#does god exist

[doesgodexist]

Leaves Must Die to Save the Tree

As I write this, we are at the peak of the beautiful fall colors. This week’s forecast calls for strong winds and rain, which will probably take down most of the leaves. I hate to see the beauty fade, leaving the naked branches pointing to the sky all winter, but I know it’s God’s design that the leaves must die to save the tree.Deciduous trees shed their leaves in autumn. “Deciduous” refers to…

[moving1nplace]

the walls are covered in crosses and the celling with eyes. i am being judged by the divine yet it seems no one else can see into my soul as much as you can.

[kurtbennett]

Life With or Without Eternity: Darkness vs. Light--Acts 23:6-10

God Running is a place for anyone who wants to (or even anyone who wants to want to) love Jesus more deeply, follow Jesus more closely, and love people the way Jesus wants us to. Continue reading Life With or Without Eternity: Darkness vs. Light–Acts 23:6-10

[processofliving]

Is God real.

Is God real?

A very good question. And one that will (probably) never be answered. Apparently there is no scientific way in which to test whether God is real or not. Which is kind of crazy because we generally as people do not like it when questions are just left unanswered. Especially not big questions like this one. And I’m going to have to disappoint you; I’m not going to be able to give an answer to this question myself.

Personally I was raised an atheist, yet some of my family believes in God. I’ve got friends that are religious and I’ve got friends that are not. The one thing I always notice when discussing religion with them is that we’re not talking about whether God exists, but we’re talking about the things people do, say or think based on a religion. In other words, it is not a matter of whether He exists, it’s a matter of what it entails if He were to exist. 

I guess this is partly because it feels quite silly to ask a Christian if they think God is real, you feel like you already know the answer (although I feel it could cause some really interesting conversations as well, I’m sure religious people have existential doubts and questions time to time), but also because the way people ‘use’ religion in their life is what intrigues me. When I say ‘use’, I mean using a Holy Book as a basis for perspectives and behavior I do not feel are in line with the way I see life.

I think some of the very common questions I have, which I’m sure you’ve heard before, concern the following; using a Holy Book to say that being gay is a choice (and a poor one at that), or that people who do not believe in God will go to hell, or that, if someone dies unexpectedly, it was God’s will. These are things I cannot comprehend. I find it intriguing that people can believe in something so vastly different from what others believe in. And it is something I have been trying very hard to understand.

If there is a God, and there might be, would He design us to be gay if it was a sin? If there is a God, would He hate those who do not believe? And, if there is a God, would He choose to let a young child die? Is God not all love? That’s what I’ve always been taught. Yet I don’t have the answers. I’m just a little speck on this Earth who knows just as little about the concept of Deities as you all do. Maybe the people who believe in above-mentioned ‘things I cannot comprehend’ get it all wrong. Maybe ‘true’ religion is all about love. Or maybe it is not, and the people who believe in ‘all love’ are wrong. Or maybe it is so diverse that we will never know. But if there is One True God, I wonder what He thinks.

Concerning religion (and I guess generally as well) I have always felt very compelled to defend my perspective on life and do what I think is right. As if I have to defend those offended by people’s interpretation of their Book of Choice even though I am not the one preaching it. The conversations I have with religious people never turn sour, we are old enough to let our differences be differences, but it is curious that we always want to share our view on life with others and are so convinced that it is the right way. Ironic as well, since this entire blog revolves around my perspective on life. I truly wonder where that stems from, this urge to voice the things we believe in. 

Maybe it is God.

[egophiliac]

buckle up lads we're going BACK INTO THE BOOK

[pastorjohn3]

Christian Basics Series

The purpose of this series is to help you understand who Jesus Christ is, and why He came. Jesus is ‘God in the flesh’ who came to die on the cross to atone for our sins, so that by placing our faith in Him, with a humble, repentant heart, we have eternal life in Him. This series is here to help you understand how all of this fits together, and grow in your personal relationship with Christ. In order to accomplish this, there are nine major ‘doctrines,’ i.e. beliefs and teachings that are foundational – providing us with a way to understand the message of the good news (gospel), anchored in the life of Jesus Christ. These doctrines are: The Bible; God; Creation; Fall; Jesus Christ (The Lord); Sin and Salvation; The Holy Spirit; The Church; and The Last Things (End Times).

[fashionfotorecccluse]

God

God, depicted as a peaceful old male with long grey hair, a beard, wearing a long white shirt, sitting on a cloud ... is a mere fiction. This or any idea is in dire need of revision and redefinition. Inability to do so, will render it idle.

[awesome-shoes-with-wings]

Do any of you ever wonder if Camp Half-Blood accidentally brought in a demigod of a different pantheon before?

This would be especially hilarious if it happens sometime after The Last Olympian/Heroes of Olympus, where the gods are required to claim their kids quickly.

