Why God does or does not exist

[Moosader]

I posted a video in my YouTube on Easter asking peoples' beliefs on how they _know_ (or believe) there is or is not a god.  I made the rules such that there's no debate allowed, I just wanted to hear the viewpoints behind "the other side". (I put "know" because many theists tend to claim they know

Also, a friend (trufun) cited that he began believing once his dad died, and that he has to believe in order to see him again.  This strikes me as really odd, like the desire to see someone can be enough of a justification to "Know" there's a god.

And this is a little silly:

GOD has created EVERTHING, and im thankful for that becuase GOD invented people and people made different cultures, like RUSSIA, and russians invented TETRIS.

Thank god for tetris.

If you have a YouTube, feel free to post your view, but again, I don't want debate to be in this video, it's just to hear out viewpoints.  Debate might go in another video, but my channel is mainly about programming and game design, not debates on beliefs.

[Will]

I posted my response. I must say I'm always fascinated by the inconsistent quality of youtube replies. Some are brilliant, well thought out arguments while others are little more than trolling.

[Moosader]

Here's some of the answers that I got:

um well i believe that there is a powerful being that you can't touch, hear, feel, smell, and (well) taste. and that being is the creator of the galaxy, universe, or whatever you want to call it.
the creator, i THINK is GOD(yo),
and GOD has created EVERTHING, and im thankful for that becuase GOD invented people and people made different cultures, like RUSSIA, and russians invented TETRIS.
I DOUBT that god is perfect becuase (in the bible) he !!!111!!!RESTED!!!111!!! wich meens he isnt perfect

the only thing that makes a christain a christain is the christain parents not telling there kids about Athiests and stuf, AND expirience like a miracle or you see a tunnel after almost being killed but then you come back to sences

i get bord at church there is nothing to do and id rather sit at home and do stuff on my computer
what makes an Atheist an atheist is christains acting like athiests

Im a Christain, AND IM PROUD OF IT

This probably isn't even worth pointing out, since it's one of the worse comments and not very well thought out.  I just told him not to speak for the other side, since he doesn't understand it, and people aren't "atheists because their parents were christian but acted atheist".

I believe in God because of the unanswerable.

'tis the point of religion.

From a scientific/analytical perspective, I once found it hard to wrap my brain around the existence of a supreme being, or God.

However, my father passed away when I was 22, and I find peace in knowing, in my heart, that I'll get to see him again one day. To turn my back on such a possibility is simply not an option - I have to believe.

'tis the other point of religion.
I don't see how the death of someone and the desire to see them again justifies believing in a god. :/

The world is complicated. Our bodies themselves are insanely complex. When I study the stars and planets, seeing what normally happens in the universe, it's hard to believe that our planet ended up being something special on accident.

The best example that I could point out in this small post is: You can not see the wind directly, but you can see when it is at work. You can not hear the wind, unless it passes around something.

But the wind exists. :/

Ok so the reason why I belevein god is because, I seen a ghost when I was a little kid and plus I have this video documentry of this girl who got possed by the devil and it dont seem like no fake video to me because the girl really died.

Why do people take things at face value? :/

the bible doesn't appear to be changed to be 'perfect' it is written as is. There is an account during the Resurrection of Jesus that says one guard saw one angel, and the other saw two angels. If it was made up, I would surely think they would make those two accounts match.

Anyone else see a problem with this? x_x

I believe that God exists because of the data AGAINST God also. Many of the theories made to disprove my religion just seem so full of it. I know two theories against the resurrection of Jesus are that they went to the wrong tomb, (they also blame the wrong directions on women =/) and that Jesus never really died. The first one requires no extra commentary, although it is one of the most widely accepted theories. The second one really doesn't make much sense either.

I called him out and asked why he doesn't have to explain the reasoning against his two examples, as they are not inherently apparent to me. ;P

The thing that bothers me is that:
a) Everyone thinks that their religion's god is DEFINITELY the true god, and doesn't seem to give any thought into god beyond that.  Why not some other religion?  Why not no religion?  Not only do they not think critically about the existence of god, but they don't think critically about which religion has the "right" one.  They just accept that it must be the one they're born into.

b) One of the main reasons is that "Something has to come from nothing".  How do we know this is true?  If God is eternal, why would it be impossible for matter to be?

c) Everyone says "If I believe and I'm wrong, no harm no foul.  If you don't believe and you're wrong, you have a lot more to lose".  What if they believe, but in the wrong god?

d) People believe in a god for the same reason I don't believe in a god.  People look at how complex the world and everything is, and think "this couldn't have been random", but I look at the same world and how complex everything is, and think "this couldn't have been built, it has to have developed over long periods of time".

