Do you believe in God?

A world wide voting poll online http://www.yesnogod.com/

Re: Do you believe in God?

YES!

Re: Do you believe in God?

I wanted to know who God or what God was.

I asked on several boards, no answer I received rang true for me.

So I did a question and answer ‘thingy'.

Here is what I got;

April 4^th 2006

Me

Please would someone of the light tell me who God is.

Answer

God is love and light he is all there is he is in the wind the trees the flowers birds and bees he is in a babys laugh abd cry he is in an old mans sigh hes everywhere you look even in this book

Me

Well thank you . Who are you?

Ans

I am Hand of God

Me

Thank you Hand of God

You have answered me, but I still don't understand. I shall rephrase the question.

Is God an energy or a spirit or is he solid?

Ans

God is light a loving energy he is everywhere in the air you breathe the food you eat the water you drink.

Me

Ok, thank you, but in the bible it says we were made in Gods image, so if God is everywhere like you say, he can't look like us then, so, the bible is wrong, right?

Answer

Those words you read have been misinterpreted

You were originally made as loving beings, gentle and innocent, that's the interpretation. You needed bodies to keep you warm and bones to keep you stable and organs so you could breathe and keep clean inside.

When you return to God you will be just like him and you will then know all

Me

Thank you Hand of God I understand better now thank you for answering me.

Re: Do you believe in God?

“Think”…. the master said …:)

Re: Do you believe in God?

Yes, Eli :)

mia, thanks for sharing that dialogue with us! fascinating,

love,

nicole

Re: Do you believe in God?

I agree with you 100%. He is always there shedding his light in one way or another…. I feel safe when I feel Him near me!

Re: Do you believe in God?

That's wonderful, Soph! Thanks for coming to share that with us,

Love,

Nicole

Re: Do you believe in God?

Absolutly, while I probably define the what I call “God” differently then I was brought up to define it as - the absolute creator of the Universe, male, ready to judge, condem and forgive if asked.
Now I define God, as the male aspect of the creative Source, our Universe, one ,together with the female Goddess, all the created, and what will be created. Just as I see none of us ever seperated from our Source, the male and female aspect of the Universe is never seperated, while distinctly different, yet complimentary to each other.
For all creation in my mind, balance is needed above all, so I can no longer think of a all male, absolute ruler, while everything inside me knows that it takes both. The same though would go the other way, calling only upon a female deity would not work for me, as again the balance would be not there.

Peace

Claudia

Re: Do you believe in God?

that's very interesting Claudia, for that reason I don't call God He or She but only God… it seems right to me that way,

love,

Nicole

Re: Do you believe in God?

OFCOURSE I DO!!
I love him and I know he is there.

Re: Do you believe in God?

Wonderful, Indigo Jello!

Hugs,

Nicole

Re: Do you believe in God?

I don't believe in god … but I do know for a fact that god believes in me……..

Re: Do you believe in God?

Do I believe in God.
How could I not. I feel the energy of our great creator coursing through me every day.
In my heart and soul and head.
The divinity the very being of us, the beauty of every single thing.
Yes.. Yes I believe in god

<3 and peace,
Ashley

Re: Do you believe in God?

such an illogical statement from one so wise!

Re: Do you believe in God?

god is known as our creator but isn't god something that we create ourselves? god is different for everyone even if you're the same religion or not or not a religion at all. the definition of god will be different for each individual whether they chose to believe or don't. For some people god is just a comfort or a justification for life and their own actions. I think of god as a creator and for me that is science. I think the big bang is what created the universe but I think is was god that created the big bang. I'm not saying that god is some spirit or power or conscious being that thought up the big bang. I'm saying that god is that force, pressure or whatever, whatever is outside this picture of the big bang that created everything we know to exist.

Re: Do you believe in God?

I remembered a nice story about the belief in God

A disciple came to his teacher very troubled and he said: 'I am meditating for hour, day and night for 10 years, following your instructions carefully, and I came to a problem, I do not any longer believe in God.  The teacher took a big stick and started hitting and shouting at the disciple telling him: 'you have been meditation for only 10 years, you need at least 20 years of meditation to come to that stage - to stop believing in God - so go back and meditate more - you simple can not be that advanced yet.'

Re: Do you believe in God?

