Do you believe in god?

[Collin Li]

Another private request poll (not by the same guy). Man, you guys are curious and secretive.

I was asked to phrase it this way, don't ask me what it means.

[melanie.dee]

what the hell, who is asking for these polls? as in actual members, or just random people joining up to ask you lol?

[joshuamorgan]

No, haven't for a long while, either.

[Ahmad]

I think Coblin's hiding something.. ^^

[joshuamorgan]

Yeh, the whole 'a friend of a friend' thing.

[Collin Li]

They're actually two different people who have asked for these polls. I have a third one, but it's a mock poll, I'll post it anyway.

[Defiler]

No, haven't for a long while, either.

God doesn't love people who take a photo of themselves in the mirror holding the camera.

[Odette]

Hmm interesting question though...
I don't know, it's hard to tell, like I wonder why we're put here and what our purpose in life is and where we're headed, but so far no religion has explained it properly (in my opinion) its a matter of ultimate reality... what we came from, what surrounds us and what we shall return to..

[joshuamorgan]

No, haven't for a long while, either.

God doesn't love people who take a photo of themselves in the mirror holding the camera.

Haha, that's my first mirror shot, and it was a request too.

[cara.mel]

Hmm interesting question though...
I don't know, it's hard to tell, like I wonder why we're put here and what our purpose in life is and where we're headed, but so far no religion has explained it properly (in my opinion) its a matter of ultimate reality... what we came from, what surrounds us and what we shall return to..

That's my problem too =o
Like I don't believe in any of the major religions, but I am not too keen on the idea of nothing either.
And I can't work out whether there is some greater being as to why we are here, or if it's up to us to decide why we're here (eg I want to help people do this, or I want to be a multimillionare, or I want to get pissed/party everyday etc etc) to gain some sort of purpose or reason why I am waking up every day etc
Oh and if it is actually possible to have an answer to any of this =P

[Odette]

Hmm interesting question though...
I don't know, it's hard to tell, like I wonder why we're put here and what our purpose in life is and where we're headed, but so far no religion has explained it properly (in my opinion) its a matter of ultimate reality... what we came from, what surrounds us and what we shall return to..

That's my problem too =o
Like I don't believe in any of the major religions, but I am not too keen on the idea of nothing either.
And I can't work out whether there is some greater being as to why we are here, or if it's up to us to decide why we're here (eg I want to help people do this, or I want to be a multimillionare, or I want to get pissed/party everyday etc etc) to gain some sort of purpose or reason why I am waking up every day etc
Oh and if it is actually possible to have an answer to any of this =P

Yeah, I'm thinking of writing a book possibly about it ^_^
I've developed some theories, but yeah, they're a mix of what all religions say lol.. and a bit of my own. Hope i get the time to write it

[Collin Li]

I tend to the answer 'No.' No justification why. The humblest answer is "Unsure."

Nowadays, I would call myself an agnostic, which is technically "unsure," but the way this was worded prompted me to choose "no." It's a pretty trivial point: "do you believe in a god" vs. "do you believe in god." I think they're slightly different, maybe not, but my mental chemistry responds differently to it.

Ultimately, I think the existence of one is irrelevant to daily existence. I think spirited sloth could whip out an existentialist rant about this, haha.

[enwiabe]

I'll do it for her!

We live in an existentialist's world. The universe is indifferent to us. There is no god and no greater meaning. But realising this is tragic. If we realise that all our dreams and aspirations are futile, and that ultimately we are but a blemish on the pavement of history then we lead sad and unfulfilled lives.

I refer you all to the story of Sisyphus in greek mythology. Sisyphus was sentenced to pushing a boulder up a mountain for the rest of his life for challenging the gods. Whenever he got the boulder to the top, it would roll back to the bottom. The gods wanted Sisyphus to see the futility in his actions and give up and lead a sombre life. But so long as Sisyphus believed that he could push the rock up the mountain, in all its wondrous futility, Sisyphus was content!

Camus' brand of existentialism dictates that we must dream in life. We must have our petty hopes and our absurd little endeavours. It is all futile, but in order to live a fulfilled life we cannot realise this. The art of happy living, as it were, is to grab the most of life and to keep pushing the boulder up the mountain. And in that split second when the boulder falls back down and we realise the futility of our actions, this is what makes us tragic. But by keeping on with the boulder and not letting it break our stride, it doesn't matter anymore. Hoping and dreaming - the stuff of living in an existentialist world.

[brendan]

There exists a god. That god is me.

[melodrama]

Ultimately, I think the existence of one is irrelevant to daily existence. I think spirited sloth could whip out an existentialist rant about this, haha.

lol thanks collin =P

well honestly, i think the whole concept of god is just a projection of our inner desires. the most primal, basic wishes of humanity are (arguably) to be loved and to live forever. it's quite obvious that the idea of organised religion is a means of acquiring this and a source of comfort for people, which is probably the biggest drawing card for religion.

personally, i think it can be pretty hypocritical though. you've got the whole "well if god was so powerful, why is he so fricking insecure anyway? why does he need us?" argument amongst others. there are quite a few holes and paradoxes here and there that all these zealots can't really explain besides the fact that "oh, he doesn't need us to love him, but we do anyway. now convert or you'll go to hell."

you've also got the whole image of the perfect messiah like jesus. interestingly enough, there have been many cults sprouting up all over the place declaring that the messiah has come, and yet we can look at them and laugh derisively, right? i'm not saying jesus was a fake, but perhaps the people back then were a tad more gullible, and developed a whole belief system revolving around the whole jesus ideal. who can dispute something that happened 2000 years ago? yet if someone wrote the bible and presented it in 2007, i'd have a feeling that it'd be condemned by all the scientists and stuff.

i'm ranting incoherently aren't i? meh i should really be doing physics now.