Quick Poll - Do you believe in God?

[Cyberman]

Can we please cut down on the foul language on this thread, for Zarquon's sake?

[VAN BELLE Jean Marc]

I change the "foul language" link a little bit with this information on "us", Belgians (who do not really exist):

http://hitchhikers.wikia.com/wiki/Belgium: (existing part)
Belgium is the rudest word in the Universe, yet by a strange coincidence, also the name of a country on Earth. In the Secondary Phase, it is stated as "completely banned in all parts of the Galaxy, except in one part, where they don't know what it means, and in serious screenplays."

It is used as a single-word expletive by Zaphod Beeblebrox and Ford Prefect in the film.

It was used in a presidential declaration that declared the Belcerebons of Kakrafoon Kappa unhoopy.[1]

http://hitchhikers.wikia.com/wiki/Belgium: (NEW, added part)
The word Belgium also contains "BEL" and 1 bel = 10 decibel. The old nordwegian noun "gium" meaned "outlaw".

Caesar however referred to Belgium in his http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commentarii...lo_Gallico to this as "1. Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres, quarum unam incolunt Belgae, aliam Aquitani, tertiam qui ipsorum lingua Celtae, nostra Galli appellantur."

It means that Gallia knew three parts, where Belgae was the first part. In his third sentence "3. Horum omnium fortissimi sunt Belgae" Caesar seems to say that the <Belgians> seemed to be the bravest, but he explains that they he said this because they stood most far from all "civilization" (to the Roman norm).

Belgium is on itself has three languages: Flemish (officially it is Dutch, but the Flemish language is rather different from the Dutch one), Welsch ("Wales", officially French, is a lot closer to French as Flemish is to Dutch), and German. "a Belgian person" sounds very strange for someone who lives in Belgium: Flemish and Walloon are more used.

PS: <bel> itself comes from the oldest Gods of war and mean "war, warrier". In French the word "belle" from "beau" could come from the beautifull warriers in ancient times that make noice also, so "bell" comes also from "clock or cloche" in a big church.

[BELLE-gem means the communicty = GEMeinde from the people of Bell, the God of War]

[Cyberman]

You appended Douglas Adams?

Do you know what you just did?

[Invisible Sky Fairy]

Nope.

[robvalue]

Douglas Adams = God

[IATIA]

How can anyone be atheist if he did not believe 'something' before to reject?

One cannot have a believe in a god until they are informed of one. When it was brought to my attention, I said "Show me!". I am still waiting.

[VAN BELLE Jean Marc]

How can anyone be atheist if he did not believe 'something' before to reject?

One cannot have a believe in a god until they are informed of one. When it was brought to my attention, I said "Show me!". I am still waiting.

You need a real 'joke' based upon some facts, IATIA, I will try to translate it in proper English:


First read this topic on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Sea_flood_of_1953 and then read on:

On February, 1st, 1953, an old farmer heard suddenly water pelling into his farmhouse in the Netherlands. He looked downstairs and saw the water raising to the stairs he stood on. But this dutchman had a very strong belief in God and thought, after gotting scared: "My God will allways help me".

It was getting light outside and someone yelled from outside the house: "Walter, please come outside through the window and come along with us to fleed for the flood in our small boat". He heard it was his neigbour, which has especially come back to save his life.

"Do not worry, Kees", he yelled back, "God will save me if it's needed. I stay here!"

After trying 2 times, Walter went away as asked.

The water rose to the second store, and suddenly he heard the familiar old sirene of the firedepartments, which came with a motorvessel. They saw Walter at the highest windows and asked him to get in the motorvessel, because the water could still rise a lot.

"No, get away from here. I believe in God, if necessary, he will save my life." So they got of as well.

The flood indeed came higher. He had to get on the top of his roof and the water got to his knees now. Then the helicopter of the army saw the man on his roof, and came quickly nearby and indicated he had to jump the rope ladder. "They saw him refusing and he yelled and showed with his arms: "No, no, no, God will save me!"

So the heli flew away to save others.

Walter drawned some five minutes later, taken with the flow/stream.

...

Walter got by Saint Peter, you know, the man with the large book with all our names in it (not that I believe that part of story, but you know the old way christians were talked about such things). Walter shouted: How is it possible that God came not by to help me? I was allways a good christian and always there to help other people. Why did he let me to drown?

Saint Peter took his book, went to page 3.414.622.192.440 and read the two lines there, took his glasses of, looked at Walter and said:

"Really, I see he sent three men in company to help you out, but you did never recognize the hand of God nor accept it." And he closed the book again.

-----------

I hoop you get the point, that believe does not have to be soms 112 number (or 900 in England, do no know in the U.S.A. who you call to 'get helped'). That is NOT God. 'a' God can never be meant to piss on only because that would be the most personal God anyone could imagine and not some God who has something to do with 'independant life' in whatever matter.

But perhapse you are right, but that is NOT what i believe in, nor ever believed in.

PS: Saw the remark that you only can believe what you are learned to believe. i doubt about that question and find that question very difficult to answer, i even do not know! But on my behalf, i am an arrogant scientist and that side is atheist; but the other side has some childish belief that seemed UNcombinable till i was 40 years 'old' but now seems the perfect 'other side of myself' that cannot see the atheist side and that childish beliefs seems to explain everything i do NOT yet know or perhaps also everything i will NEVER ever be able to know... You understand? You feel what i mean? Is there a child in you that always know where the north is when you fall are get in the dark, whatever they do with you, however how they are trying to 'kill' you? That is my belief, i think. But thinking about believing seems very controversary also...

[IATIA]

I find a belief in a god or gods completely illogical. I find the possibility of a god or gods completely illogical.

As for your little 'parable'. What of the lives that were lost because resources were redirected to someone with no intent to accept the help. Or did god just not know any better?

[VAN BELLE Jean Marc]

I find a belief in a god or gods completely illogical. I find the possibility of a god or gods completely illogical.

As for your little 'parable'. What of the lives that were lost because resources were redirected to someone with no intent to accept the help. Or did god just not know any better?

Agree, you remain in the 'classic vision' that a God should HELP his people here. So I agree that "this belief in a god or gods is completely illogical."

No, we are men/women and have a choice to do this or that. After the number of deads, the Dutch people became worldfamous of there water+works to 'prevent' this from happening anymore.

You think a god would make us immortal? I would commit suicide if I got the opinion "i got an immortal status".

Even 'good' is good for some, but that same 'good' can be bad for an other (if you love one girl and want to marry her, she is no longer free for other men who love that girl and would also like to marry her; if you are free, you get prisoned, and if i get imprisoned, i would feel more free than ever before).

Thank you IATIA, but everyones way of believing or not believing is different. That makes this forum MORE worthwhile!

[IATIA]

I tend to be short and quick in most of my answers assuming a certain level of perspective from the poster to whom I am responding. I have been called on that several times so, let me elaborate somewhat.

In your 'parable', god sent help three times to the man that was waiting for god to help him. An all knowing god should have known the man would not accept help from the men without god making itself known. By redirecting the rescue parties, god could possibly have allowed others to die while wasting time on one that did not need help.

Ultimately, what this parable is saying, is that we can never know when god is offering assistance and should just assume god is offering help anytime help is offered. It is the "mystery of god". Effectively, whether or not a god exists has no bearing on the way things are. They are what they are.

I will elaborate a tad on that. There is no difference between, 'Things are the way they are because there is a god' and Things are the way they are because there is no god'.

Things are the way they are and there is no mark of god anywhere but in the delusional brainwashed minds of believers.