The cycle

[bicycle]

This is my first topic on the big boy boards and mainly the whole reason I came to this board. I would like to debate with anyone who is up for it. As many of you support your beliefs with the others, I only have my experience to support mine. Anyways I have a few points and questions. First question, Why do people believe there is no God? God is not defined, like me or you, the idea itself exists, obviously, and people cannot create ideas, as much as you would like to believe ideas are created, I personally feel that they are discovered and manipulated. My other question is if you don't believe in religions, is it because of what you see they do to people, or really what the people do to people?

[Whitney]

I do not believe in things that aren't supported by evidence...that includes both religion and god.

The very fact that you even admit to not knowing how to define god is reason enough to not claim to have a belief in it...you can't believe in what you can't define; you have to at least have some idea of what it is and how it differs from other ideas.

[The Magic Pudding]

People believed the Earth was the centre of the universe and flat.
Thunder and lightning were signs of an angry god.
I think these ideas were created by people, they weren't floating around in the ether.
If separate people come to the same erroneous conclusion it's not surprising, they share similar brains and experience.
I've seen no reason to believe there is a god and a lot of reasons to think theists are fooling themselves.

[fester30]

Even if god exists, he didn't combine milk, eggs, corn starch, sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and flavoring... man did that.  Therefore, even if god does exist, his abilities pale in comparison to man's, as man created pudding.

[Asmodean]

as man created pudding.

...Then Satan added magic and we got ourselves TMP 

]First question, Why do people believe there is no God?

Well, I, for one do not believe in god, not as you put it "believe there is no god"

It is interesting though, how you assumed that it was an active belief in wording of your question... How very christian of you...

My other question is if you don't believe in religions, is it because of what you see they do to people, or really what the people do to people?

I do not believe in gods because I do not have any half-decent reason to. I do not support organized religion because people in a flock have the combined IQ of a cucumber and the individuality of a worker ant.

[The Magic Pudding]

Yes I was created by god and Satan.
Their estrangement does trouble me.
I hope to get the folks together in the same room one day.

Then I'll lock the doors and torch it.

[Asmodean]

Then I'll lock the doors and torch it.

Ah, but surely you would let Asmodean test a few execution gas formulas he has been devising for these past years first..? *popcorn emoticon*

[The Magic Pudding]

Then I'll lock the doors and torch it.

Ah, but surely you would let Asmodean test a few execution gas formulas he has been devising for these past years first..? *popcorn emoticon*

No, but you can have all the wiggly inside bits you like so much.
I'll be keeping the Devil tail and horns.
Always wanted a tail.

[Tank]

This is my first topic on the big boy boards and mainly the whole reason I came to this board. I would like to debate with anyone who is up for it. As many of you support your beliefs with the others, I only have my experience to support mine. Anyways I have a few points and questions. First question, Why do people believe there is no God? God is not defined, like me or you, the idea itself exists, obviously, and people cannot create ideas, as much as you would like to believe ideas are created, I personally feel that they are discovered and manipulated. My other question is if you don't believe in religions, is it because of what you see they do to people, or really what the people do to people?

When God has been accurately defined and ALL theists (Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Scientologists etc.) agree to that single definition I will start to pay attention to the definition and claims. Until then I'll let the tribalists fight amongst themselves and attempt to limit the damage that they do to humanity.

If a person wants to be a deist and makes no inferences on the way humanity should behave based on their view of their deity then fine. But once a person claims to 'know the will of God', they lose all credibility in my eyes.

[Gawen]

Whitney hit the nail. Ya gotta define something in order to debate it.

Anyways I have a few points and questions. First question, Why do people believe there is no God?

It might be a good idea to actually read what the "big boys" have said instead of trying to up a post count to ask a question that's been answered here many many times.

God is not defined,

Really? So theists believe in a non-concept?

like me or you,

Humans aren't defined? Or individual humans aren't defined? Come on now...

the idea itself exists, obviously, and people cannot create ideas, as much as you would like to believe ideas are created

If there were no person on earth that could think of an idea or concept, in other words, quite brain dead, how could an idea exist, let alone the idea of a god exist?

I personally feel that they are discovered and manipulated.

So a guy can discover the idea of making chocolate ice cream, but when he can't find cocoa, how can....jeeez dude.

My other question is if you don't believe in religions, is it because of what you see they do to people, or really what the people do to people?

Gosh, now I'm not so sure. It could be that I've just stumbled on an idea (that was already out there) that people may have manipulated my previous idea (that was also already out there, I just manipulated it) in my idea (sorry not MY idea, i only manipulate it because it already existed).....

ummmm.....

I have a headache. I am going to manipulate an idea that I just rediscovered to take a pain reliever.

[bicycle]

I do not believe in things that aren't supported by evidence...that includes both religion and god.

The very fact that you even admit to not knowing how to define god is reason enough to not claim to have a belief in it...you can't believe in what you can't define; you have to at least have some idea of what it is and how it differs from other ideas.

So what would constitute as evidence if there was a God?

[bicycle]

This is my first topic on the big boy boards and mainly the whole reason I came to this board. I would like to debate with anyone who is up for it. As many of you support your beliefs with the others, I only have my experience to support mine. Anyways I have a few points and questions. First question, Why do people believe there is no God? God is not defined, like me or you, the idea itself exists, obviously, and people cannot create ideas, as much as you would like to believe ideas are created, I personally feel that they are discovered and manipulated. My other question is if you don't believe in religions, is it because of what you see they do to people, or really what the people do to people?

When God has been accurately defined and ALL theists (Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Scientologists etc.) agree to that single definition I will start to pay attention to the definition and claims. Until then I'll let the tribalists fight amongst themselves and attempt to limit the damage that they do to humanity.

If a person wants to be a deist and makes no inferences on the way humanity should behave based on their view of their deity then fine. But once a person claims to 'know the will of God', they lose all credibility in my eyes.

Why and how could someone know the will of God? That would not make any sense

[bicycle]

I do not believe in things that aren't supported by evidence...that includes both religion and god.

The very fact that you even admit to not knowing how to define god is reason enough to not claim to have a belief in it...you can't believe in what you can't define; you have to at least have some idea of what it is and how it differs from other ideas.

okay, good point, can you define yourself? please be complete in your definition, otherwise I will not believe you exist...

[bicycle]

People believed the Earth was the centre of the universe and flat.
Thunder and lightning were signs of an angry god.
I think these ideas were created by people, they weren't floating around in the ether.
If separate people come to the same erroneous conclusion it's not surprising, they share similar brains and experience.
I've seen no reason to believe there is a god and a lot of reasons to think theists are fooling themselves.

If those ideas were purely created, then why would someone need a perspective in order to come up with them?

[bicycle]

Even if god exists, he didn't combine milk, eggs, corn starch, sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and flavoring... man did that.  Therefore, even if god does exist, his abilities pale in comparison to man's, as man created pudding.

So you're saying man is better than God becuase he created pudding? Theist believe God created man.. man > pudding