it is forced upon us then we are not free. There are many nations that require their population to worship as dictated, I do not want that for Canada. There are already many nations around the world ruled by God and guns, I think it's great to live in one that is not. For me the most important thing about religion is that it is separated from state as far as possible. Likewise I think that our government should stay out of the church as far as possible. I see the trend of moving away from religion as being mostly positive, and I hope that humanity can find beauty and meaning in life without it. The thing that scares me is the thought of what is replacing it. The worst aspects of humanity have long used religion as a cloak to shield their evil deeds. The end of faith, or it's reduction will not diminish those dark tendencies. What has replaced spirituality in the lives of many of us? Blind consumerism, greed and ignorance? If I had to chose a deity for myself it would be mother nature.

To me god & nature is the same thing, as it surrounds
us and is part of us. For me there is one planet earth, one nature (incl. univers) and one humanity. I can't accept every religion having it's own private god.
I believe we should respect nature (or creation) as well
as each other.

Where is God?
Don't you see God all around you - in God's creation and his manifestation.

What difference does it make how you worship the Ceator who is known by different names- Father, Allah, Vahay Guru, Brahman etc.

What difference does it make if you worship with closed eyes or open eyes, sitting or lying down, folded hands or open hands, with burning of incense or sweat grass, facing East or West.

Where is God? He is all around you. Change and understand yourself to see that.

We are the children of the same creator. We are the flowers of the same tree, leaves of the same branch, drops of the same ocean.

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is still here for us as much as he always has been. But our daily lives are so full of other things like bills, jobs, families, that he has been pushed to the background...to the point that we usually only come to God when in time of need. God only wants a close personal relationship with us...for us to talk with him and trust in him. Imagine if you had a best friend who only came to you when they were in time of need.

People will only believe what they want to believe. You can choose to look only at what we know as solid facts and truth. Or you can accept that there is more than just this life and what is presented to us. More that we can't understand...more that we may not be meant to understand.

Are we aware of Soul? Where is it can we locate? We are living being because of Soul and soul is the most important creation of God. It is immortal and moving from place to place.
1. First all soul is created by god and is preserve at one place
2. Then as per time come second place to mothers womb-when pregnancy start soul comes at 120th days around and baby start breathing in womb
3. Third coming to this world as a baby born and live life as destined
4. Fourth once to die you go to next world and there your real time start as per your deed in the third phase
5. Fifth it is then consigned to Heaven or and hell and is final destination
Let us satrt working on this good being known as soul and will find out where is the GOD.
Hope we will under stand this intricacy and SCIENCE unreval this reality soon to recognize god.
Thanks
M Mehta

God may or may not exist. Personally I don't think it matters. God may be a creative, loving energy that infuses everything, and that would be fine. However, God might be like as portrayed by evangelical Christians...a small minded, judgmental, needy, petty, vindictive and mean-spirited Being that has nothing better to do than sit up there in heaven and fume over who is sleeping with whom condemn those who don't believe in Him to eternal torment. If God exists and is like that, then I would choose to spend eternity well away from Him.

To sum up I guess, to me there is a God and He is either irrelevant or a simple-minded, moral monster. I hope it's the former.

I sincerely wish organized religion, specifically Judaism, Islam and Christianity, would just go away.

The arrogance of atheists is astonishing.

I believe in all faiths. To look at the great vastness of an immense universe and believe in a gigantic chaotic accident as opposed to creation is as ridiculous as lumping God in with Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Humans have yet to figure out that we are not supposed to know. God has given us the power to help each other, advance ourselves, take care, and build, however we CHOOSE to do the opposite. How can we believe in God when we don’t even seem to want to believe in ourselves?

I don't think we can all agree on if God exists, however, I hope that those who do believe begin to see atheism as a religion. It takes careful consideration to reach this, and I think it's just as much a religious view as believing in God.

God is my life and my friends kindly point out how they find it amazing how God is my life. I have suffered from suicidal depression for more than 10 years. Medical help was appreciated but did not cure it. I searched for happiness. Worldly success in life did not make me happy either. My mom had been a victim of many tragedies including violent crimes and the attacker is going through an attempted murder trial. She lost all her brothers, her parents and her son and is now disabled through serious injuries and illnesses. Her husband even left her. It is only the faith of my mom and I in the forgivenss of Jesus Christ and our hope in Heaven that enable me to forgive others and find peace. The peace from Christ is amazing. The bad incidents built our patience and character. We no longer blame anyone, but are thankful for being alive. God does not let things happen to us that we cannot handle. He knows our tears and He cries with us and helps us get through life.

God is more alive to me now than when I was formally "learning" about religion growing up. The experiential aspect of this knowledge is so powerful that it transcends any religious boundaries. I believe that God speaks to every person in the initimate spritual language that is unique to every individual. God knows this language because God created us; we simply have to open ourselves up to listen, to be guided, to be claimed back as His own. For me, God is especially present when I feel that I have nothing left to hold on to. It is when I am most vulnerable that I am most open to God's presence, and God had never let me down.

God never existed. It is simply a construct created to control people. By use of fairy tales and fables people have been led by the nose. There is no evidence beyond a vague hunch called faith; that is, unless you use the bible or other texts as a source and I cannot imagine a god which allows so much sexism, violence, genocide and brutal vindictive destruction as advocated by the bible.