I kind of feel like pulling my hair out sometime, but I don't want to have the debate going in my channel, since I don't feel like it would do any good. Especially over a text medium.  
I did seem to have an effect on my roommate, who's Christian, when my point was how do you know what god said (mainly about: believe and be saved, don't believe go to hell even if you're good), and why it matters what you call "him" or what you believe he's said, and to who.

[SSY]

Try and make a YouTube comment so stupid, people think you are joking. Pro-tip; It's impossible.

On a more serious note, that chap who lost his dad is very troubling. Believing in something does not make it true, it is true irrespective of whether or not you have faith in it. This is so obvious, but goes to show how vulnrable people are when grief stricken, also, how good religion is at ensnaring the vulnrable.

[Moosader]

Try and make a YouTube comment so stupid, people think you are joking. Pro-tip; It's impossible.

I dunno, that kid who mentioned Tetris leaves incredibly stupid posts on my channel all the time, I have a hard time believing he's joking. ;P

[curiosityandthecat]

First, people are stupid.

Second, people are stupid.

Third, don't bother. These people are so deluded that they'll say or do anything to keep their reality in line with what they want to believe. Even the guy who lost his father (an experience I am intimately familiar with -- still atheist) said that he just has to believe because he wants it to be true.  

[Godschild]

Moosader: just because someone says they are a christian that does not make them a christian many people use the christian church as a crutch,"yes thats right a christian said that"they want their get insurrance policy "get out of hell card"just on the chance the Bible is correct.Others use it to have a better feeling about their life,others use it to get buisness and so on and so on.Then there are those who think that just because they grew up in church that it makes them a christian,others think their responsibility stops with confession and who knows what others think. These are the ones you hear from a lot because they need to prove something to there own selves and they put a bad light on christians and what we believe.Now do not take this wrong there are many great defenders of our faith and I wish I were one but I'm not however God chooses to work through me anyway.I read what you posted about the wind,I do not know if you put the whole statement up .So I would like to take that a little farther.You believe in it because you can feel it you know its there because you can see its actions"moving leaves and dust and trees ect"you know it's the wind.This is only one of many reasons I believe,I can feel Him working in me and I can see His actions all around thus I know God and the reason I have these experiences is because I'm looking and not blindly as many would say I look for the evidence of Gods work and because I see it I know He is God.Chistianity is not a religion it is a relationship with the living God through Jesus Christ and in that relationship you can know God in many awesome ways but there is effort on ones part to gain that deeper understanding.Christianity is not a religion,religion detracts from God,religion belongs to all those other gods that are in peoples lives.

Love to all in Christ Jesus

[BuckeyeInNC]

This is only one of many reasons I believe,I can feel Him working in me and I can see His actions all around thus I know God and the reason I have these experiences is because I'm looking and not blindly as many would say I look for the evidence of Gods work and because I see it I know He is God.

Exactly how is he working in you?

What "actions" of your god do you "see"?

What "evidence" of your gods work do you see?

[Moosader]

I would argue that everybody can feel the wind, but not everybody can "feel" god.

[SSY]

Moosader: just because someone says they are a christian that does not make them a christian many people use the christian church as a crutch,"yes thats right a christian said that"they want their get insurrance policy "get out of hell card"just on the chance the Bible is correct.Others use it to have a better feeling about their life,others use it to get buisness and so on and so on.Then there are those who think that just because they grew up in church that it makes them a christian,others think their responsibility stops with confession and who knows what others think. These are the ones you hear from a lot because they need to prove something to there own selves and they put a bad light on christians and what we believe.Now do not take this wrong there are many great defenders of our faith and I wish I were one but I'm not however God chooses to work through me anyway.I read what you posted about the wind,I do not know if you put the whole statement up .So I would like to take that a little farther.You believe in it because you can feel it you know its there because you can see its actions"moving leaves and dust and trees ect"you know it's the wind.This is only one of many reasons I believe,I can feel Him working in me and I can see His actions all around thus I know God and the reason I have these experiences is because I'm looking and not blindly as many would say I look for the evidence of Gods work and because I see it I know He is God.Chistianity is not a religion it is a relationship with the living God through Jesus Christ and in that relationship you can know God in many awesome ways but there is effort on ones part to gain that deeper understanding.Christianity is not a religion,religion detracts from God,religion belongs to all those other gods that are in peoples lives.

Love to all in Christ Jesus

There are a lot of fake christians out there, but let me take a guess. As a wild stab in the dark, completley un guided, random guess; you happen to be a real christian do you?

