Faith and Tinnitus

[85dB T]

Chris Langan, a man with the highest IQ of 200, believes in God.

"My theory studies the relationship between the mind and reality. In other words, what's out there in the real world, how does your mind relate to it."

Q: Is there a heaven?
A: Yes.

Q: How do we know that?
A: We don't.

Q: Either you believe or you don't?
A: It's not that simple.

A: I happen to know there is a heaven because I know you can use your will to create things.

A: In other words do you continue to exist after you die?

Absolutely.

A: Nothing in this universe is ever wasted, nothing ceases to exist, really. The essence always remains preserved.

 

[JohnAdams]

200? That's it? My IQ is well over 40 million.

Excellent post. And Glory be to God. May he guide our hands towards a cure. Please God guide us to a cure. MARANATHA!

 

[sirhand]

I happen to know there is a heaven because I know you can use your will to create things.

Two unrelated sentences connected with "because"

 

[85dB T]

Two unrelated sentences connected with "because"

He said:

"I happen to know there is a heaven because I know you can use your will to create things."

Maybe he means we have free will to create our place in heaven with our mind.

 

[sirhand]

Religion always turns into philosophy at it's own convenience.

 

[Jazzer]

"Nothing is known, or can be known, about the existance of god."
It is all conjecture.

 

[85dB T]

nothing ceases to exist

If our souls exist for eternity, our time spent on earth is miniscule.

If we create our place in heaven with our free will, tinnitus has certainly caused me to seek this.

Suffering for a miniscule amount of time to create a better eternity gives suffering meaning and purpose.

 

[85dB T]

"Nothing is known, or can be known, about the existance of god."
It is all conjecture.

Nor can God or the existence of God be disproved.

Disbelief is also conjecture.

 

[sirhand]

He who makes the claim bears the burden of proof.

 

[85dB T]

He who makes the claim bears the burden of proof.

haha ... these aren't criminal proceedings

 

[sirhand]

haha ... these aren't criminal proceedings

There is a burger buried on the surface of Mars. Prove me wrong.

 

[85dB T]

There is a burger buried on the surface of Mars. Prove me wrong.

This guy ate it.

 

[Jazzer]

Nor can God or the existence of God be disproved.

Disbelief is also conjecture.

Exactly my point of course.
I would never say that god does not exist.
Just like everybody else on Earth, including the Pope, Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Queen of England, I cannot possibly know.
We all tend either towards, or away from belief.

Faith is, quite simply, nothing more than belief.

 

[Jazzer]

I am genuinely interested in what motivates belief.
I have asked all of my Christian friends if god has ever spoken to them.
They have all said,
"No....god speaks through other people."
Nobody has actually heard the voice of god.

Personally, I can not devote my life to the worship of 'somebody' who's very existance I doubt.

 

[robHing]

Agree to disagree.

 

[coffee_girl]

To be honest, I used to be an atheist, I was a huge fan of Richard Dawkins and a little obsessed with Stephen Hawking and Carl Sagan. I never thought I'd be religious whatsoever, but you can also subscribe to rationality (and evolution)...while pursuing the ideas of faith and belief. There were way too many incidents in my life that defied logical explanation (and i'll leave it at that).

Every day I wake up and I can't believe how pretty the scene is outside my window, or even the bells tolling down the street, or the sound of birds playing in the fountain. Life is beautiful and these little details, I see God in them all...it reminds me that everything I do and everything i have is no accident. Having faith also means having a barrier to negativity, and to me..that is the greatest benefit. Even if "he" doesn't exist...who cares, I live a happier life having faith =]

 

[JohnAdams]

I am genuinely interested in what motivates belief.
I have asked all of my Christian friends if god has ever spoken to them.
They have all said,
"No....god speaks through other people."
Nobody has actually heard the voice of god.

Personally, I can not devote my life to the worship of 'somebody' who's very existance I doubt.

haha ... these aren't criminal proceedings

I am genuinely interested in what motivates belief.
I have asked all of my Christian friends if god has ever spoken to them.
They have all said,
"No....god speaks through other people."
Nobody has actually heard the voice of god.

Personally, I can not devote my life to the worship of 'somebody' who's very existance I doubt.

Man. I already gave you as much proof as can be given from man to man, man. Disprove that Daniel ch 9 stuff. You cannot

 

[JohnAdams]

I am genuinely interested in what motivates belief.
I have asked all of my Christian friends if god has ever spoken to them.
They have all said,
"No....god speaks through other people."
Nobody has actually heard the voice of god.

Personally, I can not devote my life to the worship of 'somebody' who's very existance I doubt.

haha ... these aren't criminal proceedings

I am genuinely interested in what motivates belief.
I have asked all of my Christian friends if god has ever spoken to them.
They have all said,
"No....god speaks through other people."
Nobody has actually heard the voice of god.

Personally, I can not devote my life to the worship of 'somebody' who's very existance I doubt.

Man. I already gave you as much proof as can be given from man to man, man. Disprove that Daniel ch 9 stuff. You cannot

 

[Jazzer]

"Unless ye become as little children, ye may not enter the kingdom of heaven."

