How were you created?

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Originally Posted by Reefer Rogue

Who is THEY? How were they created? ;)

People make their own choices about God, no one is brainwashed, expcept perhaps at an early age, as i was. However, having those beliefs forced on me at a young age, made me instantly reject God. Now i am mature enough to make my own mind up, i CHOOSE to believe in God, and i am much happier.

For every criticism, there is a rebuttle.

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Then please, rebut my criticisms :)

I don't have the answers for everything, other more knowledgable scholors may be better advised to suit your needs. I have tried to express my opinions and reply to that which i can. I've stated pretty much all the information i have at my immediate knowledge about what i know about God and why i think my beliefs are justified. This is all i can do, for this thread shall not be able to answer whether there is or is not a God. Every individual must make his or her own mind up, regardless of what other people tell you.

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Originally Posted by Reefer Rogue

I don't have the answers for everything, other more knowledgable scholors may be better advised to suit your needs. I have tried to express my opinions and reply to that which i can. I've stated pretty much all the information i have at my immediate knowledge about what i know about God and why i think my beliefs are justified. This is all i can do, for this thread shall not be able to answer whether there is or is not a God. Every individual must make his or her own mind up, regardless of what other people tell you.

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So if this is the case, that you don't have immediate answers to the criticisms of views, do you relinquish the train of thought that the more "rational" view is to believe in God? For someone who doesn't have immediate answers to defend their own thoughts and beliefs, you sure know a lot about rationality.

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Originally Posted by Reefer Rogue

8. A rational person should believe that the universe has a personal explanation.

10. A rational person should believe that there is a God.

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Originally Posted by Reefer Rogue

...the more rational person places his bet on God, realising that serving the Lord serves the self interest, which everyone shares, because there is promise of the afterlife...

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Originally Posted by Reefer Rogue

How does a rational gamber place his bets? ... A rational gamber seeks to maximise his/her gains over the long run and tends to place his bets in accordance with what is known now as expected value and is determined by the formula:
Rational wagering is not always in accordance with chance only, or with payoff only, or even with cost only. It is a function of all three.
Eternal life may be a gift, but it can only be given to someone capable of recieving it. The wager is meant to break any tie in evidential considerations between athiesm and theism.

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The philosophy i've posted all throughout this thread is comprehensive and rational, imo. I believe i am rational in holding my beliefs based on these theories as you probably believe you are rational for holding your own beliefs. There are two fundamental theories of knowledge: Rationalism and Empiricism. I can justify my belief in God with both.

that's fine in stating that you believe it's rational, but to say specifically that "a rational person does ...." would stand to reason that an irrational person does the opposite.

To state that the "more rational" person gambles on God, would imply that a less rational person gambles against God. I gamble against God, and criticize your reasoning. You cannot claim to be "more rational" if you can't defend your reasons against a less rational person... ie: me.

I'm asking if you're relinquishing the idea that your views are "more rational" than another's, I'm not asking if you're relinquishing the views themselves.

You're taking me out of context. Those statements came from a lot of steps before the conclusions. The reason it says the more rational person should believe in God follows from the premises before that statement. It's philosophy, there's no room for flip flopping, the theories attempt to their best ability to put forward why someone can justify believing in God. It does not say 'there is a God' It says based on the premises, it is rational to hold these views that there is a God.

Personally, i don't think i'm more rational then anyone for believing in God. Some people don't associate rationality with faith and some do.

I do believe everything has an explanation. Including the universe and why humanity is here on Earth. Perhaps the answer is the most simplest, yet the most complex.

What makes the Christian God so much more valid than any other god? Why is it he that is real? I'd like to know why, other than "because the Bible says so." And if that is your response, I'd like to know why the Bible is more credible than any other book like it. Really, there is no reason to believe in the Christian God rather than any other god, except that it all comes down to personal preference. So considering that, Christians have no argument for why they should believe the Christian God is the right and real one, rather than Allah, or the Sun god, or some other Pagan gods. What about Zeus? Most Christians deny the existence of Zeus and many other gods within greek mythology. But why can't they be right, and your Christian God be wrong?

I believe in Jesus Christ, i follow his philosophies to the best of my ability. I don't believe the issue should be which religion but that there's a divine creator, that's what i think. I believe Jesus Christ was reincarned as Ras Tafari, son of the Queen of Sheeba and the King of Soloman, Lord of Lords and King of Kings, His Imperial Majesty, was crowned Haile Selassie I. I am a follower of the head creator.

M Theory

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Originally Posted by Oneironaut

that doesn't mean at all that a deity is a responsible, any more than it means a swarm of magical fairies is responsible.

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Personally, if I had known this was going to be such a heady and wordy thread, I may have passed it by. When I stated that I was planted by aliens, it was how I felt at that moment. Personally I could care less if it is creation or evolution. I happen to know that this planet supports me and all my needs. Even synthetics come from Momma Earth. I no longer beleive in the other patriarchal gods, because of all the violence done in their names. Be it Allah, Jehovah, or Jesus...the followers have really not been nice to Momma or her inhabitants. I believe spiritual matters are private and Momma doesn't need me to prostelitize. Oh, and by the way I and most of Iceland believes in fairies. But I apoligize for invading this thread.