The book by Dawkins led me into a train of thought ending with the conclusion that God does not exist. However, recent discoveries about extra-terrestrial life also convince me that one is not alone in this conclusion. Somewhere, in the immensity of space, there must be other beings who think likewise and who have accepted their fate.

God is in you.I am catholic,and a friend of Daughters of Wisdom.Having studied Louis de Montfort, his life,and beliefs,it is an eye opener.The Father Son and Holy Spirit. I believe in Faith,and might add that some religion are off track.Jehovah Witness,is one of them.But I respect them. Your beliefs, and faith is every day living,is what you make of it.It comes from the upbringing from parents,and the values that they have thought you.
I also belong to a church choir,and attending mass without singing hymns,is not the same.I believe that the is a reason for everything,and truly there is a God.Believe.Learning to forgive and remember, not forgive and forget,and get on with life, not material things to fulfill your empty soul.

I believe that the answer to your question, "Where is God today?" is the same as it has always been - God is everywhere, and in everything. I believe that the issue in our society is not that God is not present, but rather that we fail to recognise his presence.

As a society here in Canada, we have much material wealth, therefore we have no need to depend on God for our day-to-day survival, and therefore the presence (or absence) of God becomes almost a theoretical question. But if you were to live in a society where your day-to-day existance was a struggle, the presence of, and dependence on God would be a day-to-day reality.

To summarise:
Material wealth = Spiritual poverty
Material poverty = Spiritual wealth

I hold the Catholic faith that humanity has received from the apostles. I attend Mass because that's where heaven and earth meet; in Christ's perfect sacrifice. I don't feel limited when within the walls of a house of God. The Eucharist offers us a special communion with Him, and nothing could keep me away. I can't imagine why I'd want to stay away from such a gift...

Religion doesn't just play a role in my life; following Christ is the purpose of life.

Religion plays a significant role in my life and in the life of my family. The institutions of religion could end tomorrow, but my spiritual life would remain vibrate and alive. Why? More importantly and more eternally, it is my personal walk with a living God that means the most to me. I find God most meaningful in so many diverse and exciting ways which guide my life. I believe God is found in the hearts of those who deligently seek. For me the historic Jesus, a man who lived a full life and provided history with rich examples of love, is my mentor and inspiration. Jesus' words and sacred truths guide my life as I seek to live like him in all rhelms of life. He is now part of my spiritual DNA.

"I've never been one for sound bites. These little excerpts, intended to widen our worldview in a matter of seconds, actually narrow our outlooks and frames of reference." Lena Hassan

In my worldview, Lena, that makes your god, and religion generally, sound bites!

"Christian faith is not just about morals or ethics."
John Van Sloten

Christian faith is not about morals and ethics. It is about believing. It is about putting some deity ahead of one's fellow humans, based on some unknowable and highly improbable thesis.

Many thinking people argue that it is difficult to be both moral and believe in a god.

"At the UN, when Canada votes in favour of Israel, I applaud. When Canada abstains or votes against Israel, I cringe. I think of myself as a parent with two children. You love them equally. Canada and Israel."

The CBC debases itself by publishing such idiotic comments!
But this makes my earlier comments about the irrationality of this subject, even more cogent.
So the author would have us believe that god is on Israel's side?
Strange, but every religion has that very same perspective.
When will we learn?

Where is god today in my life?

Where I hope it would be for the rest of the rational world: at the bottom of a trashcan with all the other make-believe stuff: ...Atlas,the easter bunny,garden fairies, Minerva, Santa Claus...
It is a real shame that as a species we divert so much energy into these fruitless questions!

God is with us it has always been. Personally I feel morally responsible to give an answer to this because I have seen the presence of God, my faith was always there and I consider that I am very humanitarian. So I just want to say that God exist and that we may need to consider that if we have judges even to let us know who is the best chef moreover we need someone to keep us in good shape in terms of our actions. Why we need to respect God? It is simple because God created Universe, Galaxies, Planets, Earth and all in it including us. God also gave us some rules and this had the intention to help us to live in harmony because God know that if we don’t follow our manual of instruction maybe we will live in chaos. An example of this is the following if we cheat on our spouse this has consequences of pain for others including innocent children, so this is a sin or something not very pleasant in Gods eyes. Another analogy is the following: I am walking very fast and it happened I bump in to a person glass of water and dropped in his/her sweater, wouldn’t I apologize and offer to clean the mess? So if we could do this simple social courtesy, what is the difference if someone does some harm to other to apologize to God and this person and pay what we took? This will be a simple courtesy to God and us.

Now "religious thinkers" there's an oxymoron!

Since the basis of religion is faith, that is a belief in something unknowable, please do not assign to religion the status of rationality.

Faith is a vital part of my life without which I would not want to get up in the morning. I see evidence of God all around me - in the people in my life, the beauty around me, my family - there is nothing that denies my belief that God has created me and the world in which I live. In 1990, I could not feel this Faith and I thought that I had been abandoned by God and was not worthy of His love. It was a dark and lonely time for me - but through the grace of my family, doctor and friends I was able to walk through what I thought of as a 'living hell' and slowly began to see the light. That time taught me a great deal about faith and the presence of God in my life. I learned that none of us is worthy of His love - but we have it anyway just because He created us. How awesome is that?
I also learned that I have to be committed to my relationship with God. It's no different than my relationship with my husband - if I don't invest time in it - then it will wither and die.
Thank you for the opportunity to share my faith with others.