DPI -interesting to be believed in by God you don't believe exists… :)

Ashley - yes, exactly!

Leanne - this is a great sharing of diverse views. thanks!

Nuit - very interesting story… though it shocks me on the surface, it reminds me of an important principle of spiritual or cognitive or emotional development - that we can be saying and believing the same concepts at different parts of our life, and yet it is coming from such a different place that it is almost like a totally different meaning.

For example, I remember when I was 14 in the UK for a year, and a boy in my class said cheerfully and smugly that he was an atheist. How differently that sounds for me than someone coming to that conclusion after 10 years of meditation, or many other contexts.

Peace and light to you all,

Nicole

Re: Do you believe in God?

This is the essential question for which I shiver.  For it's not the belief which interests me, but the definition of god which concerns me.  Because the definition creates the perception of the world which individuals live.  And they act in so many terrible ways as a result of their definitions and perceptions…   If I were asked to say yes or no, I would say yes to belief but no to so many things….

I cannot and do not know a personal god.  It makes no sense to me.  Mystics the world over have known that we ultimately believe not in god but in a higher form of our selves - ego to the max.  Unity with that greater spirit is just more ego. 

but god is less than we conceive it to be and more than we can ever know. 

I believe that the universe is a wide wonderous place where the mystery is constantly unfolding at all times.  This mystery is greater than my self and I am humbled in the presence of this mystery.  But know that there is nothing personal about it.  The universe is driven to be aware, to be free, and to be constantly creative.  We are but a mote in that process.  Any personal relationship is one of awe.

Because of this, I prefer Wakan Tanka as the naming of the one…. but all it means is “big mystery”  Really not that exciting until one reflects on how active the universe is and how wonderous.  Wakan Tanka is not an anthropomorphized judge nor jury, Wakan Tanka needs none of that.  When we release the judge and jury we are free. 

The struggles we have with a personal god are the limited struggles we have with humaness, which is an important walk for sure.  But it is not god… but just our selves multiplied to the infinite self reflecting mirror of our own absorbtion. 

And of course the savationists all over the religious dynamic will point out that the prophets and saviors are god's reps or god itself.  No sorry, not for me.  They are amazing people filled with wakan who have tried to help us see beyond our limits to freedom and to stop harming each other.  The law and the covenants are our need to behave and survive.  Wakan Tanka, god, is beyond even that.  To pray to a savior is the essence of cultural egotism.  I like what Carlos said - just praying to the mold of man does not change the mold…. its just repitition of self importance.

The way through is beyond our conceptions, sitting in silence, the evidence is everywhere.  It's awesome! 

Wakan Tanka tokaheya chewakiyelo! Ho!
(Infinite mystery you are number one in my life!ho)

Peace to all, I know its a long walk to see the infinite in its ultimate abstract.  Love is the road…… letting go is the way.

Donbear

Re: Do you believe in God?

Dear Donbear,

Infinite mystery… yes! I really liked the way you distinguished your belief from that of a personal god. You are beautifully clear. Thank you for sharing this with us.

I especially loved this part:

I believe that the universe is a wide wonderous place where the mystery is constantly unfolding at all times.  This mystery is greater than my self and I am humbled in the presence of this mystery.  But know that there is nothing personal about it.  The universe is driven to be aware, to be free, and to be constantly creative.  We are but a mote in that process.  Any personal relationship is one of awe.

I cannot do better than echo your words:

Wakan Tanka tokaheya chewakiyelo! Ho!

Nicole

Re: Do you believe in God?

Thank you for your thougts, I found them profound and enlightening!

Re: Do you believe in God?

Awesome post Donbear, very interesting and enlightening!

Re: Do you believe in God?

Believe in God?

Believe. 

If you look at the word “believe' quickly, it looks like “Be” and “live” together.  Perhpas this means that to believe in God means, that “I Be God” and “I Live God.”  If so, then yes I believe in God.

We are God.  We are not separate from God.  Everything in this Universe is God.  Our experience is the experience of God.

The problem with “belief,” is that is a mental function, and God does not exist in “thinking” about God, but only exists in the actual present moment experience that we are having.  God is not a thought, but an experience.

Re: Do you believe in God?