A whole day passes, and the new demigod needs to sleep in the Hermes Cabin and Percy is furious. Meanwhile, the Greek Gods are pointing at each other and shouting, contacting the most obscure of mini gods. Chaos erupts on Olympus as every deity in Greek Mythology is called upon and interrogated. Hermes hasn't run around so much in centuries.

Hecate sits in silence, fully aware of what's happening, but enjoying the show too much to intervene.

[lucabyte]

On autonomy, and what it means to be Obliged to Help.

Bonus:

[johninrags]

Does God not exist

On July 4, 2012, scientists discovered a new particle with a mass between 125 and 127 GeV/c². This momentous occasion marked the confirmation of the subatomic particle's existence by the ATLAS experiment, which used collisions in the Large Hadron Collider at the European Particle Physics Laboratory near Geneva, Switzerland. This particle, or 'boson,' is often called the "God particle," much to the chagrin of many scientists. In essence, this particle provides physical evidence for an invisible, universe-wide field that gives mass to all known matter. The structure of atoms in our bodies and everything around us is held together by this God particle, or invisible field.

Although only discovered in 2012, this particle had been predicted to exist ever since the conception of the standard model of particle physics in the mid-1970s. Interestingly, without the presence of this God particle, the standard model of particle physics would not have worked, so physicists made provision for it back in the 70s without having any proof of its existence (a show of faith, indeed). Kudos to all the scientists out there! Astrophysicist Robert Jastrow stated:

"The seed of everything that has happened in the Universe was planted in that first instant; every star, every planet, and every living creature in the Universe came into being as a result of events that were set in motion in the moment of the cosmic explosion. The Universe flashed into being, and we cannot find out what caused that to happen."

It is remarkable to note that esteemed scientists use phrases like "cannot find out what caused it to happen." The reality now, in the year 2022, is that scientists simply don't know the answers to all our questions. When it comes to the nonexistence of God, all science can claim, at best, is the absence of evidence. The question quickly arises: "Is the absence of evidence, evidence of absence?"

The famous writer C.S. Lewis said:

"Only by acknowledging that there is a God can we hope to make sense of human existence, the world we inhabit, and paradoxically, the problem of evil."

We cannot say that something does not exist because we do not see evidence thereof; this should be a short-circuit in all minds. So, beyond all debates and arguments, agreeing to disagree, the only truth mutually acceptable between believers and nonbelievers is that many of us have not seen or experienced God while others have.

Can we really experience God? Can human consciousness experience the Higgs field? Can we have access to God?

As I delved into the question of God's existence, I decided to explore the personal testimonies of those who had encountered God—people who were once non-believers, atheists, Satanists, or sinners, much like you and me. I believed these accounts would shed light on the matter and sought to read as many verifiable testimonies as possible, aiming to identify commonalities among them. My goal was to examine a statistically significant sample of one hundred accounts and determine the shared elements in each story.

However, this task proved more complex than I initially anticipated. I encountered a diverse range of conversion experiences, from Catholics to Muslims, atheists, celebrities, and intriguingly, Christians who had always considered themselves followers of Christ but had not truly known God. These testimonies were so distinct and unique that it was challenging to pinpoint any common threads. I discovered stories of individuals who turned to God amid hardship, as well as those who had never faced a crisis in their lives. There were accounts filled with guilt and resentment, and others marked by a complete absence of guilt.

While I initially believed that all these individuals were seeking the truth, I soon found testimonies that highlighted sudden and unexpected conversions that did not seem to prioritize the pursuit of truth. I expected to find many stories involving Bible reading or prayer, but some testimonies contained none of these elements. Some experiences were miraculous, while others were strikingly ordinary. Amid this diverse array of stories, the words of Pope Benedict XVI resonated with me the most. When asked how many ways there are to God, he said:

"There are as many ways as there are people. For even within the same faith, each person's way is an entirely personal one."

This idea is beautifully encapsulated in the saying, "All roads lead to Rome," or as I discovered, "All roads lead to God." Some people may find their path to God through scientific evidence, while others are guided by historical studies of the gospel. Some turn to philosophical reasoning or engage in prayer and the study of God's Word. Others are captivated by the sheer beauty of creation or convinced by the undeniable evidence of Jesus' resurrection. Some rely on logic and reasoning, while others are led by faith and divine intervention. Of course, there are also those who have not yet found their path at all. However, as "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" puts it, no matter where you are on this journey, "Don't Panic." As long as you ask questions and seek answers, new doors may open before you.

A prominent theory in quantum physics posits that "consciousness shapes reality," a notion echoed in various passages within the Bible. In fact, the Bible goes further by explaining how this can be achieved. This connection may not be immediately apparent to the scientific mind, simply because those minds have not yet become acquainted with the language and equations of faith. I want to encourage everyone to give these theological equations a go and the only way to do this, is to start delving into the bible.