[McQ]

Moosader: just because someone says they are a christian that does not make them a christian many people use the christian church as a crutch,"yes thats right a christian said that"they want their get insurrance policy "get out of hell card"just on the chance the Bible is correct.Others use it to have a better feeling about their life,others use it to get buisness and so on and so on.Then there are those who think that just because they grew up in church that it makes them a christian,others think their responsibility stops with confession and who knows what others think. These are the ones you hear from a lot because they need to prove something to there own selves and they put a bad light on christians and what we believe.Now do not take this wrong there are many great defenders of our faith and I wish I were one but I'm not however God chooses to work through me anyway.I read what you posted about the wind,I do not know if you put the whole statement up .So I would like to take that a little farther.You believe in it because you can feel it you know its there because you can see its actions"moving leaves and dust and trees ect"you know it's the wind.This is only one of many reasons I believe,I can feel Him working in me and I can see His actions all around thus I know God and the reason I have these experiences is because I'm looking and not blindly as many would say I look for the evidence of Gods work and because I see it I know He is God.Chistianity is not a religion it is a relationship with the living God through Jesus Christ and in that relationship you can know God in many awesome ways but there is effort on ones part to gain that deeper understanding.Christianity is not a religion,religion detracts from God,religion belongs to all those other gods that are in peoples lives.

Love to all in Christ Jesus

There are a lot of fake christians out there, but let me take a guess. As a wild stab in the dark, completley un guided, random guess; you happen to be a real christian do you?

That argument reminds me of something....hmmmmmm....what is it?........

[PipeBox]

Moosader: just because someone says they are a christian that does not make them a christian many people use the christian church as a crutch,"yes thats right a christian said that"they want their get insurrance policy "get out of hell card"just on the chance the Bible is correct.Others use it to have a better feeling about their life,others use it to get buisness and so on and so on.Then there are those who think that just because they grew up in church that it makes them a christian,others think their responsibility stops with confession and who knows what others think. These are the ones you hear from a lot because they need to prove something to there own selves and they put a bad light on christians and what we believe.Now do not take this wrong there are many great defenders of our faith and I wish I were one but I'm not however God chooses to work through me anyway.I read what you posted about the wind,I do not know if you put the whole statement up .So I would like to take that a little farther.You believe in it because you can feel it you know its there because you can see its actions"moving leaves and dust and trees ect"you know it's the wind.This is only one of many reasons I believe,I can feel Him working in me and I can see His actions all around thus I know God and the reason I have these experiences is because I'm looking and not blindly as many would say I look for the evidence of Gods work and because I see it I know He is God.Chistianity is not a religion it is a relationship with the living God through Jesus Christ and in that relationship you can know God in many awesome ways but there is effort on ones part to gain that deeper understanding.Christianity is not a religion,religion detracts from God,religion belongs to all those other gods that are in peoples lives.

Love to all in Christ Jesus

So a Christian that is a Christian because they fall back on God, because they are afraid of death, or of pain, or because they never imagined a world without God is no Christian at all?  Because I'd say all these people firmly believe in your god, and the associated stories.  Oh, they might grimace being told some of the Bible's stories, but if they read it straight from the Bible, they wouldn't bat an eye, because they all believe it to be God's word, and occasionally beyond their understanding.  They might not read it like they should.  They might not pray like you do.  They don't believe they have to, because God accepts them.  But they damn well believe.  See, I was of the mind that we had nothing to offer God, anyway, and the best way to realize God was letting him help us.  Two of my Christian friends have confirmed this to me.  So, what makes you a Christian?  Do you not care for yourself and your desires at all, even your desire for God to be real?  Do you try to be that selfless?  And do you think it matters to God?  

I think the only way to be religious is to use that crutch.  The need for something greater; something to guide, aspire to, or comfort.  I don't think there is any other way to gain belief in gods, nor do I think there is anything else to be done, because the only thing man could offer to a god is his weakness.  And this god might make him strong, but the purpose isn't the strength, but the redeeming, the betterment of man.  For why else should a god reveal itself to us, but for our own good?

This is what God is.  Man's desire to be comforted, man's desire to be purposed, man's desire to understand, man's desire to be loved, man's desire to be righteous, man's desire to repent.  Man's desire to be better.  So you tell me how you are more Christian than my friends, more Christian than I ever was.  Go on.  I'll ignore the fact that it's a "No True Scotsman" fallacy.  I want to hear your response.  I really do.

[Godschild]

BuckeyeInNC: God works in and through me to serve others,those who are in need.I do not search them out God brings my attention to those who I can help with the skills God blessed me with.Now it is Gods will that I help those He brings into my life but He gives me the free will to reject that person or family if I so choose and He will continue to love me no matter what I choose to do,but when a person makes the right choice well thats when you can see His actions in action.The evidence that I see of Gods work,by just looking into the eyes of those God has helped through me,hey the God of all and aaaaaall things chose me a nobody(just ask SSY) to work through for others.I know this if you do not believe you'll never understand what I just wrote.

    Love to all in Christ Jesus

[Godschild]

Moonsader:Your right not everyone can feel God.You must believe in Him before He will work in and through you in a way you can recognize.Well I do know one way God touches all but you would not believe me.

Love to all in Christ Jesus

[Godschild]

SSY: You are fairly smart and to think I thought you were a few fries short of a happy meal.