Thanks, the last bit made me think of God is a Verb - the book or the website or just the idea of it…

Peace,

Nicole

Re: Do you believe in God?

When I am asked to describe God, the Native American version comes to mind.  The creator is the Spirit that moves through all things.  I believe that spirit in me is my soul.  Everyone and everything in the universe has that spirit running through it.

Re: Do you believe in God?

thanks for commenting, rickpaul, I've always found Native American spirituality appealing.

Love,

Nicole

Re: Do you believe in God?

Isn't God the biggest word ?
Nothing stands outside of it.
It encompasses all.
I believe the word does it justice.
A term that denies limitation.
Find a bigger word,
and I swiftly change my allegiance.

Re: Do you believe in God?

“Without God there would be no Athiests.” ~ G.K. Chesterton

Re: Do you believe in God?

Yes, that God being infinitely beyond concept, being the original cause, the self existant One, that brought everything that is anything into being from within Itself.

Did you hear about the dyslexic, agnostic insomniac who stays up all night wondering if there really is a Dog?

Re: Do you believe in God?

That's an oldie but goodie, Andrew! And thanks Shanti, another good reason - hee hee,

Hugs,

Nicole

Re: Do you believe in God?

Yeah Andrew,

Then a fluffy, wagging tail with a lick on the face told him that there was.

Re: Do you believe in God?

Belief in a God?it is a fairly common thought, I dare say that there are more people in the world who do then do not.Though it is not as fashionable to do so as it once was.Indeed we live in a time when questioning the” if “and 'why” of God is in vouge.

God is not an idea or belief that is easily proven or quantified, for me a close examination of the miricles of life is the best proof, but others have differant answers that are just as valid. I think much of the doubt about God these days is not so much questioning a Creator as it is the myth and religions that are associated with the belief.

Is God a man? is God a woman? does he require prayer and a lithagy for forgivness?Is he a fierce God of retrobution and vengence?These are the kind of questions people are asking and finding themselves moving away from religions and all that they teach.For me that is a very health trend, I believe that to question this for oneself rather then believe in a stock answer off the shelf, is the begining of the personal relationship needed to have a better understanding then one often gets in a church.

I think God is neither male or female or possible both, maybe even a great collection of personalities as we understand the idea of self.What I am sure of is that we will likely always have a less then perfect understanding of what God is, anything so powerful as to create all that we can see and understand and much that we have yet to figure out, is well beyond our ability to ever know completely.One thing I do know is that God, as found in the Bible goes by many names and has differant relationships with differant kinds of people.So I am sure that no one religion can claim a more perfected understanding of God then any other.

Re: Do you believe in God?

Frances, LOL!

Alphonse, I agree with you about the need for the search for answers for each one, for a personal relationship. It is vital for us to come to terms with the questions on our own… sometimes as Rilke says, we have to live the questions for years, answers don't always come easily,

Light and peace,

Nicole

Re: Do you believe in God?

No, answers do not come easily but I think that we should take some of that energy that we all use in trying to find an answer and just throw it out. Sometimes we just need to stop ourselves and take in whats going on around us. Searching for answers and listening for answers are a pretty good spiritual blend (to me at least).

Re: Do you believe in God?

It doesn't matter if you believe in God. God believes in you.

Re: Do you believe in God?

We all need someone to believe in us Mr.

Erik, I think that is a balanced approach. We can get lost in the questions sometimes. Rilke talked about living the questions.

Love,

Nicole

Re: Do you believe in God?

I have been thinking about this discussion since I saw it yesterday….I was trying to think of something profound and inciteful to say, but, you know what….the only thing I have to say is yes, I do….wholeheartedly. Most people have a higher power, even if it is a group of people….a power greater than themselves…a power that can work it out better than they can, or especially when they can not. I choose to call mine God. I have seen too many little miracles, and experienced several of those little miracles to refute the fact that he is omnipotent. I am so glad that I woke up one day and realized that God was not waking up and thinking….hmmm, I think I want to be Missy today. I do not play God anymore….when I slip up, and think I do, I’m gonna have a pretty crappy day!!!! ;)

Re: Do you believe in God?

Missy, that's actually very important. Letting God be God. And I love the way you put it, so funny!

Hugs,

Nicole

Re: Do you believe in God?

Hi, how about this Answer
Mike