Mark 11:24 ESV

24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

John 15:7 ESV

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Hebrews 11:3 ESV

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

To fully grasp the meaning of these Bible verses, we must first comprehend the underlying concepts. For instance, we need to define 'belief,' 'prayer,' and understand the meaning of "things that are not visible." When correctly interpreted, these passages offer profound insights for both the scientific and the faithful mind to contemplate.

In light of the awareness these passages evoke, consider this unifying thought: Whether you are a believer or a non-believer, an atheist or a Christian, regardless of your stance on God's existence, always remember that "God believes in you."

[doesgodexist]

One of the Natural World's Most Amazing Things

The hummingbird is one of the natural world’s most amazing things. Researchers have compiled new hummingbird data using modern methods, including high-speed photography. An adult hummingbird weighs roughly 4 grams, and to get a handle on that, a penny weighs about 2.5 grams. There are 21 species of hummingbirds in North America, and one species, called the bee hummingbird, weighs less than a…

[lazuliquetzalart]

Don't watch the coin, idiot!

the boss fight of ALL time

[bet-on-me-13]

The Fentonworks Mega-Lab.

So! AU where the Fentonworks Labs actually stretch Miles upon Miles below the City of Amity Park.

It started when the Fentons wanted to add a simple addition to the original Lab when they ran out of space to store their more dangerous weapons. They didn't want their (at the time) young children getting their hands on their experimental Weaponry, it could blow up in their faces!

So they built a different Wing of the Lab to hold all those Inventions.

Then they ran out of space and added a few extra Storage Rooms. But then they decided it was a hassle to have to carefully transport their Dangerous Inventions all the way to the Storage Rooms, and built a Lab specifically for Dangerous Experiments near that same Section. Then that Lab was occupied for a while, and Jack wanted to start a different experiment as well, so they built a few more.

In the end they just never stopped building onto their Labs.

There are sections of the Mega-Lab that are entirely walled off because a few of their more unstable Experiments contaminated the area. Walking into them was not recommended, else you could walk out with an extra eye or 5.

In other sections, their Captured Ghosts had taken over a few Labs and created a sort of Mad Max style civilization using their discarded weapons and vehicles.

In another, all Ghosts became Humans and all Humans became Ghosts. That was a weird one, to this day they still didn't understand how they pulled that off.

In another, some type of Eldritch Time Ghost had been born, and now sort of always existed and never existed, and began experimenting with its powers. They nicknamed it Clocky because it liked to carry around a stopwatch.

And so many more. At one point a failed Portal Experiment messed with the internal Space of the entire thing. Now there was literally no way of Mapping it. The Fentons still somehow managed to navigate it perfectly.

When Jazz and Danny grew up, they too learned how to navigate the Labs, which is how Danny managed to show his friends the Portal Experimentation Wing in the first place.

Unfortunately, it wasn't safe for anyone aside from the Fentons to enter the Mega-Labs, so one day when the Fenton Family+friends left town on a Week Long Camping/Road Trip, they put up a few Ghost Shields to keep both Humans out and the Ghosts in.

This drew some unwanted attention after some tourists saw the giant Glowng Green Building in the middle of an Illinois Town, and rightfully called the Justice League.

Now, the Justice League had tried to call the owners of the house, but nobody picked up the phone. (An incident with Jack and a Canoe had knocked most of their phones into the lake. They weren't even at the lake yet.)

When nobody picked up, they decided to investigate personally.

After getting into the House, they quickly found a door labeled "Labs: Do Not Enter (unless it we are late for Dinner)" and went into ignoring all the warnings.

They quickly regretted it.

[captain-flint]

I wanted to be a part of that. You were.

[backpackingspace]

Okay but have we thought about how scary odysseus interacting with the gods /his knowledge about such things it must have been for his crew?

Its well known that odysseus is Athenas favorite, even before the Trojan war. But what does that look like from the outside? Are their conversations in some other plain? Does odysseus sometimes just glaze over and you just have to trust its a god speaking to him and not aome other fit? Out in the open? During the war odysseus was frequently doing really bizarre things on Athena's say so. Bit you also know your captain is a freak and lier so which is it this time? The gods will or odysseus just tucking with you? There's a little wariness there. But it's well known. And been like this forever.

But then you start encountering more monsters. More gods. They all talk to your captain. Your captain stops sleeping. Your go between for you and the captain starts committing crimes against the captain, starts bad mouthing him. More of your friends have died then in ten years of war. And every other day there's a new god talking to your captain. What mortal man has the interest of this many gods? What mortal man can get up in the gods faces to yell at them. What mortal man has the powers to overcome the witches they encounter the power to over turn gods spells? What mortal man's tongue is so gilded he convinces these powers to help them? And doubt comes creeping in.