- and now you tell me that I have to become a student of theology, in order to devine meaning.

"God - I am here - where are you?"

 

[coffee_girl]

What i've learned is to let people who dont believe just be, they are like that because they refuse to see it...not that the signs didn't present itself. Or even if the signs did present itself (and it is subtle)...would they even know it? You can't beat someone over the head with faith, it is a slow and beautiful process...and you have to be aware of your surroundings and allow it to happen naturally.

It is divine when things in your life just "click" and you just realize it, the whole thing changes your life...and absolutely changes your views on life too...no fear, no anger, no sadness about anything because you know that there is something better waiting for you when this life is over...and frankly...nothing can stop you =]

 

[robHing]

In theory, there are two types of persons.
Alpha type: who can believe something, he/she can not see.
Gamma type: who have to see it to believe it.

While we are discussing something that we do not see,
these two groups appear.

 

[Jazzer]

Having faith also means having a barrier to negativity, and to me..that is the greatest benefit.

Disbelief and an inquiring mind have nothing whatever to do with negativity of course.
It means that people like me are actually still searching for the truth, the only worthy direction to take.
I want no barriers to my freedom of thought.

"Even if he doesn't exist - who cares??"
Well I do, however nobody has said that 'he' doesn't exist.

We simply cannot know.....

 

[coffee_girl]

Disbelief and an inquiring mind have nothing whatever to do with negativity of course.
It means that people like me are actually still searching for the truth, the only worthy direction to take.
I want no barriers to my freedom of thought.

"Even if he doesn't exist - who cares??"
Well I do, however nobody has said that 'he' doesn't exist.

We simply cannot know.....

I used to subscribe to disbelief, hell I used to be that person that likes to post anti religious memes .But as is life, things change and I'm glad for it. I cannot say for sure that he exists, but I am very very optimistic that God does exists. Just stepping outside my door I can see it, I'm not going to bash anyone for being atheist/agnostic or whatever, I "get it"....I really do. But something has happened to me that changed my life forever and it cannot be explained in any way other than the divine. And unless it happens to someone who is a non-believer, nothing else will change their mind.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

Years ago , one morning I went hiking with a girl. She said thank you God for this beautiful morning and these beautiful flowers. She went closer to the flowers and got bit by a snake on the toe of one of her boots. The toes of her boots had steel under the leather. No harm done.

 

[coffee_girl]

Thank god for whoever made those shoes hehe =P

 

[85dB T]

I am genuinely interested in what motivates belief.

Suffering, trials and tribulations. (including tinnitus)
These things motivate belief.

Faith is, quite simply, nothing more than belief.

Yes, faith is a virtue by which we believe and have hope. Faith is an obligation to the creator.

But something has happened to me that changed my life forever and it cannot be explained in any way other than the divine. And unless it happens to someone who is a non believer nothing else will change their mind.

Same here, something happened to me that changed my life and it cannot be explained in any way other than the divine. Not only would a non believer doubt this, I have to go back in my own journal to remind myself that these things really did happen.

 

[robHing]

One member in our church had an car accident when she went to church on Sunday.
She refused to go to church after that incident.
A lot of Christians want blessings from God.
But, unfortunately, they stumbled on the road of faith due to all kinds of sufferings
(sickness, laid-off, divorces, ...).

In Book of John, Jesus show himself in front of doubting Thomas after His resurrection.
He told Thomas:"Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not
seen and yet have believed". (John 20:29)

Faith is a pure belief itself. If you believe in God then you have It.
All these are very personal decisions.

 

[Lane]

200? That's it? My IQ is well over 40 million.

Wow, and here I thought I was the only one! lol -- Thanks for the chuckle JA, very clever!

Regarding whether or not there's a God. I guess it depends on what kind of yardstick a person uses. The beauty of it is that each of us gets to choose our own criteria. And who's to say one person's criteria is better than another's? -- Something I read once that made sense to me--went something like: "We're all correct in our understanding of God". I always liked that, because it's for the most part based on our own experience(s).

 

[JohnAdams]

Wow, and here I thought I was the only one! lol -- Thanks for the chuckle JA, very clever!

Regarding whether or not there's a God. I guess it depends on what kind of yardstick a person uses. The beauty of it is that each of us gets to choose our own criteria. And who's to say one person's criteria is better than another's? -- Something I read once that made sense to me--went something like: "We're all correct in our understanding of God". I always liked that, because it's for the most part based on our own experience(s).

There is either a God or there's not. This is not a subjective concept.

 

[Lane]

There is either a God or there's not.

But wouldn't that depend on how "God" is defined? Some definitions and descriptions would seemed to indicate a "yes" answer, while others would indicate a "no" answer. I personally don't have much time for some of the pretty sketchy descriptions provided most of the world's major religions. But I give much more credence to my own perceptions and experiences, and those of personal friends. So do I believe in "god"? Yes and no. As contradictory as that may sound, I really don't think it is. The beauty is, we all get to define God in our own unique way. -- All the Best!